PicksInSix Review: The Great Khan - Redtwist Theatre
Past’s Power Over Our Future’s Legacy
PicksInSix® Review | Guest Contributor | Scott Gryder
The Redtwist Theatre’s intimate venue was further cozied up on Sunday afternoon with the Chicago premiere of the National New Play Network production of “The Great Khan.” Set mostly in the bedroom of a teenager, Redtwist invites you to take a closer look into the lives of American teenagers struggling to find their place in society. While being pulled in various directions by their peers, parents and idols, the teens prepare to battle history to lay the foundation for their futures.
Michael Gene Sullivan’s “The Great Khan” is a multidimensional comedy centered around Jayden Gebremedhin, a teenager who is forced to make a move to a new home, with his mother as his only friend, after heroically defending a fellow student involved with a sexual assault. Now in hiding, Jayden must navigate the pressures of not only showing up but showing out at a new school and being haunted by his past. Not to mention, he may be going mad thanks to the newly seeded obsession over the topic of his latest class assignment: Temujin (aka Genghis Khan).
Sullivan’s play relies heavily on stereotypes; however, not in a two-dimensional predictability, but as a tool for us to immediately recognize ourselves in at least one of the characters. Simon Gebremedhin’s Jayden exemplifies the modern American teenager, struggling to find his place in a new home and at a new school, while running from his past. Gebremedhin’s pacing is thoughtful and unaffected. Monique Marshaun soon introduces us to the sneaky yet slightly outrageous Ant, who’s continually pushing the envelope for answers. Josie Mi’s Gao-Ming is often regrettably living center stage in a monologuing role, sharing factoids, but when she enters the world of Jayden’s bedroom, her precise balance between quirk and brilliance truly tickles. Bryan Breau’s Mr. Adams is sincerely awkward, trying his darndest to connect with his students by overcompensating to be hip to the times. Steffen Diem Garcia embodies Temujin (Genghis Khan) with complete physical embodiment, yet, unlike Genghis Khan’s famed savage bravery in the face of battle, Garcia’s Khan waivers in the execution of his lines, leaving Khan vulnerable to deflated moments of pacing. But it’s LaToriuous Givens who shines as Jayden’s mother Crystal. Her subtext is grounded in genuineness, bringing a maternal care and concern for her son by layering nurturing with a keen hard-edged smackdown when necessary.
Mostly, the script is quick-witted and organic, with characters comedically playing off opening moments of heightened dramatic circumstance. Additionally, throughout “The Great Khan,” each character speaks freely and frankly about their wants and fears. If only social norms would encourage and embrace that level of candid behavior. Thanks to this forward dialogue, “The Great Khan” does not shy away from topics such as violence, vulgarity nor the use of foul language. The text is poignant and relevant. Is the way we see ourselves or the standards we hold ourselves to what we truly believe, or are these expectations planted there by outside influences? And thus, what is our actual truth? How and who are we supposed to be? And is that seemingly insurmountable fear we experience when questioning our purpose a guide to keep us safe or a monster we must defeat?
Scenic designer and charge artist Rose Johnson gives us a mostly blank canvas to start, with a bedroom setting loaded with moving boxes and the classic adolescent decoration stylings of scattered laundry. But it’s with a sequence of charming reveals that the set is enhanced as scenes and characters advance. Piper Kirchhofer’s lighting design cloaks this open set with washes to sleekly transition between days and locations, and the combined efforts, specifically for one of the culminating moments of the show, was powerfully executed with surprise and power. The sound design by Max Cichon had a character of its own. The music perfectly set the emotional tone, carried us harmoniously between scene changes, and surged with intensity when required. Beyond that, it was delightful to see the patrons bop along with the tunes throughout.
“The Great Kahn,” though stumbling pacing-wise near the end, casually delivers a gut punch to remind ourselves that we are who we make ourselves. Our histories may seem powerfully overwhelming and oppressive, but it can only be our responsibility to do what we feel best supports our wants and needs, whether or not that contradicts our past. With new Artistic Director Dusty Brown at the helm of the cherished Bryn Mawr District Redtwist Theatre, and an energy for producing shows that encourage personal exploration and growth, I look forward to being challenged in the tradition of Chicago storefront theatre for the rest of their season.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR | SCOTT GRYDER received a Non-Equity Jeff Award for his performance in the one-man show BUYER & CELLAR. www.thescottgryder.com
PHOTO | Aaron Reese Boseman
REDTWIST THEATRE
presents
THE GREAT KAHN
through February 26, 2023
1044 W. Bryn Mawr Ave
(773) 728-7529
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