F
ew genres stoke snobbery quite like the humble American sitcom. It’s a pity
how many viewers write off the format altogether, because for the last few
years, the much-maligned art form has been doing much of the creative heavy
lifting in reframing thorny social discussions as approachable,
empathy-building entertainment as well as in telling stories by and of
people of color.
Incensed and motivated by a false sense of entitlement, Lillian’s daughters
(Louise Lamson, Linsey Page Morton, and Grace Smith) conspire to change
their mother’s mind, employing tactics ranging from Wile E. Coyote-type
shenanigans to full-blown hate crimes. It’s in the latter territory that
the stylistic contradictions in Schwimmer’s production get blurry, if not
downright messy. A farcical climax involving makeshift Klan robes and a
Benny Hill-style runaround, one of the more bizarre spectacles I’ve ever
seen onstage, invokes more cricked necks than shocked guffaws or dropped
jaws.
Through 4/22: Wed-Fri 7:30 PM, Sat 2 and 7:30 PM (2 PM only Sat 2/24), Sun 2 PM; also Sun 3/11, 3/25, and 4/22, 7:30 PM; Thu 3/15, 3/29, and 4/12, 2 PM, Lookingglass Theatre Company, Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan, 312-337-0665, lookingglasstheatre.org, $50-$70.
