Griffin gives teen angst the cool treatment
"I am so not cool."
A lanky teenager utters the altogether subjective (and universally shared) self-condemnation at the beginning of Griffin Theatre's humorous and heartfelt adaptation of Ned Vizzini's 2004 novel "Be More Chill."
Everyone who has negotiated the minefield of adolescence and emerged (relatively) unscathed can empathize with Jeremy Heere (winningly played by Jake Cohen), the endearing protagonist of Vizzini's snapshot and sendup of teenage angst adapted by Griffin co-artistic director William Massolia.
A humorous coming-of-age drama with a quirky, sci-fi slant and a hint of romance, "Chill" centers on the attempts of Jeremy to become cool. An adorkable, articulate young man so self-conscious he keeps a list of "mortification events" detailing his social blunders, Jeremy wants to learn to dress right, talk right, act right thereby making himself over into the person Hollywood and Madison Avenue say he should be.
He believes a personality overhaul will allow him to penetrate the inner circle of his high school's social elite and win the girl of his dreams: the pretty, perceptive Christine (Rani Waterman), the thinking high school boy's ideal. With best friend and fellow outcast Michael (sensitive, truthful work by Northwestern University junior Charles Filipov) offering little help and the cool kids disinclined to share their secrets, Jeremy finds an unlikely ally in Rich (Brad Bukauskas). A former social nonentity, Rich turned cool after taking a "squip," a super computer in pill form, that transforms the user into the chillest of the chill. After popping the pill, Jeremy finds himself subjected to a personality overhaul courtesy of Squip (a clipped, well-timed performance by Edward Paul who plays the role with a straight face and no irony).
The Squip looks like Keanu Reeves (of the "Matrix" and "Speed" era), acts like a Marine drill instructor, and delivers everything he promises. Trouble is, cool comes at a price.
Much of the show's success rests on the slender shoulders of the disarming Cohen, a 20-year-old Northwestern University student. His intuitive performance (an impressive professional debut) grounds the show. We've seen this kid in this situation countless times before, but Cohen draws us in and makes us care anew.
Director Jonathan Berry's astute casting translates to credible performances from the ensemble, which also includes Stacie Barra as queen bee Katrina; Caroline Neff as the slightly toasted Chloe; Nicole Pellegrino as the sexually adventurous goth chick Stephanie; and Caroline Fourmy as Anne, the bespectacled hanger-on. Douglas Thornton plays the hunky quarterback Jake and John Ryan Murphy is the Game Boy-obsessed Mark. Rounding out the ensemble is Steve Wilson, who plays Jeremy's clueless dad and mannered high school teacher Mr. Gretch, and Marsha Harman as Jeremy's distracted mother and dippy Aunt Linda.
Vizzini's plot is as familiar as his characters. But the story, which unfolds on Brandon Wardell's minimalist, black-and-white set enlivened by Lee Keenan's subtle but noteworthy lighting, feels authentic. That "Be More Chill" rings true has a lot to do with its author's flair for teen-speak and the fact that he wasn't long out of high school when he wrote it. Moreover, Massolia (who eloquently adapted "Letters Home: Voices of American Troops From the Battlefields of Iraq" for Griffin in 2006) treats the characters with respect. His script is sweet but not cloying; the teens bright but not insufferable.
"Be More Chill"
3½ stars out of four
Location: Theatre Building Chicago, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago
Times: 7:45 p.m. Thursdays to Saturdays, 2:45 p.m. Sundays; through July 6. No performance May 29.
Running time: About 2 hours, 15 minutes, with intermission
Tickets: $15-$24
Parking: Metered parking, $8 valet
Box office: (773) 327-5252 or griffintheatre.com
Rating: For high school and older, contains strong language, sexual content