The play is very much an ensemble piece, where the group’s comedic timing and chemistry keep the tale haunting. At the same time, these performers are clowns, and the humor brightens the mood – keeping us laughing in the midst of the darker interludes.
As the pantomime of Mr. Bluebeard unfolds, each of the ensemble members finds a moment of isolation on stage in which they share more about their own experience with the fire. At the top of the play, the company invokes the power of The Faerie Queen (Crosby Sandoval) to help them on their journey. In each of these spotlight moments, the Faerie Queen hands the company member a lantern – a lantern that they carry with them as they tell their story, and hand to an audience member when they are finished. So much of the play rests in a world that is larger than life – whether that be heightened comedy or jaw-dropping choreography and acrobatic sequences. In contrast, these moments of isolation are incredibly intimate, but every bit as striking.
When Nellie Reed (Leah Urzendowski) steps up for her moment, The Faerie Queen hands her the lantern. The stage is fairly dark, allowing the lantern to create a ghostly glow on Nellie’s face. She explains how she was an aerialist in Mr. Bluebeard, and describes the sights she was able to see from hanging so high above. Urzendowski’s monologue is full of passion and haunting nostalgia, and at the end, she hands her lantern to an audience member with the plea, “Will you remember me?” The moment is quick and subtle, but every eye was on the two of them in this Opening Performance, and this writer could certainly feel the weight of the emotion. Burning Bluebeard is about a lot of things – history, ghosts, love, and loss. However, at the root is also a tale of what it means to be forgotten, and how important it is to shed light on the lost stories of the everyday.
Lauren Katz is a freelance director and dramaturge, and new to the Chicago Theatre Scene. She recently moved from Washington DC, where she worked with Mosaic Theater Company of DC in Company Management, as well as directed around town with various theaters.