Otherworld Theatre's The Winter Wolf an Enjoyable Evening

Inclement weather and holiday mayhem resulted in a series of scheduling audibles in the week before Christmas.  Completing what tasks I could, I found myself with the choice of battling holiday traffic home or find something else to do until the traffic dissipated.  I decided to treat myself to an off-Loop show.  After a quick internet search, I decided to check out the Otherworld Theatre’s world premiere of Joseph Zettelmaier’s The Winter Wolf.  I’m glad I did.

Shariba Rivers and Molly Southgate in Otherworld Theatre's The Winter Wolf
Photo by Steven Townshend

It’s Christmas Eve in Cora’s house.  She’s visited by her beloved grandfather, a man of high spirits and failing health.  They sit around the fireplace as he tells her the legend of the Winter Wolf, a strange creature who serves as Time’s hunter, stalking those who are in the winter of their lives.  That night, the Winter Wolf comes for Cora’s grandfather, but the young girl manages to trap it. What follows is a magical journey through the mysteries of time, as Cora learns the lesson to be careful what you wish for because you may actually receive it, along with some unexpected consequences that may come along with it.

The Winter Wolf was workshopped in 2017 as part of the Otherworld Theatre Reading Series, a monthly staged reading and talkback series.  For the world premiere, the cast includes Otherworld company members Katy Crow (Mother) and Nathan Pease (Father), with guest artists Shariba Rivers (The Winter Wolf), Molly Southgate (Cora), and Mike Rogalsky (Grandfather).  The production was directed by Lauren N. Fields.

Performances are presented in Otherworld’s smaller blackbox space, nicknamed “The Alchemist’s Lab”.  Audience members are seated among half a dozen decorated Christmas trees facing a cozy living room fireplace.  You are welcomed into the space by Crow and Pease and offered holiday cookies as the show begins.  This intimacy helps the audience feel like they are sitting in someone’s living room and part of the storytelling process.  Cast members regularly move throughout the audience which reinforces this feeling.

Mike Rogalsky and Molly Southgate
Photo by Steven Townshend

There is a nice chemistry among the cast who keep the story moving along.  Zettlemaier’s script places the heaviest load on 11 year-old Southgate as Cora, who bears it admirably.  Her scenes with Rogalsky show the special relationship between grandfather and granddaughter as well as why she is willing to stand up and fight for more time together.  Performing live with a puppet can be a challenge but Southgate and Rivers make the unlikely relationship between a young girl willing to do anything to protect her loved ones and a mythical creature believable.  The cast and the creative team have made the world premiere of The Winter Wolf and enjoyable evening.

Otherworld Theatre targets theater patrons of all ages, genders, and races, with a particular focus on fans of Science Fiction and Fantasy, or “genre” storytelling.  Performances take place in a two-stage facility located a few blocks north of Wrigley Field.  The mainstage Bradbury space boasts a flexible performance and seating area.  The Alchemist’s Lab offers a more intimate black box setting.  Otherworld maintains a mission to keep theatre accessible to all.  Tickets to all mainstage performances are “pay-what-you-can”, allowing people of any and all means to experience live performance. To learn more about Otherworld Theatre and their upcoming shows, visit www.OtherworldTheatre.org.