CHICAGO—“Pericles” is one of Shakespeare’s rarely produced plays. That’s likely because it’s an uneven drama that many believe wasn’t penned by Shakespeare alone. Scholars believe that half of the work (the weakest part) was written by playwright George Wilkins and the best part was authored by Shakespeare. Its rare performances may also have something to do with its very busy plot, which entails many scene changes making smooth transitions difficult.
Chicago Shakespeare Theater hasn’t produced the play since 2014. Now, the revival of the work, which was earlier presented by the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) at the Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, is now being mounted in a joint production by the Chicago Shakespeare Theater with the RSC.
