Theater review, 'Winesburg, Ohio' at Steppenwolf Theatre

By Chris Jones

Andre Pluess and Ben Sussman, two prodigious Chicago talents in the
area of sound and musical composition, are currently represented both
at the Court Theatre and on Broadway. But for the Steppenwolf Arts
Exchange Program, this remarkable duo has created the beginnings of
what could ? and should ? be developed into a full-blown work of
musical theater.

"Winesburg, Ohio," Eric Rosen's immensely moving new adaptation of the
Sherwood Anderson novel, only lasts around 70 minutes. But it still
manages to evoke great narrative and thematic complexity and haunt the
viewer.

Turn Anderson's story of small-town personages in the 1890s into a
play and one inevitably invites comparisons with Thornton Wilder and
"Our Town." But Anderson's canvas was far darker than Wilder's. And
thus "Winesburg, Ohio" is, in essence, a portrait of trapped people
caught in the grip of sexual and spiritual passions they are
ill-equipped to understand. For Anderson, small-town Ohio was no
nostalgic repository, but a place where passion was squashed,
innovators vilified, and dreamers forced to stare into the cold light
of day. That's why Anderson headed for Chicago, like some of his
luckier characters.

On the surface, this may look like tricky material for a show aimed at
students. But in the gentle but determinedly honest hands of Rosen and
director Jessica Thebus, this bold, warm piece becomes an emotional
ode to following your heart and developing a sense of self-worth that
no place or person can diminish.

Exquisitely cast and sung with a uniformly excellent eight-actor
ensemble that showcases such craftsmen as Andrew White, Lesley Bevan
and Kristina Martin, the piece flows beautifully and becomes one of
those rare shows that all members of a family can enjoy together
(teenagers and above, at least). Production values are of top quality.

But one is most struck by the beauty of the vocal music that Pluess
and Sussman have woven into Anderson's poignant prose. It would be a
shame to leave this project here ? not least because the short
running-time turns the novel too much into a self-conscious
confessional with inadequate time for full-length character
development. "Winesburg, Ohio" belongs in full-length form.