Fabrizio O. Almeida

I dreamt that a smart theater company had produced a welcome revival of a seldom seen Calderon. I dreamt that I was transported to an ethereal land of castled kingdoms, siesta sunsets and glittering pageantry. I dreamt that my critical capacities were helpless in the face of a deliciously cocky translation hell-bent on blasting away the cobwebs from a Spanish Golden Age morality play. And then I realized that I wasn't dreaming but instead experiencing Greasy Joan & Co. and director Julieanne Ehre's hugely enjoyable production of "Sueño," a Chicago premiere adaptation of Pedro Calderon de la Barca's 1635 "La Vida es Sueño" by playwright Josè Rivera. Absolutely everything about this production, from the evocative sets to the spicy Castilian soundtrack to the even spicier performances, does justice to Rivera's bold translation. Conveying "Sueño"'s story with great alacrity, Rivera's dialogue is fun and irreverent, poetic and politically astute, as it chronicles the Prince of Poland's estrangement from his father's kingdom--due to a monstrous prophecy--and his gradual transformation from vengeful heir to compassionate and deserved ruler. I lost count of the number of times I was reminded of Rivera's concern with man's internal struggle against the animal instinct within himself and his knee-jerk impulse towards war in times of crisis--also a common theme in his original plays--but just when I thought he might be in danger of making the work too preachy or pretentious, a dying character shouts through his last breath, "If God really wants your ass, he's going to get your ass." In one fell swoop, this hilarious and heartfelt bon mot reminds you of "Sueño"'s strongest theme--fate versus free will--as well as Rivera's down-to-earth approach to the heady ideas within the play. I would venture to say that this adaptation is the most colloquial, fluid and funny update of an old classic since Ranjit Bolt's version of Moliere's "Tartuffe."

"Sueno" runs at Athenaeum Theater, 2936 North Southport, (312)902-1500. $20. Through May 20. (2007-04-17)

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