This part satire and part literary romance (not in the love story sense) is perfect for the Fourth of July. The Life and Times of Tulsa Lovechild is a kaleidoscope look at contemporary, non-urban America, extending from the late 1960s era of anti-war protest to the present day. With tongue-in-cheek, but with generosity of spirit, author Greg Owens concludes that goodness and decency survive in unexpected nooks and crannies and souls, even as the forces of hypocrisy and darkness constantly are reborn.
Wisely, the philosophy is neither heavy nor deep in this play, which is a captivating and entertaining evening in the hands of director Kimberly Senior and CollaborAction. The secrets are tone and balance, for the raw material easily might be taken over the top in a production that emphasizes the cartoon aspects of the piece, resulting in a noisy exaggeration. Not so Senior and crew, who make sure each principal character is grounded in reality, thus emphasizing the human comedy rather than the bizarre or fantastic.
While there is some inconsistency among the abilities of the large cast (14 players), the key players are rock-solid. Tim Curtis as a Russian immigrant who calls himself Bob, Kati Brazda as Tulsa, Suzanne Lang as her flower-child mother, Jennifer Avery and Elizabeth Rich as conjoined twins, Beth Lacke as Miss Nebraska on the lam from John Gawlik as her keen-nosed boyfriend Clyde, all easily balance the comedic and the poignant in worthy ensemble playing. Bald and beefy Jamie Vann slickly personifies slime in a supporting role as Melvin Pike. As Ed, the lead male role normally played by Michael Dobbs, understudy Lance Baker proved why he is one of Chicago’s finest young actors (associated with Roadworks).
Tulsa Lovechild is delightful to see on the brightly painted set of Becky Marshall, with Magritte-flavored clouds, as lit by Jeremy Getz. The simple but clever costumes are by Debbie Bauer. Sean Maloney’s projections of scene titles as if they were Interstate highway signs not only are well done, but are particularly apt for an on-the-road play. Chris J. Johnson’s selection of 1960s and 1970s music provides appropriate and fun punctuation. All the design elements show attention to detail and careful thinking which one expects from a multimedia concern such as CollaborAction, but which far too often are carelessly done in low-budget, studio theater stagings similar to this one.
Altogether, The Life and Times of Tulsa Lovechild: A Road Trip is an unexpected, disarming and charming effort.