The Nutcracker
by the House Theatre
By Dan Zeff
CHICAGO - There is the Tchaikovsky “The Nutcracker,” all colorful costumes, the Sugar Plum Fairy, dancing snowflakes, and the Waltz of the Flowers in 19th century Europe. And there is the House Theatre “The Nutcracker,” modern and dark, just a sliver of dance, and a lot of psychological complexity.
The House company has carved out an increasingly expanding niche on the local theater scene with its highly personal interpretations of such family entertainment icons as “Peter Pan” and “The Wizard of Oz.” Now, in the spirit of the holiday season, or perhaps as a counterweight to the easy good cheer of the season, the House has rethought “The Nutcracker” at the Steppenwolf Theatre.
“The Nutcracker” originated as one of E. T. A. Hoffmann’s fantastical stories in the early nineteenth century. Tchaikovsky adapted a few of the plot elements into one of the most popular ballets in the dance repertoire. In the ballet story, the central characters are a pair of children named Clara and Fritz. A mysterious magician named Drosselmeyer comes to the family Christmas partly and gives Clara the gift of a toy nutcracker. The rest of the story tells how Clara falls asleep and dreams that her nutcracker leads an army of toy soldiers against the King of the Rats.
Aside from a couple of brief dance sequences and a couple of songs, the House show is a straight play. Clara is a young woman eagerly awaiting the arrival of her Marine brother. But during the party the family learns that Fritz has been killed in the Iraq war. The news sends Clara into an emotional tailspin in which she organizes her toys to fight the rats she hears in the walls of her house.
In despair, Clara’s parents plan to send Clara to a home for the mentally disturbed, but her uncle Drosselmeyer presents her with a toy nutcracker in the image of her dead brother. Clara’s toys, also made by Drosselmeyer, come to life and prepare for a final battle against the evil forces but seductive forces of the Rat King.
The House version is heavy with symbolism. Clara’s fight against the rats has the flavor of one of those intense fairy tales in which innocence is challenged by the harsh wa6ys of the world. Clara must find the inner strength to defeat the rats, in reality coming to a closure over her brother’s death so she can get on with her life.
The House production gets off to a slow start. The first act introduces the major characters, both Clara’s real life family and the toys that come to life in her imagination. By the intermission, not much has been accomplished in the storyline beyond establishing the basic situation. As so often happens in a House show, the big payoff comes in the second act. That’s when Clara and her toy followers confront the rats in a really chilling scene (this is not a show for children younger than 10 or 11 unless they are mature for their age).
The House production includes an eight-piece string chamber orchestra that performers at the side of the stage, providing musical accents rather than a full score. Aside from Clara and her parents, the players double as guests at the party and as the toys and rats of Clara’s imagination, as well as the dead brother to returns to life as the nutcracker.
The adaptation by Jake Minton and Philip Klapperich includes some humor but mostly this is a drama about a girl caught in a psychological tailspin that threatens to destroy her sanity. The even sounds grim but it is lightened by Tommy Rapley’s imaginative staging, the resourceful performances by the entire cast, and the atmosphere of fantasy that modulates the realism of Clara’s condition. The feel good ending had the young woman sitting next to me wiping tears from her eyes.
First among equals in the cast is an entirely credible Laura Grey as Clara. We follow her desperation and wince at the inabilit6y of her well meaning parents to understand her private grief. If the House ever adapts “Alice in Wonderland,” the troupe won’t have to look far for its Alice. Jake Minton is perfect as Drosselmeyer, faintly exotic with his eye patch and tales of traveling to strange lands. The uncle alone grasps Clara’s inner struggle and Minton convey’s the man’s sympathy and wisdom with just the right mix of droll observation and serious concern.
Geoff Rice and Fannie Hungerford are wonderfully persuasive as thw parents at the end of their tether, trying to reclaim Clara’s mind while dealing with the loss of their son. Clara’s toys are played with spot-on distinct personalities by Ericka Ratcliff, Seth Bockley, Vanessa Stalling, Maria McCullough, and Joshua Holden. And Joey Steakley is really creepy as the cajoling and malignant rat.
The design team does the show proud, starting with Debbie Baer’s whimsical costumes, Collette Pollard’s set, Beth Wilhelm’s lighting, and Kevin O’Donnell’s original music. Whoever designed the frightening rat puppets and the giant teddy bear also deserves a special bow.
“The Nutcracker” runs through December 29 at the Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 North Halsted Street. Performances are Wednesday through Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 3 and 8 po.m., and Sunday at 3 p.m. Tickets are $29. Call 312 335 1650. For more information: www.thehousetheatre.com
The show gets a rating of 3 1/2 stars.
Nov. 2007
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