Smear tactics are nothing new in politics; Octavian became Emperor of Rome by distributing coins printed with negative slogans against Mark Anthony. The printing press provided a more easily reproduceable vehicle for misinformation, with the written material later reinforced by manipulated (long before Photoshop!) photographs. And now, of course, we have social media, click bait, troll farms, and ever-darker forms of fake news.

But we can pinpoint the birth of fake news with an extraordinary upsurge in political invective at the 1934 California gubernatorial race.

Playwright Will Allen examines this race in CAMPAIGNS, INC, playing at the TimeLine Theatre through September 18. CAMPAIGNS, INC was originally slated for release in 2020, to inject some much-needed humor into that anxious year and its contentious presidential election. But the play’s impact is even weightier now, after two more years of unscrupulous politics.

CAMPAIGNS, INC is based on a true story about carnival promoter Leone Baxter (Tyler Meredith) and journalist Clem Whitaker (Yurly Sardarov).  I would love to admire Leone Baxter – 1934 didn’t have many women in the political arena until she pioneered the field of political consulting by co-founding Campaigns Inc. Her tactics, however, proved less than admirable. Campaigns Inc unquestionably spawned the phenomenon of fake news and propelled opposition research to new depths of depravity.

CAMPAIGNS, INC portrays Baxter and Whitaker’s debut campaign, representing Frank Merriam (Terry Hamilton) in his bid for Governor of California against Upton Sinclair (Anish Jethmalani). Staunch Republican Merriam and Socialist Sinclair vie for support from an array of celebrities, from Sinclair’s friend Charlie Chaplin (Dave Honigman) and Lieutenant Governor George Hatfield (Mark Ulrich), to Franklin Roosevelt (David Parkes). Parkes also joins the electioneering as Louis B. Mayer, Douglas Fairbanks, Kyle Palmer, and a photographer. As ultra-conservative Merriam buys Roosevelt’s endorsement by affirming the New Deal, Eleanor Roosevelt (Jacqueline Grandt, also as Mary Pickford, a reporter and a waitress) defies her husband by publicly approving Sinclair. The entire election becomes a comprehensive calamity of deceit, demonization, and decidedly dirty politics.

Director Nick Bowling cleverly employs a multi-media presentation for CAMPAIGNS, INC. Scenes from Shirley Temple’s “Stand Up and Cheer!” and Clark Gable in “It Happened One Night” flicker on the screen as we take our seats. The stage is positioned between two facing banks of audience seats; the sets are assembled during blackouts, wheeling in Sinclair’s office at one end or Merriam’s at the other, with FDR’s Hyde Park residence and the offices of Campaigns Inc popping up in center stage. The live acting is interspersed with 1930’s film clips projected on a mobile screen.

This hurley-burley design resonates perfectly with the play’s general atmosphere of hectic absurdity as CAMPAIGNS, INC examines the power of deceit in the U.S. electoral system via humor. In truth, comedy is probably the best way to consider these insights, lest we succumb to despair. And the show truly is hilarious!

CAMPAIGNS, INC (the play) watches Campaigns Inc (the firm) exploit the newest media techniques for their nefarious purposes. Billboards and massive direct-mail marketing present quotes from Sinclair’s novels (“One of the necessary accompaniments of capitalism in a democracy is political corruption,” from The Jungle), deliberately obscuring his true values and principles. Leone Baxter later admitted the quotes were irrelevant, but she just wanted to keep Sinclair from winning.  Note: the goal was to defeat Sinclair, not to elect Merriam. Disparaging the other guy is so much easier than trying to identify a candidate’s virtues!

Is any of this sounding familiar?

MGM’s Louis B. Mayer, threatened by increasing unionization of Hollywood, churned out scripted commentaries discrediting Sinclair.  These contrived clips were aired before feature films, so audiences naturally thought they were genuine newsreels. And the best part is that the fake news was funded by garnishing MGM employee’s paychecks.

WH Hearst’s LA Times printed daily front-page articles smearing Sinclair. As political editor Kyle Palmer told a visiting NY Times reporter, “We don’t go in for that crap you have in New York – being obliged to print both sides.”  

CAMPAIGNS, INC is brilliantly written (Will Allan), masterfully directed (Nick Bowling), and splendidly acted by the entire cast.  In such an elaborate production, I think the crew deserves special notice. Scenic, lighting, and projections designers Sydney Lynne, Jared Gooding, and Anthony Churchill skillfully weave the multimedia mélange together. Sally Dolembo, U.S.A., Katie Cordts and Megan E. Pirtle design convincing period costumes, wigs, and hair. Sound designers Forrest Gregor and Andrew Hansen, dialect director Sammi Grant and dramaturg Maren Robinson replicate the ‘30’s with crackling radio broadcasts and vintage jokes. The entire collage is brought together by stage manager Miranda Anderson, artistic director PJ Powers, and executive director Mica Cole. And I want a shoutout for properties designer Rowan Doe: I loved the period radios and typewriters … and where did you find that magnificent wheelchair for FDR?!

CAMPAIGNS, INC is perfect for 2022, letting us scrutinize our preposterous times while providing comic relief from the lunacy as well.

*Extended through September 25

Midsommer Flight is a not-for-profit company that believes ‘Shared Joy and Flights of Fancy’ are for everyone, and that ‘BIPOC, LGBTQ, disabled, gender-diverse and body-diverse people are integral to our community.’ They are therefore the perfect troupe for A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, and last night was a midsummer night to dream about.

Midsummer Flight does an amazing job with a challenging project: they must make iambic pentameter comprehensible, not to mention audible in an outdoor environment. It’s hard work to perform outdoors with no backstage and with a picnicking audience spread Ravinia-style across the wings, and filling the extensive cast of A MIDSOMMER NIGHT’S DREAM is no picnic. Amazingly, Midsummer Flight not only pulls this off, but they offers it for free, in keeping with their commitment to inclusion.  Last night’s performance was in Lincoln Park, but the troupe rotates across the city, performing all summer in Lincoln Park, Gross Park, Lake Meadows Park, Chicago Women’s Park & Gardens, and Touhy Park.

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM is one of Shakespeare’s most beloved comedies. The play intermingles several subplots, centering on the wedding of Duke Theseus of Athens to the Amazon queen Hippolyta. Three other couples are involved: Hermia, whose uncle Theseus opposes her match with Lysander; and her best friend Helena, who loves Demetrius – who fancies Hermia!  Then there’s the third pair of lovers:  Oberon, King of the Faeries and his majestic Queen, Titania.  And ass if this isn’t enough mayhem, we also have a troupe of actors: Snug, Snout, Quince, Francis Flute and Bottom, who refers to the troupe as a band of ‘rude mechanicals’.

The real trouble starts when King Oberon orders his playful minion Puck, a "shrewd and knavish sprite" to create a potion which, when applied to the eyelids of a sleeping person, will make them fall in love with the first living thing they see.  Oberon wants to make Demetrius return Helena’s love, but Puck mistakenly gives the elixir to Lysander, who obligingly falls in love with Helena, much to Hermia’s dismay. Puck then comes upon the actors rehearsing their play and assumes Bottom’s name to be synonymous with Ass, so he transforms Bottom’s head into that of a jackass. 

Meantime, Oberon is angry with his wife Titania, who won’t give him her lovely Indian changeling. Convinced by these experiments with mortals, he uses the magic potion on her.  Sure enough, Titania awakens to the countenance of Bottom. While she lavishes devotion on the donkey-headed actor, Oberon gleefully absconds with the lovely changeling boy. 

Okay, have you got all that? The play continues to embellish, elaborate, and obfuscate this tangle of subplots into a hilarious rumpus.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM. It’s always delightful:  a forest full of faeries and infatuated folks; what’s not to love? But Midsommer Flight’s production of this old favorite was particularly enchanting. Their mission is evident in its delightfully diverse cast and their success eminently warranted by their talent and craft. Joshua Pennington is a regal (and gorgeous!) Oberon, a terrific foil for Meredith Ernst’s Titania. Manny Sevilla as Demetrius is a terrific comedic partner to Richard Eisloeffel’s Lysander, and Hermia (Alice Wu) and Helena (Koshie Mills) shine as alternating bosom buddies and fierce rivals.  Jack Morsovillo is engaging as Bottom, and his crew Hannah Mary Simpson (Snug), Elizabeth McAnulty Quilter (Snout), Travis Shanahan (Francis Flute), Kat Zheng (Starveling) and Barry Irving (Quince) are marvelous. In the fictional troupe’s performance of Pyramus and Thisbe, I’m not sure which of them played the part of Wall, but it was brilliant. These actors also play Titania’s faerie retinue Cobweb, Mustardseed, Moth and Peasebottom, respectively.

[BTW, it’s an extensive cast and most of the actors play multiple roles, so if I’ve gotten any names awry I deeply apologize!  You can refer to the program here.]

No, I haven’t forgotten Puck, I’m simply saving the best for last. Puck is usually a favorite character, but Ebby Offord is an exceptionally enchanting Puck and brings special charm to the character of that naughty little pixie. Her frolicsome performance is a lagniappe for a character that’s already prized.

OK, I’m wearing out the thesaurus here, and I need to save a few superlatives for production staff.  Director/Founder Beth Wolf has brought Midsommer Flight triumphantly through a decade of productions. Assistant Director Devin Christor prefers to focus on “plays that explore tests of morality in the human experience.” Stage Manager Hazel Marie Flowers-McCabe and her assistant Anna Zaczek , with Scenic/Props Designer Nina Castillo-D’Angier have their work cut out for them, working without a stage! but they pull it off brilliantly, wisely keeping sets and props to an absolute minimum. The same spare approach works perfectly for Costumer Lily Grace Walls – particularly as the actors covering multiple roles must change in the open. Production Manager Giselle Durand ‘relishes diversity and strives to be a theatrical Swiss-army knife’, which is precisely what is needed for this sort of production. Lane Anthony Flores and Amy Malcom as Text and Vocal Coaches do a great job helping the actors make sixteenth-century English accessible.  The cast shows terrific physical comedy, thanks to Fight Director Chris Smith, who has been with Midsommer Flight from its inception, and Assistant Fight & Intimacy Director Maureen Yasko, a member of Babes with Blades.

The Bottom [sic] line here:  Recommended! Bring chairs/blankets and a picnic, and don’t bother with a babysitter – the show moves fast enough that the kids won’t need to understand this play to love it.

When George W Bush won his second term in November 2004 Larry Kramer delivered the watershed speech The Tragedy of Today’s Gays, a speech that was “the most difficult I’ve ever had to give”. Director David Zak worked with Kramer adapting the speech for theatrical performance, continuing after Kramer’s death in 2020. THE KRAMER PROJECT is the result; its world premiere is the first event for Open Space Arts, a new non-profit dedicated to works of social relevance. The six performances of THE KRAMER PROJECT, July 22 through 31, benefit Center on Halsted.

Larry Kramer would be first to agree that most of his performances involve yelling at people, particularly other gays. David Zak modifies the speech for performance by having the cast – Tom Chiola, Keith Butler, Elijah Newman, Hailey Hance, Roberto del Rio, Alexandria Moorman and Ryan Quade – deliver the speech to one another, against a video background designed by Magdiel Carmona and including original music by Elijah Newman.

THE KRAMER PROJECT was a flashback for me personally.  I completed my psychiatric residency at Rush Medical Center from 1984 – 1988, as the Plague swept through Chicago. During those four years I watched helplessly as sparkling young men shriveled and died in unspeakably horrible ways. When my training was complete, my National Health Corps Scholarship required me to pay back with four years of practice. I went all the way up to the Surgeon General, C. Everett Koop, begging to complete my payback service at Howard Brown Health Center. In April 1988 I received a letter from Dr. Koop stating that “AIDS is not a national health care priority”. So, yeah … THE KRAMER PROJECT was a flashback, both bitter and sweet.

By the time Kramer delivered the speech in 2004 the Highly-Active Anti-Retroviral Treatments (HAART) had been available for nearly ten years, and AIDS had morphed from an immediate death sentence (90% dead within six months of diagnosis) into a chronic, treatable disease. The Tragedy of Today’s Gays was addressed to the latest generation of young gay men, for whom AIDS is “just a bad STD””, condemning their disregard for social activism in favor of orgasms.

The Tragedy of Today’s Gays had much to say about the Bush administration’s endorsement of “moral values”. Kramer quotes extensively from Bill Moyers’ research on the alliance of conservatives that were transforming America into a “classist, racist, homophobic, imperial army of pirates”.  AIDS was a gift to this cabal: "Their wildest dreams started to come true. The faggots were disappearing, and they were doing it to themselves".  

Kramer’s confrontational style, criticizing the promiscuous gay relationships common in the 1970’s, earned him severe ostracism from the gay community. Undeterred, in The Tragedy of Today’s Gays Kramer directs his censure toward the younger generation of 2004 gays. 

Today, 20 years later, it is shocking – and deeply alarming – to see how accurate his indictments continue to be in 2022.  

Zak’s technique in THE KRAMER PROJECT, having the cast address one another, works brilliantly, transforming Kramer’s recriminations from a tirade into a discussion. The cast ranges in age from early 20’s to late 50’s, lending still greater depth to the ‘discussion’, and enhancing the validity of Kramer’s charges. 

At the post-performance discussion David Zak described his dismay as one segment after another of The Tragedy of Today’s Gays anticipated today’s anti-trans legislation, supreme court decisions, and ‘Don’t Say Gay’, adding: “…and now here comes monkeypox, right on schedule.”

Each actor spoke of their personal journeys with THE KRAMER PROJECT. A younger cast member admitted that, though they already knew much of the history, it had been difficult to ferret out the information. There are no straightforward [sic] sources for queer history, and many will abandon efforts to piece together the hodgepodge of implausible accounts with questionable provenance.

Yes, in 2022 Kramer’s words prove clairvoyant. We have just (barely) unseated a President who makes George W Bush look like James Baldwin, we have a brand-new viral onslaught on men who have sex with men, and many of today’s queers seem mired in political apathy.  Without an overwhelming upsurge in activism, Kramer’s ominous predictions will continue to foreshadow our dwindling gay rights.

I highly recommend THE KRAMER PROJECT, but expect to leave the theatre feeling deeply unsettled.

You know what they say: The only cure for homosexuality is to issue him a Screen Actor’s Guild card.

Tommy on Top takes this old saw a step further: Tommy Miller (Ryan Cason), closeted Hollywood hunk, has been nominated for an Oscar. Super-swish boyfriend George (Patrick Gosney) and vodka-swigging sister Molly (Theresa Liebhart) join Tommy to discuss the eternal question – in or out? – with an Academy Award and a career hanging in the balance. Gay Trump-loving [huh?] agent Eddie (Chris Sylvie) is adamantly in favor of the closet – a good thing, as he spends a great deal of the show stuffed into one. Why? Well, it seems evil columnist Kiki (Blythe Inanna) wants to out Tommy with some compromising photos, and celebrity talent manager Judy Jensen (Beth Johnson) wants to be Tommy’s new agent … over Eddie’s dead body! Almost.

That’s pretty much the story in a nutshell (which is arguably where it belongs).

Written by British playwright Chris Woodley, Tommy on Top was a hit in London, and is now premiering in the US at the PrideArts Center Theatre.  The British provenance is very apparent and, unfortunately, a problem with the production.

I’ve never been a fan of British humor: it simply makes too much of too little. A quip that originally is droll (e.,g. ‘every sperm is sacred’) is belabored until it’s just boring. The humor in Tommy is simply not funny. I do not find any humor in drunkenness, a theme that repeats throughout the show. I’m not amused by violence, and the gunplay is completely tasteless (though the juxtaposition with the Highland Park massacre could not have been predicted). I don’t laugh at defenestration (isn’t that a great word?!), and the anti-Irish theme may be funny across the Pond, but in Chicago it’s baffling. And a Trump-loving gay Hollywood agent? Maybe in London, not so much here.

The cast do an extraordinary job. Patrick Gosney sparkles as George; and Ryan Cason is as adorably hunky as a Hollywood leading man should be. Director Jay Espano does a great job knitting all the actors’ excellent work together, and kudos to Garrett McCann and Jack McElroy for intimacy and fight choreography. A special shoutout to Chris Sylvie, who stepped in at the last minute as Eddie. And Tommy’s final monologue is lovely, revealing the show’s heart at last. Too bad we had to sit through 90 minutes to get to it. Comedy is a fine instrument for social commentary. The problem is that this script isn’t very funny.

BUT WAIT: as I said, I’m not a fan of British humor, and farce is not my favorite genre. If, however, you happen to like preposterous premises, cumbersome one-liners, outrageous over-acting and senseless physical brawling, Tommy on Top is for you. If you still giggle at the 3 Stooges, this show will make you LOL.

There’s nothing new about Antigone. Sophocles wrote it in 440BC, and we all read it (under duress) in high school, my most vivid memory of which is Mrs. Thatcher printing ‘ANTIGONE’ on the chalkboard, and Patrick Tyrrell sneaking up to print ‘P’ at the beginning. Recent adaptations have used Antigone to comment on The Patriot Act; have styled the dead Polynices as a terrorist threat and Antigone into a "dangerous subversive;" and as a commentary on the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.

Today, Redtwist Theatre presents a new translation by Anne Carlson, whose “light-fingered, colloquial and cutting” language provides a fresh view of Greek tragedy in the twenty-first century. Her translation makes the entire production not only accessible but topical.

The story is simple. Antigone is sister to Eteocles and Polynices, who led opposing sides in Thebes' civil war and died fighting each other for the throne. Kreon, king of Thebes decrees that Eteocles will be honored while the rebel brother Polynices lies unsanctified on the battlefield. Antigone defies the edict,buries her brother, and argues the immorality of the edict and the morality of her own actions.

Kreon remains intransigent until blind Tiresias prophesies that all of Greece will despise him. Urged on by the terrified Chorus, Kreon finally relents. Too late, of course: Antigone has hanged herself and a grieving Haemon attacks Kreon, then slays himself. Kreon, beside himself with remorse, then learns his wife Eurydice has killed herself. Kreon, a broken man, stumbles away.

So many of the themes portrayed in Antigone speak directly to 2022. It exposes the dangers of the absolute ruler, a king to whom few will speak their true opinions freely and openly– does that ring any bells? Civil disobedience is a major theme: the individual’s right to reject society's infringement on her freedom to perform a personal obligation. Certainly SCOTUS would do well to reflect on this.  Citizenship is also at issue: Kreon holds that citizenship is a contract, and Polynices’ attack on the city revokes his citizenship. For Kreon, as absolute ruler of the state, loyalty to the state comes before family fealty. He is punished by Haemon killing himself when he finds Antigone dead.

Redtwist Theatre is a tiny storefront venue that takes advantage of its close quarters by inviting the audience into the action. Director Christine Freije extends this – at first I thought the various people sweeping the floor and wiping the walls were … I don’t know, maybe being extra-careful about covid cleanliness? until Antigone arrests them by slamming her shovel into the ground.

Antigone, played by Isabel Alamin, beautifully portrays the deeply-committed and doomed woman. When she’s onstage one sees nobody else. Natalie Welber, as her sister Ismene, demonstrates the ambivalence of a law-abiding citizen wrenched from her comfort zone by love of family. Brian Parry paints the spectrum from Kreon’s monarchical obstinacy to the anguish of a bereaved father and husband, and Nick Shank’s Haemon ably depicts filial love eroding under Kreon’s stubbornness. Peter Ferneding brings a welcome injection of humor as Guard. As so often in Greek theatre, Chorus has a big role, and Andrew Bosworth as its leader keeps the story woven together. The remainder of the Chorus played additional roles: Joan Nahid [Euridice], Peter Ferneding [Guard], Maddy Moderhack [Messenger] and Javier Carmona [Teiresias] slid effortlessly from one role to another.

I can’t wait another minute to praise Costume Designer Anna Bodell! I do some sewing myself, and I have to admit I was occasionally diverted from the play’s action by trying to figure out: what is he wearing? and how did she do that?!  Ordinary clothes are pieced together in extraordinary ways, with stunning results.

The stark simplicity of the set and economy of props keeps our focus on the performances, while light and sound preclude a curtain. Director Christine Freije knits it all together seamlessly – and all is made possible by Anne Carlson’s fresh translation.

I loved Antigone – I may go see it again!

Initially, I had the jitters about reviewing Grandma’s Jukebox. Obviously the show was very much about music, and I’ve just never been really into music; I’d rather be reading. I didn’t even own a stereo in college! But I love theater so I arrived at the opening with an open mind and expectations.

The first acts established the groundwork: the four grandchildren are gathered to hear their family friend Richard, a lawyer, explain Grandma B’s estate. J Michael Wright portrays Richard’s excruciatingly awkward efforts to gain acceptance into the family circle, but the others form a closed wall. 

Jessica (played by Jessica Brooke Seals), as the eldest, assumes she will mount Grandma B’s matriarchal throne. She’s lost the respect of the other kids, however, by her submission to her domineering and chronically unemployed husband.

The play, written and directed by Michelle Renee Bester, is grounded in two cornerstones of African American life: family and music. Aeriel Williams as Parker gives a lovely rendition of “Song for Mama”, establishing that Parker’s overwhelming grief has silenced her, isolating her in a cocoon of mourning.  

After this poignant offering, Mikey, exuberantly played by Blake Reasoner, galvanizes us with James Brown’s “I Got the Feelin’”, then he and Chris (Vincent Jordan) manage to top it with their dancing as they crank out Michael Jackson’s “Beat It”.

Vincent Jordan’s Chris bares his pain and rage in PJ Morton’s “Heavy”, revealing how he’s manacled by a gang-ridden past, particularly the shackle of being labeled ‘felon’.

The pain of these four people’s personal traumas has been ignited by their bereavement, and each acts out their pain by blaming and belittling the others. Into this crucible steps Richard, the bumbling white guy, to inform them that Grandma B’s will has a condition: no one can inherit until they undergo family therapy. Richard frosts the cake by saying he’s been trained as a ‘family mediator’ and offering his services.

The following scenes intersperse therapy sessions with conversations. Jessica confronts her shiftless husband with “Hurt Me So Good” and Mikey (he’s NOT Michael! Michael is the abusive father that Grandma B rescued him from) and Chris rock the stage with “Ball of Confusion”.

Meantime, the jukebox sits in the background, and we’re wondering why this piece of furniture has been honored by the play’s title. After all, with the support of musicians Oscar Brown Jr (guitar/bandleader), Adam Sherrod (keys), Mark Miller (bass), and Myron Cherry (drums), this cast sparkles and shines performing each number. 

Then Parker is wistfully singing “I’ll be There”, when … But no. That would be telling.  Suffice it to say, the jukebox earns the title.

The finale, a roof-raising ensemble performance of “Before I Let Go”, reminds us that family love is not constrained by genetics, race, or personal quibbles; a reminder we all need from time to time.

There are a couple of things I’d like to have seen highlighted more.  The first couple of scenes were a bit slow, the singing not quite up to the performers’ rousing best, and the humor a bit forced.  This resolved as the cast relaxed and settled into their performances, and was blown away completely when Chris and Mikey pounded out James Brown and Michael Jackson. 

The playwright’s stated intention is to display ways for healing generational trauma, but the traumata explored were limited to the current generation.  I think “Grandma’s Jukebox” could have delved deeper into intergenerational trauma and recovery.

The artistic team is Executive Producer Jackie Taylor, writer/director Michelle Renee Bester, Robert Reddrick as music director, and Oscar Brown Jr leading the band.  The design team – Bek Lambrecht (set), and Denise Karczewski and Marquecia Jordan (costumes) showed welcome minimalism, simply dressing the room as home and the players as family, with a couple of quirks like Parker’s blankie and Mikey’s exuberant colors.

“Grandma’s Jukebox” plays through June 26 at the Black Ensemble Theatre, continuing the 2022 “Season of Excellence: Season of Healing and Joy”.  If a musically torpid white girl like me can be brought out of her seat by “Grandma’s Jukebox”, then a music lover’s cup will be running over.