Is Jessica too young for the plum role? Or is there another reason why casting her for the part in a New York production is problematic.
The answer will be revealed in the madcap show “Women Playing Hamlet: A Comedy” by William Missouri Downs, staged at the Theatre of Western Springs March 3-13.
Performances are 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays; and 2:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
“Jessica is a competent, knowledgeable actor who is consumed by her anxiety when it comes to playing such a famous role,” said Courtney Beresheim of Brookfield, who plays Jessica. “She is dauntingly trying to explore and work out if she is up for this task and, as a result, who she is as a person as well.”
Despite her anxiety, the 29-year-old is determined to tackle the part. “She knows this is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime offer for her,” Beresheim said.
Jessica may feel unprepared but Beresheim is well prepared to tackle this topic. “I am a high school English teacher in my day job and this is my sixth year teaching ‘Hamlet,'” she laughingly said.
To help Jessica prep for this major role, she works with her acting coach Gwen, played by Patti Roeder of Oak Park.
Their relationship is “complicated,” Beresheim said. “She desperately wants Gwen to give her all the answers but there’s some frustration there as well.” There’s also frustration on Gwen’s part because she played Hamlet when she was Gwen’s age — but the show only lasted for one performance.
“Gwen is very full of herself,” Roeder said. “She’s a good acting coach and she was a good actress but her career was never as successful as she hoped it would be. She’s on the downside of her career now and she sees in Jessica a very talented young actress. I think she’s a little jealous of her but she also wants to help her.”
Gwen realizes that Jessica does need some pushing. “So, she does push,” Roeder said.
The actor further described her character as “witty and sarcastic. She does all the things that you would say a polite person wouldn’t do.”
The rest of the roles are filled by an ensemble of five actors playing multiple characters: Tricia Boren of Evergreen, Colorado; Christina Preto of Westchester; Laura Starr of Brookfield; Janet Venzon of Downers Grove; and Peg Callaghan of Forest Park.
“It’s a comic romp,” said director Adrianne Cury of Oak Park. “The playwright points out in Shakespeare’s day the men played all the female roles, so here’s a little revenge because it’s all women playing men’s roles.”
That’s part of the reason Cury wanted to direct this play. “I loved the idea that it’s meant to be cast with just women,” she said.
Cury also liked the playful spirit of the show. “It’s almost as if the lead character sort of falls down the rabbit hole like ‘Alice in Wonderland,'” she said. “I thought it would be a lovely way to pull us out of the pandemic.”
Cury was also interested in the work because she became acquainted with the playwright during a virtual play-reading group and had read several of his plays.
The challenge of directing this play, Cury said is “balancing the really broad comic aspects but then making sure we can bring home the heart and the magic that appears, particularly toward the end of the play.”
The director praised her cast and crew. “I have a great group of actresses,” she declared. “They’re funny. They’re smart. My stage managers are funny and smart and helpful. My prop mistress is funny and smart. My costumers are great.”
Roeder thinks audiences will enjoy this show because, “It’s funny. It’s light. This is an engaging show.”
Cury said, “It’s fun and theatrical yet it has a little bit of heart and a good ensemble feel to it.”
‘Women Playing Hamlet: A Comedy’
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When: March 3-13
Where: Theatre of Western Springs, 4384 Hampton Ave., Western Springs
Tickets: $23-$25
Information: 708-246-3380; theatreofwesternsprings.com
Myrna Petlicki is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.