Celebrating its Centennial 2025/2026 Season, Goodman Theatre's first production, the world premiere of Ashland Avenue, is an enjoyable new play written by playwright Lee Kirk and directed by Susan V. Booth. The play captures the essence of Chicago, weaving together well-known figures, like Mayor Daley, Bill Murray, Mike Ditka, and William "Refrigerator Perry, while the cast enjoys refreshments from Cubs, Hawks, and Bears cups. Even a mention of the historic Cubs-White Sox rivalry provides an authentic Chicago feel. The play is set in Pete's TV and Video, which has served the Chicago community for 40 years but is steadily experiencing a decline in sales. Pete has not kept up with the times and disregards his daughter's wishes to modernize the store by creating an online presence to sell products. He cherishes the old-fashioned, nostalgic community atmosphere where customers can visit the store and hear his enthusiastic "Crazy Pete" pitch. He reminisces about past community gatherings and hot chocolate days when he felt truly alive. Unfortunately, the world has changed, and he is struggling to attract customers to his business. His family, consisting of his daughter Sam and her husband Mike, is considering moving away from Chicago. Still, Pete tries to persuade them to stay and purchase their own store to preserve his dreams and prevent the ultimate reality that his 40-year legacy may be coming to an end.

The play delves into the profound and universal struggles brought on by shifting times, highlighting the intense efforts of parents to shape and influence their children's narratives. It will bring a tear to the eyes of those who genuinely understand the deep-seated fears of being left behind as those we cherish venture out to chase their own dreams, navigating the delicate balance between love, control, and the disquieting reflections of being obsolete. Ashland Avenue is a dramedy that combines comedy and drama to explore serious themes with a balanced mix of humor and emotional depth. The well-crafted characters of Pete, played by Steppenwolf Ensemble member Francis Guinan, and his daughter Sam, played by Jenna Fischer from The Office, brilliantly weave the family dynamics that the audience resonates with, providing moments of laughter intertwined with heartfelt reflection. Chike Johnson, portraying the character Mike, finds himself navigating the challenging landscape of his animation career. After numerous setbacks, he finally receives an exciting opportunity: a job offer that requires him to relocate to California. This breakthrough could be the turning point for him and Sam, who dreams of escaping the memories of the store where she spent her entire life and writing a book.

The play introduces an external conflict in which Pete assists a young woman battling drug addiction by offering her and her children shelter in his home. However, he soon discovers that she plans to move out to rebuild her relationship with the father of her children. The cast delivers an outstanding performance; however, the play, which lasts for two hours and 30 minutes, occasionally drags, losing momentum. It tends to recycle dialogues like "What's going on? What's happening? I don't want to talk about it," creating scenes that are engaging at first but eventually lose their intrigue. The set design by Kevin Depinet is outstanding, successfully blending a genuine, old-fashioned television store feel with a modern backdrop of old and new.

While I found Ashland Avenue to have its charm, it needs more dramatic flair and robustness, adding layers of compelling and captivating dialogue, so that you don't feel like you are looking at an old 60s sitcom. Chicagoians will enjoy it. Still, I'm not sure it has the legs to travel.

⭐⭐⭐

Goodman Theatre

Ashland Avenue

By Lee Kirk

Directed by Susan V. Booth

Sep 6 – Oct 12, 2025

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Ashland Avenue

⭐⭐⭐

The First Lady of Television