
|
WINDY CITY TIMES
|
|
|
Theater: The Philadelphia Story
by Mary Shen Barnidge 2007-11-28
|
|
This article shared 4802 times since Wed Nov 28, 2007
|
|
The Philadelphia Story. Playwright: Philip Barry. At: Remy Bumppo Theatre Company at the Victory Gardens Greenhouse,
2257 N. Lincoln. Phone: 773-871-3000; $35-$40. Runs through: Jan. 6
In 2007, when wealthy young ladies revel in mischief meant to flout convention, a socialite who holds herself circumspect in her demeanor would seem a good thing. But this is 1939, and so the well-born Tracy Lord is berated by her ex-husband for her absence of 'sympathy' regarding his drinking problem during their marriage and chastised by her skirt-chasing father for her refusal to overlook his infidelities with 'an understanding heart,' much as the household politely ignores Uncle William's sly habit of pinching women's derriéres.
And therein lies the obstacle in Philip Barry's otherwise appealing romantic comedy. How many times have we heard perpetrators of antisocial antics excuse their incorrigibility with precisely these words, or family members—female ones, especially—exhorted to turn a blind eye to the irresponsibility of their kinfolk? But Barry is not advocating approval of bad behavior. Quite the contrary, he is championing the generosity that accepts individuals for their virtues, rather than defining them by their faults. The heiress' mistake is not her idealism, but her refusal to acknowledge imperfections—her own as well as those of others—and move on, despite them. After she embarks on a champagne-fueled skinny-dip with a visiting journalist on the eve of her wedding, however, the manner in which her transgression is received by her peers serves to illustrate the difference between self-serving sham and charity toward all.
Shawn Douglass' direction of this Remy Bumppo production likewise allows us to take our own lesson from Barry's sermon, giving no special emphasis to the troublesome utterances any more than to the quaint catch-phrases of the period ( e.g., 'Like fun!', 'Suds!' and 'Golly Moses!' ) . And while this interpretation is not without its oddities—what's with the Mary Pickford hair on kid sister Dinah, and who instructed Steve Key, playing the newshound from Indiana, to channel James Cagney for the second act?—its elevation of human values over artificial distinctions and populist compassion for its characters, whatever their status, more than compensate for the occasional stilted moment. So does the sumptuous old-money ambience invoked by Rachel Laritz' museum-accurate costumes ( check out the stockings worn by Wendy Weber's smartcracking shutterbug ) and Jacqueline and Richard Penrod's antique-strewn country estate. And did I mention an accordion rendition of Lydia, The Tattooed Lady?
|
 |
|
 |
This article shared 4802 times since Wed Nov 28, 2007
|
ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE |
---|
| 
|  | THEATER REVIEW Andy Warhol in Iran juggles art, celebrity and geopolitics 2023-02-01 - Andy Warhol in Iran. Playwright: Brent Askari At: Northlight Theatre at North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie Tickets: 847-673-6300 or www.Northlight.org; $30-$89. Runs through Feb. 19 The prolific 20th century gay ...
| 
|  | Chicago theater charges on through the cold months 2023-01-31 - The ongoing 2022-2023 theater seasonroughly September to Junewill be the first complete production season in Chicago in three years. A few troupes cautiously returned to live performances late last spring, but most companies waited until the ...
| 
|  | Billy Porter discusses his fashion choices, personal ambitions 2023-01-30 - Billy Porter—the Tony, Emmy and Grammy winner—needs no introduction—especially to the many fans of his character Pray Tell on Ryan Murphy's hit TV series Pose. Coming up exclusively in theaters Feb. 3, Porter will star as ...
| 
|  | Des Plaines Theater cancels anti-LGBTQ hate group event after outcry from citizens 2023-01-20 - DuPage County-based Awake Illinois was set to hold an event called "Out of the Echo Chamber: Coalition for Kids" at the city-owned, but not city-operated, Des Plaines Theatre Wednesday, Feb. 8. This event has now been ...
| 
|  | Theater Review: tick, tick...BOOM! 2023-01-19 - One of the wonders of live theater is that old works can be revived and reinterpreted to respond to changes in culture and society. Often a new directorial approach can make tried-and-true material feel fresh and ...
| 
|  | Theater Review: Princess Ivona is a dark but comic portrait of power 2023-01-19 - Playwright: Witold Gombrowicz. At: Trap Door Theatre, 1655 W. Cortland St. Tickets: 773-384-0494 or www.trapdoortheatre.com; $25 (two-for-one admission Thursdays) Runs through Feb. 18 Trap Door Theatre is now tackling the ...
| 
|  | Jordan Vasquez treats Chicago to Fosse's Chicago 2023-01-12 - Actor and openly gay performer Jordan Vasquez, an Illinois native now living in New York City, is giving Chicago audiences "the old razzle dazzle" in the fabulous musical Chicago. This dynamically talented performer brings with him ...
| 
|  | SHOWBIZ Diversity report, Dave Bautista, Leslie Jordan, greatest singers 2023-01-08 - The USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative's latest "Inclusion in the Director's Chair" report analyzes the gender and race/ethnicity of the directors behind last year's 100 highest-grossing movies in the country, while the San Diego State Center ...
| 
|  | SHOWBIZ Best in theater, TV, film and music; Obama's favorites; 'Glass Onion' 2022-12-31 - Deadline's Broadway critic revealed his picks for the best of 2022. Leopoldstadt topped his list, but other productions included Kimberly Akimbo, Some Like It Hot, Into the Woods, Hangmen, Ain't No Mo', A Strange Loop, Topdog/Underdog, ...
| 
|  | PrideArts, Chicago drag artists co-produce story of a drag family's tribulations 2022-12-22 -- From a press release - CHICAGO — PrideArts will celebrate the arrival of the year 2023 by teaming up with the Chicago drag performers Tirrany Reigns and Ramona Mirage to stage Reigns' original Queer Family Dramedy, set just after New Year's ...
| 
|  | Oak Park Festival Theatre makes history with new artistic director 2022-12-20 - The Oak Park Festival Theatre (OPFT)—the oldest professional classical theater in the Midwest—announced that Peter G. Andersen will be joining the company as its new artistic director in January 2023. It is the first time that a person ...
| 
|  | SHOWBIZ Best and worst films, Broadway, Adam Lambert, 'Proud Family,' women's hockey 2022-12-18 - IndieWire revealed its list of the best LGBTQ+ films and TV series of 2022. Just some of the selections included Benediction, Bros, Do Revenge, Fire Island, Everything Everywhere All At Once, The Inspection, Los Espookys, P-Valley, ...
| 
|  | Life is a Cabaret for James Harkness these days 2022-12-14 - Out performer James Harkness is one of the many performers in Cabaret ZaZou's Luminaire, the latest project from the creative team behind the successful show Teatro ZinZanni. Currently in an open run since Sept. 7, 2022, ...
| 
|  | SHOWBIZ Jerrod Carmichael, 'Heartstopper,' Lena Waithe, Gyllenhaal, Cher 2022-12-11 - Out comedian Jerrod Carmichael will host the 80th Annual Golden Globe Awards, Deadline reported. After a yearlong hiatus, the three-hour telecast will air on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023 from The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills on NBC and ...
| 
|  | Theater Review: Mosque4Mosque 2022-12-09 - Author: Omer Abbas Salem. At: About Face Theatre at The Den Tickets: www.thedentheatre.com; $7.50-$41.25. Runs through: Dec. 17 Sara and her children are Syrian immigrants with a nice suburban house. Sara (Rula Gardenier) is an accountant, ...
| |
|
|
|
|