CHICAGO—It follows Shakespeare’s plot line, but the revival of “Measure for Measure” at Chicago Shakespeare Theater unfolds in a different time and place, and features a lot more color, choreography, and music than Shakespeare could ever have imagined.
This modern take still has the same theme as the play’s original performance in 1604, which focused on personal moral values pitted against a theocratic state and questioned whether human relationships should be regulated by a political agency.
But this reinvented production differs from the 17th century original in interesting ways. Instead of being set in Italy, this reworked drama is set in a flamboyant nightclub in Havana, Cuba. The time has also been changed. It is now 1959, the year in which Castro was about to bring a communist revolution to the beautiful island.
Life and Death
The trajectory of the plot really kicks off, though, when we learn that Claudio has been sentenced to death for impregnating his girlfriend out of wedlock. Claudio’s only chance of saving his life is his sister Isabel. She is a novitiate in a cloister where the nuns have taken vows of chastity.
Isabel goes to Angelo, who, dressed in military garb, is a strict and brutal totalitarian, and begs him to save her brother. Angelo says he will do so, but only on one condition. Isabel must renounce her vow of chastity and sleep with him. She refuses, saying that she will give up her life to save her brother but not her virginity. In the most riveting scene of the play, Angelo then attempts to overpower Isabel and force her to yield to him.
To bring “Measure for Measure” into the contemporary wave of political correctness, Cuban-born director Henry Godinez throws in another element to his adaptation when he suggests racism against blacks in Cuba is the reason that Castro’s revolution failed to live up to its promise.
History, however, tells us that it wasn’t just blacks who were discriminated against in Castro’s Cuba. Anyone who voiced an opposing opinion to the communist dictatorship became a political prisoner. For example, anyone who was a homosexual was immediately incarcerated, and any trade that wasn’t sanctioned by the state was automatically illegal.
Furthermore, the ending of the play, in which a black man is holding up a Cuban flag in anticipation of Castro’s revolution, makes it look as if the communist takeover is a heroic undertaking that will bring a great new dawn to the country. Instead, it brought years of misery and deprivation to the long-suffering Cuban people, who became slaves under the boot of the Castro dictatorship.
Spirited Latin Rhythms
That said, this new take on an old work offers some wonderfully spirited Latin rhythms by music director Orbert Davis, also co-arranger and composer with Jorge Amado Molina. It also adds scenic projections by Rasean Davonté Johnson, elegant white-linen and fedora-hat costuming by Raquel Adorno, terrific movement design by Melissa Blanco Borelli, and wonderful performances.Adam Poss is convincing as the lustful tyrant who lets power overwhelm any sense of justice or kindness. Cruz Gonzalez-Cadel as Isabel delivers a poignant portrayal of pure innocence and righteous indignation. And Kevin Gudahl, always a treasure, gives a compelling performance as the wily duke who metes out justice at play’s end.
In addition, others who contribute to the intriguing play include Andrés Enriquez as Claudio, Gregory Linington as Claudio’s friend Lucio, Elizabeth Ledo as the clownish Pompey, and Joe Foust as Constable Elbow.
Even with some quibbles, this new “Measure for Measure” has a lot to recommend it. Rather than running three hours long, which is its usual performance length, this adaptation clocks in at only 1 hour and 40 minutes without an intermission.
It’s condensed to only the essentials, giving it the exhilarating pace of an exciting thriller. Although Shakespeare buffs will appreciate this new look at the classic, one doesn’t have to be an aficionado of the great English playwright to enjoy the engaging show. One must just keep in mind that the show presents a limited understanding of Communism.
