People,
people, there is so much good theatre
going down around Chicago this month. But right up there at the tippety-toppest
is TUTA Theatre Chicago’s darkly comedic fairy tale The Silent Language, directed by Jacqueline Stone; meaning,
seriously, don’t miss this one. The U.S. premiere- written by Serbian
playwright Miodrag Stanisavljevic and translated by Zoran Paunovic- is TUTA’s
first foray into performances intended for younger audiences. And it’s spot on.
 |
Poor Gasho (Max Lotspeich) plays the guitar in TUTA's The Silent Language
Photo credit: Anthony Robert LaPenna |
Based
on an old Serbian folk tale called Nemusti
Jezik, the story concerns Gasho (an energetic and youthful Max Lotspeich),
a poor servant who receives a gift of the silent language. This gift enables
him to communicate with all things in nature, the things that often go unheard
and overlooked. As he sets off on a quest to rescue a princess being held
captive by the “threest” elf king (Aaron Lawson, hilarious and bumbling), Gasho
finds himself both helped and hindered by the inhabitants of the fairy tale’s
forest. The terrific ensemble also includes Sean Ewert (quietly terrifying as
The Boogeyman), the hilarious trio of Jamielyn Gray, Angela Bullard, and Laurie
Larson, and Carolyn Molloy as the plucky and desperate princess.
Designer
Michelle Lilly’s set is lushly decorated with a mix of shabby-chic Victorian
details, draped tapestries, and elements of nature all gorgeously woven
together. Coupled with Wain Parham’s evocative original score, it’s impossible
to not become fully immersed in this magical land. Geared towards theatergoers
aged 8 and up, The Silent Language is
a show that adults will truly love as well.
TUTA
Studio Theatre
2010
W. Fulton Ave, Chicago
April
19th- May 19th, 8pm (no show Saturday, May 4th)
1.800.838.3006
1 comment:
I love the theater! We took our girls to see Les Miserables at The Kennedy Center last year and they fell in love with it too. I wish we could find more time (and more money) to be able to attend more shows.
We're trying to plan a trip to Broadway this summer! Fingers crossed!
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