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One of the best kept secrets on the North Shore may be the Attic Playhouse, now beginning its eleventh season above an Indian restaurant in downtown Highwood. It's the kind of charming and intimate venue where everyone knows your name and goes out of their way to make you feel like a member of the family. Maybe that's because the gracious and always smiling lady who makes the welcome speech before the show is founder and Artistic Director Kimberly Laughlin, whose own parents help man the box office, concession stands and usher for every performance. But in spite of the friendly, mom and pop community theatre type ambiance, the quality of Attic's productions is surprisingly and consistently high. That's one of the qualities Laughlin strives for, and that which keeps her loyal customer base coming back for more.
Surprisingly, Kimberly told Theatre in Chicago in a recent conversation that she never had any ambitions to start her own theatre and that Attic Playhouse began in 1998 as a happy accident. Another theatre had been renting the space and was unable to continue when Kimberly had been looking for a one-time rental for a different group she was a part of. The landlord wasn't too receptive to the short-term lease proposal, but kept her number and eventually persuaded her to think long-term. "Back in 1997 and '98 a lot of other groups were closing, and I thought it would be a good time to get people involved who were losing their spaces." Even with its small budget, the Attic pays its actors stipends to help ease the pain at the gas pumps.
The Attic currently offers a 4 show subscription season with a little something for everyone. "Our whole mission is variety," claims Laughlin, who explains that some people may come for a particular comedy and return for the next show and the next. "We'll do the family comedies and farces, the mysteries and suspense, and as people start to trust that we put on quality productions they'll take on the whole series. They will take a chance on something they wouldn't normally consider going to see. We try to expand people's taste by presenting a lot of different types of theatre."
While comedy is always high on the menu at Attic, Laughlin points out the differences between the lighthearted farces such as the recent Keeping Down With the Joneses and Move Over, Darling and more realistic pieces such as Over the River and through the Woods and Over the Tavern. "There's a fine line between comedy and drama," she explains. "Some shows we've done like Joneses obviously had no drama, but were just a lot of fun. This year, Cold Cold Feet is a bit more towards the farce end." Cold Cold Feet is the work of local playwright, actor and director Tony Fiorentino, who first produced and premiered his own work three years ago at the TheatreBuilding in Chicago. This revival marks a reunion with Fiorentino, who began his post-college career at the Attic prior to venturing out on his own. Tony auditioned for the Attic straight out of college and was cast in three shows in succession. "He's done such a great job in the plays he's written and this is the first time we're producing one of them. We're thrilled to do it and thrilled that he's directing for us."
According to Laughlin, the play concerns a would-be bridegroom who gets the altar nerves on the eve of his wedding, and the comical complications that ensue when his best man and brother try to help him out of the situation through a series of lies and cover-ups. The second play of the season, Drinking Alone is by Canadian playwright Norm Foster and is closer to the dramatic side of the comedy spectrum. Still the world's longest running play ever, Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap comes in third, while Enter Laughing, based on Carl Reiner's semi-autobiographical novel combining show business and family relationships rounds out the year in Highwood.
Laughlin feels fortunate to be a part of the many wonderful theatrical opportunities that exist for NorthShore audiences, although she doesn't feel they are competing with one another. "Someone could really go to see all the shows if they wanted to." She hopes that the variety of her schedule and the high quality standards she achieves on a small budget will bring even more audiences up the stairs and into her theatre. "Some people are just finding out about us and we've been here for ten years," she says. The productions are also very reasonably priced as opposed to spending $80 a ticket for a downtown show. Attic is also conveniently located in the Highwood restaurant district directly behind the Metra, which makes it both accessible and appealing to anyone looking for an enjoyable evening out.
Kimberly herself finds great satisfaction working with the variety of people she encounters on each production, and the special challenges each play offers. She especially enjoys the period pieces and the attention to detail she invests in researching the period, settings, props and costumes. "I have fun learning about the time period and what I need to get. I've had to go to Dominatrix stores for costumes and Victorian stores to get pens, so I've really run the gamut. With both Angel Street and Joneses I had people dealing with and shipping police paraphernalia from London. So I'm getting to learn about things I wouldn't have known about before." Some of her challenges have been locating a fake coal fireplace (eventually found on Craig's List from someone in Wisconsin), outfitting a grown actor in a diaper for Inspecting Carol, and lacing rosaries from cereal for Over the Tavern. What other occupation could give a grownup these kinds of opportunities to play make believe?
Cold Cold Feet by Tony Fiorentino runs September 12 - October 19, 2008. Tickets are $20 with advanced purchase and $22 at door. There are special discounts for Senior Citizens, Students, Military Personnel and Groups of 20 or more. Attic Playhouse is located at 410 Sheridan Road, Highwood, Illinois (Just north of Route 22 / Half Day Road - One block east of Green Bay Road - Across from the Highwood train station). Visit www.atticplayhouse.com or call (847) 433-2660 for tickets and further information.
Joe Stead
Theatre In Chicago News Contributor Joe Stead has spent over 20 years as a critic, director, designer and performer. His reviews currently appear online at www.steadstylechicago.com.