Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Steppenwolf unveils its new Ensemble Theater with SEAGULL, Yasen Peyankov’s subtly updated adaptation of Chekhov’s play

• By drediman
• June 7, 2022
• No Comments

I closed out my Chicago theater-going binge by attending a performance of Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s highly anticipated production of Seagull at the company’s new Ensemble Theater. Although the recently-completed in-the-round auditorium seats more than 400 patrons, the performance space was designed for maximum intimacy and boasts excellent sight-lines. The steeply-raked rows are only six deep and wrapped closely around the oval-shaped stage, calling to mind a cozier version of Arena Stage’s iconic Fichandler Theater in Washington, DC.

To unveil the space, Steppenwolf – arguably Chicago’s flagship theater company – has chosen to stage Seagull, ensemble member Yasen Peyankov’s new adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull. The choice was an appropriate one, given that the play is essentially an ensemble piece. That is, the kind of company-comes-first play that the theater is renowned for. It’s also fitting that Peyankov (who himself has appeared in and worked on numerous Chekhov productions at the storied Chicago theater) has chosen to eliminate the “the” from the title as his work subtly condenses and all but eliminates the notorious loungers of Chekhov’s original play. Seagull actually falls somewhere in between a translation and an updated adaptation. Indeed, although the work feels newly minted, it also closely tracks the plot of and exudes the same spirit as Chekhov’s underlying play. In addition to his playwriting duties, Peyankov also directs the production, giving his play an understatedly conversational, modern sensibility that fluidly dives headlong into Chekhovian melancholy and heartache as needed (in the early play-within-a-play scene, Peyankov also shows off the new theater’s impressive technical capabilities). As such, his staging exudes the very qualities of life itself.

The cast is made up of many of Steppenwolf’s stalwart usual suspects (e..g, Sandra Marquez, Eric Simonson, Joey Slotnick), as well as some fresh new faces (e.g., Karen Rodriguez, Jon Hudson Odom, Namir Smallwood), at least to me. Their work throughout is expert, as to be expected. At the Sunday matinee performance I attended, two of the play’s key roles were admirably performed by understudies/alternates (veteran Chicago actor Scott Jack stepped in for Jeff Perry as Peter Nikolaevich Sorin, and Janelle Snow stepped in for Luisa Strus as Irina Nikolaevna Arkadina). It’s a testament to the depth of Steppenwolf’s acting bench that the performance came off as seamlessly as it did.

RECOMMENDED

SEAGULL
Regional, Play
Steppenwolf Theatre Company
2 hours, 30 minutes (with one intermission)
Through June 12