CHICAGO -- You could call it "Son of subUrbia."
Eric Bogosian's newest play, Griller, opens Jan. 19 at Goodman Theatre in a world premiere. Staging it is Robert Falls, a Bogosian expert who staged subUrbia at NY's Lincoln Center Theater in 1994.
The dark comedy centers on an elaborate $3,000 outdoor grill that becomes the literal flashpoint for a calamitous backyard birthday barbecue.
Unlike subUrbia, which concentrated on rootless suburban slackers, Griller depicts Gussie, a baby boomer and self-made man who has just completed his first half-century -- and who suddenly sees his domestic tranquility go up in smoke. Sharing the celebration-- and enjoying Gussie's beautiful pool and patio--are his anarchic family, headed by the infamous Uncle Tony; where Gussie wants serenity and plenty, Tony has a diabolical agenda.
Starring in the Broadway-bound cast is veteran comic Robert Klein as Gussie, Karen Valentine as his wife Michelle, and Howard Witt as terrible Uncle Tony. Derek McClane provides the squeaky-clean suburban set. -- By Lawrence Bommer
Chicago Correspondent