The House Theatre of Chicago presents ROSE AND THE RIME.
A story is about a village cursed with a never-ending winter. This play seems perfectly relatable for Chicago audiences, especially this year. Originally developed at Hope College in 2008 ROSE AND THE RIME won the honor of playing the Kennedy Center as Best Original Work in the KCACTF festival. The House restaged it in 2009. And now this production is re-imagined under the direction of Nathan Allen.
As with most House shows, the merriment and magic are there. A shoveling scene is rhythmic. The synchronized movement twists the monotonous chore into a “Stomp” like dance. Later, a blizzard is conjured up with just a white tarp and flakes of paper. The look is both wondrous and worrisome as the heroine battles the snow globe effect. Later, her virtual ride takes an animated turn as the ensemble powers her sled. An oversized Dickens village surrounds the stage on individual pedestals. They are snow-covered or illuminated setting the hometown feel for the scene. At different moments, a witch dangles from the ceiling, wolves pack dance and bunnies appear from nowhere. The enchantment is there. It just may be frozen under a layer of snow.
The visual charm is present. The emotional connection isn’t. The fairytale-like story has potential. A little girl wants to save her town from its frozen curse. Uh, that may be the plotline. Yet, Rose (played by Paige Collins) seems more self-absorbed than heroic. We learn in the very first scene how caring her uncle Roger (played by Michael E. Smith) is. Smith endears as the frantic and protective caretaker. Despite knowing he worries about her, Rose takes off in the middle of the night. Her adventure seems less humanitarian effort and more bunny quest. Instead of precocious, Collins comes off as selfish. I’m annoyed at her reckless behavior. I care more about Smith’s reaction than Rose’s peril. Later, the story weaves around to a love story that again portrays Collins less favorably. Her choosing among two suitors seems careless and mechanical. The lack of passion causes the audience to remain detached.
The ensemble is peppy. There is a strong sense of play. Although they know how to frolic in the snow, they never actualize the Grimm angle of this fairy tale. ROSE AND THE RIMEhas a dark side that is alluded to but never manifests as true evil. ROSE AND THE RIME is cute. The design elements make for a fun spectacle. With story tightening and emotional risks, ROSE AND THE RIME could be a winter classic.
Running Time: Eighty-five minutes with no intermission
At Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division
Written by Nathan Allen, Chris Matthews and Jake Minton
Directed by Nathan Allen
Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 8pm
Saturdays and Sundays at 3pm
Thru March 9th
Buy Tickets at www.thehousetheatre.com
Production photo by Michael Brosilow