History: Reviews

Talking about Godard, O'Reilly's latest play, contains some of the subtlest, most elliptical and fascinating dialogue I've heard spoken at in a Curious Theatre Branch show. Strongly reminiscent of Pinter and Albee, though still undeniably O'Reilly, the play concerns three women: two roommates and a dependent friend, who spend the evening indulging in various, sometimes openly cruel, sometimes merely passive-aggressive, power games.

One woman just wants to watch videos all night. Her current passion is the French New Wave director Jean-Luc Godard. Another woman wants to resume a long-postponed affair. And the third woman is content manipulating the other two.

The play may not be one of the most uplifting productions currently running in Chicago, but it is certainly one of the best written. And thanks to a committed cast of Curious Theatre regulars and others, well acted. Fine, daring productions like this are part of the reason Chicago remains, despite declining grant dollars for the arts, one of the best cities for theater in North America.

Though references to classics like Contempt and Breathless abound, you'd be hard-pressed to say that Beau O'Reilly's script is solely a discourse on French New Wave filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard. Not that the play's title is deceptive: Godard enthusiast Mary Barnes is perpetually bent on bringing the conversation back to her favorite subject. But O'Reilly concerns himself mainly with the dysfunctional codependent relationship that develops between three women—frigid Helen, idealistic Chris, and geeky film buff Mary.

O'Reilly's command of language is impressive, and he has a real ear for conversation. The cast's bold, naturalistic performances (in particular, Jenny Magnus's liquid turn as Helen) are similarly inspired. The play's uneven conclusion is unsatisfying, but for the first hour or so Talking About Godard is as thought provoking and engrossing as anything to hit Chicago stages this year.

The play is accompanied by a preposterous black-and-white short, featuring a figure right out of Godard soaking in a bathtub and spewing stream-of-consciousness dreck, that gently mocks cinema verite. The detailed apartment set (shared by Ouijar's production of Marie and Bruce) is equally fabulous. The Curious Theatre Branch has long been hailed as a model of low-budget efficiency; now the troupe has added virtuoso tech work to its already impressive list of accomplishments.