*** Recommended Shattered Globe’s production of A Tale of Two Cities is definitely not the Dickens I remember. It’s been a long time since I read the book but it seemed to me that playwright Brendan Pelsue put the characters in a bowl, stirred them up, then dumped them out all catawampus. This is not to say I didn’t enjoy the play. I did, but when the dialog got too ponderous, I found my attention drifting. My friend Helen didn’t like it at all. 3 ½ Spotlights
As the lights come up, Player 1 (Daria Harper) announces that the story the actors are telling is a fable, which happens to be our first clue that this is not the usual Dickens. There are just eight actors in the production, all of them are unnamed and all play multiple parts. In addition to Harper, who is a kind of emcee/narrator, we have Actor 2 (Diego Vazquez Gomez), Actor 3 (Demetra Dee), Actor 4 (Glenn Obrero), Actor 5 (Penelope Walker), Actor 6 (Jazzma Pryor), Actor 7 (Jeff Rodriguez) and Actor 8 (William Anthony Sebastian Rose II).
So, the play has the same name but as a fable it doesn’t have to follow Dickens’ storyline – and it doesn’t. Harper as Actor 1 is kind of the ringmaster, directing the action on stage, even asking the audience verbally support that action. Can you imagine cheering for the guillotine? It felt very weird.
Costume Designer Kotryna Hilko has come up with an unusual mix of modern and period costumes. The actors can change characters by adding or removing a jacket or a scarf. A male actor even added high heels and a ‘wink, wink’ for his portrayal of King Louis.
Shattered Globe Theatre’s production of A Tale of Two Cities runs through May 31st at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont, Chicago. Parking is available in Theater Wit’s lot across the street (driveway next to Kobo Restaurant). $10 at the box office. Running time is two hours, 30 minutes, with intermission. Performances are Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 3:00 pm. There is an additional 3:00 pm matinee on closing day, Saturday, May 31st. Tickets range from $15-$52. FYI (773) 975-8150 or www.sgtheatre.org.