saturday evening i had the pleasure of seeing oracle theatre's THE MOTHER.
what: the mother by bertolt brecht
where: the oracle theatre's storefront space in lakeview
drinkability: oracle is byob & often gives out beers with their performances.
show length: just over 2 hours, no intermission.
out of four: four/four
before i get a chance to see anything else i'll say this: this show is free and amazing. go see it, then come back to your computer and read whatever i have to say about it.
i've been a long time fan of oracle theatre's work since an old castmate was in a production of BLOOD WEDDING a couple of years ago. i was enthralled by their use of their small space in addition to the fact that all of oracle's shows are free. F R E E. i usually take every opportunity i have to see a show by them and have so far in addition to blood wedding have seen WOYZECK, IRONMISTRESS, ACCIDENTAL DEATH OF AN ANARCHIST and have appeared with a couple of my castmates in their TONIGHT ITS LIVE! series. and THE MOTHER is above and beyond the best show i've seen them do.
the entire playing space is comprised of large benches with stools placed between them. before you enter the space you are urged to sit on the stools for the most action, so thats where we set up shop. when sitting, the benches are at shoulder height so you spend a lot of the play looking up at the players above you which also completely immerses you in the action.
expertly directed by max truax THE MOTHER is listed as a musical but feels more like a play with music. katherine keberlein is essentially flawless in the role of pelagea vlassova (aka the mother). pelagea gets involved in protests and movement against the working regime in russia in order to keep her son pavel out of danger. she quickly becomes deeper and deeper involved in the movement and by the end of the play is all but running it on her own. the play displays not only how far you'll go for the love of your family but also how far you might go for belief in change and the rights of the people.
dechantel kosmatka also shines in her role as the commissioner. she gets most of her stage time in the preshow as she calmly and carefully steps above your head from bench to bench removing programs, drinks, pieces of paper and even purses from causing potential obstruction for the play before it begins. soon enough cast members who have been hiding beneath your feet begin employing the audience to pass notes and paper while she isn't looking. while the pre show can feel winded and jarring after a while (specifically with the same chime music sequence happening in the background), its a fun interaction with the characters and an introduction into the oppression and rule that you are soon to see the actors fighting against.
i can't say enough about how much i loved this show. there were so few moments that took me out of the story that i've all but forgotten them. oracle theatre provides a wonderful opportunity for the people of chicago to see absolute quality work and for absolutely free. you're doing yourself a disservice if you don't make it out to see their productions, specifically the mother.
---------------
bonus!! saturday night i also caught the 2nd installment of the monthly storytelling series by the inconvenience at theatre wit.
not only do they have the coolest advertisements around, but they put on a good show, too. with a theme for the night (saturdays was "take it to your grave"), three storytellers share tales with a musical guest who fills in between stories and during breaks. all i'll say is, its the best $6 you'll spend on a good ole time late night storytelling event, so don't miss the next installments.
----------------
upcoming april shows: tuesday april 30, 7:30pm: unrehearsed shakespeare company's much ado about nothing
join me, will you?
No comments:
Post a Comment