Chicago's 2018-9 Gothic Plays
Looking for some Gothic theatre in Chicago this year to put you in the mood for our October conference? Look no further - the city is full of new explorations of the human condition, oppression, reinvention, philosophical possibilities, scientific advances, and all sorts of other themes and avenues falling under the category of the Gothic. See below for some ongoing and upcoming productions and make sure to get your tickets early! And if we've missed anything Victorian or Gothic, let us know. Honorable mention goes to Bunnicula, showing at the Lifeline Theatre from October 20 – November 25, 2018!
20,000 Leagues Under the Seas (Lookingglass Theatre)
When a terrifying sea monster is spotted off the coast, renowned scientist Professor Aronnax and fellow explorers set out to investigate. They soon find themselves kidnapped and held under the command, and spell, of the mysterious Captain Nemo. As they circle the globe aboard the most advanced submarine the world has never seen, they confront giant squids, bizarre sea creatures, and the monsters that lurk below…and within.
Adapted by David Kersnar and Althos Low from Jules Verne’s epic adventure exploring the murky perils of the seas, Ensemble Member and director David Kersnar invites you to board the Nautilus and “Dive! Dive! Dive!” into this Lookingglass World Premiere.
Dates: May 23 – September 9, 2018
Frankenstein (Lifeline Theatre)
After an unexpected death shatters her family, Victoria retreats into the darkest recesses of her psyche in search of a way forward. To find meaning in an impossible loss, she brings a terrible creation to life - one whose existence threatens all hopes for the future. Haunted and hunted at every turn, Victoria must endure a nightmare journey of the soul in a quest for survival. Grapple with the demons of grief and denial in this world premiere adaptation of the 1818 thriller by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. In celebration of the 200th anniversary of the publication of Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, ensemble members Robert Kauzlaric and Paul S. Holmquist, creators of 2007’s The Island of Dr. Moreau (winner of five Non-Equity Jeff Awards, including Production–Play and New Adaptation), return to the world of psychological suspense. A world premiere based on the novel by Mary Shelley. Adapted by Robert Kauzlaric. Directed by Paul S. Holmquist.
Dates: September 7 - October 28, 2018
Witch (Writers Theatre)
Mischief is afoot in the sleepy village of Edmonton and the fate of the world is at stake in this smart modern fable. When the emotionally conflicted son of the local lord and an ambitious newcomer come into conflict, help presents itself to both of them in the same guise—as the Devil himself. But while these two young men take advantage of the Devil’s bargain to accomplish their own questionable ends, someone else in town stands her ground—Elizabeth, an outcast whom everyone believes to be a witch.Written by Jen Silverman. Inspired by The Witch of Edmonton by Rowley, Dekker & Ford. Directed by Marti Lyons.
Dates: September 26 - December 16, 2018
Website: https://www.writerstheatre.org/witch
Frankenstein (The Greenhouse Theatre Center)
Remy Bumppo will be celebrating the 200th anniversary of Mary Shelley's famous novel, Frankenstein, in a fresh, new adaptation by Nick Dear directed by Remy Bumppo Artistic Assistant Ian Frank. As in the Royal National Theatre's premiere, the duality of human nature will be embodied by two actors who will alternate the roles of the creator and his creature every other performance. Presented by Remy Bumppo Theatre. Mary Shelley’s revolutionary horror classic is shocked to life in Dear’s adaptation. Retold from the abandoned creature’s point of view, this taut, muscular version raises urgent questions about scientific responsibility, parental neglect, and the nature of good and evil. *MATURE CONTENT 2011 Smash Hit at The National Theatre in London.
Dates: October 11 - November 11, 2018
Chicago Frankenstein Play (Hyde Park’s Court Theatre)
Love, loss, and creation merge in unexpected ways in this thrilling classic gothic tale conceived by Manual Cinema. Stories of Mary Shelley, Victor Frankenstein, and his Monster expose how the forces of family, community, and education shape personhood-or destroy it by their absence. In a special world premiere presentation, internationally-renowned multimedia company Manual Cinema stitches together the classic story of Frankenstein with Mary Shelley's own biography to create an unexpected story about the beauty and horror of creation. Manual Cinema combines handmade shadow puppetry, cinematic techniques, and innovative sound and music to create immersive visual stories for stage and screen. Manual Cinema is a performance collective and film production company, founded in part by former Court dramaturg Drew Dir.
Dates: November 1 - December 2, 2018
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (Lookingglass Theatre)
Within every man there is a monster; within every monster, a man. But which is which? An eerie evening of ghost stories crackles to life as Mary Shelley unspools her tale of Victor Frankenstein and his unholy experiment. This gothic tale of love, horror, and the power to create life-and destroy it-awakens in this visceral, original retelling of Frankenstein.
Dates: May 8 - August 4, 2019 Website: https://lookingglasstheatre.org/2018-19-season/
