Rarely seen Albee drama comes to Chicago
Edward Albee comes alive again on stage this week, with the Signal Ensemble Theatre production of The Ballad of the Sad Cafe opening for a run at the Chopin Theater through September 12.
The Ballad of the Sad Cafe was adapted by Albee in 1963, based on the 1951 Carson McCullers novella of the same name. It tells the story of Amelia Evans, the owner of The Sad Cafe, and a bizarre love triangle between she, a strangely attractive hunchback and her estranged husband.
The character of Evans, played by Signal ensemble member Simone Roos, is a strong woman in every sense of the word, very typical of the sort of stories out playwright Albee loved to share. This proved to be an important point for the ensemble as they prepared as they prepared for the debut of the production, the third Albee work they’ve presented since the company was established in 2003.
Albee’s strong female characters
"Most of [McCullers’] work was informed by her own life and Ballad was certainly no exception, so it’s not surprising that you have a strong, southern woman at the center of the play," shared Ronan Marra, Signal co-artistic director and director of the production.
"The other point is with Albee. He has a great history with strong female characters being surrounded by a weaker chorus of men. From Virginia Woolf to Seascape, it’s pretty clear where his favor lies," Marra continued. "As he said himself: ’The women in my plays are stronger and more able to deal with life than the men are ...the only people who have perpetuated this fiction about women in my plays being unpleasant are people who themselves can’t accept women as being strong and vital and vocal people.’"
Signal’s decision to stage the rarely-produced Albee adaptation - described by the New York Times in 1963 as "a play flecked with weird, halting poetry" - came when an ensemble member brought the work along to a reading series. According to Marra, the ensemble reacted positively to the show immediately. The script presented a rare opportunity to bring the full crew on deck.
"We specifically chose this show as a way to bring many of our ensemble members together in one production," Marra shared. "We’ve done a lot of large cast shows lately that our members have been in, but it had been a while since we had done a show focused on our ensemble ... It’s sort of a homecoming show for us in that regard."
The show may feel like a homecoming to some in more ways than one. Set in the Depression, audience members may not need to stretch their minds too far to relate to economic hardship. And although the play is certainly on the somber end of the scale, Marra also wished to note it was not without laughs. He wasn’t nervous that theatergoers would avoid the show for its tragic themes.
"We’re working on a pretty decent history of ’downer’ shows, and for the most part haven’t had trouble attracting audiences to them," he shared. "I think most audiences are ready for any genre, so long as they are getting a good story executed well."
"This is a play about love," he added, conjecturing on what audiences would take from seeing the show. "And everyone has their own experiences with, and reactions to, that."
For tickets or more information on Signal Ensemble’s production of The Ballad of the Sad Cafe, visit the Signal Ensemble’s website or call 773-347-1350.
