I asked, and the answer is no: Shannon Cochran does not wear kothornoi in the extraordinary revival of Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes running now at Goodman Theatre. She sure looks as if she does, though. Kothornoi are the platform sandals ancient Greek actors wore (Aeschylus’s idea, allegedly) to look taller and more imposing onstage. Cochran enjoys a clear height advantage over most if not all of her fellow cast members. More to the point, she’s imposing as hell.
Regina, for her part, married a banker named Horace Giddens. Decent, loving, delicate Horace had smarts enough to buy Union Pacific when it was cheap, growing wealthy, if not quite rich, on the dividends. Yet he hasn’t the fire to push for more. Naturally, Regina loathes him. No less acquisitive than her brothers and more than their equal in connivance, Regina longs to do what the playwright who created her actually did: stretch her muscles in a man’s world.
Through 6/7: Wed-Thu 7:30 PM, Fri 8 PM, Sat 2 and 8 PM, Sun 2 and 7:30 PM; also Sun 5/17 and 6/7, 7:30 PM; Tue 5/26, 7:30 PM Goodman Theatre 170 N. Dearborn 312-443-3800goodmantheatre.org $25-$81
