For those celluloid buffs who have never set foot into a black box theater and witnessed a play come to life, be plentifully assured, the theater world has seen many a scarlet diva scamper across its stages, as well. From Hamlet‘s Gertrude to The Little Foxes‘ Regina Giddens, wicked dames have been making the velvet curtains flow a bit more dramatically and the footlights glitter just a tad brighter for eons. 

Currently, Open Space Arts, one of the Chicago’s most intimate performance spaces, is providing a home to one of those delicious divas of emotional mayhem. The vehicle providing this bratty bossa nova is Mr. Parker, a critically acclaimed look at middle-aged love and grief from a queer perspective. But it is Midwest entertainment veteran Mary Anne Bowman who is bringing this occasionally manipulative, always dramatically spot on creature into glorious existence.

In fact, as Cassandra, the sister-in-law of the titular character, Bowman is giving a once in a lifetime performance. Whether deliciously eviscerating anyone who poses a threat to her carefully mapped out plans or, honestly and deep heartedly, confessing her deepest fears in the show’s penultimate moments, this skilled thespian fully gives playwright Michael McKeever’s words a brightly animated glow.

That audiences get to experience her doing this in a OSA’s almost churchlike 25 seat space only adds to the magical power of her glorious execution here.

Mr. Parker runs through March 2nd at Open Space Arts, 1411 W. Wilson in Chicago. More information is available at https://openspacearts.org/.