Photo credit: Rebecca Shrom of Rebecca Shrom Photography — with Tommy Spears and Michael Coyne.
GEEK N OUT REVIEW
Highstreet and Mook Presents: "Dresden Follies or Unstuck at Christmas Time"
Reviewer: Robert Southgate
Last Saturday night, I had the unexpected privilege of seeing Highstreet and Mook at Otherworld Theatre. My plan was to see this show next week but somehow I became unstuck in time and ended up seeing the Dresden Follies a week early. My experience with this show was wrought with misconceptions on my part. Let me explain…
I had no idea I was seeing improv. My expectation was a modern interpretation of a Vaudeville act, yet it never occurred to me that improvisation would be involved. I was both right and wrong. Highstreet and Mook are a Vaudeville duo. They have scripted bits that run throughout the show that reminded me of Abbott and Costello or Hope and Crosby. The story starts in 1944 at a German POW camp. Highstreet and Mook are preparing to go on with their act to entertain the troops, all the while having hilarious banter that definitely sounds of the time. The story then turns into a loose version of A Christmas Carol complete with ghosts and visions of the past, present and future. It is during these jumps in time that the show becomes an improv show featuring improv games.
Misconception #1: I am really tired of improv games used during stage shows so as soon as the first one started up I felt duped and not really thrilled. I was wrong. These performers were hilarious and very skilled as improvisers. Within a few seconds of the first game starting, I was laughing out loud and asked my distaste for improv games to step outside. I was not duped at all, I simply wasn’t paying attention. This cast is full of improvisers that I have seen before and I should have understood there would be improvisation involved.
Misconception #2: The title, "Dresden Follies or Unstuck at Christmas Time", had me believing this was some sort of strange Vaudeville meets the Dresden Files. I don’t know what I thought that could be but I was into the idea. I am not alone on this one. Others have had this same misconception about the show but once again, I should have been paying better attention. Nothing about the poster, or press release, or Facebook event indicated in anyway that the show has anything to do with The Dresden Files. In fact, I should have understood what I was in store for simply from the name, “Highstreet and Mook Presents: Dresden Follies or Unstuck at Christmas Time".
Adam Tatum and Tommy Spears.
I don’t want to give anything away so let me simply stress you should see this show. It is flat out smart and hilarious. I truly enjoyed every minute of it. The scripted material is performed effortlessly and is very funny. The improvisation is top notch and really engaging. There are surprises throughout that I do not want to spoil, so I won’t. I will tell you there is an act in the middle of the production that lead to Misconception #3: Oh no, it’s prop comedy!, but it wasn’t at all. In fact, that act was a highlight in a show I truly enjoyed.
Highstreet and Mook Presents: "Dresden Follies or Unstuck at Christmas Time" stands tall as a unique holiday experience that should not be missed. In fact, I hope it comes back next year as I plan to make this an annual outing that I can share with friends.
Dresden Follies features the show's creators, Tommy Spears and Michael Coyne as the Vaudeville Duo, Highstreet (Spears) and Mook (Coyne). It also features a cast of Second City and IO trained performers: Kaitlyn Nibblien, Elizabel Riggs, Shannon Smith, Adam Tatum, and Danny Whightkin, as well as Chicago newcomer Corey Drennon. Direction by Ashley Connell.
Highstreet and Mook Presents: "Dresden Follies or Unstuck at Christmas Time"runs December 15 and December 22 at Otherworld Theatre Company in Chicago, IL (3914 N Clark St). All tickets to Dresden Follies will be pay-what-you-can. Tickets are available at Eventbrite or call the box office at (773) 857-2116.