Redmoon examines beauty, rejection in fairy-tale setting

Any woman watching Redmoon Theater's "The Princess Club" will recognize instantly the situations and personalities comprising this quirky, visually arresting show.Imaginative and intensely physical, the adults-only, fairy tale-inspired spectacle revisits "Rapunzel," "The Sleeping Beauty" and "Cinderella" to examine beauty and body image; rejection and inclusion; self-esteem and gender roles -- all issues with which women are intimately acquainted.Created by artistic director Jim Lasko with cast members Kasey Foster, Judith Lesser, Molly Plunk, Lauren Sharpe and co-director Vanessa Stalling, the provocative "Princess Club" is as timely as today's headlines and prime time TV. Which is to say the princesses its skewers aren't exclusively literary. There's the privileged princess, pop princess, 'mean girl' princess, party girl princess and the princess bride. All of whom engage in very un-princess-like behavior, proving again that fisticuffs and potty humor are not gender specific. A loosely plotted performance piece, the show consists of the princesses acting out their tales -- both contemporary and traditional -- against an often harsh, discordant soundtrack by The Bitter Tears. More pastiche than narrative, with dialogue consisting of a few choice phrases (which anyone who has encountered a teenage girl in the last quarter century will recognize) it's sluggish early on. But it evens out to hit its stride in the deftly executed last half hour which is both gleefully grisly and unabashedly romantic. For all its pointed satire and progressive attitudes, "The Princess Club" is a fair-minded show that allows for the possibility that the fairy tale might come true. Feminists might be put off at first, but really, if feminism is all about choice, we have to allow that the nice house, diamond ring and loving husband is as valid a choice as any other."The Princess Club" delivers what we've come to expect from this edgy, resourceful ensemble: high energy, sincerity offset with a healthy dose of impudence and eye-catching visuals.The later comes courtesy of set designer Andrei Onegin; designer Frank Maugeri who's responsible for the puppets and miniatures used in the lovely and whimsical "Sleeping Beauty" shadow play as well as Rapunzel's wicked witch and Joel Klaff whose lingerie-inspired costumes (call it shabby boudoir chic) distort the actresses' bodies in grotesquely humorous ways. But it's Onegin's inspired sets -- the rundown warehouse where the action unfolds; the packing crate turned tower prison; the marvelous miniature palace and the fanciful pumpkin coach -- that dominate. "The Princess Club" 3 stars out of fourLocation: Redmoon Central, 1463 W. Hubbard St., Chicago Times: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays; 4 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays; through Oct. 7 Running time: About 90 minutes, no intermissionParking: Street parkingTickets: $15- $30Box office: (312) 850-8440, ext. 111 or www.redmoon.orgRating: For adults