The Whale
WHAT: The Whale
WHEN: April 5 – May 5, 2013 (see schedule) (in previews until April 15)
WHERE: Victory Gardens Biograph Theater (2433 N. Lincoln Ave.)
RUNTIME: 1 hour 50 minutes with no intermission
WHO: Victory Gardens Biograph Theater
PRICE: $30-60 ($15 for students)
OUR RATING: Do It!
An emotionally-charged and gut-wrenching drama, Victory Gardens Theater’s production of The Whale is a powerful midwest premiere from ensemble playwright and Obie Award-winner Samuel D. Hunter. After the death of his partner, morbidly obese Charlie, weighing in at 600 pounds, confines himself inside his small apartment for years, ignoring his rapidly failing health. Knowing how grave his situation is, he desperately tries to reconnect with his estranged and intensely angry teenage daughter, willing to do anything for her.
(Photo by Michael Brosilow)
Adam: Shocking, fascinating and deeply moving, The Whale lays bare the collision between society and the individual, making us examine this intersection, and the extremely damaged people it leaves behind. Charlie (Dale Calandra) is knowingly committing suicide before us, destroying his body in response to the annihilation of his lover by the deeds of religion.
(Photo by Michael Brosilow)
A teacher, whose disembodied voice is delivered to students across the wilds of the internet, Charlie is a gentle, sensitive and educated man, whose inability to deal with loss has led to his own destruction. But he is also a selfish man, choosing not to address his previous relations in an adult manner, preferring to defer them to the last minute. Thus, we are left with his struggle to rebuild already lost connections, and the deep regret that accompanies such endeavors.
(Photo by Michael Brosilow)
As the story unfolds, it becomes apparent that we are dealing with a narrative about our society’s current problems: healthcare, religious fundamentalism, discrimination and interventionism are just a few of the topics that spring to mind; but it is clear that none of these issues are actually resolved by Charlie or any of the characters. Perhaps this is because they are unresolvable, or perhaps we lack the will as a society to resolve them.
How did this play leave me? Deeply affected. As Charlie fell further and further away towards his own, self-inflicted mortality, my rage grew, as if I wanted to step into the scene and rescue the whole lot of them through a deus ex machina of my own invention. In truth, we must reflect on the causes of such injustices (economically unequal healthcare, bigoted religion, and isolation) and direct our rage towards them, so that perhaps we are spurned to some action that will overcome these challenges and inequalities.
(Photo by Michael Brosilow)
Alicia: This was one of the toughest performances I have watched in a very long time. I found myself vulnerable and upset during the entire piece, and afterwards for the rest of the evening I was kind of a wreck and felt completely and utterly drained. Perhaps this was because the play hit really close to home for me in a few unique ways, but I think no matter who you are this show will punch through your gut and twist around to add to your pain.
(Photo by Michael Brosilow)
Joanie Schultz directs some powerhouse actors, including stars Dale Calandra (Charlie), Leah Karpel (Ellie) and Will Allan (Elder Thomas). After seeing Karpel most recently in last year’s Next Up repertory at Steppenwolf Theatre in The Glass Menagerie as Laura Wingfield, it was refreshing to see this young actress in a more aggressive role, and I was grateful for her maturity and depth, despite her age. As for Allan, I am always super excited to see this up-and-coming actor on stage, after seeing him in Steppenwolf’s Good People and The March. He’s charming, vulnerable, and plays complexity to a tee.
(Photo by Michael Brosilow)
And then there’s Dale Calandra. I only know Calandra from his stint as Aunt Lola Cabana, a drag-character he uses to host benefits, corporate events, roasts and the like. Yet while I recognized Calandra right away from this alter-ego, he immediately transformed into Charlie and I’m not sure I’ve ever believed a performance and a character more than I did his. With help from costume designer Janice Pytel, Calandra took on a 600-pound role complete with intense costuming that must have weighed a ton, with the emotional toll of the role probably weighing at least that much and possibly more.
I was torn; I wanted to sympathize with his situation, yet at the same time I was at once somewhat, admittedly, disgusted with the whole thing, and also outraged with how stagnant and passive every single character was with the grave issues at hand. I felt sick to my stomach with this disgust and sadness, which exploded during the final and most intense moment of the play, and which left me in pieces.
Final Thoughts: Riveting and profound theater, The Whale will make you think deeply about individual issues and their wider consequences through stunning acting, convincing costuming and a strong script. It will leave you in a different place, a place which you will have to discover on your own.