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Chicago Tribune
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Review: A Black bromance under stress in ‘Hymn' at Chicago Shakespeare
How many straight, Black men over 50 would consider texting a bro and suggesting a big night out together at Chicago Shakespeare Theater? Not that many, would be the honest truth. Women buy most theater tickets, and data consistently shows that most heterosexual men in a theater audience have been coaxed there by a female partner. Dudes, especially in friend groups, are an endangered population in a theater lobby, and that's particularly the case when it comes to Black men. Thirty-some years of theatergoing have also taught me that's especially true in Chicago, with rare exceptions. Which brings me to playwright Lolita Chakrabarti's 'Hymn,' if you get the double meaning of the title. Here's a modestly ambitious, highly enjoyable show that celebrates African American friendship and is directed by Ron OJ Parson with such exuberance that you leave thinking there actually could be few things better than finding a long-lost brother that you never thought you had. And that's the case even though 'Hymn' actually deals with such very serious topics as addiction and suicide, and works to probe the fragility of the Black middle-class in Chicago, especially during the COVID era. Chakrabarti likes to introduce themes of social justice in her work, sometimes predictably and moralistically so, but Parson invariably ensures that the great Black life force takes center stage in his shows, and that's where 'Hymn' lands in its U.S. premiere. The right partnership, then. Parson foregrounds the power of friendship, the strength of Black familial bonds (whatever troubles they may also bring), and the ability of one brother to love another with such power that all else drops away at the end. Although much of the soundtrack is part of Chakrabarti's script, Parson long been a master of old-school, intra-show playlists and this one includes such pleasures as 'Lean On Me,' 'Got to Get You Into My Life' and 'Gettin' Jiggy Wit It,' not to mention 'Papa Was a Rolling Stone,' which is especially apt, given the show's themes. In this two-character show, Parson has two Chicago actors in James Vincent Meredith and Chiké Johnson who can pull off this joy. Both men have deep experiential benches and watching the pair of them Friday night, I was struck by how clearly they were loving doing this show, leaning into its positivity. Both of them are entirely convincing all night long as their characters traverse from wariness to full-on acceptance and then back to wariness, life bringing the challenges that it invariably does. They're just an unmitigated pleasure to watch for the play's entire 100 minutes. 'Hymn' actually began as a play set in the U.K. (It starred Adrian Lester and Danny Sapani and was streamed live during the pandemic). For the U.S. premiere, Chakrabarti rewrote the play so it was set on the South Side of Chicago. That carefully wrought rewrite mostly works, even if lifelong Chicagoans likely will find it something of a glancing blow, location-wise, rather than a deeply specific dive. I had trouble fully believing one central event involving Michigan Avenue in the play (which I don't want to reveal any more than that), given how there would be more checks at that level in reality. But going with that device really is not a big ask. Everything in this show feels believable, honest and raw. And there is the additional benefit of a lovely, rather cinematic setting from Rasean Davonté Johnson that wisely focuses on the emotional landscape of the two central characters, manifesting their doubts, fears and faith in each other. I hope some members of the aforementioned, hard-to-reach audience make it to this play. I've had a lifelong love of works that don't offer up heroes or villains but fundamentally good people doing their best under very difficult circumstances over which they have only limited control. Here, we watch two men trying to go forward with their lives, deal with their own mistakes and stay centered in a tough city. 'Hymn' is centered on father, brothers, and friends, on trust and guilt, on despair and hope. Whoever we are, we all deal with that stuff and not only is this a show about finally finding someone who has your back, you surely will feel like this lovable show has your back, too. Chris Jones is a Tribune critic. cjones5@ Review: 'Hymn' (3.5 stars) When: Through May 25 Where: Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Courtyard Theater on Navy Pier, 800 E. Grand Ave. Running time: 1 hour, 40 minutes Originally Published: May 4, 2025 at 1:16 PM CDT
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Marching 80 years later in the shoes of POWs
The Long March began at Stalag Luft III, located near what is now Zagan, Poland. This camp was operated by the Luftwaffe, the German air force. On Jan. 24, we gathered at the camp for a commemorative service. During the service, family members, event coordinators and the mayor of Zagan made heartfelt speeches. They also placed wreaths and crosses adorned with red poppies — symbolizing soldiers who served and died in battle — in front of a memorial statue. In attendance was Alfred Junger, a German man who, as a child, witnessed the prisoners of war embark on the Long March. He came to pay his respects and observed as soldiers and families retraced those same steps to honor the POWs. On the first day, the soldiers and the descendants of the POWS walked 20 miles from Zagan to Lipna, Poland, making a few stops along the way. One of these stops was Gozdnica, Poland, formerly known as Freiwaldau, Germany. At this stop, everyone was greeted with delicious Polish baked goods, candies and warm wine. On stage at the Gozdnica Community Center, some wonderful Polish women from the Housewives Association of Gozdnica performed songs for the crowd. Eventually, a few American soldiers took to the stage to sing their hearts out to 'Wagon Wheel' by Darius Rucker. After their performance, the American soldiers exchanged hugs and photos with their hosts. One of the POW family members I met on the first day was James Castle. He completed the entire march in honor of his uncle, Flight Lt. Tony Parsons. Castle shared his feelings about the experience with me. 'To have other family members of POWs, supporters of the SLIII (Stalag Luft III) community and the different military units, all marching together was fantastic.' Castle's uncle, Lt. Parson, was a Hampden bomber pilot in the 83 Squadron of the Royal Air Force. He encountered heavy flak over the coast of Holland. After being stranded for four days in the North Sea, Parson witnessed two of his crewmates drift away, never to be seen again. After 102 hours (about nine days) on a dinghy, he and another survivor were rescued and captured by the German navy. This led to his placement in various hospitals and POW camps, eventually arriving at Stalag Luft III. At Stalag Luft III, he shared a room with Peter Butterworth, whose son, Tyler, was also present during the anniversary commemoration. While at Stalag Luft III, Parson's job was to create compasses from food tins provided by the Red Cross. The soldiers who engaged in this work were known as 'tin bashers' and made assorted items, such as lampshades, cooking trays and air pipes for tunnel construction. The Red Cross played a significant role in supporting the soldiers, providing them with books and exams to enhance their knowledge. In the last three years, James Castle has taken on a role as a first aid trainer with the British Red Cross, based in Kent and Sussex. He is also a standard bearer for the Royal British Legion, and has paid homage at various locations during remembrance marches. One of these was dedicated to Lt. John Kiddell from the Royal Navy, who died in the camp and hailed from Castle's home village. We ended the first day in Lipna, Poland, formerly Selingersrüh, Germany. During the Long March, the POWs spent the night there in barns. They struggled with extreme cold, near starvation, and fear of what would happen next. Wawo and Anya Putkiewicz, who currently own the barns, kindly allowed the American Army Reserves to spend a cold night there. One of those reservists, Capt. Beanca Thai, said that the story of the POWs had deeply moved her and served as motivation during hike. Thai remarked, '(I) Couldn't imagine being in that barn (with) snow and everything.' Thai had no prior knowledge of the Long March and researched it by watching Apple TV's 'Masters of the Air.' This series explores the experiences of the 100th Bomb Group, Stalag Luft III and the stories of Maj. Gale Cleven, Maj. John Egan and many more during World War II. The next day, before everyone set off from the Lipna Barns, another ceremony took place. Everyone gathered around a plaque that Wawo and Anya had erected in honor of the POWs. The families placed more wreaths around the plaque, and then everyone was ready to continue another 20-mile stretch. Sgt. 1st Class Ralph Barricklow, E-7 in the Army's Civil-Military Operations Center, shared that he was one of many people involved in organizing the event. He coordinated volunteers, arranged sleeping accommodations, assembled a medic team, organized food supplies, directed traffic and took on many other responsibilities. Although he had no prior knowledge of the Long March, he found the experience truly inspiring. He also had relatives who served in World War II and felt he was walking in their honor. At the end of this leg of the journey, everyone arrived in Bad Muskau, Germany, at the Stables of Fürst Pückler Park, now a beautiful and expansive location. At this point, the soldiers were struggling with exhaustion and blisters. In Lt. Parson's diary, which Castle shared with me, he describes the fatigue he was experiencing at this point in the march. Parsons was originally assigned to rest at a glass factory, but there was a change in his circumstances. 'After a two-day rest in the factory, I decided I could not walk the 25 km to Sprenburg (sic) so (I) reported sick with badly swollen feet. I and a few others were moved downtown to a riding school owned by Von Honhiem. That night and the one following I slept in the stables — very good stables, too. They were steam heated, dry and (had) one bathroom to serve 400 men.' In contrast, when our group reached the stables we were greeted with bratwursts and beverages. The Army reservists spent the second night in the warm stables, allowing them to rest comfortably and prepare for the last 20 miles of the march. They felt very welcomed by the German locals. On the last day of the march, the U.S. Army reservists were joined by German soldiers. Castle made friends easily throughout the march. He was easy to spot. He was wearing a long wool coat and carrying the flag of the Joint War Organization for the Red Cross Society and the Order of St. John Jerusalem, which supports ex-military personnel, first responders and medical workers. During the day, Castle passed a German World War I memorial located by the side of the road and chose to pay his respects with an act of homage. While he was doing this, a member of the German army approached him and said, 'Good lad. Thank you.' After this encounter, the soldier invited Castle to the front of the march, where he joined others in leading the column. The culmination of the event took place at Güterbahnhof Spremberg, Germany, where the POWs boarded trains for their trip to Nuremberg, Germany. Everyone attended the final commemorative ceremony, where the mayor of Spremberg had placed a stone to mark the occasion. German civilians, families of the POWs, and American and German soldiers gathered, shedding tears as they acknowledged the journey they had shared and the hardships endured by the POWs. One, Sgt. Barricklow, found the march's distance overwhelming, yet he remarked, 'Seeing the looks on the families made it worth it.' Throughout the journey, the soldiers received applause and cheers from Polish and German citizens. Thai, Castle, and many others expressed how welcome this had made them feel. The Kenneth McCaleb Peace Initiative aims to provide students at Missouri Southern State University with a deeper understanding of the effects of war and its impact on individuals. This experience was enlightening not only for me but for everyone involved. When asked about the significance of military participation in anniversaries like the Long March, Castle shared his thoughts: 'It is important that we and future generations remember these events from the past and work together as united countries to make sure that they do not happen again. We must learn from history and share peace together.' Editor's note Kylee Trevarrow is a senior at Missouri Southern State University who will graduate this spring with a bachelor's degree in history and a minor in anthropology. She recently traveled to Germany and Poland to participate in an event commemorating the Long March of 1945 with her professor, Steven Wagner, and a classmate, Raylynn Downey. The opportunity was given to them by the McCaleb Initiative for Peace at MSSU. This initiative was established in 1998 by Kenneth McCaleb and his wife, Margaret Baughman McCaleb, to examine the causes of war and discuss ways in which war can be prevented. Since its establishment, the initiative has provided many students with the chance to travel to sites of past wars, study the devastation they caused, and report their findings to promote peace and help prevent future wars. McCaleb was one of the prisoners of war who survived the 62-mile Long March. As part of the commemoration of these events, Trevarrow marched alongside the families of these POWs, and more than 150 American, British, Polish, and German military personnel who volunteered to participate. This is a last of six parts they about their journey.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Yahoo
Paris woman killed in single-vehicle crash
PARIS, Ill. (WTWO/WAWV) — Wednesday night, a single-vehicle crash on Lower Terre Haute Road resulted in the death of a 28-year-old Paris woman, according to the Edgar County Coroner Scott Barrett. According to a Facebook post from the Edgar County Coroner's Office, Karlie D. Parson, 28, of Paris, Illinois, was pronounced dead on the scene of a crash after she was ejected from the vehicle. The coroner's office said evidence on the scene shows that Parson was traveling South on Lower Terre Haute Road, approximately one and a half miles north of East 800th Road, when her vehicle left the icy roadway and traveled into a ditch on the west side of the road. The car then traveled back onto the roadway before traveling back into the ditch, striking a metal culvert and flipping onto its roof. This caused Parson, the sole occupant, to be ejected from the vehicle Edgar County Sheriff's Department (ECSD), Horizon Health EMS, Paris Fire Department and Oliver Fire Department all responded to the crash. The incident remains under investigation by ECSD and the Edgar County Coroner. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
