(Hedy Weiss’s article appeared in The Chicago Sun-Times, 8/28.)
First things first. It is time to declare actor Mike Nussbaum the Eighth Wonder of the World.
Watch the 91-year-old actor as he moves through TimeLine Theatre’s gripping revival of “The Price” — Arthur Miller’s play about family, money, ambition, sacrifice, self-deception and the blackly comic joke that is life itself — and you are treated to something altogether rare and remarkable. It goes far beyond masterful artistry fully sustained and magnified over the decades. It is a combination of insight, experience, timing and, yes, pure magic.
Beyond all that, Nussbaum possesses a genius for effortlessly injecting the most brilliant comic relief into one of Miller’s bleakest and most despairing portraits of human nature. And he is framed by a stellar production, ideally directed by Louis Contey and featuring a trio of terrific actors (Bret Tuomi, Kymberly Mellen and Roderick Peeples) with a genuine flair for capturing the inner resentments that are such crucial elements in the DNA of Miller’s characters.
http://entertainment.suntimes.com/stage/review-price-timeline-theatre/
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