SISTERS AND SOLDIERS
Following their rather loose and unconventional takes on Greek tragedy and Gilbert and Sullivan, The Hypocrites return to a more classic approach with Anton Chekhov’s Three Sisters. What gives the production its freshness is the use of a contemporary, idiomatic translation. This helps smooth over some of the awkwardness of the narrative monologues that provide necessary background information about the characters. The three sisters (in their 20s) of the title have been orphaned by the death of their parents and stranded in a provincial Russian town where they yearn for their former life in Moscow. As they seek to find a means of escape, they ironically embed themselves more deeply into provincial society.
Director Geoff Button nimbly stages Chekhov’s complex drama (comic, tragic, tragicomic?) in the round providing for a more satisfactory experience all around. The audience feels closer to the action and is able to follow the characters’ simultaneous conversations more easily and the cast members can walk on and off more naturally from every direction. Jeremy W. Floyd’s costumes evoke the period well, especially in the floor-length skirts and high-necked blouses of the titular sisters. He does mix up the production’s color palette ever so slightly as the play wears on to match the changing scenery, most notably in the characters of Andrei and Natasha. This certainly serves to distinguish them, but might also suggest something about who they are.
Perfectly cast in the titular roles, Mary Williamson, Hilary Williams, and Lindsey Gavel easily draw us into Chekhov’s world and gain our sympathy. We laugh and cry with them, hate Natasha (played icily by Erin Barlow) with them, and share their fondness for the soldiers garrisoned in town. Williams’ Irina is particularly likeable, cheerful and cute. As the tortured Masha, Gavel expressively presents the conflicting sides of her character, caught between an unlovable husband and an unfortunate lover.
As the awkward soldier Solyony, John Kahara provides just the right mix of menace and lunacy. Noah Simon is ever so charming as the musically-talented yet physically unappealing Baron Tuzenbach. The Hypocrites’ excellent ensemble cast makes this Chekhov production a delightful and entertaining drama.
photos by Evan Hanover
Three Sisters
The Hypocrites
The Den Theatre Mainstage
1329-1333 N. Milwaukee Ave
Mon, Fri & Sat at 8; Sun at 3
ends on June 6, 2015
for tickets, visit www.the-hypocrites.com
for info on Chicago Theater, visit www.TheatreinChicago.com
