Nina Metz

This weekend, Evanston natives Jeremy Piven and Alicia Goranson return home for a production of Anne Nelson's "The Guys." The story--about a New York fire captain and the editor who helps him compose eulogies for the men he lost on 9/11--is based on actual events in the playwright's life. The Piven Theatre Workshop is jointly producing the run with Richard Friedman, who recently restored the Lakeshore Theater.

"My friend Tim Robbins premiered it in Los Angeles at the Actors Gang," explains Piven, "and I thought it was a really incredible... the words here are taken directly from the mouth of this captain, who is trying to figure out how to articulate his feelings. And that's pretty much what art is, trying to figure out how to articulate something."

Known for his roles on "Cupid" and "The Larry Sanders Show," Piven describes the play as "a way to experience something together," adding, "I know that's a cliché, but it's true. It's the brilliant part of live theater."

Goranson, who played Becky (the first one) on "Roseanne" and is herself a product of the Piven Theatre Workshop, agrees.

"I think people can really connect with the difficulty of talking about September 11. It's still so raw, in a way."

Apart from the emotional demands of the play, both look forward to some downtime in their old stomping ground.

"I wanna go to a Bulls game," says Goranson, "and my dad wants to throw a Super Bowl party. You know, get your beer on."

Piven, who just finished shooting a movie with Dustin Hoffman and Gene Hackman, is a bit more succinct.

"Chicago's my town," he says with a contented sigh.

"The Guys" runs at the Lakeshore Theater, 3175 North Broadway; 773-472-3492, through February 16. $5 from the sale of each ticket will be donated to charitable organizations that help out families of Chicago-based firefighters who have been killed in the line of duty.

(2003-01-15)

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