Puck and his woodland sprites are cavorting about Agecroft Hall in the Henley Street Theatre production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream from June 12 to July 6, part of the 15th annual Richmond Shakespeare Festival. Director Jan Powell says the production is inspired by the Art Nouveau period, "which has this intertwining of the human and natural world. " Powell's cast includes Melissa Johnston Price as the fairy queen Titania and John Moon as Oberon, her king; Audra Honaker plays Hermia, and Charley Raintree is Lysander; Maggie Roop takes the role of Helena, who turns Lysander's head; and Dixon Cashwell is Demetrius, who at first is smitten by Hermia, then loves Helena. And Thomas Cunningham will be the mischievous Puck. A consistent feature of the outdoor shows is set pieces created by Agecroft director Richard Moxley. "He's doing an 'organic jungle gym' for Midsummer, " Powell says, adding that Kaye Weinstein Gary's choreography "will make Midsummer come alive, with action happening all around the audience and inner courtyard. "
"We offer an array of unique craft cocktails and a beautiful selection of wines in a range of price points, and a menu that has a distinctive rustic elegance. Chef Nowicki's seasonal dishes include delightful and beautifully prepared options. In her Executive Chef position, Jessica has communicated a sense of balance, integrity and elegance that belies her 28 years. She is one of the emerging talents in the American food scene. " The Lunatic's décor spans three levels, and evokes the Shakespearian imagination inherent in the three character aspects (Lunatic, Lover, Poet) contemplated Act V, Sene I, of his famous Midsummer Night's Dream-themed work. Guests are greeted by The Lunatic bar upon entry – a long and lovely expanse where neighbors, friends and strangers gather for wine, cocktails and small bites. The Lunatic bar opens into the first floor dining room, which seats 36 guests. The upper floor Skylight Room houses The Lover's bar and dining space that are at once airy, elegant and comfortable.
Nowicki is focused on simple preparations of in-season ingredients. A beet and smoked trout salad features trout from Rushing Waters farm in Wisconsin, while a burrata dish makes use of local Mighty Vine tomatoes. "They're good all year round, " Powers says. Roasted beet salad has smoked trout, arugula, roasted hazelnuts and a horseradish vinaigrette. (Alyssa Pointer / Chicago Tribune) Lunatic's design can be best described as moments. In the upstairs lounge, an exposed brick wall is subtly etched with the Act 5, Scene 1 of "Midsummer Night's Dream, " from which the restaurant takes its name. Carrow, also an accomplished artist, has art throughout the space, from a mural of the Champagne method of making wine, to handmade wallpaper of famous drinking quotes. Only the first floor is open right now. Anchored by a 1900s-era Belgian workbench in the front window, the space seats 40 guests in the dining room and 15 at the bar. On a recent Wednesday night, the bar was packed and noisy with cheerful pop music and the buzz of happy drinkers.
Nov 9, 2015 Design Tom Powers hopes to recharge the wine bar concept with The Lunatic, The Lover & The Poet, set to open by the end of the year in Chicago's restaurant-heavy West Loop neighborhood. Powers, the owner and sommelier of the expansive 7, 000-square-foot warehouse-turned-three-level space, plans to offer cocktails, craft beer and more creative small plates as a way to bridge the gap between the wine-and-cheese-only bars popular in the '90s and the way consumers like to eat, drink and socialize today. "The space will have two distinct feels, " says Powers, who used Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream as the inspiration behind the whimsical, sophisticated, fairy tale–like design. Downstairs will be more simple and straightforward with exposed brick walls, lighter-washed wood and a white-topped, 20-seat bar highlighting the different spirits and wines. "There will be more flourish in the 46-seat dining room using custom-made light fixtures and lots of wood and a feeling like you're in the forest setting of Act 5 where the name comes from. "
8 p. m. $25 during previews June 12 and 13, $30 afterward. 340-0115 or. by Harry Kollatz Jr. June 2, 2014 12:00 AM
While Theseus may have little or no respect for those who are comprised of imagination, it's obvious that the person putting those words in his mouth, does… especially for the poet. Shakespeare the poet, in A Midsummer Night's Dream, fashions a play on the power of imagination — after all, isn't the pansy potion really just a catalyst for fantasy and imagination? — (this is the emotion); he also gives us the "bringer" of that notion and/or emotion, the mouthpiece through which these concepts are given the most explicit statement: Theseus.
Jessica Nowicki, formerly of Naha and Brindille, has been elevated to executive chef. The wine bar is an elegant antidote to the fratty antics that seem to have infected much of the West Loop. There's a heavy literary lean, with a selection of quotes from books, movies and pop culture on the wall facing the staircase down to the basement. After almost two years of waiting, you can now step inside Lunatic, The Lover & The Poet. The Lunatic, The Lover & The Poet, 736 W. Randolph St., hours not posted yet. The Lunatic, The Lover & The Poet 736 W. Randolph St., Chicago, IL 60661 (312) 919-6135
Beautifully lit and dotted with a Jackson Pollock inspired art piece, the space seats 20 for dinner, 16 for cocktails and 12 at the bar. The Skylight Room accommodates private events for up to 50 guests. The lower level features the Poet's Table, a charmingly intimate setting for private parties in the Wine Room and meetings for up to 12 guests. About LLP: The Lunatic, The Lover & The Poet ("The Lunatic") is a bar and bistro that celebrates wine, spirits and culinary delights. The concept, inspired by the three character facets explored in Shakespeare's iconic A Midsummer Night's Dream, is a three-level establishment and neighborhood gathering place that serves brunch, lunch and dinner, and features a late night happy hour. The space is ideal for private events with unique spaces that can accommodate from 12 guests at the Poet's Table in the Wine Room to 50 in the Skylight Room. Chicago, IL | News | 1d 15, 000 Dead In Illinois: Remembering Those We Lost To Coronavirus Here at Patch, we know your friends, families and loved ones are more than numbers.