The Golden Dragon
by Roland Schimmelpffennig
January 18 - February 23, 2014
Sideshow Theatre Company
Victory Gardens Theater
co-directed with Marti Lyons
scenic designer William Boles
costume designer Kristen DeiTos
lighting designer John Kelly
sound designer Christopher M. LaPorte
“Suddenly a whole foreign continent is standing in the room.”
A warm summer evening at The Golden Dragon, where the staff serves Thai, Chinese and Vietnamese cuisine to strangers who pass through its doors. Next door, a convenience store and its curious proprietor. Upstairs, a warehouse containing an unspeakable secret. As the evening progresses, the stories of the Dragon’s patrons and staff slowly unravel and intertwine, with all the shock, intrigue and danger of the international city at their core. In a fast-paced, sweeping fable of culture clash in modern life, a dynamic ensemble of five actors embodies nearly twenty characters, and their intersecting desire for power exposes the raw nerve at the center of a newly globalized world.
Press
Highly Recommended!
"Enthralling... though brief, this incredibly intense work is completely satisfying."
Chicago Sun-Times
"Jonathan L. Green and Marti Lyons's stylish staging, featuring Sideshow's usual high level of production design and a crack ensemble of actors mostly unknown to me, make this a Dragon worth chasing."
Time Out Chicago
"Recommended! The entire cast is expert in their handling of the various roles... The journey Sideshow Theatre Company presents in this complex production is one worth taking."
New City
"The humanity and humor of the stories told in Sideshow Theatre Company's The Golden Dragon promises to deeply move you... I was moved nearly to tears."
Edge Chicago
★★★1/2 (out of 4)
"A tautly-paced and striking production... striking visuals that burn an afterimage into the mind."
Chicago Stage Standard
"The Golden Dragon knocks you off your feet... when the production is done, you are left speechless."
Chicago Theatre Review
"That you will never again take the kitchen worker in your take-out joint for granted in the same way makes the case for this play all the more."
Chicago Splash
"Must see! Showcases the talents of five actors at the top of their game."
Centerstage Chicago
"Complex and fascinating."
Windy City Times
"The play works beautifully. Acting needs to carry the day and the five excellent actors, especially Deanna Myers, rise masterfully to the occasion."
Chicago Critic
