AN INTEREST IN STRANGERS
Best of Chicago voting is live now. Vote for your favorites »
The results of this survey are revealed near the end of the intermissionless 75-minute show. Of course they’re as meaningless as such statistics always are, reflective of “trends” artificially deduced by assessing a random assortment of people–whoever attended the show that particular night. This is information for information’s sake, compiled to use up time and delivered to divert, not enlighten. Television in a nutshell, in other words.
Developed between 1981 and 1983 by Milwaukee’s Theatre X under the guidance of John Schneider, An Interest in Strangers is concerned with America in the age of communications overkill, when people are so inundated with news from around the world that they’ve lost the ability to respond to it. In this world everything is fodder for the marketplace, and the noise of the global marketplace deafens us to our own inner voices. It’s a world that’s only gotten worse in the decade since the play premiered.
Directed rather stolidly by James Ostholthoff, Eclipse Theatre’s production features competent performances, highlighted by stylish and expressive V.A. Hamilton as Lily, who evolves from a no-nonsense newswoman into a teasing chanteuse in the name of giving the public what it wants. Scott Haven and Casey Cooper are Harry and Faith, locked in a test-pattern marriage and unable to face that fact; and Beth Bogdon is the picture of a relentless camera operator, dogging everyone with obsessive determination.
