Chicagoland Reviews

Hephaestus at the Lookingglass Theatre
By Dan Zef

The show gets a rating of four stars.

CHICAGO—It’s early in the year but we likely won’t get 70 minutes of more exhilarating entertainment all season than the Lookingglass Theatre revival of its 2005 hit “Hephaestus.” The show mounts stunning circus acts within a slender narrative framework about Hephaestus, the blacksmith of the gods in Greek mythology. Toss in echoes of Ringling Brothers, the Cirque du Soleil, Blue Man Group, and a dash of break dancing and the result is irresistible.

Some audience members may have seen some of the acts in “Hephaestus” in other circus performances, but never in such an intimate setting. Viewers in the first row have to tuck in their legs occasionally to avoid contact with the performers. And with one exception, I saw no safety devices protecting the aerialists from mishap. This is circus up close and personal, without a bleating ringmaster or unfunny clowns.

The show is constructed as a play within a play. A little girl in her nightgown loses herself in the story of Hephaestus to block out the roar of her arguing parents off stage. The girl narrates the story of Hephaestus, born deformed and thrown in disgust from Mount Olympus to the earth by Hera, his mother. The story then turns into a series of hooks for the circus acts, with the performers assuming the role of assorted gods.
By the end of the intermissionless evening, we have enjoyed breathtaking exhibitions of bungee jumping, high wire walking, acrobatics, hula hoops, juggling, and other sundry circus skills. The production was created by Lookingglass company member Tony Hernandez, a former circus performer who takes the role of Hephaestus and co-directs with Heidi Stillman. Hernandez the only true actor in the production and brings to brooding life the anger and anguish of the crippled god. Hernandez participates in a couple of the circus acts, notably as part of a three-person pyramid on the high wire that must be as dangerous as it looks.

The remainder of the cast is drawn from international circus stars. A Russian named Almas Meirmanov (the war god Ares) does terrific work as an aerialist and is the lead man in the daunting high wire pyramid. Anya Stankus of Ukraine makes a sultry goddess Aphrodite, dancing before Hephaestus, her future husband, with her hula hoops and rubber-jointed acrobatics. Anna Vigeland, a young lady with a Canadian background, performed a show stopping solo as the goddess Iris, twisting and tumbling on a slack rope high above the stage. Lijana Wallenda-Hernandez, of the famous German troupe the Flying Wallendas, does a couple of dazzling aerial turns as Hera and sits precariously on an unanchored chair during the perilous pyramid walk on the high wire.
A group of young men called the Silver Guys (created out of metal by Hephaestus) contribute hand balancing and other feats, all in silver costumes and makeup. Richie McGuire, one of the Silver Guys, performed an extraordinary few seconds of break dancing. The young gymnast’s contribution to the evening’s success, though brief, is extraordinary.
Abigail Droeger is the little girl narrator and the only performer who speaks during the show. She acted well and spoke and sang with clarity, a considerable difficulty in the 2005 premiere of the show.
Everyone on stage deserves mention, so to complete the record, applause also goes to Jarrett Dapier, Nich Galzin, Viktoria Grimmy, and Rani Waterman.
The musical accompaniment leans toward the pulsating rush of percussionists pounding away on giant drums on a balcony above the stage. The stage is bare except for a large trapdoor that represents Hephaestus’s forge and other sites. From time to time performers descend from the rafters, sometimes head first, into the fiery space. Brian Sidney Bembridge designed the setting as well as the highly dramatic lighting and the rainstorm that opens the story. Lilja Wallenda-Hernandez designed the sawdust-and-tinsel circus costumes as well as the choreography for the chorus of young women who opened the show with a lovely ballet-like synchronized act with silk draperies above the stage. The evocative sound design and original music compositions were contributed by Josh Horvath, Ray Nardelli, Kevin O’Donnell, Rick Sims, and Andre Pluess.
While the concept remains the same, the 2008 “Hephaestus” includes several new acts. While I admired the earlier version, the current production knocked me out. The new acts are an upgrade, and the aural and physical staging is much more dramatic. It’s truly a can’t-miss event for the entire family.
“Hephaestus” runs through February 24 at the Looking glass Theatre in the Water Tower Water Works at 821 North Michigan Avenue. Performances are Tuesday through Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 3 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $30 to $60. Call 312 337 0665.
For more information contact: www.lookingglasstheatre.org

The show gets a rating of four stars.

Jan. 2008

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