City Lit Theater’s ‘Murder in the Cathedral’ Has Lots Of Talent
Murder in the Cathedral is a dramatic play that portrays the final days of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, culminating in his death in 1170. With a talented cast, beautiful voices, and a little twist, history buffs are sure to enjoy this show.
The only work that I am familiar with by T.S. Eliot is the 1939 poetry collection Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats from which the musical Cats is based. I know his name well – and you may too – but it didn’t occur to me that I’d never seen any of his works performed.
Murder in the Cathedral was written by T.S. Eliot in 1935 and is currently playing at City Lit Theater in Chicago. It is based on the true story of the murder of Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, during the reign of King Henry II. Having once been friends, Becket fell out of favor with the king over a dispute around the church and ultimately died at the hands of Henry’s knights.
The majority of Murder in the Cathedral is constructed around somewhat difficult prose that can be hard to understand, but by watching and listening to the actors, you can gather the gist of what is happening.
A chorus of the four women of Canterbury (Katarina Bakas, Kara Chandler, Sally Olson, Isabel Schmitz) introduce the audience to the world of Becket and continue to guide you through. They have beautiful voices, accomplish lovely harmonies, and bring much of the emotion to the piece.
James Sparling is deeply invested as Thomas Becket, elegantly portraying the confusion, passion, frustration, conviction, and peace that the archbishop experiences during his last days. He has several monologues in the piece – one of which was likely the longest monologue I’ve ever seen in a play – and Mr. Sparling takes them on with vigor and gumption. It’s impressive.
As the show is called Murder in the Cathedral, it is extremely fitting that City Lit Theater is housed in an actual church. With a background of a pulpit and stained glass windows, and the sound of keyboards coming from just off stage, the set is perfect.
While the first act was more difficult for me to decipher – although again, I was very clear on the themes – the second act was far easier. With a bit of a welcome twist, the show ended up being a little different than I expected when it first started.
Murder in the Cathedral is a show full of intensity as well as themes of power, faith, and conflict. If this sounds like it’s up your alley, there is a lot of talent waiting for you.
City Lit Theater: Murder in the Cathedral Review – Murder in the Cathedral is playing at the City Lit Theater through 6/16/2024. Tickets can be purchased through the City Lit Theater website. City Lit Theater is located at 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. Chicago, Il 60660 (Inside Edgewater Presbyterian Church).