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Chicago Tribune
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Review: With a remarkable ‘Angels in America' from Invictus, off-Loop theater roars back in Chicago
The extraordinary Invictus Theatre Company summer production of Tony Kushner's 'Angels in America' is a throwback to the long-lost glory days of Chicago's non-Equity theater scene, a time when a lack of resources, let alone experience, did not prevent hungry companies of young artists from taking audacious risks on epic works. Director Charles Askenaizer's new multi-hour, rotating-repertory stagings of the constituent 'Millennium Approaches' and 'Perestroika' in the former Windy City Playhouse, amidst the auto repair shops on Irving Park Road, stand up well against director David Cromer's unforgettable off-Loop 1998 staging for The Journeymen. In the case of 'Millennium,' the better of the two productions here, it also compares well with the first national tour of 'Angels' that debuted at the Royal George Theatre — and blew everyone lucky enough to see it halfway to Salt Lake City. I'd go so far as to say this is the most powerful non-Equity production, all in all, I've seen since before the pandemic either wrecked or compromised so many of our small Chicago theater companies. Add in the fascination of experiencing Kushner's fin-de-siecle masterwork set mostly in New York, mostly in the time of AIDS, in the context of current geopolitical events, hitherto unanticipated, the chance to wrestle with the irony of the final hopeful moments of 'Peristroika' being intertwined with the coming of Glasnost (what could possible go wrong?) and a growing sense of American unity (what could possible go wrong?), and the brain gets so many fresh yet familiar stimuli that the hours pass by like minutes. That has a lot to do with Askenaizer's pacing, which moves the action expeditiously without sacrificing the work's inherent play for grandeur. Going in this weekend, and this took most of the weekend, I frankly had expected a pared-down staging, but that's absolutely not the vibe here, thanks to both the scale of the performances and the possibilities explored by the set designer Kevin Rolfs, who seems to have conceived the play as taking place in the rubble of American democracy, Kushner's Angel offering our one last hope. The lighting, from Brandon Wardell, is remarkably complex for this kind of space. As merely one example of some of his breathtaking cues, Wardell uses uplighting to sculpt Nicki Rossi, who plays said Angel with huge wings designed by Jessie Gowens, in such a way as to get you wondering whether she's a fever dream, the seat of judgement or merely an inert statue. The presence of God is a vital part of 'Angels' but you can never know if s/he is really there. You won't know here. But you must wonder. Casting is close to everything in 'Angels,' of course, and within a uniformly strong ensemble, I thought there were three performances that root the show and make sense of arcs and journeys that often get lost in productions of this play. One is from Anne Trodden, who plays Harper, a young Mormon woman betrayed by her closeted conservative husband, Joe. Not only does Trodden, who put me in mind of both Mary Louise Parker and Kate Fry, reflect this character's mental fragility without resorting to cliché, she builds a deeply vulnerable and empathetic character. Harper, you might know, takes a long and winding journey toward self-determined resolve, and you are with her here every step of the way. Joe Bushell's wound-tight Joe, a man who hath ever but slenderly known himself, matches her every step of the way, staying silent at the wrong times, raging when he should be listening. Yet he too remains empathetic. And then there's Ryan Hake as Prior Walter, the play's spiritual seeker and moral conscience. Prior offers up one of the year's great Chicago performances, deeply immersed in a character who has to withstand the irritating Louis (Grant Carriker, hyperarticulating as required) and confront the inadequacy of all humans, except perhaps the loving Belize (Miguel Long) and the redemptive Hannah (Renae Stone). As Roy Cohn, Michael D. Graham plunges some real depths. I lost a few of Roy's acerbic lines, as is occasionally true elsewhere, especially in 'Peristroika.' A few problems with textual articulation is the one correctable flaw here. But everything else is so raw and real, you might not notice or care. After years of watching these plays, I've come to think that some directors don't understand the importance not just of each scene but of how you get from one to the next, as imperfect humans barely in their 30s are forced to confront the reality of death without trusting religiosity. They're all in a constant crisis, which is easy to forget since they have so much to say. So they know that every new encounter with anyone or anything will bring either balm or fresh horrors. They never know which. It terrifies them. That understanding is what impressed me the most in Askenaizer's two productions this past weekend. The transitions are extraordinarily well staged and, well, what is life but a series of transitions? Review: 'Angels in America' (4 stars) When: Through Sept. 7 with 'Millennium Approaches' and 'Perestroika' in rotating repertory Where: Invictus Theatre Company at the Windy City Playhouse, 3014 W. Irving Park Road Running time: 3 hours, 30 minutes (each part) Tickets: $25-$38 (each part) at
Hamilton Spectator
16-07-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Royal George Theatre project ‘not a respectful renovation': Shaw Festival plan meets opposition
Niagara-on-the-Lake residents and heritage supporters have given a thumbs down review of The Shaw Festival's proposed new Royal George Theatre project. Maria Vaneva, owner of the Historic Wilson-Guy House bed and breakfast at 177 Victoria Ave., said the proposed $80-million new Royal George Theatre would 'negatively' impact her business, her lifestyle and her retirement. 'It is not a respectful renovation,' said Vaneva, during the town's July 9 planning meeting. 'It is a complete transformation.' She said if the project is approved by council, it will 'open the floodgates' to other 'megaprojects' such as a hotel in the historic district. 'I'm not opposed to a rebuild,' said Vaneva. 'But it has to be respectful to the historical district.' Vaneva, along with her husband, Dimitar Minkov, said the project with its 'massive scale of the modern building, the public disruption, the taking down of mature trees, and parking issues' would completely transform Niagara-on-the-Lake. Other residents echoed Vaneva's criticisms. Earlier this year, the province announced it was providing $35 million in funding to The Shaw Festival over three years for the reconstruction of the Royal George Theatre. The theatre will close at the end of 2025, with a target of a spring 2029 reopening. The proposed theatre will accommodate 350 people, up slightly from the current 335, and include a new lobby and rehearsal space and a new loading dock. The project would also cut down mature trees and demolish four existing residential or commercial buildings, including 178 Victoria St., which dates back to about the 1820s; 83-85 Queen St.; 79 Queen St., also known as Tranter's House; and 188 Victoria St., also known as Dicken's Den. All four properties are designated under the Ontario Heritage Act and are located within the Queen-Picton Heritage Conservation District. The Royal George Theatre building was constructed about 1914-15 for commercial operations. The façade was transformed in the postwar period, associated with architect John Peter Stokes. The Shaw Festival purchased the building in 1981. Valmai Howe Elkins, who lives in the area, said the Royal George Theatre should be restored rather than expanded. She said tourists stop in front of the current theatre and admire its architecture. The new building will only turn off tourists and change the entire Queen Street streetscape, she said. During a July 10 town heritage meeting, committee member Brian Marshall suggested placing the former Niagara-on-the-Lake courthouse building onto the current site of the Royal George Theatre to give the public an idea of what a new theatre structure would look like in the residential neighbourhood. 'The (residential) buildings are just dwarfed,' said Marshall. He called the proposed structure's impact on Victoria Street 'especially egregious.' 'This will be a completely dominant feature,' said Marshall. 'It is completely incongruous with the streetscape. Effectively, the entire heritage district will be negatively impacted. It is not achievable in its current form.' Heritage committee member Rita Trudeau agreed the proposed theatre will 'dominate' the street. 'It's too massive,' said Trudeau. Tim Jennings, executive director of The Shaw Festival, said the current Royal George Theatre is 'failing badly' with a basement that floods during rainstorms, no lobby for patrons to gather in and a building that is not accessible. He said a theatre has been located on Queen Street for about 115 years, and when a proposal was made years ago to relocate the theatre outside the area, residents opposed the move. Several residents appearing before the planning committee at town hall, which was filled, suggested building the new theatre on the old hospital lands on Wellington Street. '(The theatre) has been intertwined with the Queen Street area for years,' said Jennings. Jennings said Shaw Festival officials confirmed there will be an open house July 16 for the public at the Royal George Theatre to provide further information. Jennings also assured the public and councillors Shaw officials have not applied for any demolition permits. The Shaw has applied for an official plan and rezoning bylaw amendments for the redevelopment and to permit theatre use on the expanded property. The project includes 68.7 per cent lot coverage, three-storeys above grade, an increase of 1.6 metres to the fly town for a total of 19 meters, and a four-metre increase to the pediment for a total height of 14 meters, which would raise the ground floor above the water table to mitigate the flooding issues. There will also be a loading dock and 257 parking spaces on-site. Jennings said the loading dock would be used about 10 times annually. With a renovated theatre, Shaw officials said the theatre would provide additional programming for families and children during the January to March period and introduce additional shows for seniors, which means creating an accessible environment. Jennings said during the planning meeting there would be no restaurant on-site, although refreshments will be served to patrons. There won't be any weddings held at the refurbished theatre. Nathalie Desrosiers, senior heritage lead for McCallum Sather, said during the heritage committee meeting the Royal George Theatre building was not 'built' to remain forever. She told the heritage committee it does not have any 'architectural value,' and while it is a landmark in Niagara-on-the-Lake, 'it is not an exceptional building.' Desrosiers said when the 300-metre Eiffel Tower was completed in 1889 as the focal point of the 1889 World's Fair, it was criticized for its design. 'Now it is a landmark,' said Desrosiers. She said the Royal George Theatre needs a larger space because it is a theatre and not a residential house. 'This is a completely different reality,' she said. Heritage committee member David Snelgrove said he does support redeveloping the Royal George Theatre, but the 'trick is to do this as sympathetically as possible.' Coun. Tim Balasiuk said he was concerned about how much space the building will use as it expands within the residential neighbourhood. 'I'm excited and nervous as the same time,' he said. In a report, heritage committee staff said the heritage impact assessment 'does not adequately address negative impacts of the proposal' onto the Queen-Picton Heritage Conservation District, including on 178 and 188 Victoria St. and 79 Queen St. The committee approved staff's recommendations for the Shaw Festival and its consultants to provide additional information. 'We understand this is a big change,' said Jennings. 'We are willing to work with staff to mitigate the impact.' The Shaw Festival generates about $300 million in tourism activity for the region and more than $70 million in economic impact for Niagara-on-the-Lake annually. Editor's note: July 15, 2025: This article has been edited from a previously published version to correct the cost of the project to $80 million. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
With $110 million raised, Shaw Festival two-thirds of way to fundraising goal
Shaw Festival organizers announced last week that the once more quiet effort to raise $150 million is now an open campaign — something for the world to know about. The organization announced the creation of the campaign, which is the newest phase of their long-standing fundraising efforts with the goal of building numerous brand new arts facilities in Niagara-on-the-Lake. The slogan refers to a common refrain in theatre to encourage everyone in the room to join in the play or the song. The idea of the campaign is to promote the idea that the theatre brings people together and doesn't isolate them. Tim Carroll, the artistic director of the Shaw Festival, said that he hopes this idea inspires people to support the organization in what Shaw Festival executive director Tim Jennings said was the 'most significant cultural investment in Niagara in the last 100 years.' 'This fundraising effort has been going on since I was here (in 2017),' said Carroll. 'We had been raising money quietly but we hadn't launched the campaign until now. …We will be raising money from everyone and not just the people who knew about it.' The efforts to raise money through government and private fundraising before the campaign started has resulted in $110 million already having been raised. This leaves $40 million to go. The Government of Ontario said they were giving $35 million to help rebuild the Royal George Theatre back in April. The federal government has also given $15 million for the development of the Artists' Village. The Shaw Festival is also waiting to hear from the federal government about funding for the Royal George Theatre. The rest came from private donations. These include larger donors like the James A. Burton and Family Foundation and Tim and Frances Price, as well as members of the public who wish to donate to the Shaw Festival. The Shaw Festival's efforts centre around two main projects. The first is to take down and restore the Royal George Theatre, a 110-year-old theatre in the Historic Old Town which is set demolished due to age and disrepair. The second is to create a new campus called the Artists' Village, which is an expansion of the Festival Theatre. They will renovate five decommissioned buildings in the Old Upper Canada Lodge that will be used for seasonal housing for Shaw actors, classrooms, performance spaces, and studios. The feature of the Artists' Village particularly singled out for mention by the Shaw Festival is the Burton Centre for Lifelong Creativity, which is meant to be a place where people from all walks of life are encouraged to come to be creative. As per the theme of the campaign, one of the major aims for the centre is for it to be a place that can reduce isolation for more than one million seniors by 2030. The Artists' Village will open to the public in May 2026, though Jennings said some outdoor work will continue throughout 2026. The festival's aim is to demolish the Royal George Theatre in 2026 with the new theatre to open in Fall 2028. The Shaw Festival also has an offshoot idea from called the Movement for Real Human Connection. Carroll says this phrase 'tells you what we're really about,' which is using drama to bring people together. The Shaw Festival is the organization that runs an internationally known summer-long festival, named after famous Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw. It puts on plays in Niagara-on-the-Lake from spring until winter each year. The festival's website says 10 or more productions are shown in three theatres to an audience of around 250,000 people each year. The festival was founded in 1962. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
CTV News
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Shaw Festival has raised 70 per cent of $150M goal to reinvent theatre institution
An artist rendering design of a replacement for the Royal George Theatre in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., is shown in this handout image. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Shaw Festival, Unity Design Studio **MANDATORY CREDIT** The Shaw Festival says it's raised 70 per cent of the $150 million it needs to reinvent the theatre institution's role in southern Ontario. Artistic director Tim Carroll says the $110 million the festival has raised so far comes from a combination of the province, the federal government and private donations. He says they're now soliciting donations more broadly because they see the finish line in sight. The Shaw Festival in Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ont., plans to expand its footprint with an artists' village beside the current Festival Theatre that will include performance and classroom spaces. The organization also plans to create a new downtown campus, including a new theatre to replace the crumbling Royal George Theatre. The Shaw says it wants to create a community hub that brings people together and encourages deeper engagement with the theatre. Carroll says theatregoers are already inspired by what they see on stage, and the Shaw plans to foster that inspiration. 'In future you will come to 'Anything Goes,' and then you can go and take a tap dance class, or you can come to a comedy show and you can then go and take an improv class or a comedy class,' he said Monday. He said it will go beyond performance — there will also be classes for technical theatre skills such as scene design. 'We want everyone to be able to find where their joy is and to be able to release their own artist,' Carroll said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 26, 2025. Nicole Thompson, The Canadian Press
Winnipeg Free Press
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Shaw Festival has raised 70 per cent of $150M goal to reinvent theatre institution
The Shaw Festival says it's raised 70 per cent of the $150 million it needs to reinvent the theatre institution's role in southern Ontario. Artistic director Tim Carroll says the $110 million the festival has raised so far comes from a combination of the province, the federal government and private donations. He says they're now soliciting donations more broadly because they see the finish line in sight. The Shaw Festival in Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ont., plans to expand its footprint with an artists' village beside the current Festival Theatre that will include performance and classroom spaces. The organization also plans to create a new downtown campus, including a new theatre to replace the crumbling Royal George Theatre. The Shaw says it wants to create a community hub that brings people together and encourages deeper engagement with the theatre. Carroll says theatregoers are already inspired by what they see on stage, and the Shaw plans to foster that inspiration. 'In future you will come to 'Anything Goes,' and then you can go and take a tap dance class, or you can come to a comedy show and you can then go and take an improv class or a comedy class,' he said Monday. He said it will go beyond performance — there will also be classes for technical theatre skills such as scene design. 'We want everyone to be able to find where their joy is and to be able to release their own artist,' Carroll said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 26, 2025.
