**** Highly Recommended If you’re looking for some cool summer fun on a warm evening, the world premiere of Untitled Vampire Play is the show for you. It’s a vampire rom-com – a young man from Chicago meets a gorgeous gal who happens to be a vampire. Can true love prevail? There are jealous siblings (hers), skeptical parents (his) and then there’s that pesky vampire hunter. Untitled Vampire Play is refreshing and fun. Don’t miss it! 4 BIG Spotlights
I love going to Lookingglass Theatre because you never know what to expect. The most flexible theater space in the city is a different theater for every show, as everything from stage location to seating is reconfigured for each production. I can remember sitting in baseball bleachers for one play, and rough, wooden Chautauqua pews for another.
The cast of Untitled Vampire Play. Photo by Justin Barbin
With a spooky atmosphere absolutely de regueur for a vampire story, Scenic Designer Alyssa Mohn and Lighting Designer Jason Lynch used just one corner of the space to create a space with an abandoned church/manor hall atmosphere, complete with oversized double doors and coffins that pop out of the floor. The neon-blue accent lighting adds to the overall feel.
For any young man, bringing a girlfriend to meet the parents is fraught. But when it’s Dom (Jordan Anthony Arredondo), he has some explaining to do! His girlfriend is wonderful, but she’s a vampire, a disclosure Louie (Kareen Bandealy) and Alicia (Cynthia Kaye McWilliams) think is a joke. Louie, who thinks he’s a comedian, even comes up with some really hokey jokes.
Cynthia Kaye McWilliams (Alicia), Kareem Bandealy (Louie), Courtney Rikki Green(Val), Jordan Anthony Arredondo (Dom). Photo by Justin Barbin
Val (Courtney Rikki Green), a gorgeous gal who really is a vampire, is positive Dom is the one. She’s lived hundreds of years, had too many relationships end in death (of her lovers) to count. She’s positive that with Dom, all she has to do is turn him, and they’ll live happily ever after – and that ever after is a really long time.
Val and her sister, Rose (Jin Park), an influencer, considered themselves evolved, since they only drink blood bank blood. Meanwhile, their brother, Roderick (Walter Briggs), blew into town. Roderick, an old-school vampire, would only dine from live subjects – who usually ended up dead.
Walter Briggs (Roderick), Jin Park (Rose), Courtney Rikki Green (Val). Photo by Justin Barbin.
Unbeknownst to him, Roderick also brought a vampire hunter with him, the very flamboyant Lance (Kareen Bandealy), who claimed to be a direct descendent of the Van Helsing. Bandealy is so good at flipping his hair, I didn’t even recognize him.
Untitled Vampire Play was written by Lookingglass ensemble member, Kevin Douglas. The production is directed by Devon de Mayo.
Jordan Anthony Arredondo (Dom), Courtney Rikki Green (Val). Photo by Justin Barbin.
The World Premiere of Untitled Vampire Play runs through July 12th at Lookingglass Joan and Paul Theatre inside the Water Tower Water Works, 163 E. Pearson Street, Chicago. Discounted parking is available at 875 N. Michigan, The Olympia Centre Self Park and Water Tower Place. Validate parking ticket at Lookingglass Box Office. Running time is approximately two hours, 15 minutes, with an intermission.
Performances: Wednesdays at 7:30 pm; Thursdays at 2:00 & 7:30 pm; Fridays at 7:30 pm (except June 19th); Saturdays at 2:00 (except July 4th) & 7:30 pm (except July 4th); Sundays at 2:00 & 7:30 pm (July 5th only). Additional performances at 7:30 pm Tuesdays, June 16th and July 30th. Accessible performances: Open Captioning, Wednesday, July 1st at 7:30 pm; Audio-Described/Touch Tour, Thursday, July 9th at 2:00 pm; Mask-Required, Wednesday, June 24th at 7:30 pm. Tickets start at $33. FYI (312) 337-0665 or www.lookingglasstheatre.org/event/iraq-but-funny/