Displaying items by tag: Kirstin Franklin

I love stories about World War II, particularly about survivors of the Holocaust and the Camps. And I love stories based on real people. So naturally I was drawn to THE DANISH PLAY, which Canadian playwright Sonny Mills (he/him/they/them) wrote about her great-aunt Agnete Ottosen. THE DANISH PLAY addresses historical problems that are piercingly contemporary: nationalism, justice, freedom, and the politics of gender and sexuality. What could be more relevant in 2024?

Agnete Ottosen is brilliantly played by Artistic Director Selena Lopez (she/her), who skillfully enacts the different portrayals of Agnete as the story skips about between three eras. The play opens in the middle period, when/where Agnete is being processed and questioned in Ravensbrüch. Happily, more of the action takes place in the immediate pre-War era, examining Agnete’s passionate involvement in Danish Resistance … as well as her personality: difficult is the word used by Mads Pedersen (Stephen Dunn, he/him); I would upgrade that to obdurate, even surly – but always accessible (and likeable!) to the audience – to me, any road.

These pre-war scenarios let us get to know the other characters, with their close associations and deep affection for Agnete. Helga Hansen (Lisa Stran, she/her) is a practical influence; her shop girl Bente Jespersen (Mackenzie Williams she/her) brings emotional depth; and, my personal favorite, Kit Ratliff (they/them) brings to exuberant life her irrepressible and hard-drinking brother, Michael. Dolph Paulsen (he/him) and Madeline Wakley (she/her) multitask as Morten and Lisbet and several other roles. The entire cast was superb, upholding Three Crows’ standard of excellence.

The scenes of Agnete’s experiences in Ravensbrüch were predictably brutal, but more hideous still were our glimpses into Agnete’s life afterwards. Her uncompromising and confrontational nature increased her vulnerability to the ravages of what we now call Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome; that implacable disease has profoundly grievous consequences for Agnete Ottosen. Her poetry, intensely radical and intimate, keeps her tethered to reality, but that stanchion is consistently and catastrophically frayed by societal judgments.

The creative team was equally superb. Director Kirstin Franklin (she/her) and Stage Manager Erin Galvin (she/her) had their work cut out for them! The rapidity of scene changes were as challenging for the crew as for the actors and, though that rapidity was sometimes bewildering, in retrospect I judge that my disorientation was an integral and crucial element of the theatrical experience.

As daunting a task was accomplished – and very well indeed – by Scenic Designer Chad Eric Bergman (he/him), Scenic Painter Hannah Keeler (they/them), Creative Producer Nathaniel Negrón (he/him), Sound Designer Samuel Fitzwater-Butchart (he/him), and Lighting Designer Bryan Byars (he/him). The set was elaborate, and was called upon to depict several disparate surroundings, from a publishing house to a wealthy (and/or indigent) family home, a bakeshop to a concentration camp. The acting skill of the cast was made crucial in these portrayals.

Intimacy/Violence Designer Michael Bevis (he/him) also rose to his formidable task wonderfully, making the Ravensbrüch scenes realistic but bearable. Costume Designer Dagny Mullins (she/her) managed the difficulty of the rapid-fire changes by Keeping It Simple: the most decked-out characters were guards and prison officers, while all others’ raiment was muted and unobtrusive, all in service of allowing Sonny Mills’ story, and the excellence of the actors enacting it, to shine through.

I was fortunate to be seated near Props Designers Judith Laughlin (she/her) and Jim Heatherly (he/him), and I utilized my finely-honed earwigging prowess to insinuate myself into their conversation, thus learning of the Daedalean plenitude of properties and the vicissitudes of their procurement.

This was not a pleasant, relaxing evening’s entertainment. THE DANISH PLAY required substantial concentration during and deliberation afterwards before I came to grips with it. I’m not presumptuous enough to say that I’ve grasped its entirety yet – I’m sure I’ll be thinking about THE DANISH PLAY for a long time.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

THE DANISH PLAY will run at Raven Theatre, 6157 N Clark St, through June 16^th. It is the mission of Three Crows Theatre to make stage performance accessible to all, and their policy is pay-what-you-can. A worthy investment! And definitely worthy of whatever you can pay.

Akvavit Theatre’s latest presentation brings Astrid Saalbach’s Danish comedy “Bad Girls: The Stylists” to the U.S. for the first time where it is being performed at Strawdog Theatre Company.

Taking place in a beauty salon, the story follows four hair stylists through their daily endeavors in the workplace, getting all the more interesting as one client is more unique as the next. A series of outrageous scenes take place, the play offering plenty of laughs, as the banter between the stylists is quite funny at times along with some highly engaging interactions with their walk-ins.

An underlying plot takes place as a mysterious stranger, who shall be known as “A”, begins to visit the salon. First appearing as a homeless woman, more and more intrigue develops as she reappears as other characters. Jennifer Adams highlights this play as “A” and is absolutely hilarious in practically ever scene she graces. Adams well-executed line delivery, expression and comic timing make this play, transcending it from a so-so production to putting it on the worthwhile list.

Though the plot is iffy and the ending questionable, there is enough good comedy to make this production quite enjoyable. Some scenes are flat out shamefully funny. There is plenty of original humor to be found here.
In a story that examines individuality and appearance, Breahan Pautsch directs this dark comedy where five women bravely play twenty-eight characters. Adams is joined by Kim Bolger (Boogie), Jennifer Cheung (Jorun), Kirstin Franklin (Mette) and Madelyn Loehr (Trine).

Making up the production team for “Bad Girls” and putting us in the center of a beauty salon is Chad Eric Bergman (scenic design), Lily Walls (costume design), David Goodman-Edberg (lighting design), Nigel Harsch (sound design), Hillarie Shockley (props design), Rick Gilbert and Victor Bayona (violence/intimacy design) Keith Ryan (hair/wig design), Lindsay Tornquist (asst. director), Harrison Ornelis (technical director) and Hannah Harper-Smith (stage manager).

“Bad Girls: The Stylists” is being performed at Strawdog Theatre Company through April 14th. For tickets and/or more information on this often laugh out loud production, visit www.chicagonordic.org.