Facility Theatre's Right Now gives hope for the future

There's a newly remodeled theater Facility in Chicago and it's located at 1138 North California Avenue. Right Now was chosen as a production to kick off its 2023 and 2024 seasons to flex and show what a group that is dedicated to providing affordable theater can do.

For its United States premiere Canadian playwright Catherine-Anne Toupin's story is translated from French to English by Chris Campbell. The plot is a mixed bag pulling from other ideas and inspirations for a tale about birth, life and death.

The storyline begins with a couple adjusting to a new apartment and life named Alice and Ben. Their neighbors Juliette, Francois and Gilles worm their way into their lives with unexpected results. This takes ticket holders on an unpredictable ride that is full of uncomfortable moments between the characters.

The cast and execution of this piece are top-notch and noteworthy. As viewers, we can see there is a lot going on behind the eyes of each of the performers. They convey a wide range of emotions from wide-eye astonishment in places to devilish relishes of certain moments.

The finale is the main problem and could be enhanced with a tune-up. It leaves things too open-ended and needs a bigger payoff by laying out a clear-cut explanation. Leaving it up to the audience to interpret does the show a disservice in this case. For example, if it was recalibrated to be a vampire's tale and not lean so hard into Rosemary's Baby then the patrons could be shocked and satisfied at the end instead of being left bewildered.

Right Now suffers from being too artsy when the project had been excelling with intriguing character development within a captivating and well-curated setting.

Right Now is easily digestible but the recipe is not fully cooked because of the Canadian chef who created it, not because of the kitchen staff that helped it rise to the occasion. This Facility production will make people hunger for more from the group in the future instead of living for Right Now.

Invite yourself for a visit on Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. before December 9, 2023, at facilitytheatre.org.