Emerald City's "PlayGround" to Improve Productions

Inside a converted storefront on the North Side, a dozen three-year-olds are giggling, eagerly waiting for the play to begin. The Emerald City Children’s Theatre Company is hosting a “play date” for its newest production, “If You Take a Mouse to School.”

A “play date” is part of Emerald City’s new play development process called “The PlayGround,” which was implemented at the company this past summer. “Play dates” can be anything from reading a script around a table with actors, writers and designers to readings in front of an audience.

“The amount of quality material for young people is not as large as it is for the "adult" world,” said Ernie Nolan, Associate Artistic Director at Emerald City Theatre. Nolan also adapted and directed “Mouse,” which is based on the book of the same name written by Laura Numeroff.

“Mouse” opened September 20 at the Apollo Theater, is the first Emerald City production to have gone through “The Playground.”

“What we set out to do was create a lab where we could develop work for the mainstage or even play with ideas for work that might be developed,” Nolan said.

While staging readings for a play’s intended audience is not groundbreaking in children’s theater, Emerald City sets itself apart in another way.

“Ours is the only company that workshops and receives feedback from children, parents, and educators,” Nolan said. “It's the three groups that our company actively serves, so we want to know what they want and how we can help them.

The “play dates” provide invaluable feedback for the play’s development. And sometimes the children’s frankness is refreshingly beneficial.

“They have no filter,” said Elizabeth Schmeski, the artistic intern who participated in one of this past summer’s “play dates” at Emerald City. “They aren’t afraid to tell you what they thought was boring, silly or confusing. They can be a tough crowd, but what they say is essential to making the play work.”

Audiences have thoroughly enjoyed “Mouse,” and much of its success can be attributed to the interaction between the actors and children.

“I think it’s a lot of the repetition and direct contact with the audience that makes the show effective,” said Mary Williamson, who plays six different characters in the play. “It’s also a really fun, silly show.”

Nolan knows the importance of play development, and Emerald City is demonstrating its ongoing commitment to new plays for children.

“The "PlayGround" means that we are dedicated to not only creating world class scripts but contributing to the legacy of theatre for young audiences in this country,” Nolan said.

After “Mouse,” Emerald City’s season of new plays continues with “Hansel and Gretel” (Nov. 20-Jan. 4.) and “The Voyages of Dr. Dolittle,” (Jan. 17-Mar. 14) both of which will take trips to the “PlayGround.”

"Dave DaVinci Saves the Universe"

Time travel is a tricky topic for anyone in the artistic world to tackle. There are rules to follow and time lines are rarely accurate, but in “Dave DaVinci Saves the Universe” it actually works, as heartfelt characters embark on an emotionally charged journey into the past, present and future.

When we meet Dave (Stephen Taylor, “The Sparrow”), he’s a jittery, lovably awkward 18-year-old self-proclaimed scientist, who is convinced he will successfully build a time machine. Future Dave (Dennis Watkins, “Hope Springs Infernal”) appears rather quickly and we learn, just like teenage Dave, that he actually does build a machine in the future. Easy enough, right?

Well, there would not be much of a story if it were that simple. Even Leonardo encountered some obstacles.

Future Dave has a wife, Norah (Stacy Stoltz, “Hatfield & McCoy”), who’s a musician and is having trouble communicating with Dave. They have a young daughter named Perdi (Paige Hoffman, “The Sparrow”), an exceptionally gifted science fiction writer. She has written six books in her “Cass Meridian” series, which follows the journey of three space explorers.

But Dave’s future holds a hard, harrowing truth. Early on, we learn that Perdi has committed suicide. This proves to be the plot point that propels the rest of the story, as Dave is convinced he can build a time machine that will allow him to fix everything. For Dave, sometimes “the answers are as simple as knowing the right buttons to press.”

Perhaps the most visually gripping moments occur when Dave reads aloud from his daughter’s books. Dave’s vivid imagination causes the simple living room set to transform into the interior of a spaceship in which the three crew members look like something from “The Fifth Element.” Arcturus (Carolyn Defrin, “The Sparrow”), a horned, bear-like creature simply shines onstage.

Dave eventually develops a relationship with the trio, and the crew guides him on his arduous journey. Their encounters are some of the play’s quirkiest, most genuine scenes.

While it’s not hard to keep track of the future and past characters, it definitely keeps you on your toes. It’s also quite amusing. In one exchange, Dave asks Nora “Do you mind if I talk to myself for a minute?”

The House is known for its unique, highly creative productions like “The Sparrow” and “The Terrible Tragedy of Peter Pan.” True to its predecessors, “Dave DaVinci” hits on all aesthetic cylinders. Think flashy lighting, other-worldly sound effects and time traveling made easy with the help of some wispy curtains and plenty of strobe lights.

Playwrights Chris Matthews, Jake Minton and Nathan Allen, who wrote 2007’s “The Sparrow,” infuse funky, comedic moments throughout Dave’s otherwise powerful, genuine journey to save his daughter.

“Dave DaVinci” first premiered at in 2005 at and the writers are approaching the script in an entirely new way.

While the play’s title is quite ambitious, taking risks has its perks. And the House has never been known to hold back. Embracing time travel is never easy, but this is a show that knows what's at stake and effectively delivers.

The House Theatre of Chicago’s “Dave DaVinci Saves the Universe.” Through Nov. 8 at the Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division St.; $25-$29, 773-251-2195 and www.thehousetheatre.com.

"Gary Unmarried" Fails to Deliver

When the writers of “Gary Unmarried” (7:30 p.m. Sept. 24, WBBM-Ch. 2) brainstorm material for jokes, one wonders if they consider something other than sex. It appears they don’t.

The show revolves around Gary Brooks (Jay Mohr, “Jerry Maguire”), a painting contractor who has just recently called it quits after 15 years of marriage with Allison Brooks (Paula Marshall). They share custody of two children—Louise (Kathryn Newton), an 11-year-old who frequently outsmarts her dad and has posters of Al Gore and Gandhi covering her bedroom walls, and Tom (Ryan Malgarini), a socially awkward 14-year-old who is, you guessed it, nervous around girls.

Eager to start over, Gary meets a new love interest, Vanessa (Jaime King). But he neglects to tell her about his ex-wife. And his two children. While this premise has comedic potential, the humor takes an unexpected turn for the worse. After sleeping with Gary, someone she barely knows, Vanessa thinks it makes her a slut. Gary quickly corrects her, saying “No, no; it makes you a whore.” This sort of unnecessarily dirty humor is haphazardly inserted into nearly every scene of “Gary Unmarried,” and it spoils what could otherwise be an enjoyable show.

Unfortunately, the writers have difficulty moving beyond sex to get a laugh. Even during a heart-to-heart talk about girls between Gary and his son, Tom innocently asks, “What if she expects me to, you know, tap it?”

However, Gary and his son do have some redeeming moments together. Tom says of a girl he likes “She smells good.” Gary quips, “They all do. That’s how they get you.”

Gary’s supposed appeal is how little he knows about his children, his childish behavior and what’s in his fridge (two beers and ranch dressing). But a guy who doesn’t know a lot about his son or daughter rarely, if ever, comes across as funny. This is no exception.

Veteran actor Ed Begley Jr. plays Dr. Walter Krandall, Gary and Allison’s former marriage counselor and the author of “Rules for the Perfect Divorce.” Begley Jr. offers some relief from the constant barrage sex-laced dialogue. And let’s just say he plays an interesting role in Allison and Gary’s post-divorce plans.

CBS has delivered other smart, humorous shows like “How I Met Your Mother” and “Two and a Half Men,” so viewers ought to expect better from its new comedies—especially one that’s directed by James Burrows, who was behind megahits like “Will & Grace” and “Friends.”

But the show’s creator and series’ executive producer, Ed Yeager, has yet to achieve similar success. Yeager’s producing credits include “Grace Under Fire,” “Suddenly Susan” and other short-lived sitcoms. He also co-wrote the screenplay for the wholly unsuccessful “The Comebacks,” which attempted to parody every sports cliché known to man.

Longtime comic Mohr appears awkward in a sitcom role. His talents are not completely wasted, but they’re not used well, either.

Beyond the cheap laughs that are few and far between, “Gary Unmarried” has very little substance. It’s not quite “Gary Unwatchable,” but “Gary Underdeveloped” is more like it.