Hurricane Diane storms into Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Avenue, to stir up audiences through July 31. After a successful New York City premiere, Chicago theater fans now have a chance to see the show performed in the Windy City.
Out performer Kelli Simpkins plays Diane, who is either a mentally disturbed lesbian gardener or the Greek god Dionysus herself. Right out of the starting gate Simpkins breaks the fourth wall and talks directly to spectators in the room. Maybe a Greek chorus would have worked better as the tactic doesn't support the upcoming plot as planned and a masked reaction from patrons doesn't help to drum up the much-needed energy at the beginning of the show.