Neighborhood Theatre Presents VIGILS – Beautiful, Healing Loss

Once in a blue moon, this writer experiences storefront theatre at its finest. Magical and healing, Vigils is a hauntingly beautiful meditation on the absurdity and necessity of relationships. Using only a few props (a picture frame, a bed sheet and paper flowers), the cast of five presents a remarkable evening of must-see theatre!

Vigils follows a widow (Maiya Corral), who cannot let go of her dead husband. When the widow’s husband died in a fire, she trapped his body and soul in a box by her bed on its way to heaven. For two years, the couple have shared a daily hug, played Marco Polo, and rolled around in old sweaters. Now the time has come for the widow to let go and move on. She’s going on a date, and her husband wants to be free to float on to heaven.

The widow’s husband was played by two characters, the Body (Michael Angelo Smith), and the Soul (Kevin O’Connell). The widow’s wooer was played by Drew McCubbin. It was wonderful to watch this cast of fine performers interact so artfully with one another and with the props. The picture frame is used as a doorway, a mirror, and as a gateway to open and close the box in which the husband’s body and soul is stored. A bedsheet is used to illustrate the husband as a ghost, as well as a journey back in time to recall fond memories of the wife in bed with her husband.

The other character in the play was the simple, yet stunning set. Strands of paper flowers forming a wedding-like ceiling suggest happiness and marriage, while the white sheets convey an Eastern style funeral. This juxtaposition of life and death, hence the crux of the play—letting go (living) vs. holding on (dying)—was conveyed masterfully not only by the outstanding actors, but through the subtle, creative lighting design and minimal props used exceedingly well.

Loss was another theme addressed in the story. When the widow’s husband was alive, he wanted a divorce after his wife suffered a miscarriage. Both characters are haunted by their loss and the fact that the widow could not have children after losing her baby. At the time, the widow knew her husband wanted to leave, yet couldn’t let him go. Out of fear of being alone, the widow held on to her husband, both while he was alive and after he died.  The actors summarized the play’s message clearly: loss is a necessary feature of change, and the bigger loss can occur when one holds on out of fear rather than love.

Meet The Neighborhood Theatre!

Originally formed by actors from Idaho, The Neighborhood Theatre, in this writer’s view, is definitely a storefront theatre to watch! They are doing magical things worth seeing!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Note: This is now added to the Picture this Post round up of BEST PLAYS IN CHICAGO, where it will remain until the end of the run. Click here to read – Top Picks for Theater in Chicago NOW – Chicago Plays PICTURE THIS POST Loves.

Cast

Maiya Corral
Michael Angelo Smith
Kevin O’Connell
Drew McCubbin

Creative

Kadim McGreevy
Tyler Iams
Park Williams

When:

Now through June 27
June 23 at 8 pm
June 24 at 8 pm
June 25 at 8 pm
June 26 at 8 pm
June 27 at 8 pm

Where

The Frontier
1106 W Thorndale

Tickets

$10
Tickets can be purchased at The Neighborhood Theatre website or at the door.

Photos by Kevin O’Connell

About the Author

See her current work on Marla Seidell Facebook.

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