Oct. 01--There are moments with real potential in actor Johnny Garcia's one-man show about growing up in Chicago in the 1970s and '80s as one of eight kids and the son of Puerto Rican immigrants. Written by Garcia with Mary Reynard (the latter of whom also directs), it has the feel of a work in progress, but it has much to offer.
I would have liked to have heard more about Garcia's memory of his father beating his brother with a two-by-four for joining a gang -- more about how the family reacted, how the adult Garcia views those events now, how his brother felt then and now. That need to dig deeper is emblematic of the show itself, which should feel like more than just a series of unconnected anecdotes. Who was Garcia in his family? What was their dynamic when they were all together? What were the rebellions and moments that bonded him and his siblings together? All of that is missing.
Stories only work when they are told from the inside, and that requires a bit more autobiographical reckoning than Garcia (a likable performer) seems comfortable with right now. There were small hitches in the performance I saw -- some minor memorization issues and awkward pauses -- that a firmer sense of confidence will smooth over. But what the show really could use are some stakes. An arc. Or a stronger through-line and point of view. (The $20 ticket price seems high as well, all things considered.)
The strongest portion of the show is Garcia's story of his sister Nancy, defender of the bullied. It is the most fully realized anecdote, taking place on a Thanksgiving Day years ago when Nancy hauled off and decked her next door neighbor's boyfriend. It needs more fleshing out (and frankly more stories about Nancy to bolster its inclusion in the show), but you can picture precisely what Garcia describes and that's the most important element of a show likes this: Can you imagine these scenes in your head?
Garcia is admirably vulnerable. Now he just has to push himself a little further.
2 STARS
Through Oct. 25 at Redtwist Theatre, 1044 W. Bryn Mawr Ave.; tickets are $20 at 773-728-7529 or www.redtwist.org.
