"Valentine Victorious" Rocks The House

The House Theater Group has in its relatively short existence already stamped out its own signature style. The theater they create is energetic, wildly imaginative, and explosive. It can also be unfocused and over-stuffed. Their new show, Valentine Victorious, continues to exhibit these traits.

 

Valentine Victorious is the third in the House's trilogy which started with San Valentino and the Melancholy Kid and continued in Curse of the Crying Heart. The three shows stand alone. They really do not have a continuous narrative. Each has been set in different mythological realms: The Western, The Asian Sword Fantasy, and now The 1930's Comic Book Superhero. What they do share are themes of loss, redemption, and reluctant heroism. There is no need to have seen any of the other shows to understand and appreciate Valentine.

 

Of the three shows, this is the most fun. It is more imaginative that the previous two shows. The House performs some wonderful stagecraft in conveying atomic bombs, driving cars, and walking through cemeteries (a comic book tour of GracelandCemetery is genius).

 

The production is indebted to the witty design team.  G. Warren Stiles' great sound design includes creaky footsteps, scratchy records, and bomb blasts. Stiles' sound helps to define some of the characters such as the evil Black Skull's electric crackles. Laurie LaMere Klapperich and Anna Weincrot have created some authentic looking period costumes. They do wonders with gauze, tape, goggles, masks, and plastic. The set for this show is not as elaborate as the other two. Scenes are cleverly conveyed with colorful projections and the simplest of props. Even the lighting is atmospheric. Notice how the lights change color when a car pulls up to a stoplight.

 

The House has one of the hardest working theater ensembles in Chicago. The group's enthusiasm spills over into the audience. The ensemble treats the audience as if it were one big party. They leap over each other and will do almost anything to get a gasp or laugh from the audience. In the truest sense of ensemble work, I've seen these actors take on many different roles in previous House productions. These actors have all taken on leads and featured roles to some degree. Each show highlights the strengths of each actor. For Valentine, I very much enjoyed watching how each actor created his or her character with physical technique: hunched-over Matthew Hawkins running in pain because his right hand has become a steel fist, Carolyn Defrin's Widow that turns from seductress to cold-hearted murderess in a one kiss, Kat McDonnell's Betty-Boop perkiness, and (best of all) Marika Mashburn's stooped Dr. Crane who is more than just a little old lady. Her pantomime of mowing down an enemy brought applause from the audience. Great stuff/Great fun!

 

The show's direction is big and messy…like the company itself. When you see a House show, you are an active participant. The actors mill about the audience before and after the show. People and action are exploding from all around the audience. They are constantly in motion. It's a great touch having actors leave the space via the emergency exits into the alley.

 

Each of the three shows has had live music. I have had mixed feelings about this. The music has, at times, stopped the shows dead. The songs really do not offer any narrative purpose other than to give the main character, played by Nathan Allen, a chance to sing and play guitar for some rock tunes. It's almost as if Allen threw the songs into the show just because he wanted the chance to play in front of an audience. For this show, however, there is a 16 (!) piece orchestra, The Trick Hearts. The music in this show is no longer only played for Allen's indulgence but for underscoring. For Valentine, Kevin O'Donnel's score makes this show into something special.  

 

Valentine Victorious needs to be edited, as all the House shows do. This is their biggest challenge. Right now, the House seems to throw in as much as they possibly can into the mix. Like those old Airplane movie parodies, it seems that they think the more they throw in the more something will stick. But until this happens, they and the audience are having such a great time it really doesn't much matter.

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