Thursday, June 20, 2013
1:46 a.m. PDT

'Heddatron' ★★★

In this intermittently incoherent but hugely entertaining new fever dream of a show from Elizabeth Meriwether, a depressed and pregnant mother from Michigan is transported into the story of Henrik Ibsen's "Hedda Gabler" and imagines herself re-enacting its climax in an rainforest filled with robots. Yes, robots. These remote-controlled machines steal the show. Or they would, at least, if child actress Catherine Stegemann didn't snatch it back. Stegemann's character is unlucky enough both to be the daughter of this "Hedda" wannabe and be required to deliver a school report on Ibsen. Which she does, in hilarious installments.<br> <br> <i>In rotating repertory through April 24 in the Garage Theatre, 1624 N. Halsted St.; $20 at 312-335-1650 and steppenwolf.org</i><br> <br> -CHRIS JONES<br> <br> Read the <a href=http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/the_theater_loop/2011/02/garage-rep-steppenwolf-review-tribune-doctor-crippen-heddatron-1.html>full review</a>

In this intermittently incoherent but hugely entertaining new fever dream of a show from Elizabeth Meriwether, a depressed and pregnant mother from Michigan is transported into the story of Henrik Ibsen's "Hedda Gabler" and imagines herself re-enacting its climax in an rainforest filled with robots. Yes, robots. These remote-controlled machines steal the show. Or they would, at least, if child actress Catherine Stegemann didn't snatch it back. Stegemann's character is unlucky enough both to be the daughter of this "Hedda" wannabe and be required to deliver a school report on Ibsen. Which she does, in hilarious installments.

In rotating repertory through April 24 in the Garage Theatre, 1624 N. Halsted St.; $20 at 312-335-1650 and steppenwolf.org

-CHRIS JONES

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