Steppenwolf Theatre: Leroy and Lucy Review
Ensemble member Jon Michael Hill and Brittany Bradford in Steppenwolf Theatre’s world premiere of Leroy and Lucy
Steppenwolf Presents LEROY AND LUCY Review - Do Forgotten Gods Still Live Forever?
TLDR: A two person show that takes on the urban myth of legendary blues artist, Robert Johnson, Leroy and Lucy starts off as two travelers meeting and sharing music. As more time passes in an unspecified, ethereal time and place, the two reveal themselves to be more than meets the eye and unpacks what it means to live forever.
Steppenwolf Is At A Crossroads
A figure slowly walks the upper walkway aisles as a woman sits on a wooden bench in front of us. He walks, taking each step purposefully. She sings a low blues song, lost in the words. He walks down the steps to the stage and calls out to her. She scoffs at him in frustration for interrupting. But he compliments her music. She stands. They circle each other. They move towards and away from each other around the stage, like two magnetic forces flipping and turning, attracting and repelling each other.
They play with each other, she flirts with him, teases him. They share a sandwich. Each touches a nerve in the other, but they quickly apologize. Then, Leroy pulls out a harmonica and the mood shifts.
The lighting changes from the warm, brown and dusky purple of a Mississippi evening to a deep, swirling blue and green. The stage itself lights up with a lighting track with three circles growing smaller and smaller towards the center. Suddenly, we’re not at the dusty crossroad in Mississippi anymore. We’ve entered another realm.
Ensemble member Jon Michael Hill and Brittany Bradford
Shedding Their Skin
Jon Michael Hill introduces himself as Leroy, full name Robert Leroy Johnson. He wears weathered clothes, but makes sure to remove his hat when politeness requires him to. He carries with him a simple satchel and a homemade guitar. He’s a musician, but unsure if it’s his destiny because there’s always been a voice in his head holding him back.
Brittany Bradford waits barefoot on the bench in a blue, country dress and straw hat as Lucy. She gets close to Leroy and flirts with him, proud of her beauty. When the mood shifts, gone is the light-footed woman swirling around Leroy. Her feet plant on the ground in a wide stance and her arms start swirling as if casting a spell. She calls Leroy by his full name and warns him in a commanding voice not to cast around promises he doesn’t mean.
As we stay in this timeless and spaceless place, Hill also becomes someone else entirely as his hat and jacket fall to the floor. His posture changes from a humble man with his hands clutched to his chest, to standing up straight and chest broadened.
Their voices echo throughout the theater as these two now eternal beings greet each other as old friends and they discuss and theorize what it means to be here in this new world.
Living Forever
The myth that followed Robert Johnson was he sold his soul to the devil to be able to play the guitar like he did. However, is that really how the story goes? Lucy tells us a tale from mythology as an appetizer and sets the tone for what’s to come. The myth of Medusa feels like it’s well-known, Leroy even tells the version he knows where Medusa was so ugly she turned people to stone. However, Lucy tells us a different version that gives power back to Medusa.
It preps us for the idea that these myths and legends might not be what we think. Did Robert Johnson meet the devil? Or perhaps was it just a woman at the crossroads?
What starts as a play about a blues player, turns into a reflection on gods losing their edge in the modern world. How does it feel to be eternal without anyone around you believing in you? What does it mean when a mortal man may live forever long after he dies and eternal beings live forever but are long forgotten?
The After Party Thoughts
We’ve been seeing some good two person shows lately where the focus is all in the dialogue and how the two actors craft the relationship between themselves (if you haven’t already, check out our review of Dear Elizabeth). Playwright Ngozi Anyanwu weaves together fact and fiction, tossing bits about Robert Johnson’s life and expanding it to what it means to live forever - gods and humans alike. Hill and Bradford let the story unfold at their own pace, never giving too much away at a time. They transform completely as they come up with different mannerisms and voices to become different characters, which made this writer lean forward with interest.
Leroy and Lucy may appeal to different people with different interests. For those that don’t have an interest in character driven plays or ones with that don’t have a lot of forward plot driving action, this might not be a good fit for you. However, if you like the blues, Robert Johnson, and shows with a little music this would be a good fit for you. Or perhaps if you have an interest in mythology, gods, reflecting on destiny, and blurring the lines between what’s real and what’s not, this also might be a good choice for you.
RECOMMENDED
Brittany Bradford and ensemble member Jon Michael Hill
When
Now through December 15, 2024
Where
Steppenwolf’s Ensemble Theater
1646 N. Halsted St.
Chicago, IL 60614
Tickets
$20+
Tickets can be purchased through the Steppenwolf website
Photos
Michael Brosilow
CAST
Leroy - Jon Michael Hill
Lucy - Brittany Bradford
Understudy - Chibuba Bloom Osuala
Understudy - Brendan White
CREATIVE
Playwright Ngozi Anyanwu
Director Awoye Timpo
Scenic Design Andrew Boyce
Costume Design Yvonne L. Miranda
Lighting Design Heather Gilbert
Sound Design Connor Wang
Music Director & Composer Jeremy Jones
Choreographer & Cultural Consultant Adesola Osakalumi
Dramaturg Arminda Thomas
Dialect & Intimacy Consultant Maya Vince Prentiss
Voice Coach Marie Ramirez Downing
Creative Producer Patrick Zakem
Production Manager Elise Hausken
Casting JC Clementz
Production Stage Manager Michelle Medvin
Assistant Stage Manager Jaclynn Joslin