Displaying items by tag: Cindy Gold

Black and Irish Twitter had a field day upon the death of Her Highness Queen Elizabeth II. No tears were shed other than tears of laughter and joy at the demise of a colonizer. Telling Black twitter to be respectful of the death of the woman who inherited the legacy of an empire that contributed to the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, or Irish twitter to mourn the woman whose legacy includes Black Sunday is truly an eye rolling, laugh inducting matter…sorry Chris. It is ironic “The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington”, lambasting the “Mother of Our Country”, opened the same weekend as the death of the Queen of the Commonwealth.

I learned so much from seeing this play. Much of James Ijames play is based on historical fact. Martha Dandridge Custis was a widow with two children and enslaved people when she married George Washington. She had an illegitimate half-sister, Ann, born into slavery, thanks to her father. Ann had a son named William. William is both nephew and grandson to Martha since it is believed Martha’s son, John Custis is Williams’s father. George Washington did instruct his wife to release his enslaved people upon his death.  Martha feared her life was in jeopardy and expressed it to Abigail Adams. James Ijames did his research writing this exceptional play. The writing is relevant, thought-provoking, and extremely entertaining.

The play opens Christmas eve night. An enslaved woman, Ann Dandridge is attending to a dying Martha Washington. Just outside and within ear shot are Miz Washington’s enslaved chattel waiting for the glorious moment of her death. They are aware of the clause in her late husbands will freeing them of servitude upon her death, and they can hardly contain themselves.  Miz Washington falls into a deep sleep and finds herself in a fever dream where she will have to account for the people she has enslaved.

Then the fun begins……

Not every director or actor could have pulled off this spectacle. And believe me, it was a spectacle. There was nothing small or tentative about this production. It was big, it was bold, it was Black and Beautiful. Director Whitney White used every fiber of all her talented actors to wonderful results. The ensemble consists of Sydney Charles as Priscilla, Celeste M. Cooper as Doll, Donovan Session as Sucky-Boy, Carl Clemons-Hopkins as Davy, Victor Musoni as William, Nikki Crawford as Ann Dandridge, and Cindy Gold as Martha Washington. All the ensemble members, except Cindy Gold, play a host of other characters.

Clint Ramos’ set design is interesting, dark, and foreboding at times, at other times a circus

Izumi Inaba’s costumes showed a vivid imagination, among the best I’ve seen. There are several scene and costume changes and for the life of me, I’m not sure how they were done so quick and effortlessly.

Ijames doesn’t romanticize slavery as I’ve seen in other plays. There is nothing nice about slavery. Ijames has made his enslaved people the antagonist to an American way of life, putting them at odds with those who romanticize this country.

I got into a row with someone on twitter about my indifference to the Queen’s death. He reminded me the British Empire abolished slavery decades before the United States. I reminded him the British Empire used slave labor to harvest sugarcane, they realized enslaved people with machetes aren’t good for business.

This production is highly recommended.

THE MOST SPECTACULARLY LAMENTABLE TRIAL OF MIZ MARTHA WASHINGTON runs through October 9, 2022 at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, 1650 North Halsted. Tickets are $20-$96.

"Like a cat on a hot tin roof” in English. UK old-fashioned “like a cat on hot bricks”. The phrase is used to describe someone who is in a state of EXTREME nervous worry.

Think about the above definition of the saying "cat on a hot tin roof". It really is descriptive of a type of animal cruelty to watch a cat struggling while its tender feet burn on a metal roof heated in the hot sun of the South. It is really quite extraordinary, the fact that gay playwright Tennessee Williams used this analogy so long ago to describe his character "Maggie the Cat's" precarious position in life having been born without money and being forced to kiss up to her husband, and her father in law, day and night due to their sexist selfishness. 

In Williams personal favorite piece of work, “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” focuses on a wealthy Southern family as the story goes behind closed doors to expose their deceptions, insatiability, sexual wants and superficiality. The 1958 film of the same name starring Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Newman, Burl Ives and Madeleine Sherwood, quickly made William’s tale of dysfunctional familyhood one of his most popular, and one that has made waves on the stage ever since its premier date on March 24th, 1955. Drury Lane Theatre is the latest to mount this classic work and they do it just right. I thoroughly enjoyed this lavish and forward-thinking production from start to finish.
 
Director Marcia Milgrom Dodge does a fantastic job reviving this widely known, classic Tennessee Williams play so that it resonates with modern audiences on many levels. 

In the past, set in 1955 Mississippi, interpretations of the play seem to concentrate on whether or not Brick, the handsome but deeply depressed, alcoholic and unemployed ex-football star is a homosexual because his best friend killed himself over accusations that he might be "in love" with Brick.  

This energetic, fast moving production with the bright breezy, less tormented, "Maggie The Cat" played by Genevieve Angelson with a great sense of humor and normalcy, shows that the REAL issue here is that all of the women characters are equally devalued and left financially dependent in the most worrisome way. See the above definition of the saying " cat on a hot tin roof" whereas a woman such as Maggie is put into such a compromised position by the men in their lives whether it be their husbands, or, in this case, their father in law Big Daddy, played with real menace and ferocity by Chicago actor Matt Decaro. 

Big Mama, Big Daddy’s wife is played by Cindy Gold. Gold does a magnificent job of showing the audience that her character has been demeaned over the years by the completely selfish, ego-maniacal Big Daddy, who refuses to allow his wife of forty years one iota of control over their money, plantation (land) or life choices, even when faced with the prognosis that he has incurable cancer. 

Anthony Bowden has much of the sexy, languid appeal needed for the role of Big Daddy's favorite son, Brick, one who can do no wrong yet sometimes comes off as too young to really convey the desperate nature of his position in life, having no money, no heir and no job prospects. 

I really liked that Angelson’s portrayal of "Maggie the Cat" is played to show that Maggie the cat is NOT evil just because she does not want to have a brood of children like her sister in law with her "five screaming brats with no necks". Nor is her "Maggie" a raging nymphomaniac just because she keeps urging the husband she loves, Brick, to let go of his morbid preoccupation with his friend’s death and make love to her again.  

A wonderful scene which I had not really noticed before occurs between Big Daddy and Brick wherein Big Daddy tries to tell Brick that even if Brick did have relations with his best friend, it doesn't mean he is gay (as if that will comfort him) and Brick finally makes it clear that he is not angry with Maggie so much as he is with himself.

The real reason for Brick's depression and withdrawal from life is that when his friend called him in distress, obviously suicidal over the fact that Maggie called him out on whether or not he was "in love" with Brick or not, Brick does the unthinkable and hangs up on his best friend - just hangs up the phone without a word. Brick feels that his final cold betrayal of his friend’s urgent plea for understanding that day was what prompted his best friend’s suicide - and he may just be right. 

I highly recommend this production for those who enjoy the beautiful, ageless Pulitzer Prize winning writing of Tennessee Williams and for the well thought out performances of many of Chicago's great character actors and actresses. 

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is currently being performed at Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook through August 26th and carries with it as much heat as Chicago’s 90-plus degree summer days. Full of engaging exchanges, powerful performances and a brilliantly designed set of a dilapidated plantation mansion interior that subtly predicts its occupants impending doom, this play entertains from Maggie’s opening monologue to its very end. For more show information, visit www.drurylanetheatre.org.

When it comes to an engaging mystery thriller, the need for finely-written, well-executed twists, turns and the unexpected are imperative. Afterall, a good suspense story on stage that has the ability to genuinely captivate its audience members can be one of the most enjoyable theatrical experiences we can have. In Drury Lane’s current production Deathtrap, we get just that. Deathtrap, written by Ira Levin in 1978 and later becoming a film starring Michael Caine and Christopher Reeve, is a whodunnit that pulls you in keeps you guessing so that just when you think you’ve figured it out, another curveball is thrown.

Upon entering the theatre, we are met with the interior of a Victorian house with a rustic interior. Swords, poster tins of plays and antiques such as Houdini’s handcuffs and collectible pistols decorate the walls and shelves. When looking closely, it appears the way the rafters are cut suggest we could be looking into a massive trap. 

It all starts when a theatre professor, a former flourishing playwright, Sidney Bruhl, takes notice of a play written by one of his students, Cliff Anderson. It’s brilliant - a sure fire hit. It’s been a looooong time since Bruhl has had a successful play and there is no reason to think he is on the brink of anything else that could make waves in the theatre world. When Bruhl promptly invites Anderson - along with his single transcript - to his country home where he lives alone with his wife, Myra, the suspense begins and only thickens as we wonder if Sydney is capable of murdering for a hit show. The well-written dialogue keeps one on edge, moving back and forth from friendly banter to that of a suspicious nature. Adding to the intrigue are Myra’s suspicions and the interactions of Helga, the Bruhl’s neighbor who possesses psychic abilities. 

Daniel Cantor as Sydney Bruhl and Aaron Latterall as Cliff Anderson are brilliant together as they lock horns in their highly engaging cat and mouse exchanges, each performing magnificently while McKinley Carter as Myra offers strong support and is able to cement the growing tension to enhance the audience’s intrigue even further. Though plenty of witty dialogue between players to incite a good share of laughs, Cindy Gold as Helga den Dorp is absolutely hysterical as the psychic neighbor, causing quite a stir with her “visions” that often includes exaggerated body language and heavy moaning. 

We are constantly asked the question on what we would actually do to gain success, no matter what has shown up in our past nature or not, should the opportune moment take place. Should the temptation be great enough, should we know we would get away with, let’s say a crime of significance, we generally rely on the thing deep inside ourselves that would not allow us to go to such extreme measures - to take such action - most people anyway. But what happens when one’s morale compass fails us them - is absent? What is one’s breaking point?

Deathtrap is a nearly perfect psychological thriller. Add that to the fact that this particular production boasts exceptional acting performances, a detailed set that draws one in before the show even begins and a healthy diet of humor, and it would be impossible not to recommend this fantastic play.

Wonderfully directed by William Osetek Deathtrap is being performed at Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook through August 14th. For tickets and/or show information, visit www.drurylanetheatre.com. 

Truth should be at the heart of every good drama piece. Truth, honesty, a bit of realism, something that makes the audience connect with the story, or the characters. Terrence McNally's Mothers and Sons playing at Northlight Theatre in Skokie attempts to reach a truthful depth, but leaves audiences shrugging with indifference wondering what exactly to take away from the play.

Nearly twenty years after her son’s AIDS related death, Katharine (Cindy Gold) pays an unexpected visit to the New York apartment of his former partner, Cal (Jeff Parker), who is now married to another man and has a young child. Over the course of the play Katharine and Cal exchange stories, sass, and sarcasm as they awkwardly interact and attempt to reconcile. Katharine remains judgmental and curt throughout her visit to the apartment, portraying the stereotypical conservative, old fashioned, bitter woman well. Cal, on the other hand, attempts to be gracious and overtly friendly in the face of this judgmental woman. Things heat up when we meet Cal’s partner Will (Benjamin Sprunger) and their son Bud (Ben Miller). Katharine’s disdain for the household and the situation is apparent but predictable as are the interactions with the two men. The remainder of the play is both forced and at time self-righteous and does nothing to move the needle on the many themes it attempts to tackle.

At the heart of the play is a conservative, judgmental woman “challenged’ to accept that her son was gay and that a same-sex couple is raising a child. This theme might have been provocative ten years earlier, but now is played out. Mothers and Sons also touches on homosexuality, AIDS, same-sex marriage, same-sex parenting, loss of a child, loss of a husband, and tries its best to address all of them within the 90 minute run time. There are so many themes that we forget that the son was the driving force that brought this woman to this apartment. He is used more as a prop, much like the journal that was hardly mentioned - though we come to find was the reason for Katharine’s visit. What’s more is the themes and how the play chooses to address them are not profound or thought provoking. Nothing is said that the audience doesn’t already know, or even what the characters don’t already know, which borders on the preachy versus clever. And these themes don’t do anything to change the characters or bring them closer together. At one point, Will’s character is so offended that he asks Katharine to leave, though she stays, shares a self-indulgent “woe-is-me” story that highlights her selfishness more, and suddenly Cal is embracing her as if he understands her after all these years. This sentiment is entirely lost on the audience. Will, the character who was ready to throw the woman out, is suddenly calm, cool, and collected. The young boy offers cookies and milk to everyone, refers to this strange woman as grandma and they all sit around and all but sing Kumbaya. And that is where the play ends. 

Isn’t that truth? That in a matter of a single awkward visit, a selfish, self-loathing, gay-hating conservative becomes accepting of gay marriage, same-sex parenting, and her son’s death? And that her son’s former partner who felt the cold sting and shun of this woman would be so moved as to invite her into his home and his family? It isn’t truth. It’s trite and contrived. Call me a cynic, a millennial, jaded, what have you. The truth might be that people like Katharine still exist in the world, but would someone really be swayed in such a short amount of time? Was it out of sheer loneliness on her part and pity on his end that these two characters accepted one another and will move forward? Mothers and Sons did not offer us this depth, so it’s hardly worthy of such deep analysis.

Truthfully, there isn’t much one could take away from Mothers and Sons. You could reach and say it was a profound dialogue about how the definition of family continually changes and evolves. You could speculate that people in mourning can come together to find comfort and support in one another. But Mothers and Sons does nothing to challenge the audience or the characters, or create a worthwhile dialogue in today’s world.

Directed by Steve Scott, Mothers and Sons runs through February 27th. Tickets are available at http://www.northlight.org/.