Ghosts and devils often mingle with living human beings in Irish playwright Conor McPherson’s dramas.
If there are any supernatural elements in his latest play—which is debatable—they aren’t quite so obvious. But the play is called “The Night Alive,” a title that hints at hidden forces in the darkness.
The Chicago premiere of “The Night Alive,” directed byHenry Wishcamper at Steppenwolf, is shrouded in twilight and the dim light of the hours before dawn. The action unfolds in a dingy Dublin flat, where a divorced dad named Tommy (Francis Guinan) is living in a squalid corner of his uncle’s house. Tommy is barely getting by, doing odd jobs in tandem with his even less prosperous pal, the somewhat slow-witted Doc (Tim Hopper).
Tommy is an unlikely savior for anyone, but he has just rescued Aimee (Helen Sadler) from a beating at the hands of another man. Tommy takes this bruised stranger into his apartment, offering her a place to hide and heal. His Good Samaritan deed leads to awkward moments, as this disheveled, middle-aged man suddenly finds himself in close proximity with a young woman. Rumors about her reputation exacerbate the tension between Tommy and his landlord, Uncle Maurice (winningly played by M. Emmet Walsh with plenty of bluster). But more than anything, Aimee unsettles Tommy’s existence, causing him to take a fresh look at the decisions he had made in his life.
Guinan is as good as he’s ever been in many performances on the Chicago stage, bringing the flawed hero of McPherson’s script to life with realism and empathy. His scenes with Hopper are especially touching—bringing to mind another drama Guinan starred in at Steppenwolf a few years back, David Mamet’s “American Buffalo.” Both shows found the humanity in characters that many people would regard as lowlifes. In her performance as Aimee, Sadler captures her character’s vulnerability but also her moments of assertiveness. She’s more than just a victim.
It won’t spoil the ending of “The Night Alive” to say that it will leave you wondering about what exactly just happened. There might be something supernatural about this story after all. But even if magic lurks in the shadows, this drama is really about what’s happening in the living world with these searching, soulful people.
“The Night Alive” continues through Nov. 16 at Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St., Chicago. For tickets and details, call 312-335-1650 or visit Steppenwolf’s website.
Photo: Steppenwolf’s production of “The Night Alive” stars, from left, Francis Guinan, Tim Hopper and Helen Sadler. Photo by Michael Brosilow.
