Factory Theater: Kubrickian
Rio Soliz Ragazzone, Ben Auxier and Taylor Mercado Owen
Factory Theater Presents KUBRICKIAN Review - Come On, You All Know The Theme
TLDR: Three men are held captive in a blank, white, liminal space waiting for the next one of them to be taken to the mysterious backroom in Kubrickian. The one thing that keeps them connected and gives them some form of hope in this endless time and space is relating to each other through the art of movies.
Taylor Mercado Owen and Rio Soliz Ragazzone
Where The Heck Are We?
Three men are contained in a painted white square lit from below with a white curtain hanging on the back wall. Two of them run sprints corner to corner while the third sits out of the way. As we settle into our seats just watching these guys in their space, suddenly there’s a blackout and all we can see is their shadowy outlines. They yell at each other as they fight off an unseen force. And then it all goes quiet and the lights come up again.
They all sit in silence. Howard in the back corner, cross-legged, and now staring unblinking at the floor. Danny curls up with his arm under his head in this state of not tired but not moving. Chris still sits separately staring off into the nothingness. The lights dim. Danny and Chris shift positions. The lights come up. Silence. The lights dim and once again everything repeats. Time is passing, though none of us know how long we’ve been or are going to be here. All we know is there is only so much time before the next of them is pulled into the backroom by a mysterious, scary, being.
Ben Auxier, Taylor Mercado Owen and Rio Soliz Ragazzone
Kubrikian = Relating to Stanley Kubrick
Chris, played by Taylor Mercado Owen, is a passionate cinephile whose favorite director is, who else, but Stanley Kubrick.
Previously up and about, Ben Auxier playing Howard shows us a masterclass in needing to be present onstage and sit absolutely motionless.
And Rio Soliz Ragazzone as Danny plays the mild-mannered, go to your passionless job everyday for the paycheck, nice guy trying to find some connection.
The three paint us a picture of who these people are trapped in this weird space. While Auxier sits in the corner, rarely moving, we see Danny and Chris experiment at getting to know each other. Ex-grocery store employee, aspiring film maker, and exploding with passion for Kubrick, Mercado Owen admonishes Soliz Ragazzone about how he can go to a job he doesn’t love. Soliz Ragazzone on the other hand takes a softer approach as he tries to talk with Mercado Owen about observations and how he’s feeling. Nothing sticks until they can relate to each other emotionally through movies and they find this new way to pass the time.
The After Party Thoughts
First and foremost, I’m not a “movie person.” And being someone who is not a movie person, I related to Danny the most as someone who's been on the receiving end of a monologue from someone who is OBSESSED with movies and tries to convince you that you’re wrong for not loving movies. I liked the show's theme of “showing someone your favorite movie is like taking your shirt off,” like you're sharing something vulnerable and close to your heart to build connection. But the majority of the show was just a character monologuing about his hyper-fixation with Stanley Kubrick.
To me, Kubrickian is a niche audience kind of show. I get the director’s note that this play is about art transcending the need for communication and can create deeper meaning. So, the show makes sense and the actors give us believable performances, but the main theme was lost and overshadowed with this overly detailed, blow by blow plot of movies.
This show may not be for you if you’re a person who cringes at the thought of a detailed movie analysis. However, if you are that passionate movie person, especially if you consider yourself a cinephile/Kubrick fan, and also someone who likes shows exploring emotional restraints put on men, Kubrickian would be a good fit for you.
SOMEWHAT RECOMMENDED
Ben Auxier, Rio Soliz Ragazzone, and Taylor Mercado Owen
When
Now through March 28, 2026
Where
The Factory Theater
1623 W Howard St.
Chicago, IL 60626
Runtime: 90min, no intermission
Tickets
$30+
Tickets may be purchased through the box office by calling 312-275-5757 or through the Factory Theater website
Photos
Oomphotography
Find Allie and The After Party featured on Theatre in Chicago
CAST
Rio Soliz Ragazzone (Danny)
Taylor Mercado Owen (Chris)
Ben Auxier (Howard)
Emerson Ross (US Danny/Howard)
Katie Bevil (US Mark/Howard)
CREATIVE
Zack Peercy (Playwright)
Aj Schwartz (Director)
Charlotte Brown (Stage Manager)
Kate Lass (Fight Choreographer)
Ethan Smith (Intimacy)
Josh Philoon (Scenic Designer)
Valerie Cambron (Costume Designer)
Grady Gilbert (Movement Designer)
Emmitt Socey (Lighting Designer)
Morgan Watkinson (Master Electrician)
Isaac Mandel (Sound Designer)
Jacque Bischoff (Makeup Effects)