Review: Shattered Globe Theatre's EELPOUT! at Theater Wit
The production runs from April 23rd to May 30th.
The world premiere of Eelpout! concludes Shattered Globe Theatre’s 35th anniversary season at Chicago’s Theater Wit. Founded in 1991, the company has built a reputation for presenting both canonical works and original plays that center on bold, challenging perspectives. A little slow to start, this new comedy ultimately offers a distinct and surprising take on Midwestern masculinity and queer identity.
Sven (Jeff Rodriguez), Ole (Carl Hallberg), and Lars (Dinah Berkeley) gather for Ole’s bachelor party with a trip to ice-fish on Lake Mille Lacs. As the trio settles in, long-held secrets surface, and their exaggerated performance of stereotypical masculinity begins to crack. The patry veers into the bizarre when they catch a talking fish (Jesús Barajas), launching the story into a surreal blend of absurdity, fantasy, and self-discovery.
Playwright Paul W. Kruse’s script has a clear point of view, but its opening stretches thin. The jokes about stereotypical male behavior feel repetitive, delaying the more interesting questions the play eventually asks. Once the world expands and new characters enter, however, the piece gains momentum and offers a clear storyline. Director Jeremy Ohringer, fresh off A Devil Comes to Town at Trap Door Theatre, successfully leans into the play’s magical realism, using Theater Wit’s intimate space to heighten both its absurdist humor and emotional core.
The design elements do much of the heavy lifting. Christopher Kriz’s original music and sound design create an immersive atmosphere that supports the play’s more magical elements. Delena Bradley’s costumes and Sasika Bakker’s props offer inventive glimpses of an underwater world.. Given how striking the fish puppet is—operated with precision by Lydia Moss—the limited use of puppetry feels like a missed opportunity.
The performances, however, keep the play afloat. Jeff Rodriguez delivers a nuanced turn as Sven, capturing the discomfort of someone boxed in by expectation while tentatively reaching for something freer. Her chemistry with Jesús Barajas is grounded and unexpectedly tender, giving emotional weight to the play’s strangest turns. Taigé Lauren (Heidi) and Rebecca Jordan (Holly) inject much-needed energy and perspective, cutting through the hyper-masculine dynamic with sharp humor and welcome clarity.
Eelpout! even with a slow start finds enough sincerity and strangeness to leave an impression. When it leans into its emotional core, the play reveals a more compelling catch beneath the surface.
EELPOUT! performs until May 30th at Theater Wit. For more information about Shattered Globe Theatre, visit the company’s official website.
For more information about Theater Wit, visit the venue’s official website.
Photo Credit: Michael Brosilow
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