The Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts’ production “February House” invites audiences into a brownstone for two and half hours, whisking viewers away to an artsy corner of 1940s Brooklyn. While not perfect, the show is worth a watch for the grandeur of an immersive set and its poignant message about art.
This Wirtz show marks the Chicago debut of Gabriel Kahane’s 2012 musical about a house of zany artists — that actually existed in the 1940s — trying to make art during World War II.
The show is centered around George Davis (Communication senior Abraham Deitz-Green), who has opened his home to a myriad of writers, performers and novelists in attempts to create a “family.” Deitz-Green commands the hearts and attention of the crowd with a Gatsby-esque charm, clad in a sparkling kimono as he builds his perfect group of housemates.
What makes the show and production more than just a look inside the characters’ homes is the salience of the time period during which the characters exist. During Act 1, the presence of World War II weaves in and out of the plot, feeling like an afterthought. But, it cements itself as a driving factor in the characters’ lives in Act 2.
The show displays the challenge of artists’ roles in times of war and the ways their art can make an impact, highlighted by the helplessness the characters feel while the war rages overseas.
The 1940s-esque musical numbers give all actors the chance to entertain, but no one shines quite like Communication senior Arwen-Vira Marsh as Gypsy Rose Lee, a performer and writer. Marsh delivers a dazzling solo performance (costume change included) that provides a much-needed pick-up to a lull in the show.
“February House” gives a fantastic glimpse into the process of creating art but gives less focus to the friendships between the inhabitants. As the show ends and the characters part ways, the scenes feel forced and lack emotion because there are not enough moments for the audience to fall in love with their friendships.
But an exception to this trend of underdevelopment lies in the tender friendship between Davis and writer’s block-stricken novelist Carson McCullers (Communication senior Sadie Fridley). As McCullers struggles with alcoholism and writer’s block, Davis is constantly supporting her with words of encouragement and cups of tea. Fridley and Deitz-Green create the most touching relationship in the show, perfectly encapsulating the strains friendships face throughout trying times.
The set is almost distractingly well done and deserves a moment in which the audience can just take it in. Made to resemble a brownstone, there are stacks of wood furniture that almost reach the high ceilings of the theater and countless lamps all timed to change based on the scene.
There’s a sense of irony to the breathtaking set. To the audience, it looks like a perfectly curated antique store window, but to the characters, “February House” is a dilapidated, run-down place often without heat and frequently with bed bugs.
“February House” paints a clear portrait of a group of artists all pursuing their own art, whether a magazine or a Paul Bunyan opera, while living under one roof. The strains of everyday life and world events on a fascinating group of roommates make the show an engaging watch for any viewer.
“February House” runs through March 2 at the Ethel M. Barber Theater in the Wirtz Center.
Email: lydiaplahn2027@u.northwestern.edu
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