Open Space Arts’ ‘Mr. Parker’ Is Magnetic And Deep
Mr. Parker is a dynamic dramedy about love, loss, and continuing to move forward through life’s huge challenges. It will have you laughing and crying, so bring a tissue and prepare for both. This is a “can’t miss” show!
Aging is a gift. Not only do you get to have the experiences of daily life, but with those experiences – with love and loss and passion and heartache – comes depth and wisdom. Your shoulders have to be strong and your eyes have to be clear.
The new production of Mr. Parker at Open Space Arts touches on all of this. Mr. Parker is a story about Terry, a man who has recently lost his partner of 30 years and husband of 6. It was Terry’s responsibility to decide when to take Jeff off of the life-saving machines at the hospital after an accident and it haunts him every minute of every day. They were always “Jeff and Terry” and now he is just Terry.
Terry meets Justin, a jubilant and inquisitive 28-year-old man who is 26 years his junior. Justin works at a bar, drives Uber, is excitable and social, and a wiz when it comes to random New York trivia and facts. He is very different from Terry, who has just stepped out into the social scene for the first time since his husband’s death. When Justin convinces Terry that he is worthy of celebration – still alive – and should therefore have a birthday party, Terry agrees.
After ditching his own party and running towards solitude at Jeff’s empty apartment (where the entire show takes place), Cassandra follows him. Cassandra is Jeff’s sister, Terry’s brother-in-law. She was Jeff’s business partner and in charge of all of the art that her artist brother created. She managed everything during his life, but with Terry left as in charge of Jeff’s estate after his sudden death, she and Terry are often at a stand-still.
This production of Mr. Parker is electric. Andrew Kain Miller, Riley Capp, and Mary Anne Bowman are each such a presence. Each actor brings their own completely different energy, which compliments the others as well as the show itself.
From the first moments of the first scene, you are intrigued and entertained. Terry (played by a strong and vulnerable Mr. Miller) is in such a relatable place for those of us who have loved and lost a cherished person. You feel his pain because you know his pain. You can see it even in his laughter.
Justin (played endearingly by Mr. Capp) embodies much of who many adults are before they find some real direction in life. He is slightly starry-eyed and excitable with a naiveté that you both relate to and find charming. And Cassandra is the woman who keeps it all together. Played by Ms. Bowman with an outer armor of steel and a soft, tender heart, Cassandra is a woman that you know – or that you are.
While the set, sounds, lighting, and costumes work to enhance everything within this show, there is a magic between these three humans that brings everything to life. It is a dynamic performance full of nuance, humor, and underlying sadness. You will laugh a lot, so be prepared to run the gamut of emotions.
This is a fantastic show, I can’t stress that enough. In an intimate black box space where all of the actors are a foot or two in front of you, you feel as if you’re in it. You are in the studio apartment, in the kitchen area while they are using the real microwave, listening to the answering machine, in their lives. And you want to be because you care for them. Go see it. You’ll be so glad that you did.
Mr. Parker runs for 90 minutes with no intermission. With themes like love, loss, and mild intimacy, this is appropriate for anyone 13 years old and up.
Open Space Arts Mr. Parker Chicago Review – Mr. Parker is playing at Open Space Arts through 3/2/2025. Tickets can be purchased on the Open Space Arts website or by calling (773) 773-7837. Open Space Arts is located at 1411 West Wilson Avenue in Chicago.