Tug of War:
Civil Strife
Henry VI Parts 2 and 3, Richard III
September 14
October 9, 2016
at Chicago Shakespeare Theater
by William Shakespeare
adapted and directed by Barbara Gaines
Tug of War:
Lead Production Sponsor
Highly recommended...an artistic coup. It might well be Gaines' crowning achievement.
Chicago Sun-Times
★★★ This binge-watchable project had passionate magnitude... and a veritable fleet of top-tier actors.
Chicago Tribune
The Play
Civil Strife is the stunning conclusion of the ultimate game of thrones, Tug of War—Artistic Director Barbara Gaines' singular distillation of six Shakespeare masterworks into two action-packed dramas. Power plays, ego, lust, humor and, yes, even love: no writer surpassed Shakespeare in portraying the forces that drive leaders to war—or the wisdom and valor of the common soldier. Twenty-two actors including a four-member band, form the company that will satisfy your craving for a multi-episode immersion into some of the most brilliant stories of the cyclical human condition. Picking up where Tug of War: Foreign Fire left off, focus shifts to the home front in Civil Strife, as family divisions launch a country at war with itself in Henry VI, Parts 2 and 3 and Richard III—and nobility and commoners alike pay the price.
More to Explore
About Barbara Gaines
The award-winning director of over 30 of Shakespeare's plays, Gaines strives to make his great works accessible to Chicago and the world.
Read More
A Scholar's Perspective
In Tug of War the tugs are many: on the monarchs and other mortals who people the plays, on Shakespeare, and on us.
Read More
Free Enrichment Programs
This free series of audience enrichment programs offers introductory and in-depth studies of ideas embodied in the play.
Read More
The Players
Creative Team
Barbara Gaines Director / Adapter
Scott Davis Scenic Designer
Susan E. Mickey Costume Designer
Aaron Spivey Lighting Designer
Lindsay Jones Musical Arrangements, Original Music and Sound Design
Melissa Veal Wig and Make-up Designer
Matt Hawkins Fight Choreographer
Harrison McEldowney Movement
Kevin Gudahl Verse Coach
Stuart Sherman Scholar in Residence
Matt Deitchman Music Director and Additional Musical Arrangements
Geoff Button Assistant Director
Eva Breneman Dialect Coach
Cast
Karen Aldridge Margaret / Ensemble
Alison Chesley Musician / Ensemble
David Darlow Winchester / Oxford / Brakenbury / Ensemble
Matt Deitchman Musician / Ensemble
Kevin Gudahl Warwick / Ensemble
Jed Feder Musician / Ensemble
Shanna Jones Musician / Ensemble
Timothy Edward Kane Richard III / Ensemble
Heidi Kettenring Elizabeth / Ensemble
Daniel Kyri Grey / Ensemble
Elizabeth Ledo Somerset / Lady Anne / Ensemble
Michael Aaron Lindner Humphrey / King Edward IV / Ensemble
Michael Milligan Young Clifford / Rivers / Tyrell / Ensemble
James Newcomb Buckingham / Exeter / Ensemble
Steven Sutcliffe Henry VI / Hastings / Ensemble
Derrick Trumbly Soldier Peter / Salisbury / Stafford / Ensemble
John Tufts Suffolk / Clarence / Ratcliff / Ensemble
Larry Yando York / Stanley / Newsman / Ensemble
Helpful Resources
Run Time: 6 hours
(includes meal break and
several intermissions)
Tickets $100
Seat Map (PDF)
Order a meal up to
48 hours before your
performance to enjoy during
the 45-minute meal break.
Prepared especially for
Chicago Shakespeare by
Browse the Program (PDF)
Additional Credits
Tug of War: Civil Strife is part of
