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TIP OF THE WEEK
Love & Sin: Love

Nina Metz

The three solo performances that make up the "Love" half of the Steppenwolf Garage's "Love & Sin" series are thankfully neither mushy nor gushy. The first, "What Abandon Meant: a play with futon," written and performed by Jenny Magnus, begins with the line, "There's something I do to men... that hooks them in." She proceeds to describe and demonstrate a peculiar habit of hers that involves dragging her lovers around on the floor by their feet. It is a funny, at times even pithy comment on the power dynamic that exists between men and women in relationships. Dressed in a loose black outfit and bare feet, Magnus is both appealingly earthy and mischievous. Cheryl Trykv's "Operation Stay Free," a psuedo-lecture she performs at a podium, is a little foggy on the subject of love, but strangely entertaining nonetheless. Intentionally or not, she channels Bill Murray's Carl Spackler character from "Caddyshack," right down to the rodent fixation. In the final performance of the night, "It Ain't No Fairy Tale," Lusia Strus focuses on her impending marriage. She is instantly likable, whether assessing the very primal and basic meaning of marriage vows, or relating the story of her parents, Ukrainian immigrants who were married within a week of meeting one another.

"Love & Sin: Love," plays through July 6 at the Steppenwolf Garage, 1650 N. Halsted, (312)335-1650.

(2002-06-20)

Also by Nina Metz

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