The last time Stacy Keach tried this, things didn’t go well.
Like most solo shows involving a visit with a historical figure, Pamplona never answers the obvious, elephant-not-in-the-room question, Who does Hemingway think he’s talking to? You simply have accept the premise and settle in for a chipper, mostly sentimental 90-minute journey that, thanks to Adam Fleming’s projections, sometimes feels like a PowerPoint presentation. The ending completes an inevitable metaphor in an inevitable way, but Keach engages it with such gusto that it’s a delight to witness. v
Through 8/19: Wed-Thu 7:30 PM, Fri-Sat 8 PM, Sun 2 PM, Tue 7:30 PM, Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn, 312-443-3800, goodmantheatre.org, $30-$93.
