One Last Chance to Catch "The Rivals"

The Illinois Shakespeare Festival's lively and good-humored production of Richard Brinsley Sheridan's "The Rivals" will take its final bow tomorrow night, sending young lovers Jack Absolute and Lydia Languish and her insufferable guardian Mrs. Malaprop off into the sunset one last time.

"The Rivals" boasts a smart, saucy script, full of high-flying wordplay and amusing romantic complications. It may've been Sheridan's first play, but it's a classic for a reason. And that reason is that people can be silly when it comes to love and sending up silly people never goes out of style.

In the beginning, we see that the very eligible Captain Absolute has been pretending to be poor, honest Ensign Beverly in order to woo lovely Lydia, who has hopelessly romantic tendencies from reading too many novels. Like the heroines of her books, Lydia wants to run off with a dashing ne'er-do-well, someone her guardian, Mrs. Malaprop, does not approve of.

Mrs. Malaprop, she of the mangled language who thinks there are allegories lying on the banks of the Nile, is determined to marry off Lydia to Jack Absolute, who is, of course, the same Beverly the girl already thinks herself in love with. But no one except Jack and his servant are aware that Jack and Beverly are the same man. 

Jack's dad, Sir Anthony Absolute, is equally resolute to marry his son off, and Dad wants to be the one doing the choosing. Even though they've both picked Lydia, Jack chafes under the idea that he has to bow to his father's wishes.

Lydia's friend Julia has a romantic entanglement of her own -- she loves young Faulkland, who eats himself up with doubt over Julia's true character. Faulkland is such a drama queen, he's sort of the male version of Miss Languish.

Meanwhile, there are other suitors for Lydia's hand, including Bob Acres, a hearty, somewhat oafish country dude, and Sir Lucious O'Trigger, a hot-headed Irishman who likes to duel. And everybody's correspondence is mishandled and misdirected by Lucy, Lydia's maid, who is collecting trinkets and payoffs from all sides.

The action involves cranky elders, impudent youth, conniving servants, a little eavesdropping, a bit of deception and a lot of misunderstandings. Classic romantic comedy.

For the Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Deb Alley directs a sparkling cast that sells the material nicely. Dylan Paul and Gracyn Mix, who also play Orlando and Rosalind in this summer's "As You Like It," show good chemistry, poise and energy throughout, while Corliss Preston gives Mrs. Malaprop a feisty center that makes her really fun to watch. (Her hat, which makes her resemble a Crown Roast of Pork, is also adorable.)

David Sitler's wizened Sir Anthony and Alexander Pawlowski IV's cherubic Fighting Bob Acres are comic highlights, as is Anthony Talen, who makes a quivering mess of poor old Faulkland.

The costumes, designed by Dottie Engels, look very good -- I was especially fond of Captain Absolute's handsome uniform -- and John Stark's set is a wonder, flanked by gorgeous paintings of Bath, the fashionable English town where the play is set.

"The Rivals" started later than the other two shows in this year's Illinois Shakespeare Festival line-up, and it finishes up on Friday night at 8 pm. That means you have one last chance to see this charming show before these "Rivals" have departed. Don't miss your chance! Hie thee to "The Rivals."

THE RIVALS
By Richard Brinsley Sheridan

Illinois Shakespeare Festival
at Ewing Manor

Director: Deb Alley
Costume Designer: Dottie Engels
Scenic Designer: John Stark
Lighting Designer: Julie Mack
Sound Designer: Max Krembs
Stage Manager: Daniel D. Drake
Fight Director/Choreographer: Zach Powell
Voice/Text Coach: Kevin Rich

Cast: Matt Black, Amanda Catania, Megan Chaney, Nick Demeris, Michael Gamache, Trevon Jackson, Gracyn Mix, Dylan Paul, Alexander Pawlowski IV, Matt Penn, Corliss Preston, Brandon Rosen, Josh Samaniego, David Sitler, Andy Talen, and Lisa Wartenberg. 

Remaining performance: August 10, 2012

For ticket information, click here.

Tonight: Special 2-for-1 Preview of "The Rivals" at Illinois Shakes Fest

If you've already seen the Illinois Shakespeare Festival productions of "Othello" and "As You Like It," you may be getting impatient to complete your ISF summer season with show #3.

If so, tonight is your lucky night. "The Rivals," Richard Brinsley Sheridan's 1775 comedy of manners, leaps onto the stage at Ewing Manor tonight at 7:30 pm with a special dress rehearsal. Even better: This preview performance offers buy-one-get-one-free tickets. Official opening night is tomorrow, but that preview ticket offer may be hard to resist, especially for a show like "The Rivals," which last played the Festival in the summer of 1990. Yep, 22 years ago.

I remember that production as being funny, fresh and an all-around great time. Then, Philip Earl Johnson, who returns to Ewing Manor fairly often at MooNiE the Magnif'cent, played stalwart young Captain Jack Absolute, who is at the center of Sheridan's romantic romp.This time out, Jack is played by Dylan Paul (pictured at right in the banner above). Jack is the son of a wealthy nobleman, but he pretends to be poor, honest Ensign Beverly to catch the eye of one Lydia Languish. Lydia is a girl with romantic notions about following her heart and eloping with a nobody; she rejects outright any suitor of position or wealth.

Lydia is smitten with Ensign Beverly, not realizing that he is the same person as Jack Absolute, the candidate her guardian, Mrs. Malaprop, has arranged for her. And, yes, it's that same Mrs. Malaprop who has given her name to "malapropism," the idea of using the wrong word -- a word that vaguely sound like the right one -- in the wrong place. And so she begs Lydia to "illiterate" Ensign Beverly from her memory, offering that Captain Jack is "the very pineapple of politeness."

Mrs. Malaprop is hoping to catch the eye of Sir Lucius O'Trigger, a hot-headed Irishman in dire need of funds, but he has set his sights on Lydia, the young heiress, as has a country squire named Bob Acres. That leaves Lydia with the problem of three feisty suitors (four if you count both of the identities Jack is running around with) as well as conflict from her guardian Mrs. M., Jack's dad, and a bunch of friends and servants who keep muddying the waters.

It's all in good fun, just the kind of thing director Deb Alley excels at, and we've already seen from "As You Like It" that actors Paul, Gracyn Mix (Lydia), Alexander Pawlowski IV (Bob Acres) and Lisa Wartenberg (Lydia's friend Julia) can handle the comedy just fine. Taking a break from the tragedy of "Othello," Matt Penn, Amanda Catania and Corliss Preston will take on O'Trigger, saucy maid Lucy, and the mangled language that is Mrs. Malaprop.

"The Rivals" promises to be a real summertime treat, with performances tonight (two-for-one preview), tomorrow, and July 22, 24, 26 and 29 and August 2, 4, 8 and 10.

You can see the performance choices here, and order tickets here. Don't forget to bring a picnic or order one, or to come early for jazz in the courtyard, a backstage tour, or the "Three Wills and a Shakespeare" preshow.

Shake Up Your Summer With Shakespeare and Sheridan at the ISF

Although it has been feeling like summer lately, the midsummer tradition that is the Illinois Shakespeare Festival still seems far away. Yeah, well, it's not. In fact, four weeks from tonight, on June 28, the ISF summer season will open with a backstage tour, some jazz in the courtyard and the official opening night of "As You Like It."

That means you are well-advised to make reservations now if you want those cool Platinum Plus seats, which come with a free (non-alcoholic) beverage, premium parking, and the ability to exchange your tickets if you feel like it.

This summer's line-up, which they're billing as "a season of LOVE, LIES, DECEIT, AND SECRET IDENTITIES," goes with 2 Shakespeare and 1 Other, with "As You Like It" opening on the 28th, "Othello" on the 29th, and the third choice, the delightful comedy "The Rivals," written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan and first performed in 1775, bowing July 19th. This year's Theatre for Young Audiences choice, "The Comedy of Errors," begins on Wednesday, June 11th, with a 10 am performance.

The poster art for "As You Like It" would seem to indicate that they're emphasizing the Forest of Arden/Leafy Green aspect of the show, and Rosalind, the heroine who dresses as a boy when she goes on the lam in that very forest, looks like she's dressed in 20th century garb. The 30s, maybe? Of course, the poster may be a complete misdirect, even though the people in the picture have been identified as Gracyn Mix and Dylan Paul, and he is definitely playing Orlando. Paul was Romeo last year at the Festival, in case you saw that and remember his good looks and athletic performance.

"Othello" looks more Elizabethan as represented here. And a lot scarier, as it should. The actors in this banner are Daver Morrison and Amanda Catania, who will be presumably playing Othello and his ill-fated bride Desdemona for Shakes Fest this summer. One other fun fact about the production: Former Artistic Director John Sipes will be returning to the Festival to direct it.

And "The Rivals" looks properly late-18th century, what with the powdered wig and the frock coats, not to mention the weaponry. I remember a production of "The Rivals" at the Illinois Shakespeare Festival years ago, and it was one of the funniest and best things I've seen there. It offers excellent roles for both men and women, with pretty Lydia Languish and handsome Jack Absolute as the lovers thwarted by her guardian, Mrs. Malaprop, and his rivals for her affections, Bob Acres, a country squire, and Lucius O'Trigger, a hot-headed Irishman. This time, the actors in the poster are Alexander Pawlowski and Dylan Paul. Paul is almost certainly Jack Absolute, with Pawlowski as Bob Acres, perhaps.

In addition to the Theatre for Young Audience shows, the Festival also offers pre-shows, jazz music, different backstage tours, catered box suppers, ice cream socials and post-show discussions. As well as, of course, a stroll around the lovely grounds of Ewing Manor.

Although not much info regarding the casts or crews of the shows has been released as of yet, you can keep an eye on the Illinois Shakespeare Festival Facebook page for updates.