It takes someone who has known someone behind bars to understand the mindset of a former inmate after lengthy time in prison.
Or of course, someone who has also "served time" shares this same insight.
Actor Kevin Anderson doesn't have any record of incarceration, but he knows the mind and restless and unpredictable behavior of someone who has been locked-up.
His stellar performance at Victory Gardens Theater in Chicago in playwright and ensemble member Joel Drake Johnson's new play "A Guide For the Perplexed" is proof of this actor's amazing range of talent. The play opened Monday and continues through Aug. 15.
The Victory Gardens Theater is located in the recently renovated Biograph movie theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave., where John Dillinger was gunned down. So if you haven't visited this landmark, this is a great chance.
Anderson plays Doug, a newly released prison inmate who is forced to take reluctant residence with his sister's husband, played by Steppenwolf ensemble member Francis Guinan, their struggling teenage son, played by Bubba Weiler and some very comfortable yet uncomfortable surroundings. His character's transition back to society and continued rehabilitation put valuable emphasis on self-examination for his hosting family members as well. The arrival of his female pen pal from his prison stay becomes a catalyst for everyone's shared feelings of pain, guilt and anger.
Anderson is known to TV viewers for his Golden Globe nominated leading role in 1997 as a struggling Roman Catholic priest in the ABC series "Nothing Sacred."
But it's his stage work that has brought him some of his most noted and deserving acclaim.
He plays his stage characters with real flaws and a believable brilliance. It's easy to see how difficult it is for this character to adapt to new-found freedom while facing an uncertain future.
As for the play's story and development, the first act moves a little slow, while setting up the story and introducing the audiences to each of the character's backgrounds. The second act of this two-hour play (with a 15-minute intermission) moves briskly. However, the ending, could certainly be stronger with more of a hint of a resolution to the swirl of storylines the audience gets to be immersed in.
In addition to Anderson, the other rock-solid performances come from Guinan (although at times, his character comes off as a little bit too much like actor Kelsey Grammer's fussy Fraiser) and especially Cynthia Baker, who plays good-natured and eager-to-believe Betty, who is Anderson's character's prison pen-pal.
Actress Meg Thalken, who plays Anderson's character's sister in this play has far too little to do. The first act would certainly be much more interesting if she were allowed more interaction with the other characters instead of just an occasional cell phone call. Weiler's teen-angst character Andrew (and the portrayal) come off as a bit too Lifetime cable movie to endure scene after scene.
A wonderful revolving set design by Jeff Bauer is beautiful and praise-worthy.
There's much to like about this play and the performances, proving everyone deserves a second chance.
Tickets for "A Guide For the Perplexed" are $40 and available at (773) 871-3000 or victorygardens.org.
The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer. He can be reached at philip.potempa@nwi.com or 219.852.4327.
