Buster Keaton was the godchild of Harry Houdini and one of the great American silent film stars, but his childhood was rough and tumble – literally. Performing as a a three-year-old alongside his mother and father, he’d mug behind his dad while the elder Keaton monologued and threw his son across the stage to the audience’s delight. Chick, the lead character of Funnyman played by Cheers’ actor George Wendt, is based loosely on Buster and other celebrated performers from the early 20th century. A fading vaudeville comic, Chick and his agent try to revive his career with a role in an avant-garde play. But as his grown daughter searches for answers from her absentee showbiz dad, the polished public persona of the world’s favorite “funny man” cracks. The touching world premiere takes place at Northlight Theatre inside Skokie’s North Shore Center for the Performing Arts.