You probably haven’t heard of Kate Chase, which is odd, because during America’s turbulent Civil War era she was a significant figure very close to the seat of power. Daughter of a cabinet member and eventual wife of a senator, she had canny political instincts herself and was an invaluable advisor to her father. At least, so say the creators of The Bridewell Theatre’s Our American Queen. Director Christopher McElroen’s compelling character study is a satisfying blend of the personal and political that never oversimplifies its brilliant but complex protagonist.
As the nation grows tired of the seemingly endless Civil War, the time is nigh for Treasury Secretary Salmon P Chase to step out of Lincoln’s shadow and challenge him for the presidency. His most ardent supporter is his daughter Kate, whose unusually sharp political mind allows her to act as his counsel. As she relentlessly strategises and plots, it seems that ruling the White House might be more her ambition than her father’s. Her talents attract her fair share of suitors, but as the play unfolds we see how her ruthless pursuit of her father’s political aims guides all of her choices – in ways that threaten to be devastating.
Our American Queen is compact and dense, with playwright Thomas Klingenstein’s generally strong dialogue packing in a lot of narrative and historical context. If at times it feels almost too tightly packed, it’s redeemed by the fact that the story rockets along quite compellingly. The political machinations of the government provide good dramatic fodder – usual hero Lincoln, for example, is derided by the more progressive Chases for his hesitancy to let Black men fight for the Union.
Laid over this political backdrop, the personal drama of Kate’s plight is drawn equally strongly. At its heart the plot has all the typical beats of a love triangle, as Kate chooses between potential husbands, but matters are complicated by her social standing, political ambitions and strange co-dependency with her father. Klingenstein does well not to ever glorify Kate into one-dimensionality; she’s intelligent and determined but also calculating and sometimes heartless.
That’s not to say every scene lands perfectly; some of the most dramatic moments feel the most unearned (for example Kate’s spat with potential beau Mr Hay over his love for Walt Whitman, which seems a little unwarranted, even for her). The staging also leaves a bit to be desired; though the set is well-dressed, the odd choice to make the stage deeper than it is wide makes for some strange blocking and dialogue is sometimes difficult to hear. The score is jarring more often than it is complementary.
Staging quibbles aside, the play itself is strong. Fans of political drama will be particularly drawn to Our American Queen as it features exactly the kind of intrigue you want from that genre. But it’s also a good enough character piece to have a broad appeal.
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