Virtual Theater: TITANIC (SCENES FROM THE BRITISH WRECK COMMISSIONER’S INQUIRY, 1912) (Court Theatre in Chicago)

Chicago’s amazing Court Theatre is presenting its next play digitally — the world can now see why this is such a remarkable company. Owen McCafferty’s Titanic (Scenes from the British Wreck Commissioner’s Inquiry, 1912) is a survivors’ story fraught with intrigue, bravery, and human frailty, telling the story of the sinking of the RMS Titanic using verbatim testimonies from a court investigation of the wreck.

Presented in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, an ensemble of actors probes the causes of the catastrophe, the value systems that enabled it, and if indeed it was actually preventable. Vanessa Stalling (Jeff Award-winning director of Photograph 51 and United Flight 232) brings her singular artistry to McCafferty’s text to craft a lush aural experience that allows audiences to explore the tragedy from multiple perspectives. Leveraging audio technology, she and her team will create an expansive soundscape that allows the testimonies of each individual to resonate with audiences through a heightened, intimate experience that pushes the boundaries of design and theatrical performance.

Vanessa Stalling (Director), Derek Matson (Dramaturg), Eva Breneman (Dialect Designer), Arnel Sancianco (Scenic Designer), Izumi Inaba (Costume Designer), Keith Parham (Lighting Designer), Mikhail Fiksel (Sound Designer), Zoe Lesser (Assistant Director), Erin Albrecht (Production Stage Manager), Nikki Konomos (Assistant Stage Manager), and Evan Williams (Dramaturgy Intern).

Titanic (Scenes from the British Wreck Commissioner’s Inquiry, 1912)
Court Theatre, Chicago
digital production on-demand from June 14 – July 11, 2021
for tickets ($20-$50), call (773) 753-4472 or visit Court

Xavier Edward King