Edward II

Chicago Shakespeare Theater presents Chirstopher Marlowe’s The Troublesome Reign and Lamentable Death of Edward II, King of England, with the Tragical Fall of Proud Mortimer, directed by Sean Graney.

In Chicago Shakespeare’s promenade production of Edward II, the audience enters the court of King Edward II and the intrigue surrounding Gaveston — the King’s “favorite”–and the neglected Queen Isabella. The return of Gaveston after his banishment by the late King Edward I is a cause for celebration for Edward II. The nobles, however, are enraged at the honors, riches and attention that the King lavishes upon the commoner Gaveston, rather than the affairs of state and his duties as a leader. The Queen and the nobleman Mortimer, involved in an elicit affair, escape to join a group of rebels. Violence ensues as loyalties change, leaving many dead and the English court in ruins.