Review: BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN at Chicago Shakespeare Theater
The North American premiere runs through June 28 in CST’s Courtyard Theater
Rugged masculinity meets forbidden queer romance in Brokeback Mountain. Based on Annie Proulx’s short story (which was adapted into a buzzy 2005 film starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger), Ashley Robinson’s play follows the clandestine romance between ranchers Jack Twist and Ennis Del Mar over 20 years in rural Wyoming.
Though the play had its world premiere in 2023, the timing of director Jonathan Butterell’s production at Chicago Shakespeare Theater is apt given the rise of another buzzy queer romance in pop culture. Yes, I couldn’t write this review without mentioning Heated Rivalry. In some ways, Brokeback Mountain seems like a precursor to Heated Rivalry. I think Robinson’s script is strongest when it leans into the real romance novel elements in Proulx’s story. Namely, I melted when Jack tells Ennis, “I wish I could quit you.” That line feels ripped right out of a contemporary romance — in the best way.
Also worth noting: Tom Pye’s set and costume designs are gorgeous. Pye’s set is a wide-open space, sending up the rural Wyoming setting beautifully. The prairie grasses surrounding the main play space are a beautiful touch. And the functional campfire was a fun surprise. Visually, we have a real specific sense of place.
This play version of Brokeback Mountain tries to justify its existence as well by including original songs from Dan Gillespie Sells. Alas, that storytelling mechanism doesn’t work. Jack and Ennis’s on-stage relationship is entirely disconnected from those songs. While, sure, Kate Eggleston was an amiable presence as the Balladeer, Sells’s songs are repetitive and take audiences out of the action. The songs and the script run parallel as opposed to intersecting. Unfortunately, that didn’t provide enough of a raison d'être for this play.
The central relationship between Jack and Ennis is, of course, most important to the story and also what the play captures best. I enjoyed Jack Cameron Kay and Harrison Ball individually as performers — though they have different strengths. Kay is the ultimate star of the show. He is endlessly charming, amiable, and full of energy. Just as Jack aims to win over a reluctant and exceptionally quiet Ennis, Kay easily wins over the audience. Together, Kay and Ball are undoubtedly a handsome pair of cowboys. Given that Ennis’s character is so interior, I think Ball was almost too soft-spoken. But Ball’s physical presence is phenomenal. He grounds his character in a specific, lived-in body language that’s really compelling.
I teared up at an entirely silent moment of Ball’s late in the play. For those unfamiliar, it would spoil a major plot point — but Ball makes the most of Ennis’s silence in the wake of sadness. While I wasn’t always convinced of the chemistry, Kay and Ball have a welcome “opposites attract” dynamic that they play off nicely.
I enjoyed the other performances too — though all the other characters are underbaked (particularly the women). Cordelia Dewdney is lovely as Ennis’s exasperated wife Alma Del Mar, who just wants better for herself and her children. Robinson’s script gives Dewdney only bits and pieces of material, but she does all she can with them. As Jack’s wife Lureen, Alina Jenine Taber has just one monologue — but she packs a punch. Thomas Cox nicely takes on a variety of roles from a stern ranch boss to an amiable grocery store clerk, carving out a distinct energy for each.
Ultimately, I enjoyed Brokeback Mountain most for bringing a romance novel-adjacent story to the stage. I only wish the play had leaned yet more into the conventions of the genre and really sold audiences on the romance. Still, Kay, in particular, is a winsome stellar romance hero. He’s warm, funny, and energetic — and it makes so much sense that Ball’s introverted Ennis can’t help but fall for him — despite the obstacles.
Brokeback Mountain plays in the Courtyard Theater at Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier, 800 East Grand Avenue, through June 28, 2026.
Photo Credit: Kyle Flubacker
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