Displaying items by tag: Cher Alvarez

Is love a commodity? Ibsen’s enduring drama “A Doll’s House” has asked audiences for over a century. Writers Theatre unveils a new 90 minute pared-down adaptation penned by Sandra Delgado and directed by Lavina Jadhwani. 

“A Doll’s House” is one of Ibsen’s most known plays. It tells the story of a society woman, Nora (Cher Alvarez) and her struggles with money. Her husband Torvald (Greg Matthew Anderson) patronizes her like she’s one of the children, as long as she plays the happy wife. All seems joyful until a childhood friend, Christine (Tiffany Renee Johnson), comes to ask a favor. Nora, though docile, has her own secrets and when a debt comes due, she must act in order to protect her husband’s reputation. 

Ibsen and Chekhov make some theatre-goers groan. Classic theatre can often be a long evening, but Delgado takes the lengthy work and shortens it down to a one-act without intermission. Her script begs the question, is that necessary? Translations can make all the difference in how we perceive classic works of literature. One translation can vastly differ from another and their authors are usually long dead. It’s hard to say if their intentions translate. In the case of Writer’s adaption of “A Doll’s House” it somewhat misses the mark. 

Performances are good, but they overshadow a wooden script. There’s a degree of inconsistency from line to line. Some dialogue is perfectly modern while other parts seem like a more literal word for word translation that leaves out most of the passion. Unfortunately streamlining this script for a 90-minute run time edited out the poetry, or any memorable strands of dialogue for that matter. This production feels more like a SparkNotes summary of the original rather than an adaptation. 

Cher Alvarez’s Nora is the heart and soul of this production. She breathes life into the clunky dialogue and by the end she’s the only character to elicit much emotional response from the audience. Her performance serves as the depth that’s missing from Delgado’s script. Greg Matthew Anderson as the doting husband Torvald, adds dimension to the character who is otherwise pretty flat. Which is just the issue here, it’s as if the playwright wrote caricatures of Ibsen characters in order to shift the focus toward a grander point about loveless marriages. That point never really solidifies and it’s up to the audience to decide what Ibsen’s intentions were. 

There’s been a renewed interest in this classic as Lucas Hnath’s Broadway smash hit “A Doll’s House Part 2” (2017) is one of the most produced plays in America right now. And there’s good reason, it’s a great modern take on the themes originally explored by Ibsen. There’s an edge to his sort of sequel. There’s no edge in this current production at Writers Theatre. For Ibsen purists, this production will be disappointing but those with a tepid interest will be rewarded by the short run time and outstanding performances. 

Through December 15 at Writers Theatre - 321 Tudor Court, Glencoe. 847-242-6000

As with any good mystery, suspense, intrigue and surprise are the key elements in making a successful story that keeps one on the edge of their seat and keeps you guessing. ‘And Then There Were None’ at Drury Lane in Oakbrook has it all. And even though I have seen this play before, I did not remember the ending and was thoroughly surprised and shocked to find out who “dunnit” and why!

Without giving anything away, this Agatha Christie story is about ten strangers who have been invited to an island vacation by a secretive host or hostess. After realizing that there is a murderer on the island and no escape until a boat comes, the characters all begin displaying their own foibles and ways of coping with what seems to be certain death with some welcoming it and others fighting to the death to stay alive. As the mystery progresses, clues unfold that keep amateur sleuths (audience members) involved as we try piece the puzzle together.  

The mature and very talented, ensemble cast includes Vera Clayton (Cher Alvarez), Justice Wargrave (Matt DeCaro), Mrs. Rogers (Jennifer Engstrom), Emily Brent (Marilyn Dodds Frank), Fred Narracott (Casey Hoekstra), William Blore (Paul-Jordan Jansen), Anthony Marston (Zachary Keller), Doctor Armstrong (David Kortemeier), Philip Lombard (Yousof Sultani), Thomas Rogers (Paul Tavianini), and General Mackenzie (Bruce Young). And all ten had a solid grip on their characters. I was particularly impressed with Emily Brent as Marilyn Dodds Frank. Brent really knows how to infuse every word and look with an element of intensity and humor as her character teeters on the brink of sanity.

The set design by Andrew Boyce was particularly lush in depicting a mansion set on a private island somewhere off the coast of Maine with a stunning view of the ocean. As one who truly enjoys a water view, I was engaged immediately. Directed with great timing by Jessica Fisch, this production had me guessing on the murderers' identity right up until the last scene. But though the thought of a murder mystery might be macabre to some, the play infuses enough humor to keep things light enough for everyone to appreciate. 

There is a very interesting subtext in this story by Christie wherein the murderer has real reasons to kill off each of the guests who are guilty of murder in various ways themselves. The murderer has justified in his or her mind that killing each of these "alleged" murderers is the right way to serve up justice, and to a point the audience begins to actually want to see some of the characters die. But by the end it is clear that when a human presumes to "play God" they must be ready to experience the kick back of instant karma! Recommended for a fun Summer night of mystery solving that is suspenseful but not too scary for the whole family to enjoy.

‘And Then There Were None’ is a delightful whodunnit that is attractive to all sorts of theatre goers. Playing at Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook, you can catch this fun mystery through September 1st For more show information visit www.drurylanetheatre.com.