It’s no secret that Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago produces some excellent shows — they’ve got 12 Tony awards to prove it. But sometimes, the shows can be a little … strange. Not all art is for the masses, but that’s what makes Steppenwolf so brave: they don’t care.
This could hardly be truer about their latest play, “The Flick.” Clocking in at an intimidating three hours, this Pulitzer award-winning show written by Annie Baker is, in a word, a revelation. The play tells the story of three employees at a crumbling Massachusetts movie theater that still uses a 35mm reel to project movies that nobody comes to see. Their lives weave in and out as they tentatively begin to forge relationships with one another, even as the theater threatens to close.
Full of quiet truths, biting wit, and bolstered by performances from three spectacular actors, “The Flick” is not to be missed. Here are five things to know before you see it.
1. They’re going to make you wait for it
“The Flick” is not a swiftly moving play. Writer Baker and director Dexter Bullard are more than comfortable letting lengthy pauses play out. The beauty of the quiet spaces is hugely important in making the play a painfully accurate snapshot of human life.
2.You’re going to be a little bit uncomfortable
It’s Steppenwolf. Profanity and even nudity verge on commonplace. Danny McCarthy’s excellent portrayal of Sam, the Red Sox-loving, longtime theater employee, is perfect in its own raw-edged, profane way. And if Caroline Neff as Rose, the maybe-gay projectionist with green hair, doesn’t make you squirm even a little bit, you need to stop watching so much reality TV.
3. You might hate all the characters a little bit, throughout the course of the play
Baker masterfully captures the many facets of the human experience and doesn’t shy away from the fact that many of these facets are deeply unflattering. Instances of backstabbing, gossiping and lying are as numerous as the popcorn kernels Sam and Avery sweep up, night after night. Each of the characters is selfish or painfully awkward or frustrating throughout the course of the show — but you only hate them because you see so much of your worst self reflected onstage.
4. You might get a little choked up
Travis Turner as Avery, the film-obsessed 20-something, is a delight onstage, albeit by turns both sad and awkward. His quiet portrayal of a kid trying to find his way in an age that not only doesn’t care, but also is actively seeking the end of the film world he holds so dear, is striking in its authenticity. Anyone who has ever felt disconnected, depressed, anxious or merely stunned by the speed at which life moves can and will feel kin to Avery.
5. Don’t expect a perfect ending
What makes this play so stunning is its impeccable mirroring of real life. Mundane work environments make for hesitant friendships, human nature isn’t always flattering and there isn’t a perfectly tied bow on the conclusion of “The Flick.” Everyone doesn’t come together holding hands and singing, but the ending, like the rest of the show, is perfect in its acceptance of its imperfections.
More from Make It Better:
