Review: In Pursuit Of, with Sub Rosa Theatre Collective
In Pursuit Of, produced by Sub Rosa Theatre Collective, now performing at the Greenhouse Theater Center, is the kind of production I hate writing about. not because I didn't think it was any good, on the contrary; long time readers know all too well that when the opportunity arises, I'm more than happy to devote some good time and energy to a well-deserved pan.
but such critical drubbing is best reserved for mainstream superhero schlock and commercial touring nonsense, the high-priced malarkey that can typically handle some less-than-savory words. no, it's when young artists (and young companies) present work of a less-than-satisfactory flavor that my heart absolutely sinks. who am I - some thirty-something writer with a so-so blog, holed up in Evanston on a Saturday afternoon - to use the limited time I have on this earth to rip apart a new play from a bunch of young, developing theatermakers? what good is that for the world?
on the other hand, I'm not in the flourishing world of arts criticism to act as a company's P.R. machine, nor am I here to lie to you, dear reader. and since the lovely folks at Sub Rosa so graciously provided me a complimentary ticket to attend and write about their work, it's only fair for everyone involved that I put all patronizing to the wayside and not mince words. so to put it mildly, as the great Spike Lee said back at the Oscars in 2019, In Pursuit Of "wasn't my cup of tea."
loosely adapted by Sub Rosa Artistic Director Zoé Soteres from Fyodor Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment," and directed by Nole Beran, In Pursuit Of follows young twenty-something Theo (Kieran Rowe), a college senior attempting to balance his last year of classes with his full-time job working in data entry, all while trying to financially support his pregnant sister back home. Theo cringes at the sight of his manager, the just-turned-twenty-year old Alex (Alex Perez), a seeming data-entry wunderkind who, upon being hired back when he was either 18 or 19, was told by his supervisors that his "data entry level skills are unparalleled." alongside the white-collar frustrations of watching college students cosplay "Dilbert," Theo begins to slowly butt heads with his academic advisor, Tim (Dan Walsh) - a philosophy professor seemingly interested in flexing his individualist ideologies than actually helping his students - while also building a budding relationship with fellow eager college student Shannon (Madeline Meyer), a shy young woman with a fascinating secret. this is all before Theo begins to gently, then sharply, prod at the life of his co-worker Alex, engaging in deeper and darker acts in an attempt to, supposedly, climb the corporate ladder.
In Pursuit Of runs about two-and-a-half hours, and there's no hiding that fact in a production with little-to-no forward momentum throughout, unaided by almost-purposefully inelegant transitions from scene-to-scene, thrusting the audience into a vibe-halting stasis every time a scene ends. Beran and scenic designer Nora Brooks Slauter commit to just enough representational design in this staging (lumbering cubicles wheeled on for the office scenes, a hefty bookshelf for the college advisor scenes) to the point where curiosity and momentum have been sacrificed for the sake of realism, their lack of imagination in the staging leaving the audience completely abandoned.
Soteres' script - its myriad locations and realist tone making this seem more like a film screenplay than a stage script - is certainly to blame for this overall energy issue, though a page in the extended QR-code program attempts to attribute Soteres and Beran's plodding style to "Durationalism," something akin to the filmic language of slow cinema. but, if I may be so bold, Soteres is no Kelly Reichardt, and Beran is no Apichatpong Weerasethakul. their work in total lacks any semblance of style or poetry, either visually or literarily, to warrant such stylistic excuses for what is really just good-old-fashioned Bad Pacing. and "Durationalism" certainly can't make up for the pot-hole-sized narrative leaps required for certain aspects of the plot that I wouldn't dare spoil here. overall, Soteres has mistaken ethical dilemma for Drama, controversy for Character Development, and withholding of information for Tension.
all of this leaves this octet of performers rather lost on stage. when they're not lugging around scenic elements under cold, dim light to the sounds of Delaney Kibler's practically anonymous sound design, they're oftentimes giving performances that feel more subtle and cinematic than live and theatrical. even in the tiny studio space at the Greenhouse, I would often miss a line of dialogue or two in what should be a fairly legible piece of staging.
so, where should Soteres, Beran, and Sub Rosa go from here? luckily, Soteres wrote such an answer in the end of her play, where, after a lengthy exposition dump filling in the loose narrative gaps of the play, Theo is left to wonder whether, after all of his past transgressions and mistakes, there is a viable path forward for him. I believe the play thinks the answer is a solid, if complicated "Yes." and so I think the same is true for this young, clearly eager room of artists, their time and resources spent on, what is in my eyes, a foolhardy work of confused ambition. the kindest, most encouraging thing I can say to all involved is: I can't wait to see what you're up to next. things can only go up from here.
In Pursuit Of runs an estimated 2 hours and 30 minutes with a 10-minute intermission, and performs at The Greenhouse Theater Center (2257 N. Lincoln) through March 23rd 2026. Tickets are available HERE.
