Speaking of theatre in Chicago, last night we were in the audience at Fuller’s Pub, to see a friend and retired Chicago cop starring in Busted City, an intimate play written by Paul Carr. Intimate, because the story takes place in a neighborhood bar, so the play is staged in a neighborhood bar. The best seats in the house are at the bar, right next to the actors, which I suppose makes you an extra. We sat on metal folding chairs, second row from the “stage.” But the line between stage and audience is blurred, so you feel like you are just hanging out at the local dive, eavesdropping on the regulars.
The five-man play is a snapshot of the days leading up to Harold Washington’s primary win, which led to his election as Chicago’s first black mayor. The language is authentic and rough; the characters are archetypes but not always predictable. It was both enjoyable and uncomfortable (emotionally and because of the metal folding chairs). You know what history is about to serve up, but you don’t know what “dese guys” are gonna do with it.
We were there to see Mike Byrne (in the plaid shirt) act the part of a retired sout’side cop. Mike and Bill were on the same 014th District Tactical Unit, back in the day. It was funny to have to walk onto the “set” to tap my husband on the shoulder and ask him to stop visiting with the star, so the play could begin. The set was too realistic, apparently.
Tomorrow, I’ll tell you about the after-party at Fuller’s Pub. Let’s just say that the playwright threatened to hire me.
ginnygram 