The Hypocrites - Young in Spirit

In 1997 Sean Graney, founder and Artistic Director of The Hypocrites, looked around Chicago and saw a theatrical scene dominated by naturalistic acting ensembles, and resolved to shake things up. In Graney's words, "I thought there were a lot of great theater companies in Chicago in the mid 90's and they were all embracing a specific style and sticking to it. I thought it would be interesting to take elements of many different styles and combine them into one company."

The Hypocrites most typically produce classic plays (like 2008's Our Town directed by David Cromer, Shakespeare's Henry V, or Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman) or new adaptations based on classic works (like Graney's own adaptations of Frankenstein, Sophocles' Ajax, or K., Greg Allen's adaptation of Kafka's The Trial). However, while the plays may be old, each production takes full advantage of modern directorial invention. Gone is an emphasis on thought-for-thought revival of an author's text, and injected into those words are new twists and turns from the present day. Graney recalls a conversation with David Cromer, director of The Hypocrites' 2008 hit production of Our Town: "[Cromer] tried to get at the essence of Hypocrites show, and he taught me that The Hypocrites strive to capture the spirit, rather than the letter of the play." It is that quest for a play's spirit, Graney implies, that invites such experimentation.

A recent recurrence in the work of The Hypocrites has been "promenade" staging, in which actors walk amongst the audience to create intimate, pictures and, often, a uniquely powerful feeling of danger. This technique has been applied to shows as various as Sarah Kane's 4:48 Psychosis, an adaptation of Sophocles' Oedipus, and August Strindberg's Miss Julie. "The Hypcorites to me has always been about making theater theory live in real space and time, and making theater theory exciting for an audience." Graney explains. "I still think The Hypocrites is that, but unfortunately most people just see it as my theater theory."

When asked via email why producing classic plays was important today, Graney responded: "It's not important, no more than studying history, or calling your mom every week, or petting kitties. But some things just make our lives better. I think theater makes our lives better. I think being involved in a historical dialogue makes our lives better. It gives us context, meaning, and although the meaning is a pure illusion, what else isn't?"

Find out more about The Hypocrites on their website or their Facebook page.

Benno Nelson