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Displaying items by tag: Hayley Rice

RICHARD III tells the story of Richard of Gloucester, Shakespeare’s cruelest yet most compelling protagonist.

Richard III was the last king of the House of York. He was the last English king to die in battle, at the last battle of the Wars of the Roses, marking the end of the Middle Ages in England.

RICHARD III depicts this last of the Plantagenets as merciless, almost demoniacal – several characters call him ‘devil’. In his mania to be King, Richard uses intelligence, deception, and serial murder; though most of the murders are actually committed by his retainers and minions.

Shakespeare delves into the historical account to find what we would now call a psychological autopsy, probing beneath the gory facts to explore Richard’s mindset and motivations. What is thus exhumed is a driven man, ravenous for total domination. 

Babes with Blades Theatre Company (BWBTC) uses stage combat to elevate the voices of underrepresented communities, allowing both participants and patrons to experience every person as exciting, vivid, dynamic people. BWBTC Shakespeare casts actors of marginalized genders, providing a new lens to perceive these classic stories. In RICHARD III, BWBTC partners with UIC’s Disability Cultural Center, Department of Theatre, and Bodies of Work in a project called “Making Inclusive Theatre: RICHARD III as Disability Art”, challenging the obstacles that actors face around accessibility. The cast of RICHARD III crosses barriers of gender and ableism to explore othering and disability culture.

Jillian Leff, Aszkara Gilchrist, Lauren Paige, Genesis Sanchez, Kristen Alesia, and Pat Roache in “Richard III” from Babes With Blades Theatre Company

Artistic Director Hayley Rice (s/h) says: “This production represents so many aspects that are priorities for BWBTC: focusing on marginalized stories, telling complicated tales of flawed humans, and our signature of stage combat as a storytelling tool. This team is ready to tell Richard III’s story in the manner it should be told, with the artists who should be telling it, but are so often left out of the conversation completely”.

Any production of RICHARD III will flourish or founder on the actor playing the title role; this production totally nails it with Aszkara Gilchrist (s/h), whose intonation and especially countenance are vivid, persuasive, and expressive, displaying the full range of Richard’s unsavory character. Her smirk and her sneer (both integral to Richard) are particularly satisfying. Her white cane becomes functional as a pikestaff, a club, a truncheon, and (occasionally) a visual aid.

Gilchrist’s Richard would fail without a surrounding cast of equal talent; happily, BWBTC has assembled a truly stellar troupe. Most actors play multiple roles, but kClare McKellaston (s/h) (Costume) and AJ Morely (h/h) (Props) use simple articles to define characters so effectively that each was clear. This is often difficult in Shakespeare’s extensive companies, but I was also assisted by the live streaming captions – just one aspect of the production’s commitment to accessibility. Various performances will include adjustments for sensory needs audiences, ASL interpreters, touch tour and audio description. See the website for dates of these special performances. This commitment to inclusion is very impressive. I attended with an autistic friend who was able to enjoy the standard performance but is definitely interested in going back to attend one of the sensory access shows.

Another standout performer was Pat Roache (th/th) as Queen Margaret; their over-the-top emoting could be called overplay, but it SO worked for me! I adored every one of Queen Margaret’s appearances, and Roache was just as fabulous (if less melodramatic) as Brackenbury. Kristen Alesia (s/th) (Lady Anne/Lord Hastings) and Lauren Paige (s/h) (Queen Elizabeth) are terrific, and the three Queens had a chemistry that catalyzed each appearance.  I also want to make a shoutout to Xela Rosas (s/th), an understudy who shone as Rivers / Bishop of Ely.

In many large casts, particularly with multiple parts, individuals may get lost in the swarm. Not so here! Kim Fukawa (s/h) (Catesby/ King Edward IV) and Genesis Sanchez (s/th) (Richmond) were outstanding; Madison Hill (th/th) great as Ratcliffe and Duke of York, as was Leah Nicole Huskey (s/h) as Grey and the Duchess of York. Kayla Marie Klammer (s/h) (Lovell/ Archbishop of Canterbury), Jillian Leff (s/h) (Duke of Buckingham), Jennifer L Mickelson (s/h) (Duke of Clarence/ Stanley / Mayor) and Symonne Still (s/h) (Dorset/ Prince Edward) complete the truly extraordinary troupe.

Loud kudos to the production team! Richard Costes (h/h), a deaf BIPOC actor, is Director, working with Margaret Fink (s/h), Director of UIC’s Disability Cultural Center and UIC Partners Bianca Frazer (s/h), Carrie Sandahl (s/h), Rachelle Palnick Tsachor (s/h), and Keyana D Robinson (s/h) (also videographer). Gabrielle Owens (s/th) is Stage Manager, assisted by Esau Andaleon (h/h). Dramaturg Claire Alston (s/h) and Carrie Hardin (s/h) as Text Coach are responsible for making Elizabethan language user-friendly. Scenic Designer Sydney Lynne (s/h) built a set whose intriguing horizontal and vertical levels were accentuated by Lighting Designer Becca Venable (s/h).

Post-2020 a COVID Compliance Officer (Tab Mocherman (th/th)) is part of the crew; this production uses Matt Lauterbach (h/h) as Accessibility Coordinator, and Line Bower (th/th) as Technical Director [thanks for the streaming captions!]. Rose Hamill (s/h) pulls it all together as Production Manager. Jesse D Irwin (h/h) (Sound Design) achieved the amazing feat of making every word from every actor audible.

These last members of the production team made very special contributions to RICHARD III. Music Director Gail Gallagher (s/h) added depth of meaning and touches of humor (“Happy Together”!?!). Kat Pleviak (s/h) did Puppet Design -- I was unsure about puppets for the Little Princes (Edward V and Richard, Duke of York), but BWBTC made it work! It required an actor, sometimes two, to animate the little figures, but they quickly disappeared, and the winsome ragdolls took on character and life. And when they were being taken to the Tower and the two tiny manikins embraced, an audible “Awww” wafted across the house.   

Last but not least – How ‘bout them Babes with Blades?! Stage fighting is, after all, the raison d'être for BWBTC, their signature for twenty years. Maureen Yasko (s/h) is Fight and Intimacy Director, with Asst Fight Director Jillian Leff (s/h) and Asst Fight Captain Madison Hill (th/th). Their choreography is a symphony, with various subthemes playing simultaneously to form a cohesive ensemble.

The fights at beginning and end could have been a mishmash of noise, and each does begin with a general melee, but then certain dyads come to the fore and the other fighters go into slowed motion, so one still sees the enormity of the entire battle but is able to concentrate on one particular duel after another. My companion commented on this being particularly helpful with their tendency to hyperfocus.

I plan to see RICHARD III again, maybe at one of the special performances – it’s two and a half hours (including intermission) very well spent!

Published in Theatre in Review

Set in the 18th century French countryside, First Folio Theatre vividly brings to life Joseph Zettelmaier’s “The Man-Beast”, a romantic, yet frightening, tale just in time for the Halloween season. The final installment of Zettelmaier’s horror trilogy, “The Man-Beast” follows first works “The Gravedigger” and “Dr. Seward’s Dracula” and, staying true to form, steadily builds in suspense from its first scene to the story’s climactic ending. Staged ever so appropriately inside the Mayslake Peabody Estate in Oakbrook, theatre goers are in for a spooky treat that is as sexy as it is haunting.

When a werewolf ravages the countryside, no one is safe. A trail of blood leaves local villagers dead along with an escalating amount of livestock. It is then that King Louis XVI puts a bounty on the beast in the hopes the threat can be eliminated once and for all. The villagers believe the beast to be Loup-Garou, the legendary werewolf who has terrorized the countryside in the past.

The story begins when trapper Jean Chastel bangs on the door of Virginia Allard. He is hurt having suffered a bite from the beast that he believes he has killed, though the animal seems to have vanished. Allard lives alone in the forest, her house decorated with dead animals that she herself had stuffed, her kitchen shelves cluttered with bottles of herbs, wood burns in her fireplace creating a flickering glow throughout the room. The “Witch of the Woods” as she jokingly calls herself is not one to take chances as she carries a large hunting knife on her person.

After Allard tends to Chastel’s wounds we see a tumultuous relationship between the two develop, as well as a plan to cash in on the large reward. But both are cautious and struggle to trust each other, having been betrayed in the past. We wonder if either will hold true to their word.

Filled with mystery, suspense and mounting sexual tension, “The Man-Beast” works well thanks to its powerful cast of two, Elizabeth Laidlaw as Virginia Allard and Aaron Christensen as Jean Chastel. Laidlaw, whose theatre credits include Steppenwolf, The Goodman and many others, is nothing short of sensational offering several scenes filled with an electricity that would be hard to match. Laidlaw’s counterpart, Christensen, also puts forth a fierce performance and the chemistry between the two is undeniable. Hayley Rice skillfully directs this classic piece, strategically getting the most in the play’s finishing touches from a talented artistic team that includes Angela Weber Miller (Scenic Design), Christopher Kriz (Sound Design), Rachel Lambert (Costume Design) Vivian Knouse (Properties Design), Rachel Flesher (Violence Design) and Julia Zayas-Melendez (Stage Manager).

Played with much ferocity and passion, the performances we get from Laidlaw and Christensen are alone well worth the price of admission. When you add a story that is sure to engage even the most casual of horror fans from beginning to end and a creative set that visually takes us miles away and so easily nudges our imagination in just the right way, we are presented with a production that has all the ingredients needed to promise a thoroughly entertaining theatrical Halloween event.

Highly recommended. *Parental discretion is advised due to a handful of racy scenes.

First Folio’s “The Man-Beast” is being performed at Mayslake Peabody Estate in Oakbrook through November 5th. For tickets and/or more production information, visit www.firstfolio.org.

 

Published in Theatre in Review

In one of William Shakespeare’s most popular works, A Midsummer Night’s Dream has been performed widely across the world, this summer finding a temporary home at First Folio Theatre (Mayslake Peabody Estate in Oakbrook). Celebrating twenty years of the company’s annual Shakespeare Under the Stars Production, theatre goers are treated to a comedy that is acted out to perfection. Not only do we get a myriad of fine acting performances, the colorful costumes and imaginative set lend greatly to a magical night out when coupled with the fact that the stage is surrounded by the vast night sky, a backdrop of thick trees and happy picnickers beyond the first few rows of seats. 

A comedy that features mischievous faeries who live within the forest, the play focuses on the events leading up to the marriage of Duke Theseus and Hippolyta, an affair taking place just on the edge of Fairyland. With interconnecting plots, the story unfolds of Hermia who is in love with Lysander despite her father Egues’ arrangement that marry Demetrius. Infuriated, Egues calls upon Athenian law to which Hermia would face death if she chooses not to wed the suitor hand-picked by her father. At the same time Demetrius is loved by Helena but her offerings are rejected. Naturally, Oberon, the king of the faeries and Titania, his queen, cannot help but meddle with the four lovers and mistakes are made.

The story also follows a colorful band of laborers, or “mechanicals” as referred to by the fairy, Puck, who are to perform a play about Pyramus and Thisbe for Theseus’ wedding. The mechanicals too are manipulated by the faeries ultimately performing their play so poorly that it is mistaken for a comedy – one of the highlight’s of this charming production. 

Steve Pebbles as the over-confident and highly zealous mechanical, Bottom, and Sarah Wisterman as Hermia are certainly scene-stealers beautifully translating Shakespearean humor to that of today’s. Both Pebbles and Wisterman display a knack for comedic line delivery along with the perfect touch of physical humor that really opens the door wide open for this comedy to breathe at just the right pace. But as much as Pebbles and Wisterman stand out, the play is not without other tremendous performances including Michael Joseph Mitchell in the dual roles of Theseus and Oberon, Tony Carter as Demetrius, Sydney Germaine as Puck and Ali Burch as Helena. In all, we get a very strong cast that delivers, skillfully playing off each other in bouts of impressive exchanges filled with passion and humor. 

Hayley Rice finely directs this classic comedy that deals with the muddle and complications that relate to love. Rice opts for dual casting for the roles of Titania and Hippolyta as well as Theseus and Oberon, avoiding confusion by creating a fairy world that takes place in modern day, thus sneakers, sunglasses and a boom box as opposed to buckled shoes and sixteenth century instruments. The twist works to separate the characters and creates an entertaining group that could easily be found at Paisley Park, but it does away from the fairy-tale period that we have come to identify A Midsummer Night’s Dream

A fascinating production that has just the right amount of laughs, fantasy and trickery, First Folio’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a memorable summer event that keenly interprets Shakespeare for today’s audience thanks to its outstanding direction and role execution by this talented cast. 

Audience comfort is also considered. Mosquito repellent candles are strategically placed throughout the first few rows where padded seats are lined with blankets to share. Attendees can also choose to bring their own lawn chairs or blankets and sit wherever they like. With a show start time of 8:15 pm, First Folio invites guests to enter the grounds at 6:45 pm should they like to picnic or simply take in the atmosphere. Quaint, family-friendly and enchanting, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is being performed on the grounds of Mayslake Peabody Estate in Oakbrook Wednesday through Sunday until August 14th. Tickets are a bargain at from $29-$39 with children under thirteen at just $10. FOr tickets and/or more show information, visit www.firstfolio.org.

 

Published in Theatre in Review

Well, you just can’t go wrong with Neil Simon, one of the greatest Jewish playwrights of all time and a solid grouping of well trained Chicago character actors like the cast assembled at First Folio Theatre in Oakbrook. “Laughter” is based on Sid Caesar’s beloved “Your Show of Shows” where Simon was a junior writer during the period in which McCarthyism and commercial sponsorship really began to apply their stranglehold on American TV and American writers in general.

Rene Ruelas, as the lead Max Prince, does a fantastic job portraying the manic and wildly erratic neurotically Jewish comedian with an undercurrent of boiling rage at the rope of McCarthyism closing round his show’s neck. The studio is threatening to turn it from a 90 minute show full of erudite and intellectual comedic references into a 60 minute vehicle to sell toothpaste or soap. Every once in a while Simon mentions in this piece the blacklisting and communist witch hunt that ruined so many innocent American writers lives during that period which gives the play more gravitas and makes the stakes higher for all the characters.

Kevin McKillip's hypochondriac Ira really does remind me of Kramer’s energy in Seinfeld and his way-way out physical comedy antics really pay off with some big laughs from beginning to end. When Ira and Prince argue violently over an eminent firing of one of the staff members to appease the studio and rather end up literally forcing each other to say “I Love You”, I really felt the depth of affection between these two and the writers group as a whole. When it appears that they all must fight just to stay on the air at all one of the writers says we must because, "Maybe we'll never have this much fun again in our entire lives.” Hayley Rice's, “Carol” is dynamite as the sole female writer in this group who keeps pace with “the boys” and then some.

Angela Weber Miller's set design really hearkens back to the period and felt very real in part because this theater was built in the historic Mayslake Peabody Mansion. Thanks to realistic stage props, a well-schemed interior and fitting costume design, we really get the feeling of what it must have felt like to be in a writer’s room in New York during the 1950s.   

There’s something so fresh and current about every play Neil Simon wrote including this one which is not as often performed as some of his bigger Broadway hits. This cast of seasoned character actors brings the Max Prince Show and all of the excitement and frustration of making a living writing comedy circa 1950s come to life in a wonderful way. “Laughter” makes you feel as if you have stepped back in time to rally them and to also remember their courage while up against NBC’s over-wielding of power and the rise of commie-hunting McCarthyism.

Laughter on the 23rd Floor is a delight with plenty of quick one-liners that pace this funny Neil Simon piece. For tickets and/or more information, visit www.firstfolio.org.

Published in Theatre in Review

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