Nelson Algren: For Keeps and A Single Day Theatre Review

As Lookingglass Theatre and MCA reach milestones in their existence in Chicago, they are partnering to present a new production of "Nelson Algren: For Keeps and a Single Day". Nine years ago, a short version of this was presented and this larger version on the stage of the MCA is more of a performance art presentation than a play- it is in fact the blending of the words of Mr. Algren, Chicago's "backstreet poet", with the jazz music written by David Pavkovic and Griffin Rodriguez and film by John Musial ( who also directed the production).

The story is Chicago and the music represents the beat of the city, the soul of what we hear and what we see. This is a clever work, but not one that will appeal to everyone. This is a Multi media portrait of the man using his works "Chicago: City on The Make" and "The Last Carousel" for the scenes we witness during the 90 minutes- The stories deal with Chicago and some of the stories will hold more meaning than others. We see Algren as a South side boy and experience his first love; we see him make the move to the North side, where as a White Sox fan, the Cubs fans make him play right field ( where no one hits the ball) but see him become one of the boys. The stories deal with drugs, hookers and the faces of the city. the tempo of the music is the beat of our city and the readings are powerful as done by Thomas J. Cox as Algren.

If you are a fan of Algren, you will love what you see and hear. If you are a fan of Chicago and someone seeking more knowledge about the history of Chicago during the early 1900's and on, you will gain some knowledge and insight; if you are someone looking to experience performance art, this will satisfy the appetite, but if you are a theater buff, someone who wants a plot, you may walk away feeling unnourished. It may help to visit the display at The MCA of Art Shay's Chicago Accent, a close friend of Algren. Some of these photos will help give you a little more insight into Nelson Algren and who he was.