For the first 30 minutes of Welcome to Arroyo’s, it’s clear why playwright Kristoffer Diaz is a white-hot commodity. Not unlike his The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity—a Chicago hit and 2010 Pulitzer finalist—the play throws you into a whirling mix of hypercharged fable, metatheatrical commentary, and after-hours hip-hop party, all while exploring questions of ethnic and political identity. Especially as performed by the fiery cast of this American Theater Company production directed by Jaime Castañeda, Welcome to Arroyo’s initially feels vibrant, unpredictable, and bracingly contemporary. Audiences in the mid-1960s must’ve felt a similar thrill seeing the early plays of Sam Shepard, as he harnessed the erratic, erotic power of rock ‘n’ roll to investigate the American mythos.
Best of Chicago voting is live now. Vote for your favorites »
But somewhere in the middle of act one Diaz’s elaborate theatricality begins to feel forced. It becomes harder and harder to ignore that his story is inconsequential and unlikely, and Welcome to Arroyo’s starts looking like what it is: a first play, written while Diaz was still in college. If ATC artistic director PJ Paparelli is correct when he gushes that this script represents “the future of American theater,” then American theater is headed off a cliff.
By intermission, there are plenty of unresolved questions, but none of them is particularly urgent. Will Arroyo’s ever get more customers? Will Trip and Nelson spin there? Will Amalia let her guard down and go on a date with Officer Derek? Will she find an outlet for her art? Will Lelly publish her research? No one has much to lose no matter what happens.
Through 5/16: Thu-Fri 8 PM, Sat 3 and 8 PM, Sun 3 PM, American Theater Company, 1909 W. Byron, 773-409-4125, atcweb.org, $10-$30.
