On Stage
Cyrano de Bergerac Charms Audience and Critics Alike
Roundly commended for every aspect of the production, Chicago Tribune notes the scenes with “Harry Groener, one of North America's leading classical actors… are enjoyably erudite and flamboyant, especially the comic scenes.” The Daily Herald adds, “Groener's timing is impeccable and he swashbuckles with the best of them.” Time Out Chicago says that “the actors tackle the text with a plainspoken naturalism that gives each performance an air of comfort and confidence.” And the Chicago Sun-Times lauds the entire production as ‘immensely beautiful—from Kevin Depinet’s dark, wood-beamed set artfully lit by Jesse Klug, to the resplendently textured costumes by Susan E. Mickey and the superb character-defining wigs and makeup by Melissa Veal.”
Video: Interview with Harry Groener
Video: Preview the action on stage
Behind the Scenes
New Publication Examines CST's Artistry
The Fall Season launch included the publication of Chicago Shakespeare Theater: Suiting the Action to the Word, a collection of original essays examining the first twenty-five years of Chicago Shakespeare’s artistry. The collection brings together critical and scholarly examinations of Artistic Director Barbara Gaines’s productions as well as collaborations with world-renowned directors who have worked at CST, including Michael Bogdanov, Edward Hall and Josie Rourke and many others.
Around the World
CST Welcomes the UK’s Blind Summit
Continuing its mission to bring extraordinary international works to Chicago through its World’s Stage Series, CST presents a production universally acclaimed in Chicago and abroad: The Table, from the UK’s Blind Summit Theatre. Called “not to be missed!” by Chicago Tribune, this imaginative performance introduces audiences to Moses, a cantankerous puppet with a cardboard head immersed in an existential crisis on a table. Through October 27.
Video: Meet Moses, Star of The Table
In the Community
CPS Shakespeare! Beyond the Stage
This month, the CPS Shakespeare! ensemble of 21 students and 9 teachers from 11 Chicago Public Schools has turned our rehearsal studio into a learning lab. Working with a full team of professional artists, they have devised a unique 60-minute production of Shakespeare’s Othello to be performed on the CST stage November 1 and 2. This annual program reinforces these young adults’ potential as learners and leaders.
Safeguard a home for Shakespeare
Help keep Shakespeare alive and well in Chicago—your tax-deductible gift supports the work on our stages, in the schools and communities, and across the globe!