Quest Theatre Ensemble Presents Barry Manilow's, The Drunkard

In the not so distant past, I attended Quest Theatre Ensembles performance of Barry Manilow's "The Drunkard." Not knowing what to expect, I was merely going to support a friend who happens to work for the theatre company. MapQuest directed me down a narrow road with railroad tracks on one side and backend of businesses on the other and then down a residential road only to lead me to a, what looked like, school building. Thinking I was gyped by MapQuest, again, I began to turn around and as I did, I noticed a hand painted poster hanging over the side of the building into which a set of stairs led down to what looked like a basement. I was a bit apprehensive about where these stairs were going to lead me, but believed that my friend would not lead me into danger, so I followed the signs. Parking was surprisingly easy for a Saturday night, so I arrived much earlier than I anticipated.

To my surprise, I entered the lobby of a mini basement auditorium adorably transformed into the black box theatre. Not only that, the place was filled with eager folk of various ages. Popcorn was being sold in two sets, one for throwing and one for eating; and at prices which I haven't seen in a long long time. Though normally I tend to abstain from throwing items at actors I'm watching on stage, I decided that I would be down for a bit of unconventional naughtiness. I purchased two bags of throwing popcorn and took them inside with me, now eagerly anticipating curtain time.

The show began in true vaudeville form, with a man, a band, and... his mask? Turns out, Quest Theatre Ensemble is a puppeteer theatre company with characters often in full puppet-gear. These particular shows actors were hidden behind exquisitely handcrafted facial masks emphasizing extreme facial traits in every actor.

The drunkard consisted of two halves with a 10-minute intermission, but to be honest, I hadn't noticed how fast the time flew. The actors had me fully involved with the show. From booing the villain to bantering with the main character, I was at the edge of my seat the entire time. I never knew what was coming next, and the best part? Well, I got to throw food on stage!

I must also take the time to comment on the incredible set design. Based on the external appearance of the theatre, I expected slightly more then high school decoration, but this was beyond anything I could imagine. Fully-grown stage creations melodramatically pained to match the shows theme. Absolutely incredible! The actors were phenomenal all the way down to the, maybe, 10-year-old girl who took on a role filled with significant singing, acting, and dancing. Even the band, which melodically scripted the performance, was dressed in theme, fully emphasizing the transformation created by director Andrew Park.

The show runs from February 16 through March 25, 2007, so there's still time to catch it. There is no excuse for not seeing it because it's FREE. Yes, that's right, nothin' and better yet, they're all free!

If you don't make it to the show, however, I strongly recommend catching one of the theatre company's shows. They are truly making history in today's theatrical world. From professional set designs to elaborate costumes to publically held auctions, this theatre troop is revolutionary. To top all this off, everything is hand created, everything. The company works on a donation basis only and truly embodies what theatre should be: Art created for the masses. They took their craft, refined it, and made it their own.
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Since its founding in 2002, Quest has created thirteen original productions that have toured to more than 75 schools, retirement communities, churches, social service organizations, and community celebrations in the Chicago area. Quest is committed to making theatre accessible to everyone, so we choose stories that have universal appeal and seek out new ways to bring them to audience. We want to ensure that no one is excluded from the arts. Quest therefore creates theater that is appropriate for everyone, and operates by donation so that anyone can afford to participate. In order to reach the widest possible audience, Quest performs for public events, takes productions on tour, creates resident productions, and stages events.