Displaying items by tag: INVICTUS THEATRE

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.