“Queen C” reviewed by Jacob Davis

Recommended ***  When Queen Christina looks into the eyes of an eel, what she sees is a being whose experience of the world is so alien that no preconceptions could possibly exist between them. And in that moment, she feels for the first time that something has really looked at her. Sweden’s gender-nonconforming enlightened despotic monarch has been a figure of fascination continuously since her reign in the seventeenth century. Finnish author Laura Ruohonen’s 2003 play, now being presented at the Trap Door theatre in a directorial debut by Michael Mejia, is not so much a strict biography as an exploration of the same themes of natural sciences and gender presentation Christina was interested in. Taking the form of a loosely connected series of monologues and dialogues, Queen C is a contemplative exercise in the use of words to compose intricate pictures, and how often they struggle to bridge the gap between people.
“You weren’t pretty,” says the queen’s cousin Karl Gustav (Faiz Siddique), while Christina (David Lovejoy) sits in her courtyard contemplating the elusive eel. He means it in a way he thinks is nice; Christina never seemed to care about that kind of thing. Or maybe there was just no point, since despite ascending the throne as a young child, people have always been openly rude to her. Technically, she was crowned king, but being a woman, she is barred from Parliament. Carl Gustav clearly wishes to advance himself by marrying her, though he seems genuinely infatuated with the woman he perceives her to be. Too bad that’s not how she sees herself. Christina has other interests; a female companion (Maureen Azzun), for one, although Christina is irked that her friend seems more willing or able to abide by feminine social strictures. And then there’s her pet philosopher (Gavin Rhys), who assists her cataloguing of nature. Verbal sparring is the only way Christina knows to show affection, and it’s not clear he replies in the same spirit.

Director Michael Mejia has made Trap Door’s compact stage into a visual feast. Costume designer Rachel Sypniewski and make-up designer Zsofia Otvos provide their own colorful take on the baroque, while set designer J. Michael Griggs ‘ mural of ambiguous sea creatures adorns the back wall. The lighting design by Richard Norwood captures the beauty of the concept. On this stage, people are rarely alone and it is impossible to be too far apart, yet Christina’s alienation is clear. There’s always someone in her face, and she’s always getting under other people’s feet. But there is one character who inhabits a different world entirely: Christina’s mother, the queen dowager (Neema Lahon). An unkind and overwhelming woman clearly afflicted with some sort of disorder, she appears through projections, a figure who is impossible to communicate with but who shouts down from the wall and occasionally in Christina’s nightmares as a portent of her own future. In a world where much is left to the imagination or only hinted at, the mournful dowager queen is fully detailed, yet perhaps the most absurd of all.

The play is sparse in action, although Mejia provides plenty of movement. David Hackston’s translation gives each character’s poetry a distinct voice, although the plastic masks the actors are wearing oblige them to shout more than serves some of their moments. Still, the play provides a lot of fun ideas to toy with. Fish, amphibians, and reptiles, as the early naturalists were becoming aware, often display far more sexual dimorphism than humans, yet many can switch back and forth and reproduce asexually. Christina’s goal of traveling through the well to meet the eel (oarfish? worm?) is something out of a fairy tale or a dream, but on some level, she knows a fish can’t really answer any questions. Stories about Queen Christina always have plenty of material to work with; this one’s focus on the emotional value she got from odd interests and unconventional relationships make it recommended.

Queen C will continue at Trap Door Theatre, 1655 W Cortland Ave, Chicago, thru December 4, 2021, at the following times:
Thursdays: 8:00 pm
Fridays: 8:00 pm
Saturdays: 8:00 pm

There is no show Thanksgiving but there is an additional performance on Sunday, November 21, at 7:00 pm.

Running time is eighty minutes with no intermission.
Tickets are $20-25. Visit Trap Door Theatre or call 773-384-0494 or email boxofficetrapdoor@gmail.com
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