Photo: Michal Janicki

RECOMMENDED

Caridad Svitch’s expressionist play imagines Ophelia’s return from the waters that drowned her, finding herself in a no-man’s land where a self-destructive Hamlet known as “Rude Boy” proves impervious to change; Gertrude is the madam of a brothel; and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, cross-dressing and queer, parody the romantic melodrama that traps Ophelia in her quest for revenge and redress. The writing itself is sumptuous, Elizabethan language blending seamlessly with modern English and punctuated with sharp doses of African-American vernacular from Ophelia and Gertrude, cast as black and therefore a double minority despite their endless assertions to the contrary. “12 Ophelias” at heart is all about power: “You fit into other people’s needs, you get left out, you see?”

The production at Trap Door makes the one great error of focusing on sex, with erotic tension between nearly every character borne out in awkward homoerotic fight scenes and an indulgent amount of simulated sex. And where the script is provocative and often extremely gratifying (what’s more fun than seeing a play we know inside and out turned on its head?), the production makes a few questionable aesthetic choices, such as a chorus of women in white dresses playing folk instruments during the play’s Brechtian songs, which sometimes make the artistry of the play feel merely decorative. Mildred Marie Langford is valiant and opulent as Ophelia, but Jen Ellison and Casey Chapman end up carrying the show as an electric R&B duo, voices of reason enmeshed in their own unspoken romantic tragedy. (Monica Westin)

“12 Ophelias” plays at Trap Door Theatre, 1655 W. Cortland, (773)384-0494, through October 31.

Nora Chipaumire/Photo: Mkrtich Malkhasyan

RECOMMENDED

Nora Chipaumire, Thomas Mapfumo and The Blacks Unlimited have traveled a long journey carrying a work  with a long title, “lions will roar, swans will fly, angels will wrestle heaven, rains will break: gukurahundi”— Chipaumire is a self-exiled dancer born in Zimbabwe during the second war of liberation, now calling New York home. She crafts contemporary dances that blend African styles to shed light on the human condition.  Mapfumo, or the “Lion of Zimbabwe,” created Chimurenga-style music that mixes African rhythms and instruments with politically charged lyrics.  His work landed him in a Zimbabwean prison camp in 1979.  Inspired by Mapfumo’s writing and drawing on Chipaumire’s personal history, this movement piece aims to challenge the ideas of just what “African” means. These brave artists make work rich with human layers that need all the facilities of music, lyrics and dance to complete the expression. The result is worthy of immersion; accordingly, the MCA has scheduled a full lineup of activities with these creative minds in the “Artists Up Close” series.  Visit their website for more information. (William Scott)

October 1, 3-4 at the Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago, (312)397-4010.

RECOMMENDED

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago begins its first season under Artistic Director Glenn Edgerton, who gets right to business leaving his mark on the company’s repertoire with the world premiere of a work by Finnish choreographer Jormo Elo set to music by Mendelssohn and Monteverdi.  Also on the docket is the return of  audience favorite “Jardi Tancat” by Nacho Duato.  The evening continues with Hubbard Street’s Associate Artistic Director Lucas Crandall’s “The Set,” a quirky love story featuring three dancers and a divan.  No evening at Hubbard Street would be complete without a work by resident choreographer Alejandro Cerrudo.  The young dance maker’s “Lickety-Split” is a sensual ride that embodies what is fresh about Cerrudo’s brand of movement.  While this may not be the most daring program of the season (stay tuned for more exciting premieres), it does offer a pretty accurate survey of just what makes Hubbard Street hot. (William Scott)

At the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph (312)334-7777. October 1-4; Thursday at 7:30, Friday at 8, Sat at 8 and Sun at 3pm. $25-$90.

Photo: Anna Finke

RECOMMENDED

The world lost a creative luminary when Merce Cunningham passed away in July of this year. Cunningham’s approach to choreography—divorced from music, rejecting exterior symbolism, as a pure, self-contained form in its own right—reshaped the way we think about dance. Few artists since have so wholeheartedly resisted signification and embraced all styles of movement with equal sincerity and success. This weekend, the Merce Cunningham Dance Company will stage two dance “Events” (though shifting variables of music and visual design will make each performance unique) over the course of three days at the Dance Center. With musical contribution by Robert Woodbury, the Dance Center’s music director, and visual art by Columbia College professor Anna Kunz, each Event is a choreographic collage of excerpts from the company’s repertory, performed alongside other media that stand apart, yet speak to one another in spontaneous and unexpected ways. Cunningham created his events to be site-specific and immediate. I can think of few venues in Chicago more intimate to experience this work. (Sharon Hoyer)

At the Dance Center of Columbia College, 1306 S. Michigan, (312)369-8330. Thursday, Oct 1 at 8pm, Friday, Oct 2 at 8pm, Saturday, Oct 3 at 3 and 8pm. $38

RECOMMENDED

Personally, I find David Cross the actor to be more consistently funny than David Cross the stand-up, who can tend to meander in vitriolic tangents with few jokes. His tenure on the now-defunct (but beloved) “Arrested Development” spurred the classic Tobias Funke character, a flamboyant actor/psychological analyst and therapist (a self-proclaimed “analrapist”) who’s oblivious to his own homosexuality. And his work with Bob Odenkirk on “Mr. Show” represents the closest America came to emulating a Monty Python-esque sketch show—full of delightful non-sequitirs and ludicrous characters. That said, when he gets all riled up, Cross’s stand-up rountine can be infectiously crude and crass, as he possesses the uncanny ability to chew out those who deserve a tongue-lashing, like his analysis of post-grunge acts Staind and Creed: “I would rather hear the death rattle of my only child than listen to that fuckin’ shit.” That is a spot-on critique. (Andy Seifert)

October 4 at Congress Theater, 2135 N. Milwaukee, (312)458-9668. $37.50.

RECOMMENDED

A stand-up stud in indie circles (an automatic distinction once Sub Pop releases one of your performances), Patton Oswalt—along with his “Comedians of Comedy” cohorts Zach Galifianakis and Brian Posehn—represents the best in nerdy, heavy-set comics. Oswalt has the gift of being able to rip on the absurdity of Middle America (his critique of the KFC Famous bowl has become a classic take on America’s total lack of dignity), but still knows how to rip himself a new one. One of Oswalt’s best bits recalls a lavish Hollywood party where he’s tempted by a glorious display of food that none of the thin celebrities are eating, when who should emerge but actor Brian Dennehy, who embraces Oswalt as he grabs a plate full of food, telling him “Character actors, who gives a fuck if we’re fat?” Credit Oswalt for finding a lead role in a film without having to shave off calories. He currently stars as the biggest New York Giants fan in the world in the critically acclaimed indie film “Big Fan.” (Andy Seifert)

October 2 at Congress Theater, 2135 N. Milwaukee, (312)458-9668. $29.50 – $32.50

Here’s the press release from Circle Theatre:

CIRCLE THEATRE’S SILVER 25^TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON

Circle Theatre is proud to enter its twenty-fifth year of providing world class theatrical productions to audiences from Chicago and the suburbs. The company, considering relocation options for the future, will remain at its current location, 7300 W. Madison St., through the end of 2010.

Mission Statement Circle Theatre is an artist-based company whose mission is to produce exciting and innovative theatre accessible to a diverse suburban and city audience. Through variety-filled seasons, which include drama, comedy, musicals, and new works, Circle Theatre challenges, entertains, and educates audiences and artists of all ages. Read the rest of this entry »

Photo: Suzanne Plunkett

RECOMMENDED

Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1881 classic gets a high-energy adaptation in Lifeline’s season opener. Young Jim Hawkins (Warren Weber, holding his own with the vets) falls in with murderous pirates and sets sail in search of long-buried gold, foiling double- and triple-crosses along the way.

Lifeline’s technical excellence is on board: Geoff Coates’ fight choreography is inventive and well-executed; Alan Donahue’s  multi-level set transforms easily from pub to ship to island fort.  Branimira Ivanova’s costumes capture the grimy foppishness of the era.

The script’s second act gets bogged down by stand-offs and switched allegiances, but Robert Kauzlaric’s direction doesn’t allow too much downtime. The ensemble occasionally rushes laugh lines in John Hildreth’s frequently funny adaptation; more time in front of big audiences will cure that. Sean Sinitski’s charming, amoral Long John Silver cons and kills without compunction; John Ferrick steals his scenes with bombast and villainy. It’s a fun high-seas adventure for everyone. (Lisa Buscani)

Treasure Island, Lifeline Theatre, 6912 N. Glenwood Avenue, (773)761-4477, through November 1.

Like a benediction on the fall arts season, Baryshnikov’s in town. With a book signing on Tuesday at the MCA and a three-performance-only engagement at the Harris, the Misha will glide through town, breathing excitement for dance—both classical (for which he is legendary) and contemporary—into the air. The thrill is well deserved: “Three Solos and a Duet” is not only a chance to witness a living legend practice his art in the flesh, but also a rare opportunity to appreciate the craft of mature artists in a discipline that often relegates dancers over the age of 35 to the classroom. One of the solos, choreographed by New York City Ballet principal dancer Benjamin Millepied, addresses the physical limitations imposed by age with gentle humor; entitled “Years Later,” Millepied’s piece places Baryshnikov on stage with a video of himself, dancing with his younger and not-that-much-younger self. Originally choreographed in 2006, the video segment has evolved with its subject, so if you’ve had the good fortune to see the piece performed, you’re still in for a surprise or two. Read the rest of this entry »

Mary O’Dowd and Jared Fernley/Photo: Craig Choma

I was entertained by playwright Rebecca Lenkiewicz’s “The Night Season,” a British play now receiving its Chicago premiere at Vitalist Theatre. But, to be honest, the tale of three sisters living, loving and longing through life’s vicissitudes moved me more when it was told by Chekhov and called “The Three Sisters.”  I certainly laughed much more when the comedic clash between rural small-town Irish folks and Hollywood moviemakers was explored by playwright Marie Jones and her “Stones in his Pockets.” And I definitely felt an emotional connection for a beleaguered clan of Irish romantics haunted by bittersweet memories when those characters inhabited a play called “Dancing at Lughnasa” and their author was Brian Friel.

Comparisons between a playwright’s sophomore effort (“The Night Season” was Lenkiewicz’s second major play produced in London) and Chekhov may indeed be odious, as they say, but Lenkiewicz seems to have done everything to encourage it. Read the rest of this entry »