“The Happiest Place on Earth” | Greenhouse Theater
3 out of 4 stars
(originally published on Chicago Stage Standard)
Philip Dawkins in "The Happiest Place on Earth". Photo by Michael Brosilow.
Have you ever been happy? What is it to be happy? Philip Dawkins, an established and acclaimed Chicago playwright, dives into his family’s past and explores the concept of happiness with the world premiere of “The Happiest Place on Earth”. In part of Greenhouse Theater’s Solo Celebration, Dawkins draws from his own family history to illustrate themes of grief and happiness in one moving tale. In the 1960’s, America experienced the birth of Disneyland, while the Dawkins family experienced the death of a beloved patriarch. The play retraces and illustrates the true story of the women in Dawkins’ family who underwent a quest to seek solace and recovery.
Walt Disney’s dream of a place for not only children to enjoy, but a place for family’s to escape reality and roam within a safe happy place full of laughter and fun. With three wars prior, the nation needed to believe in something good. The Dawkins’ household and story is a personal glimpse into that time and demonstrates the importance Disney and his ideals were for not only the country, but for a singular family struggling to come to terms with a tragic event. In a one scene stage, the playwright characterizes his mother, aunts, grandmother and a few supporting characters. He captures these individuals by facial expressions, cues and dramatic pauses. A sign of true embodiment of a storyteller. The extremes of any character’s personality explores the concept of grief and depression from that particular perspective. Each point of view containing traits so basic to anyone that it’s impossible not to connect to at least one individual’s point of view. Breath-taking and heart wrenching. The office setting felt very reminiscent of Walt Disney’s office (sans mountains of paperwork) during introduction to various TV programs, behind the scenes videos and the like.
As with any performance, each one is unique. The playwright’s fast-paced verbal delivery soars during segments of comic relief, yet seems to fall as the raucous laughter overshadows key dramatic points that were whizzed by. A distracting minimal flaw in an overall wonderful experience. Dawkins’ attire was simplistic and the use of a projector was reminiscent of a classroom. The sparse setting sets you apart and suspends you in time and space. The focus only on the family photos shown projected on to the white wall immerses one into the story and creates the imagery of each story mentally. The projector and dry erase markers used suggests intimacy, personalization and a teaching style only an oratory leader can make good use of. It’s interactive. The lighting was non-differential or at times extremely subtle, all with the exception of one psychologically internal portion of a story.
By the end of the performance one feels as connected to these characters as the playwright is by blood. When you begin a conversation with a very close friend and start at point A and somehow an hour later find you are talking existentially about something completely unrelated… that is what this play is reminiscent of. Those are the best conversations because it’s not about the weather or the drama at work or school, it dives deeper into the subconscious boiling up to the top. Reflecting upon the stories you tell and what they mean and the new context they portray. The audience starts a point A then leaves feeling as if there are some questions we should ask ourselves.
The hard truths of loss reveal how similar all human beings are when it comes to our emotions. Heart wrenchingly personal and empathetically wistful, this play challenges those unspoken feelings loss gives. As Dawkins puts it, “the 1960's was a decade of lost fathers” and his family history speaks volumes that so many individuals can identify with. Loss is a part of life and Disney is too, in some families. To look at them together, it shows a little more than just flying elephants and spinning teacups. It takes a long look at our inner desires and makes us think “what exactly is happiness”?
Greenhouse Theater’s “Solo Celebration!” includes ten full productions, two limited engagements and other special events running from June 2016 to February 2017. Greenhouse Theater’s goal to grow local theater expands to highlight a larger conversation about the possibilities of the one-person play. Sideshow Theatre Company brings new inspiring works forward to explore collective consciousness through the personal and familiar, such as stories, memories and imagery.
Performances run through October 23rd, 2016. For more information and tickets please visit www.greenhousetheater.org or call the box office at 773-404-7336. For more information about Sideshow Theatre company- please visit: www.sideshowtheatre.org More information is available at www.theaterinchicago.com
