Goodman's Chicago-centric 'Support Group for Men' is fun, but puzzling
"Support Group for Men" - ½
Ellen Fairey's contemporary new comedy "Support Group for Men" is an undeniable love letter to Chicago, the kind of Goodman Theatre show where local audiences can chortle away at choice Windy City references that double up as punchlines.
The title sums up the plot pretty well. "Support Group for Men" essentially revolves around a small informal meeting of Chicago-area guys who talk out their frustrations with work, relationships and life.
Up front, Fairey has much fun at the expense of the guys' rituals involving self-chosen Iroquois names ("Sleeping Hawk," "Floating Squirrel") and their "talking stick" (an elaborately decorated baseball bat).
Brian (Ryan Kitley) is the 51-year-old host, a sensitive new age guy who knows how lucky he is to have a much, much younger girlfriend (the unseen Amber, who gets upset over non-vegan cheese). Brian's Apple Store co-worker, Kevin (Tommy Rivera-Vega), is a wide-eyed techie and recent group addition. Meanwhile Brian's high school friend Delano (Anthony Irons) is stressed about his wife's upcoming thyroid surgery.
The most reluctant group member is Roger (Keith Kupferer). A single guy struggling with loneliness, he worries about being technologically left behind in a rapidly changing world where tiny smartphone keyboards and bathroom motion sensors are among his bugaboos. Roger quickly becomes the play's standout - not only for Kupferer's endearing sarcastic performance filled with sighs and annoyed eye-rolls - but also for the character's bravery in overcoming his fears to connect with others.
But when it comes to the drama, "Support Group for Men" has its moments of bafflement and frustration. Issues tied to nonbinary gender expression and sexual fluidity also awkwardly emerge.
Fairey symbolically places "Support Group for Men" in an upper-story apartment (handsomely and realistically designed by Jack Magaw) that straddles Chicago neighborhood borders between the frat-boy haven of Wrigleyville and the express-yourself LGBTQ freedom of Boystown. More symbolism can be seen with the "talking stick," since its potential to become a dangerous weapon becomes clear when Fairey turns the plot on violent flashes of toxic masculinity in the adjacent alleyway.
Yet these menacing moments get extinguished far too quickly to raise the dramatic stakes - particularly when an uninvited intruder named Alex (Jeff Kurysz) bursts onto the scene. And in Fairey's hands, topics tied to gender expression come off more as hot-button social talking points rather than organic expressions of the characters.
"Support Group for Men" also includes a scene of a drug-induced silliness. The actors energetically dance through this time-altering moment, but it feels like a tacked-on device for cheap laughs.
If the plot mechanics are questionable, at least "Support Group for Men" entertains throughout with its down-to-earth characters who are also largely "woke" socially and politically. Along for the ride are the wisecracking visiting police officers Caruso (Sadieh Rifai) and Nowak (Eric Slater), who instantly find humor with the group's private rituals.
Director Kimberly Senior and her ensemble have plenty of fun playing off each other and running through the comic rhythms of Fairey's Chicago-centric text. So if you're just looking for some light summer entertainment catered to a contemporary and hometown crowd, "Support Group for Men" should fit the bill.
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Location: Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St., Chicago, (312) 443-3800 or goodmantheatre.org
Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday (also July 10 and 24; no show July 4; also 2 p.m. July 5, 12 and 19), 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday (no evening shows July 15 or 29); through July 29
Running time: About 90 minutes with no intermission
Tickets: $25-$80
Parking: Paid lots nearby
Rating: For adults; contains mature subject matter, drug use and strong language