Moby-Dick ranks up there with the Bible on the short list of literary masterpieces that are very nearly unreadable. Like the Good Book, Herman Melville’s 1851 novel about the doomed voyage of the Pequod is cosmic in scope, rich in interpretive possibilities, extraordinarily powerful in places, and, for long stretches, tedious beyond imagining. Captain Ahab may have been single-minded in his pursuit of the white whale that done him wrong, but his creator tends to get distracted, repeatedly breaking away from the narrative to teach us lessons on sailing and the finer points of cetology.
The production’s claustrophobic feeling is in fruitful tension with an expansive sense of adventure, represented by our narrator, Ishmael (Jamie Abelson), and his “bosom friend,” Queequeg (Anthony Fleming III, riveting as usual), both of whom have signed on for the voyage in order to sow their wild oats. Also onboard: the pragmatic first mate and principal Ahab foil, Starbuck (played by Kareem Bandealy with an intense stare and a thick New England accent), and the jolly second mate, Stubb (Raymond Fox). The ship may eventually become a prison for everyone on it, but it’s still on the wide open sea, and Catlin’s staging is never more thrilling than when he lets the men periodically break free of their fetters.
Through 8/28: times vary, see website Lookingglass Theatre Company Water Tower Works 821 N. Michigan 312-337-0665 lookingglasstheatre.org $50-$60
