Chicago Theater Review: THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF ANTARCTICA (The Gift Theatre)

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by Barnaby Hughes on March 3, 2015

in Theater-Chicago

SMART DRAMA REVEALS POLAR ATTRACTION

A world premiere production, Mat Smart’s The Royal Society of Antarctica at The Gift Theatre is easily one of the year’s best new plays. Smart, who worked briefly as a janitor at McMurdo Station in Antarctica, mines that experience in this story of adventurous men and women living and working on the South Pole. Our questing protagonist Dee, played with extraordinary sensitivity by Aila Peck, returns to the unlikely place of her birth in order to discover the mother she never knew, who died at McMurdo in extreme weather right after Dee was born.

Jay Worthington (UT Tim), John Connolly (Ace) and Brittany Burch (Tamara) in The Gift Theatre's THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF ANTARCTICA. Photo by Claire Demos.

Smart embellishes the suspense and drama of Dee’s story with a colorful cast of characters whose goofy hijinks keep life on the ice interesting. Though twice her age, John Kelly Connolly as Ace is on a mission to sleep with Dee because she’s the last person he needs to have sex with in order to say he’s bedded a girl on every continent. Naturally, Dee refuses, but Ace’s desperate and persistent ploys provide plenty of awkward comedy. Brittany Burch as the loose lush Tamara adds to the laughs with her sassy putdowns, silly dancing, and drunken antics. A fiancé back home complicates her winter romance with Jay Worthington’s energetic UT Tim.

Brian Keys (Miller) & Aila Peck (Dee) in The Gift Theatre's THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF ANTARCTICA. Photo by Claire Demos.

Dee gains precious insight into the allure of Antarctic living through the curious relationship of Lynda Newton’s Pam and Paul D’Addario’s UT Tom. They have lived at McMurdo long enough to have known Dee’s parents, yet seem unable to leave in order to start a family of their own. (Children are forbidden on the polar continent.)

Paul D'Addario (UT Tom) and Lynda Newton (Pam) in The Gift Theatre's THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF ANTARCTICA. Photo by Claire Demos.

Even though The Royal Society of Antarctica runs three hours with two short intermissions, the time goes quickly due to Smart’s engrossing story and the production’s perfect pacing. John Gawlik’s deft direction, Megan Truscott’s spare and ingeniously simple set, Alarie Hammock’s utilitarian cold-weather costumes, and Mikey Moran’s evocative sound design replete with violent winds and mysterious whale music all serve to bring this unusual story vividly to life—even to the extent of tempting and inspiring you to go and see this pristine landscape for yourself.

Jay Worthington (UT Tim) and Aila Peck (Dee) in The Gift Theatre's THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF ANTARCTICA. Photo by Claire Demos.

photos © Claire Demos

Paul D'Addario (UT Tom) and Aila Peck (Dee) in The Gift Theatre's THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF ANTARCTICA. Photo by Claire Demos.

The Royal Society of Antarctica
The Gift Theatre, 4802 N. Milwaukee Ave
Thurs-Sat at 7:30; Sun at 3
ends on April 26, 2015
EXTENDED to May 24, 2015
for tickets, call 773.283.7071 or visit www.thegifttheatre.org

for info on Chicago Theater, visit www.TheatreinChicago.com

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