Give My Regards to Nowhere: A Director's Tale
Adult; General Fiction (including literary and historical); (Market)
Chicago director Dwayne Finnegan has a long shot at the big time and only two obstacles: himself and everyone he knows.
Dwayne's got an idea of how to direct Shakespeare's least-favorite play that could set him on the road to Broadway. We're talking Bob Fosse choreography, Jimi Hendrix guitars, and the hottest cast in the city of Chicago. But when the show's producer cuts out with the cash, Dwayne decides to produce the show himself, putting his marriage and his meager finances at risk. What could go wrong?
"Richard Engling knows Chicago's famously chaotic and glorious storefront theater scene like the back of his hand. It's the perfect setting for absurd comic hi-jinx."
– Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, author of Rise Up! and Bigger, Brighter, Louder
Plot/Idea: 10 out of 10
Originality: 9 out of 10
Prose: 9 out of 10
Character/Execution: 9 out of 10
Overall: 9.25 out of 10
Assessment:
Plot/Idea: This fast-paced novel, set against the backdrop of the glimmering theater world, offers a refreshing change of pace with a show stopping plot and plenty of drama, both on stage and off. Readers will relish following Engling's characters in their amusing spin through the highs and lows of show business.
Prose: The writing is lively, fun, and welcoming, allowing fans to get lost in the quirky world of theater. Engling—a gifted storyteller—steeps readers in the story's light and entertaining setting, making this novel a pleasure to read.
Originality: The quirky world of theater is center stage, featuring eccentric and delightful characters as well as oddly relatable interplays that combine to make this a pleasure to read.
Character/Execution: Characters come to life through reliable and eloquent prose that spotlights not only protagonist Dwayne, but also the many recurring characters who make this a joyful read.
Date Submitted: May 14, 2023
Reviews
In this humorous romp from Engling (Visions of Anna), a striving Chicago theater director empties his nest egg and borrows money from friends to stage an avant-garde production of William Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus. Thirty-year-old Dwayne Finnegan hopes the show will be his breakout, but it proves to be ill-fated from the start. First, Dwayne’s longtime collaborator and coproducer pulls out, after deciding to put his money toward financing a career shift in Los Angeles. Dwayne then turns to two friends, McDonald’s marketing executive Chaz and psychoanalyst Aleister, to raise cash. Added to the mix is eccentric self-appointed managing director Ingrid and a dangerous rehearsal space with many exposed live wires. The play puts a strain on Dwayne’s marriage to Angela, especially after Chaz, who’s married to Angela’s friend, carries on a poorly hidden affair with one of the actors. When the actor playing Lavinia confesses that the play’s rape scene has triggered the trauma of her own rape, Dwayne calls in Aleister for help, a jarring episode Engling fails to set the stage for amid the running gags. He’s better at poking fun at the theater world, as when Ingrid is exposed for plagiarizing another production. This zany send-up has its moments. (Self-published)
