Our American Queen Falls Short of Ambition at the 1864 Election's Crossroads.
The Brooklyn-based production from The American Vicarious brings to life the pivotal story of Kate Chase, Abraham Lincoln's ambitious daughter, as she navigates the treacherous waters of politics and personal relationships in 1864. With a talented cast, including Wallis Currie-Wood as the enigmatic Kate and Tom Victor as her troubled confidant John Hay, this production promises much but ultimately falls short of delivering a satisfying exploration of female power, emotional distance, and the complexities of its characters.
Director Christopher McElroen's deliberate pacing and dense dialogue often lead to a sense of claustrophobia, leaving audiences yearning for moments of levity or dramatic release. The script, penned by Thomas Klingenstein, frequently strays from historical context into didactic exposition, detracting from the overall impact of the production.
While Kate's intellect and cunning are skillfully conveyed through her interactions with Hay and other characters, her agency is curiously restricted to domestic settings, limiting the audience's glimpse into her full range. The absence of meaningful confrontations or conflicts outside these confines makes it difficult to fully grasp the motivations behind her actions, leaving viewers with lingering questions about this remarkable woman.
Even the production's technical aspects are not without their flaws. Neal Wilkinson's set design, while visually striking in its grandeur, often prioritizes aesthetics over character connection, resulting in moments of awkwardness and disconnection among the ensemble.
Ultimately, Our American Queen struggles to balance its ambitious themes with a more nuanced exploration of Kate Chase's character, leaving audiences with a sense of frustration and disappointment. Despite its talented cast and impressive set design, this production fails to fully realize its promise, stuck in the weeds of historical exposition and stagecraft rather than delivering a richly textured portrayal of one of America's most fascinating figures.
The Brooklyn-based production from The American Vicarious brings to life the pivotal story of Kate Chase, Abraham Lincoln's ambitious daughter, as she navigates the treacherous waters of politics and personal relationships in 1864. With a talented cast, including Wallis Currie-Wood as the enigmatic Kate and Tom Victor as her troubled confidant John Hay, this production promises much but ultimately falls short of delivering a satisfying exploration of female power, emotional distance, and the complexities of its characters.
Director Christopher McElroen's deliberate pacing and dense dialogue often lead to a sense of claustrophobia, leaving audiences yearning for moments of levity or dramatic release. The script, penned by Thomas Klingenstein, frequently strays from historical context into didactic exposition, detracting from the overall impact of the production.
While Kate's intellect and cunning are skillfully conveyed through her interactions with Hay and other characters, her agency is curiously restricted to domestic settings, limiting the audience's glimpse into her full range. The absence of meaningful confrontations or conflicts outside these confines makes it difficult to fully grasp the motivations behind her actions, leaving viewers with lingering questions about this remarkable woman.
Even the production's technical aspects are not without their flaws. Neal Wilkinson's set design, while visually striking in its grandeur, often prioritizes aesthetics over character connection, resulting in moments of awkwardness and disconnection among the ensemble.
Ultimately, Our American Queen struggles to balance its ambitious themes with a more nuanced exploration of Kate Chase's character, leaving audiences with a sense of frustration and disappointment. Despite its talented cast and impressive set design, this production fails to fully realize its promise, stuck in the weeds of historical exposition and stagecraft rather than delivering a richly textured portrayal of one of America's most fascinating figures.
. They say Kate Chase is ambitious, but what does that even mean? I'd love to see some actual plot twists or character growth, but the script just doesn't deliver. It sounds like they're trying to cram too much into this show and end up with nothing. The director's pacing is all over the place too - I need some breathing room while I'm watching this, not feeling claustrophobic 
. Can someone please provide sources for these claims? I want to know more about Thomas Klingenstein's script choices and how they impacted the production... 
. I mean, we get it, she's smart and cunning, but can't we see more of her navigating the wild world outside those domestic walls? 
It felt like they were trying to pack too much into this production and ended up losing sight of what made Kate Chase so fascinating in the first place.
. The set design was stunning, though 
...I just wished it could've translated to more character-driven moments instead of feeling like an afterthought.
. Still, I'm curious to see how the rest of the production holds up 
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. The way they're portraying Kate Chase, Abraham Lincoln's daughter, it's like they're trying to control the narrative. I mean, why are her interactions with John Hay so limited? What's being left unsaid? And don't even get me started on the set design, it's all fancy and stuff but where's the heart? 
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Overall, I was really disappointed because I love learning about historical figures and this one had so much potential.
. I mean, Kate Chase is literally a historical superpower, and they barely scratch the surface of what she could've brought to the table 
. And don't even get me started on that dialogue - it was like they were trying to info-dump every single historical fact into our ears 
. The pacing was all over the place too, felt like I needed a breather from all the heavy stuff 
. Maybe they just didn't have enough time to get everything right? Either way, I'd still wanna see more of Kate's story on screen, you know? 
. Kate's character deserved more depth, you know? More complexity. I wanted to see her take risks and make some real moves, but instead she was stuck in this domestic bubble. And the set design was beautiful, but sometimes it felt like it was distracting from the actual story 
. I'm not sure why people are complaining about Kate being restricted to domestic settings - I think that's actually a pretty accurate representation of her life and experiences. And as for the set design, I love how grandiose and over-the-top it is - it's like stepping into a real-life soap opera 
. and don't even get me started on how often it felt like the script was just info dumping historical facts instead of letting the characters actually talk about them 
. i know they're trying to be ambitious with this show but sometimes less is more, you feel?
. And yeah, I agree that Kate's agency feels a bit limited to her domestic life. It's like they're setting her up as this complex character and then not really exploring all the angles, you know? The set design looks gorgeous, but sometimes I felt like it was more about looking pretty than actually serving the story 
. Overall, I think it's a shame because Kate Chase is such an intriguing person, but maybe they'll get it right next time?
. And don't even get me started on the set design - it was like walking into Kate's mansion every five seconds, nice decor and all, but where was the character connection? I mean, I wanted to see Kate be a powerful woman, not just have fancy parties 
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. Maybe if they'd dug deeper into Kate's story and character, we would've gotten something truly special 
.
u feel? its like dey wanted 2 make her out 2 b a strong willed woman but den they just restricted her 2 domestic settings n forgot 2 give her any kinda conflicts or meaningful conversations 2. also de set design was kinda overkill lol it made me wanna facepalm when kate & john hay's characters were all like "waaah waaah" in da backstages 
. Maybe they shoulda taken a chance and done some more experimentation with the story?
. And those technical aspects? Set design is pretty cool, but when it comes to character connection, I just don't buy it 
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. Guess I'll be holding out for a better adaptation in the future 
. I mean, Kate Chase is an interesting character, but it felt like they didn't really explore the complexities of her personality too much. The cast was good, don't get me wrong, but I wanted to see more of her inner world, you know? And sometimes the dialogue just dragged on for ages, it was like they were trying to pack too much into one scene 
. I mean, can't you just feel how stifling it is when she's only allowed to be smart and powerful in the same four walls? 
Where's the fire, where's the passion? And don't even get me started on the dialogue... it's like they're trying to cram too much into one scene 
. I was literally squirming in my seat because I just wanna see Kate do something, anything, that doesn't involve being all polite and ladylike 
. And the set design? More drama for the sake of looks than actual character connection... what a waste