June 2010 Theatre Review by Paul Cosca
Shakespeare's King Phycus
Performing Shakespeare can be incredibly difficult. What's harder still is poking gentle fun at Shakespeare. God knows that there's some group at every Renaissance fair ever that tries to put on a condensed version of "Twelfth Night" that ends up as a muddled mess of fart jokes and yellow stockings. So whenever a group decides to do a Shakespearian farce, my fear is that there will be nothing but turkey legs separating us from ye olde Renaissance fair. Lucky for us, and for Chicago theatre in general, The Strange Tree Group has put together a truly quality Shakespearian farce in its world premier of "King Phycus".
Upon entering The Building Stage, you are thrown into the "history" of the play. Supposedly, Shakespeare wrote "King Phycus" at the very top of his career, and after one terrible performance he buried the script, along with the cursed pen he used to write it. From there it had a long, doomed history, including a planned performance at the Ford Theatre, which closed before it opened when one of its stars killed Abraham Lincoln. None of this really matters when it comes to the plot, but it adds to the professionalism of the entire evening, and looking over the faithfully recreated documents of the "original script" really adds to the experience.
As for the plot...it is surprisingly logical, when it all comes together. King Phycus (a stand in for Lear) is getting old and dividing his land up between his children, Juliet and Hamlet. Hamlet is married to the delightfully evil MacBetty (Lady MacBeth, of course), and Juliet is betrothed to the hunchbacked Gloucester. Outside the castle, tensions are growing between Phycus' England and Ceasar's Rome. Brutus is plotting to kill Ceasar and invade England, and he sends a young Roman named Romeo to the court of King Phycus to spy before the coming invasion.
In a lot of ways, this is a play about classic characters acting their true selves no matter the situation. Put a Romeo and a Juliet together, and they will fall in love. A Gloucester and a Scottish queen will always plot to steal the crown. And a Hamlet will always question everything.
The script is at its best when it is at its smartest. This is not a play for those uninitiated with Shakespare. But those that love the Bard will have plenty to laugh about here. Most of the jokes are a far ways from cheap, and it is a combination of quality writing and engaging acting that wring plenty of genuine belly laughs from the audience. One section taken straight from "The Music Man" during a scene in Rome might be one of the funniest things I've seen on stage in Chicago.
However, not every joke is a winner. Occasionally, Tom Willmorth's script descends into Renaissance fair toilet humor, and though the occasional fart joke can illicit a chuckle, I am still terribly unconvinced that fake vomiting will ever be funny onstage. And Mel Brooks style jokes about funny names don't really find a solid home here. Apart from that, the evening does run a bit long (though I think that when they get AC fixed next week, that will help things dramatically). But these small quibbles are not nearly enough to detract from the experience.
It should be noted that there are only six actors that play the 31 different characters that appear throughout the evening. While some of the characters are slightly indistinct, there are some phenomenal performances (Bob Kruse's Gloucester is a true standout). The biggest compliment I can give to this talented ensemble is that when the show was done and the curtain call began, I paused for a moment, somehow expecting there to be more people.
With a great script, lively acting, and a beautiful set, "King Phycus" is worth the trip to The Building Stage. Strange Tree Group is all about celebrating the "theatricality inherent in live performance" and this play is an absolute celebration of all the things we love about Shakespeare. I look forward to seeing more from Strange Tree, and you should too. "Shakespeare's King Phycus", directed by Ira Amyx, runs through July 31 at The Building Stage (421 N. Carpenter St.). Tickets are $25. For more information, or to purchase tickets, go to www.buildingstage.com.
About Paul Cosca
Paul
Cosca is a writer, actor, director, designer, and critic who loves
the city of Chicago. Originally from California, Cosca moved to the
windy city in 2005 and got a BFA in acting from Roosevelt University.
He has acted and directed in several theatres in the city and is the
artistic Director of Brikenbrak Theatre Project, a theatre that is
devoted to challenging the way people think.
Cosca is devoted to creating a dialogue between all kinds of people in the theatre community. He believes that actors, directors, writers, critics, and theatre lovers should all engage each other, and that the flow of communication is what makes theatre such a vibrant community. He would love to hear what you think, not only about his reviews, but about other shows you've seen. Feel free to send him an email at paulcosca@gmail.com.