Chicago woman magazine september october 2017 barbara gaines
Can you describe the role that Chicago Shakespeare Theater plays in the cultural lifeline of the city?
All of us in the Chicago theater and cultural community are proud of the role we play in the vibrant life of the city, because the arts are the living pulse of Chicago. From the smallest storefront theater of 50 seats to our new flexible third theater The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare with as many as 850 seats, it is possible to see brilliant, world-class theater. Ultimately, here at Chicago Shakespeare, we hope to create a place where the people of Chicago connect to bold and innovative work onstage—whether it be the classics or new works from almost every continent.
Explain how the Theater makes Shakespeare’s work less intimidating.
We believe Shakespeare can speak to everyone, because we all share common human experiences—of joy, of heartbreak, of jealousy, of love. And if we do our job really well as storytellers, you can come to Chicago Shakespeare and see Twelfth Night or Troilus and Cressida and understand every moment of the story without ever having read those plays—the audience will have everything they need…just come on in and you’ll be surprised.
And through our education programs, we work to ensure that students and teachers engage in the plays in ways that are fun, active and creative. The students who come here to experience a performance write letters telling us it’s their favorite school trip of the year, so we know that we touch their hearts. By reaching those students and teachers, we’re connecting with the next generation of theatergoers and making sure this work lives on for generations to come.
How is Chicago Shakespeare Theater committed to accessibility?
Most important is just that—access. There are a lot of people in Chicago who don’t want to come downtown. This is why we began the Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks program six years ago. We tour a 75-minute production to parks across the city on the south, west and north sides—all completely free. We bring the show right into people’s own neighborhood parks, so there is no barrier to access. There’s no better way to build community feeling and friendships than sharing a performance.
How did the all-female version of The Taming of the Shrew come about?
I thought we needed the women’s point of view on The Taming of the Shrew—with a woman’s perspective on masculinity, and the idea of males wanting to tame the females. So I set it in Chicago in 1919, in the summer where women were struggling to get the vote.
There’s so much comedy, and so much drama—and we all connect to it because the arc of our lives revolves around growth and change. And this is the story about how Petruchio and Katherine change in The Taming of the Shrew, and also about how these women are affected by the sweeping changes of history.
And this idea would not have become a reality without the phenomenal ensemble of talented women in the cast; and the brilliant comic writer Ron West, who is creating the additional text about the story of these women Suffragettes and their personal lives. cw