Melissa Lorraine and Hank Hilbert Photo by Karl Soderstrom

Director Evan Hill's production of Jon Fosse's abstract play is not boisterous. The set consists of two planks suspended by rope and a few white sheets. There are two actors, dressed alike in blues and blacks, simply called The One (Hank Hilbert) and The Other (Melissa Lorraine). Fosse's language is so simple that it sometimes seems child-like. I found myself wondering several times how many unique words there actually are in this play–not very many, I expect. Each actor seems to say the word "yes" upwards of 100 times in the 70-minute runtime. Yet, the play and the production are incredibly complicated.

I Am the Wind does not have much in the way of plot. The One and The Other talk to one another while on a boat and touch on suicide, life, and death. From time to time, they have to take care of themselves or the boat by eating, drinking, or turning around. But, mostly, they just talk. The simplicity and vagueness of their conversation makes room for projections of individual experiences on the part of the audience, and the swaying set (The Team), subtle sound (Evan Hill and Kimberly Sutton), and light design that mimics the sky (Quinn Chisenhall) all create an almost unsettling atmosphere that drifts somewhere between reality and not. In fact, I regretted not downing some sort of caffeine before the play–the sounds of the sea and the rhythm of the dancing set had a lulling effect that almost hypnotized me into closing my eyes.

This is not to say that the play is boring, but it is sometimes static and repetitive (although this is mostly alleviated by its very short runtime). Hilbert and Lorraine's practiced and easy dynamic helps to cut through the repetitive (by intended nature) script. Both are powerful, but Lorraine in particular pulls off some really impressive physical movement and drives much of the play's momentum with her wide spectrum of emotion. Hilbert's performance, by necessity, is much more withdrawn and subtle, but works well as a foil to Lorraine.

I Am the Wind is a strikingly poetic and meditative night of theatre–and, bonus points, it's completely free. You can't do much better than two compelling actors filling out a beautiful set and speaking a brooding script that is not often produced in the U.S. when you're looking for a free night out in Chicagoland.

I Am the Wind runs through November 1, 2026, at Theatre Y, at 3611 W Cermak Rd, Chicago IL. For tickets and information, please visit www.theatre-y.com/i-am-the-wind