Chicago Stage Review

FIFTEEN: A Plagiarist Salon featuring The Strange Tree Group!

The Strange Tree Group prides itself in creating intricate, intimate theatrical experiences that extend beyond the boundaries of the traditional stage. We seek to inspire creativity in our audiences as well as in our actors and are committed to producing pieces that celebrate the strange and the magical, the dangerous and the fantastical, and the surprisingly usual nature of unusual behavior. Our Salon will feature readings and musical interludes from the cast and house band of our upcoming production of Emily Schwartz’ “The War Plays”. Come prepared with your ration book and flashlights as we paper the windows and hide out together inside of our makeshift Black Rock bomb shelter. The good old days are here again!

Monday - August 16 · 7:00pm - 10:30pm

@ The Black Rock Pub

3614 N. Damen Ave, Chicago

The Plagiarists

The Strange Tree Group had pulled off the most brilliant Shakespeare parody in the history of Shakespeare parodies and delivers a hysterically spellbinding evening in the process. They have also pulled off a remarkably successful run of this truly outstanding show. You only have TWO CHANCES LEFT to see this unbelievably incomparable production!

Fri, Jul 30: 8:00pm & Sat, Jul 31: 8:00pm

Shakespeare’s King Phycus deserves a long run at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Their subscribers would LOVE it and it would draw a fresh crowd to the works of William Shakespeare, Chicago Shakespeare Theater and the incredible talent of The Strange tree Group. But for now you can only see Shakespeare’s King Phycus at The Building Stage and time is running out!

“Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury
Signifying nothing.”

Shakespeare’s King Phycus is a tale told by geniuses, full of sound and fury, signifying theatrical magic and a great time. But its hour on the stage is almost over so see it before it is heard no more!

Read the review here: Shakespeare’s King Phycus – REVIEW - Chicago Stage Review

(“Shakespeare’s King Phycus” presented by The Strange Tree Group and The Lord Chamberlain’s Men runs through July 31 at The Building Stage, 412 N. Carpenter Street, Chicago. (312)491-1369)

The Strange Tree Group | A Wickedly Whimsical, Delightfully Devious Chicago Theatre Company

King Phycus image by Venus Zarris.

By J. Scott Hill

For thou what thinks the Bard as but a fraud,

a nom de plume of Francis Bacon’s smith,

The Strange Tree Group and The Lord Chamb’lain’s Men

provide a play that just might prove you right.

King Phycus was the first of Shakespeare’s plays,

lost to the centuries for reasons sound,

until ostensibly recovered from

a trunk in Boise, Idaho, no less.

‘Tis all but playwright Tom Willmorth’s deft ruse

to cage this campy venture to amuse.

It took several hours of burning out my retinas on the unforgiving albedo of the empty page just to write eight lines of blank verse and a couplet in iambic pentameter. Tom Willmorth has the knack; his script for Shakespeare’s King Phycus is two-and-a-half hours of great fun, five ba-DUMs to a line. Willmorth has culled together iconic characters and plot elements from some of Shakespeare’s best-loved plays, with additional dialog from classic vaudeville, popular song, and David Mamet.

The production’s commitment to the verisimilitude of the fish story about the authenticity of this lost Shakespeare begins in the lobby of The Building Stage, where museum-quality displays of the recently rediscovered manuscript of King Phycus figure prominently. Scenic Designer Jay Neander and his team manage to create an antiqued, distressed simulacrum so convincing that it might even dupe the Keno twins from Antiques Roadshow. Inside the theatre, the set is at first glance a fairly traditional Shakespearean plaza. A closer inspection reveals that some of the set is cleverly composed of modern trash: a semicircle of upturned beer bottles becomes a wall sconce, Starbucks lids become decorative molding. I hope that old property tax bills were recycled to fashion the papier-mâché Abraham Lincoln seated in one of the box seats house right.

The cast of Shakespeare’s King Phycus consists of only six actors, yet that humble cast stands in for thousands; even discounting the 20,000 Roman soldiers represented by a single performer, there are still a couple of dozen characters being performed by the sextet.

Among his several roles, Stuart Ritter discovers two completely distinct flavors of brooding as both Hamlet and Romeo. Delia Baseman shines brightest when she is Juliet, betrothed against her will to the beastly and deformed Richard (as in the Third) of Gloucester. The monstrous Gloucester is the best trick among many theatrical treats here from actor Bob Kruse. Although called upon to portray more characters than any other player, Scott Cupper’s best performance comes as the Chorus, skillfully guiding the audience to fill in the show’s shortcomings with high-end special effects out of their own imaginations.

Carolyn Klein proves herself to be a marvelous utility player in roles as varied as Lady MacBetty, the ghost of Gertrude, Juliet’s Nurse, and Hamlet’s old improviser friend Rosensteen. Her MacBetty is as vicious as her Rosensteen is goofy. She is especially good at damage control with the ill-conceived character of the Nurse, written in the style of Mammy from Gone With the Wind; Klein carefully, adeptly played just enough of that archetype to make it identifiable, without falling into the trap of playing a racist stereotype.

Michael T. Downey is new to the Chicago stage, and may have a bright future here. As Caesar, Downey is perfectly imperious and rapturously funny. As King Phycus, he displays moments of pure comic genius, particularly when Phycus is half-mad and blind.

Director Ira Amyx masterfully leads this exuberant troupe of cunning character actors through this intricately woven text. The pacing and the comic timing are impeccable.

You do not need to be a dramaturg nor a member of The Society for Creative Anachronism to enjoy this show. There are a few minor problems, such as the Nurse character and the overall length (this script could have had thirty minutes of exposition cherry-picked out of it to its benefit). Still, this is a wonderful production of a fabulous new show, a show destined to become an audience favorite at Shakespeare houses around the world.

Methinks Chicago Shakes should offer space

to Strange Tree Group and The Lord Chamb’lain’s Men

to bring King Phycus out to Navy Pier

to sanguine make but one midsummer’s night,

or two, or three, perhaps a matinee –

King Phycus let to rule another day.

3 ½ STARS

(“Shakespeare’s King Phycus” presented by The Strange Tree Group and The Lord Chamberlain’s Men runs through July 31 at The Building Stage, 412 N. Carpenter Street, Chicago. (312)491-1369)

The Strange Tree Group | A Wickedly Whimsical, Delightfully Devious Chicago Theatre Company

Shakespeare’s King Phycus production images by Tyler Core.

* Visit Theatre In Chicago for more information on this show. Shakespeare’s King Phycus- Play Detail- Theatre In Chicago

Steppenwolf Announces Companies for

2^nd Annual GARAGE REP:

Sideshow Theatre Company, The Strange Tree Group

and UrbanTheater Company

February 16 – April 24, 2011

CHICAGO (June 30, 2010) – Steppenwolf Theatre Company is pleased to announce the three Chicago companies selected for its 2^nd annual GARAGE REP: Sideshow Theatre Company, The Strange Tree Group and UrbanTheater Company. These innovative, young companies will present three productions in rotating repertory for a ten-week run February 16 – April 24, 2011 in Steppenwolf’s Merle Reskin Garage Theatre, 1624 N. Halsted St. Tickets will go on sale at a later date.

“These are three companies with wildly different aesthetics, but who all bring an irresistible energy to their work,” comments Steppenwolf’s Director of Artistic Development Polly Carl. “These are the kind of companies and artists who we know we can learn from. At its core, the GARAGE REP is an opportunity for a dialogue between our respective companies and our audiences in hopes that we can build a fully multigenerational theater for the 21^st century. Sideshow, Strange Tree and UrbanTheater are already in a conversation with their own audiences that we’re anxious to listen in on,” adds Carl.

The GARAGE REP 2011 Production & Companies:

Sideshow Theatre Company presents

Heddatron

by Elizabeth Meriwether, directed by Jonathan L. Green

A book falls from the sky and a depressed Michigonian housewife is kidnapped by a clan of renegade robots, whisked away to the jungles of South America, and forced to perform the title role in a mechanical version of Hedda Gabbler.  As a documentarian searches for the truth about the abduction and the woman’s family mounts a search party, Ibsen himself enters the picture to defend his well-made play.  Sideshow is partnering with robotics experts across Chicago to present a cast of human actors and functioning robots in this bizarre and savagely funny Chicago premiere.

Sideshow Theatre Company was founded in 2007.  Sideshow’s mission is to mine the collective unconscious of the world we live in with limitless curiosity, drawing inspiration from the familiar stories, memories and images we all share to spark new conversation and bring our audiences together as adventurers in a communal experience of exploration. For more information, visit www.sideshowtheatre.org.

The Strange Tree Group presents

The Three Faces of Doctor Crippen

by Emily Schwartz, directed by TBA

A world premiere that resurrects what was once the most famous and fanciful criminal investigation the world has ever known: the calamitously comedic tale of Dr. H. H. Crippen, England’s most notoriously inept cellar murderer. Chased across the sea by destiny and Marconi’s wireless telegraph, this factual turn of the century tragedy explores three versions of the life and death of this homicidal homeopath. Three Crippens! Three tales! Three truths?

The Strange Tree Group is a collective of multifaceted individuals dedicated to creating intricate, intimate theatrical experiences that extend beyond the boundaries of a traditional stage. We produce works that inspire creativity not only in our actors but also in our audience. We Trees embrace the theatrically inherent in live performance and are committed to producing pieces that celebrate the strange and the magical; the dangerous and the fantastical; and the surprisingly usual nature of unusual behavior. The world is full of adventure… let us embark on this one together! For more information, visit www.strangetree.org.

UrbanTheater Company presents

Sonnets for an Old Century

by José Rivera, directed by Madrid St. Angelo in collaboration with Juan Castañeda and Ivan Vega

In a waiting room for the afterlife, we find a dreamscape filled with poignant, funny, lyrical and haunting monologues from recently deceased individuals. This Midwest premiere by Obie Award-winning playwright and Academy Award^®-nominated screenwriter José Rivera asks: “Where do we go when we die?” And if you were to offer commentary regarding the life that you’ve lived, “What would you say?”

UrbanTheater Company (UTC) is committed to the creation and exploration of urban-inspired works that convey, illuminate and empathize with the human experience. FROM the STREETS to the STAGE. For more information, visit www.urbantheaterchicago.org.

Steppenwolf’s inaugural GARAGE REP, presented February 18 – April 25, 2010, included three productions in rotating repertory: Adore by XIII Pocket, punkplay by Pavement Group and The Twins Would Like To Say by Dog & Pony Theatre Company.

GARAGE REP: three productions presented in rotating repertory in The Garage at Steppenwolf, from some of Chicago’s most innovative, young theatre companies.

The Garage is dedicated to new plays, new artists and new audiences.  It provides artists the opportunity to present their work with the scale, space and resources it merits. For audiences, it creates another opportunity to build a multigenerational conversation about the new, provocative work emerging from Chicago’s diverse and vibrant theatre scene. The Garage offers programming featuring new voices for the American theater – directors, writers, designers and actors.

Support for the GARAGE REP comes through the “Leading for the Future Initiative,” a program of the Nonprofit Finance Fund, funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

Committed to the principle of ensemble performance through the collaboration of a company of actors, directors and playwrights, Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s mission is to advance the vitality and diversity of American theater by nurturing artists, encouraging repeatable creative relationships and contributing new works to the national canon.  The company, formed in 1976 by a collective of actors, is dedicated to perpetuating an ethic of mutual respect and the development of artists through on-going group work.  Steppenwolf has grown into an internationally renowned company of 43 artists whose talents include acting, directing, playwriting and textual adaptation. For additional information, visit www.steppenwolf.org, www.facebook.com/SteppenwolfTheatre and www.twitter.com/SteppenwolfThtr.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company - Chicago Theater, World-Class Ensemble

Shakespeare’s King Phycus

All is not well in the state of The Building Stage. Queen Gertrude is dead; King Phycus is blinded; Hamlet’s nauseous sister Juliet is being wed against her will to the cloying, hunchbacked Gloucester whilst her one true love, the Roman Romeo, assists Brutus in plotting the ruination of the English throne. Join us as the flat-footed charlatans of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men combine forces with the visionary roustabouts of The Strange Tree Group to present an Elizabethan tragedy of (ahem) ‘Shakespearean’ proportions. A cast of six Strange Tree stalwarts take on six blended tragedies, thirty-one parts, forty location changes and one enormous sword-swinging battle of twenty thousand men in this world premiere send up of Shakespeare’s first (and possibly worst) tragedy: SHAKESPEARE’S KING PHYCUS!

Read the 3 1/2 STAR review here: Shakespeare’s King Phycus – REVIEW - Chicago Stage Review

Presented by The Strange Tree Group

Previews: Jun 16 - Jun 17, 2010

Regular Run: Jun 18 - Jul 31, 2010

@ The Building Stage

412 N. Carpenter Street, Chicago

Show Type: Comedy

Box Office: 312-491-1369

The Strange Tree Group | A Wickedly Whimsical, Delightfully Devious Chicago Theatre Company