Review: Black Button Eyes Productions' ST. NICHOLAS at City Lit Theater

What are stories worth telling, and how far will we go to find them? We prescribe a loaded moral to stories, hoping that we walk away with a lesson learned and a blueprint for how we should act moving forward. Stories are the bedrock of humanity, from the tradition of oral stories to modern theater and entertainment. We are always telling stories, and we are always listening to them. In Black Button Eyes’ latest production, St. Nicholas, this eternal need for meaning through storytelling brings us into supernatural territory. 

Conor McPherson’s 1997 play, directed by Ed Rutherford, introduces us to the midlife crisis of an unnamed theater critic, played by Kevin Webb. He comes out, talking about darkness, before giving us the rundown on his career, family, and general happiness in life — eventually replaying how a lie and tarnished reputation leads to his encounter with vampires. He’s a bitter, sour, and sardonic alcoholic with a hint of self-loathing and a tinge of misogyny. The way he talks about Helen, the woman who he claims set this whole sequence of events in action, causes some discomfort, especially as he paints how he followed her through bars, cities, and houses. We’re not meant to like our protagonist, who finds pleasure in giving bad reviews and bringing actors down a peg to his level. As he goes from dour theater critic in Dublin to vampire assistant in London, he shares how he found comfort, and maybe even pleasure and purpose, in luring humans to a group of vampires every night. 

As one of the most prolific actors in Chicago’s storefront theater scene, Kevin Webb captivates and commands in this one-actor show that contains very little action and movement. The production relies solely on Webb to work his dramatic magic in this slow-paced storytelling that really calls on the audience to slow down with him. Webb perfectly captures the distaste his character has for his fellow humans as it seeps out of every crisp word delivered with a smooth Irish accent — but also with a scathing bite. 

In City Lit’s intimate theater space, we’re bathed in the warm glow of candlelights that really sets the tone for this vampiric storytelling, which is heightened by atmospheric music throughout. A circle of rice encloses the set that includes a chair, desk, and drink cart. It’s simple yet effective as Webb immerses us in this space merely through his words. The production team includes Liz Cooper (Lighting Design), Rachel Sypniewski (Costume Design), Jeremiah Barr (Set/Props design and Technical Direction), Joe Griffin (Sound Design), and Carrie Hardin (Dialect Coach).

There’s a cognizant irony in attending this production as a “theater critic” (a label I never actually use for myself) and hearing our unnamed protagonist blast on his paid profession. He says with a certain sting that he is both blessed and cursed with the ability to string words together, while never really forming his own ideas or opinions. He implies that the parasitic nature of critics is a result of the inability to create on their own. As he lures humans to the vampire cove for energy, he’s simply doing his job with a different hat — after all, is the theater critic’s job not to lure people to shows? While he might despise his industry, I, as an unpaid freelance reviewer, refuse to let his cynical outlook on life and humanity affect my enjoyment and subsequent analysis of everything that live theater has to offer, even if I am simply stringing words together without any original opinion of my own. 

At the end of the day, St. Nicholas is an examination of power and weakness and what it means to be human — and the role that stories play in making meaning of all of it. And there just happens to be vampires in this story too. 

St. Nicholas will play through July 26 at City Lit Theater, in the historic Edgewater Presbyterian Church at 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Avenue.Tickets are $30 plus fees for all performances and can be purchased at the link below. 

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