Playwright: James Goldman
At: TimeLine Theatre at Baird Hall, 615 W. Wellington Ave. and Rising Moon Theatre at the Athenaeum
(312) 409-8463/(773) 784-9173/ $22/24
Runs through: Nov. 30
What’s a father and mother to do? Richard, their oldest son, is an angry homosexual. Geoffrey, his brother, is a calculating nerd. And John, the youngest, is a slackerly dolt. But if their celebrity parents, Henry and Eleanor, are neglectful of their offspring, it’s because the family business occupies so much of their time during this period of international upheaval. Henry Plantagenet, by the way, is the King of England. Eleanor of Aquitaine, his estranged queen. And their property holdings on this Christmas eve in 1183 include all of Britain and most of France.
The Lion In Winter, through an anomaly of scheduling, is this season enjoying two concurrent productions by theater companies operating independent of one another a bare 10 blocks apart. But while the respective interpretations of James Goldman’s acidly witty account of Royal Family Values differ, both have much to recommend them.
The dynamics of Rising Moon Theatre’s ruling clan at times calls forth memories of popular sudsers like Dynasty—especially Kate Young’s gloriously ruthless Eleanor, whose restless pacing and triumphant chortle render her a schemer in the best Cruella DeVil tradition. Less physical, but equally formidable, is Craig Spidle’s Henry, commanding attention even as he crouches in defensive position, readying himself for attack. Director Robert Scogin drives the plot swiftly, his decision to dispense with dialects lending a distinctly board-room ambiance to the Power Games.
If Rising Moon’s lions roar, TimeLine’s only growl as they stretch their claws. Ann Wakefield’s fragile presence contrasts handsomely with David Parkes’ brawny grace, his robust purr and her dainty chirp (to switch metaphors for a moment) creating intricate harmonies of subtle irony. Kevin Hagan’s scenic design, its battlefield-headquarters pavilions ranged in a cross around the crown, provides a stark symmetry for the constantly shifting allegiances. And Nicole Rene Burchfield’s Byzantine-textured costumes invoke an exotic sensuality.
With two such bravura turns dominating the dramatic action, the necessary supporting players cannot help but emerge as somewhat nebulous. Stephen Rader endows Timeline’s Richard with a sensitive passion, nevertheless, while Rising Moon’s Gary Alexander overplays Prince John shamelessly, and both Corryn Cummins and Erin Kathleen Carlson do what they can with the spineless brood-mare, Alais Capet.
The real stars of the shows, however, are the dramaturgs—Jennifer Shook for TimeLine, Christian Gray for Rising Moon—without whose industry the stakes in this high-rolling gamble would be utterly lost to us. Whether your destination be Baird Hall or the Athenaeum, plan to arrive early and look over the maps and chronological charts displayed in the respective lobbies.