Schiller’s Mary Stuart

written by Peter Oswald
directed by John Heimbuch

February 7 – March 1, 2014

Red Eye Theater

Mary Queen of Scots rots in jail, but rebellion is brewing. The exiled monarch, a threat to her cousin Queen Elizabeth, pins her hopes on a secret band of conspirators. Scheming politicians, a double agent, and an honest jailer play their parts, and soon the two powerful women will meet, each desperate to defend her country. Peter Oswald’s vibrant adaptation of Friedrich Schiller’s Romantic masterpiece explores the price of freedom and the passion of defiance.

Reviews

“Under the direction of John Heimbuch, the company of Walking Shadow Theatre has delved with zeal into the roles of the historical characters and the actors enact with sweeping force the entanglements that hurl them around without the ability to fathom the consequences of their actions…

Jennifer Maren is a fiery Mary Stuart, a woman proud of her eminent standing but willing to admit the mistakes she had committed in the past in order to retain her dignity in the present. Indicted as traitor to the British throne, Mary claims that she doesn’t “reject the law, only the judges” who rely on false evidence. As Elizabeth, Sherry Jo Ward commands the attention of the audience off stage as much as on it. She is calculated and icy, but also wrenched by the contradicting forces that impel her, as monarch, to make decisions whose outcomes she cannot trust: “If I heed the will of the people then the people will hate me for obeying the will of the people.” Living as we do in today’s model-less society who has ruled out monarchy (for Schiller, the French Revolution had brought the liberation of humanity a small step further), the two actresses have risen to the roles with boldness and have conveyed intelligently the thrust of the effects that historical circumstances had tossed them into…

True to Schiller’s notion of art’s task, not all the drama of the play is historically accurate. Nor does the set yield to the notions of splendor we associate with court. Designed by Michael Hoover, it is mostly an open space, with asymmetric lines of columns cutting through it. Because civilization has crammed our consciousness with so many ideologies and conflicts, our blurry vision needs a stark stage for the image of truth to emerge and lead us on the path of authenticity, even beyond theatre.”
– Mira Reinberg, Aisle Say Twin Cities

“The best part of this production is the excellent acting by the entire 13-person company. It’s such a treat to just sit there and watch the skill of these artists as they play out this complicated tale. At the top are Jennifer Maren and Sherry Jo Ward as the Queens Mary and Elizabeth, both strong and regal and sympathetic, so that I found it difficult to choose sides between the two. Jean Wolff is wonderfully Mrs. Hughes-like as Mary’s staunch supporter, friend, and ladies maid. Other standouts include Adam Whisner as Mary’s firm but ultimately kind captor, and Dustin Bronson and Peter Ooley as Mary’s (or Elizabeth’s?) suitors.

The second best part of this production are the gorgeous costumes, which are not 16th century period costumes, but have more of a mid-20th century classic look. The men are dapper in suits and hats, but the women truly shine in stunning dresses. I love it when a dress comes out and takes my breath away with its beauty, and that happened several times in this play (costumes by Lori Opsal). Michael Hoover’s classic and simple set design of multiple arches and opaque windows is a perfect backdrop for the complicated story and large cast.

Schiller’s Mary Stuart is not a short play, coming in at nearly three hours with intermission, so be prepared for that. But it’s a gripping, fascinating, and intriguing true(ish) story about two powerful women, with excellent performances by the entire cast. If you’re an Anglophile, or if you just like great drama, this one’s for you.”
– Cherry and Spoon