PicksInSix Review: All's Well That Ends Well - Chicago Shakespeare Theater
IN THE END… THERE IS LOVE.
PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy
Shakespeare’s “All’s Well That Ends Well,” rarely staged on the opulent scale of director Shana Cooper’s production that opened Friday at Chicago Shakespeare’s Courtyard Theater on Navy Pier, is deemed a problematic work, fused with a tapestry of uneven plot variations and equally flawed characters. Cooper’s work, highlighted with interpretive dance, rises well above these challenges, thanks to a stellar cast and a fair bit of magic and imagery.
If you are expecting one of Shakespeare’s robust comedies, this is not one of those. It begins cloaked in the grief of the death of nobility in Italy and pivots quickly to the uncertain future of the King of France (Francis Guinan) who is gravely ill. Central to the coming of age story is Helen (Alejandra Escalante), daughter of a physician who confesses to her guardian, the Countess of Rossillion (Ora Jones), of her desires to wed her son Bertram (Dante Jemmott), heir to the throne. When Bertram departs to serve under the charge of the King, Helen secretly follows him to France and into the King’s graces to affect a cure of the disease that is killing him. That medical miracle performed—and it is a doozy—the King allows Helen to choose a suitor from the court of eligible men that includes Bertram. However, shunning the King’s decree, Bertram spurns Helen and flees the kingdom for Italy, which launches Helen on a life, to death, to life quest of her own.
The charming Escalante brings a demure, vulnerability to Helen that modulates from a young, impetus woman in love to the heroine we can pull for in her pursuit of Jemmott’s likeable Bertram. Once away and under a false pretense, Bertram directs his attention to Diana (Emma Ladji) a lady of the court who knows much more about his situation than he does himself. As this love triangle sorts itself out, Bertram struggles with issues of trust that come back to roost in the deeds of Mark Bedard’s multi-layered turn as Parolles– “a good drum, but a naughty orator.” At odds with the always steady William Dicks’ splendid French lord Lafeu, Parolles must face the consequence of his ill-natured trickery to the King—a stately and commanding performance by Guinan—before finding personal redemption.
On the lighter side of “All’s Well” is Elizabeth Ledo’s entertaining romp as Lavatch, the Countess’s court jester and confidant whose exuberant nature and keen delivery might seem out of place in a plot that keeps lopping off options until only the lovers remain. Not so with Ledo, whose bawdy, of-the-moment, presence is the refreshing and engaging performance of the night.
Christina Clark is strong in dual roles as the Duchess of Florence and the Widow Capilet, as are Ladji as Diana, who ties up the plot strings nicely, and Tanya Thai McBride as Mariana. The ensemble plays numerous roles and performs the interpretive dance choreography of Stephanie Martinez, a staple in Cooper’s work, which serves to establish and transition between scenes.
While there is often a darkness that prevails over the play that mirrors our pandemic times, this show will play well to the Navy Pier audience looking for an escape on a grand scale that is at once magically entertaining and modestly paced. The elements of magic in the King’s chambers and elsewhere, are the fine work of Dendy and are particularly noteworthy. Set in a period dubbed “Bohemian-Edwardian” by Cooper and the creative team, “All’s Well” unfolds on the vast thrust Courtyard stage, an Andre Boyce design framed in massive, courtly drapes in Act I and a colossal sagebrush spectacle in Act II punctuated by Adam Monroe’s lighting design. With Raquel Barreto’s colorfully textured costumes evoking a rustic era, “All’s Well That Ends Well” is a splendid visual treat for young and old alike.
PHOTO|Liz Lauren
Chicago Shakespeare Theater
presents
ALL’s WELL THAT ENDS WELL
Courtyard Theater
Navy Pier
through May 29
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