Event
Book of Liz by Amy and David Sedaris
Sister Elizabeth Donderstock is Squeamish, has been her whole life. She makes cheese balls (traditional and smoky) that sustain the existence of her entire religious community, Clusterhaven. However, she feels unappreciated among her Squeamish brethren, and she decides to try her luck in the outside world. Along the way, she meets a Cockney-speaking Ukrainian immigrant couple who find her a job waiting tables at Plymouth Crock, a family restaurant run almost entirely by recovering alcoholics. The alcoholics love her. The customers love her. Her Danderfrock fits right in. Things are going great for Liz, until she's offered a promotion to manager. Unfortunately, Liz has a sweating problem, and to get the job, she'll have to fix it. Meanwhile, back at Clusterhaven, Liz's compatriots just can't seem to duplicate her cheese ball recipe, and it's going to cost them their quaint, cloistered lifestyle. They are panic-stricken and desperate, and sure she sabotaged the recipe. Does Liz go through with the operation? Can the Squeamish be saved? Will the cheese balls ever taste good again? The answers to these and so many other questions can be found in the new comedy from the Talent Family, David and Amy Sedaris.
Cast:
Liz: Sarah Rose Graber*
Tollhouse: Adam El-Sharkawi*
Brightbee: Brian Kash*
Butterworth/Dr. Barb: Lina Bunte*
Oxana: Casey Pilkenton*
Br. Hesekiah/Visitor/Yvonne: Chris Froseth*
Cecily/Mrs. Foxly: Cynthia Shur*
Donny: Nathan Petts*
Duncan: Matt Hendricks
Rudy/Visil: Nate Parks
Directed by Angie McMahon*
*Denotes returning original cast members
Sarah Rose Graber has a wide-eyed naifish Shelley Duvall presence as the accommodating Liz, and Brian Kash as her Squeamish nemesis, Brother Brightbee, is a comic delight."- Kerry Reid Chicago Tribune
"Sarah Rose Graber, offbeat but not cloyingly so, is winning in the lead role."- Zac Thompson Chicago Reader
"we must again praise Brian Kash, who was the best part of CIC's Mr. Marmalade, his hyped-up, almost cartoonish presence is really, truly funny." Tim Lowery Timeout Chicago
"Pulling it off best are the putty-faced Brian Kash as Brightbee (who
could out -sneer Dubya) and Nathan Petts as a sarcastic gay waiter.
Meanwhile, Sarah Rose Graber conjures up a believably naive,
charmingly sincere Liz for everyone else to play against." -Chicago Free Press
"Brian Kash's smarmy tics and bulging eyeballs as the interloper
Brother Nathaniel Brightbee from another Squeamish Community is great."- Windy City Times
"The whole production also has a strong center in Sarah Rose Graber's
ernest and funny turn as Elizabeth...Oxana (played fantastically by Casey Pilkenton)...Nathan Petts (Donny), and Adam El-Sharkawi (the often bombastic Rev. Tollhouse) all turn in strong supporting performances." -The Centerstage Review, by Dennis Mahoney
"Sarah Rose Graber plays the title character with an unabashed enthusiasm that has you rooting for Liz the entire play. Her character's naivety has the potential to become annoying, but Graber's sweet nature luckily prevents that from ever happening. Adam El-Sharkawi as Rev. Tollhouse and Lina Bunte as Sister Butterworth each have notable moments onstage. Bunte adds a multi-dimensionality to the sexually-frustrated chatterbox Sister, while El-Sharkawi rises to the challenge of playing a stern task-master amongst a cast of comedic characters. The standout of the cast, however, was Brian Kash as Brother Brightbee. Kash's character is a self-important blow-hard who tries to resume the community's cheeseball-making duties. The audience loved every moment that Kash was onstage, appreciating his comedic timing and eating up his range of perfect facial expressions."
-Dyan Flores thebastion.org
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LocationChemically Imbalanced Theater
1420 W Irving Park Rd
Chicago, IL 60613
United States
Categories
| Kid Friendly: No |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: No |
| Wheelchair Accessible: No |
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