“Ring out the old year, ring in the new, ring-a-ding-ding,” says Shirley MacLaine’s Fran Kubelik with weary resignation near the end of The Apartment (still my favorite holiday film, not that you asked). Two streaming shows give us similar lenses for viewing the transition from hellscape to (vaguely) hopeful as this year winds down.
It takes the “goblins” present in the majestic old church bells to show him what his sweet daughter Meg’s life would be like without him (shades of George Bailey), and how easily even the best people can be driven to desperation when there is absolutely no safety net provided.
Ike Holter has been one of Chicago’s most prolific playwrights for years, winning piles of plaudits and awards for his seven-play “Rightlynd” saga about a fictional Chicago ward that embodies all the best and worst of our city.
A scene set at a wedding reception between a white woman (Mendenhall) and a young Black man (Jason Wright) shines a pitiless light on how internalized racism guides even those who believe they are standing up for Black Lives Matter. Later, a scene about a trio of friends and activists who are celebrating the installation of a stop sign at a dangerous intersection turns into an argument about incrementalism vs. radical tactics, and a gutting exploration of the plain old exhaustion and rage that comes from spinning your wheels in the ceaseless and thankless battle for justice. (Sydney Charles, Tony Santiago, and Ruiz beautifully embody the tensions even long-time friends carry among themselves.)
The Chimes: Through 1/3, available streaming anytime with purchase, remybumppo.org, $15.I Hate It Here: Stories from the End of the Old World: Through 3/7, available online anytime, studiotheatre.org, F
