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stagenorth - Carol Burbank
Marquee brings Evanston another theater option
January 23, 1998
King
Arthur and the knights of the Round Table are alive and well in the American
imagination. But the magical halls of castle Camelot are more than the rallying
cry for the idealistic view of John Kennedy's presidency, a metaphor tragically
fulfilled in the family dynasty's seemingly endless fall from grace. Lerner
and Loewe's musical captures both the naïvete and the arrogance of America's
national character, with an idealistic charm that makes "Camelot"
a favorite of high schools, community theatres and professional companies and
their audiences.
Evanston's Marquee Theatre Company, a non-Equity professional company, opens its fourth year with this musical tale of King Arthur's fleeting vision of the Round Table and Guinevere's betrayal. The young company is family-run in principle as well as practice. Artistic director Geoffrey Edwards directs his father, Ryan, in this production, and his mother continues her role as official audience-greeter, editor and writer, "the company's biggest supporter," according to her son.
Ryan Edwards, a semiretired operatic bariton who has performed with the Metropolitan Opera and now divides his time between teaching master classes and guest performances, will play King Arthur. Geoffrey Edwards credits his fater as his primary inspiration for becomng a direct and says "working with him is revelatory – not only does he have this dramatic voice, but with an actor's instincts, little details in scenes open up into flases of insight so that we really get to know [Arthur]."
Ryan Edwards is joined by Lyric Opera tenor Eric Perkins (Lancelot) and light opera actress Rosalind Lee (Guinevere), who has had varied experiences in musicals, straight theatre and experimental productions in Chicago. Edwards believes their "cross-pollination of talent, and our shared labor of love, makes this a community event. We all get tired of going to mega-spectacles where you can't see the nuances of the acting. There's a real need for shows where [audiences can feel] part of the action."
Founded in 1994 to produce classic family entertainment, the company has developed a varied repertoire, from Shakespeare to Moliere and Schiller. Performing in the intimate space of Covenant United Methodist Church, the company, says Geoffrey Edwards, "is my family and my artistic home." Co-founder Kate Bolgren says their goal is to produce theater you can "take your grandmother and your 12-year-old to without offending them or having to explain anything."
The Marquee Theatre Company presents "Camelot," playing through Feb. 8, at Covenant United Methoist Church, 2123 Harrison St., Evanston. Phone 847-604-0535.
©1998 Chicago Tribune
