“You know, I asked him about that. He said, good manners are just a way of showing other people we have respect for them. See, I didn’t know that, I thought it was just a way of acting all superior.” —Blast From the Past
An artifact from an earlier era, when “trannies” like her stuck close to the margins of the social order, Mama dresses like a church lady who doesn’t mind a little mischief. Her bible is Emily Post’s 1922 tome Etiquette. Her byword, of course, is “charm”—which in her universe designates much more than the crass ability to seduce. “If you follow the rules of charm,” she tells her students, “you will show society that you are comfortable in every situation. And that you know how to make other people feel comfortable as well.”
And Mama? Dexter Zollicoffer plays her like a great old ship streaming into harbor—splendid, if much the worse for wear. His performance is nicely balanced by that of Elizabeth Ledo as D, the community center director whose vision of proper LGBT behavior doesn’t stop much for etiquette. v
Through 11/8: Wed-Fri 8 PM, Sat 3 and 8 PM, Sun 3 PM Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Merle Reskin Garage Theatre 1624 N. Halsted 312-335-1650steppenwolf.org $20-$40
