Displaying items by tag: INVICTUS THEATRE

New York City in the 1980s—marked by Reagan-era conservatism and the devastating effects of the AIDS epidemic—was in decline. This is the backdrop for Tony Kushner’s Angels in America, a sweeping two-part epic that earned the Pulitzer Prize, multiple Tony Awards, and a lasting place as one of the most influential works in modern theatre. Invictus Theatre Company, known for fearless storytelling and bold, intimate productions, meets the challenge with conviction. Their staging not only honors Kushner’s towering vision but also transforms it into something urgent and immediate. The result: an experience that speaks powerfully to our present moment.

Directed with striking clarity by Charles Askenaizer and assisted by Kevin Rolfs—who also designed the production’s remarkable set—this version of Angels doesn’t merely revisit America’s past; it interrogates it. Rolfs’ design, echoing the collapse of once-sacred institutions, transforms hospitals, apartments, courtrooms, and Central Park into ghostly battlegrounds for justice, truth, and redemption. Brandon Wardell’s extraordinary lighting heightens the effect—especially one cue so immersive and thunderous, you might think the ceiling is about to cave in. (Seriously—OMG.)

The cast of eight delivers fearless, multidimensional performances, with each actor covering several of the play’s 28-plus roles. Joe Bushell (Joseph Pitt), Grant Carriker (Louis Ironson), Michael D. Graham (Roy Cohn), Ryan Hake (Prior Walter), Miguel Long (Belize), Nicki Rossi (The Angel), Renae Stone (Hannah Pitt), and Anne Trodden (Harper Pitt) all impress. Ryan Hake brings heartbreaking vulnerability and wit to Prior Walter—a bold, beautiful performance—while Miguel Long’s Belize is grounded, magnetic, and gloriously biting. Michael D. Graham’s Roy Cohn is monstrous and mesmerizing, a chilling embodiment of American power and denial. Nicki Rossi’s Angel is both ethereal and commanding—an apocalyptic herald with real presence.

That presence feels especially relevant in 2025. In many ways, we are living Roy Cohn’s dream—a world where power is prized above truth, image eclipses integrity, and accountability is reserved for the powerless. In Angels in America, Cohn embodies a ruthless, transactional politics that weaponizes fear, denies reality, and elevates self-interest at all costs. Today, those tactics are no longer confined to courtrooms—they dominate headlines, social media feeds, and entire political ideologies. The erosion of public trust, the glamorization of cruelty, and the refusal to reckon with systemic failure all echo the legacy he helped forge. Roy Cohn may be long dead, but his playbook is alive and thriving.

Jessie Gowens’ costume design dazzles—otherworldly when needed, sharply evocative when grounded—capturing the period while fully embracing the show’s surreal, metaphysical edge. Every design element contributes to a visual world that is both haunting and theatrical, elevated by bold creative choices and performances that are deeply cohesive.

From PART ONE: MILLENNIUM APPROACHES. Michael D. Graham (left) as Roy Cohn, Joe Bushell (right) as Joe Pitt.

Invictus Theatre remains one of the true treasures of Chicago’s storefront theatre scene. Known for consistently punching above their weight, they once again surpass expectations. With Angels in America, they reach an artistic pinnacle—ambitious, fearless, and heartfelt. This production is a testament to what’s possible when daring meets discipline and vision is matched by talent.

There’s something truly transcendent about experiencing both parts of Angels in America—Millennium Approaches and Perestroika—on the same day. The emotional arc deepens, the themes resonate more fully, and the epic sweep of Kushner’s vision unfolds without interruption. It becomes not just a play, but a full-day journey through love, loss, politics, and prophecy. Invictus Theatre offers this rare opportunity only on Saturdays during the run, and it’s absolutely worth carving out the time. That said, each part stands powerfully on its own. Whether you see them together or separately, the momentum and emotional impact remain firmly intact.

A final word of thanks to the front-of-house team. The warm, welcoming experience begins the moment you walk through the door. Theatre doesn’t start onstage—it starts in the lobby. And Invictus gets it absolutely right.

A triumph.

Highly Recommended
When: Through September 6
Where:  Invictus Theatre @ Windy City Playhouse, 3014 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago
Tickets: $25 - $38
Info: Invictustheatreco.com

PART ONE: MILLENNIUM APPROACHES will play Fridays at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 12 p.m., and alternate Mondays at 7 p.m., starting Monday June 30.
Additional performances of PART ONE will be presented Sunday, July 6 at 12 p.m., and Thursday August 28 and September 4 at 7 p.m.
Final performance Saturday, September 6 at 12 p.m.

PART TWO: PERESTROIKA will play Saturdays at 7 p.m., Sundays at 12 p.m., alternate Mondays at 7 p.m. starting Monday, July 7.
Additional performances of PART TWO will be presented Thursday, July 3 and Friday, August 29 at 7 p.m.; and Friday, September 5 at 7 p.m. Final performance Sunday, September 7 at 12 p.m.

Each part has two intermissions.

There are no performances on June 29, July 4 or 5, or on August 30, 31 or September 1.

*Extended through September 21st

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

Walking into Windy City Playhouse, audiences are immediately transported to somewhere new. Scenic Designer Kevin Rofls fills the space with trees, branches, and flowers – drawing the audience into the story as soon as they enter the space. Lighting Designer Trey Brazeal highlights the room in a mix of various shades of blue, creating a somewhat hazy atmosphere. The shadows hit the tree branches and rocks just right, also providing an air of mystery. Audiences are immersed into a space of wonder.

The Winter’s Tale is about a number of things. There’s heartbreak and betrayal. There is jealousy and trickery. There’s reconciliation and forgiveness, as well as the test of time. Surrounding all of these storylines is one of magic and love – with an exploration of how the heart can bring us to do some dangerous, but also some beautiful things. The design team creatively collaborates to draw audiences into that enchanted world – a space where anything can happen. Particularly when combined with live music, you might just find yourself leaning in as you become absorbed in the dark romance.

Written by William Shakespeare, The Winter’s Tale follows King Leontes (Michael Stejskal). When he falsely accuses his wife, Hermione (Andrea Uppling) of having an affair with his best friend, King Polixenes (Raul Alonzo), a series of unfortunate events are spurred into action. Hermione is arrested, causing their young son, Mamillius (Jennifer Agather) to die due to distress. The King and Queen’s baby girl is stolen away for safety, and Hermione barely makes it through her trial. As with so many Shakespearean stories, all turns into chaos, and the remaining heroes are eventually left to pick up the pieces and see what may be worth saving.

Directed and adapted by Charles Askenaizer, the ensemble as a whole is quite strong. The Winter’s Tale is one of Shakespeare’s pieces that does not quite fit. There is love, but it is not technically a comedy. There is death, but it is not quite a tragedy. The story moves through the highs and lows of the genre and the actors bring that to life with ease – in particular, Uppling as Hermione and Stejskal as Leontes. Shakespeare does not make it easy for these performers – with a relationship that pulls a 180 within minutes as Leontes becomes lost in jealousy and rage. However, this duo approaches the emotional complexity with grace and certainly keeps the audiences on their toes – wondering what twist or turn may be thrown into the relationship next.

As much as The Winter’s Tale handles heavy matters of tragedy, the production also carries what some might find to be much needed moments of levity. Sam Nachison’s Autolycus is a prime example - appearing early in Act 2. Autolycus steals from an unsuspecting Clown (played by Kyle Quinlivan - with a sweet, unassuming innocence), and Nachison turns this into a game with the audience. With each piece of clothing Autolycus tricks the poor man into removing, or coin purse that the Clown unknowingly hands over – Nachison throws a little wink or gesture to the adoring crowd. His performance elicited uproars of laughter, and even cheers as the thief’s tactics became increasingly over-the-top.

With a stunning design and strong ensemble, The Winter’s Tale is a night of romance and wonder. 

RECOMMENDED

Run Time: 2 hours and 45 minutes, with intermission.

The Winter’s Tale runs through April 20, 2025 at Windy City Playhouse – 3014 W. Irving Park Road. For tickets and information, see the Invictus Theatre website.

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

When we think of summertime in Chicago, we probably wouldn’t associate it an existential play set in a small Russian town filled with woe and dread and longing. That style of play would fit better with the dark winter days. But like a required literature course in high school, or a classic novel from another century we had to read, it’s often later that we realize why we took that course, why we read that book Like Chicago itself, with its long dark winters, there is a beautiful tapestry of people with thriving, complex lives, with dreams and desires sometimes unrealized or just out of reach. That is at the theme at the heart of Anton Chekhov’s classic Three Sisters, now playing at Invictus Theatre for a limited time.

Anton Chekhov was a Russian playwright and short-story writer. Chekhov is often referred to as one of the three seminal figures in the birth of early modernism in the theatre. Chekhov was a physician by profession. "Medicine is my lawful wife," he once said, "and literature is my mistress." The playwright penned Three Sisters in 1900 and the four-part play was first performed in 1901. This seminal classic chronicles three and a half years in the falling fortunes of the four children of a recently deceased Colonel in the Russian army, notably three sisters: Olga (played by Maria Stephens), Masha (played by Katherine Schwartz), and Irina (played by Ellie Duffey). They have been living in a small town in Russia for the past 11 years and yearn to return to the excitement of Moscow. Their dreary provincial life is enlivened only by the arrival of the Imperial Army. The sisters' dreams of a new life are crushed when their brother marries a woman they consider ill-bred and mortgages the house.

Like the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock, the eventuality of a courtship in Netflix’s One Day, like a Bears dynasty, the three sisters within the play long for something more than their lives. Throughout the first act they long to work, to contribute to society if only to fight the boredom a privileged life affords them. In the second act, they loathe work and long for a life of elegance and ease. Throughout the play they and others put Moscow on a pedestal, often whispering the name with reverence, like a prayer, as though the city would hold the promise to their happiness, the end to their misery. Juxtaposed against minor characters who are happy and contented, the stark contrast forces the audience to determine if the protagonists are justified in their woes or drowning in their self-made misery.

Chekhov’s Three Sisters has a timeless staying power that still resonates in the modern world and is a perfect existential piece to juxtapose against the beautiful Chicago summer evenings. Invictus Theatre Company took on the lofty goal of putting on the production as the first run in its new home at The Windy City Playhouse in Irving Park. Paul Schmidt’s translation and condensation of the four-part play into two acts highlights all the key points and themes. Set against an intimate and enchanting set by Kevin Rolfs, Director Charles Askenaizer transports us to the small Russian town filled with existential woe, philosophical debates on life and love, and bridges the centuries with this timeless classic.

As summer kicks off in Chicagoland, don’t pine for an evening out or promise yourself you’ll see this play one day. Seize your Moscow and see Three Sisters. Three Sisters is playing in a limited run at Invictus Theatre at The Windy City Playhouse at 3014 W Irving Park Rd through July 14th. Tickets are available at www.invictustheatreco.com. ваше здоровье.

Invictus Theatre Company is quickly becoming one of my favorite venues in Chicago. They consistently produce excellent theatre without pretension or fanfare. For a small storefront theatre, they more than hold their own against larger, better financed houses. They are always punching above their weight class and winning.

I had seen so much theatre invoking the character, presidency, and utter foolishness of Donald Trump, it started to bore me.  When I realized Invictus was approaching this “Caesar” from a different angle, it piqued my interest. I clearly saw the parallels, not to Donald Trump and his presidency, but to one date in particular, January 6th, now known as “Insurrection Day”. In “Julius Caesar” events are put into action thru manipulation and persuasion, whether it is to one person or a group of people. “Julius Caesar” is the perfect play for an examination of the effect of rhetoric on groups.

The play begins with a triumphant Caesar returning home to Rome after successfully defeating his rivals. While the Roman people welcome him, Caesar’s newfound popularity makes nobleman Cassius quite uncomfortable. He convinces Brutus, a friend of Caesar’s, that Caesar is dangerously ambitious and should be assassinated to preserve Rome as a republic. The two, along with some others organize and execute the assassination. The play then recounts the consequences of this betrayal, focusing on Caesar’s right-hand man, Mark Antony. He along with Octavius, Caesar’s nephew, fight to revenge the murder of his friend.

Charles Askenaizer deftly plays Brutus as a reasonable, thoughtful man, a principled, moral man. A man whose loyalty lies not so much with Caesar but with the future of Rome. He easily evokes the audience’s sympathy. When he says to Cassius “I had rather be a dog and bay the moon” in response to dishonorable acts, we believe and feel for him. It is unfortunate the very qualities making him an honorable man, are the qualities used to bring him down. This is the tragedy of Brutus.

Daniel Houle plays Cassius as the ultimate villain he is. His jealousy is pronounced, he effectively uses the people around him for his own devious purposes.  He’s entirely self-serving. Instead of taking no for an answer, he reframes his talking points. As audience members, Houle has us questioning anything that comes out of his mouth. In the second act he proves what we felt all along. Powerful interpretation.

We are disarmed by the deceptively smooth and peaceful nature of Mikha’el Amin’s Mark Antony. He underplays the role to brilliant results. When he realizes Caesar has been murdered and he’s now in the room with the murderers, his eyes tell all that his mouth is formulating. As many times as I’ve seen “Julius Caesar”, Amin gave me something new to consider. The more Antony mentions that Brutus is an “honorable man” the more, ever so sarcastic it sounds. The arc of this portrayal is wonderful to watch especially up close. Amin speaks volumes with his eyes.

In this male dominated world, the marginalized women make a strong impression. Rachel Livingston is full of rage and pride as the headstrong Portia and Maria Clara Ospina switches full tilt from a subservient Lucius to a prophesying Calpurnia, splendid performances by both women.

Huy Nguyen as Artemidorus, Colin Jones as Soothsayer and Joseph Beal as Casca were standouts in a uniformly outstanding cast.

The conspirators entering Brutus’s home in black rain slickers, faces hidden under dark of night, each make a distinct impression. Rick Yaconis (Metellus Cimber), Brandon Boler (Cinna), Joe Feliciano (Trebonius), and Chuck Diaz (Decius Brutus) are a formidable group thanks to the awesome modern dress costume design of Emily Bloomer.

Petter Wahlback’s sound effects and Joe Larkin’s lighting design added to the dramatic tension, particularly during the storm and the battle scenes. Speaking about battle scenes, special notice must go to Jay Donley for his Fight/Intimacy Design. In a space as tight as The Reginald Vaughn Theater, nothing is missed. I feared someone would get hurt with the realistic daggers being used. Kevin Rolfs set supported the action on stage without getting in the way of the story, the props were next level thou! The blood, the blood! Big ups to wardrobe supervisor Beau Peterson-Quinn, I’m not sure how you keep those costumes clean, but you deserve applause. Thank you, Sarafina Vecchio, your reputation precedes you. You’ve made the text accessible for everyone to enjoy

There is so much about this production that I absolutely love, I’m sure I must be missing something….

Oh yes! Hail Chuck Munro!

Julius Caesar is playing at the Reginald Vaughn Theater at 1106 W Thorndale Avenue in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7pm and Sundays at 3pm through November 20, 2022. For tickets and information go to www.invictustheatreco.com.