"HARD TIMES," Lookingglass Theatre Company at Ruth Page Center for the Arts
BY KELLY AIGLON
Times are rapidly changing for Lookingglass Theatre Company. The group is comprised of mostly thirtysomethings, many of whom are rising stars (or already celebrities, like David Schwimmer).
And it’s on the cusp of a major move downtown to the Water Tower Pumping Station.
Obviously, the theater is positioning itself for bigger success – a goal that has cut into its time for developing new work. Its remount of "Hard Times," Heidi Stillman’s original adaptation of the Charles Dickens’ novel a little over one year after Lookingglass first brought it to the stage, can be viewed as a smart way to deal with the excessive time crunch. Plus the production received generally good reviews and more than one Jeff Award.
Anyone familiar with the classic novel knows the story is bleak.
Stillman did some tweaking (though the running time is a hefty two hours and 35 minutes) but hasn’t altered the plot. A circus girl, Sissy (Lauren Hirte) comes to the Victorian mill town of Coketown, making some villagers dream and others lash out against all the flight and fancy.
But the real crux of the story involves Louisa (Louise Lamson) and her fight against her conservative upbringing and forced-hand marriage to town industry magnate Mr. Bounderby (Troy West, looking a bit too young to play such a formidable old goat).
While all the actors do their share to act the part of down-on-their-luck mill workers and members of a disparate community, Lamson evokes the most emotionally truthful moments. She’s often caught in hypnotic states throughout the play, with visions of circus artists twirling around ropes in the background. (The acrobatic action -- most of which features the light and limber Hirte -- was developed at The Actor’s Gymnasium, an Evanston-based circus arts school.) Lamson’s Louisa is a stirring character, who rides the cusp of nervous cowardice and defiance.
In another admirable role -- though a less comprehensible one, due to a northern England accent that comes off more Southern belle -- Eva Barr gives a confident performance as Rachel, a woman conflicted by her love for the undermined mill worker Stephen. The story of their on-again-off-again relationship, however, is addressed in vague terms and doesn’t take up a large portion of the play. But their tribulations, one involving an accusation of theft, are carefully woven throughout the story, making for some bittersweet moments.
Daniel Ostling’s claustrophobic set design consists of towering metal structures that swivel to create homes, town halls and the ever-present mill. While the massive platforms and ladders lend credence to the bleakness of the place, they inhibit some sight lines and create clunky scene changes. This challenge proves that Lookingglass is ready for a bigger forum -- one that will allow the company to play with larger props and fly space.•
Lookingglass Theatre Company’s production of "Hard Times" runs through November 24 at Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn. Tickets: $25-$45. Call 773-477-8088 or log onto www.lookingglasstheatre.org.
Contributing Critic Kelly Aiglon is the senior editor of "WHERE Chicago" magazine, for which she covers arts and entertainment. She also writes about theater for the "Chicago Tribune," "UR Chicago," "PerformInk" and "Footlights." Kelly can be reached at kellyaiglon@hotmail.com.
