'The Cook' mostly good, but recipe needs a little work
So much of what playwright Eduardo Machado cooks up in this play is delicious, but it has one notable flaw that creates an off taste.Still, there's a lot of hearty fare here."The Cook" takes a sweeping look at the idea of devoting one's life to a cause, only to have that cause bitterly disappoint you.The play, in its Chicago premiere at the Goodman Theatre, eloquently examines how idealism inspires people to become loyal to someone or something, and how, even if that loyalty is not rewarded, some people stick to it from stubborn pride.The story begins in 1958 Havana, as Gladys, an Afro-Cubano cook, is preparing food for a New Years Eve party given by her wealthy employer, Adria. Playwright Machado's expert, subtle dialogue establishes that Gladys has so much affection for her high-society boss that she doesn't recognize the sting in Adria's retort, "If it weren't for the fact you work for me, we could be friends." Gladys glosses over this, insisting that, since she has worked for Adria's family since age 13, they are "a certain kind of friends," despite the all-important class difference.Gladys' husband Carlos doesn't share Glady's admiration for her rich "friend." He's rooting for Fidel Castro to overthrow these oppressive oligarchs and their leader, Batista, so common folk can have more opportunities in life.As midnight 1959 chimes in, Gladys and Carlos stake their claims. Carlos cheers that Castro is taking over (and later becomes a minister in his government). And as Adria prepares to flee the country, Gladys vows she will safeguard the mansion until Adria's return. That sets the characters' attitudes for the next 40 years, when nothing much happens in Cuba except gradual decay.Machado subtly weaves the personal with the political. The government can betray you, his characters learn, but so can the person you love. This creates a framework in the play of satisfying dramatic tension.For the most part, the tone flows pleasingly between moments of affection and humor to scenes of great conflict, peril and emotion.Unfortunately, the tone suffers from one deep flaw. After Castro's takeover, Carlos tries to blackmail Gladys, threatening he'll turn over her gay cousin to Castro's forces, who were known to punish homosexuals with death. Gladys chooses her pride over her cousin, and this devil's bargain sentences the cousin to death.It strains credulity that both Gladys and Carlos, whom Machado presents as fundamentally decent people, could so casually commit this evil deed. You would think Gladys would never be able to forgive Carlos' blackmail. But that doesn't come to pass; the next act finds them joking and cooking in the kitchen together, with only a passing reference to the cousin's demise. This is a jarring disruption in the play's tone that, instead of getting resolved, gets brushed over.While the play is flawed, the Goodman's production of it is nearly flawless. Karen Aldridge gives a magnificent performance as Gladys, showing every octave of emotion, from her teasing barbs with Carlos to her kindly fondness for Adria to her deep well of anger. Edward F. Torres portrays Carlos with a convincing turn from light-hearted jokester to oppressed, angry man seeking to assert his power and machismo.Director Henry Godinez, a Cuban-American, paces the play well, giving us quieter moments to absorb the impact of the dramatic high points.And every cook in the audience must have coveted the well-appointed kitchen -- large ovens and copper pots hanging from a ceiling rack -- in Todd Rosenthal's set.But that flaw creates a bit of a bad taste. If only Machado had fiddled with the recipe a little more.
"The Cook"2 1/2 stars out of fourLocation: Goodman Theater, 170 N. Dearborn, ChicagoWhen: 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays. Additional shows 7:30 p.m. Nov. 6, 11 and 13; through Nov. 18Tickets: $10-38. (312) 443-3800Running time: One hour and 40 minutes, including one intermissionParking: With validation $16. Enter Government Center lot on Lake Street between Dearborn and State streetsRated: References to adult themes; profanity