GEEK N OUT REVIEW

“THE WINTER WOLF”

Reviewer: Bayley Pokorny

The Otherworld Theater presents, for its second year in a row, an incredibly charming modern fairy tale: The Winter Wolf, this year directed by Sara Robinson.

Let me start by saying this play was super goddamned lovely and touching. A young girl named Cora, played by Molly Southgate, comes face to face with the unearthly creature known as the Winter Wolf, played by Jessica Goforth, who is designated with the task of taking souls to the afterlife. Upon catching this mythical beast in an attempt to save her dying grandfather, played by Mike Rogalski, Cora then embarks on a voyage of beautiful and chilling discovery.

I think this play holds something that is relatable and enjoyable for all ages, the unstoppable forward flow of time is responsible for all of life's triumphs and tragedies. Through enchanting, somber and genuine storytelling methods, The Winter Wolf explores these concepts through the lens of our heroine, Cora.

Which leads me to the play’s strengths and weaknesses. The play holds much charm and true human connection which fully carries the production. My main criticism would be a slight clash of tones and storytelling methods.

What makes this such a captivating play is the core connection on which the entire story rests, Cora’s connection with her grandfather. The connection and love that these two portray is so genuine, kind, and sweetly realistic that all other fantastical elements of the narrative are strongly carried on its back. Cora’s grandfather is a gentle and kind man who actively attempts to engage the intelligence and curiosity of Cora, his performance is endearingly sweet. We all want this guy to be our grandpa. Cora is a headstrong, yet intense, child that would move mountains for her favorite person, and her journey is organically and relatably performed.

The winter wolf herself is very charming and mystical, she provides a good contrast of wisdom and true hard-won strength compared to the hot-headed inexperience of Cora, which helps fuel her journey of self-discovery. The only thing that took me out of the moment, in terms of the wolf, was that her movements felt a bit too showy and impractical, even for a mythical creature. This made it a bit hard to feel the weight of staring the manifestation of death in the face.

The play’s main faults lie in its opening. Audience members are greeted by our other two characters the mother and father, played by Katy Crow and Nathan Pease, who are very sweet as they offer audience members cocoa and cookies. The tone they set clashes with the rest of the play, though, in my opinion. They speak to the audience in a voice that is a bit over-whimsical and perhaps appropriate for a much younger audience than the rest of the play appeals to. I think if it was played a bit more conversationally and a bit less presentationally it would have come off more relatable. These two also serve as narrators throughout the play, but I only see these moments as distractions as they don’t add anything to further the narrative. This play and its core elements can indeed speak for themselves without the narrators reacting to them and commenting on them. This is a common crux of narration though, it’s a hard tool to properly utilize.

That being said, the play in its entirety is an intensely lovely and heartwarming adventure that gently yet firmly explores our personal connections and difficulties regarding death and transition. I would highly recommend it to anyone this holiday season.

Cast:

Jessica Goforth as The Winter Wolf

Molly Southgate as Cora

Mike Rogalski as Grandfather

Katy Crow as Mother

Nathan Pease as Father

Creatives:

Playwright - Joseph Zettelmaier

Director – Sara Robinson

Stage Manager – Ali Keirn

Violence Design – Lana Whittington

Lighting Design – David Goodman-Edberg

Costume Design – Meeja Hahn

Performances will take place at Otherworld Theatre 3914 N Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60613 (Street Parking available; CTA Accessible by Sheridan Red Line / 22 Clark) December 7, 2019 - December 29, 2019; Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 2:30 pm. Performances are approx 70 minutes with no intermission.

Otherworld Theatre is a two-stage facility with a mainstage which boasts a flexible performance and seating area in its larger The Bradbury space, The Alchemist’s Lab black box space, bar, and lobby located a few blocks north of Wrigley Field. Tickets to all shows are available at www.OtherworldTheatre.org Otherworld maintains a mission to keep theatre accessible for all. All mainstage tickets are pay-what-you-can, allowing people of any and all means to experience live performance. Otherworld targets theatre patrons of all ages, genders, and races, with a particular focus on fans of Science Fiction and Fantasy, or "genre" storytelling. This is a large, underserved market, particularly when it comes to live theatre. Otherworld’s productions reach a wide-ranging audience and multiple fandoms.

About Otherworld Theatre

Otherworld Theatre Company, a non-profit arts organization, was founded in June 2012 with a mission to bring a theatrical experience to the science fiction and fantasy genres. Our work celebrates the depth of human imagination by engaging our patrons with high-quality storytelling. Otherworld Theatre also curates events to create dialogue between patrons and artists, furthering our connection to the Chicago community.

Visit the Otherworld virtually at OtherworldTheatre.organd on Twitter (@OtherworldThtre), Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.

THE WINTER WOLF - 2019 Review