Devised by Theater Unspeakable
At Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. Tickets: $20-30; Greenhousetheater.org . Runs through: Nov. 11
Seven actors. Twenty-one square feet. The entire American Revolution.
According to its founder and director Marc Frost, Theater Unspeakable thrives upon creating "big stories in small spaces." The Chicago-based touring company now brings their acclaimed physical-theater take on the Founding Fathers to the Greenhouse Theater Center. The result is a fast-paced and fun 50 minutes as an enthusiastic troupe takes its all-ages audience from the French and Indian War to John Hancock's oversized signature.
The American Revolution covers many of the same events as Hamilton, with a more nuanced perspective from George Washington ( Jeffrey Own Freelon Jr. ) and just as many wacky antics from smug King George ( Devin Sanclemente ). Both Martha Washington ( Lexi DeSollar ) and Abigail Adams ( Carolyn Moore ) have their sayat one point, Adams warns her husband that if no one listens to the women, they'll just start their own revolution. ( Just wait a couple of centuries, Mrs. Adams. ) Battles are fought, lost and won.
And except for an incident during the Boston Tea Party, not one of the seven actors leave the 21-square-foot platform.
Founded in 2010, Theater Unspeakable draws inspiration from movement and mime pioneer Jacques Lecoq, and many of its troupe have extensive backgrounds in physical theater. Aside from a white scrim and a few well-placed light cues, The American Revolution has no production values: the performers are storyteller, set and sound all at once. Clad in identical red spandex union suits, they play a myriad of characters, from George Washington's humble slave to French royalty. Their mouths provide copious sound effects and music, and their bodies form buggies, ships and flags. To say the actors' spatial awareness, ensemble work and positive energy are unparalleled, is the understatement of the decade.
Devised theater is a woefully underrated and incredibly challenging art form. The ensemble has no script to work with and must create from the bottom up: it's the ultimate team-building exercise. Together and apart, the cast of The American Revolution frolic with an incredible grace. Their movements are intricate and beautiful, giving off an air of childlike spontaneity that only comes from copious training, careful rehearsal and countless examples of trial and error. Even the nastiest character has a goofy charm, but the more problematic historical elements aren't ignoredfor example, culturally appropriating Native American dress during the Boston Tea Party, and the fact that the "father of our country" Washington didn't free his most loyal slave until after Washington's death.
The American Revolution has the effect of a Sesame Street segment from the 1970s: whimsical, educational and pleasing to everyone from toddlers to the elderly. Certainly, every age group in the theater was fully engaged from beginning to end. With its unique, enthusiastic rendition of historic events rendered by a supremely talented ensemble, The American Revolution is a pleasant way to spend a morningand a shining example of how devised theater can be.