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'Rain' steady, even riveting, yet predictable
(by Herb Hammer - July 09, 2012)
THEATER, BY HERB HAMMER
'Rain' steady, even riveting, yet predictable
The rain continues to fall throughout Keith Huff's soggy drama, "A Steady Rain." The constantly wet Chicago streets keep the very sadness of his play in the same form throughout.
Joey and Denny, a couple of beat cops, have little happiness in their lives. Joey, the heavy-drinking, lonely cop, is in sharp contrast to the explosive Denny, though they have been best friends since kindergarten.
The two-character play opened last Friday at Chagrin Valley Little Theatre's River Street Playhouse.
The lonely Joey and Denny, the family man, are constantly passed over, though they long to be detectives. While Denny calls it reverse discrimination, they both know that sloppy police work may be the real answer.
Joey and Denny talk straight out to the audience and to each other. We find the play is giving us a flashback version of their lives. "A Steady Rain" is a riveting play but not as strong here as it might be.
Denny lives on the edge of the law, taking payoffs and taking shots with his service revolver at suspected criminals. Joey spends too much of his time with Denny's wife, Connie, and, though these two are the only characters on stage, they have you imagining all the action to be taking place in real time.
Denny tries desperately to find a woman for Joey. He even invites him to dinner along with a prostitute, a woman with a baby. But Joey rejects, while Denny spends much too much time with the sour Rhonda.
Mr. Huff brings you into his gritty plot through these two friends who find trouble at every turn. Joey accidentally hands the child over to a brutal killer. Denny chases down a criminal, assuming he is carrying a weapon. Denny fires. He always keeps his service revolver handy, but he makes constant mistakes.
The story is pieced together through the monologues, and, while you grow to like these two losers, you know that trouble will spiral downhill.
The play is puzzling. The kindly Joey guards his anger, spending too much time with Denny's wife. Denny guards nothing. His explosiveness keeps him always on the edge.
A shot rings out, exploding the front window of Denny's house. Blood is everywhere. Denny races to the hospital with his bleeding son, knowing full well that an ambulance was the better way. But Denny operates this way, and he never stays out of trouble.
Tim Walsh plays Joey, the quite sensible one, but he too makes too many mistakes. He is in sharp contrast to his partner, Denny. Mr. Walsh handles the role with finesse.
As Denny, Christopher Crimaldi, though often struggling with the role, has you believing he is the angry cop finding wrong at every turn.
Mr. Huff's powerful story draws his audience in. While there are only two characters and two chairs, the story feels as if a dozen characters in the lives of Denny and Joey are actually in the play.
Mr. Huff, while avoiding foreshadowing, gives his characters predictable parts. What good could come of the fiery Denny suspended for something he didn't do? Though Joey crawls out of trouble, he too has a certain sadness as the play reaches its deadly conclusion.
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