Displaying items by tag: Shakespeare

Frolicking season is upon us once again and Joffrey Ballet welcomes summer with the return of Alexander Ekman’s “Midsummer Night’s Dream”. This production was last seen in Chicago in 2018. Told through a mix of ballet and modern dance, this striking and original show nods at both the Swedish holiday and the Shakespeare play.

Joffrey’s “Midsummer Night’s Dream” asks what makes a dream and whether they ever truly end. In two vivid acts, the ballet explores one man’s dreams on the eve of the summer equinox. Much like “The Nutcracker”, the protagonist is whisked away to a fantastical dance party in his sleep.

The ballet opens with a rather literal roll in the hay that elicits the feeling of young love. Much of the first act takes place in this pastoral setting as the young lovers prepare for the Midsummer holiday. The visual spectacle created by flying hay paired with the original score by Mikael Karlsson is immediately mesmerizing. Though haunting live vocals provided by Swedish pop superstar Anna von Hausswolff really help the music soar to the Christmas light-adorned rafters. The first act’s peaceful feeling billows right off the stage as the protagonist, and the audience are jarred back to reality, left craving just a few more minutes of beauty sleep.

Act II is decidedly more mature. If the first act is about first love, the second act is about erotic love. The triumphant music of Act One is replaced with a stucco, semi-industrial sound. Elements of danger and dread are introduced through nightmarish imagery and shadowing. The dance is harsher, dispensing with the feathery ballet movements and going for a more tribal aesthetic.

Perhaps nothing is as transfixing however as the all-nude ballet complete with simulated sex and giant fish. Dreams don’t have to make sense. In the psychosexual nightmare, time is elastic, and after its eventual climax, we’re looped back to the ballet’s first image, showing the perpetuity of our dream cycles.

As an internationally acclaimed dance institution, expectations are always high for Joffrey Ballet, and in turn they do not disappoint. “Midsummer Night’s Dream” is stylish and sexy. Joffrey has a way of pushing the envelope, and their work feels daring. Though this is a revival, “Midsummer” feels as fresh as the first love depicted in the first act. The forthrightly erotic imagery and choreography and at times intense scoring are as alluring as they are unsettling. Throw in Anna von Hausswolff’s siren call and you’ll be sucked right into this magical work.

Through May 5 at Joffrey Ballet at Lyric Opera House. 20 N Wacker. (312) 332-2244.

I love all things Shakespeare, particularly modern iterations and adaptations of his works, and I’ve had good experiences with Idle Muse Theatre Company. So naturally when I learned that Idle Muse was mounting a new version of "What the Weird Sisters Saw," I was pretty excited.

Fifteen years ago, when Idle Muse was in its infancy, the company’s Artistic Director Evan M Jackson conceived/created an adaptation of the tragedy "Macbeth" from the perspective of the three witches: "What the Weird Sisters Saw". And now, in 2024, with Tristan Brandon’s assistance and with several of the original actors and crew, Jackson (still Artistic Director at Idle Muse!) has revisited the witches for a complete rework of his haunting fantasy.

Jackson’s Weird Sisters aren’t ‘weird’ in the modern sense of the term, nor are they subject to the Judeo-Christian concept of evil women in league with Satan [we don’t have much truck with lots of Judeo-Christian concepts, particularly those involving women!]. No, Jackson’s Sisters are magical women, druidesses whose connections to the land, to their beloved Scotland and to the forces of Nature allows them to commune with spirits both living and dead; spirits from the present, the past, and the future. Between their provenance with their teacher Hecate and with the powerful forces of open spaces, the Sisters are able to conjure visions of events destined to unfold in the future.

Murron (Caty Gordon), the lead (eldest? strongest? she’s definitely the leader here) is having premonitions; by the pricking of her thumbs, she’s convinced that something wicked this way comes … but what – or who – is it? Her Sisters Dana (Jennifer Mohr) and Alastriona (Jamie Redwood) share her disquiet and together they concoct a potion to explore the mystery. They find riddles surrounding Macbeth, Thane of Glanis and brave Scots general under King Duncan; they prophesy Macbeth (stunningly played by Joel Thompson) will wear Duncan’s crown, but that future kings will be descended from his friend and fellow general Banquo (Troy Schaeflein) … and we all know how Macbeth feels about this notion.

Dissatisfied with mere augury, Murron becomes obsessed with not simply divining the future, but altering the actions she’s foretold. Sisters Dana and Alastriona are less sanguine, but they respect Murron and, despite their reservations, they follow her lead as she repeatedly conjures the shades of Macbeth, Banquo, and others. As Macbeth’s avarice becomes undeniable, Murron seeks to refashion his machinations and thus to redeem him. Joel Thompson rocks the role of the dark Thane, portraying an aspect of innate royalty – the gleam of nobility divined by the Sisters– that is curiously not at odds with the audience’s foreknowledge of his wickedness. Of course, despite Murron’s interventions, that wickedness gradually escalates, and the noble Macbeth forges his own doom.

Brendan Hutt is superb as The Porter, whose sporadic appearances both entertain and enlighten … though, actually, not so much with the latter, as his inebriated proclamations are not only veiled by his jocularity but are often, frankly, evasive. Frustration amplifies Murron’s unease; yet the greater the perplexity, the stronger the fascination – we all know how that works! Thus, she is lured ever deeper into the mind and motives of Macbeth, her increasingly reluctant Sisters trailing in her wake. Both Dana (Jennifer Mohr) and Alastriona (Jamie Redwood) become more distinctive in their caution of Murron’s inquest, allowing each actor to further display her skill – did I already say the cast is overall superb?

Case in point: Mara Kovacevic’s sterling portrayal of Macbeth’s not-so-sterling wife. Initially Lady Macbeth, recognizing that the witches are at cross purposes with her vaulting ambition, appears to be deliberately misleading the Sisters. No less baffling is the Lady’s descent into madness, and she further mystifies the Sisters with her macabre hand-washing and eerie mutterings. It’s so interesting to watch this play where we know the storyline of its progenitor, yet are totally absorbed with the Sisters’ nescience!

Hecate (Elizabeth MacDougald) is often onstage, covertly overseeing her acolytes, but unlike Murron she doesn’t intervene. Rather, Hecate allows Murron’s – all the Sisters’ – cabal to evolve, likewise its grisly human consequences. Only at the bloody finale does Hecate reveal herself to her subordinates and upbraid their presumption. I’m sorry we didn’t hear more from Hecate, as MacDougald was a compelling Goddess of Magic, one I’d like to have known better. Likewise, Troy Schaeflein (Banquo) also left me hungry for more of his brilliant stage presence. The story provided more opportunity for us to enjoy Watson Swift’s performance as Macduff, and Erik Schnitger as Duncan and Orion Lay-Sleeper’s Malcolm also used their limited stage time well. I’ll say it again: overall, the cast was exemplary, and each gave fine performances.

The cast was displayed by an equally amazing production crew; they were marvelous as a whole, but I must give a shoutout to a few remarkable aspects. Jennifer Mohr’s costumes were striking and accurate. Most productions I’ve seen of "Macbeth" dress the Scotsmen in kilts, but the ‘kilt’ as we know it today did not actually appear until the late 18th century, having evolved from the feileadh mor (‘big wrap’) that was characteristic in the 15th to 16th centuries; and Mohr outfitted her Scots in feileadh. I also noted that the doctor wore a plague mask, as the Black Death was a consistent threat across Europe at the time. Thank you, Jennifer Mohr, for your due diligence! And I loved The Porter’s criss-crossed belts of dangling fetishes and charms. I could have sworn I spied the head of a Barbie doll in there – if so, I forgive the anachronism in deference to Ryan Gosling’s Oscars gig. I must also offer lavish kudos to Laura Wiley and L.J. Luthringer for lighting & projection and music & sound (respectively). The collaboration of these two artists contrived both light and sound into actual cast members, so effectively did they ‘speak their lines’ of atmosphere, ambience, and tonality. Bravo!

The excellence of the fighting was no surprise to me – after all, violence designer (and assistant director) Libby Beyreis is a member of Babes with Blades Theatre Company, Chicago’s very own troupe of Weird Sisters. And I thought it appropriate for Tristan Brandon to oversee the properties; the co-adaptor of the play would have an intuitive ken [still got Gosling on the brain!] for the objects required. Stina Taylor and Breezy Snyder wisely composed a minimalist set, allowing the story to unfurl via the performances rather than through static objects. As a fervent aficionado of Chicago’s Black Box theatres, I appreciate the challenges these spaces pose for set design and was pleased to see Birnam Wood plausibly wrought without hindering the (considerable!) action.

My sole concern is one common to many – most? – Shakespearean productions: the complexity of the language often made it difficult for me to hear the lines. Granted, that difficulty is partially mine – gotta love getting older! – but some may, I hope, be remediable. For example, further rehearsals and performances will give Luthringer time to fine-tune sound levels to ensure the voices are not eclipsed – but please! without effacing any of the incredible music and … well, noises.

Elizabethan England, William Shakespeare, and the play "Macbeth" are all imperatively and inescapably masculine. With "What the Weird Sisters Saw" Jackson has toppled this patriarchy at its base: sorry fellas, that was then, this is now and it’s a women’s show! The gender imparity created thereby is vital and I wouldn’t want it attenuated in any way.

The script was extremely dense and might benefit from judicious editing. At times I felt the actors were almost tripping over their own tongues in their effort to deliver every word at a brisk (not to say breakneck) pace.
Perhaps Jackson, with text & dialect coach Carrie Hardin, could address all these matters by slowing everything down just a wee bit. The occasional judicious 1-2 second pause would give my poor old brain a chance to travel between then and now, between male and female.

Such a complex production needed all the work of stage manager Becky Warner and her assistant Lindsey Chidester, technical director Line Bower, production manager Shellie DiSalvo, dramaturg Cori Lang, and all the dozens of other people required to bring a vision before the footlights. It takes a village!

Highly recommended, "What the Weird Sisters Saw" will play at The Edge Off-Broadway Theatre through April 14, 2024.

From Twelfth Night’s well-known opening lines “If music be the food of love, play on …,” the stage is set for Shakespeare’s madcap comedy of misplaced love and mixed-up identities. Woven throughout this production are the colors, culture, and Caribbean-inspired music that play almost as important a role as the actors on stage.

There are those who prefer their Shakespeare straight up and true to the Bard’s written word and intended setting. I, however, am not one of them. I enjoy seeing Shakespeare’s plays reimagined and reset into different settings and time periods, and I was thoroughly enchanted and entertained by director Tyrone Phillips’ interpretation of Twelfth Night.

In his debut as a director at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Phillips brings his personal background to the stage as a first-generation Jamaican America. The island kingdom of Shakespeare’s Illyria comes to life under Phillips’ direction as a Caribbean paradise, complete with swaying palm trees, a sandy shore, and a reggae-inspired beat that pulses throughout the show.

There’s no way you can leave the theatre without a smile on your face, as if you’ve just been on a mini-vacation.

We first meet the Duke Orsino, played by Yao Dogbe, a talented veteran of Chicago Shakespeare, lamenting his unrequited love for Countess Olivia, who has declared a seven-year period of mourning for her brother. The duke’s emissaries have all been rejected, and he is at wit’s end.

That is, until a spectacular storm at sea deposits the young Viola, aptly played by Jaeda LaVoone in her debut at Chicago Shakes, on the beach of Illyria. Believing that her twin brother, Sebastian, has drowned in the storm, she disguises herself as a young lad, Cesario, and seeks employment with the duke. There’s something about the well-spoken Cesario that prompts the duke to send him to Olivia to proclaim the duke’s love to her.

Viola is immediately smitten by the duke, but vows to serve her master, and so as Cesario, goes off to see Olivia, wonderfully played by Christiana Clark. Craziness ensues as Olivia becomes love-struck with Cesario, and comically, Viola finds herself trying to extract herself from this awkward love triangle.

Throw into the mix the subplot of characters, led by Olivia’s uncle, Sir Toby Belch, (Ronald L. Conner), and his sidekick, Sir Andrew (Alex Goodrich), who plot to prank the uptight Malvolio, Olivia’s stalwart steward, by leading him to believe that his mistress is deeply in love with him. Add the surprise appearance of Olivia’s twin, Sebastian, who in actuality also survived the shipwreck, and the series of mistaken identities that result add to the chaotic comedy.

 But, as with all Shakespeare’s comedies, all is resolved in the final scenes. Brother and sister are reunited. The Duke and Olivia, at last, find their true loves (and not with each other!), and even the mistreated Malvolio realizes that “everyone is fragile,” and makes his peace with his adversaries.

The production is a homecoming of sorts for Phillips, who first visited Chicago Shakespeare as a teen and later performed on its stage in A Midsummer’s Night Dream.  He has assembled a talented group of predominantly African-American actors who bring an energy and authenticity to the show. For me, the performances by Clark’s Olivia and Paul Oakley Stovall’s Malvolio stood out. Clark’s Olivia is bold, beautiful, and determined to win Cesario’s love. I was captivated by her larger-than-life presence whenever she was on stage. And Stovall shines as the puritanical prude, Malvolio, who underscores his performance with a subtle gesture or a raised eyebrow.

From the opening scene where Olivia’s jester Feste (Israel Erron Ford) invites islanders to stroll with him to a reggae-inspired beat to the curtain-call where the entire cast dances to that same exuberant rhythm, Twelfth Night is an energetic, joyous, laugh-out loud romp that is sure to entertain – a perfect escape for a couple hours from the holiday stress.

You can still get in on the fun as Chicago Shakespeare extended its run through Dec. 3.  

CYMBELINE? CYMBELINE?? I’d not even heard of Shakespeare’s CYMBELINE. Wikipedia admits it’s “one of Shakespeare’s lesser-know plays”. There’s a great deal of speculation on the whys and wherefores of its obscurity but now I know the answer: CYMBELINE has remained largely unknown because it hadn’t yet been played by Midsommer Flight.

There’s debate over CYMBELINE’s genre – tragedy? comedy? romance? – but Midsommer Flight’s Director (and founder) Beth Wolf is absolutely certain: CYMBELINE is a comedy, and a hilarious one! While staying true to the original script, she has directed the (superb) actors to make it incredibly funny by via expressions, postures, and gestures.

The storyline is as simple and convoluted as all The Bard’s plays. King Cymbeline (Barry Irving) lost his sons Arvirargus (Juliet Kang Huneke) and Guiderius (Logan UhiwaiO’Alohamailani Rasmussen), kidnapped in infancy and raised by Belarius (Jessica Goforth). Cymbeline is therefore determined to get a true-born prince by marrying his daughter Imogen (Ashley Graham) to dreadful prince Cloten (John Drea), royal son of his Queen (Talia Langman). Imogen, however, has fallen in love with and secretly married a commoner who was orphaned at birth and therefore named Posthumous (Keenan Odenkirk) [and they wonder if this is a comedy??]. King Cymbeline learns of the nuptials and banishes Posthumous to Italy, leaving Imogen to fend off the loathsome advances of nasty little Prince Cloten.

Meanwhile, the evil Queen plots to murder both Imogen and Cymbeline using a deadly poison concocted by Doctor Cornelius (Jillian Leff), But Cornelius, no stoopnagel, suspects funny business (the wrong kind) and hands over a harmless sleeping draft. The Queen passes the potion to Imogen & Posthumus’ loving servant Pisanio (Bradley Halverson), telling her it’s a medicine.

In Italy Posthumous meets Iachimo (Shane Novoa Rhoades), a dodgy sort of bloke with whom the gullible (not to say rather thick) Posthumous makes a most imprudent wager: Iachimo bets that he can seduce Posthumous’ wife Imogen snicker-snatch (erm … sorry, snicker-snack). Imogen retains her virtue, but Macho Man Iachimo can’t accept being trounced (Italian, remember?), and presents false evidence of her capitulation to Posthumous.

When Pisiano (the faithful servant who everyone confides in} tells Imogen of Iachimo’s treachery the irate young princess determines to find Posthumous and set the record straight. Imogen shows herself smarter than her boo by dressing as a boy for safer travel. She christens her trans self Fidele, for faithful.

Etcetera, etcetera, and so forth. I don’t think it’s much of a spoiler to disclose that, after various sophistry, skullduggery, knavery and chicanery, everyone is reunited, reinstated, and restored. All the bad guys are foiled, and a happy ending is had by all – all the good guys, any road.

Typical Shakespeare, yeah?

Jillian Leff as Doctor Cornelius in Midsommer Flight's 'Cymbeline'.

What’s not so typical is Midsommer Flight’s management of this gallimaufry.

This is the third year I’ve reviewed a Midsommer Flight production and I’ve been consistently impressed, but CYMBELINE was more than impressive – it was truly awesome.

Founded in 2012, it is Midsommer Flight’s mission to bring quality, accessible performances of Shakespeare to Chicago communities. Accessible is key here: too many people don’t bother to even try understanding Shakespeare’s vexatious language and convoluted plots. Midsummer Flight makes this intimidating material accessible at several levels: financially by offering all performances for free, culturally by casting diverse artists, textually by working with actors to bring iambic pentameter into comprehensible language, geographically by touring to different areas of the city, and physically by performing in public spaces – specifically, Chicago Parks. I saw CYMBELINE last weekend, July 14, in Gross Park. Each weekend they’ll perform Friday and Saturday night in a different park: Kelvyn Park at Logan Square, Nichols in Hyde Park, Lincoln Park, and Touhy in Rogers Park. Check Midsommer Flight’s website for details.

The performance is prefaced by the actors briefly outlining the plot to orient the audience to the play’s action; this Cliff’s Notes intro was really helpful. Midsummer Flight also offers musical diversion from a troupe of five minstrels (Jessica Goforth, Bradley Halverson, Juliet Kang Hunecke, Jillian Leff, Andi Muriel, and Aloha Rasmussen); there are also a few a capella songs, all composed and directed by Jack Morsovillo.

Scenic and Props Designer Jeremiah Barr manages the problems of an outdoor setting by wisely choosing Less is More. The sets, after all, will travel to several different open-air stages, so he keeps them starkly uncluttered. Likewise, Costume Designer Rachel M Sypniewski makes simple cloaks and mantles that can be donned in a tent, yet vividly distinguish the characters.

CYMBELINE, like all Shakespeare’s plays, includes quite a bit of intimacy and fighting (though the beheading occurs offstage), deftly directed by Maureen Yasko, Jillian Leff, and Chris Smith. Stage Manager Hazel Marie Flowers-McCabe, with assistant Ayla Sweet, keep the proceedings vigorous and vivacious without degenerating into pandemonium.

Special kudos to Text Coach Meredith Ernst! As I said earlier, making iambic pentameter comprehensible is a major problem with Shakespeare, but in CYMBELINE I heard and understood virtually every word. And congratulations, of course, to Director Beth Wolf and Assistant Christina Casano, who transformed an undistinguished and ambiguous play into a thoroughly successful comedy.

The actors, of course. They made innuendos and improper phrases irresistibly funny, using facial expressions, posture, gesture, and all the other tricks in an actor’s toolbox. A special shout-out is due to Jillian Leff, who made the stodgy Doctor thoroughly waggish. It takes a gifted actor to have the audience howling through her report from of the Queen’s deathbed.

Bradley Halverson’s Pisanio was also prime. Shakespeare doesn’t usually give much stage time to menial characters, but Pisiano was a key role, juggling allegiances from all-powerful King and Queen to beloved Imogen and Posthumous. 

My absolute favorite was John Drea as the ghastly prince Cloten. His comedic gestures hovered perilously close to slapstick – jumping up and down and shaking his fists like a tantruming toddler – but he remained safely high camp without descending into pratfall – hysterically funny but never Three Stooges.

Comedy was amplified by the actors often playing directly to the audience, winking to bring us in on a joke or making us complicit with an aside. This can be difficult to manage without breaking character or disrupting flow, but this cast pulled it off without a bobble – good work, Casting Director Karissa Murrell Myers!

Well, that’s about it for my review. In short: CYMBELINE by Midsommer Flight is absolutely marvelous – see it!! It’s playing through August at various Chicago Parks – find the one you want to visit and bring lawn chairs and a picnic, like at Ravinia.

But wait just a tic: in these perilous times I needs must append some commentary.

As MAGA condemns drag shows and bans books, they would do well to wipe the shelves of Shakespeare, for his plays are rife with gender fluidity. At the Globe all female parts were, of course, played by cross-dressing males, who enacted romance and desire with the other male actors – men kissing men right there on the stage OMG! Gender-swapping characters, like Imogen/Fidele in Cymbeline, are key in As You Like It, Merry Wives of Windsor, The Merchant of Venice, and of course Twelfth Night. Gender is also critically explored in tragedies like Hamlet and Othello, and Lady Macbeth’s dominance over her husband is totally discordant with societal expectation. Her cry, “Unsex me!” hints that Shakespeare found much amiss in Elizabethan society's dictum of “the natural order”.

Same-sex romance is acceptable in Shakespeare as well. In Twelfth Night, Duke Orsini falls in love with the young man Cesario, but is undismayed when ‘he’ is revealed as Viola (though he continues to refer to her as ‘boy’ during his proposal). Boy, girl … whatever, he wants it. His wife Olivia also falls for Cesario, largely because she admires ‘his’ feminine ways, and when she marries Viola’s twin Sebastian (believing him to be Cesario/Viola), he assures her that, like ’Cesario’, he is ‘both maid and man’.

The Buggery Act of 1530 made sodomy a capital offense and punishable by death, defining the rigid expectations of heterosexuality. Still, 17^th century England saw many examples of same-sex relationships: King James I and King William III, for example, each had several male lovers. We can assume that what went on in the King’s chambers was also happening in less august beds. After all, gender fluidity was a cornerstone of the Elizabethan rule. In her oration to the troops gathered to fight the Spanish Armada Elizabeth says, “I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England ....” Good ol’ Liz. I’ve always liked her.

In high school I was fascinated with Henry VIII and his desperate attempts to wring a healthy boy from his pox-ridden testicles. Then his daughter, the child he disowned and condemned (not to mention orphaned) goes on to become one of England’s most revered sovereigns. Take that Henry, you misogynistic, mistaken, misanthropic, myopic, misguided monomaniacal monarch! I’ve always loved that by the time he got to his sixth wife Henry was actually henpecked – though his brain was tapioca by then; he may not even have noticed.

But I digress.

SEE CYMBELINE!! Even if … especially if you don’t like Shakespeare.

MidsommerFlight is a not-for-profit theatre company committed to presenting Shakespeare’s plays to everyone in an IDEA manner: Inclusive, Diverse, Equitable, and Accessible; and to bringing the Shared Joy that results to underserved communities about Chicago.

MidsommerFlight has staged productions of ‘As You Like It’, ‘The Tempest’, ‘Macbeth’, ‘Hamlet’ and others, in various parks around the city. TWELFTH NIGHT has been its Holiday production since 2015 (skipping 2020) and is held in the lush Chicago Conservatory. Admission is pay-what-you-can (suggested donation $30).

Though TWELFTH NIGHT is MidsommerFlight’s perennial production, directors are rotated to offer a range of conceptual approaches to the comedy. This year’s Director, Bex Ehrmann (they/them) is queering up the Bard with a cast of diverse, trans and non-binary actors of various and sundry genders, races [albeit all human], and body types. Jack Morsovillo (he/him/his) is the Musical Director.  

The basic plot is (relatively, for Old Will) simple: twins Viola and Sebastian are separated when their ship is wrecked. Then as ever, it’s hard for women to find a good job, so Viola undergoes non-surgical gender reaffirmation, renames herself Cesario and is hired by bluff and blustering Orsino to woo the Lady Olivia on his behalf. Lady Olivia contrarily falls for Cesario, (who is Viola in disguise), who in turn pines for Orsino … Oy!  Hilarious antics unfold.

Every member of the MidsommerFlight troupe is a superb actor, dancer, and singer, and the cast of TWELFTH NIGHT is extensive. The cast is authentic and features an incredible amount of talent - Rusty Allen (he/him/his, Malvolio), Laurel S. Barrett (she/her/hers, Antonia), John Drea (he/him/his, Orsino), Becca Duff (she/her/hers, Fabian, U/S Feste), Courtney Feiler (she/her/hers, Valentine/Officer/Musician, U/S Olivia), Caleb Gibson (he/him/his, swing, u/s Orsino, Antonio, Sir Toby), Rae Hamilton-Vargo (they/them/theirs, Sebastian, u/s Malvolio), Reginald Hemphill (he/him/his, Sir Toby Belch), North Rory Homewood (he/him/his, Feste), Jessica Love (she/her/hers, Maria), Ebby Offord* (she/they, Olivia), Victoria Olivier (she/her/hers, swing, u/s Viola, u/s Sir Andrew, u/s Sea Captain/Priest/Musician, u/s Curio/Valentine/Officer/Musician), Travis Shanahan (he/him/his, Sir Andrew Aguecheek), Maddy Shilts (they/he, Viola/Cesario), Noelle Simpson (they/them/theirs, swing, u/s Sebastian, Curio, Valentine, Officer, Musician, u/s Sebastian), Natalie Welber (she/her/hers, Sea Captain/Priest/Musician, u/s Maria and Fabian).

The crew is just as superb. Text Captain Bobby Bowman (he/his) makes iambic pentameter accessible to ears still ringing from Janis, Jimi, and Mick, and further manages to enact the story despite ejaculations like “But soft!”  As ever with Shakespeare, the tasks of Fight and Intimacy Directors Thomas Russell (he/his), (Fight), and Charlie Baker (he/they), (Intimacy) tend to overlap.  

Cindy Moon (she/her) does a terrific job with costumes, and the music, composed by Elizabeth Rentfro and Alex Mauney, with additional composition by Music Director Jack Morsovillo along with Becca Duff, Courtney Feiler, North Rory Homewood, Victoria Olivier, McKell Rae, Noelle Simpson, and Natalie Welber is a delight – flutes and lutes and mandolins, oh my! Alyssa Mohn (she/her) (Scenic and Props), exploits the wondrous backdrop of the Chicago Conservatory.  

TWELFTH NIGHT is being performed Thursdays-Sundays through December 18th at the Lincoln Park Conservatory (2391 North Stockton Drive, Chicago).  For tickets, performance times and more show information click here. 

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

This year’s incarnation of Shakespeare’s gender-switch comedy Twelfth Night, Midsommer Flight’s holiday tradition returns to the Lincoln Park Conservatory as “an immersive journey.” Under director Kristina McCloskey (with associate director Stephanie Mattos), “Audience members will follow performers promenade-style from scene to scene, often having to choose which characters or plot points they’d like to follow.” Unfortunately, once you have chosen, you must commit to your choice—and I regretted a few of mine. And sometimes, you are forbidden from choosing which scene to follow when too many others have made a choice. As a result, I caught much of the interplay between Cesario, Orsino and Olivia (except for the part about how Viola became Cesario). I missed almost the entire subplot involving the maltreatment of Malvolio by Sir Toby, Maria, Aguecheek and Feste. I did see the moment when Antonio revealed to Sebastian that he could not show his face in Illyria, but others did not, which would make Antonio’s intervention on behalf of Cesario seem baffling to an audience unfamiliar with the play. There is still a lot to like in this Twelfth Night, likely more than I can report on. The amazing setting—which one can see even more of this year—is a bonus, especially if one likes a walk. The original music and songs by Elizabeth Rentfro and Alex Mauney (with additional music by Grant Brown, Caroline Kidwell and Lexy Hope Weixel, returning from previous productions) underscore the emotions and action of play. There are some strong performances. However, the “choose your own adventure” mode would make this a very confusing evening for anyone unfamiliar with the play. For anyone who wants to see how all the characters develop, it can be frustrating. Allowing the audience to promenade a little more freely might help, but ultimately, no matter which direction one goes, one will miss a lot.

Though I saw too little of some characters to form an opinion on the performances, I was able to see some almost fully. As Viola/Cesario, John Payne brings a little too much gravitas to the role, belying the character’s youth. Their voice can also be drowned out by the surroundings, though they create beautiful, intimate moments with Orsino, Olivia and Feste alike (the relationship with Feste, which can get lost sometimes, is amplified in this production to great effect as the intermediaries between the two courts find communion in their alienation from both worlds). Amy Malcom’s Olivia lacks the mournful hauteur normally found in Olivia, her grief for her brother seeming more like a figurative “headache” presented as a reason for rejecting Orsino’s advances, but she brings warmth and humor to her interactions with her court, and a palpable desire to her interactions with Cesario. As Orsino, Polley Cooney captures the nobleman’s imperious egocentrism at the outset, while slowly growing into the recognition that love cannot be demanded. Izis Mollinedo’s wise Feste becomes the glue of the production, providing much of the musical accompaniment as well as the clever wordplay that shows the foolishness of the many unrequited crushes. With a powerful singing voice and wry wit, Mollinedo is a worthy foil to the passions. Kathleen Mitchell is a powerful and passionate Antonio, who mysteriously risks all for Sebastian; in this production, Antonio’s attraction to Sebastian is obvious, though Audrey Napoli’s Sebastian seems much more ambivalent. I wish I had seen more of Tatiana Pavela and Grant Brown as Maria and Sir Toby Belch, respectively, as well as Lexy Hope Weixel’s Sir Andrew Aguecheek (though I appreciated Weixel’s hangdog, sniveling Aguecheek in the moments I did see—particularly in the ill-fated duel). Sonia Goldberg as Malvolio brought a heartrending sense of betrayal to the character’s imprisonment (though they were unnecessarily hidden behind a screen from my vantage point), followed by a seismic rage in the final scene, though I missed the machinations that brought Malvolio to this point. Special mention should go to ensemble members Kristen Alesia and Jillian Leff, who take on multiple other roles (Leff is very entertaining as Valentine), help manage audience movement, and provide musical accompaniment and vocals.

Directors Kristina McCloskey and Stephanie Mattos have done their best to bring the parts together in key moments, but much of the action still takes place in the next room, no matter which room one is in. This is not helped by the ending, which involves some nice reconciliations, but ultimately feels abrupt—while the typical resolution is too tidy and forced, in this production, the ending feels irresolute. As to the design, the backdrop to the action could not be more beautiful. Placing the Olivia’s first scene in the Orchid House is inspired, and the action allows for a good viewing of much of the Lincoln Park Conservatory. Unfortunately, the foliage can also make sightlines tricky, and some lines get lost in the ambient sound. The costumes by Cindy Moon range across time but convey the stations of the characters; the Hawaiian cruise-themed stage management is a nice tongue-in-cheek touch and Antonio’s, Viola’s and Sebastian’s costumes all have a vaguely nautical feel that works well. Props and scenery by Nina D’Angier are minimal, as they must be, but create effective spaces for Olivia and Orsino, and lend some specificity to the various scenes. The team of stage managers also deserves praise for keeping the audience moving, helping people who need assistance and guiding audience members to spaces for viewing—though they will probably hone their parts in this performance as they encounter all the many pitfalls this format potentially contains.

Though Midsommer Flight’s Twelfth Night is still a beautiful and joyful version of Shakespeare’s comedy, the “choose your own adventure” format, while an interesting concept, contains more problems than payoffs. For anyone unfamiliar with the play, the already confusing plot would be nearly impossible to follow. Those who are familiar may still miss favorite scenes. The performances are entertaining, and the music brings the love story to life. However, with each audience member following a different path, no one gets the whole story, and there is a lot of story to miss in Twelfth Night.

Midsommer Flight’s Twelfth Night runs through December 19, Thursday – Sunday at 7:30pm at the Lincoln Park Conservatory, 2391 N. Stockton Drive, Chicago, IL 60614. Tickets are pay-what-you-can with a suggested donation of $30, and are available at Twelfth Night (Winter 2021) | Midsommer Flight. Audience members must wear masks and stand during the performance (accommodations for mobility can be made with advance notice), which runs 100 minutes, and must show proof of COVID-19 vaccination.

For the fifth year in the row, the beautiful Lincoln Park Conservatory has become temporary home to Midsommer Flight’s annual production of Shakespeare comedy ‘Twelfth Night’. Admittedly, this was the main draw for me, as I love visiting the tantalizingly lush greenhouse space during Chicago’s colder months/ most of the year.  To accommodate the show, one of the Conservatory room has been turned into an intimate theatre with a catwalk-like narrow stage and two rows of chairs on either side.  Directed by Dylan S. Roberts, original music by Elizabeth Rentfro, Alex Mauney and Jordan Golding, this highly spirited and energetic play turned out to be a pure delight, amid green plants and ferns, notwithstanding Shakespeare’s witty dialogue.

Love is in the air, and mischief closely follows. A young woman, Viola (wonderfully played by Jackie Seijo), after being shipwrecked and stranded in a foreign land, poses as a man, becomes a servant to a nobleman, but then promptly falls in love with her master, Duke.  Duke’s heart, however, belongs to another – a wealthy woman Olivia, whose servant Malvolio (sassy Erika B. Caldwell, she’s so fun to watch!) gets pranked by his mistress’ household into believing that he, too, can merry into wealth and become a nobleman. Historically, there’s an old Christmas English tradition of role reversal, and it is believed that Shakespeare has written Twelfth Night as an entertainment for this tradition.

All of this role and gender reversal is a source of much confusion, and the actors masterfully act out every nuance and emotion, so, even with Shakespeare’s famously challenging dialogue, the show is highly entertaining and easy to follow. And speaking of dialogue, the actors have no trouble at all with that olden English (partial credit undoubtedly goes to text coach Amy Malcom). There’s a live band that’s part of the play, as musicians are also active participants. With all of that music, knife fighting, and dancing and prancing, it’s an occasional madhouse, but a really-really fun one.  

Highly recommended!

“Broadway & The Bard”, Len Cariou’s idea of combining his two great loves – Shakespeare and the American Musical, is a heartwarming and tender paean to the art forms which made him an icon of the American stage. Conceived following his Broadway appearances as Shakespeare’s Henry V in 1968 and opposite Lauren Bacall in 1969, it consists of ingenious pairings of Shakespearian monologues, and both well-known and obscure musical selections from The Great White Way, in which Mr. Cariou gives full voice to his passion.

Mr. Cariou is 79 years old, so we really didn’t know what to expect. It has been awhile since his Tony Award winning triumph as Sweeney Todd. He did get off to a somewhat shaky start, most obviously with pitch problems in his upper range. Perhaps he was trying to conserve energy and had not properly warmed up. Perhaps there was lack of support because he was seduced by the false promise of amplification. The venue was a very small space – why bother with amplification? As a result, it took a while for the audience to immerse itself in the performance.

However, this was Len Cariou. A few flat notes are not a problem. The epitome of honesty, Cariou’s brilliance is rooted in total dedication to his art and his immersion in the meaning of the text, his compelling selfless confidence in the mastery of his craft, and massive stage presence. His irresistible charm, humor, and laser-like smile blasts across the footlights and envelopes his audience. Never maudlin, self-indulgent, or boasting, he shows a complete absence of self-consciousness, traits usually absent from other one-man-shows or cabaret acts.

The accompanist for a venture of this kind is often overlooked or given secondary status, but Cariou is blessed to have found Mark Janas, whose virtuosic, pianistic brilliance and bedrock support for the singer never strayed beyond the boundaries of collaborative ensemble. This was one of the finest examples of accompanying that we have ever heard. It wasn’t clear what Barry Kleinbort contributed; it seemed that most of the explanatory banter before each grouping could have just as easily been improvised by Cariou. Scenic design by Josh Acovelli looked as if whoever occupied the space last didn’t quite finish with their strike. We might have thought we were in the wrong theater, but for the obligatory bust of Will just upstage of the Steinway grand piano.

Performed at Chicago's Stage 773, “Broadway & The Bard” is often clever, such as when Benedick’s Act II, scene 1 speech lamenting his vow to never fall in love segued into Gershwin’s “Nice Work If You Can Get It” and “How Long Has This Been Going On?”, or Petrucchio’s misogynistic speeches from “The Taming of the Shrew” morphed into “How to Handle a Woman” from “Camelot” - when we were expecting “Kiss Me Kate”. However, there were occasionally abrupt or jarring segues, such as when the viciously ambitious Act III, scene 2 speech of Richard II goofily became “If I Ruled the World”, by Ornadel and Bricusse. Nevertheless Matt Berman’s atmospheric lighting seemed to help soften these moments by gently taking the audience out of one theatrical reality into another.

Mr. Cariou’s concept of monologue and melody peaked with Marc Antony’s Act III “Friends, Romans, Countrymen” speech from “Julius Caesar”, in which Cariou gave full reign to the vestiges of former power and range of the great singing actor who dominated the Broadway Theater for nearly four decades, and was followed by a wonderfully insightful “Forget Medley” of songs by Rogers and Hammerstein, Kander and Ebb, Alan Jay Lerner, and a setting of Shakespeare’s “Fear no more” by Stephen Sondheim which left the audience all but breathless.

Inevitably, as though in recognition that his days are numbered, Cariou entered Lear’s Act II, scene 4 monologue in which Lear acknowledges the fragility of life and rails against his daughters’ faithlessness. Segueing into Kurt Weill’s “September Song” provided the most moving and tender moment, as if Mr. Cariou was using this vehicle to say goodbye to his audience and career.
“Brush Up Your Shakespeare”, for sooth!

Bill & Margaret Swain