Mon. May 26, 2025
By Jerry Nunn
Theater and film organization Open Space Arts closes its season with Scandalous Boy right at the beginning of Pride month. Located at 1411 West Wilson Avenue in Chicago, this tale transports ticket holders to a different time and place.
A statue magically comes alive to convey its story to viewers after standing on a pedestal for thousands of years. Antinous has listened to the lingo around him throughout time because he springs to life with modern mannerisms and familiar expressions. This 21st-century twink has a smug attitude and a youthful exuberance told with casual dialogue.
He transports himself back and forth through time to tell the story in scenes with people from his past and then breaks the fourth wall to explain more to the audience.
He's the new kid on the block for the Roman Emperor Hadrian, who has grown tired of his past plaything Lucius. Complications arise as relationships are tested and explored before Antinous returns to being frozen in time.
The playwright, David Atfield, lives in the Australian Capital Territory Canberra and the United States is the first country outside of Australia to debut this show. Scandalous Boy's dialogue must have fared better with an Australian accent and this production needed a clearer distinction between the past and present periods.
Hadrian is described in the text as being Spanish and speaking English as his second language. That was a missed opportunity that could have been explored and there were basic line stumblings on opening night. Names were mispronounced by the cast members and that was Benjamin Mills' job as director to iron out.
Jose Alexander Martinez carries the show on his shoulders as Antinous and needed more guidance with this being his first acting role in Chicago. This would not be an easy task for anyone and the rest of the troupe tries to support him as much as possible.
One of the devices used during certain scandalous scenes is to stop the action and turn off the lights. This blackout tactic is supposed to save the audience from graphic content, but the real trauma is shown in plain sight. The content warning on the website is important to notice and Scandalous Boy lives up to its name, not making it an easy watch, especially in such an intimate space. The storyline covers nonconsensual acts along with physical, sexual and mental abuse. Trying to bounce back from this heavy material with awkward comedy would be a challenge for anyone. Other issues include ageism mixed with underage characters, prostitution and narcissistic power play.
The writer might take his cue from movies like Mannequin and Pretty Woman, but this is no light fairytale in a jockstrap; it's tough to watch through a modern lens.
The plot goes deep to explore monotheism and provocative themes, but the flippant delivery hinders the objective before any resolution can happen by the end.
There is no intermission break and late seating is not allowed because the venue opens directly onto the street. Arrive early to grab one of the limited number of seats offered in the Open Space.
Scandalous Boy springs to life from now until June 8, 2026. Find ticket information at openspacearts.org or by calling 773-773-7837.
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