The Crownless King House Theatre

"It's greatly rewarding to those ready to lose temselves in its linguistic riches, thematic reaches and theatrical ferocity - Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune
"You’ve got to admire...its determination to create new stories, for the joy with which its ensemble dives into the fiercely physical telling of those stories, and for the work of its many ingenious designers" - Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun Times

Recommended - ...The Crownless King throws it all out there: Marriage. War. Free Will. It's certainly
fun"
Zach Freeman, NewCity
"An action packed caper.  Its entertaining as a stand-alone piece.  I laughed a lot & was thoroughly engaged" - ChicagoNow.com


Thu-Sat 8p; Sun 7p.  Tickets $20 (Thu/Fri); $30 (Sat); $25 (Sun). Box office 773-769-3832.


8/30/13 - 10/20/13

Thu-Sat 8p; Sun 7p


In House Theatre's rich, fantastical world, what is going on? - Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune 9/9/13 - "In the realm of high fantasy, complexity is a badge of honor. This has been true since the days of J.R.R. Tolkien, whose seminal works of the genre are neither brief nor monolithic reads, and you can even see it manifest in the HBO series "Game of Thrones," which would wear its narrative complexity proudly on its sleeve, if it did not have such a palpable love of naked flesh.

So, let's stipulate that the House Theatre of Chicago's "The Crownless King," part 2 of Chris Mathews and Nathan Allen's multi-episode opus set on a fictional island composed of lands of Grass, Salt, Glaze and Arcadia and concerned with the battles of the folk (you know, the kinds of people who'd watch Bill O'Reilly if he had a Dungeons & Dragons doppelganger) against elitists who think it takes a crown to pull a sword from a stone, is a rich, detailed and fulsome fictional creation in the tradition of King Arthur.

In this show, the characters we met in "The Iron Stag King" last year take to the seas to battle as the black dragon Irek Obsidian (voiced and humanized by Tracy Letts) fights for narrative dominance with Hap the Golden (Cliff Chamberlain, live and in person). It's greatly rewarding to those ready to lose themselves in its maps, linguistic riches, thematic reaches and theatrical ferocity. And this production features some gorgeous costumes from Melissa Torchia, whose threads are stunning throughout.

But that does not change this truth: "The Crownless King" is very hard to follow. And this comes from moi, who not only saw part 1 but read the script to "The Iron Stag King" again as a refresher. (You can do the same at thecrownlessking.com.)  I think this show is asking a lot of those coming in cold from the street, so to speak, despite a quick, "previously transpired"-type prologue. Part 1 was staged a full year ago. The House creatives — and they fully deserve the moniker — clearly are deeply invested in every crevice of their fictive landscape, but the creative process could have used a resident cynic empowered to say, "Who the heck is that again?" The show, directed by Allen, is staged in a kind of tight cage, with the audience surrounding a tiny playing space, allowing for few geographic aids to clarity. It's pretty much all on the actors and the text.

There are some top-tier performers in this show (Paige Collins, Brenda Barrie, Blake Montgomery and several others), and they do their considerable best. But watching on Sunday night this second part (which I did not enjoy quite as much as "Stag King"), I came to think that Mathews and Allen have not yet cracked one of the great assignments faced by long-form writers, the best of whom can create a relatively simple outer frame that allows them to play around at whim in the middle, with their audience secure of the topography. That's what this trilogy needs — an ability to set aside the constant crises and show us more of life as it is lived in this strange and wonderful place. At this juncture, the outer edges are in such constant chaos, it's tough to relax or find time for those famous Shakespearean scenes in which generals reflect before battle or have a few jars with their men. Here, a few too many scenes involve someone rushing into stage center with a piece of life-changing news.

In place of all that, this enterprise could also use a few more characters with whom one can emotionally identify. The reluctant hero of the story, Casper Kent (Brandon Ruiter) has a cipherlike quality that does not fully occupy the core of a tale that needs a Frodo or a Bilbo Baggins, frankly. There is potential in his relationship with his gal, a young woman named July of the Seven Foxes (played with real chutzpah by the very talented Kay Kron), but they're not traditional leading characters, which tends to leave one looking for a foothold into the tale.

To be fair, Mathews and Allen are emotional intellectuals who are interested here in notions of who controls the storytelling (to some extent, everything we are watching is a battle for who gets to tell the tale). They are intentionally eschewing the cliches of the genre whose form they embrace with such passion — which explains the eutrophic opening-night response from certain hipster-geek sections of the room.

But clarity is no enemy of complexity nor of the fantastical; after all, such works always have taught us that there are only a few stories in our world, each endlessly repeated by a smart species strangely inept at self-awareness. I hope all the parts of this opus are reworked and staged together, with crises streamlined and timeless humanity re-emphasized".



Recommended - Heavy lies the plot in ‘Crownless King’ - Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun Times 9/10/13.  "You’ve got to admire The House Theatre of Chicago for its determination to create new stories, for the joy with which its ensemble dives into the fiercely physical telling of those stories, and for the work of its many ingenious designers who never fail to embellish the tales with gorgeous stagecraft.

In fact, given the operatic nature of The House’s continually unspooling, myth-spinning productions, and the creative team’s obvious devotion to allegory, heroes, quests and spectacle, you might even dub this company “The New Wagnerians.”

Yet just as with Richard Wagner’s grand-scale musical dramas, there can be something strangulating about the plot-heavy shows woven by this company. Its new show, “The Crownless King,” penned by Nathan Allen and Chris Mathews, is a case in point. A cheat sheet is needed to follow the plot in any cohesive way. And despite all the eye-and-ear candy and derring-do, the whole exercise begins to grow tedious early in the first act as far too many back stories, spells, rivalries and twists and turns are revealed. The whole thing begins to feel like the live version of a very complicated video game for teenage boys.

Part allegory about the United States (the kingdom at its center is called New Plymouth), it is a hodgepodge of Arthurian legend, Nordic myth, tall ship armadas and pirates of the high seas, all uneasily blended with a thinly veiled reference to the American Revolution and the current state of the American empire. If forced to untangle the story I would probably have to walk the plank. Serious cutting and simplifying is needed.

That said, Allen has directed this massive undertaking (the centerpiece of a trilogy that began with last season’s “The Iron Stag King”) with immense panache and unstoppable energy. And his performers (plus the sonorous voiceover of Pulitzer Prize-winner Tracy Letts as a green-eyed dragon) could not be more gung-ho and charming.

Brandon Ruiter is the shy, bookish young king who grows into a leader. Paige Collins is his deceptively demure queen who is far more in love with the combative Wilke, played by Morgan Maher, just as the king’s heart seems to be with another young woman, played by Ray Kron. In an exceptional turn, Brenda Barrie is exquisite as the passionate, unyielding Lady Olympia. And her ferocious scene with John Henry Roberts, in which she oversees torture to exact the truth, suggests the dramatic potential in this epic.

Cliff Chamberlain is Hap, the storyteller. Christopher M. Walsh is the earthy and very watchable Bilge. Blake Montgomery is a demonic pirate. Ben Hertel is a hoot in a clever post-modern scene that riffs on stories and intellectual property. And Kara Davidson and Patrick Falcon play multiple roles and animate Rachel Watson’s wonderful fox and bird puppets.

Melissa Torchia’s ravishing costumes and headpieces all but steal the show (Barrie’s wire “crown” is a standout). And Collette Pollard’s re-engineering of the Chopin Theatre mainstage is just the latest example of her remarkable gift for defining storytelling space. If only the story lived up to the space".


The Crownless King - Zach Freeman, NewCity Chicago 9/11/13"As they’ve opted to open with a brief narrative recap (“Once upon a time, all the folk were free…”), it’s clear that writers Nathan Allen and Chris Mathews are well aware that even the most focused of memories may need a little refreshing before audiences are ready to dive into this sequel to last year’s “The Iron Stag King: Part One.” And they’re right about that; there’s a good deal of backstory that potential viewers should be acquainted with (whether they saw the first installment of this as-yet-unnamed trilogy or not). Because as with part one, “The Crownless King” throws it all out there: Marriage. War. Free will. The disembodied voice of Tracy Letts. It’s a lot to take in.

So, here we go.

After the triumphant hammer-raising at the end of “Iron Stag King,” the newly crowned Casper Kent (Brandon Ruiter) is tasked with leading the kingdom of New Plymouth toward… something. It’s never quite clear what. It seems Casper mainly just wants to preside over a peaceful, prosperous land. But shifty storyteller Hap the Golden (Cliff Chamberlain)—who’s coordinated all the steps up to this point—has another, more violent, plan in mind. And whatever anyone’s plan is, the fierce pirate Davy Boone (Blake Montgomery doing a fairly solid impression of Daniel Day-Lewis’ Bill the Butcher from “Gangs of New York”) objects and declares war on New Plymouth in the name of freedom.

So now Casper, newly married to fellow warrior Rienne (Paige Collins) in a wedding that takes place early on in act one, must find a solution to the imminent threat of pirates on his shores, while also seeking a way to reunite with his ephemeral dream girl (a doe-eyed Kay Kron) and gain control of his “story” from both Hap and the shadowy Irek Obsidian (Letts). Talk about narrative complications.
Photo by Michael Brosilow


Once again the puppetry (Rachel Watson) is captivating, as foxes, birds and a monstrous dragon make their way in, through and around Collette Pollard’s minimal arena-like stage. Similarly, Melissa Torchia’s costumes—a mix of high fantasy and blue jeans—tell us as much about the world we’ve been thrust into as the dialogue.

In the first act Allen and Mathews push the story along at a breakneck pace, and Allen (pulling double-duty as director) moves his actors around the stage just about as quickly as we can follow them (and sometimes too quickly), with ensemble members Kara Davidson, Patrick Falcon and Ben Hertel constantly shifting from character to character. With such a minimal set to work with, it’s sometimes difficult to remember exactly where a given scene is taking place, much less place the action in a workable large-scale framework, which is a problem for this production—and a bigger problem for the trilogy as a whole. The act ends with what’s meant to be a mighty naval battle, but two actors holding model ships is not exhilarating simulation.

But somewhere during the early minutes of the second act of this convoluted tapestry of story-telling, my brain made a quick switchover from the elaborate and deeply thought-out world of Tolkien to the more tongue-in-cheek, self-aware world of Marvel (or at least the Marvel movie universe). Through this lens, the sometimes stilted dialogue and occasional oddly placed one-liners make more sense. When a character that has thus far only been alluded to makes an unexpected appearance reaching out an arm to rescue one of our protagonists, another character quips: “I know it’s a stretch…” And it is.

But this whole production is a stretch. This whole concept is a stretch. Creating a fantasy world on stage that attempts to interweave American folklore with Middle Earth and pirates is a stretch. Asking audiences to witness a trilogy of shows one year at a time for three years is a stretch. But it’s a fun, ambitious stretch. And maybe it doesn’t all work as well as it could; the story could be tighter and the action could be bigger. Sure, the creators have gotten a little too self-indulgent here and there (for all the fast-paced movement, it doesn’t feel like 140 minutes of plot has been revealed).

“The Crownless King” impresses in bits and pieces: when the dragon Irek Obsidian makes an appearance in all his scaly goodness, when a pirate covers a chess board with black pawns to prove a point and nearly every time the delightfully deadpan, Johnny Depp-like John Henry Roberts tosses out a snappy line of dialogue. In the end, it may not be completely cohesive, but it’s certainly fun. (Zach Freeman)



Highly Recommended - The Crownless King - Tom Williams, ChicagoCritic.com. - " The magic of High Fantasy continues in Part II of the Iron Stage King Trilogy

Following their terrific Part I (http://chicagocritic.com/the-iron-stage-king-part-one/), Nathan Allen and Chris Mathews continue their saga of the boy king  Casper Kent (Brandon Ruiter) and his kingdom that is inspired by the legend  of King Arthur with hints of Lord of the Rings. Those who enjoyed Part I will welcome Casper,  Hap The Golden (Cliff Chamberlain), and the various ladies as they attempt to keep the land ruled by the people oriented boy king. With his magical hammer in hand, Casper unites the land but he finds out that heis ruler of all but his own story. crownless11 259x400 The Crownless King As I stated in my review of Part I: “Utilizing all the House stylistic elements including puppets,  miniature models, strong lighting, unique costumes  with ample sprinklings of humor, this story has richly layered storytelling that explores the nature of leadership, governance with the unique American struggle to balance personal liberty with actions for the common good of society.” That tradition continues in Part II, The Crownless King who now has a wife, Bienne Boilieu (Paige Collins). crownless12 400x263 The Crownless King In Part II, Casper fights with Davy Boone (Blake Montgomery) and dreads Irek Obsidian, the exiled black dragon (voiced by Tracy Letts). The story is a tad difficult to follow  as we have ship wrecks, sword fights with a rich blend of humor and pathos thrown in.  Hap the Golden throughout fights to maintain his hold on the royal tale. Which version of the tale will dominate?  See this fun adventure into High Fantasy to find out.

The blend of Celtic myth, American folklore with hints of medieval myth together with the terrific use of sound, lighting with richly unique costumes on the boxed intimate staging all contribute to a fun theatrical event. The black dragon. the hammer and the attention to details here make for a enjoyable adventure that only can happen at a House Theatre of Chicago show.   The action is well-paced and thrilling, the characters empathetic and the show delivers a live fantasy. that is quite difficult to accomplish on stage. Join the fun – see this show.


"The Crownless King: Part II" (The House Theatre): The Thrilling and Complicated Adventure Continues - Katy Walsh, TheFourthWalsh.com.   - "The House launched a mythical trilogy last fall with The Iron Stag: Part I.  The three part series follows the quest of an orphaned innocent named Casper.  In Part I, Casper’s identity is discovered.  His claim to the magic hammer reveals that he is the destined ruler.  In PART II, Casper, now King, continues his quest for ‘the better good‘ to unite his kingdom.

Playwrights Chris Matthews and Nathan Allen, also serving as director, continue to build  their own adventure.  In Part II, Matthews and Allen more prominently feature storytellers.  Casper’s story is being told or untold by three different forces.  On the surface, King Casper and his comrades are confronting pirates and evil forces to bring about peace.  Below that primary plot, the storytellers, Hap, Irek and July, are spinning tales of Casper’s fate.  Matthews and Allen cleverly make their epic more robust with these underlying forces at war.  The story is thrilling.  The characters are intriguing.  The adventure is fun.  The subtext is complicated.

Do you need to have seen Part I to enjoy Part II?  Nope!  I saw Part I and I don't remember a lot of it.  I recall I adored Pepper and I know why he ultimately is not back for the sequel.  I just don't recollect the circumstances surrounding his exit.  I'm missing some major story chunks from 2012 to 2013.  Some of it came back to me during the show but a lot has been lost in time.  Regardless, it didn't affect my being totally engrossed in Part II. And although I'm not completely certain why, I think I loved PART II more than Part I.

“The Iron Stag” was a complicated introduction to this world.  Although I found “The Iron Stag” riveting, I was lost in a lot of the detail.  I made this recommendation in my review last year:  (BIG Suggestion for PART TWO:  besides a map, give the audience a study guide with characters and glossary of terms).  Honestly, I don’t need to see this large map in the program as much as I want to know who I’m on the quest with.  Part II is less monologue intense.  There may be less fighting but there is more action.  Most of the talented ensemble returns for a well-deserved encore.   The dialogue is snappy with plenty of humor especially delivered by newcomers; Blake Montgomery (Boone) and Christopher M. Walsh (Abraham).   Although I found “The Crownless King” riveting, I was lost again in the detail. Part II:  Deja Vu!

Experiencing opening night with multiple House members in the audience is like being at a party and not getting the insiders’ jokes.  I laughed a lot.  I was thoroughly engaged in the action.  I just only ingested the surface of it all.  Among the audience, House members laughed and cheered loudest having had the benefit of thorough knowledge through script reading or creative process.  I care about these characters but I’m not invested in them and I want to be.

THE CROWNLESS KING:  PART II is an action-packed caper.  It’s entertaining as a stand alone piece.  For this trilogy to truly be epic, the non-House audience needs to be immersed in this world not just treading water in it.

(BIG Suggestion for PART THREE:  besides a map, give the audience a study guide with characters and glossary of terms).


From House Theatre - or the second time in the company’s history, Artistic Director Nathan Allen employs the epic format and creates a multi-year play cycle. Begun in the fall of 2012 with The Iron Stag King and the story of young Casper Kent seeking and winning the Crown, this trilogy combines the classical fantasy of King Arthur and Norse mythology with uniquely American themes. The story explores the nature of leadership, governance, and the American struggle to balance personal liberty with sacrifice for a greater good.

In this second installment, Casper Kent now holds the Crown, but the Crownless grow in strength and cunning. The exiled black dragon, Irek Obsidian (voiced once again by Pulitzer prize winner Tracy Letts,) beckons King Casper to grant him liberty. Meanwhile, our band of heroes venture to the sea where a mysterious hooded pirate commands a fleet of Crownless rebels. As the forces meet in battle, who will rule as the Crownless King?

Author
Chris Matthews and Nathan Allen

Director
Nathan Allen

Performers
Brandon Ruiter; Cliff Chamberlain; Paige Collins; Blake Montgomery; Brenda Barrie; Kay Kron; Christopher M. Walsh; Morgan Maher; John Henry Roberts; Ben Hertel; Patrick Falcon, Kara Davidson; Tracy Letts

Production
Scenic Design - Collette Pollard; Costume Design - Melissa Torchia; Light Design - Lee Keenan; Puppet Design - Rachel Watson; Soun Design - Joshua Horvath; Composer - Kein O'Donnell; Movement Director - Tommy Rapley; Fight Choreography - Justin Verstraete; Properties Master - Eleanor Kahn; Stage Manager - Kelly A. Claussen; Assistant Director - Gaby Labotka; Dramaturg - Dav Yendler; Assistant Scenic Design - Sally Weiss; Asst Costume Design - Alexis DeForest; Asst Light Design - Cameron Petti; Asst Sound Design - Conor Keelan; Asst Puppet Design - Colleen Werle; Dir of Production - Jeremy Wilson; Technical Director - Steve Pesich; Scenic Supervisor - Jon Woelfer; Costume Manager - Amy Hilber; Master Electrician - Will Dean; Asst Stage Manager - Marrissa Miles-Coccaro

Tags: Theater, American, 2013