For certain kinds of people, achieving the American dream has always been a stealth operation. Coming up during the Depression, for instance, my dad obscured his Ashkenazic roots by Latinizing his first name (Maurice, from Moishe), classicizing his middle name (Alexander, after Alexander the Great) and Teutonizing his surname (Adler, from, well, something that wasn’t Adler).
The first act is a tour de force in this Goodman Theatre production directed by Chuck Smith, taking the traditional comedy of mistaken identity to odd and amusing new places. It’s 1933, and, under the social and economic circumstances, nobody can afford to be who they are. Vera gets wind of The Belle of New Orleans through Gloria, who’s in a tizzy over auditioning for the Camille-like lead. She shares the information with her roommate Lottie, a fellow black actress formerly known for her shimmying prowess but now eating her way into mammy roles. Meanwhile, another roommate named Anna Mae is busy parlaying her light skin into a new persona: Anna Marie Fernandez, Brazilian sexpot.
Through 6/2 Wed 7:30 PM, Thu and Sun 2 and 7:30 PM, Fri 8 PM, Sat 2 and 8 PM
Goodman Theatre
170 N. Dearborn
312-443-3800
goodmantheatre.org $25-$81
