Vanessa Greenwayactor

The U.S. Premiere of Calderón de la Barca’s
Life is a Dream

in a New Version
by Helen Edmunson

directed by Liz Carlin-Metz

Life is a Dream is one of the most revered plays of the Spanish Golden Age. Its 16th century themes explode in every contemporary political circumstance where leaders are called upon to sacrifice narrow ambition, relinquish personal gain, and stand instead for social justice. Yet every leader confronts some moment when the temptations of power—wealth, licentiousness, vengeance, fame—collide with the obligation to serve the common good. Acclaimed British playwright Helen Edmundson’s new version of Life is a Dreamcaptures the original play’s power with elegant language and characters as fully human and recognizable as Shakespeare’s. Honor, humility, self-awareness, accountability, and dignity are values that define human aspirations the world round, but, as Calderón demonstrates, they are hard-won and fragile: without them, we are beasts.

Drawing upon years of experience in both traditional and experimental theatre, Elizabeth Carlin-Metz has served as Artistic Director of Vitalist Theatre since 1997 and received a Chicago After Dark Award for her direction of Mother Courage and Her Children. Under her guidance, Vitalist Theatre has developed its distinctive fusion of physical theatre, psychological dynamism, and magical-realism. The cast includes returning actors Paul Dunckel (The Night Season); Vitalist Jeff Award nominated Madrid St. Angelo (A Passage to India); and Vitalist Jeff Award winning Vanessa Greenway (The Night Season). Vitalist welcomes Chicago actors Lyndsay Kane, Gregory Isaac, BF Helman, Matthew Allis,Will Gillespie, and co-founding Executive Director director of UrbanTheater Company, Ivan Vega. Set designer Tracy Otwell (puppetry design: Anung’s First American Christmas) and fight designers R & D Choreography join the Vitalist award winning design team ofRichard Norwood (lighting), Rachel Sypneiwski (costumes), and Gregor Mortis (sound).

Chicago Reviews

“A monster of a play comprised of many labyrinths of expository details….Vanessa Greenway is splendid as Rosaura. She brings strong presence and exceptional depth to her part with impressive intelligence and grace.”

“Love, honor, and duty compete with sudden independence and entitlement”

—Chicago Now full review

“Life Is A Dream is a remarkable production, small in budget, but large in talent..”

—Around the Town Chicago full review

“Baroque and often beautiful, Calderon’s ornate language abounds in glorious declamation”

—Chicago Theater Blog full review

“Plato’s allegory of the cave has spawned many creative explorations, right up to Neo and his excellent adventures in The Matrix. But none are as poetic as Pedro Calderon de la Barca’s 1635 drama”

—Chicago Tribune full review