Dark Room District: DIVE
The cast of DIVE
Dark Room District Presents DIVE Review - The Ups and Down of a Dive Bar
TLDR: A play that shows us a slice of life, DIVE introduces us to the regulars at a Chicago dive bar in 2010 and all their ups and downs that come with. When a new, mysterious person arrives, it sets off a chain of events that the cast paints into a picture of the human experience.
The Swirl of Action
With a show called DIVE, Dark Room District has chosen an appropriate venue to stage their play and we make our way up North to a well-known dive bar in Rogers Park. Entering Fritzy’s Tavern, the space looks like any other day - the pool table is still racked with a triangle ready to break. Neon signs hang above the back wall holding rows of liquors and tiny bar tchotchkes. Tabletop lamps light the bar by the till giving off a warm and homey glow. The only giveaway that this bar is about to become a stage is all the tables and chairs have been pushed up alongside the walls. We’re no longer part of the action sitting in the bar, we are to become flies on the wall. Our task is only to observe the people before us.
The year is 2010. Back when we were less connected, less Google-able. Our phones were little more than tiny word processors in our pockets, let alone fully able to browse the World Wide Web. We grab a drink before the performance starts to get in the mood and settle in wondering which of the people walking around are part of the show or dwindling bar customers on their way out.
Suddenly, the volume of the background music rises and the back door bursts open to a stampede of characters. It feels like the title sequence of a TV show as our motley crew laughs, bumps into each other, and greets the bartender before taking their spots around the bar. These are the regulars - the ones who have usual drink orders, greet each other like old friends, and also know everyone’s dirty laundry.
Throughout the night we get to know each of these characters. Anytime someone starts talking about chess, cab driver Omer (Dame Grant) is there asking them to play. Rock n’roll Slug (Jamie Ewing) takes shots of whiskey and carries his buddy home after he has passed out on a barstool. Nurse Vivian (Moira Begale) comes in right before last call and bounces between people trying to strike up a conversation. And Kenneth (Philip C. Matthews) sits in his usual stool in the corner with an Old Style, which he drinks ceremoniously out of a shot glass.
We see relationships intersect and change. One man loses his job and pursues his passion for writing. A couple that has been together for decades irks each other and we wonder if there will ever be a last straw. They swirl around the bar each night and we get to see just this one moment in their lives.
Michaela Petro
A Moment of Connection
For owner and bartender Cully (John Henry Roberts), life behind the bar means he’s always in motion. From filling orders, to cleaning up messes (or rather having Deedee [Caroline Kidwell] clean them up), to cashing everyone out at the end of the night it’s a chaotic dance that he has mastered. But once the swirl has stopped, he’s always left with a headache and the echoing silence.
Enter the mysterious Cygnet (Michaela Petro). She takes a seat at the bar one night and by the next, she’s waiting tables. They suss each other out, prodding gently over a betting game of who has the worst secret. They find an unexpected connection as they discover they both have a knack for reading people. They lower their guards and find themselves pulled to each other in these vulnerable moments.
We’re taken through a few months of their relationship as they themselves are flies on the wall to their regular’s lives, watching all the drama around them. But when Cygnet’s past threatens to disrupt everything, it creates a rupture in their relationship we’re not sure they’ll be able to make it out of.
By the end of DIVE, it feels like a long exposure photo where our focus has been on these two as the rest of the cast and their lives swirl around them.
The After Party Thoughts
When they warned us, both in our show confirmation emails and pre-show announcements, that the bathrooms would be closed during the performance unless you wanted to be part of the show, my eyes widened in surprise and I was scared to find out why. After seeing the show, I can’t help but chuckle at the thought of an unknowing theatre guest wide-eyed in shock as one of the actors throws open the door to either stumble in for a pee or pretend to projectile vomit everywhere. The vibe of DIVE feels the same - we are taken by surprise the more we know about each of our characters. The cast captures the cycle each night at the bar with its regular patrons and even though it's just this one moment, each has their own arc through the show giving us a complete journey.
DIVE is a play all about humans and their connection to one another. We don’t know anything about them except for these moments here before last call and the company paints a lively, funny, dramatic, and ultimately beautiful picture of this experience. For those that don’t love experiential or character-driven plays, this may not be the show for you. However, if you love stories that feel grounded in reality, a little bit of mystery, and a dash of chaos, DIVE would be a great fit for you.
RECOMMENDED
John Henry Roberts
When
Now through August 1, 2026
Where
Fritzy’s Tavern
6156 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60660
Runtime: 2hrs 15min, including intermission
Tickets
$20+
Ticket information can be found on the Dark Room District website
Photos
Courtesy of Dark Room District
Find Allie and The After Party featured on Theatre in Chicago
CAST
John Henry Roberts (Cully)
Josh Odor (Hugh)
Philip C. Matthews (Kenneth)
Dame Grant (Omer)
Jamie Ewing (Slug)
Giovanni Wubbena (Pal)
Caroline Kidwell (Deedee)
Anna Joy Yee (Irisi)
Harrison Dachel (Trav)
Richard Baiker (Earl)
Eileen Vorbach (Filene)
Moira Begale (Vivian)
Mickey Dolan (Wesley)
Kenzie Ariana (Amber)
Celine (Rachel)
Michaela Petro (Cygnet)
Abu Ansari (Understudy Omer)
Elijah Cox (Understudy Pal / Trav / Wesley)
Daniel Vaughn Manasia (Understudy Slug / Earl)
CREATIVE
Maura Kidwell (Director)
John Henry Roberts (Playwright)
Michaela Petro (Producer)
John Henry Roberts (Producer)
Maura Kidwell (Producer)
Ruby Vallejo (Stage Manager)
Ellen Adalaide (Assistant Stage Manager)
Emily Blanquera (Lighting Designer)
Filip Petersen (Sound Designer)
Aly Greaves (Costume Designer)