If you had a friend who was desperately unhappy and thought they needed to make a major change that would not only be completely different from what you would do, but offensive to your deepest-held morals, would you support them? That’s the question at the core of British writer Deborah Bruce’s 2012 play The Distance, now enjoying its American premiere under the direction of English transplant Elly Green. In it, three women make very different choices for their families, and as the friends delve deeper into their reasons for doing so during a crisis, their ability to put on a polite face for each other becomes more and more frayed. The result is a challenging examination of parental responsibility that is starkly honest and darkly funny.
Historical narratives, no matter how distant, contain something universal. William Shakespeare was writing during an early awakening of English nationalism, when, having finally been severed from France politically and having a ruling dynasty that spoke and encouraged the use of the English language, and with history a rapidly growing field of study, people were interested in learning the truth of their country’s past. His and his contemporaries’ plays about England’s medieval monarchs contained some of the most memorable scenes written for the stage, but, even more so than with other works of the time, finding their contemporary significance is a challenge and the draw for modern artists. Doing so remains a fruitful endeavor; Shakespeare festivals often include productions of his two fourteenth century tetralogies. But for the Chicago Shakespeare 400 Festival, Chicago Shakespeare artistic director Barbara Gaines is doing something very different.
When over-the-top British comedy meets commedia dell’ arte with energetic, totally committed Chicago actors, the result is a manic mix of satire, songs, and physical comedy aimed to please our funny bones. This is the funnest, smartest, and most imaginative comedy to grace a Chicago stage in years!
One Man. Two Guvnors is Richard Bean’s adaptation of Carlo Goldoni’s 18th Century commedia dell’ arte classic, The Servant of Two Masters. Bean utilizes the British sense of over-the-top physical comedy, smart word play, and satirical songs satirizing pop British from the 1960’s. Utilizing Collette Pollard’s dazing Brighton, England coastal boardwalk set, we meet through song the eleven member cast who act, clown, sing, and play various instruments as they present the complex story of Francis Henshall (the fabulous Timothy Edward Kane) as he juggles separate employment by two men. One is a local gangster, Roscoe Crabbe ( the amazing Elizabeth Ledo), and the other Stanley Stubbers (the understated comic/musician Erik Hellman). Francis tries to keep the two from meeting and discovering his secret, but Roscoe is really Rachel Crabbe in disguise – her twin brother was killed by her lover, who happens to be Stubbers. This, among other complications, gives fuel to the comedy as the parents, Charlie “The Duck” Clench (Francis Guinan) owes Roscoe money, while Pauline (Chaun Cross), Charlie’s daughter, wants to marry Alan Dangle (Alex Goodrich), an aspiring actor and son of Charlie’s lawyer, Harry Dangle (Ross Lehman). Local friend to most, Lloyd Boating (Alan Gilmore) is the ex-prisoner. Dolly (Hollis Resnik), Charlie’s bookkeeper who falls for the one person who can change her life.
This cast of stock characters were inspired by famed Yale expert in commedia dell’ arte Christopher Bayes and famed comic Allen Gilmore and allowed to exude all the comic bits from each scene by director Charles Newell, resulting in so many funny bits that it was, at times, comic overload. The style allows the players to interact effectively with the audience thus heightening the comic effect. The clowning was non-stop with generous bits of physical comedy from rollicking jaunts through crooked schemes and general buffoonery that produced many belly laughs!
From Ross Lehman’s pratfalls, to Alex Goodrich’s slapstick, to Chaun Cross’ clowning, One Man, Two Guvnors will impress you with the manic stage craft that includes many catchy pop/rock tunes. But as effective and skilled these comics are, it was the incredible work by Timothy Edward Kane that anchored this amazing show. Kane once more proved that he is the most skilled and fearless actor working in Chicago. Here he combines is spot-on comic timing with his extraordinary physical bits that include facial expressions, and zany movements. His bits serving his two masters food and drink was priceless among other wonderful comic routines.
Over the past few years, The Hypocrites’ artistic director Sean Graney has produced a few Shakespeare adaptations that were only an hour long and were designed by their ensembles. But while those productions ran for the standard six weeks, his new adaptation with Emily Casey of Christopher Marlowe’s The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus is playing for a very limited engagement. Perhaps it’s being workshopped for another production later on. If so, it needs to be rethought in every aspect.
As with the original myth, the heart of Eurydice is the love between Eurydice and Orpheus and, here, also between Eurydice and her father. If a production can’t make me feel this love in the actors, then 95 minutes of Sarah Ruhl’s sentimental poetry is a long time to endure just to see them all finally dunked in the oblivion of the River of Lethe. And by the end, I was just about dying to dunk myself.
Open-Ended Docudrama Examines the Power of Observance
It is well-known how easily a play about itself can go awry, especially when it contains heavy use of unusual performance techniques. However, writer Dan O’Brien knew that the story of his relationship with war photojournalist Paul Watson defied conventional narratives—it’s messy, inconclusive, and made up of snapshots taken from chaos. Fortunately, Stage Left director Jason A. Fleece knows just how to handle his two-man cast and team of designers to make each moment of the story clear and effective. Against the background of the shooting down of American Black Hawk helicopters in Somalia in 1993, as well as the threatened serenity of the Arctic, two men explore the ethics of their professions, and what drives them to keep on sharing theirs and other peoples’ dysfunctions with the world.
With their long-running escape room The Last Defender playing downstairs, and their first show, Death and Harry Houdini being revived upstairs, The House Theatre has decisively conquered The Chopin. Both are major hits for the highly innovative company, which use non-standard storytelling techniques, and both, it so happens, force people to rely on their ingenuity to escape mortal peril. Magician Dennis Watkins stands a far better chance of prevailing than the defenders in the basement. In this latest revival, Watkins is at total ease in the role of Houdini, but Nathan Allen’s writing incorporates the escape and magic tricks into a story as exciting as it is tragic and ironic. With the addition of The House’s always evocative music, composed by Kevin O’Donnell, Death and Harry Houdini is far more than a parade of illusions; it captures the magic of theatre, as well.
Take the premise of an all-female cult that butchers men, and fill it up with camp, gore, and crude humor, and you should have something that’s funny, scary, or at least, offensive. But no, About Face Theatre’s Chicago premiere production The Secretaries is simply dull, and plods along for two hours without any emotional resonance.
Powerful story of Chicago’s infamous Haymarket massacre soars in a tuneful folk musical
If you wonder where the new voices in musicals are in America, you only have to turn to the creators of the fabulous new folk musical, Haymarket: The Anarchist’s Songbook to see evidence of talent. With Book and Lyrics by Alex Higgin-Houser and music by David Kornfeld, Haymarket is proof positive that the American musical is, indeed, in good hands!
This sparkling new chamber folk musical is featured at the new Edge Theater (5451 N. Broadway), a terrific venue. Haymarket: The Anarchist’s Songbook is a mature, polished folk musical that creatively and most effectively tells the true Chicago story of the 1886 Haymarket Affair that erupted into a bombing after a labor rally. The story is told from the point of view of Lucy Parsons (LaKecia Harris), the daughter of a slave and the widow of anarchist martyr Albert Parsons (James Smart).
Utilizing slick music direction by Robert Ollis and Tyler Merle Thompson of David Kornfeld’s richly varied score while having the cast members acting as musicians, Haymarket unfolds as a folk operetta. This wonderful score with smartly appropriate lyrics by Alec Higgin-Houser set the proper tone of labor organization, populist movements, and social unrest as Americans strive for basic worker’s rights. The roaring songs effectively captured the hope, dreams, and spirit of both immigrants and American working class. Featuring guitars, mandolin, piano, accordion, ukulele, harmonica, and trumpet, among other instruments, each played by a cast member to accompany their fine vocals, Haymarket “sings” richly as the mood and spirit of the story soars into our hearts!
The 25 song score is in fine hands here. It is amazing that the creatives at Underscore found as many excellent actors/singers/musicians as they did to tell the early labor confrontation story. Just like their terrific Borderlands, Haymarket uses the players as musicians as they strut ballads and traditional melodies to celebratory tunes to protest songs to tell the labor struggles of the 1880’s.
The artistry here is fluid; songs richly both to tell the story as well as underscore the mood and tone of events. LaKecia Harris anchors the cast with her fine acting and terrific vocals. James Smart (Albert Parsons), Mike Mazzocca (August Spies), Royen Kent (Louis Lingg), David Kaplinsky (Adolf Fisher), Tyler Merle Thompson (George Engel), each had fine moments while Summer Hofford (Nina Van Zandt Spies), Victoria Olivier (Johanna Fisher) and Khaki Pixley (Mary Engel) contributed fine solos and rich harmonies.
This two hour folk operetta grabs us from the start and carries us through the events and injustices of the Haymarket Affair.
Ann Paula Bautista (Hua Mulan, Pocahontas, Badroulbadour)
Merritt Crews (Snow White)
Miriam Drysdale (The Little Mermaid, Belle, Rapunzel)
Madison Hayes-Crook (Cinderella)
Daniella Richards (Sleeping Beauty)
The Real Princesses Of Time Gone By—Where Are They Now?
As a former History teacher, Giacino wondered what really ever happened to all of the princess characters we have all known and loved over the years. Tired of being exploited by films, books and dolls, DISENCHANTED! reveals to us how life really turned out for our perfect princesses. Was it a happily ever after ending? Or were they sorry they didn’t sign a pre-nup?
Snow White, the primmest and proper of the princesses, has a power packed voice and a passionate portrayal of life after “Prince Charming”. Her side kick Cinderella, clever and coquettish, helps tell the story while so frantically keeping the show moving, “We have to finish this thing in 95 minutes!”
Was Cinderella really the only one in the castle with a size 7 foot? I doubt it! Sleeping Beauty has bouts of sleepiness throughout the show and has unusual dreams about Pinocchio to share with us. The Little Mermaid, now a disturbingly unhappy, raspy drunk would happily trade in her legs for the Seven Seas and she is so hungry there was even talk about eating her best friend Flounder! Tell me it’s not so! Belle has been institutionalized due to the talking dishware driving over her over the edge. Rapunzel, the German girl with the never ending braid, is angry that she has not made One Red Cent, (a silly audience participation song), after all of her hard work. Princess Badroulbador-who? Oh yes, Jasmine is it? You know the one Aladdin married? You will know who she is after this performance. Hua Mulan is the only princess that didn’t get the man. Where was her Prince Charming? She lives happily ever after by being happy in her own skin and not needing to seek approval from others. Pocahontas who was known for her bravery as a child, and then was pinged as a wanton seductress, is here to introduce her authentic self. The Princess Who Kissed The Frog has entered the stage straight from the hood and feeling good. Why did it take so long to introduce a soul sister to the bunch? This Roberta ain’t taking no flack!
A warped bunch of stories masterfully crafted and full of inappropriate etiquette. I mean hooking up with the guy from the page before and then marrying him? Who does that? Who cares? Let’s sing about it. Fun music and even funnier characters will have you laughing all the way to the palace.
By Dan O’Brien
Written and Directed by Nathan Allen
By The Five Lesbian Brothers
