Review: "Abby Paj Tries to Stay Alive" at The Neo-Futurist Theater.

all photos credited to Justin Barbin.

"Don't Panic. Just Breathe." this mantra echoes through Abby Pajakowski's delightfully apocalyptic solo show "Abby Paj Tries to Stay Alive," the latest mainstage offering from Chicago's very own Neo-Futurists. as is most common among performers on the Neo's stage, Pajakowski is playing themselves, or perhaps an exaggerated, if still truthful, version of themselves, and this version of Abby's self is a doomsday prepper, with the Neo-Futurist Theater acting as their bunker. we have become encased in their cocoon where, over the next eighty-ish minutes, we will learn about the history of prepping, the droning practicalities of the tasks involved, and the mental and emotional toll it takes to be in fear of daily apocalypse. once again, don't panic. just breathe.

i've yet to have a bad time seeing a play at The Neo-Futurist Theater, perhaps Chicago's last remaining physical space solely devoted to producing original, avant-garde and experimental work (though I imagine some of the ensemble members would even bristle at me describing it as such), and yet, you see enough mainstage shows at the Neo's that sometimes the tried and true template of "quirky bit, followed by earnest monologue, followed by quirky bit, followed by earnest monologue" becomes only as strong as the material therein. the structure is malleable enough for exciting variation (i've seen plays with topics as wide-ranging as early 20th-century theater riots, late-stage capitalist drudgery, and cooking), but waiting for that emotionally cathartic shoe to drop again and again can lead to some predictable, if still engaging, evenings of theater.

it helps then that Pajakowski's show, under the understated but magically intentional direction of Sammy Zeisel, reads more as a frantic if methodically-structured stream-of-consciousness; part dramaturgical analysis, part instruction manual, part journal entry, all stemming from the same singular creative source. as a performer, Pajakowski is a magnetic presence, their diminutive size highlighted by the bulging backpack they enter with, bounding around the room with a Bug Bunny "ain't I a stinker?" energy that is altogether endearing, tying in to Abby's stated desire to be seen as good and helpful and "not a burden." their focus and drive glues us to the stage as they open cans of beans and fill up jugs with water while oscillating between disaster-themed history lessons and introspective reflection.

if any of this makes "Abby Paj Tries to Stay Alive" sound like a bummer of a play, well, don't panic. Pajakowski is the kind of artist that holds the performance theories of Richard Schechner to the same level of importance as the comedy of two butts touching. the silly and the sublime are of equal value here, and that commitment to letting seriousness and humor live together keeps things from ever getting too self-serious or too frivolous throughout the night. this is equally matched by the signature low-fi nature of the Neos aesthetic, leading to moments of genuine magical inventive stagecraft I wouldn't dare spoil.

Pajakowksi often remarks on the individualistic nature of prepping culture, a lifestyle predicated on self-preservation and isolationism. naturally, then, the most beautiful aspects of "Abby Paj Tries to Stay Alive" come from how necessary the audience becomes in keeping the show going, holding up torches to help light certain sequences, using walkie talkies to provide sound effects, one brave soul even acting as a scene partner to portray a bean-hungry neighbor. Pajakowski has - boldly, thrillingly - folded the thematic pin of their show into its very structure; the show can't happen without us, and Abby can't choose to face the terror and beauty of the world if we don't give them permission to open the door.

“Abby Paj Tries to Stay Alive” runs an estimated 85 minutes, and performs at The Neo-Futurist Theater (5153 N. Ashland) through October 4th 2025. Tickets are available HERE.