Displaying items by tag: Idle Muse Theatre

ALL FOR ONE AND ONE FOR ALL!

Or is it one for all and all for one? No matter: either way it’s a rallying cry during a time of severe political unrest in France, where persistent insurrections incited erratic leadership, oscillating between Royalists and Republicans. The Republicans were the liberals, the political ‘left’ [times change, yeah?], fighting to establish democracy under the motto “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” (not so different from Diversity, Equality, Inclusion). Royalists supported the monarchy wherein kings ruled by divine right and sent the peasant classes to die in wars over personal royal disputes. Playwright Robert Kauzlaric acknowledges the significant homogeneity with 2029. This production of The Three Musketeers is presented by Idle Muse Theatre Company.

Musketeer-wannabe D’Artagnan (Troy Schaeflein), joins the ‘three inseparables’, Athos (Jack Sharkey), Porthos (Boomer Lusink), and Aramis (Xavier Lagunas). Together they challenge the treacherous Cardinal (Eric Duhon) and his retinue of religious rogues: Richelieu (Joel Thompson), Treville (Erik Schnitger), Bonacieux/Jane Felton (Vanessa Copeland), Laporte (Brendan Hutt), Sam Neel (Combat Ensemble), and Buckingham/ Louis XIII, the latter of whom Benjamin Jouras portrayed as deliciously campy!

Director Evan Jackson was assisted by Libby Beyreis, whose experience in Babes with Blades gave her plenty of brio to double as Violence Designer – and isn’t that a terrific title? Most productions I’ve seen have a violence director, but Beyreis designs the violence. Also in the Creative team were Dramaturg Emma S. Rund and Stage Manager Lindsey Chidester.

Jennifer Mohr (another Babe!) was outstanding as Milady de Winter, intertwining lasciviousness with malevolence. Jamie Redwood made an endearing Constance, and Caty Gordon was Queen Anne. I wish the Queen had a bit more insolence toward the King; risky business! Too bad there weren’t any NO KINGS encourager her.

BTW, at the NO KINGS rally Monday I loved the poster Kings NO / Queens YES!   

Laura J. Wiley (lighting designer) and L.J. Luthringer (sound designer and composer) lived up to their reputation(s) for begetting the appropriate spiritus mundi, while Vicki Jablonski (costume designer), Breezy Snyder (scenic painter), and props directors Becky Warner and Tristan Brandon meshed beautifully.

This was a large production, with a cast of 14 (not counting understudies), and at least 22 on the Creative Team. I really do appreciate the creative work backstage, truly I do!

I was truly impressed by the fight scenes; at times a dozen or so scrappers were creating, in that teensy-weensy space, a massive kerfuffle: one false move could cause real trauma. What fabulous choreography! Massive kudos to Violence Designers Libby Beyreis and Brendan Hutt, fight coach Elizabeth Macdougald, and the entire cast… There were but one or two who never took up a weapon.

All four Musketeers valiantly swashed every buckle in sight. All four were also exceedingly fanciable: if you like hunky guys, it’s worth the price of admission just to see them. Which is not to say the rest of the cast was unsightly! Particularly beguiling (to me, anyway) were Joel Thompson (Rochefort) and Benjamin Jouras (as Buckingham; as the King not so much). And Jamie Redwood (Constance), Caty Gordon (Queen Anne) and Jennifer Mohr (Milady) were fully as fetching as they were formidable.

In every review I’ve written I go on and on about Chicago’s wealth of thespian talent so I’m not going to reboot the spiel here; you can check out any of my previous reviews if you’d like to see it. What I will reiterate again [sic] is a fervent plea to seek out these little black box theaters. I won’t go out on a limb and say the acting is finer than in the biggies downtown, but the smaller theaters’ signature appeal of is this: in the enclosed space, cheek-by-jowl with the action onstage, one becomes absorbed in the mise-en-scene, almost participating in the performance. How thrilling!

THE THREE MUSKETEERS plays at The Edge-Off Broadway through April 25.

VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

This review is proudly shared with our friends at www.TheatreInChicago.com. 

“We see what we choose to see… And yet, one of the first questions we have to ask ourselves as reasoning beings when it comes to the question of ‘truth’ is… What can we see? What did people witness? What do they remember?”

Director Tristan Brandon kicks off his director’s note with the above. What is true, and how do we know? So often we see what we want to see, and when we do not understand something, we fill in the blanks with that which makes it familiar.

The story of Erzsébet Báthory (Laura Jones-Macknin) is a fascinating one – one that many likely do not know. I certainly knew little before attending Idle Muse’s world premiere. Having recently lost her husband, Báthory, as a woman, is left with few options.  Her son, Pál Nádasdy (Xavier Lagunas) certainly does not have any interest in being Count. He would prefer to travel and do his part fighting in the impending war – much to his mother’s dismay. Báthory is stuck alone managing a castle in the 1600s – a time where women were certainly not trusted to lead anything without a man. And so, we return to Brandon’s quote:

“We see what we choose to see.”

As Báthory struggles to maintain a staff and keep everything afloat, the surrounding towns resort to gossip. A woman simply cannot manage anything without a man, and therefore, there must be a dark reason. If maids and never come out, what other possible solution is there but murder? Rumors of murder can so easily transform and grow. Suddenly Báthory is the Blood Countess. She clearly must be drinking the blood of her staff to stay young and in power. A countess who just wants her son to come home slowly becomes a monster that everyone fears – and surrounding rulers feel the need to take down.

It is in this mystery that Playwright Michael Dalberg found his play, and from there, a story of blood, murder, and even a little magic thrown into the mix. Out of a desire to stay alive until her son can come home, Báthory begins to drink the blood of her staff. If they never leave the castle, how is anyone to know? With immortal beauty and youth, she can keep everything afloat until the Count returns. However, not everyone is willing to allow a woman to maintain her power – particularly with all the rumors regarding how she is managing to do so. The question is, can she manage to keep up the facade until she is reunited with her son? More than that, will she manage not to lose herself in the process?

Brandon’s artistic team transforms the black box space – creatively drawing the audience into the dark horror. Lighting Designer Laura J. Wiley and Sound Designer L.J. Luthringer collaborate to heighten the dramatic tension in their designs. The space lives in a constant darkness – with undertones of red thrown into the mix that foreshadow the blood to come. Luthringer creates a heartbeat for the play that quickens with tension – particularly as Báthory’s choices become increasingly more villainous. With the intimacy that Scenic Designer Jeremiah Barr invites, you might find it hard not to lean in and feel the nervousness alongside the characters surrounding Báthory.

Living within this world is a cast of strong ensemble members. Jones-Macknin at the helm does not disappoint as Báthory. She strikes a balance, allowing the audience to feel for her long lines while at the same time fearing what she might do next.

With striking design and a talented ensemble, The Blood Countess brings a hidden history to light. If you are one who hungers for spooky stories as we shift into the fall season, Idle Muse might have one just for you.

*This review is also shared on https://www.theatreinchicago.com/!  

The Blood Countess runs through October 11 at The Edge Theatre Off Broadway. For tickets and information, see the Idle Muse Theatre Company website.

Recommended

Shakespeare the dramatist is a genius at the craft of theater, and brings a timeless artistry that is unexcelled. So it was with some trepidation that I took my seat at the Edge Off-Broadway Theatre for Idle Muse’s 'Upon This Shore: Pericles and the Daughters of Tyre.'

I can report Shakespeare remains intact, the language there, and the production and performances exploiting the full force of his original. Admittedly I was filled with bias against what might unfold in this adaptation of Shakespeare’s original ‘Pericles, Prince of Tyre.’ In a nod to topicality, perhaps - March is Women’s History Month - Idle Muse’s production offers some characters Shakespeare may not have imagined. Avoiding a spoiler here, suffice it to say the arc of the action and the emotive power of Shakespeare are unaffected by these additions and ticket buyers will probably enjoy them.

Director Evan Jackson, who adapted the script, gives us a very strong rendering of ‘Pericles,’ eliciting strong performances and engaging staging, with low-tech storefront creativity in storms and sword fights that assures “the play’s the thing,' and is not overshadowed by the stage mechnics. 

Particularly strong is the performance of Brendan Hutt as Pericles, who moves convincingly through the stages of the prince’s life from venturer to suitor to grieving widower. Hutt brought me near tears with his loss of wife and daughter, and just as readily my heart tracked his transformation to joy when the happy resolution arrives at the end. 

Laura Jones Macknin as Heilicanus owns the stage each time she appears. Watson Swift in three roles (Antiochus, Simonides, and Philomen) is strong in his physical performances, though I could not always understand him as he moved about the stage in his role as the villainous Antiochus. Caty Gordon is exceptionally good as Marina, Pericles' lost and regained daughter. She communicates the essence of a powerful woman through the trials she weathers in the shifting stations of her life.

'Upon This Shore: Pericles and the Daughters of Tyre' runs through April 3 at Edge Off-Broadway Theatre, 1133 W. Catalpa Ave. in Chicago on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Visit idlemuse.org or the Idle Muse Theatre Company Box Office, 773.340.9438.