Don Juan in Chicago

Don Juan in ChicagoSatan has asthma? Apparently it’s a bit smoky where he lives. Strange, yes, and also goofy, but somehow, it works. This type of humor, with its tongue wedged firmly in its cheek, peppers the dry, satiric script of Don Juan in Chicago, the surprisingly satisfying comedy being performed by the Clockwork Theatre at the Theatre Row.The story is a familiar one. Don Juan, a 30 year old virgin with a thirst for knowledge and truth, makes a deal with the Devil to secure eternal life. The clause in the agreement is that to maintain immortality he must seduce a different woman by midnight - every day. If he fails, he and his loyal servant Leporello will be forced to spend an eternity in hell. The first woman he takes to bed is his neighbor Elvira, who has secretly longed for him since childhood. After their brief encounter he flees, much to her rage, and she also signs a contract with Satan that grants her immortality until she has once again slept with Don Juan.Four hundred years, many travels and thousands of entries into his little black book, Don Juan is in Chicago, under the name Don Johnson. He is weary of women, exhausted with his conquests and terrified that Elvira find and seduce him once again. Throughout one chaotic night, he meets a woman he has already bedded, learns that he has fathered a child and decides to change his plans for the future. A series of comedic scenes reminiscent of drawing-room humor ensue and by the end of the evening even Satan surprises himself.The comedy of the show is frequent and vibrant, relying heavily on the script by David Ives. Much of the show is spoken in rhyme, and the couplets are quite amusing to the ear. But the delivery of the script, in deadpan humor and understated physical comedy by the cast, is what truly drives this performance.Don Juan, played by Mike Cinquino, is a believably flawed hero, both endearing and sympathetic. Shayna Padovano’s Elivra is modest and lovely, but also possesses a steely determination that is admirable and attractive. Together, the two possess palpable chemistry. As Don Juan’s right hand man, Doug Nyman is amusing, often serving as the voice of reason to the inspired, yet impractical, leading man. Greg Barresi as Mike, Don's neighbor, and Virginia Stringel as Zoey, Mike's girlfriend, deliver solid, if brief, performances, as does Dayle Pivetta as Sandy, a disturbed woman from Don's past. But the real scene-stealer is Stephen Balantzian as Satan, a slick and sly devil, complete with his own entrance and exit music. His gleeful giggles and frequent clapping of his hands make him more amusing than alarming, such as when he instructs the audience at intermission, “Take 15 and have a drink in the lobby,” or asking, “Aren’t I a clever devil?”The temptation to overplay the humor is great, but the actors keep it in check as demonstrated by a scene of swordplay executed with umbrellas in Don Juan’s Chicago apartment or the numerous double entendres that pepper the dialogue. But the darker undertones of the script are also addressed, such as when Don and Elvira face Satan, claiming they are ready to accept the consequences of their deals with him – and their failure to complete their end of the bargain.But the themes of the show – love, lust, temptation and the value of real relationships – are delivered cleanly and concisely, and even with a happy ending. Maybe love really does conquer all. It did this time.