THEATER

ment that would benefit from some cleanup and a tighter approach. Between Ida (a winning and scene-stealing Cameron Feagin) and Vivian (Kali Skatchke)—the lone inhabitants of Progress, Ida’s vision of matriarchal utopia rooted in equality—the story’s central relationship is strong and believable. Their banter and more heartfelt interplay are great examples of intergenerational feminist dialogue, as the story explores ideas around “living in a state of what we have being enough so we can have it all.” Ida is the mayor, Vivian is the minister of fertility, and now they just need to engage some men on their own terms to help with some heavy li ing and growing the population of Progress.

Kakacek says a heavy focus of the story is gender as performance, and the idea takes further shape as the “male” side of the cast finds its way to Progress. Weed (Chris Woolsey) enters disguised as a literal tumbleweed and slides comfortably into caregiving in Ida’s old dress, while Slim (Teri Talo) is described as “trans-masculine-by-survival” and embodies the possibility of a world absent limited, binary thinking. The overall story is thoughtful but sometimes approaches ideas too obliquely to effectively deliver the intended message (e.g., overuse of symbolism and metaphors). It could also use some trimming and more fluid transitions to maintain the energy and overall emotional arc.

MARISSA OBERLANDER A TOWN CALLED PROGRESS

Through 4/15: Fri-Sat 8 PM, Sun 3 PM; no show Sun 4/9; Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee, 773-697-3830, prometheantheatre.org or thedentheatre.com, $26 ($21 seniors/$16 students/military) v