A Mobius Strip Like Story In “A Strange Loop” (Extended until December 13th!)

By Wes Hessel with Flo Mano

“A Strange Loop” is a semi-biographical musical by Michael R. Jackson, who certainly has the chops for the work – a 2020 Pulitzer for Drama and 2022 Tony for Best Musical. The Chicago premiere is presented at Raven Theatre in collaboration with About Face Theatre. This is a play for mature audiences: a provocative, intense depiction of emotional trauma. But beneath the shocking counter-culture surface lies a rigorous, intellectual, honest drama, brilliantly structured by director Mikael Burke, which is deeply steeped in Christian culture.

The play’s central conflict matters precisely because the protagonist Usher (Eddie Weaver, in spellbindingly stellar performance) cannot entirely shake off the foundation of his youth. He is accompanied by six actors who personify his “thoughts” – anthropomorphized manifestations of self-hatred, anxiety, and internalized shame, a thought-provoking exploration of the psyche. Usher tries to navigate his sense of self-image – a coming of age story about identity. Looking past the visceral discomfort of its presentation, “A Strange Loop” offers a profound, yet haunting look at the psychological spiritual reality of fallen human nature, guilt, and a desperate desire for redemption.

Usher is trapped in a “strange loop” of his own making, his inability to find peace or escape the prison of his own mind, vividly illustrating the Biblical truth, “the mind governed by the flesh is death”. Driven to sheer exhaustion by the thoughts that constantly berate him, he is caught in a destructive cycle of seeking self-worth through external validation. It is a devastating portrait of a soul hitting the wall – a fierce spiritual force warfare, born out of desperate need for grace, wrapped in an agonizing attempt at perfect behavior.

The ensemble cast is seamless in portraying Usher’s intrusive thoughts and ancestral notables he admires as Harriett Tubman, James Baldwin, Marcus Garvey, and Zora Neale Hurston. Set design by Sydney Lynne in scarlet red is boldly theatrical and the costumes by Janell Smith, innovative and dramatic. Jeff award-nominated lighting designer Brenden Marble adds to the ambiance.  “Strange Loop” now runs until December 13th due to numerous sell outs, so please see www.raventheatre.com right away for tickets or more information.

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