Remy Bumppo: Listen Up

James Bohnen, artistic director of Remy Bumppo Theatre, is a nice guy. So nice he winces at even the blandest questions about what makes his award-winning theater company unique, "I don't want it to sound like we think we're better than other people."

So instead, I asked about the name. While Remy Bumppo has spent the last 12 years impressing audiences with its strong and stirring productions of plays from the likes of Stoppard, Chekhov, Fugard and Shaw, their whimsical and effectively inscrutable name has puzzled as many as it has intrigued.

Formed from the combination of the names of two of the founders' pets (Remy Martin and Natty Bumppo), Bohnen says the name has turned out to have "a kind of silliness that stuck with people."

"We never really expected it to be a public name," Bohnen admits, "it was sort of a joke." But he's not sorry, and there are no plans to change it. "I grew up in an Irish-German family where we say, 'Life: The situation is hopeless but not serious.' Intellect and whimsy: that's the tension that I like."

That said, Bohnen is cautious about their intellectual reputation, "Most of the plays we've done are anything but intellectual, they're just well-crafted, good writing. Writers who really know how to put sentences together clearly, help you to be better actors. They know when you need a hard consonant, and they give it to you. They have an argument and make it challenging on both sides."

Remy Bumppo's belief in the significance of the theatrical argument is as germane to their mission as the plays they choose and the excellent acting from their Artistic Associates. "The theater is about the ear: the story is in the words and the words are in the ear."

What's the best way to emphasize the aurality of the theater in a visual world? Certainly, Remy Bumppo still puts on productions with rich visuals. Last season's The Voysey Inheritance won a Jeff Award for its beautiful Costume Design, and the current Heroes employs great theatrical visuals for even its simple scene changes. But more than anything Bohnen says, "We just take a well-constructed story and we try to tell it cleanly. We're not flashy." He seems happy with this definition. Slowly, his kind brow wrinkles and he adds, "And that's not a criticism of anyone else."

To learn more about Remy Bumppo Theatre Company and the power of great theatrical language, follow them on Twitter, become their fan on Facebook, check out their website, or read their blog.

Benno Nelson

You can read more of Theatre In Chicago contributor Benno Nelson's writing at The@er (http://the-at-er.blogspot.com)

Full Storefrontal

Read the other articles in Benno Nelson's "Full Storefrontal" series that focuses on small theatre companies around Chicago:

The Strange, Full Dream of Dog & Pony
Strawdog Stands the Test of Time
Theater Oobleck Brings Risk to the People
Old Soul, Long Road, New Company: Route 66
Teatro Vista's World with a View
Red Tape Theatre Plans for the Future
New Leaf Theatre Begins Again, and Again...
The Plagiarists Steal This Stage
Caffeine Theatre Thinks You're Smart
Spotlight on Horror, WildClaw Theatre
The Mammals - Rehearsing the Dark Stuff
Silent Theatre Company Wants to Change Your Life
WNEP Theater - You Have Permission to Punch Don Hall in the Face
Sideshow Seeks the Center Stage
Backstage Theatre Company: A Family Affair
Oracle Productions Sees Into The Future
Theatre Seven Keeps it Close to Home
Babes With Blades Carve Out a Home
Something's Developing at Chicago Dramatists
About Face Theatre – Looks Fresh
LiveWire Chicago Stays Current
The New Colony Settles In
A Red Orchid Theatre Keeps Its Friends Close
It's all Greek To Dream Theatre
Stage Left Asks The Questions
The Inconvenience at Home
The Side Project Gets A New Band Together

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