New Work | The Hanslick Girls

February 12, 2018

Founding The Father: Jackalope Theatre’s “Franklinland”

PART OF CHICAGO THEATRE WEEK 2018

Gwen had always been – as far as she could recall, anyway – a strong proponent of casting beyond image. When dealing with historical figures onstage, she always considered it far more important to capture the spirit and character of a historical figure, more than casting a lookalike simply for visual accuracy. Her varied opinions on cross-gender and race-conscious casting stemmed from this central belief.

Thus, she was surprised when her initial reaction to Jackalope Theatre’s Franklinland was her unease that –

“He doesn’t really look that much like Benjamin Franklin at the beginning.”

February 5, 2018

Spite The Face: Abaisses Theatre’s “Joan Of Arc”

PART OF CHICAGO THEATRE WEEK 2018

“But why ‘Viva La Vida?'” asked Gwen, as they exited the Prop Thtr’s claustrophilic theatre space. An instrumental cover of the song had played during the play’s final moments.

“Why not Viva La Vida?” Dania asked, with a grin. “They were playing current pop songs before the show started, it’s clearly not going for an accurate time period setting.”

“Do you mean in the design or in the aesthetic generally?” Eleanor asked. “Because the design was pretty classical, to a point.”

“Well, I mean,” Dania began, with a shrug. “Mr. Evil Voice had his big red monk robe, that was pretty accurate to the time period. As far as I know.”

January 1, 2018

Keeping The Flame: Book-It Repertory’s “Howl’s Moving Castle, A New Musical”

Meet the Hanslick Girls: Gwen, Eleanor and Dania. Created by writer Zach Barr, they are a trio of friends who are always out experiencing the best of entertainment. Be it plays, films, concerts, exhibits, or games, they’ve learned that the arts are best when experienced together. They may not have the same opinions, but their conversations tend to make for an entertaining read. This week, the Hanslick Girls discuss a new musical adaptation of a children’s book, and attempt not to mention the other adaptation of it. Let’s hear what they had to say…

Eleanor stood first, before the crowd did. She was accustomed to the Seattle trend – standing ovations were more common here than in Chicago. The applause rattled the dark walls of the Center Theatre, the wide-thrust space where Book-It Rep made their home. Dania and Gwen clapped politely, eventually joining Eleanor at their feet when the rising crowd began to block their view of the actors.

“I feel like I need to go read the book now,” Dania said, grabbing her coat. “There was a lot I didn’t remember before.” Continue Reading

October 23, 2017

Smash The Heart: Free Street Theater’s “Meet Juan(ito) Doe”

Meet the Hanslick Girls: Gwen, Eleanor and Dania. Created by writer Zach Barr, they are a trio of friends who are always out experiencing the best of entertainment. Be it plays, films, concerts, exhibits, or games, they’ve learned that the arts are best when experienced together. They may not have the same opinions, but their conversations tend to make for an entertaining read. Today, the girls take in the newest play by the oldest social justice theatre troupe in Chicago. Let’s listen in on their conversation…

“But what if a pedestrian comes by?” asked Dania, glancing towards the window of the storyfront.

“They did, did you not notice?” Eleanor said. “There was this one guy, he was looking in through the window during the graffiti scene, trying to figure out what was happening. That’s kinda what happens in a storefront like this.”

“Storyfront,” Gwen added, insistently. “A name as clever as it is a terrible pun.”

Category / New Work