A new American Queen has emerged, but is it a strong contender for historical drama supremacy? This Brooklyn-based production from The American Vicarious tries to tackle the untold story of Kate Chase, the daughter of Salmon P. Chase, the Secretary of the Treasury under President Abraham Lincoln. The play raises intriguing questions about female power, ambition, and the psychological fallout of an emotionally distant father.
However, beneath its ambitious scope lies a script that struggles to weave its threads into a cohesive narrative. Thomas Klingenstein's writing often meanders into the weeds of the American Civil War, diluting the tension in the dense dialogue. The play's director, Christopher McElroen, fails to inject much wit or banter to lift the conversation, leaving Kate's intellect and political prowess confined to the confines of her domestic sphere.
The real showstopper is the complex relationship between Kate and John Hay, played by Tom Victor and Wallis Currie-Wood respectively. Their flirtatious sparring and underlying chemistry are expertly captured, bringing a spark of vulnerability to Kate that later ignites a firestorm of repressed emotions. Darrell Brockis brings a sense of gravitas as Salmon P. Chase, even if his accent occasionally falters.
Despite its strong performances, the play stumbles in its portrayal of real-world actions and motivations. The line between fiction and fact becomes increasingly blurred, leaving audiences uncertain about what truly drove this formidable woman. Ultimately, the production's biggest challenge lies in balancing Kate's fictional narrative with the harsh realities of her historical context.
However, beneath its ambitious scope lies a script that struggles to weave its threads into a cohesive narrative. Thomas Klingenstein's writing often meanders into the weeds of the American Civil War, diluting the tension in the dense dialogue. The play's director, Christopher McElroen, fails to inject much wit or banter to lift the conversation, leaving Kate's intellect and political prowess confined to the confines of her domestic sphere.
The real showstopper is the complex relationship between Kate and John Hay, played by Tom Victor and Wallis Currie-Wood respectively. Their flirtatious sparring and underlying chemistry are expertly captured, bringing a spark of vulnerability to Kate that later ignites a firestorm of repressed emotions. Darrell Brockis brings a sense of gravitas as Salmon P. Chase, even if his accent occasionally falters.
Despite its strong performances, the play stumbles in its portrayal of real-world actions and motivations. The line between fiction and fact becomes increasingly blurred, leaving audiences uncertain about what truly drove this formidable woman. Ultimately, the production's biggest challenge lies in balancing Kate's fictional narrative with the harsh realities of her historical context.
... The chemistry between Kate and John is def on point and those performances are giving me all the feels 
... But at the same time, I feel like they're trying to tackle some heavy themes that aren't exactly well-executed. It's like, I get that Kate was a strong woman and all, but it's hard for me to connect with her when the script is kinda meandering and can't seem to find its footing 
... And don't even get me started on the historical accuracy - it's like they're trying to fit too many pieces into a puzzle that just doesn't quite fit 
... Still, I'd love to see them try again with some tweaks and adjustments 
... Maybe next time, they can really nail it 
I'm so down for a strong female lead in historical dramas! 
But, tbh, I'm not sure if this play is gonna make it to the top 
43% of audience members reported feeling meh about the pacing 
. The chemistry between Tom & Wallis tho 
- their scenes together had me on the edge! 
Average ticket price was $75, and we sold out every performance... 
But if we analyze the reviews... 
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but we gotta get the facts straight 
Darrell Brockis's performance aside... 
. Overall, it's like we're still trying to figure out how to make this story work 
. I mean, the idea of exploring the untold story of Kate Chase is really interesting, but the execution feels kinda messy 
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! They have that spark that makes you root for them, even if it's just a fictional romance 
. And Darrell Brockis brings a lot of depth to Salmon P. Chase, but I wish they'd done more with his character beyond just his accent 
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. It feels like they're trying to fit her into this narrative that doesn't quite fit 
?
anyway i think they need to focus on kate's character development more, like make her more than just "emotional" and stuff... and btw, john hay's chemistry with wallis is REAL, but they should've done more scenes between them tbh 
Still, I'd love to see how this production evolves and if they find a way to balance it all out! 
. What really bugged me though was how the play blurred the lines between fact and fiction. I get that it's hard to condense centuries of history into 90 minutes, but some clarity would've been nice 
. they got some amazing talent on board like tom victor and wallis currie-wood but even that couldn't save the script from being super meh. the writer just kept going back to the civil war and it felt like they were trying too hard to fit in all these historical events. and omg don't even get me started on the chemistry between kate and john hay... it was SOO good but i feel like they wasted it by not exploring it more throughout the whole show 
I MEAN, THE ACTORS ARE TALENTED DON'T GET ME WRONG, TOM VICTOR AND WALLIS CURRIE-WOOD AS JOHN HAY ARE ON POINT 
BUT THE STORY JUST NEEDS A FEW EDITS TO GET ALL THE PEGS IN PLACE 
it's got some great performances, especially between Tom Victor and Wallis Currie-Wood as Kate and John Hay - that chemistry is real 
it's all over the map. 3/5 stars, I guess... 
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. The chemistry between the leads was palpable 
. But the whole thing felt a bit disjointed, like they were trying to tackle too many threads at once 
. And I'm not sure if it's just me but sometimes I felt like we were getting more of a soap opera drama than actual historical accuracy 
... still worth watching for fans of period dramas and strong women in history 
And don't even get me started on how they handled her dad's emotions towards her... it just didn't feel authentic at all 
! Darrell Brockis as Salmon P. Chase is giving that gravitas, tho 
. They're trying to tell Kate Chase's story but it's all over the place like a mixtape from the 90s 
. The acting is solid, no doubt about it, but it feels like they're getting lost in the details, you know? Like when I was reading this one book series as a kid and it just got so confusing trying to keep track of all the characters... anyway, I'm hoping they find that balance between making something new and staying true to what really happened. The chemistry between Kate and John Hay is actually pretty cool though 
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, and those performances are enough to keep me interested 
. Let's see if they can balance the drama with accuracy, or it'll be just a mess of its own making 
. And what's up with this whole historical drama thing... I'm all for it but don't they need to get some of those facts straight? 
It's like trying to catch a fish outta water - you gotta navigate the past carefully so it doesn't, well, sink. 