When Ditka Meets Orwell: “1985”

What do you get when you mash up The Superfans and George Orwell’s “1984”?   You get the highly entertaining production called “1985” playing at the DCA Storefront Theater now through November 7th.  I know what you’re thinking.  Stop right now.  Your man card will not be called into question to see this kind of play.  This play is loaded with classic moments from the 1985 Bears season, terrific classic Chicago references and classic 80’s music to keep even non-Superfans (like my wife) laughing throughout the show.

Writer and star Chas Vrba does a terrific job weaving a tale of the 1985 Super Bowl Bears season as seen through the prism of George Orwell’s classic Big Brother tale.  Here’s the official setup:

"PAPA BEAR IS WATCHING YOU.Winston Smith is sick of losing. His Chicago sports teams let him down time and again, and he’s through. Or is he? Is it even possible to disavow himself of his team loyalty? Bear down, Chicago, and discover what happened to the Cubs in ’84; what treachery existed behind the ’79 Disco Demolition; how the Eastland Disaster saved the NFL; and why the ’85 Bears lost that game in Miami. On this 25th anniversary of the celebrated Super Bowl Shuffle season, Factory Theater imagines an Orwellian Chicago where winning isn’t everything, it just might be the only thing."

Here’s a little teaser that I saw that got me fired up to go see the show:

It’s a great time, so take your wife or girlfriend out for a night of “culture” while you get to re-visit the 1985 Super Bowl season in a way you probably never have.  Run, don’t walk, to get your tickets today.  It only runs for a few weeks.

My regular readers know that this is how I usually sign off but it also figures prominently throughout the show…

BEAR DOWN!!!

Through the month of October, my usual BEAR DOWN signoff will be in pink to raise awareness for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.