The 2024 theatre season is winding down and Playcrafters Barn Theatre is closing out its epic 95th season with Aaron Posner’s most recent opus, Life Sucks, directed here by Madison Duling. Duling was first enamored with this script five years ago when she directed Posner’s Stupid F*cking Bird at the Barn and has been lobbying ever since to bring this work to their stage and it is well worth the wait.
Now, the title Life Sucks might not immediately bring Thanksgiving to mind but I think this show is ideal for the season.
Posner’s niche as a playwright is adapting classic novels and plays to give them a new twist. Life Sucks is billed as a “sort of” adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s masterpiece Uncle Vanya. There are seven characters with a variety of life challenges. Vanya wrestles with being in love with another unattainable character, The Professor’s wife. The professor is grappling with aging and deteriorating health and the possibility of losing his younger, beautiful wife, Ella; Ella is actually the least troubled of the characters and provides balance to their incessant whining. Vanya’s orphaned angst-ridden niece, Sonia, is madly, crushingly in love with Dr. Aster whose obsession with his work and constant quest for perfection has him continually questioning his life choices. There is Pickles an aging lesbian who still mourns the loss of her partner 17 years earlier and last, there is Babs a cynical partner to Vanya who maintains a wry outlook on life. They are all wallowing in the mire of their discontent – so much so that at one point I wanted to slap them and tell them to suck it up. I’m pretty sure that’s exactly what Posner wanted.
Posner’s avant-garde presentation breaks the fourth wall and has the characters interacting with the audience throughout the play and, via what may or may not have been a “plant” in the audience, provides the denouement that justifies my opinion that this show is ideal for the holiday of giving thanks where, for one day, our families come together to celebrate despite their imperfections. No, I’m not going to give that away. You need to discover it yourself.
Heading up this amazing cast as the hapless Vanya is the multi-talented Mike Turczynski, as niece Sonia is Adrienne Jane, Ella is portrayed by Julie Hummel, Babs comes to life via Stephanie Moeller, The Professor is Bruce Duling, Dr. Aster is Eric Landuyt and Pam Cantrell brings the giggles via Pickles. This ensemble cast presents a sterling silver show.
Reinforcing the chaos that cripples the characters is an impressive set designed by Duling of mismatched lamp shades, signs, pictures and empty frames that completely cover the walls, countless knickknacks and several area rugs that cover the thrust. It is the perfect precursor when entering the theatre to the action.
This production is, without doubt, a masterpiece in its own right that is both entertaining and deeply thought provoking and sure to spark conversation on your drive home.
Life Sucks continues at Playcrafters Barn Theatre, 4950 – 35th Avenue in Moline, Friday and Saturday, November 22 and 23 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, November 24 at 3:00 p.m.
I’m Chris Hicks…break a leg.