Thursday was the opening night of "Catch as Catch Can" at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre. The lights came up on Gary Cole and Tim Hopper sipping tea in a kitchen. I was immediately confused. Why were they referring to one another as "mother," and why did they sound like women? After a few minutes, I realized the two men were playing the characters of elderly women. Audrey Francis came on stage later, playing an elderly man.

Confused yet? It gets stranger.

Three actors also played six different roles – the parents and the children of those parents. Gary Cole (a man) stars as Roberta Lavecchia (a woman) while Audrey Francis (a woman) plays Roberta's husband, Lon. But the pair also play the couple's adult children - Gary as Robbie (a man) and Audrey as Daniela (a woman). Similarly, Tim Hopper portrays both mother Theresa Phelan and her son, Tim. The actors took a chance by embracing these roles. Each of them plays one character of the opposite gender and one character of a different age. It can be confusing at times, but it mostly works.

Early in the play, costume changes signaled a transformation; later, an actor would walk off stage and return a minute later as the alternate character. Still later, the transitions occurred without the actor exiting the stage. The audience needed to be alert to changes in voice and personality to detect the switch.

The story follows two families and the stress caused by Tim's homecoming as he tries to reconnect with his mother and friends, but reveals his internal struggles. Each character grapples with the challenges in their lives, their decisions, and the effects of those decisions.

Playwright Mia Chung's dialogue is both humorous, poignant, and authentic. Her characters talk like real people. When trying to define his relationship with his ex-wife, Robbie begins a half-dozen sentences, but is unable to complete any of them. Tim asks Robbie, "Do you know who you are?" and Robbie struggles to answer. But when Tim asks, "Do you like who you are?" Robbie responds, "No," without hesitation.
"Catch as Catch Can" is a story of generational conflict, family dynamics, and mental health struggles. It is confusing, but the strength of this trio of actors makes it work.

This run marks Gary Cole's return to Steppenwolf after an absence of many years. I remember him best as horrible boss, Lumbergh, in the quirky comedy, "Office Space." So it is appropriate that he return in such a quirky production.