On a typical weekend in the early 1990s, the sidewalks of Clark Street would be full of beer-quaffing regulars lined up to see one of the numerous late-night parodies offered by the Annoyance Theatre. But with Annoyance on hiatus and “Co-Ed Prison Sluts” shut down for good, there are fewer local options for lovers of pop-culture satire, drag, musical parody and the other motifs of theatrical bad taste.
Since Chicago has a long-standing reputation as a center of camp comedy, this unexpected diminishment is rather troubling. A lot of the old late-night venues have been the victim of condominium developers. Even Second City has gone high-art these days.
As a result, Sweetback Productions pretty much has the market all to itself. In many ways, the group is well-equipped to fill this need. In the multi-talented personage of David Cerda, Sweetback has a guy who can compose, write and perform. Steve Hickson has proven himself as a decent comedic director.
And through funny past shows like “Rudolph, The Red Hosed Reindeer,” “sCarrie!” and “Joan Crawford Goes To Hell,” Sweetback has built a dedicated following.
“Touched by Jayne Mansfield,” their current production, is very much in the same vein as its predecessors.
There’s the usual fanciful plot — here, Jayne comes back as an angel to save various nuns and Catholic schoolgirls from a diabolic faux pope. Cerda has written some very droll original songs with such titles as “God’s a Mink Bikini,” or “Being a Nun (Isn’t Always Fun).” Most of the women’s roles are played by men, and the cast has the usual, slightly freakish Sweetback look about them. There are various illuminated body parts and exploding props. And with especially funny performances from the excellent Tracy Repep and Steve Shriner, this show is a good time for anyone who enjoys parodies of wholesome 1950s film and television.
But we are not seeing all that much growth in this company. Part of the problem is the space. Sweetback used to have its own cramped theater from which audiences had to be turned away every weekend. In the bigger American Theatre Company space, the show seems lost and much less of an event. And Cerda has still not learned to excise the weaker, slower moments from his works. The whole affair needs a little more care.
The other problem is that Jayne Mansfield is just not all that funny anymore. The actress may have iconic status in certain circles, but the prime market for late-night stuff is the under-30 crowd. And most of those folks know little or nothing about her.
Sweetback needs to update its act, find a smaller regular space, and polish its tools. Big crowds await.
“Touched by Jayne Mansfield”
When: Through Oct. 28
Where: American Theater Company, 1909 W. Byron
Phone: 312-409-3925
