April-May 2011
at The Side Project
Written by Randall Colburn
Directed by Kyra Lewandowski
Taking place twenty years after the death of Kurt Cobain, Verse Chorus Verse follows Polly, the haunted subject of Nirvana’s song of the same name, as she seeks out the young rock star who wants to prove Kurt’s death was a murder.
“As the story unfolds it’s clear that Colburn’s real fascination isn’t with rock martyr Cobain, but with how we re-enact traumas as a way of dealing with them… [Verse Chorus Verse] is an honest and affecting attempt to wrestle with our need to find personal salvation through public idols.” -Chicago Tribune
“Lewandoski squeezes every moment for tension and suspense from her cast, shifting between scenes where rockers spar over competing narratives and otherworldly scenes in which Polly survives her kidnapping by Friend, moment by moment, under a starry sky. [B]oth the work and production show sophistication, even with its characters’ simplistic pre-occupation with fame.” -Chicago Theater Blog
“READER RECOMMENDED - Tympanic Theatre’s stripped-down, intense production features sharp, nuanced performances throughout.” -Chicago Reader