“Upon This Shore: A Tale of Pericles and the Daughters of Tyre” reviewed by Julia W. Rath

[rating=3]Idle Muse Theatre Company’s performance of “Upon This Shore: A Tale of Pericles and the Daughters of Tyre” is nicely crafted, considering the small stage that they have to work with. This compelling story taken from Shakespeare’s “Pericles, Prince of Tyre” retains a lot of the bard’s original language and verve while being adapted for a modern audience. The main change is that of emphasis: The story now empowers women to a far greater extent than the original, such that women (as well as men) inhabit the roles of lords and governors, pirates and fishermen. These female characters move the plot along in addition to the ones that Shakespeare had once penned.

Brendan Hutt is exceptional in the role of Pericles! He carries the entire weight of the first act on his shoulders, being prince, king, warrior, knight, shipwrecked sailor, and the like. We relish his preciseness and vigor whenever he takes the stage. Mara Kovacevic provides a wonderful companion to Pericles as his wife Thaisa, who is also the daughter of King Simonides (Watson Swift). Caty Gordon plays the adult Marina, Pericles’ daughter. With the marked change in focus between Acts One and Two, the role of Pericles is not as focal until near the end of the play, whereas the role of Marina takes center stage from the beginning of the second act. In the original Shakespearean tale, it is almost as if the first act had been written by a man, with its sense of war and adventure, whereas the second act has a certain sensitivity involving the various female characters that makes it seem as if it had been written by a woman. This new adaptation is no different in story but better in nuance.

Both the good and evil characters among the women are strong-willed. Laura Jones Macknin (Helicanus) gives an especially strong performance as the governor. Christina Renee Jones (Dyonyza), Jennifer Mohr (Lysimacha), Morgan Manasa (Bawd/Captain/Master Fisher), Elizabeth C. MacDougald (Cerimas), and Meghann Taylor (Understudy) are all compelling in their acting. They, plus all the other men, Xavier Lagunas (Thaliard), Linsey Falls (Escanus, Fisherfolk), Kade Cox (Cleon), Erik Schnitger (Bolt), and Ross Compton (Understudy) make this version of Shakespeare’s story more agile and relevant than ever. Having Pericles find his daughter and his wife after so many years of sadness and grief makes this story especially telling in today’s world—when we see first-hand on television how so many wives, mothers, and children have become separated from fathers and husbands during an uncertain war in the Ukraine. Will they ever be reunited again? And under what circumstances and where?

If there is any one problem with the show, it is that the cast is too small. Although we can always follow the main thread of the tale, there are too many occasions when having the same actors play multiple parts makes things a bit jarring. For example, we see King Antiochus, of Antioch, murdered by his wife in one scene and shortly thereafter we see the same actor play King Simonides, of Pentapolis. Since both wear burgundy robes (although a different crown), it seems for a brief moment as if Antiochus has risen from the dead. Then too when Lagunas plays Thaliard as well as several minor characters, we notice that practically all are evil. So we begin to cringe whenever he takes the stage, regardless of his role.

Credit must go to Evan M. Jackson for excellent stage directing and for reinvigorating the tale of Pericles, the stranger knight. Laura J. Wiley has worked her magic with the lighting and projection design; these are especially on target in capturing the tempest on the sea and defining scene changes. The set is very plain and simple, almost too plain when it comes to designating indoor scenes at the king’s court and at the brothel. It does reflect the lights well, and I particularly liked how the stage turns into a seafaring vessel. Sound designer and music designer L.J. Luthringer has carefully inserted the most appropriate sounds and music throughout, adding mystique and a spirit of adventure to the presentation. The sound design is excellent! Carrie Hardin, the speech and dialect coach, has skillfully drilled the cast in Elizabethan English. Jessie Gowans’ fishermen costumes are especially creative, and Marina’s red dress is especially stunning; all of the other costumes reflect the time period in Ancient Greece when this story takes place. Violence designer Libby Beyreis and intimacy designer Jennifer Mickelson have each done wonders making the sword fighting scenarios and scenes with close contact look realistic but also safe for the actors.

Speaking of actor safety, there are signs throughout the theatre about keeping one’s mask on at all times when inside to protect the actors from COVID. There are still COVID restrictions in effect at the Edge Off-Broadway Theater, so you must provide an ID and a proof of vaccination card for admittance into the venue.

All in all, this two-hour revival of a Shakespearean classic will not only educate but entertain you. Idle Muse Theatre Company has done an expert job in bringing this world premiere production about the daughters of Tyre to an enthusiastic audience, and you should be a part of it!

“Upon This Shore: A Tale of Pericles and the Daughters of Tyre”, by the Idle Muse Theatre Company, is running through April 3, 2022, at the Edge Off-Broadway Theater, 1133 W. Catalpa Avenue, in the Edgewater neighborhood of Chicago.

General admission tickets are: $20.
Student and senior tickets are $15.
Thursday Industry Night tickets are $10.
Group sales are available upon request.

Performance schedule:

Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays – 8:00 p.m.
Sundays – 3:00 p.m.

To purchase tickets, call the Idle Muse Theatre Company Box Office at 773-340-9438 or go to http://www.idlemuse.org/productions/uponthisshore.

Please visit their website at http://www.idlemuse.org/ for more information about this and other shows.

To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “Upon This Shore: A Tale of Pericles and the Daughters of Tyre”.