Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

SPRING THEATER PREVIEW 'Tom Riddle' combines Harry Potter, Shakespeare
Special to the online edition of Windy City Times
by Lauren Emily Whalen
2018-03-20

This article shared 1622 times since Tue Mar 20, 2018
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


When Hannah Mary Simpson embarked on a college group project, she had no idea her words would become a full-fledged production.

In 2016, Simpson was a student in Ohio Wesleyan University's "How to Write Shakespeare" course, taught by Dr. Zack Long. The final project? Write a five-act play in the style of the Bard. Inspired by J.K. Rowling's boy wizard, Simpson and six classmates set out to write the evil Voldemort's origin story. In May, The Tragedy of Tom Riddle ( referring to the villain's given name ) will be the first world premiere for Odd's Bodkins, a local Shakespeare ensemble.

"Harry Potter is such an epic tale and fits well with Shakespeare. I'm almost surprised it hasn't been a thing before!" Simpson said.

Riddle follows the man who becomes Voldemort from his Hogwarts graduation to his death. Said director Miranda Bishop, "it's Harry Potter's story from the Dark Lord's point of view."

Founded in 2015 by Artistic Director Nora Manca Wickman, Odd's Bodkins has only presented Shakespeare thus far. "All of us are crazy nerds and a lot of us love Harry Potter and we realized we had something new and exciting," Bishop said. "Shakespeare companies don't get to work with new material all that often, so this was a unique opportunity to present the style we like to work with, with new material the world has never seen before."

According to Simpson, the first half of the course was spent studying Othello and Two Gentleman of Verona. After spring break, the class divided into two groups: one wrote an original play, and the other crafted Riddle. "It's more Shakespearean to take a completely extant plot and make it your own," Simpson said. Just like Renaissance playwrights, they began with a detailed outline of the story. "I was very adamant that we're not going to write a damn line until we know what we're doing!" Simpson said, laughing.

Last year, she proposed "Riddle" for the 2017-18 Odd's Bodkins season. All twelve company members, including Bishop, were enthusiastic, but first the script needed editing. "We don't want to put on a four-hour play!" Simpson said. The ensemble also addressed language issues. Said Bishop, "Shakespeare is written in iambic pentameter—very rhythmic. There was a lot in this play where you could count ten beats in a line but it didn't go in a rhythmic structure. We wanted to: a ) highlight the iambic pentameter and b ) not drive our actors crazy!"

"Riddle" is Bishop's first full-length production as a director. "The more I spent time with this script, the more I realized it was a story that really interested me and a story I wanted to tell," she said. Though rehearsals haven't yet begun, Bishop has already faced challenges with casting. "The instant I posted the audition information, the amount of feedback I got right away was amazing," she said. "Frankly, the hardest part…was taking a huge pool of very wonderful people and only [using] a handful."

Besides a brand-new script and a talented cast, Riddle has very timely elements. "I even modeled one of Tom Riddle's speeches after Trump: 'make magic mighty again,'" Simpson said. Bishop added, "the characters…are pure blood supremacists, looking down at people who don't have magic, don't have the purest bloodlines, which is very similar to a lot of sentiments that exist today … this play shows that doesn't work."

"The 'tragedy' is showing how the individual becomes corrupt but with Harry Potter, there's always going to be a sense of rebellion," Simpson said. "But really, toxic masculinity sucks and there's no other way to say it!"

Odd's Bodkins' The Tragedy of Tom Riddle runs Saturdays and Sundays in May at the Cornservatory, 4210 N. Lincoln Ave. For more information, visit OddsBbodkins.org .


This article shared 1622 times since Tue Mar 20, 2018
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

Jamie Barton brings nuances of identity to her Lyric Opera 'Aida' performance 2024-03-18
- Chicago's Lyric Opera is currently featuring a production of Giuseppe Verdi's Aida starring Michelle Bradley as Aida, Jamie Barton as Amneris and Russell Thomas as Radamès. The opera runs through April 7, 2024, with Francesca Zambello ...


Gay News

Queer Eye's Jai Rodriguez is set to slay at The Big Gay Cabaret 2024-03-05
- Out and proud performer Jai Rodriguez is set to play at The Big Gay Cabaret this March for three days. Presented by RuPaul Drag Racer Ginger Minj, this monthly series highlights the wide world of cabaret ...


Gay News

THEATER 'R & J' puts a female, queer spin on Shakespeare 2024-03-05
- Romeo and Juliet is the theatrical gift that keeps on giving. It's been reworked for the masses numerous times, whether in direct adaptations or musicals such as West Side Story. Shakespeare's plotline points have even inspired ...


Gay News

Center on Halsted hosts 6th Annual Intergenerational Talent Show 2024-03-03
- On the evening of Feb. 29, Center on Halsted held its 6th Annual Intergenerational Talent Show in front of a packed audience at the Hoover-Leppen Theater. The event brought together participants of the Center's youth and senior ...


Gay News

THEATER When growth is paramount: Jim Corti helps fuel Aurora theater expansion 2024-03-01
- Out actor/director/choreographer Jim Corti made his Broadway debut in 1974, in the ensemble of Leonard Bernstein's musical Candide. Director Harold Prince's acclaimed Tony Award-winning revival is often cited as a ...


Gay News

Theater Review: Billy Elliot, The Musical 2024-02-19
- Book and Lyrics: Lee Hall; Music: Elton John. At: Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora Tickets: 630-896-6666 or Paramountaurora.com; $28-$79. Runs through March 24 Billy Elliot: The Musical may nearly be two decades old, but ...


Gay News

'West Side Story' gets a sex-positive spin with new burlesque show 2024-02-19
- In partial observance of National Condom Day, which was Feb. 14, Los Angeles-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) presented A West Side Story Burlesque at the Harris Theater for two hour-long performances on Feb. 17. The show, ...


Gay News

Second Glance Productions hosts LGBTQupid Soiree 2024-02-16
- In celebration of Valentine's Day, Chicago based film and media production company Second Glance hosted The LBGTQupid Soiree. The event, which was focused on spinning attitudes on this particular day, was presented at The iO ...


Gay News

Carisa Hendrix mesmerizes as Lucy Darling in Teatro ZinZanni 2024-02-12
- Since 2019, Teatro ZinZanni has gathered together amazing performers from all over the world to create an experience in Chicago under the Spiegeltent in the Cambria Hotel building, 32 W. Randolph St. Over the years, ticket ...


Gay News

THEATER Dot-Marie Jones talks Goodman production, 'Glee,' 'Bros' 2024-02-12
- Running through Feb. 18 at the the Goodman Theatre, the production Highway Patrol works with a script conceived entirely from Emmy-winning actor Dana Delany's (TV's China Beach) digital archive of hundreds of tweets and direct messages ...


Gay News

Dr. Lady J explains how opera can be a drag 2024-02-10
- On Feb. 8, Center on Halsted, in partnership with Lyric Opera of Chicago, presented a lecture by historian, drag activist, podcaster and curator Dr. Lady J. The event, titled "Castrated Superstars, Cross Dressed Divas, and Queer ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Raven-Symone, women's sports, Wayne Brady, Jinkx Monsoon, British Vogue 2024-02-09
- In celebration of Black History Month, the LA LGBT Center announced that lesbian entertainer Raven-Symone will be presented with the Center's Bayard Rustin Award at its new event, Highly Favored, per a press release. She joins ...


Gay News

Chicago-based production company to host all-inclusive, LGBTQ-focused Valentine's Day event 2024-02-07
--From a press release - CHICAGO — Second Glance Productions will host the LGBTQupid Soiree this Valentines Day, Wednesday, February 14, 2024. The event will be held at the iO Theater, 1501 N. Kingsbury St., from 6 pm to 11 pm ...


Gay News

THEATER Nostalgic 'Sunsets' still offers a timely reflection of LGBTQ+ community 2024-02-07
- Nostalgia reigned on a variety of scales this past weekend in Chicago. During her Celebration tour, at a majestically packed United Center, Madonna acknowledged the last 40 years of her career, highlighting her '80s interactions with ...


Gay News

The Jeff Awards announces the 50th-anniversary non-Equity theater nominations 2024-02-06
--From a press release - (Feb. 6, 2024 - Chicago) — Celebrating its 50th anniversary awarding recognition for Non-Equity theater, the Joseph Jefferson Awards announces its nominations for theater excellence among Non-Equity theater during the ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.