I’m a geek, I admit it; I love seeing theatre that’s … well … real.  Like SCANDALOUS BOY – you’ve heard of Roman Emperor Hadrian, yeah? He reigned from 117 to 138 CE (that was even before Diana’s wedding!) and occasioned a slew of building projects,  epitomized by Hadrian’s Wall in Britannia. His reign was relatively peaceful and stable; this, with his continuous endeavors to make the Roman Empire more culturally rich, earned him a place on Machiavelli’s list of ‘Five Good Emperors’. [Not so great – five of 198?]

And you know that homosexual relationships were not unusual in ancient Rome, right? A Roman man (women, not so much) was free to choose sexual partners of either gender so long as he remained the active partner (the top).  In about 123AD Hadrian met Antinous, a young man (probably about 14 y/o) renowned for his beauty. Said beauty, by all the evidence that’s survived two millennia, was indeed … what? Matchless? Transcendent?  Paramount?  Check it out – of the thousands of likenesses, largely wrought in marble, 117 have survived – I’ve chosen some nice example(s) for you, and many more can be found by googling Antinous’ name. The National Museums of Liverpool states Antinous and Hadrian are the most famous homosexual couple in Roman history.  I can’t vouch for that, not having made the acquaintance of every homosexual couple in Roman history (workin’ on it!), but we’ll take their word for it, yeah?

SCANDALOUS BOY was narrated by one of those 117 surviving sculptures: the curtain rises (metaphorically; there’s no curtain at Open Space Arts) on a gorgeous man/boy standing posed artistically and clothed in naught but a dance belt. We’re still taking in this marvelous spectacle when OMG! It comes to life! And begins to tell us his story.

Antinous was a country boy, indulgently raised by an adoring mother, who was grooming him for sale to rich and stable older men. At the age of about 14 he was noticed by none other than the emperor Hadrian, traversing this corner of Greece on one of his habitual pilgrimages through his empire. In SCANDALOUS BOY, Antinous doesn’t recognize Hadrian until one of the retinue assures him that “um… yeah … he really IS the emperor.”  

Antonius’ first sexual encounter with Hadrian was, in a word, disenchanting: the emperor’s style of seduction made “wham-bam-thankyou-ma’am” seem romantic. Afterwards, sore and resentful, Antonius meets Lucius. Lucius tells Antinous that Hadrian’s sexual approach has always been like that, and he turned to new young men as soon as the current boy got ‘too old’. Antinous’ appeal will last no more three years, Lucius assures the ‘new boy’, at which time Hadrian will cast him aside … we clearly hear the ‘too’ at the end of that sentence.

Antinous, however, has no intention of being cast aside, nor of being anally assaulted for whatever period his appeal to the emperor lasts. He begins an intensive campaign to teach his lover the techniques of making love, beginning with kissing. Hadrian actively opposes each innovation, but Antinous perseveres, having a double motive: first, to teach his strait-laced lover how to do it right; and second, to prove Lucius wrong.

We fully appreciate the success of this program only after Antinous’ death, in Hadrian’s immoderate, prolonged, and (worst of all) public displays of grief. Statues of Antinous – thousands! – appeared throughout Hadrian’s Empire. Antinous was deified (he made him a god!), and a new city named Antinopolis was founded near the site of his death.  The emperor died surrounded by dozens of statues of his beloved. Not so grand as the Taj Mahal perhaps, but pretty spectacular, nonetheless.

SCANDALOUS BOY was performed by special authorization of Australian playwright David Atfield. Atfield’s writing often explores historical and emotional themes; he is especially recognized for crafting intimate, character-driven dramas, blending the personal with the political in complex ways. We can be proud that he chose Chicago, and Open Space Arts, for the international premiere of this award-winning play.

Casting was inspired. Jose Alexander Martinez was perfect as Antinous: certainly, purty enough for the part, and obviously comfortable with his nakedness (a flesh-colored dance belt with strategic sequins). But the role demanded far more than a sculpted body and a pretty face, and Martinez delivered.

Marble busts of AntoniuBritish Museum 2011s & Hadrian 

Martinez is a newbie to the Chicago theatre scene, so his excellence was a welcome novelty. But Jordan Gleaves has been in Chicago long enough that his superb performance as Hadrian was no surprise, but no less valued. Antonio Cruz was equally brilliant as Lucius – one was able to see the beautiful youth he had been behind the lonely, covetous man he’d become. Jinyue Yuna Hu brought empathic depth to the role of Sabine, Hadrian’s much-neglected wife. Marcellus’s role was brief, but Emiliano Flores demonstrated its importance.

As always at Open Space Arts I have to begin by praising Set Design. OSA is teensy (25 seats!), which is one of the [many] things I love about it, but between its size and the big honkin’ pipe running floor to ceiling in the center of the stage space, it never ceases to amaze me that anyone can actually design a set! in there. But Dylan Tye Davis does so, ably aided by Lex Newman’s lighting design.

I’m mad at Costume Designer Brett Morgan – was it really necessary to put a dance belt on Antinous?  Though I understand that, in our neighborhood, discarding it could well have incited riots. Sound Designer Santiago Quintana gave the piece a terrific collection of music for Antinous to dance to; and as for Intimacy Coordinator Christa Retka: nice. Very nice. Between them, Director Benjamin Mills and Stage Manager Marz Allswede pulled it all together into a cohesive and marvelous whole.

We’ve established that I’m a full-fledged geek; I love theatre that tells true stories, and the story of Hadrian and Antinous is verified, documented, corroborated and substantiated. Antinous complains that ‘two thousand years of standing around with no clothes on is a long time waiting to tell one’s story’ and I certainly can’t argue with that! – I can only be grateful for his forbearance.

And, just BTW: This production contains depictions of sexual content, nonconsensual acts, and physical violence. Viewer discretion is advised. Translation: Oh yeah, get online right now to buy tickets for this weekend! but please, don’t take the kids.

SCANDALOUS BOY will play weekends at Open Space Arts through June 8.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!  by Sarz Maxwell

HONEYPOT originated as a creative nonfiction book by E. Patrick Johnson, Dean of the School of Communication at Northwestern University. Johnson has a passion for oral history; for HONEYPOT he interviewed a number of Black Southern women, documented in his book of the same title. Johnson always imagined the work being staged as an ensemble piece; he also “wanted to see what someone else would do with the material”. That someone else proved to be D. Soyini Madison, Professor Emerita at Northwestern, which thrilled Johnson as “it was she who introduced me to oral histories and adapting them for the stage.” Talk about full-circle magic! Madison emphasized the role of co-director Tim Rhoze: “it seemed to be a wonderful fit of intersectionality between traditional theater … with oral history,” said Rhoze.

The stage at Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre is open, with no curtain, so before the action begins we could contemplate and enjoy the set, designed by Tim Rhoze and Kotryna L. Hilko. The murals by Sholo Beverly were spectacular, and as the play developed, we realized some of the images were in fluorescent paint, so they changed with changes in the lighting (Josiah Croegaert, Lighting Designer). The production blends original music (Sound Designer Ethan Korvne), choreography (Marsae Lynn Mitchell), and poetry to reveal the women’s stories, and Stage Manager Rich Oliver, with assistant Eldridge Shannon III, kept it flowing seamlessly.

The main character is Jelani Julyus as “Dr. EPJ”, a stand-in for author Johnson. EPJ, a gay Black man, finds his vivid dreams becoming reality when he’s kidnapped by “Miss Bee” (Tuesdai B. Perry), Queen Bee of the Hive. Under Miss Bee’s direction, EPJ observes and chronicles the stories of the various women inhabiting a metaphysical place variously called the Hive and the Hymen. The honeycomb and bee imagery of the set kept us moored in the communal nature of honeybee communities.

The ensemble included Angelena Browne, Kaitlyn Fields, Nehanda Julot, Santina Juma, Jasmine "Jaz" Robertson, and Sadie Stickler; each performed multiple roles to bring the women’s voices to life.  The actors were a wide range of sizes, skin shades, and general appearance; the sole common characteristic was, as the title states, they were all queer, and Intimacy Coordinator Chels Morgan gave them free reign to commune and consort onstage.

They did talk about being queer – at times with splendiferous jubilation and delectable delight! – but virtually no reflection their being from the South. Perhaps the author did not consider this issue very important, but if so, why include it in the title? There was also no discussion of the issue of being Black – aside from the visual statement that they all were. I was interested in how things were for black lesbians in the South, but I never really learned.

Musical interludes served as transition points, from blues to African-inspired chants, often with drums to accompany the splendid vocal harmonies. The costumes, designed by co-set designer Kotryna L. Hilko, were fairly simple so as not to distract us from the stories, the synchronized voices, and the dancing (choreographer Marsae Lynn Mitchell).

The stories were presented as replies to EPJ’s questions, and Miss Bee prompted each woman in turn to provide her response. The questions covered a wide range of topics, from motherhood to drug addiction to political activism.  Just before intermission there was a long and explicit section on early sexual abuse. Every one of the women provided an unexpurgated account … each different, all wrenchingly the same.

I was puzzled by the presence of a man in this piece that was supposed to be about women and, quite frankly, I couldn’t understand why all these dykes were baring their souls to a man!  Specifically, I became troubled by his interrogatory question: “Did you tell?” I’ve done many examinations on abuse survivors, and I recognize that their reaction to whatever happened when they ‘told’ is critically important. My problem was not with EPJ asking, but with the manner of his inquiry. Every time he used the same three words: ‘Did you tell?’, which sounded more intrusive with each repetition. By the end of that segment I could no longer write it off to inexperience or indelicacy; I experienced the questions as prurient and voyeuristic. The second act provided no segue from the painful revelations we’d just heard but simply began careering through the lives of the different women, their lovers, and their political activities.

I’m fairly sure HONEYPOT did not deliberately set EPJ as the main character, but that was my indelible impression. For me, this decentered the stories of the women in a play that was supposed to teach us about black southern women who love women. Instead, I learned quite a bit about EPJ, from his marriage to his mother's favorite song, but not much about BLACK SOUTHERN WOMEN WHO LOVE WOMEN.

I was really excited to see this show and truly wanted to love it. Sadly, I didn’t.

HONEYPOT: BLACK SOUTHERN WOMEN WHO LOVE WOMEN at Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre in Evanston is playing through June 1^st.

*By Sarz Maxwell with much assistance from Arcenia Harmon

*This review is also featured on https://www.theatreinchicago.com/! 

I reviewed TITUS ANDRONICUS in mid-February, so I was eager to see the sequel!

In TITUS, Shakespeare tells the story from the viewpoint of the regnant major characters: Empress Tamora and her sons Chiron, Demetrius and Bassianus; Lucius and the unlucky Lavinia, progeny of Titus Andronicus himself. GARY occurs immediately after that sensationally gruesome tale and tells the story from behind the green baize doors: two very lowly servants are charged with cleaning up the mess of bloody bodies strewn thither and yon. Let me stress, however, that one need not have seen TITUS previously; GARY works just fine as a stand-alone.

Gary (brilliantly played by William Delforge) is a servant who aspires to the lofty status of Fool and wistfully dresses the part. His BFF (tho she may not agree!) is the maid Janice (Hannah Rhode), less imaginative but patently more astute than Gary. We encounter one old friend from TITUS: the delicious Cameron Austin Brown as Carole, the midwife who delivered Empress Tamora’s baby, which was instantly and inarguably seen to have been fathered by the Moor Aaron (James Lewis). Inexplicably, Carol survives the resulting collieshangle [great word, yeah? Means donnybrook or argy-bargy. Aren’t words fun then?] to reappear in the midst of the (very) bloody task of tidying up the corpses littering the palace.

So, the plot being fairly straightforward, I choose now to focus on the playwright, Taylor Mac, who uses the pronoun ‘judy’, a personalized pronoun for someone whose gender (professionally and personally) is constantly changing. Judy describes GARY as ‘a tragedy determined to become a comedy’ – a definition I can absolutely get next to! Mac’s (absolutely fabulous) bio provides a simple list of judy’s achievements, which include: a MacArthur “genius”, a Pulitzer Prize Finalist, a Tony nominee for Best Play, and the recipient of the International Ibsen Award, the Kennedy Prize, the Doris Duke Performing Artist Award, a Guggenheim, a Drama League Award, a NY Drama Critics Circle Award, two Obie’s, and two Bessies. Whew! Judy’s webmaster has a lot of work keeping judy’s website current!

And how lucky are we to live in Chicago, where Redtwist Theatre is mounting a production of this extraordinary phenomenal deviant unorthodox outlandish bizarre freakish mind-boggling peculiar implausible superlative disruptive … well, I (obviously) could go on and on – god how I love word hippo’s thesaurus! What I’m trying to say is I really really liked the show, but it’s unquestionably not for everyone. Don’t take your grandma to see GARY, and please don’t bring the kids! And BTW, don’t worry about the blood splashing – Redtwist will provide a water-repellant poncho upon request.

OK, that’s the playwright, let’s move on. The remainder of the production team is familiar to those of us who frequent Redtwist Theatre.

Director Steve Scott: Steve has been around; he’s a member of the Redtwist ensemble and served as producer at Goodman Theatre for more than thirty years. For three decades Steve taught at Chicago College of Fine Arts at Roosevelt University. He has received six Jeff nominations, an After Dark Award, a special Jeff Award for career achievement, and the League of Chicago Theaters’ Lifetime Achievement Award.  So … Steve knows what he’s about, but with a production so labyrinthine as GARY, he welcomed aid from Assistant Director Korey Joseph and Technical Director Jeff Brain.

Dusty Brown is another familiar name; they served as Dramaturg and Sound Designer for GARY. Fight Choreographer Seth Eggenschwiller was excited to continue prioritizing actor safety alongside hard-hitting theatrical violence. The lighting for GARY was complex and superbly executed by Lighting Designer Piper Kirchhofer.

Props Designer Robin Manganaro loves working with teams and stories that represent BIPOC, neurodivergent, and LGBTQ+ perspectives; definitely the case with GARY at Redtwist.  I imagine (and certainly hope) Costume Designer kClare McKellaston (yet another familiar name!) had real fun with the costumes for GARY – and they came out absolutely fabulous!

Scenic Designer Eric Luchen also did a marvelous job with the scanty space he had to work in at Redtwist; remember the splash warnings! Luchen was most recently awarded the Conda Award for Excellence in Scenic Design for his production of ‘Mary Poppins’ in Newcastle, Australia.

One is at times sitting mere inches from the action – only an excellent and very professional cast could keep from overbalancing and falling into someone’s lap! this contiguity made interaction with the audience well-nigh unavoidable; people were given beads, and during a long oration I was able to slip a mint to Hannah Rhode.   

We come last to stage management. I asked a friend who’s held every backstage position imaginable, “So, what does a Stage Manager actually do, anyway?”  They replied, “Everything.” And indeed, Everything was done by Co-Stage Managers Ashley O'Neill and Maria Reyes, and Production Stage Manager Raine DeDominici.

OK: the stage is set, props arranged, scripts perused; audience members file expectantly in to take the available seats (16? 18?).  What now?

The cast of GARY is small – only three actors, and I’ve already named all three: William Delforge as Gary; Hannah Rhode as Janice; Cameron Austin Brown as the midwife Carol. (a wad of fabric was cast as ‘baby’.)

CAMERON AUSTIN BROWN, I remember fondly as midwife Carol from TITUS. He occupied the role and made us believe: once this accoucheuse [another great word yeah? 3 cheers for word hippo!] laid eyes on the baby, they knew that this dusky little morsel was fated for elimination; one could not, after all, retain this irrefutable evidence of the Empress’ infidelity … and adulterous miscegenation to boot! What on Earth would the neighbors say?

But Carol, irrefutable witness that the dark infant proceeded from the Empress’ loins, is fond of this morsel of iniquity. Luckily (for Carol!) the babe is also cherished by Aaron, the Moor whose protracted liaison with the Empress has now borne this damning fruit.

HANNAH RHODE is Janice – by my reckoning the only one of this group who’s got the good sense God gave a little green worm. Gary finds her a bit boring, because Janice is focused on that which is practicable, functional, sensible … just reading that list of words would send Gary into a snooze. Rhodes is wonderful in this role, keeping a straight face in the most comical circumstances, even while giving Gary a perfect “WTF??” look. Yet despite being commonsensible, levelheaded and prudent (all opprobrious qualities to Gary!), Rhode gives her an essential likability. All three of the characters are actually quite appealing, despite their more vulgar and indecorous traits.

Ah, Gary … GaryGaryGary. William Delforge is well and truly brilliant in this role. I just hope he’s taking his vitamins to keep him going as he capers and cavorts, prances and gambols, downplaying Gary’s knavery with exuberant tomfoolery.  And one is forced to admire Gary’s ambitions: he will be a Fool! In fact, Delforge shows us that Gary already is a Fool, in all its positive and negative permutations. I truly loved Delforge’s characterization of Gary.

I usually unabashedly single out a member of the cast as my ‘favorite’, but GARY has me discombobulated [one of my favorite words for decades!] – I truly can’t choose between the three! Hannah Rhode’s Janice was perfection. Cameron Austin Brown’s Carol was sublime (and oh my, Brown is simply adorable!). And I just finished waxing eloquent about Delforge’s Gary.

*sigh* no way to pick

But here's the really good news: GARY: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus will be playing at Redtwist Theatre for another month! Really, truly, GARY will play through June 1 at Redtwist, 1044 W Bryn Mawr. And I VERY HIGHLY RECOMMEND you check it out!

*This review is also featured on https://www.theatreinchicago.com/!

The repertoire for this fabulous program - A WONDROUS SOUND, showcasing the full force of Lyric’s amazing orchestra and chorus, was developed in collaboration between Lyric Conductor Enrique Mazzola and Chorus Director Michael Black.

The orchestra started it off with the thrilling overture from Carmen, followed by some of that beloved opera’s most famous choral numbers. My enjoyment was vastly enhanced by John Morgan, Lyric’s General Director, President, and CEO (whew! Keeping exalted company here!) who periodically took the podium with explanations and introductions. I’d not known, for example, how shocking mid-1850’s audiences found Carmen: operas were supposed to be about noble characters in elegant settings, yet here was this baseborn girl working in a cigarette factory! Despite (or possibly because of) this whiff of scandal, it was, and remains, thunderously popular. And I never realized how Rossini’s William Tell helped spur the Swiss people to rise up against Austrian rule and gain their independence.

The William Tell overture, made familiar to everyone by The Lone Ranger, reminded me that the early cartoons were accompanied by classical music, chosen to familiarize kids with the finer things in life. Franz Liszt's 'Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2' was featured in Tom & Jerry’s Cat Concerto and Bugs Bunny’s Rapsody Rabbit, among many others. In What's Opera, Doc? Bugs and Elmer do Wagner; and who could forget Peanuts’ Schroeder serenading Lucy with Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata?

I’d better make a confession: I am a musical philistine. Attending the symphony is nice and all, but I only truly enjoy the allegro movements, and usually spend the adagios mentally reviewing my grocery list. What can I say? I like to be livened up. Also, one of my peculiarities (some would say the least of these but that’s neither here nor there) is that I prefer listening to music I already know. Both these inclinations made A WONDROUS SOUND the perfect program for me, featuring the most beloved (and thereby well-known) overtures and choral numbers from opera and musical theater. And President Morgan’s marvelous commentary added the pleasure of edification to make it a thoroughly splendid afternoon.

Mazzola, as a native Italian, explained to us how selections by Wagner and Verdi in the mid-19^th century were focused on themes of peace and unity, helping to motivate the quarrelsome politically independent city-states (Milano, Venezia) to conjoin, creating the single entity we now know as Italy. Cool, yeah? And the ‘Humming Chorus’ from Puccini’s Madama Butterfly was a revelation to me: an entire song hummed, in 4-part harmony … who knew?

The program progressed into the 20^th century, and it was a delight to see the austere Lyric Chorus transmute their operatic strains into the giggles and exclamations in “America” from Bernstein’s West Side Story. The program concluded with Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “You’ll Never Walk Alone” and “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” (which I had to restrain myself from singing along with).

Those who hurried out during the prolonged standing ovation may have got their cars out of the garage quickly, but they missed Mazzola calling Choral Director Michael Black to the stage to help direct an encore! My companion, faculty from the School of the Art Institute, was moved to hear the overture from Sondheim’s Sunday Afternoon in the Park with George, while knowing the Seurat painting that inspired it was hanging less than two miles away.

I have already enumerated the (less than complimentary) reasons why I so loved this concert, but one would need a totally tin ear not to appreciate it. During a traditional opera the audience must keep their attention on the supertitles to follow the plot, but A WONDROUS SOUND allowed us to simply sit back and enjoy the greatest choral music of all time, from opera’s archetypic gems to treasured Broadway classics.

The performers were obviously enjoying the program as much as we were. Maestro Enrique Mazzola – only the third conductor in the Lyric’s 71-year history – is invariably referred to as ‘beloved’, which he ably demonstrated in this performance. His direction is always buoyant but for A WONDROUS SOUND he was positively effervescent. He gesticulated, he sprang into the air, he beamed at the audience….

Mazzola was wonderfully generous with acknowledgements. Not satisfied with the abundant applause after each selection, he periodically drew his orchestra to their feet, inviting more acclaim for their genius. At the close of the program, he brought several individuals from the wings to receive applause (I’m not sure who they all were, but I clapped – if they’re good enough for Enrique, they’re good enough for me!), and I’ve already spoken of how much I appreciated President John Morgan’s delightful historical vignettes.

I wish I could tell you to go see this show immediately but alas! there were only two performances. We can but hope the reception they received will induce the Lyric to mount such a production again … maybe even regularly?

VERY Highly Recommended

THE LISTENERS has undergone several incarnations since the 2021 novel by Jordan Tannahill. It’s been a full-length movie, a TV series’, and now an opera, premiering in New York and now brought to Chicago by the renowned composer/librettist team Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek. This opera, at Civic Opera House, was in all aspects a spectacle.

The first spectacle for me was the videography, designed by Chris Maravich and Sarah Riffle. It not only enhanced the show but actually made it possible for patrons sitting farther back than the Dress Circle to actually see the performers. Solos were performed from a nondescript podium while a huge video showed the artist in closeup. The result was both wonderful and very effective.

[NOTE: This production features an enormous cast and crew; I simply couldn’t wedge them all into my review. The result includes those artists whose work moved me speak – my opinions, which in no way reflect the superb work of artists I neglected to name.]

Throughout the opera I was fascinated by Adam Rigg’s brilliant set. A few scenes – those involving the full company – used the entire stage, but most sets were formed on a revolving stage comprised of two or three separate sets. The huge apparatus could be drawn onto the stage by 2-3 people, and turned to display each new set as easily, while one set faced the rear and was not visible to the audience, allowing Rigg’s team to prepare it for future scenes.

I was entranced by the dancers Rachel Harris and Morgan Reed McDaniel, particularly in their role as Coyote, an apparition that offers solace to the primary Listener, Claire [NOTE:  the critter is called Coyote but, without wanting to be difficult, I maintain that I know a bloody CAT when I see one! slinking about between peoples’ legs and swishing her long tail. But that’s neither here nor there so far as this review.]

Let me give you the bare bones of the story (no spoilers, I promise). The Hum is a phenomenon seen in the UK and the US, particularly in Southwestern desert areas. It’s described variously by individual sufferers, but all agree on the appellation The Hum, a noise, neither loud nor unpleasant but directionless, untraceable, and, worst of all, constant. Claire, an unexceptional American housewife and schoolteacher, is subjected to The Hum and is unable to explain her world of hallucinatory oddness. Her husband Paul (Zachary Nelson) and daughter Ashley (Jasmine Habersham) behave just as you’d expect–initially they treat Claire sympathetically and then, as The Hum and Claire’s anguish persist, they can’t help thinking she’s simply gone nuts.

And indeed, Claire herself feels crazy. Is it all in her imagination?  Could The Hum be a murmur of dissatisfaction with her ordinary life? It’s impossible to explain. She believes herself alone, the only person that hears it … until she consults her high-school students. Here she strikes gold: one student hears it too! This naturally creates a bond between Claire and Kyle (Jonas Hacker), and she is receptive when Kyle discovers a group, THE LISTENERS, whose mission is to understand and eliminate The Hum.

Led by the charismatic Howard (Kyle Ketelsen) and his second-in-command Angela (Daniela Mack), THE LISTENERS offers a compassionate environment for Claire and Kyle, a group where strangers pour out their most intimate secrets to each other within about five minutes of meeting (as you do). 

Drawn into this group - are they a cult? What does that even mean? - Claire finds succor after the breakdown of her own family life. Still, questions of power, mental health and explanations for The Hum are raised but never resolved.

Act the Second focuses on the group, THE LISTENERS, As the group grows larger and becomes more ritualistic, the members – who are, after all, basically just folks – begin to assume the conflicts common to large groups:  dissonance between members; jealousy for higher position (e.g. supplanting second-in-command Angela); partisan factions arguing polemics. These squabbles are heightened as members begin to denounce Howard, whose response to the mutineers escalates from disregard to outright hostility. Ultimately Howard appoints himself Lord High Executioner and banishes the dissenters from THE LISTENERS.

The ending is no small thunderbolt, and I’ll not risk spoilers! However, in the year 2025 I’d be remiss not to use this opportunity to explore the phenomenon of CULTS.

‘CULT’ vs  ‘SECT’

Sects are products of internal schism and maintain continuity with traditional beliefs and practices, whereas cults arise spontaneously around novel beliefs and practices.

Wikipedia defines a cult as a social group with socially deviant or novel beliefs and practices. However, the term has dehumanizing associations and by the end of the 1970s the term ‘cult’ was largely replaced in academia with " new religious movement”.

Sects are smaller parts of larger groups and are not necessarily religious. The field of Economics, for example, can be divided into the sect’s ‘capitalist’ and ‘communist’; Psychiatry includes the sects “Freudian’ and ‘Jungian’.     A number of devices are used to define and recognize cults, and to differentiate cults from sects.

Dr. Steven Hassan’s BITE model includes clues for recognizing cults

B for Behavior Control: Promote dependence and obedience in all aspects of life

• Where & with whom you live; appearance
• Regulate eating, drinking, and sleeping
• Exploitation – sexually, financially

I  for Information Control: Deliberately withhold & distort information

• Divide information into Insider vs Outsider
• Demand confession sessions then use that information against you
• Encourage spying on your peers & reporting ‘misconduct’

T   for Thought Control:  Instill Black vs White/  Us vs Them  /  Good vs Evil  thinking

• Only +ve thoughts allowed
• Singing, prayer, chanting to block thought

E  for Emotional Control:  Instill irrational fears – happiness is found only in the group

• Label certain emotions as wrong, evil, sinful
• Promote shame, guilt, unworthiness; threaten family & friends
• Love bombing until you disobey; then shunning

Some scholars have theorized that religiosity and cultic affiliation tend to rise in proportion to perceived uncertainty: the less control we have over our circumstances, the more likely we are to entrust our fates to a higher power. 

This propensity could speak to why cults proliferated during the social and political tumult of the 1960’s, and why levels of religiosity have remained wider spread in America than in other industrialized countries. Americans, it is argued, experience significantly more economic precarity than people in nations with stronger social safety nets. Thus, they’re more inclined to seek comfort and security elsewhere.

This final bit is not necessarily related to my review of THE LISTENERS, but I found it to be an interesting and possibly important thought. Personally, I find the idea uniquely disquieting in April 2025.

The opera THE LISTENERS is also significantly disquieting. I like – in fact I prefer these more sombre and troubled performances, especially as THE LISTENERS features a musically and dramatically brilliant cast and crew. But if you simply want to be entertained by the mellifluent tones of Lyric’s superlative performers, you may prefer another of the masterworks in Lyric Opera’s season

RECOMMENDED

THE LISTENERS plays at Lyric Opera of Chicago through April 11  

*This review is also featured on https://www.theatreinchicago.com/!

I’ve reviewed a number of shows at Open Space Arts (OSA) – I love the place – so I’m familiar with OSA’s attributes: unique productions that battle antisemitism and homophobia with art; premiere plays by previously-unknown writers; small, intimate venue; and, most of all, incredible talent both on- and off-stage.  it’s been ten years meets all these criteria.

Cesario Tirado-Ortiz is a playwright, actor, singer, producer (and, no doubt, pastry chef and bricklayer!), and it’s been ten years follows his tradition of telling queer stories that are not necessarily about being queer. Director Teri Talo is an actor making their directing debut with it’s been ten years, finding in this new role a chance continues using art as social remonstration.

The story is one of trauma, terror, and murky uncertainty. Ten years ago, four kids faced life-threatening (but unknown) horrors, which each of the four responded to in different ways. Allison (Noah Hinton) fled; Maude (Julia Toney) killed the perpetrator (who happened to be their brother); and Betsy (Alexis Queen) developed an … atypical eating disorder.  

Maude is ostensibly the most damaged in the group, and only with great reluctance do they agree to their former lover Betsy’s idea for group healing. Betsy brings Allison and Maude to a group retreat at a remote campsite, run by ‘therapist’ Alex Marusich, whose incompetence only begins with muddling pronouns … but that’s a significant problem with this group, as only Betsy has retained her cis-gender. Gender is a conspicuous uncertainty in it’s been ten years, but it’s by no means the most pivotal.

We never learn exactly what the original traumas entailed; we don’t know (though we can speculate) why Maude and Betsy are estranged; and hey! there were four survicors of the original trauma. Where – for that matter, who – is the fourth? Sam (Alex Marusich) doesn’t appear until late in the action, and his arrival is neither expected nor welcomed. The other three suspect that Sam must have done something infamous in response to their ordeal [whatever it was]. It must be pretty heinous to top Betsy, who witnessed the murders of her cheerleading squad, then ate them.

This seething agglomeration of distress is roused by a fortuitous thunderstorm, which not only provides appropriate auditory context (sound design Kiera Battles) but knocks out the camp’s electricity, so the remainder of the action is lit by lightning flashes (lighting design Lex Newman). Video clips (Shane Hogan) provide glimpses of the characters’ past lives, and production stage manager Mary Dixon brings it all together in this dark, cramped, rather spooky basement venue – perfect for this tale of horror, desolation and self-recrimination.

it's been ten years since everybody died plays at Open Space Arts through April 6

*Extended through April 19th

Recommended!    

*This review is also featured on https://www.theatreinchicago.com/!

Ser o no ser   esa es la cuestión

We are all familiar with Shakespeare’s iconic line: to be or not to be; famous enough that it doesn’t need the projected English supertitles to be recognized. This adaptation of the celebrated play is written and directed by Chela De Ferrari, in company with the eight actors from Teatro La Plaza: Octavio Bernaza, Jaime Cruz, Lucas DeMarchi, Manuel Garcia, Diana Gutierrez, Cristina Leon Barandiaran, Ximena Rodriguez, and Alvaro Toledo.

Teatro La Plaza, in partnership with the Chicago Latino Theatre Alliance, brings this production of HAMLET all the way from Lima Peru. This company of eight extraordinary artists explores the central theme of identity through their personal experiences as people with Down’s Syndrome. “I am not the same as you” resounds through the production, not as a theme of alienation but as a way to better understand the complex reality of being human. How Hamlet defines himself in a world that he is held apart from is explored through dance and song, humor and passion, bringing modern perspectives to the ancient play.  

The play is presented in several disparate and unique formats, incorporating pantomime and music, stagecraft and film. The cast is a true ensemble; all eight performers inhabit the title character of Hamlet at some point in the production, yet we are never confused, for all speak of their similar experiences with inclusion and discrimination.  “I am not the same as you” is not a lament but a celebration of uniqueness, a fusion of modern lived experience with 450-year-old words.

The screen behind the actors comes alive with unexpected images: from a graphic film of a baby’s birth to a question-and-answer session with Sir Ian McKellan about his interpretation and portrayal of Hamlet. Video Technician Dennis Hilario smoothly incorporates myriad visual effects throughout, complementing the brilliant cast performances.

In addition to the marvelous tutorial with Sir Ian (who must have reveled in the unique opportunity!), the cast appraises Laurence Olivier’s majestic performance, reminding us that the character of Hamlet is traditionally played by an iconic theatrical master. Writer-Director Chela De Ferrari boldly chose to assign that role to actors historically excluded from artistic and intellectual spaces, provoking us to experience Hamlet’s famous question, “Ser o no ser” personally and in real time.

De Ferrari developed the script with the cast over the course of a year, incorporating the actors’ personal experiences as people with Down Syndrome. The result combines Shakespeare’s 450-year-old verse with private anecdotes from the actors’ lives, adding a modern twist with music (Vocal Training, Alessandra Rodriguez), dance (choreography, Mirella Carbone) and video projections (Visuals Director Lucho Soldevilla). ‘To be or not to be’ is not spoken once by a single designated ‘Hamlet’; all the performers offer their own interpretation of the line via their personal struggles for existence. We learn how they, like Hamlet, strive to claim space in a world that deliberately overlooks them. Says De Ferrari, “Everywhere we go, audiences experience something beyond what they expected. Some arrive anticipating a ‘social project’ or an ‘amateur production’ but leave artistically and intellectually challenged.”

Central to the audience experience is the theme of joy, an emotion not typically associated with Hamlet. The play is a revenge tragedy, exploring despair, grief, and vengeance, and is well known for its many deaths, yet these imaginative Peruvian artists transform it into a celebration of life. Chicago Shakespeare Theater Artistic Director Edward Hall described it as ‘sunshine in a bottle’.

The play is performed in Spanish with projected English supertitles; the one aspect of this wonderful production that I had issues with. I found it difficult to read; the projected lines were too small and often not bright enough. BUT – do NOT let this observation keep you from attending HAMLET. Several people (including me) pointed out the difficulties to the crew and I have no doubt that lighting directors Marvin Calle and Jesus Reyes are addressing them.

Whether you’ve seen HAMLET onstage or not, you owe it to yourself to see this production of Shakespeare’s most famous play. The entirety of the plot is preserved, the most celebrated lines retained (“get thee to a nunnery!”), augmented and enlivened by the actors’ own experiences.

HAMLET plays at the Chciago Shakespeare Theatrer through March 23.

Very Highly Recommended!

*This review is also featured on https://www.theatreinchicago.com/!

Do not bring the kids to TITUS ANDRONICUS; it has 14 killings, 9 of them on stage, 6 severed members, 1 rape (or 2 or 3, depending on how you count), 1 live burial, 1 case of insanity and 1 of cannibalism – an average of 5.2 atrocities per act. We’re talking kung-fu, sword-fu, spear-fu, dagger-fu, arrow-fu, pie-fu … heads roll, hands roll, tongues roll, nine and a half quarts of blood flow – pretty gruesome, even for Shakespeare. We were offered seats within or outside the ‘splash zone’; we chose the former (of course) and were duly splashed.

TITUS ANDRONICUS, Shakespeare's bloodiest script, brings prejudice and the politics of revenge to the forefront – timely and apt, yeah? TITUS ANDRONICUS is one of the Bard’s lesser-known plays; co-adaptors Dusty Brown, Caroline Kidwell and Jordan Gleaves showed courage and foresight in bringing this controversial story to the stage and are rewarded by the aptness of this story to 2025 America. Prejudice and revenge? Yeah.

Redtwist Theatre is one of Chicago’s signature black box venues; its mission is to ‘create searing hot drama that builds empathy, dissects cruelty, and reveals broader truths.’ Their tiny black box venue becomes a thematic asset (TITUS ANDRONICUS seated 20), every show tailored to close the gap between actor and audience – literally and figuratively – adding ‘a little red twist’ to every production by exploring the violence inherent in our humanity.

Fine aspirations but challenging to realize. Redtwist was recently renovated, though We aim to create brave spaces, where listening and learning can take place.

The cast was phenomenal, as is to be expected in Chicago’s rich thespian environs.  Anne Sheridan Smith in the title role maintained their martial dynamism through a score of brutal spectacles, as did Sabine Wan as their sister Marcus. Caroline Kidwell personified the heroism of their mutilated daughter Lavinia while Philip C. Matthews was a compelling Lucius, sole surviving progeny of the Andronicus line.

On the other side of the conflict, Laura Sturm was redoubtable as Titus Andronicus’ captive Tamora, Queen of the Goths; the Emperor Saturninus (Joshua Servantez) is sufficiently impressed to marry and make her Empress, abjuring his engagement to Titus’ daughter Lavinia. This delights his brother Bassianus (Madelyn Loehr), who is in love with and betrothed to Lavinia.

Are you still following this? Iambic pentameter is challenging enough without so convoluted a plotline. The talents of Text Coach Meredith Ernst Maryfield were absolutely vital!

Meanwhile, back at the Emperor’s palace, Empress Tamora gives birth to a baby whose dark skin proves he was fathered, not by the Emperor but by the lowborn (not to mention Black) Aaron (James Lewis). Aaron is devoted to the infant, in stark contrast to his unrelenting inclination for inciting evil. He helps Tamora’s sons Chiron (Elijah Newman) and Demetrius (Quinn Leary) foil their brother Bassianus by capturing Lavinia, gang-raping her, and cutting away her tongue and hands to prevent her identifying them.

Tamora arrays herself as Vengeance and appears to Titus Andronicus with her sons, disguised as Murder and Rapine. Undeceived (and understandably, vexed by their pillage of Lavinia), Titus sends ‘Vengeance’ away, retaining ‘Murder’ and ‘Rapine’, both of whom he kills. He invites Tamora and Saturninus to a banquet and, after they’ve scarfed down every bite, reveals that the pie he served was made with the hearts of Demetrius and Chiron.

Once Tamora has eaten her fill of scion pie, he kills both her and (for some reason) his own daughter Lavinia. A rash of killings ensues, leaving alive only Marcus, Lucius, Young Lucius, and Aaron. Lucius has Aaron buried alive and Tamora's corpse thrown to the beasts and having thus demonstrated his fitness for office, he becomes the new Emperor, promising to Make Rome Great Again. The people of Rome refuse to accept it and march en-mass on the nation’s Capital … oops, sorry; that’s 2025; Lucius Andronicus took the throne in … well, TITUS ANDRONICUS is fictional so we can’t be sure, but we can be sure that history repeats itself.

Redtwist’s creative team makes all of this work, from Director Dusty Brown with Assistant Andie Dae to Stage Managers Eliot Colin, Raine DeDominici, and Ashley O’Neill.  I was deeply impressed with Scenic Designer Eric Luchen’s set: austere, even spartan, it accommodated the script’s complex depredations and treated most spectators to contact with a corpse if not baptism in blood. I loved Costume Designer kClare McKellaston’s fusion of modern and bling. Michael Dias’ gruesomely convincing stage combat was perfectly balanced by Intimacy Director Erin Sheets; powerful even at very close contact.

If you’d like to follow (another) depraved empire crumble from within, TITUS ANDRONICUS is for you. But let me repeat:  do not bring the kids!

TITUS ANDRONICUS plays at Redtwist Theatre through March 30.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!  By Sarz Maxwell

*Extended through April 6th

*You can also find this review featured on https://www.theatreinchicago.com/.

I’ve never seen Cirque and have always longed to. It was SO worth the wait! Here’s what I saw:

Color. And light. And color. And music (Berna Ceppas Composer and Musical Director) – or sound, any road -- Sound Designer Jonathan Deans says, “I need the audience to know they are entering a different world.”  Oh yeah.

It's difficult to find words for just what it is these unbelievably talented performers are doing:  Gymnastics? Yes. Acrobatics? Certainly. Pantomime? Oh yeah. Dance? Definitely … as well as trapeze, balancing, somersaulting, tightrope (and slackrope!), trampoline … oh my oh my!!  Still photos just can’t capture a contortionist pretzeling (how often can you use pretzel as a verb?)  herself til she’s smiling at us from between the soles of her feet. Oy vey.   

Costume Designer Liz Vandal says, “I try to make the body dynamic and reveal its intrinsic beauty.”  And these bodies have beaucoup intrinsic beauty! Limber and flexible is simply baseline; willowy and sleek are appropriate but inadequate; shapely and supple, certainly …  I’d say genderless (a look I’ve always loved) but I don’t want to target either Cirque or Buzz for investigation by the Federal Bureau for Rampant Incipience.

Beautiful.  Beautiful.  Beautiful.

We can’t expect even these amazing bodies in Vandal’s mind-blowing costumes and breathtaking makeup (Julie Bégin is Make-up Designer) to wow us by just hanging out, right? Here’s where the phenomenal backstage crew comes in. Rigging and Acrobatic Equipment Designer Fred Gérard complains: “there’s always this troublemaker getting in the equipment designer’s way. His name is Newton” … with his pesky theory: gravity. But Gérard manages to do that irksome detail one in the eye repeatedly.

Says Set and Props Designer Gringo Cardia “I’m satisfied when the viewer enters another dimension, and all senses are engaged.” Oh, yeah! But the performers can’t do Cardia’s amazing sets justice without Deborah Colker, OVO’s Writer, Director and Choreographer [whew! Big job yeah?], madworking with Chantal Tremblay, the Director of Creation. Now ask yourself: how many productions of any sort have you seen that have a Staff Director of Creation? That kinda makes her a god, n’est ce pas? And you’d expect a god to begin creation with the lowest of creatures, right?

Oh! Didn’t I mention? OVO is about bugs.

That’s right, BUGS.  Beautiful, playful, frolicsome, mischievous, gleeful, coquettish bugs. FABULOUS bugs! Nothing is spoken in words but there is a great deal of communication: squeaks and chitters, twitters and yatter, wordless ska and pantomime –all lucid, even fluent.

The show’s lodestar is a humongous Egg. Picture it: this enormous mysterious thing suddenly appears, reminding us of the monolith from Kubrick’s 2001. Is it any wonder it’s venerated by the insectile population? The egg is, of course, a universal symbol of life and fertility, and in OVO it’s lugged here and there, reappearing in different places at different points in the show.  BTW, OVO is, of course, egg in Portuguese.  Not to mention that OVO hides an insect in its name: the two “Os” represent the eyes while the letter “V” forms the nose.  

The Voyager is a fly, constantly in buzzing motion, and he’s a bit of a dramaqueen, arriving onstage with that big ol’ enigma of an Egg strapped to his shoulders! But despite this  imposing laissez-passer, Voyager turns bashful the minute he lays eyes on LadyBug. [I’m glad he’s not  prone to blushing – the red with his green costume would make for a rather bizarre Christmas vibe.] Any road, it’s abundantly obvious that at his first glimpse of LadyBug he’s instantly twitterpated!   

Can’t say as I blame him – so was I, and I ain’t no cockchafer [just means beetle but I couldn’t resist]! Ladybug is quite the little cupcake; a true cutie patootie and full of life – literally! Dainty and dimpling, she just knows something wonderful is about to happen in her life… no mystery about that, as she’s visibly about sevenmonths pregnant. To my relief, Ladybug didn’t do a lot of death-defying acrobatics – I’m naturally conservative (a word not often used to describe me) with pregnant poppets, regardless of species.

Voyager’s little dalliance is gleefully championed by the entire coleopteran community, generated and galvanized by Master Flipo, the buoyant, irrepressible chief of the insect coterie. Everyone respects and likes Master Flipo, though he can be very silly at times – like when he and Voyager are getting high whiffing Raid!  He’s smart and wise – but unquestionably a queer duck as well. (oh dear. I seem determined to get Cirque and Buzz targeted.) ( Um … they’ll target me too! Uh oh. Better straighten up and fly right.) (Tries.) (Does about as well as Delta Flight 4819.)  

These three, Ladybug, Voyager, and Master Flipot, are the ringleaders of CIRQUE – a triumvirate toastmaster, and any time they take the stage one knows to expect something buzzworthy … like, just for instance, dozens of doyens dazzling us with virtually indescribable acrobatics. 

Crickets are the key insects in the show. At times they have detachable legs that break away from their bodies, giving the impression that there is an insect invasion going on. “I have a particular soft spot for these characters,” costumer Vandal admits, “because they’re so sexy, graphic and vibrant.” [Note, please, that the costumer views crickets as sexy, graphic and vibrant – descriptors I don’t often see applied to 6-legged folks.]

CIRQUE DU SOLIEL is a classic success story. Guide and founder Guy Laliberté, a young accordionist, stilt-walker and fire-eater, recognized and cultivated the talents of Quebec City’s street performers, molding them into Cirque du Soleil in 1984. Cirque now operates on five continents.  Eat your heart out, Horatio Alger.

Artistic Guide Gilles Ste-Croix also collaborated with street artists [I’m sensing a pattern here] to organize a street performance festival called the Fête foraine de Baie-Saint-Paul, which in 1984 would lead to the founding of Cirque du Soleil with Guy Laliberté. Nominated Senior Vice-President of Creative Content and New Project Development in 2006, Gilles currently focuses on his role as Cirque’s Creative Guide.  

In 1999, Acrobatic Performance Designer Philippe Aubertin was hired to train artists at the company’s international headquarters in Montréal. Philippe’s first engagement as a Creator came in 2007 with his appointment as Acrobatic Performance Designer of OVO. His dual creative principles are, “the safety of the artists can never be compromised, but I’m also determined they never forget the ‘fun factor’ on stage.”

Safety.

One expects Cirque to lose several artists annually, particularly the newbies. Certainly, there are dozens of injuries, significant or trivial, but since 2018 Cirque has suffered only four casualties, including 42-year-old set technician Olivier Rochette, son of Cirque du Soleil co-founder Gilles Ste-Croix. Knowing this magnifies my enjoyment of OVO.

Enough. Enough trying to describe the indescribable, enough acclamation for the inexpressible. I’ve virtually worn out my virtual thesaurus … Just GO SEE IT!

*You can also find this review featured on https://www.theatreinchicago.com/.

Open Space Arts presents a premiere performance of Michael McKeever’s MR PARKER. Like everything I’ve seen at Open Space Arts (OSA), the acting was superlative: kudos to Andrew Kain Miller (Terry), Riley Capp (Justin), and Mary Ann Bowman (Cassie)! and their maneuverability in the confined space displayed expert blocking by Director/Producer/(EverythingElse-Er) David G. Zak.

The story of a widow just beginning to emerge from mourning is a familiar shared experience, bringing us immediately into rapport with Terry (Andrew Kain Miller). The complications of his journey are just as classical: his ambivalence toward accepting what the far-younger Justin (Riley Capp) is offering, and the affirmation of his doubts by Cassie (Mary Ann Bowman), his sister-in-law and sole remaining family.

It bears repetition: the cast as a whole was amazing. As usual however, I have a favorite: Riley Capp was singularly convincing as young Justin. From his first appearance Capp was compelling, maintaining Justin’s manic energy to the end – a fairly difficult bit of stagecraft, at that. Honestly, I loved his work – this isn’t simply faghag inclination toward a perfectly adorable faggot (Justin – I’ve no clue about Riley).

I have a special affection for Chicago’s small storefront theatres. I love being engulfed in the performers’ pheromone cloud. More significantly, I am consistently awestruck at the excellence of the casts and production crews in these presumably insignificant venues, rivalling – even surpassing – the large professional productions in the Loop and other glittering venues. I applaud David G. Zak for bringing his long mastery to work with the Second City’s abundance of unsung prodigies.

MR PARKER explores many universal questions and themes: how do love and sexuality interact? how, when, and for how long should grief be expressed? how does personal loss affect one’s other relationships? what are the ‘acceptable’ age boundaries for couples? And, most importantly (to me, any road), how do unspoken mandates and exigencies prevent our aging with joy?

I’m always amazed at how skillfully Open Space Arts’ production crew utilizes the restricted and compromised (6” pipe through centre stage? 6.5’ ceiling?) space. But clearly Set Designer Anna Burke and Lighting Designer Lex Newmane see these not as flaws but as creative challenges, which they most assuredly rise to. Stage Manager Lauren Littlejohn, with Assistant Kate Schnetzer, keep the company focused, despite three (three!) entrances and a ceiling that brushes heads. Open Space Arts is a classic Chicago storefront theater; one isn’t just seeing a play but enjoying a unique theatrical experience. Oh yeah! Angela Joy Baldasare managed Sound Design, and Intimacy Coordinator Greta Zandstra artfully demonstrated the complexity of emotional relationships.

It's my opinion that MR PARKER would benefit from a bit of judicious editing. Much of the script flowed evenly but some transitions were more ragged.  In particular I found some of Terry’s (Andrew Kain Miller) solo scenes superfluous – though my companion was most moved by Terry’s soliloquies… de gustibus non disputandum, n’est-ce pas? Personally, I would have liked to see more of and about Cassie (Mary Ann Bowman) … or maybe I just lusted after her wardrobe! especially that luscious black blouse with pave-set rhinestones at the neckline and cuffs. Can I have it when you’re done with it, Costume Designer Benjamin Mills??

Overall, I recommend MR PARKER as an excellent theatrical experience. I think perhaps my enjoyment was enhanced by events immediately preceding and following the play – repeated instances of the kindness of strangers. Certainly, that is welcome in today’s political zeitgeist.

MR PARKER is playing at Open Space Arts through March 2nd – plenty of time to get a ticket, and a wonderful choice for Valentine’s Day!