SLEEPING BEAUTY
The show is technically excellent. David Avcollie and Nan Zabriskie, its two artistic directors, are faculty members at the Theatre School at DePaul University, and their expertise shows. Zabriskie has designed a simple but ingenious set. A tower opens up to reveal a room at the top, which is where Sleeping Beauty pricks her finger with a spindle, sending her into her 100-year sleep. While she’s asleep, long strips of fabric drop from above to represent the hedge of thorns that grows around the castle, shrouding it from view. And the evil fairy’s magic is well conveyed by the pyrotechnical display produced when she waves her magic wand. Zabriskie’s simple costumes look rich and elegant; and the lighting, designed by Tom Fleming, changes subtly to evoke different moods.
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David Williams, as the servant Gort, is one actor who has the right idea. His tentative attempts at slapstick drew some generous laughter from the audience; when he left the stage, the restlessness grew.
