There was Mary-Arrchie Theatre, minding its own damn business, presenting works (including such recent hits as Greg Allen’s Ibsen’s Ghosts and Hans Fleischmann’s reimagined version of The Glass Menagerie, currently being revived by the Hypocrites) that pretty much epitomize the notion of storefront theater as practiced in Chicago, when all of a sudden artistic director Richard Cotovsky and his colleagues learn that the building they work in is going to be demolished to make way for a new development. Rather than look for alternate digs, Cotovsky decides to close down after Mary-Arrchie’s 2015-’16 season—its 30th.
Well, not quite. Because Mamet’s permission to perform it carries a stipulation: Mary-Arrchie may not advertise the run or permit critics to review it.
If the play were a band, Cotovsky’s Donny would be a solid rhythm section, backing the more flamboyant solos by Teach and Bobby. Cotovsky does the job with such great modesty and compassion that he remains the Donny behind my eyes. But in Carlo Lorenzo Garcia’s staging, the solos lack subtlety. Stephen Walker comes off entertainingly in the early going by exploiting the fact that Teach is full of shit. In the second act, though, when things get more complex, Walker’s only response is to get louder. Similarly, Rudy Galvan flattens Bobby into an object of sympathy when he could be a far more interesting type of mess.
Through 3/6: Thu-Sat 8 PM, Sun 7 PM, Mary-Arrchie Theatre, 735 W. Sheridan, 773-871-0442, maryarrchie.com, $30.
