Displaying items by tag: Joel Thompson

The Tempest is Shakespeare’s final play, and one could argue that he saved the best for last, skillfully presented by Idle Muse Theatre Company. At intermission I overheard two young women expressing surprise at ‘how they can do so much in so little space!’  Clearly, they were habitues of traditional venues like the Goodman and Nederlander theatres, and I simply had to interrupt them to sing the praises of Chicago’s numerous and thoroughly excellent storefront theatres. As I’ve often said, theatre takes on a special glow when you’re watching from within the players’ pheromone clouds.

As with most of the Bard’s works, The Tempest uses many characters to enact a labyrinthine plot. Prospero (Elizabeth MacDougald ^she/her) is the former Duke of Milan, deposed and exiled with his infant daughter Miranda (Caty Gordon ^she/her) to this remote and (seemingly) uninhabited island, where he has raised his child while evolving himself into a powerful sorcerer. As the play begins Prospero is using his magic to create a raging storm to wreck the ship carrying the despots who usurped his dukedom: his conniving brother Antonio (Orion Lay-Sleeper^he/him), King Alonzo (Jack Sharkey ^he/him), with his son Ferdinand (Boomer Lusink ^he/him), and Uncle Tom Cobbleigh and all ….

When Prospero arrives on the island, he finds that, contrary to expectation, it is inhabited, by Caliban (Jennifer Mohr ^she/her), whom Prospero rescues from the spell previously laid on him. Unfortunately, Caliban retaliates this largesse with brutish behavior. Prospero, fearing Caliban’s conduct might injure the growing child Miranda, enslaves him.

Prospero meets yet another islander, Ariel, a cosmically powerful air spirit whom he frees from captivity. Ariel shows more gratitude than Caliban, protecting both Prospero and the child, now seventeen years old (but still, of course, an infant in her father’s eyes).  Ariel is also handy for whipping up tempests at sea and befuddling shipwrecked aristocrats. Director Brandon cleverly casts Ariel six times: Mara Kovacevic ^she/her, Gary Henderson^he/him, Connar Brown^she/her, Emely Cuestas^she/her, Jacque Bischoff ^she/her, and Emily Pfriem ^she/her. These six capering sprites are all equally adroit in the use of magic and music, and all beholden to Prospero for their … well, not actually freedom, as they’re still indentured to Prospero, but at least they’re no longer trammeled in a tree.

[Are you getting the idea that Prospero is a bit of a control freak (to use a common Shakespearian term)?]

Ariel(s) leads Ferdinand (the King’s son, remember?) to meet Miranda, and the two adolescents fall instantaneously, fervently and immitigably in love (as you do). Elsewhere on the island King Alonso, with his friend Gonzalo (Xavier Lagunas ^he/him), his brother Sebastian (Eric Duhon ^he/him), and Prospero’s insidious brother Duke Antonio are having vile and nefarious adventures whilst the heartbroken King searches for his son. Ariel(s) saved these folks from the sinking ship, but also made sure to bespeckle them far and wide across the island. Court jester Trinculo (Joel Thompson ^he/him) and his friend the King’s butler Stephano (Michael Dalberg ^he/him) fall in with Caliban, whom they woo with the barrel of wine Stephano serendipitously rode to shore from the wreck.

There! Got all that? I’ve by no means covered all Shakespeare’s storylines, threads, scenarios and subplots, but you can get those from Cliff’s Notes; I’m here to talk about all the other artists.

As is to be expected from Idle Muse, all were excellent. I admit I’ve come to rather take for granted that the talent on a [small!] Chicago stage will be extraordinary; in particular I trust Idle Muse not to disappoint me. From MacDougald’s Prospero to the six Ariels; from Boomer Lusink’s lordly Ferdinand to Orion Lay-Sleeper’s rascally Antonio, every character was enacted deliciously. Though the story began with darkness, rolling thunder and vast waves, humor began peeking through early, and by Act II we were all laughing.

Those who’ve been reading my reviews know that I don’t pretend to be fair and even-handed; I always have favorites!  In The Tempest my first and foremost fave was Ariel #2, Gary Henderson. His Ariel couldn’t help standing out on account of being the only cis-male Faerie (sic), but I really just liked his style – dancing about the stage with bells, on hands and knees barking at miscreants, snooping into secret plots … whatever Henderson’s Ariel was up to, he was a delight! I also loved Joel Thompson’s Trinculo; paired with Michael Dahlberg’s Stephano they were a swilling and snarfing version of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, with terrific comedic timing.

Director Tristan Brandon ^he/him not only directed but adapted this production of The Tempest as well. In his splendid From the Director note he reminds us that The Tempest is about relationships and family, begotten and chosen.  The Tempest illustrates that, as humans can’t help being human, with human virtues and failings, the most critical aspect of relationships is forgiveness: we must be incessantly forgiving each other – and ourselves – for being human. Brandon’s Assistant Libby Beyreis ^she/her was also Violence Designer, appropriately, acknowledging the dichotomous but related aspects of violence and forgiveness. Balancing these was Maureen Yasko ^she/her as Intimacy Designer.

The set was perfect, spare yet evocative, under the combined attentions of Scenic Painter Breezy Snyder ^she/they with Scenic Designers Laura J. Wiley ^she/her and Tristan Brandon; these two, with Artistic Director Evan Jackson ^he/him, also designed the props, and Laura Wiley ^she/her brought the puppets to life.

[BTW, I hope you’re noticing names being repeated. When a relatively small company is mounting grandiloquent and multidimensional productions (like anything by Shakespeare!), considerable multitasking is required. Thus one sees much overlap, as well as inclusion of cast members, in Production.]

I was enchanted by Jennifer Mohr’s ^she/her costumes and Jacque Bischoff’s ^she/her makeup. The Ariels were captivating with twinkle-lights under tulle skirts and transcendental makeup. Prospero’s magical coat was stunning, and I loved that many of the costumes had corset-style lacing in back; creates such a sense of glamorous antiquity (ancient glamor? whatever)! Trinculo sported mismatched socks, with dissimilar shoes as well. The core values of Idle Muse Theatre Company are True, Timely, and Transporting; between them Mohr and Bischoff made each character totally True.

The same can be said for Laura J Wiley’s ^she/her Lighting Design which, with Kati Lechner ^she/her directing L.J. Luthringer’s ^he/him sound and music compositions, created a multisensory domain accordant with all the disparate scenes, from a raging storm to a quiet family home and to the Ariel(s)-bewitched wildwood, certainly fulfilling the core value of Transporting. Much of this I attribute also to Stage Manager Becky Warner ^she/her and her Associate Lindsey Chidester ^she/her. Pulling all these diverse variants together into a smooth, tangible, inclusive Truth can only happen when excellent direction of a superlative cast is so masterfully Managed as to unite all elements.

Idle Muse’s third core value is Timely, and what could be timelier in the American election year of 2024 than a production that transports us to the Truth? It’s tempting to draw comparisons between fictional and political characters, but it’s unnecessary. The Tempest’s fundamental, essential message is about forming and maintaining relationships: between parents and children, teachers and students, leaders and followers. Forming and maintaining relationships is basic, but never simple, and always requires mutual and correspondent forgiveness.

I recently encountered a new word that I like very much: Ubuntu, or ‘I am because we are’. This term originates from the Zulu and Xhosa languages, and it loosely translates to ‘humanity towards others’. In honor of Bilbo’s and Frodo’s birthdays (as well as my own!), I offer it here in Elvish (Ariel-ish?) Tengwar script:

The Tempest is 2½ hours long, including one intermission.

The Tempest plays at The Edge Off-Broadway through October 20; last nights’ performance was sold out so I VERY Highly Recommend you get your tickets early!

I arrived at City Lit Theater’s MURDER IN THE CATHEDRAL expecting a heavy, serious, doubtless thought-provoking but rather intimidating major work of literature. By the end of the performance, I wanted to rush out, buy the book and read it immediately. Any production that accomplishes this in three hours must be called a success!

At its most basic level T.S. Eliot’s play is a meditation on Christian martyrdom in a time of great political stress. The quotation from Alexai Navalny, “I’m on the very blackest part of the blacklist,” on the program’s front-page links this theme directly to the times we live in today.  The script was almost entirely in verse (how else would the Nobel Prize-winning poet write a play?) and at many points the extended alliteration and vivacious rhyme remind one of “Skimbleshanks, the Railway Cat,” or “Macavity’s a Mystery Cat, he’s called the Hidden Paw,” and the other wonderful TS Eliot poems that gave us the lyrics to Cats.  

Production operated from many levels. Patti Roeder designed costumes ranging from modern business suits to carefully constructed evocations of medieval garb. The various social classes and estates were delineated, with the Chorus [Sally Olson, Isabel Schmitz, Katarina Bakas, Kara Chandler] representing the working poor of Canterbury while the rich and politically powerful barons were embodied in the Tempters [Sean Harklerode, Varris Holmes, Robert Howard], who doubled as Knights with Fourth Knight Zach Kunde, who also played Messenger.  The Priests of the Cathedral were played by John Blick, Stephen Fedo, and Joel Thompson. As a whole the entire cast was splendid and Paul Chakrin’s fight choreography gave us a bloodcurdling assassination.

Which brings us to Becket himself, masterfully played by James Sparling and appareled with consummate attention to detail. I have no idea what vestments a Roman Catholic archbishop of the 12th Century wore or how his acolytes invested him. I do know what a present-day Anglo-Catholic priest wears and how she vests herself, and costume director Patti Roeder nailed it precisely.

The stage was in the sanctuary of Edgewater Presbyterian Church, and Director [and outgoing Producer and Artistic Director] Terry McCabe presented the play in the (semi) round. The central aisle leading to the stage area in front of an altar table and pulpit was, of course, singularly appropriate, and Mike McShane’s lighting through the stained glass behind the altar had a great effect.  But the most amazing contribution was that of composer Phillip Seward, who set the verses of the four-member chorus (think Greek chorus, not Chorus Line) to haunting music in his world-premiere score.

 The four singer / actresses articulated Eliot’s lines, now lyrics, with great clarity and their four-part harmony was flawless.  As in a Greek play, these chorus members were not characterized in the script, yet their acting ability, as well as subtle cues from their costumes, allowed me to imagine the sort of women they were “in real life” as they went about their arduous daily rounds in the 12th Century city of Canterbury.

The role of the chorus is to propel the plot, and the music – pianist Jacob Adams punctuated by hammered chimes – intensified that effect.  The first act, while intellectually heavy, sped by, and the composer closed with an allusion to a somber, minor key Advent hymn, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” – a falling melody line that carries the lyric, “and ransom captive Israel” – a ransom of martyrs’ blood.  

Dialect coach Carrie Hardin’s work with the cast is clearly evident in the British r-lessness, but for the first minutes I wished she’d paid more attention to de-nasalizing the a’s.  However, I soon stopped noticing this. I was particularly intrigued by the choice to portray Becket’s internal conflict as a dialog alternating his middle-class British accent with a working class, almost Cockney style of speech.  

All the performances were strong, but I was particularly impressed with Sparling somehow managing to make Becket not only compelling but also, for me at least, annoying.  Historically, Becket’s assassination was spurred when King Henry II flew into a temper and shouted, “Will no-one rid me of this meddlesome priest?!”  Four of his loyalists took him literally, traveled to Canterbury and, indeed, murdered Becket there in the Cathedral.  How seriously Henry actually meant the comment is unknowable, but I found myself empathizing with his exasperation. 

This reviewer, as it happens, spent 8th grade in England and this period of English history was on that year’s curriculum.  Knowing a bit about the politics of that time was helpful in my understanding the speeches of the first act.  For anyone lacking a middle school level of familiarity with 12^th Century English history, this Wikipedia article covers what Mr. Dowthwaite told us in class.  

Highly recommended!

Playing through June 16 at City Lit Theater.

All my gratitude to Elizabeth Vann for her invaluable assistance in composing this review.