Praise from the Professionals
"If publicity materials offer any indication, Polarity’s pleased as punch at having the balls to take on this deliberately disjointed tale of soul transmigrations aboard the decks of a White Airplane. And well it should be. From material self-consciously designed to eschew those bourgie, normative storytelling techniques that make theater, well, watchable, Polarity’s crafted an evening frenetic enough to keep us entertained. Many a fringe troupe fumbles harder on more solidly crafted fare.
"Deep credit for the production’s high points go to Polarity’s slate of steamroller actors. Airplane calls for its cast members to jump roles repeatedly as a mysterious (read: random) mechanism transplants them into different bodies the world over. A trick that could leave actors grappling with how the heck to maintain character cohesion only invigorates Polarity’s ensemble to plunge heedlessly onward. Mason Hill proves particularly adept at the task, delving exuberantly into roles ranging from stodgy Japanese surgeon to Pittsburghian couch potato. Better even than his range is his ever-augmenting enthusiasm." --Christopher Shea, Time Out Chicago
"The givens of the play—the basic information provided by it—are that it has four scenes taking place on three different continents and in the air. The scenes offer characters of different races and vastly different socio-economic strata united by a deja vu sense that each is a different person in a different place at the same time as he is here/now. Each scene contains violence ranging from stabbings in two scenes to apparent plane crashes. And each key character has a vision of seeing—or being inside—an all-white airplane that others cannot see...
"Callahan shifts radically in tone from scene to scene, from the opening moments of British sex farce to a sober ending that combines The Twilight Zone with Sartre...
"Director Susan Padveen puts a generally capable cast of six ( four principals and two extras ) through their paces in snappy fashion... Before the show and between scenes, the audience is greeted with air travel trappings which are engaging and fun. And scenic designer Jason Epperson has labored with some wit...to create four distinct settings in a difficult space with little stage technology to help.” --Jonathan Abarbanel, Windy City Times
Directions: We perform at the Josephinum Academy, 1500 N. Bell, Chicago. The White Airplane runs through March 22. Show times are 8pm on Fridays and Saturdays, 3pm on Sundays. Click here for tickets. ($15)
From the Chicago Reader blog:
(5 stars) "What a trip is right! I have no idea what this play was about, but I have thought about it every day since seeing it last weekend. I think I might have to see it again just to believe it's real. I cannot believe someone had the brass balls to make this play -- in this safe town, in this economy. What a relief to see something unexpected. Flawed, yes, but entertaining on a whole new level." Posted February 19, 2009
(4 stars) "Yeah, I see what you're saying, but hasn't anyone in the Western Hemisphere ever read Murakami or seen a David Lynch movie? Clearly all the weirdness was intential and provokative. And things had such style it didn't matter that it wasn't a true narrative. I tuned out in one part, but the rest was gold." Posted February 19, 2009
(3 stars) "As an actor for a diff troupe, I'm surprised there isn't more recognition for the cast...man, that script must have been a bear for the actors and I thought what they did was really stretching (in a good way.)" Posted February 20, 2009
(4 stars) "I couldn't tell what to think on this when I left the show. Needed a decoder, but the reviews were not helpful. Seems they washed their hands of it. Crazy, since so much to discuss. How could you not want to swim around in these stories. TWA is the only thing I've seen on stage that you can call epic. It's the first play I've seen that made me think about why we are here. This should be studied in schools. I wish I could act cos I totally l would want to be in this." Posted February 22, 2009
(5 stars) "Is it possible to give both a 5 and a 1 star review at the same time -- because this is either the worst show in town or the best. I'm going with 5 because I don't know what it means (though I have ideas), but I was very into it... There isn't a second of this that's boring. Confusing, yes, but never boring. I was rivited until the end, which wasn't even really an end, know what I mean? It's more like an explosion than a play." Posted on March 1, 2009
(4 stars) “I saw the play opening night and enjoyed it. I thought the concept was pretty cool (although if you are not used to a Magna/Anime style story progression if can be hard to follow at first)... I recommend The White Airplane for anyone looking to go for a ride, complete with flight attendants to take your tickets (and little bags of peanuts for those in the front row!)." - Posted February 19, 2009