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The Clearing
By Helen Edmundson
Directed by Brendan Donaldson
At the Gift Theatre Company
4802 N. Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL
Call 773-283-7071, tickets $20 - $25
Thursdays thru Saturdays at 8 PM
Sundays at 3 PM
Running time 2 hrs, 25 min with intermission
Through April 30, 2006
Irish history drama deals with roots of ethnic cleansing
The Gift Theatre is populated by several Irish-American members whose sense of tradition allows them to tackle an epic historical Irish drama. The Clearing is a 1993 work by Helen Edmundson that was inspired by the ethnic cleansing in Bosnia. With a nice assortment of traditional Irish folk music to set the mood and a fairytale set, The Clearing is a romantic drama that is a balance look at the revengeful practices of Oliver Cromwell’s English government toward the Irish, the English landowners in Ireland after their defeat in the 1653.
Many of the English landowners in Ireland, as well as the Irish, fought on the side of the English king against Cromwell who dethroned the monarchy replacing it with a theocracy.
The Clearing deals with Robert Preston (Benjamin Montague) an English landholder in Ireland who stayed neutral in the war. He indirectly aided the Cromwell forces in an attempt to survive. His strong willed Irish wife, Madeline (Lindsay Schmidt) is an independent soul whose loyalty to her friend Killaine (Maria Stevens) makes her defy Robert when the Cromwell government orders deportations, relocations and ethnic cleansing of Irish Catholics, English Tories and all Irish and English who fought for the dethroned Charles I of England.
Robert must decide whether to betray his English and Irish friends in order to keep his lands and his stature with the new English government. As played by Benjamin Montague, Robert seems like a decant chap, calm and detached only caring for his beloved Madeline and their new baby. But when his English friends, Solomon Winters (Frederic Stone) and Susaneh Winters (Alexandra Main) get relocated due to their having fought for the king, Robert abandons them.
Struman (Kenny Mihlfried) is the hateful Cromwell agent who coldly arranges for revenge toward all the Irish and those Englishman who sided with the king. Mihlfried was marvelous with his eerie presence, chilling coldness and precise high British accent. We see all sides of the troubled island from the Irish patriot Pierce (played richly with authentic Irish brogue by John Kelly Connolly) to the two Irish lasses, Madaline (Lindsay Schmidt sporting a thick brogue) and Killaine (Maria Stevens as the intense companion to Madeline).
The Clearing presents the history of ethnic cleansing in Ireland from early atrocities of 1650’s from the point of view of Englishman who grew to love Ireland and suffered when they lost their land. We see Robert do what many have done—throw away their integrity when threatened by oppressive government edicts. The Irish are shown to never give in to oppression as Madeline eventually takes a stand on principle.
The Gift’s production flows nicely with expressively clear accents ranging from Irish to low and high English. The ensemble worked was outstanding especially the nuanced determined work from Lindsay Schmidt, Benjamin Montague and the deliciously evil persona Kenny Mihlfried exuded.
The Clearing is a history play that resonates today; it gives hints on the origins of “The Troubles” that have haunted Ireland for centuries. The ensemble acting makes the story personal. This show deserves an audience.
Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed March 19, 2006
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