Hello bohemian enthusiasts, I have decided to incorporate some actor profiles in my blog posts along with more explanatory posts on our shows and the processes of putting up such massive works as Measure for Measure.

Here is the first of this kind.

Name

Chris Thoren

Year in school

Junior

Hometown

Vernon Hills, IL

Major(s), Minor(s).

Theatre, Minor in Journalism/English

What character do you play?

Duke Vincentio

Tell us what excites you most about playing this character and a bit about him/her.

The Duke is the puppet-master of the show. He ducks into disguise as a friar to observe how his country sees him, putting Angelo in charge to discipline the way he never could. In the process, he hatches an elaborate scheme to expose Angelo’s corruption and learns a lesson about mercy and the nature of justice along the way.

He’s a lot of fun to play. I am always excited about finding not only the tests he poses to the people around him, but also the moments he learns a valuable lesson about the nature of humanity and justice.

Tell us about working on Measure for Measure.

Well, we started with extensive tablework. We sat around with scripts in hand debating and discussing what each line meant, why it was there, who it was too, etc. Afterwards, we experimented with tango and movement along with basic blocking and script work before moving into the actual performance space. Now that we’re there, we’re running the show at least once a day, finding the nuances and flow to it.

What excites you most about this show?

Besides everything? I’m really excited about the tone and mood we’ve lent the piece. Setting it in 1930s Vienna, and surrounding it with the feel of tango and some really incredible, subtly symbolic movement has made this play a great world to live in. It’s sensual and warm and exciting.

Working with this cast is fantastic, as well. Getting to interact with just about every character in the play is a great chance to play with other actors.

What are you most nervous for?

I really, really hope people get it. Shakespeare has a bit of a stigma attached to it, and we’ve put a lot of work into making this play make sense to us. It’s so hard to gauge how successful we’ve been until we talk to an outside observer, so I’m hoping desperately people take from it as much as we’ve put in. Or at least give it a shot.

What is something you’d like to tell the audience of Measure for Measure or the readers of this blog?

Come see the play, and come see the other two Shakespeare plays we’re hosting that same weekend! It’s going to be an awesome experience to see and work with a brand new group of artists.