Photo Credit: Paul Ruffolo
It may take a few moments to warm up to the characters in Milwaukee Chamber Theatre’s Chapatti. At first glance, they aren’t in the most hopeful moods. In this gentle two-hander by Irish writer Christian O’Reilly, these older adults must cope with the realities of their difficult, lower-class, everyday lives. A November romance is the furthest thing from their minds.
Dan, played with wisdom and courage by James Tasse, cannot seem to get over the loss of his long-time love interest. He lives alone with only his dog, Chapatti, for company. Pet owners will recognize how Tasse’s character humanizes his dog’s actions and reactions to the point where he nearly forgets what it’s like to talk to another human. Cat-loving Betty is played with warmth, resourcefulness and a wry sense of humor by Jenny Wanasek. She first crosses Dan’s path in – where else – a veterinarian’s office. She has a boxful of kittens who need a new home, and she is there to post a notice to prospective cat lovers.
This set-up may sound sentimental and cloying, but consider that the first true interaction between Dan and Betty is over a dead cat. The cat belongs to Betty’s elderly employer, and Betty frets that the loss of this adult pet may mean that her employer lacks the will to survive. Dan and Betty go to hilarious lengths to try and remedy the situation.
The intimate Studio Theatre is an ideal environment for this type of play, since the audience becomes riveted by the characters’ every move. Both acting pros communicate as much facial movements and body language as they do with actual words. Director Michelle Lopez-Rios brings the two characters together slowly, as if in a slow waltz, and each moment they are together charms more than the next.
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Some of the material presented here is a series of monologues, while other scenes incorporate dialogue between the two characters. Lighting plays a major role in delineating these differences.
During the final scenes, the characters spend more time together than they do alone. The audience silently cheers them on as they slowly realize that facing life together is certainly more promising than their formerly lonely lives.
Through Oct.14 at Broadway Theatre Center’s Studio Theatre. For tickets, visit www.milwaukeechambertheatre.com or call 414-291-7800.
