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The House That Swift Built
By Gregory Gorin
Translated by Fyodor Sakhnovski
Adapted by Dale Goulding
Produced by Red Square Theatre
At Athenaeum Theatre
2936 N. Southport
Chicago, IL
Call 312-902-1500, tickets $20
Saturdays at 8 PM
Sundays at 6 PM
Special Sunday 2 PM shows on Jan 29 & Feb 5
Running time is 2 hrs, 25 min with intermission
Confusing, vague and convoluted Swift satire too much for most to handle
Red Square Theatre, a Russian-American theatre troupe, has mounted a lavish production of Russian satirist Gregory Gorin’s The House That Swift Built that filled the large main stage at the Athenaeum Theatre. With authentic 18th Century costumes including marvelous woman’s dresses, the show has much promise with its Brechtian-Aburdist elements with sprinkles of masked commedia del arte techniques.
Featuring outstanding performances from Bob Pries as the cynical servant to Swift, Patrick, Venessa Staliings who moves across the stage as if on wheels and from Damian Arnold as the naïve psychologist, Dr. Simpson. With a talented ensemble playing Swift’s mad guests (his characters from his Gulliver’s Travels) this play starts with much promise.
It seems that Jonathan Swift went mad at the end of his life and this fantasy has him staging his death and funeral as a yearly event. We meet him as the silent mad author who seems to be bothered by the giant, the little people and his two lady lovers. I guess? I think? I say that because I’m not sure what is happening due to the vague, complex script and the confusing direction for Luda Lopatina and Dale Goulding. Too bad since this show hints at becoming a wonderful play. It has its rich satirical moments and a humorously clever take on delusional behavior. But the play is too difficult to follow. One would need a blue print just to follow the action. For fantasia to work on stage, clarity and a decisive plot line needs to be established then we’ll go wherever the show takes us. But this show ultimately becomes a dead end. Still the performances, the sophisticated style, and variety of European theatrics make The House That Swift Built a curiosity. The show has merit.
Somewhat Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago Radio show
January 15, 2006
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