Nerds invariably get a from a gathering of the like-minded but the atmosphere at Chicago Shakespeare Theater this past weekend was one of uncommonly giddy excitement as big-brained dating couples and families discovered that here was a show that would not only teach you how to create a New York Times-style crossword puzzle but reveal enough secrets about Scrabble and Words With Friends to allow for future triumphs featuring one BINGO after another. I thought one kid in the room was going to melt into the floor with excitement at all the new arrows that had just been loaded into his quiver. Better yet, the show actually contains do-it-yourself puzzles, the solving of which was billed as a prerequisite for entering the theater (arrive early!).
Compassion was shown to those of us whose neurons cannot regularly be trusted to fire in a timely fashion. All of this comes courtesy of the brainiac performer David Kwong, whose self-penned 90-minute show is billed as an offering of an “intellectual brand of magic.” Kwong, a personable presence, does some card tricks reasonably well, although nothing you won’t have seen before if you’re a fan of prestidigitation, currently ubiquitous in Chicago, and happily so.
Decks and shuffles are not Kwong’s main strength. But when it comes to the provision and solving of puzzles, he dominates his delicious niche. Better yet, his storytelling is just as formidable as his explanations of the deep secrets of crossword compilers (fascinating!).
