BWW Reviews: GRAND CONCOURSE Makes Chicago Debut in Sublime Steppenwolf Production

In Grand Concourse, playwright Heidi Schreck has skillfully crafted a narrative about what it means to give back- not only in the sense of performing acts of charity but also in the sense of forgiveness. Now in its Chicago premiere at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, an accomplished cast of four actors brings to life Schreck's intriguing exploration of what it means to truly help others and the wearing effects that the striving towards selflessness can bring.

Grand Concourse focuses on Shelley (Mariann Mayberry), a nun who has devoted her life to running a soup kitchen in the Bronx. Though she once had unflinching beliefs in the importance of her work and faith, Shelley now struggles with a growing sense of futility about her efforts. When erratic college dropout Emma (Brittany Uomoleale) arrives as a volunteer, Shelley's instinct to help and provide direction kicks in. Along with the building's security guard Oscar (Victor Almanzar) and down-on-his-luck soup kitchen frequenter Frog (Tim Hopper, who will be replaced by Francis Guinan August 11), the four of them form a surrogate family of sorts. But soon enough, Emma reveals some tough secrets of her own, which only add to Shelley's own struggles. As Emma becomes increasingly unstable throughout the play, so too does Shelley's foundation of belief in the goodness of good deeds and unconditional empathy.

Director Yasen Peyankov leads a devoted, compelling cast in Grand Concourse. As written by Schreck, Shelley has both a no-nonsense attitude about running her soup kitchen and also a deep sense of inner emotional turmoil. Mayberry deftly embodies both of these traits in her portrayal of Shelley. She is appropriately and convincingly all-business when she needs to be, as when she admonishes Emma in an early scene for not washing her hands before handling food. Mayberry's sharp, rapid-fire reaction indicates that this is serious business. As the emotional stakes in the play become intensified, however, so does Mayberry's emotional portrayal of the character, such as when we see her struggling to pray while the timer on the soup kitchen's microwave ticks down. And in the last few scenes of the play, Mayberry makes herself entirely vulnerable as a performer, fully giving into the character - both in a tender moment with Frog and a wonderfully cathartic confrontation with Emma.

As Emma, Uomoleale fully embodies her character's instability. She has a determined earnestness when it comes to Emma's desire to help out, plays the part of the deceitful flirt in her encounters with Oscar, and also has an intense and convincing rage. Hopper gives a true sense of humanity to Frog, and with his delightful delivery of Frog's terrible jokes, adds humor to the production. Almanzar is charming as Oscar and embodies his character's desire to transcend his circumstances and create a better life for himself and his girlfriend -despite the fact that that may be implausible.

Praise must also be paid to Joey Wade's superb set for Grand Concourse. The soup kitchen in which the play takes place feels entirely real and is rendered with startling detail, with a beautiful church facade in the background - complete with scaffolding that conveys the decrepit nature of the building.

Grand Concourse explores the question of what it means to do good and be a "good person," but there is no question that this is a production worthy of audiences' attention. Schreck's play has both intellectual and emotional resonance, and Steppenwolf's cast expertly and touchingly brings it to life.

Grand Concourse plays at Steppenwolf Theatre Company's Downstairs Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted, through August 30. Tickets are $20-$89. steppenwolf.org or 312-335-1650.

Photo Credit: Michael Brosilow

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