*The Picture of Dorian Gray NOW EXTENDED TO NOVEMBER 16!*

By Venus Zarris

Lifeline Theatre enchants crowds with another triumphant Halloween trick or treat! The Picture of Dorian Gray is sure to start off your eerie festivities right. This tawdry tale of deadly decadence and deviate debauchery is a sophisticated way for big kids to enjoy this haunting season.

But The Picture of Dorian Gray is not just fun. It is a lavish and impressive rendering of an outstanding adaptation. Oscar Wilde’s controversial gothic horror novel has been referred to as “one of the modern classics of Western literature.” And listening to the beguiling dialogue supports this assumption. Almost every other line is a brilliant quote that stands on its own. Wilde’s insights into hedonistic human nature and the darker side of the soul are both charming and chilling.

Dorian is the ‘IT’ boy. Ladies love him and so do the gents, to the point of dangerous distraction. Artist/friend Basil paints a remarkable portrait of Dorian, capturing his hypnotizing beauty and youth. When Dorian meets the devilish Henry, all bets for decency are off as Henry’s seductive brand of hedonism draws Dorian to his ultimate demise. Henry worships youth and pleasure, at any and all cost. His influence causes Dorian to do the same. Dorian declares a Faustian deal to remain young and so he does. Only his portrait shows the ravages of age and overindulgence, becoming a mirror of Dorian’s vile and unredeemable soul.

The spellbinding cast brings this dandy nightmare to life with vivid style. Director Kevin Theis makes an entertaining masterpiece out of Robert Kauzlaric’s theatrically thrilling adaptation. Tom Burch’s split-level set imagines an elegant corporal world on the ground and a more haunting addict, inhabited by the victims of Dorian’s obsession, above.

The ensemble is terrific but Paul S. Holmquist’s cleverly diabolical Henry really stokes the fires of Wilde’s neurotically impetuous inferno, acting as a surreptitious pickpocket of reason and virtue. Every aspect of this production comes together to create a triumph but the real star is Oscar Wilde’s writing. His wicked wit and adroit humor are as seductive as youth itself.

If Oscar Wilde was correct when he said “There is only one thing worse than being talked about and that is not being talked about.” than this production, much like Wilde himself, has nothing to worry about. Audiences will be talking about this one for some time to come!

“The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it.” So rush to Lifeline Theatre and immerse, indulge and imbibe in this wickedly wonderful deviate delight.

4 STARS

(”The Picture of Dorian Gray” runs through November 16 at Lifeline Theatre, 6912 N. Glenwood. 773-761-4477.)

*The Picture of Dorian Gray NOW EXTENDED TO NOVEMBER 16!*

THEATER IS SO GAY

I went to see an ABOUT FACE THEATRE production back in July at the Center On Halstead. On the sidewalk outside the Center they had a sign that simply read, “THEATER IS SO GAY.” For so many reasons this statement is true and now there is one more to add to that list.

Lifeline Theatre’s brilliant production of The Picture of Dorian Gray is a profound example of homoeroticism on stage. That is NOT to say that this is a show for gay audiences only, quite the contrary. Where some GLBTQ themed productions might prove to be too challenging for the more hetro-centric theatergoers, all audiences will be entertained because this is simply excellent theater. The homo-content is covert enough to make this show accessible to even the most deviate sensitive crowds.

But for those looking for some tantalizing content, this production will do the trick! I have seen plenty of shows with full frontal male nudity that seem as tame as children’s theater next to the sexually charged implications of this play. And that which is left to the imagination is always more potent.

There are scenes where the sexual tension is so strong you could easily imagine the men ripping each other’s clothes off but that painful restraint makes it all the more sensually intoxicating.

*The Picture of Dorian Gray NOW EXTENDED TO NOVEMBER 16!*

One Response to “THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY - REVIEW”

  1. 1:30 am, 16 November, 2008 р.
    Jose Limonez says:

    I must say, “The Picture of Dorian Gray” was absolutely the best live performance I’ve seen this year. Even more so, the set up of Lifeline Theatre made this production feel interactive with me. Hands down, the performance is a masterpiece! Cast had played these roles as though they’ve experienced it first hand, as though they were born for the characters. Paul S. Holmquist is undoubtedly an excellent performer.

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