Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – Perusing the latest virtual Chicago theater offerings: Steppenwolf’s DUCHESS! DUCHESS! DUCHESS! and Court’s THEATRE FOR ONE

• By drediman
• March 11, 2021
• No Comments

Having lived in Chicago for a good chunk of my early adult life, I’ve developed and continue to maintain a deep affection for the city and its top-notch theater companies. Two of these – Hyde Park’s Court Theatre and Lincoln Park’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company – are among the Windy City’s finest theatrical institutions (the latter is a brand name recognized that’s recognized the world over), and it was a privilege to peruse their latest virtual offerings.

DUCHESS! DUCHESS! DUCHESS!
Steppenwolf Theatre Company
On-demand through August 31

Released earlier this week was Vivian J.O. Barnes’ Duchess! Duchess! Duchess! (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED), courtesy of Steppenwolf NOW, the storied Chicago company’s virtual streaming platform for new works. The play is the fourth installment of the eclectic series, having been preceded by James Ijames’ filmed play What Is Left, Burns, Isaac Gómez’s sprawling radio play Wally World, and Rajiv Joseph’s animated play Red Folder. Ms. Barnes’ 35-minute two-hander depicts a nightmarish meeting between a seasoned duchess and a soon-to-be duchess – both are Black and are expected to follow the restrictive “protocol” of a fictitious royal establishment (or else …). As the play unfolds, it takes on an increasingly horrific tone, from the vague, nagging menace of a Pinter play to the unfiltered, guttural howl of the plays of Edward Albee. The production’s dropping couldn’t have been more potently timed given Oprah’s recent incendiary interview with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, which lends the play immediate, hard-hitting relevance beyond its potentially distancing allegorical stylings. Given that the production was largely shot and assembled remotely, the final product’s level of seamlessness and organic theatricality is astonishing (kudos to director Weyni Mengesha). Indeed, performances (Celeste M. Cooper and Sydney Charles both ride the play’s extremities admirably), film work, and sound design here come together brilliantly.

THEATRE FOR ONE: HERE WE ARE
Court Theatre
Live-streaming through March 14

After its initial sold out run featuring New York actors, Chicago now has its shot to show off the city’s considerable acting talent in Theatre for One: Here We Are (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) via Court Theatre. The brainchild of Christine Jones, the work’s premise is an audacious one — to present virtual, pseudo-interactive micro-plays (about five to ten minutes a pop) for an audience of just one at a time. The plays have been penned by some of the country’s most prominent female playwrights, including Lynn Nottage, Jaclyn Backhaus, Regina Taylor, and Lydia R. Diamond. For the most part — I had a few minor, ultimately negligible technical hiccups here and there — the logistics of it all were masterfully executed, as was the case with my dabble in the New York run (both use the same elegant online interface), during which I experienced only two of the eight plays (Thank You Letter, Before America Was America). For Court Theatre’s “mounting”, I was able to sink my teeth deeper (Thank You For Coming. Take Care., What Are The Things I Need to Remember, whiterly negotiations, Here We Are, in addition to newly-cast renditions of the two aforementioned works) and take a more comprehensive survey of this fascinating body of work. Despite these plays’ refreshing diversity – ranging from uplifting to enraged – they were invariably engaging and truthfully acted. Happily, the Chicago edition of Here We Are continues to deliver the vital sense of connection it was designed to foster during these difficult, isolating times.