Nothing yields a sharper perspective on human life than contemplating human mortality. Theatre in this vein offers an opportunity to deepen our perspective and change the way we think about big, life-and-death issues that are part of the human experience. Here are some emotionally wrenching but ultimately life-affirming productions where lives hang in the balance.
(in alphabetical order by production)
Birthday Candles by Noah Haidle, produced by Northlight Theatre in 2023: A recurring undercurrent in the plays on our “Life and Death” list is the ultimate impact of decisions that initially seemed inconsequential. One of the many gifts that playwright Noah Haidle has given us in Birthday Candles is a 90-minute examination of a life (on key birthdays, from age 17 to 107), so that the connection between decision-making and ramifications is amplified and instructive. As an audience member, you naturally began to think about your own life, and like the play’s protagonist, ponder what you want your life to look like … and will you ultimately have regrets? Under the inspired direction of Jessica Thebus, a cast of the most charming and relatable actors imaginable gently guided us along that journey, through humor and pathos. Kate Fry was so perfect in the lead role that we couldn’t imagine anyone else ever playing that part. Echoing the zeitgeist of the play, set designer Sotirios Livaditis somehow created an environment capturing both the mundane kitchen vibe and the cosmic backdrop. We’re grateful to all the artists that brought this intimate examination of an ordinary life to the stage, and how they enabled us and other fortunate audience members to ponder implications for our own stages of life.
Cambodian Rock Band by Lauren Yee, produced by Victory Gardens Theatre in 2019: From 1975 to 1979, the Khmer Rouge regime murdered about one quarter of the Cambodian population, including virtually all musicians and other artists. How can one relate on a personal level to the numbing statistics of genocide? Lauren Yee’s play Cambodian Rock Band accomplishes that feat by focusing on the members of the titular rock band, along with one notorious perpetrator of the violence and repression. In the context of such an oppressive regime, a seemingly innocuous decision (“Should we stick around to play that gig on New Year’s Eve?”) can have life-changing consequences that may echo for generations. Yee’s play is a cunningly designed crazy quilt, combining mystery, tragedy, humor, and music to tell a complex, multi-generational story of survival against seemingly impossible odds. Victory Gardens’ spectacular production, expertly directed by Marti Lyons, featured a fully committed cast of six actor/musicians who did equal justice to both the musical and dramatic demands of this totally absorbing and powerful story. Interesting note: The performance we saw was delayed by 20 minutes due to a power failure, during which one of the cast members entertained the audience with an impromptu stand-up comedy routine.
Our Town by Thornton Wilder produced by The Hypocrites in 2008: This deceptively simple classic by Thornton Wilder is a staple of high school and community theatre, but most such productions tend to skate over its homespun surface. We have seen a number of fine college and professional productions that effectively probed its more subtle depths, but by far the most profoundly moving was the Hypocrites 2008 production directed by David Cromer, who also brilliantly played the stage manager. Somehow the stark staging and spare set (a couple of tables and some chairs), together with exquisitely eloquent performances by the ensemble cast conveyed the preciousness of life and finality of death more affectingly than any other production of this (or any other) play we’ve ever seen. One couldn’t help leaving the theatre with a different perspective, especially after having been brought back to reality by smelling the bacon near the end of the show. This now legendary production was quickly remounted in Chicago and then moved to New York, where it ran for more than a year.
The Quality of Life by Jane Anderson produced by The Den Theatre in 2013. This extraordinarily insightful play examines fundamental issues of life and death with equal doses of humor and pathos. The collision between the midwestern and left-coast values of the two couples, both of whom are suffering from loss, is treated with considerably more subtlety than one might expect. Ultimately, when life is stripped to its essentials, human compassion must transcend the personal prejudices and lifestyle choices that so often divide us. The Den Theatre’s deeply felt and warmly moving production, sympathetically directed by Lia Mortensen and with an impressive set by Henry Behel, featured exquisitely nuanced performances by all four cast members, led by Ron Wells as a man who is determined to face impending death (from cancer) on his own terms. This immaculate tone poem stays with you long after the final blackout.
United Flight 232 by Vanessa Stalling produced by The House Theatre of Chicago in 2016. This deeply moving docudrama reenacted the true story of the titular flight that crash-landed in Sioux City, Iowa in 1989, resulting in 111 deaths but a remarkable 185 survivors. Rather than a realistic simulation of the cockpit and cabin of an airliner, the set consisted of little more than a collection of chairs that the cast reconfigured for each successive scene. These elegantly choreographed movements were a vital element in creating the mood of the piece. The diverse and deeply committed cast, representing both passengers and crew, was led by Brenda Barrie as the lead flight attendant, Jan Brown. The calm professionalism of the crew and the understandably wide range of emotions among the passengers in the face of seemingly imminent death were depicted with remarkable authenticity, as attested by the numerous survivors who attended the show throughout its run. The display of selfless heroism was not limited to the crew, but was exhibited by many passengers as well in helping their fellow passengers survive the crash. The dramatic emotional impact of this show tellingly reminded us not only of the fragility of life and the capriciousness of fate, but also of the nobility and altruism within us that can surface even in the most dire of circumstances.
