An older man has an unbelievable tale to tell and he shares it with a young bartender and his girlfriend in “Now and Then” at the Theatre of Western Springs.
The Sean Grennan play is described as a romantic comedy but it has some surprises that director Terry Kozlowski and actors Beth DiMarco and Tommy Aldis, who play the young couple, Abby and Jamie, are letting people discover when they see the play.
“Now and Then” runs from Feb. 17-27 with performances at 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, and 2:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
“It’s a wonderful piece of writing in that it’s very relatable,” Kozlowski said. “It deals with universal themes of love and choices and decisions. But it’s also a comedy.”
In addition, the play has a resemblance to a favorite series of the director, “The Twilight Zone.”
“‘The Twilight Zone’ always had a twist,” Kozlowski explained. “There was always something that you weren’t expecting and that’s what we have here.”
The play has only two other characters in addition to the couple. Scott Lynch-Giddens of Blue Island plays the character known as Man; Marilyn Weiher of Batavia plays Woman.
“It’s very easy to see what each of them wants,” Kozlowski noted. During the play, they try to get what they want. “When what they want sometimes conflicts with each other,” she added, “it’s kind of fascinating to watch the evolution of their understanding of themselves and each other.”
“I really like Abby,” said Brookfield resident DiMarco. “She’s a little bit sassy but she’s really honest. She talks about her relationship with Jamie and I find that so genuine.”
Abby’s goals are to marry Jamie and have a professional career, DiMarco said.
The fact that she sees a lot of herself in Abby presents a challenge for the actor, who is “trying not to default to what I would do and what I would think and how I would play a scene but trying to figure out her own motivation and her own feelings,” she said.
Aldis, of Downers Grove, described Jamie as “an everyday kind of guy. He’s a musician. He plays the piano. He doesn’t give himself a lot of credit. He’s madly in love with Abby.”
Jamie’s ambitions are “to marry Abby and be a jazz musician and support Abby and him playing the piano.”
Aldis is enjoying the role because this is the first time he has played a love interest. “I’ve never had the opportunity to fawn over another person onstage,” he joked. “I usually play the underdog in a way.”
This is Aldis’ seventh season with the Theatre of Western Springs, and he also performed with the Children’s Theatre of Western Springs when he was a child.
Aldis praised “Now and Then,” saying, “I like the intimacy of it. It’s a small play with a small cast, one set, no fancy costume changes. It’s about the people and the real-life struggle that they’re going through.”
Chicagoan Kozlowski, who is a Life Member of the Theatre of Western Springs, praised the staff and volunteers at Theatre of Western Springs for bringing “creativity and dedication” to the process of staging this play. “Everyone is bringing so much of their best to making this a fascinating experience for the audience,” she said. That includes the cast.
“You combine the great story with the great acting and people will leave the theater feeling good,” Kozlowski said.
“There’s so much heart in the show,” DiMarco added. “There are scenes that will make the audience think when they leave the show.”
‘Now and Then’
When: Feb. 17-27
Where: Theatre of Western Springs, 4384 Hampton Ave., Western Springs
Tickets: $23-$25
Information: 708-246-3380; theatreofwesternsprings.com/on-stage/tws/now-then
Myrna Petlicki is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
