The year is 1952. Television is rapidly gaining popularity over radio, to the delight of some and the disgust of others. Senator Joseph McCarthy has just been re-elected and is accusing hundreds of people of having connections to the Communist Party, provoking a nationwide climate of paranoid hysteria. Thousands of people, particularly in the mass media, are being blacklisted and expelled from their jobs. One would think (hope!) the lessons of this Red Scare might relieve us of government overreach and of accusations due to differing ideologies … sadly, not so much, as attested to by Stephen Colbert.

CHANGING CHANNELS opens in a backstage dressing room at the DuMont Television Network, a dressing room tenanted by Maggie Carlin (Kat Evans) for her popular comedy show. Kat Evans as Maggie Carlin and Orion Lay-Sleeper as her comedic partner Eddie Gilroy are both absolutely terrific. I don’t generally like comedy; a television laugh track is like fingernails on a blackboard to me, but as CHANGING CHANNELS takes place on the set of a comedy TV show, some jokes are inevitable. Happily, they are truly good jokes. We all know the sound of an audience trying to laugh cos they know it’s expected, as opposed to honestly breaking up over a droll line delivered skillfully, and in CHANGING CHANNELS even I was LOL! And later when the script turned serious, Evans and Lay-Sleeper both demonstrated superior range.

Skyler Tipton played Maggie’s husband Peter Bell, a truly stellar spouse, unswerving in his devotion and succor (I love using the word ‘succor’ – it’s like getting away with talking dirty). Andrew Pappas plays the handyman Kenny, a role that might have been a bit part but turns out to be pivotal. It’s not easy to flesh out a character from only a handful of appearances and lines, but Pappas succeeds in making Kenny real, a person whom one might like to have around.

Eddie’s lawyer, misfortunately (albeit appropriately) named Bullets, is played by Johnny Moran. The lawyer arrives bearing tidings of great joy – a breakthrough advance for Maggie and Eddie’s show! Next, however, he has to deliver the caveat: in order to accept the promotion they must sign a document that amounts to a loyalty pledge. Here is the crux around which the story turns: refusal to sign is not so much what anyone wants to do; it’s being expected to sign that rankles.

The set, designed by Joe Larkin, was inspired. The entire show takes place in Maggie’s backstage dressing room, giving the performance a pleasing sense of intimacy – Maggie can make all her many costume changes right onstage behind the big dress/costume rack – it is, after all, her dressing room! The wall is hung with posters showing some of Maggie and Eddie’s performances, and I was delighted to see on the coffee table a vintage copy of True Confessions – brilliant prop, Meg X McGrath! Emily McConnell’s costumes were spot on, totally in sync with the characters and the period, as well as a shining testament to Chicago’s resale shops! Lighting by Liz Cooper and Sound by Petter Wahlbeck combined to form an effective vintage milieu. And the overall smooth production is a testament to Stage Manager Tseela Sokolin-Maimon’s skill.

Why did I like CHANGING CHANNELS so much, given my dislike of comedy theatre? Well, CHANGING CHANNELS isn’t truly a comedy show – the comic repartee is because the characters are comediennes. The play itself, while very funny at times, is actually political commentary, and the raillery serves to lighten and brighten what might otherwise have been a heavy-handed delivery of the message. To my mind this serves to make the message more powerful as well as more accessible.

Edmund Burke said:” The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men [sic] to do nothing.” Hear hear!

CHANGING CHANNELS plays at City Lit Theatre, 1020 W Bryn Mawr Ave, through April 12

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

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

I like theatre that’s deep, thoughtful, angsty. There’s much to be said for a play providing undemanding escape, but I prefer to challenge my mind, to make me think. And THE LOWER DEPTHS, as adapted by Grayson Kennedy for Gwydion Theatre Company, certainly did that. Don’t see this alone – you’ll want to talk about it afterward. And do not forget to take your Prozac!

The play is the second in Gwydion Theatre's "Season of Class", exploring classism in society. THE LOWER DEPTHS, written in 1902, explores themes of truth vs. illusion, hope vs. despair, through characters like a thief, a prostitute, and an alcoholic actor in a dreary flophouse on the Volga. The central conflict emerges with the arrival of a mysterious tramp who offers hope through stories and advice. However, hope cannot long survive the lodgers’ perpetually bewailing their travails and vicissitudes.

I was initially anxious about how such a large cast (13!) could operate in the confined space of Chopin Theatre. I personally love Chicago’s singular streetfront theatres, boasting perhaps 50 seats and 200-300 square feet of stage space. See, I like to be immersed in the players’ pheromone cloud, perhaps even bespattered with various bodily fluids.

Y’know, reading back over that, it doesn’t sound very inviting, but trust me on this. And trust Chicago as well – Gwydion is oner of the myriad smaller companies that showcase the multitude of superlative actors in this town. In decades of attending these storefront venues I’ve seen plays I didn’t like, I’ve been critical of some production decisions, but very seldom are the actors themselves disappointing. We are very fortunate here in Chicago. I only wish I could believe these professionals are earning paychecks commensurate with their skill.

Where was I? Oh yes, big cast; and I find myself unable to single out the players of individual characters. I always try in these reviews to praise each actor on their individual performance but between their sheer numbers and the peculiarities of Russian names I can but name the cast and beg the actors’ forgiveness:

Alex Levy (Vaska Pepel); Katherine Schwartz (Vasilisa Karpovna); Matt Mitchell (Mikahil Kostilyoff); Brynn Aaronson (Natasha Karpovna); Tommy Thams (Andrei Mitritch Kleshtch); Hannah Freund (Anna Kleshtch); Christopher Meister (Abram Medviedeff);Bryan Breau (The Baron); Evan Bradford (The Actor); John Nicholson (Satine); Howard Raik (Luka); Maddie Hillock (Kvashnya); Abraham Deitz-Green (Alyoshka); Maya Moreau (Swing); Grayson Kennedy  (Swing).

If I’m totally honest (and I owe this stellar troupe that much), even as it was playing, I couldn’t keep track of which character was who. To my relief, this did not interfere with my appreciation of the play and the performances, as it is actually in keeping with the theme of the play. THE LOWER DEPTHS tends to undermine the individuality of the characters: they are emulsified into a slurry of Poor People, faceless and nameless. In this THE LOWER DEPTHS mirrors the attitudes of our Administration: they’re po’ folks, not actual people with real needs and feelings.

Adapted by Maxim Gorky, he was more interested in the characters than in creating a formal plot. There’s no linear sense to the situations portrayed – a woman is dying; the landlord is heartless; everyone’s having an affair with someone – but these are only separate instances in their overall wretchedness. Tellingly, none of them acknowledge any kinship in their tribulations; no one ever says, ‘yeah, I know what that’s like’ or ‘something like that happened to me once’. Thus, while society depersonalizes them, each isolates themself within the siloes of their personal experiences.

Luka, an elderly tramp, arrives with a philosophy of consolation and a better life. Reactions to this message - this theme of harsh truth versus the comforting lie - pervades the play and divides the inhabitants into opposing camps of the hopeful and the realists. Most of them choose to deceive themselves rather than acknowledge the bleak reality of their condition, leading inevitably to violence and death.

Oi! I’m supposed to be encouraging you to see this play, but you’d need to be, like me, a real angst enthusiast to be attracted by my description! But if you do like exploring the depths of desolation; the frequency of forlornness; the drama of dreariness … then THE LOWER DEPTHS is the play for you!

The production team included its artistic directors Tommy Thams and Grayson Kennedy and was drawn largely from Gwidion company members. Scenic Designer Hayley Wellenfeldt and Morgan Kinglsey created a monochromatic and versatile set with Lighting Designer Sam Bessler effectively defining scenes and characters. Costume Designers Cindy Moon and Grace Weir differentiated the subtle differences between, say, the actor and the Baron. Sound Designer Rick Reid sourced authentic Russian period music while Stage Manager Katie Espinoza pulled it all together and put it out there fluidly.

The Lower Depths is the first time in Russian literature that society’s outcasts took center stage in a drama. In claiming importance and humanity for a class that Gorky described as “ex-people” and “creatures who were once men,” he moved Russian drama into the political and social arena that would lead to revolution. May that purpose prevail in our own trying times!

THE LOWER DEPTHS plays at Chopin Theatre through February 28 - https://chopintheatre.com/.

RECOMMENDED

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

COSI FAN TUTTE translates loosely as ‘Thus Do They All’, referring to the inconstancy – fickleness, even infidelity – of women. ALL women. The opera, composed by Mozart with libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte, begins with two infatuated men, Ferrando (Anthony Leon) and Guglielmo (Ian Rucker) extolling the virtues of their fiancées Fiordiligi and Dorabella.  Don Alfonso (Rod Gilfry), a self-appointed sage / philosopher, jeers that there is no such thing as a faithful woman and wagers he can prove their perfidy within 24 hours. Ferrando and Guglielmo take the flutter and agree that each will try, in disguise, to seduce the other’s gal. Tough duty, yeah?

Jacquelyn Stucker and Cecelia Molinari are brilliant as sisters Fiordiligi and Dorabella (respectively), with peerless voices and superb acting, including spirited physical comedy. Their performances are matched by Ana Maria Martinez as Despina, the sisters’ puckish maid. Don Alfonso recognizes Despina as a ready collaborator and together they seek to lead Fiordiligi and Dorabella into temptation.

The sisters remain aggravatingly faithful, even when Ferrando and Guglielmo are (seemingly) called into military service and reappear (in disguise) as tempting lady-killers. At the close of Act One the women still stand firm against the wiles of the plotters. I’ll leave to your imagination the further convolutions of the six participants in this 1930’s rom-com battle of the sexes. Hilarity and dazzling arias, frothy costumes and splashy sets, all overlying a hotbed of distrust and deception combine to generate something rather like a skanky reality show.

 The production is marvelous – it can hardly be otherwise with Enrique Mazzola conducting, Michael Cavanagh and Roy Rallo directing (with Katrina Bachus’ Assistance) and Constance Hoffman designing costumes. Erhard Rom designed the set and projections, enhanced by Lighting Designers Jane Cos and Chris Maravich, all drawing us inescapably into Fiordiligi and Dorabella’s world. The libretto was sung in Italian; Christopher Bergen projected English translations. My difficulty reading these resided wholly in my eyes (I simply must see an optometrist!). Wig and Makeup Designer John Metzner was responsible for the various mustaches that ultimately adorned the entire cast. Michael Black directed the chorus, and Francesco Millioto conducted the stage band, all drawn together by Stage Manager Alaina Bartkowiak.

Jacquelyn Stucker (Fiordiligi) purports that the frank silliness of COSI FAN TUTTE creates a lens to study the silliness of the strict gender norms of the 1930’s.

Anthony León Ian Rucker and the Company of Cosi fan tutte.

I found Act 1 of COSI FAN TUCCE a delight; in it Mozart and Da Ponte use the theme of "fiancée swapping", which dates back to the 13th century (as in Shakespeare's Cymbeline). At the intermission I was still mystified as to what 19^th and early 20^th century audiences considered offensive and immoral, but in Act 2 I found myself moving closer to their perspective. From the beginning I, of course, denounced the central tenet: ‘cosi fan tutte’ or ‘all women are like that’, but I found Da Ponte’s cynical libretto effectually counterbalanced by the beauty and emotional resonance of Mozart’s music. In Dorabella’s aria “Smanie implacabili"—"Torments implacable" she bemoans her lover’s absence. This sets the stage for Ana Maria Martinez to establish the maid Despina as pivotal to the comedic theme. The aria "In uomini, in soldati, sperare fedeltà?"—"In men, in soldiers, you expect faithfulness?", was an exhibition of Martinez’ magnificent soprano voice. Act 1 continues with Fiordiligi’s aria "Come scoglio"—"Like a rock"; Guglielmo bragging of his manly attributes with "Non siate ritrosi"—"Don't be shy"; and Ferrando praising his love: "Un'aura amorosa"—"A loving breath".

I have to interject here that I’ve not previously been a devotee of opera – soaring sopranos and booming baritones were wasted on me. However, in reviewing for Buzz Center Stage I’ve come to appreciate the operatic artform and am becoming a true dilettante. So, if you, like me, despise opera, your evaluation may be revised by a suitable overture like COSI FAN TUTTE; though I indeed found it problematic, that very characteristic served to fructify the discussion my companion and I enjoyed during the ride home. Check it out! You never know.

Act 2 helped me understand the antipathy earlier audiences felt for COSI FAN TUTTE. I didn’t find it risqué, vulgar, or immoral [admittedly I personally set these bars pretty high]. I don’t believe I’m introducing spoilers when I say that I found the ending simply wrong. A more believable conclusion [to me] would have Ferrando and Guglielmo running off with each other. I wonder what the reaction would have been to that at its 1790 Viennese premiere.

Additional considerations: this is a long opera – with the 30-minDon’t skip lunch! Or you’ll be stuck with the various flavors of sugar and salt offered at the concession stands at ridiculous prices.ute intermission it runs a full 3½ hours. Think of Return of the King, but with a much-appreciated break to pee. Don’t skip lunch! Make time for lunch/dinner - you’ll feel so much better than if you end up relying on the concession stand’s pricey sugar‑and‑salt options.

COSI FAN TUTTE runs at the Lyric Opera House ONLY until February 15!!

I WANNA BE A COWBOY is a song by Boys Don’t Cry (lovin’ that band name!).  MY LIFE AS A COWBOY is a play by Hugo Timbrell playing its American premiere at Open Space Arts Theatre. Yippee yo ky yay! and similar assertions of glee and approval!

Art is intersectional, and Timbrell’s wonderful queer coming-of-age comedy is indeed about I Wanna Be a cowboy, or a musician, or a dancer – anything other than what I am right now.  We can all relate to the longing of Conor (Octavio Montes De Oca), a queer, somewhat dweeby 17-year-old boy, to escape the constraints of his small South London town of Croyden.

Momina Shahzad is terrific as Conor’s bestie Zainab, a whirling collage of Muslim prickliness, uncompromising opinions, multi-faceted creativity, and affection for Conor. Oh, and she vehemently dislikes cats, but she’s so appealing that I – yes, even I! – can forgive her that. Much of the action occurs in Conor’s bedroom where, despite meagre space for dancing, Zainab proposes not only to create original choreography but perform it beside Conor at the Croyden Talent Show.

Cut to the town swimming pool where Conor works as a lifeguard, blowing his whistle at illicit diving, spontaneous nudity, and peeing in the pool. He’s a zealous lifeguard, even under skitting from his co-worker Michael (Ben Chalex), who calls Conor’s keenness ‘weird’. Despite this Conor poignantly persists in trying to connect with him.

Actually, Michael describes as ‘weird’ anything beyond the bounds of his limited (not to say jingoistic) experience. In his defense, he scrupulously corrals his taunting within the bounds of cheekiness without straying into frank homophobia, allowing us to see Michael as nowt worse than a provoking bloke. We’re even more endeared when he admits to a secret dream of his own and is willing to challenge his own bloody-mindedness in pursuit of that dream.

De Oca skillfully portrays the courage required for Conor to tell Michael of his plans to enter the Croyden Talent Show as a country-western dancer. Michael rewards Conor’s courage by disclosing that he is himself a musician and in no time, they find they’re a team: Conor will dance to Michael’s original composition, Ballad of the Lifeguards. [BTW, I was having repeated flashbacks to a certain San Francisco bar that hosted gay line dancing – an unforgettable spectacle].

It’s all aces until Conor collides with his commitment to Zainab, who misfortunately hates men. The result is predictable: Zainab is majorly brassed off, which exacerbates Michael’s performance anxiety, and poor Conor, whose idea this was in the first place! may be left with neither musical accompaniment, a dance partner, nor even friends.

Hugo Timbrell keeps everyone’s trousers zipped and lets the characters tell the story of trust, courage, friendship, and discovery. The result is hysterically funny. I don’t normally much cotton to comedies, finding too many of them tasteless, coarse, offensive, and decidedly not funny. But have you ever heard a television laugh track?  I much prefer nails on chalkboard or elevator muzik over a television laugh track, but it gave me an important insight. Comedy may be the most difficult role for an actor to play, and only when the actor(s) is (are) exceptionally skilled is the result actually funny. And sitcoms are not known for employing exceptionally skilled actors [Robin Williams being the exception that proves the rule]. But here Hugo Tumbrill wrote a masterly script, the 3 actors were amazing, the entire creative team was brilliant, and MY LIFE AS A COWBOY was very, very funny. Oh! and I nearly forgot another essential ingredient for successful comedy: occasional aliquots of sorrow. DeOca’s depiction of Conor’s grief as his friends dropped away made my throat tighten.

And how ‘bout that brilliant creative team? Top billing must, IMHO, go to Director David Zak. In his artisanal hands the performance was tender, truthful and uproariously funny – even to the likes of me! David Zak has been a beacon in Chicago LGBTQ+ theatre for >30 years so it’s axiomatic that Open Space Arts has thrived under his furtherance.

Bravo Jade Andrews’ costume design! All three leather jackets were masterworks, and I nearly swooned at those boots!! Choreographer Kevin Chlapecka created a perfect dance for Zainab’s. Devin Meseke created just the sort of spare and accommodating set OSA’s teensy proportions requires; the wardrobe/closet was a triumph, allowing Conor’s frequent costume changes to occur onstage under Ethan Brentlinger’s accommodating lights. Zach Stinett molded a great mélange of the numerous scene-defining sounds. And as for Stage Manager Eliza Tryon, assisted by Baneet Chawla … years ago I naïvely asked a more knowledgeable friend, “what does a stage manager actually do?” their reply: “Everything.” Yup.

You gotta see MY LIFE AS A COWBOY! It’s brilliant, thought-provoking family fun. In fact, here’s a notion: this would the perfect introduction to ‘The Gay World’, one even your great-aunt Margaret from Omaha could both enjoy and understand. It is, after all, not actually about ‘The Gay World’ [don’t tell great-aunt Margaret], but simply about the complexities of human beings getting along with other human beings. Even great-aunt Margaret can’t be too scandalized by the notion that queers are human beings.

The show closed with a delightful lagniappe: a Q&A with all three actors and David Zak describing their personal journeys with MY LIFE AS A COWBOY – this is when I learned the first rehearsal was January 9. No surprise that Zak needed only 17 days for creation – Jehovah himself required but 7 for the whole megillah.

This American premiere of MY LIFE AS A COWBOY plays through February 8 at Open Space Arts Theater. Get your tickets early: OSA seats only $25!

VERY Highly Recommended!

*Extended through March 1st

"The course of true love never did run smooth." No, wait, that’s from A Midsummer Night's Dream

"I do desire we may be better strangers." Mmmm … closer, but this one’s As You Like It

" Many a good hanging prevents a bad marriage".  A worthy sentiment, but it appeared in Twelfth Night, not …

“Thou and I are too wise to woo peaceably.” Aha! There we go … Benedick says this to Beatrice during one of their incessant arguments in MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING. And if you don’t believe me, you can hear it yourself at Chicago Shakespeare Theater – and I very highly recommend you do just that! And don’t dawdle – when I was there last Sunday it was sold out.

A quick-and-dirty rundown of the story:  the beautiful Hero (Mi Kang) has just fallen ass-over-teakettle in love with the courageous young soldier Claudio (Samuel B. Jackson), who reciprocates immediately and enthusiastically. Accompanying Claudio is his senior military officer, Hero’s father Don Pedro (Debo Balogun); also aristocratic soldier and avowed bachelor Benedick (Mark Bedard). Benedick is an Old Family Friend who’s maintained a long-standing verbal battle with Hero’s shrewish [get it? shrewish? nod, nod, wink, wink] cousin Beatrice (Deborah Hay). There’s no questioning the authenticity of their dissension, but from the outset we sense the infatuation lurking just under their squabbles and know that this will be mined for all its chucklesome gold. After all, the most perennial subject of comedy is love, as the Bard knew very well.

Tom Piper does a fabulous job with the set, creating an ethereal fantasy world in the beautiful courtyard of nobleman Leonato (Kevin Gudahl). Lavish garlands festoon balconies and arches, defining the ambience without distracting from the action. A tree stands prominently at stage left and comes into frequent use; there’s even a swing! Several characters have occasion to hide behind its trunk and even up in its branches (clearly a very sturdy piece, that tree). Piper’s choice to design costumes in contemporary style provides another discordance to mirror the ever-present yet ever-changing infighting among the characters.

British actress Selina Cadell directs, exhibiting her long experience with and conspicuous mastery of both Shakespeare and comedy. The story is told cleanly; the pacing is perfect and miraculously the cast has thoroughly conquered iambic pentameter – though a screen displayed open captioning I didn’t need it – every line is intelligible.

The characters interact with the audience throughout. Realism is interchanged with physical comedy, as when Hay ‘hides’ within the audience by shielding her face with a program (and helping herself to her seat-neighbor’s drink!), and Bedard vows ‘I will live a bachelor’ to a member of the audience, shaking his hand on it. Though this physical contact with the characters was limited to the fortunate attenders in front-row seats, the cast regularly invited collusion from the audience as a whole. At one point they convince the audience is to join them in singing ‘hey, nonny’ and there were amazingly few holdouts. I almost never sing along but I did this time!

Bob Mason built a remarkably diverse cast. Between Debo Balogun as Don Pedro, Samuel B. Jackson playing Claudio and Jaylon Muchison taking several comic roles, this production is an excellent showcase for the Black male actors in Chicago.  

Traditionally Shakespeare’s romantic dyads are played by blooming fledgling players –cute kids. Mason choosing fully grown Bedard and Hay as Beatrice and Benedick deepens everyone’s experience. It’s unfair to ask adolescents – kids! – no matter how talented, to develop characters as complex as Hamlet, and inexperienced comediennes fall too easily into Three Stooges-ish slapstick.

It requires a woman well past menarche to fathom Beatrice’s temperament. She’s not so much choosing between different men as she is wondering aloud whether she needs a man at all. She pretty much decides ‘not’, a decision that the majority of modern women can at least understand, if not agree with. A woman must have traversed the estrogen-saturated third and fourth decades of life before she can begin to discern what an equal relationship is, let alone how to construct one.   Beatrice trusts that Benedick will help ease her pain, but it takes a terrific actor to convince the audience to trust him. Benedick in turn must check his Italianate machismo at the door and demonstrate his own vulnerability, not only to Beatrice but to a house full of cynical, overeducated twenty-first century women. Luckily these two actors are exceptionally skilled.

Act Two is markedly darker: Don Pedro’s illegitimate brother Don John (Erik Hellman) is a fellow with an axe to grind. Why? Maybe because he’s illegitimate, a motive as common as it is irrational; any road, his motives are unimportant to the basic story. Suffice to say he has it in for his legit sibling and maliciously chooses to attack him through young Hero. He plots with Borachio (Yona Moises Olivares) and Conrade (Colin Huerta) to disseminate a false story that Hero has been unfaithful to her fiancé Claudio, who’s unfortunately a gullible twit and falls for these unsubstantiated rumors.  

Fortunately, Hero’s suffering is (at least partially) balanced by the clodhopping Dogberry dropping one hilarious malapropism after another. I always have one favorite character (yeah, I’m a bad mom) and in this piece my pick of the litter is Dogberry, particularly as so wonderfully played by Sean Fortunato. Fortunato’s long face and longer body seem custom-designed for the rollicking physical comedy of this wonderful role (though actually he has a phenomenal range). Dogberry’s performance was enhanced by the antics of his constable Verges (Jaylon Muchison), who literally and hilariously dogs Dogberry’s footsteps, resulting in several collisions.

We all know a Dogberry – the nincompoop who sucks up with highfalutin’ speeches that lavishly display he has no clue what the hell he’s talking about. I can’t resist including a quote (no spoiler, promise!) from Dogberry’s account to his boss: “Marry, sir, they have committed false report; moreover, they have spoken untruths; secondarily, they are slanders; sixth and lastly, they have belied a lady; thirdly, they have verified unjust things; and, to conclude, they are lying knaves.” You have to pay attention though, as many of his drollest maxims are far briefer.

Unexpected but welcome was original music composed by Eliza Thompson, with cast members playing accordion, saxophone, drum, flute, banjo, and guitar. Sound designer Nicholas Pope used excerpts of Thompson’s score to indicate the passage of time between scenes, with lighting refinements imbued with the prevailing comedic zeitgeist – though how one makes lighting funny is a mystery to me. Fortunately, light designer Jason Lynch knows how.

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING is the original romcom and this production channels the spirit of the classic 1940s romantic comedies. Rosalind Russell / Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn / Spencer Tracy stem from Beatrice and Benedict as directly as the Sharks and the Jets are drawn from the Capulets and Montagues. The characters and their adventures are, after all, timeless. With uncanny prescience MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING examines major twenty-first century courtship issues: the disproportionate consequences for women, differentiating between humor and ardor, finding balance in inherently unbalanced relationships, even cyber-bullying! I’m not a Shakespeare scholar but I’m willing to bet the man never so much as sent a text message.

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING is arguably Shakespeare’s best comedy, and Chicago Shakespeare Theatre delivers just that, secured by the warmth, maturity and phenomenal talent of the cast. It’s good solid unadulterated Shakespeare and, though the physical comedy is uproarious, the shenanigans never overshadow the linguistic magnetism. This production of MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING is totally irresistible!

VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Running until December 11 at Chicago Shakespeare Theater 800 East Grand Avenue Chicago

I’ll cut right to the chase and say THE CAPULETS by Chicago Repertory Ballet may be the finest dance show I’ve seen since I saw the Joffrey dance Christopher Wheeldon’s iconic adaptation of Nutcracker.

I had the delight of speaking both before & after the show with Wade Schaaf, founder and Artistic Director of Chicago Repertory Ballet and choreographer of THE CAPULETS [and looking, just BTW, perfectly splendid in an Elizabethan-themed doublet!]. schaaf wears many hats – a true Renaissance man! I wish I could have seen them dance, and I’m thankful they founded this company when they retired and sustained it ever since (that goes on my Thanksgiving list!). They told me this ballet has been dwelling in their head for years; they were thrilled that it was coming to life tonight in its world premiere.

The dancers’ visual illustration of the tale integrated superbly with the auditory portrayal of Matty Mattsson's captivating musical score. Together they portrayed the story begun by Shakespeare so long ago and now extended by Wade Schaaf. Is THE CAPULETS then the backstory to ROMEO & JULIET? I think not – nothing so simple nor so disconnected. THE CAPULETS is a completely new tale, only borrowing characters from the Bard’s iconic play. [I might even characterize it as fanfiction, though some would see this as trivializing a rich and vibrant independent work.]

Zach Minnich and John Pobojewski fashioned ingenious digital sets that drew us in without sacrificing an inch of the dancers’ floor space and were further enhanced by David Goodman-Edberg’s creative lighting. Liviu Pasare’s videography was also masterly, though some of the projected text was difficult to read quickly, distracting my attention from the dance, which was telling the story quite efficaciously on its own.

 Nathan R. Rohrer brilliantly fashioned costumes that were nearly monochromatic – chiefly black but using splashes of red (e.g. a cloak’s lining) to highlight the major characters. On the whole, the Artistic Team created a vessel for the passionate patterns and movements of the dance and the music’s unrestrained exuberance.

We all know the Capulet family from Shakespeare’s celebrated original story, and THE CAPULETS begins similarly, with a playful duel between Mercutio (Nathaniel Urie) and Benvolio (Molly Gemechak), escalating into a brawl until Prince Escalus (Phillip Ollenberg) breaks it up. Add one more laurel to Wade Schaaf’s creative repertoire: the stage fighting was eloquent and authentic (reminiscent of my beloved Babes with Blades), while even the fiercest combat retained the contours of ballet.

In THE CAPULETS Schaaf realigns the love and partnering depicted by Shakespeare. We see Romeo (P.J. Spagnoletti) and Juliet (Tessa Castellano) fall in love at the Capulet’s ball, but they are peripheral characters. Rather, Schaaf presents a poignant tryst between Lord Capulet (Rosario Guillen) and Paris (Skyler Newcom), thereby fulfilling my long yearning for a male-male pas de deux, where both dancers may perform lifts and throws – Bravo! Bravamissio Renaissance queers!

The lead couple of THE CAPULETS is Lady Capulet and Tybalt. Miriam-Rose LeDuc danced Lady Capulet with passion and pathos, and her pas de trois with Lord Capulet and Paris was sensational. Schaaf’s choreography was very generous, showcasing all participating dancers while including wonderful solos for each.

I always have a favorite character and, as I so often do, I’ve left the best for last: Jackson Ferreira. This Brazilian native began dancing relatively late – not until age 16 – but has more than made up for any lost time. In solos and pas de deux he was magnificent, yet with the company he did not attenuate the other dancers, as may occur with exceptional dancers [though I must admit that I personally couldn’t tear my eyes from him!]. But please don’t suppose my admiration for this one artist undermines my veneration for the other dancers and the company as a whole.

Nothing is perfect, not even THE CAPULETS. I would plead for some alteration of the text projected Stage Left in Act II – I had difficulty reading it, thus stealing my attention from the dancers for several crucial seconds… and the dancers were already telling the story. Or maybe the text could be projected above the stage…. And my companion and I both found the final scene discordant. Why burden a terrific story with a happy ending?

Through November 16th at Ruth Page Center for the Arts. For more information or tickets, visit https://www.chicagorepertoryballet.com/thecapulets. 

I try to attend all performances of Babes w/ Blades Theater Company, but I haven’t seen them in this fabulous venue – The Edge Theater, on Broadway – since 2022. That presentation of Shakespeare’s RICHARD III holds a special place in my heart as one of the finest theatrical productions I’ve ever seen. I can’t say THE MARK quite equaled RICHARD III, but it carried a similar stamp of excellence, no doubt due to the high percentage of artists involved in the two shows. Both were directed by Richard Costes, and Line Bower was Technical Director for both; THE MARK’s fight director Hazel Monson was in the cast of RICHARD III, while Maureen Yasko acted in THE MARK and choreographed the fights for RICHARD III. Playwright Jillian Leff wrote THE MARK but not RICHARD III (duh), but she played a major role in RICHARD. Both casts included Jennifer L Mickelson, Jennifer Mohr, Rose Hamill, and … but you get my drift, yeah? The collaborative efforts of these artists – most of whom, not coincidentally, are members of Babes w/ Blades – are outstanding. [BTW, if I missed you in that list please forgive me -- SO not intentional.]

THE MARK is set in a post-apocalyptic dystopian stratocracy. The Mark decides who gets how much of the strictly rationed food and other essentials. Obviously. members of the Army who have earned The Mark are entitled to special benefits, highly valued in this hardscrabble society.

Members in this elite syndicate are distinguished by a red Mark on the face and selected by brutal tests calculated to glean the most aggressive, volatile candidates. Those who fail a test (or aren’t even chosen to compete) are the Laborers, fated to live precariously on meagre rations. Any Laborer who resists is expelled from the district, to … well, no one comes back to report just what’s out there.

M J Handsome plays the protagonist, Raina, who has been raised by her father Jonas (Tamarus Harvell) in his bakery.  When she hears of a resistance brewing among the Laborers, she rebuffs Jonas (as adolescents will do) for not sharing her enthusiasm for it.

Raina is unexpectedly invited to compete for a place in The Mark, where she meets Jack (Whit Baxter Bates), an ambitious and rather bumptious contestant. The vicious test battles are overseen by staff officers: Nicky Jasper’s expertise with stage fighting is amply demonstrated in the character of bellicose Officer Maxwell while Fin Coe’s Staff Officer Peters shows that Mark officers may be compassionate, but such deviance really should be kept under wraps. Maureen Yasko’s stagecraft in her role as Cain is as notable as her stage fighting, and combat expertise is likewise apparent in each of the Ensemble: Matt Chester, Jennifer L Mickelson, Jennifer Mohr, Izis Mollinedo, and Shane Richlen. Amy J Johnson portrays The Commander as totally professional, pro-Army to the core, and a strict disciplinarian, yet shows us she cares about her recruits.  

At the core of THE MARK is the question of change. The Commander is working to bring about change gradually, addressing one quandary at a time, while many of the resistance advocate a more extremist approach, tearing it all down and building a completely new system.

This duality of views is the basic premise of THE MARK: what’s the best way to address a systemic wrong?  a timely issue! And one that Leffer examines by attaching different ideas to separate characters. I found myself identifying with now one, now another set of views – in itself a worthwhile exercise of flexibility. Yet THE MARK doesn’t oversimplify – there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’, and people are brought to their various mindsets by their unique experiences and circumstances

The set, designed by Amy C Gilman and skillfully lighted by Laura J Wiley, was simple yet multifunctional: a few basic shapes from which a desk, a hospital bed, or whatever’s needed may be quickly created. Kasey Wolfgang managed to create costumes that indicated military uniforms while remaining, in my case at least, non-offensive and non-triggering (not an easy feat!) And gratitude goes to Ab Rieve for managing to avoid firearms.  

Hannah Foerschler’s backup sound was so supportive and credible that I find I can’t distinctly recall it – ideal, it seems to me. And as Stage Manager… I once asked a more experienced friend “Just what does a Stage Manager do?” Their succinct reply: “Everything.” Grace Elizabeth Mealy, with Assistant Dylan Hirt, did Everything and did it well.  Intimacy Director Becca Schwartz clearly worked closely with Fight Director Hazel Monson and her Assistant Carly Belle Cason. Fighting and intimacy are closely linked and, as with all Babes productions, they meshed perfectly.  Stage combat is, after all, the Babes’ raison d'etere and they do it superbly.

I was a bit confused about time jumps. There was no direct indication that some scenes were actually backstory. Still, once I muddled it out the storyline progressed smoothly. Perhaps this could be simply indicated using costume and/or props. Also, I couldn’t help noticing a couple of misspoken lines, but that’s to be expected at the start of the run.

In essence THE MARK is a relevant and thoroughly entertaining show, an excellent vehicle for the special magic of the Babes w/Blades.

Playing at The Edge Theater through November 22                                                                                                       

Highly Recommended!

There are several new things about PrideArts’ production of A NEW BRAIN, the most obvious being its new venue at the Hoover-Leppen Theatre in Center on Halsted. PrideArts made the most of its former location at 4139 N. Broadway, but this new venue is a boon in many ways. Its location in the Center on Halsted puts PrideArts in the center of the Gayborhood, and the theatre itself is definitely more accessible and comfortable (though last night it was freezing cold!). The spacious lobby provided plenty of room for the Lakeside Pride Woodwind Quintet, part of Chicago's LGBTQ+ music organization, to contribute a lovely prelude.

A NEW BRAIN is a musical whose story was inspired by events in choreographer William Finn’s life. It follows Gordon Schwinn (Dakotta Hagar), a songwriter who collapses suddenly and learns he must undergo brain surgery. Gordon is well attended by nurses Nancy (Britain Shutters) and Richard (Cordaro Johnson), Dr. Berensteiner (Elijah Warfield), and his bestie Rhoda (Caitlin Preuss). His mom, (Michelle McKenzie-Voight) is (naturally) in attendance, but her less-than-therapeutic attitude is made clear in Mother’s Gonna Make Things Fine. Even more abrasive is Gordon’s boss Mr. Bungee (Taylor Bailey), whose demands that Gordon finish writing a song are not conducive to the tranquility prescribed for pre-operative repose. The Minister (Jonas Davidow) is indifferent to Gordon’s being Jewish and simply continues forking out his conventional devotions. Meantime, Gordon’s boyfriend Roger (Beck Hokanson) would rather be Sailing.

And oh yes, for reasons not readily apparent to me, we’re introduced to another major character, one of my favorites: the homeless lady Lisa (Lena Simone).  

I think that’s everyone. Big cast, yeah? And even bigger Production staff, so I’ll just mention the highlights. Jay Espano is Director and Robert Ollis Music Director. Choreographer Britta Schlicht did amazing work, as everyone spent a good deal of their onstage time dancing, and Shawn Quinlan’s costumes were terrific. Gordon’s standard hospital gown was balanced by Mr. Bungee’s brilliant multichromatic garb.  Think about it: how would you dress a six-foot, 250-pound frog? The obvious answer: a gaudy bodysuit striped with every color imaginable.

The first half of A NEW BRAIN provided a clue as to why the theatre was so chilly – the actors were continually running, hopping, and generally cavorting about. A climate comfortable for the audience would have steamed the cast like a pan of broccoli; I just wish I’d brought a jacket!  

A NEW BRAIN is a musical, and all dialogue is sung rather than spoken. I was particularly tickled by Gordo’s Law of Genetics and Poor, Unsuccessful and Fat. The story got more serious with M.R.I. Day and Craniotomy. This was somewhat disorienting, as the production had hitherto been lighthearted comedy, which I believe was its natural métier; it was difficult converting to the gloominess of Brain Dead and A Really Lousy Day in the Universe.  

The high point of the latter half was Lena Simone as the homeless lady. Her signature song, Change, was a brilliant showcase for her marvelous voice. Which is not to dispute the musical caliber of the rest of the cast! One of the things I treasure about these small storefront theaters is how effectively they display Chicago’s extraordinary wealth of theatrical talent. At the major stages of the downtown Theater District – the Goodman or the Nederlander – one  anticipates distinction, but the splendid acting one encounters in the more humble venues is truly remarkable. We are very fortunate here in the Second City!

Incidentally, I feel called to point out (particularly in this context) that “Second City” does not refer to Chicago’s theatrical offerings as ‘second to’ those of New York. Rather, the appellation refers to the ‘second city’ that materialized from the ruins left after the Great Fire of 1871 levelled roughly a third of the city. A fortunate corollary is that the postfire rebuilding opportunities attracted a host of great architects— Louis Sullivan, Dankmar Adler, William Holabird, Daniel H. Burnham, John Wellborn Root, William Le Baron Jenney – whose work still defines the architecture of our lovely Second City.

End of historical circumbendibus – back to A NEW BRAIN.

The entire production, from the masterly actors, accomplished direction, first-rate music … wait a minute, I haven’t even mentioned the band! The A NEW BRAIN band was conducted by Robert Ollis, with Justus Wright on Synthesizer, Eric Grunkemeyer on French Horn, Adam Nigh on Reeds, and Percussion by Benjamin Heppner.

As I was saying (before I so rudely interrupted myself), though the play itself was not, IMHO, worthy of the creator of Into the Woods, the production was top-notch and totally worthy of the occasion. This is high praise indeed from me, as I’m not particularly fond of either musicals or comedies. I chose this show largely to support PrideArts in its splendid new home, and I hope you’ll do the same!

Recommended

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

Fans of highly intellectual and nonlinear storytelling will love INCOGNITO. Playwright Nick Payne is known for plays with inventive narrative structures and deep philosophical inquiry—qualities that are clearly in evidence in INCOGNITO. This production is the Chicago debut of INCOGNITO; across the Pond the work has been praised for the innovative storytelling with which it probes memory, genius and identity.

Payne’s ‘inventive narration’ and ‘innovative storytelling’ are very much evident in INCOGNITO. Approximately twenty characters are enacted by a cast of but four: Teddy Boone, Shannon Leigh Webber, Erin Alys and Riles August Holiday. Though I found the nonlinear script difficult to follow, I was never in doubt as to which character each actor was portraying.

Incognito moves shapelessly across space and time, interweaving three independent storylines. One plot focuses on the pathologist who performed the autopsy of Albert Einstein. In doing so he extracted Einstein’s brain, which he stored variously in the trunk of his car, in the basement, and in a jar of formaldehyde. I was unable to discern exactly why he did so or what purpose he intended for this heirloom; presumably he simply wanted to have it, not necessarily use it. Anyone who shops on Amazon as zealously as I do will understand this. Contiguous plots involve Einstein’s descendants, whose views on this management of their august ancestor’s residuum range from horror to enthusiastic endorsement.

It's my private hypothesis that one factor supporting the cast’s proficiency at managing multiple roles is the broad variety of skills each of them brings to the stage.  Shannon Leigh Webber, for example, not only acts herself but also teaches drama in primary schools (which sounds like fun to me, though I appreciate that not everyone will share this view). Erin Alys is an actor, an intimacy director and an educator, while also a stunt performer and fight director, focusing on found objects and unarmed combat [reading this, I couldn’t help but wondering if she works with Babes With Blades]. My companion and I were both deeply impressed by the actors’ expertise at playing several very different roles.

The production team was also superb. Designers of Costume (Kasey Wolfgang), Lighting (Jack Goodman), and Sound (Alex Kingsley), with scenic designer Marcus Klein, cooperated seamlessly to fashion a smooth professional production. I especially admire Stage Manager Joey Bluhm’s backstage prowess; there was often less than five seconds between scenes, with actors streaming onstage from all sides in total darkness. I’ve never been a Stage Manager, but it’s my naive belief that this sort of opuscule [great word, huh? I do so love words!] is a Stage Manager’s nightmare: a small cast, playing many characters, entering a vacant stage through disparate portals … oy!  How does one keep track and be sure everyone is where they need to be when they need to?

I said a ‘vacant’ stage; far from disparagement of Scenic Designer Klein’s proficiency, I am, rather, commending their restraint.  Dozens of props, furnishings, amenities and accoutrements could have been used, but Klein chose minimalism:  just two straight chairs … and a table? Was there a little table? I don’t remember … and that is, to me, a huge accolade; one should remember what took place on the stage rather than what was placed there.

Tin Drum Theater company was formed by Steve Needham and Jason Palmer, who are also Producer and Director of INCOGNITO, respectively. This sort of ‘inbreeding’, characteristic of Chicago’s ‘black box’ theatres, is, in my view, a strength. Theater is intimate by its very nature, with cast and production team enriching one another as they collaborate and interact. Though some may argue against such endogamy in the creative process, it is my view that diversification can only assist with the legion of elaborate procedures necessary to bring a show from script to stage.

Starlings are used in INCOGNITO as poetic symbols. Each individual bird communicates with just a few neighbors, yet together they form vast, seemingly choreographed, flights. In this context, starlings represent the illusion of free will and the fluidity of identity: neither can be formed in isolation, but solely through connection with others. The Director’s Note states: Even if we are shaped by memory, emotion, and electrical impulses, we are also shaped by choice, by connection, by the stories we live and the love we give’, concluding, ‘Yes, you are a figment of your own imagination’. I think that’s tres cool.

INCOGNITO is not for everyone; I don’t recommend it for either your kids or your grandparents. If, however, you would like to be ‘challenged, provoked, and inspired’, INCOGNITO by Tin Drum Theater is definitely for you!

Playing through August 3 at Theater Wit, 1229 W Belmont

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

This performance by Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre (CRDT) at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts directly addressed and refuted the declarations hurled at us since January 2025, e.g.: “As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders: male and female.’, followed by a flurry of executive orders related to racial equality, climate, immigration and gender policy.… but why am I telling you things we’d all rather forget?

Why? To celebrate Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre’s eloquent exegesis of these assertions. CRDT’s Spring Concert celebrates freedom, diversity and individuality. The final piece, American Catracho, explored the immigrant’s journey, moving through themes of dislocation, assimilation, renewal and, finally and joyously, hope.  Wilfredo Rivera has been perfecting American Catracho for four years, furthered by Joe Cerqua’s music. Other collaborators in this all-encompassing project included several actors, a painter and a theatre artist, two movement consultants, a psychologist, and an immigration activist for a truly inclusive, ecumenical, diversified, and mutual enterprise. ¡Viva Cerqua Rivera!

I loved Identity City, a four-part project inspired by non-binary/gender queer and trans Chicago dance artists exploring the rapidly evolving definitions of gender identity, questioning traditional roles and navigating conflicting crossroads. Its fourth chapter, Flight, garbed the entire troupe of dancers in a flowing spectrum of blues and lavenders. The billows of chiffon made the dancers indeed take flight, soaring among the clouds that were their fellow dancers.

Costume Designer Jordan Ross has attired dancers from the Joffrey, Hubbard Street, Giordano Dance, and other dance companies, as well as performers for theatre, opera, and film. She arrayed dancers of CRDT’s Spring 2025 in hues from unadorned black to subtle colors for a variety of sleek or flowing, encompassing or skimpy designs. Nathan Tomlinson’s technical direction and lighting design enhanced this and all other visuals. Tomlinson has worked in lighting, scenic, and production management for performance events across North America, Asia and Europe. Catherine Painter, the Managing Director, is a nonprofit leader specializing in audience building and financial management.

Who is Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre? I was not familiar with CRDT (I’m no doyen of dance) and in fact I was drawn to this performance specifically because of that nescience (celebrate diversity of experiences!). CRDT’s Mission Statement declares: our diverse company uses dance and music to convey intense personal narratives. We are proudly multicultural, exploring the intersection of heritage, culture, and identity through art, opening paths for empathy and understanding. Our culture of collaboration and diversity fosters magnetic connections between artists and audiences.

How can I resist a company whose mission statement includes diversity, equity, and inclusion as its key values? We need to watch CRDT during the next years – they may need our help.

Cerqua Rivera’s work – called “blended magic” by See Chicago Dance and “immersive alchemy” by New City Stage – is created and performed by a multicultural company. It is rooted in research, inquiry and collaboration and brought to life by fusing dance with other art forms. Wilfredo Rivera, the theater’s co-founder and artistic director, said the grant money they usually receive from NEA is a small amount of their annual budget, and they are not compelled to change its approach to DEI (yay!). “It’s part of the DNA of the organization to celebrate and unpack the complexities of American identity,” Rivera said. “So we will continue to move on our pathway of immersive, inclusive, explorative work.

This ever-evolving contemporary troupe is dedicated to presenting dance that is carefully curated and designed to facilitate dialogue, push boundaries, and build community. The Dance Ensemble skillfully combines contemporary, jazz, and unique Latin techniques to spin tales of universal human experiences.

A sophisticated Jazz Orchestra performed live, original music from the rear stage; a violin and a flute occasionally rose to stroll among the dancers onstage as they played – that was so effective! Musicians included Musical Director Stu Greenspan, violinist James Sanders, Millie Ahearn on trumpet, Timothy Archbold on Cello, percussionist Paul Cotton, Darius Hampton (woodwinds), Kevin O’Connell on keyboard, José Ormaza (Drums), Felipe Tobar playing Violin, and Composer/vocalist/saxophone Juli Wood. Joe Cerqua (cofounder) performed vocals in his sweetly nasal, softly scratchy voice, occasionally accompanied by Margaret Murphy-Webb.

The diverse collective of dancers included: Brennan Renteria, who joined CRDT in 2017 is now Rehearsal Director. Lilia Ambler Castillo Gomez describes herself as ‘a movement artist’ and has just joined CRDT. Ruben Andres Castillo Gomez, Caitlin Clark, Yui Nakatani and Bruno Salgado are also joining CRDT for the 2024/25 season; Bennett Cullen is moving into his second season with CRDT. David Anthony Scheuerman-Saucedo has performed for five years with CRDT and several other Chicago companies. Caitlin Yatsuhashi is a company member of Moonwater Dance Project as well as Cerqua Rivera. Joining the company for American Catracho from CRDT II were Alyssa Alber and Brianna Samuda-Walker.

Cerqua Rivera’s artists stimulate hope and joy that resonates long after the curtain has closed.

¡Recomendada!   

Though there are no further performances at Ruth Page, Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre is a local company and performs in local venues – check them out at www. https://www.cerquarivera.org/

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