Theatre In Chicago

Not Your "Shakespeare on the Pier": A Barebones Hamlet Cuts to the Core

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:08:18 -0600

They call it a "passion project." And if pain proves passion, they're pros. Though abandoned by their original producer, the young thespians of (re)discover theatre have begged and borrowed a lot--rugs, shovels, cars, chairs, tables, and more. Each now does the work of three, contributing their salaries from day jobs and rehearsing in a vast, unheated (but free!) rehearsal space, which they transformed into a commune with space heaters, coffee pots, and toilet paper.

It gives a whole new meaning to that irreducible definition of theater—"two boards and a passion."

Why? It's a new year—why not a new "Hamlet"? But one that the (re)discoverers MUST believe has never been done before—but will--for eight performances at the old Live Bait Space in mid-February. Veteran actors would be cowed by their goal to find freshness in something so ferociously familiar. But when producer Miriam Reuter, co-producer Jon Matteson (who also plays the Danish prince) and text coach Jess Shoemaker met over six months ago, they were after a dream too big to discourage. Reuter: "We asked ourselves: If we had the freedom and the resources to work on anything as artists, what would we create? We'll make 'Hamlet' happen. Instead of waiting for someone to open the door, we'll do it ourselves."

You don't get much more Chicago theater than that. Windy City actors live to open doors. Reuter's words stand in for many heartland dreamers: "There's an undeniable magic to naive, youthful, enthusiastic energy. (re)discover theater is not so much about creating something brand new, as building our place in this centuries-old-tradition."

Not surprisingly when you're reinventing the wheel on a small to invisible budget, their "Hamlet" will be minimalist—but from conviction as much as necessity. Back to basics is Matteson's approach to the killer title role: "We've heard the speeches so many times, we've become numb to their power and genius, but what about watching someone--me--discover those arguments totally fresh?"

For Matteson it's love, not Hamlet's usual fury foundering on indecision, that's the key to this reluctant revenger: "I'm different from every one of the thousands of people who have played Hamlet. What strikes me most in this play is how much Hamlet really loves his mother, Ophelia, and his friends. They're different kinds of love, on different levels, but as he's lied to and betrayed again and again, it leaves him with no one to trust but Horatio. All that love never goes away, but it's mixed with an understanding of how the people he loves work. Love is the strongest action that I can work in. So that's where I've started Hamlet's journey."

Being true to the text means taking liberties with a very generous script, says text coach Shoemaker: "From the start we wanted a two-hour Hamlet, which means cutting over half the text. I spent a lot of time trying to pare down to the essentials, asking myself 'What story are we trying to tell'" When you get down to the nuts and bolts of Shakespeare, I feel the plot becomes secondary, taking a backseat to the extraordinarily well-crafted human journey. I respect the text and I'm careful to maintain the integrity of the verse and themes. But I wasn't shy about things like giving away one of Hamlet's speeches, re-arranging soliloquies, intercutting segments, or re-assigning gender. And I got rid of the pirates. I've always hated the pirates." (Is nothing sacred?)

Then there's the challenge of how close to bring the play to the present. Stage manager Bobby Arnold found the right formula: "We use the idea that 'airplanes exist, but cell phones do not.' [A terrific idea on so many levels...] It lets us realistically develop the storyline accurately, while also letting us explore the elements of staging, costuming, sound, and lights." Minimally, of course.

And, yes, sometimes with the Bard less really is more and, yes, ignorance can be a kind of bliss. That's the strategy practiced by director Matt Wills, who counts on the hope that a lack of experience can bring a lack of bias: "I'm coming into this production without an extensive knowledge or preconceived notions about 'Hamlet.' Because I haven't read every text of Hamlet, or manically studied the Arden--that's what our text coach is for--it's safe to say that I'm able to see the text in a new way. Undoubtedly there are things that can't be argued: Hamlet sees his father's ghost, setting off a chain of events that ultimately ends in the death of several characters. How we get to that end is up for interpretation. Is Polonius a loving father? Do Hamlet and Ophelia have a good sexual relationship? Answering these questions is our way of mining the gold from Shakespeare's text."

Rebooting a classic implies that something got lost across the centuries. Or perhaps it happened as recently as childhood. Wills: "Our audiences are hungry for a production of Hamlet that's non-traditional. People hear 'Shakespeare' and are immediately transported to their freshman year in high school, where the teacher made each read 'Julius Caesar' out loud, which was boring as shit, and resulted in kids hating Shakespeare. I was one of those kids."

Happily, Wills' evil indifference didn't last: "Since then I've discovered that Shakespeare writes some of the most surreal and humanistic text in dramatic literature. I feel people are hungry to see a funny, tragic, messy, but still well crafted and textually sound "Hamlet". We take from the old--the script, scansion work, etc.--and combine it with the new--our actors, split staging, and re-arrangement of the text). This is how we (re)discover Hamlet."

The rest is silence.

"Hamlet" runs at the Live Bait Theater, 3914 N. Clark Street, February 16-25. Tickets are $12 at the door or $10 if reserved in advance; for advance reservations or more information, email rediscovertheatre@gmail.com. Facebook: (re)discover theatre; Twitter: @rediscovtheatre. Because brevity is the soul of wit, running time will be two hours and fifteen minutes.

Lawrence Bommer
Contributing Writer

Industrial-Strength Wardrobe: Leather and Steel Costumes in Ironmistress

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:25:03 -0600

The widow Darby is heir to a vast ironworks empire, but rather than relinquish her leadership status through remarriage or delegation, she proposes to manage the business herself—no easy task in the mid-19th century, when men ruled the world of commerce. This independence is not to be shared with her daughter— nicknamed "Little Cog" by her late father—who is groomed for a more traditional role in society.

The harsh discipline that these two women endure is invoked in clothing reminiscent of bondage garb: floor-length crinolines of ribbed steel connected with tapes, topped by high-collared bodices constructed of saddleweight leather, studded with gleaming metal hardware. Many of these restrictive garments are donned and removed in full view of the audience, unassisted by backstage personnel, with no pause in the wearers' enigmatic dialogue.

"The scene where Little Cog puts on her corset is specified in the script," reports director Karen Yates, "and when [the play] premiered in 1989, it was done realistically, with Victorian-styled gowns." The intricately-wrought armor created by Darcy Elora Hofer for the Oracle Theatre production of Ironmistress, however, required an "orientation tour" to acquaint Katherine Keberlein and Sarah Goeden with the, literal, ins-and-outs of their wardrobe.

"We rehearsed in fabric skirts and corsets," explains Goeden, "but the first time we put on the actual costumes, Darcy walked us through all the different pieces and explained how they worked."

"The buckles and laces definitely called for some practice," concurs Keberlein, "The neck-section on my dress, in particular, was quite rigid—but after a few minutes, I realized how it helped me to embody the character by forcing me to look down my nose and bend in awkward ways."

The most challenging aspect of the costumes, both agree, were the skirts. "Making sure they don't catch on the scenery," says Keberlein, while Goeden cites the garment's latticework structure as an obstacle. "Darcy had put in magnets to help me fasten the skirt quickly for the onstage change, but because of the boning, they didn't hold as well as they would normally—my skirt fell down twice while we were in tech rehearsals. Finally, she added a super-big snap—called a "whopper popper"—at the top, and the problem was solved!"

Both actresses gratefully acknowledge Hofer's efforts to make the clothes as comfortable as possible. "She molded the panels right on us, individually," Keberlein recalls, "and during techs, she took the corsets home every night, where she would make further adjustments so that they would fit better and function more smoothly the next time."

Adds Goeden, "How often, in storefront theater, do you get costumes custom-fitted to your own body?"

Ironmistress runs at Oracle Theatre through February 11.

Mary Shen Barnidge
Contributing Writer

Enter, Pursued by a Bear, in Elizabeth Rex

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 07:59:34 -0600

Timothy Findley's Elizabeth Rex proposes a dialogue between Her Royal Highness, Queen Elizabeth I, and the members of the Lord Chamberlain's Men—William Shakespeare's troupe—on a troubled night when the crown weighs heavily on its wearer. The underlying theme of their discussion, however, is the stress of denying your true nature: The monarch must be unflinching in her rule, even to ordering the execution of her dearest friend. The sensitive poet who pours his heart into his words must conceal his inner affections. Then there is Ned Lowenscroft, the actor who earns his living by playing women's roles in those days when only males were permitted on the stage.

Ironically, the most potent symbol for the perverse restrictions imposed by a society of cruder sensibilities than our own is a non-human character—a full-grown bear, once a captive participant in the cruel blood-sport called "bear-baiting"—attacked by packs of dogs, with gentlemen wagering on which of the combatants would kill the other first—until Lowenscroft, taking pity on the ursine gladiator, bought it from its owner. Dubbed "Harry" by his liberator, this gentle beast now travels with the players. (When the resident playwright stipulated "exit, pursued by a bear" as a stage direction in The Winter's Tale, he knew already who would be cast as the pursuer.)

Clearly this is no juvenile-fiction Teddy, but a bruin of considerable dramatic gravitas. Says movement coach Janet Louer, "My training as a certified Laban movement analyst helped me understand the bear's physique see it in terms of the locomotion patterns—its center of gravity in its hindquarters, for example, and its neck as an extension of its shoulders. There's also the added factor of this bear being old, and having earlier been extremely abused—things also informing how it moves."

Ultimately, however, the responsibility for conveying the inner life of Harry Bear lies with actor Jude Roche: "After I was cast, I watched Animal Planet and every episode of The Grizzly Man Diaries that Netflix had in stock. I studied up on bear-baiting, too, in order to imagine his history, and the kinds of experiences that would determine his reactions to the sounds and body language of the people around him."

Compounding the difficulty of this task is the propensity of the costume (on loan from the Minneapolis' Guthrie Theatre) to mute emotional expression. "It's built on a quarter-inch metal frame and rubber poles capped with tennis balls—to indicate the joints—and padded in the back and all four legs," Roche reports, "Two forearm crutches extend my arms so that I can walk on all fours, one of which has a bicycle-brake connecting my hand to the bear's mouth so I can open it when he growls. Oh, and I wear a catcher's helmet with a metal rod connected to the inside of the head so I can move it up and down, and the whole suit is covered in fake fur. When I'm in full costume, I can barely see."

Bears are solitary by nature, but Harry must share the stage with a crowd of diverse personalities. He recognizes Lowenscroft as his special friend and protector, of course, but how do his companions respond to the presence of a 1500-pound mascot?

"The rest of the company approach Harry Bear as they might a big dog with the potential to snap. When they address him, they are direct, yet affectionate," Roche smiles, remembering, "Everyone has been patient with my limited vision—leading me on and off the stage, and petting me hard enough that I can feel it through the fur and react to it."

So it takes a village to raise a bear? "Yes, definitely! An animal of this caliber deserves the attention that would go into creating any character, and Harry is the child of many individuals," Roche concurs, "Janet helped me get the bear's movement down, Barbara [Gaines] fine-tuned the bear's behavior to give it more personality, and a team of incredibly talented women maintained the upkeep of the costume. Without everyone's collaborative effort, there would be no magic behind this one very beloved bear."

Elizabeth Rex plays at Chicago Shakespeare Theater through January 22.

Mary Shen Barnidge
Contributing Writer

Play List 2011: Top Shows Of The Year

Sun, 1 Jan 2012 17:18:46 -0600

TheatreInChicago presents its annual list of the top-rated plays that were produced in the Chicago area in 2011. The list was compiled objectively from critics' reviews, based on the Highly Recommended to Not Recommended scale.

Somewhat unsurprisingly, 2011 was another good year to be a revival of a classic musical in Chicago. Of the twenty-five plays that make up this list, seven of them are productions of musicals that could be considered "classics": The Sound of Music, 42nd Street, Chicago, two Sondheims (Follies and Sweeney Todd), Porgy and Bess, and The Christmas Schooner (I'm counting this last one as classic, at least locally; it's been around long enough). Two newer musicals also make this list; Spamalot and A Christmas Story, The Musical! Drury Lane-Oakbrook performs well in this category again this year with three top productions, but it's worth noting that two of the above, Follies and Porgy and Bess, were produced by companies (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre and Court Theatre, respectively) for whom musicals are not their specialty. Indeed, Follies is the Number 3 show on the list.

Several world premiere productions of new plays or adaptations made the list this year. The most high-profile of these was David Henry Hwang's Chinglish at the Goodman Theatre, which subsequently transferred to Broadway, where it continues to play. But Northlight Theatre in Skokie also did well with their commission of The Outgoing Tide starring John Mahoney, and A Christmas Story, The Musical! (adapted from the 1983 movie) at the Chicago Theatre. Other new works include The Big Meal at American Theater Company and Burning Bluebeard at Neo-Futurists. Other new adaptations to make the list are An Iliad at Court Theatre (from, of course, Homer's Iliad) and Jackie and Me by Chicago Children's Theatre (from Dan Gutman's novel of the same name).

The list is dominated, almost completely this year, by Equity productions. Of the twenty-five top shows, only three were produced by non-Equity theatres: Festen by Steep Theatre, Burning Bluebeard by Neo-Futurists, and Old Times by Strawdog Theatre. This is something of a change; the non-Equity side of town had been much more well-represented in years past.

A caveat, as always, to this list: only those productions that garnered at least seven reviews from recognized publications or blogs were eligible. So a play that had only three reviews, for instance, even if all of those reviews were Highly Recommended, would not be included. This was done to ensure that the list could not be compromised by shows whose small number of reviews give each one undue weight.

Top Plays of 2011

Spamalot
Drury Lane- Oakbrook

Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Time Out Chicago- Highly Recommended
Pioneer Press- Highly Recommended
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Highly Recommended
Centerstage- Highly Recommended
Chicago Stage Review- Highly Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater Beat- Highly Recommended
Chicago Stage Style- Highly Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended

An Iliad
Court Theatre

Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
Time Out Chicago- Highly Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Highly Recommended
Centerstage- Highly Recommended
Chicago On the Aisle- Highly Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater Beat- Highly Recommended
Chicago Now- Highly Recommended
Chicago Stage Style- Highly Recommended

Follies
Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Time Out Chicago- Highly Recommended
Examiner- Highly Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Highly Recommended
Talkin Broadway- Highly Recommended
Centerstage- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theatre Addict- Highly Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater Beat- Recommended
Chicago Now- Highly Recommended
Chicago Stage Style- Highly Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended

Festen
Steep Theatre

Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Time Out Chicago- Highly Recommended
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theatre Addict- Highly Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater Beat- Highly Recommended
Chicago Now- Highly Recommended
Chicago Stage Style- Highly Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Recommended

In the Next Room or the vibrator play
Victory Gardens Theater - Biograph

Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Time Out Chicago- Highly Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Highly Recommended
Centerstage- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theatre Addict- Highly Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater Beat- Highly Recommended
Chicago Now- Highly Recommended
Chicago Stage Style- Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended

The Sound Of Music
Drury Lane- Oakbrook

Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Time Out Chicago- Highly Recommended
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Highly Recommended
Centerstage- Highly Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater Beat- Recommended
Chicago Stage Style- Highly Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended

42nd Street
Marriott Theatre In Lincolnshire

Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Examiner- Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Highly Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater Beat- Highly Recommended
Chicago Stage Style- Highly Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended

Sweeney Todd
Drury Lane- Oakbrook

Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Time Out Chicago- Highly Recommended
Chicago Reader- Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Highly Recommended
Windy City Times- Highly Recommended
Talkin Broadway- Highly Recommended
Centerstage- Highly Recommended
Chicago Stage Review- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theatre Addict- Highly Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater Beat- Highly Recommended
Chicago Stage Style- Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended

Jackie and Me
Chicago Children's Theatre at Ruth Page Center For Arts<

Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
Windy City Times- Highly Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater Beat- Highly Recommended
Chicago Stage Style- Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended

Black Watch
Chicago Shakespeare Theater at Broadway Armory

Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Time Out Chicago- Highly Recommended
Examiner- Highly Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Highly Recommended
Centerstage- Highly Recommended
Chicago Stage Review- Highly Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Recommended
Chicago Theater Beat- Highly Recommended
Chicago Stage Style- Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended

The Big Meal
American Theatre Company

Chicago Tribune - Highly Recommended
Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
Time Out Chicago - Highly Recommended
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
NewCity Chicago - Highly Recommended
Copley News Service - Highly Recommended
ChicagoCritic - Recommended
Chicago Theater Beat - Highly Recommended
Chicago Stage Style - Highly Recommended
Around The Town Chicago - Recommended

Chicago
Ford Oriental Theatre

Chicago Tribune- Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Highly Recommended
Chicago Stage Review- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theatre Addict- Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater Beat- Highly Recommended
Chicago Now- Highly Recommended
Chicago Stage Style- Highly Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended

A Christmas Story, The Musical!
Chicago Theatre

Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Time Out Chicago- Highly Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theatre Addict- Highly Recommended
Chicago On the Aisle- Highly Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater Beat- Highly Recommended
Chicago Stage Style- Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Recommended

The Real Thing
Writers' Theatre

Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Time Out Chicago- Highly Recommended
Chicago Reader- Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Highly Recommended
Chicago On the Aisle- Highly Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater Beat- Highly Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Recommended

Wishful Drinking
Bank of America Theatre

Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Recommended
Time Out Chicago- Highly Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Highly Recommended
Centerstage- Highly Recommended
Chicago Stage Review- Highly Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Recommended
Chicago Theater Beat- Highly Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended

Burning Bluebeard
Neo-Futurists

Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
Centerstage- Somewhat Recommended
Chicago Stage Review- Highly Recommended
Chicago On the Aisle- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater Beat- Highly Recommended
Chicago Now- Highly Recommended
Chicago Stage Style- Highly Recommended

Chinglish
Goodman Theatre

Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Recommended
Time Out Chicago- Highly Recommended
Examiner- Highly Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Highly Recommended
Windy City Times- Highly Recommended
Talkin Broadway- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theatre Addict- Highly Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater Beat- Recommended
Chicago Now- Highly Recommended
Chicago Stage Style- Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended

As You Like It
Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Recommended
Time Out Chicago- Recommended
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Recommended
Windy City Times- Highly Recommended
Copley News Service- Highly Recommended
Centerstage- Highly Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater Beat- Highly Recommended
Chicago Stage Style- Highly Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended

The Doyle & Debbie Show
Royal George Theatre

Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Time Out Chicago- Highly Recommended
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Highly Recommended
Windy City Times- Recommended
Chicago Theatre Addict- Highly Recommended
Chicago On the Aisle- Highly Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Recommended
Chicago Theater Beat- Highly Recommended
Chicago Now- Highly Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Recommended

The Outgoing Tide
Northlight Theatre

Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Daily Herald- Highly Recommended
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
Windy City Times- Highly Recommended
Copley News Service- Highly Recommended
Talkin Broadway- Highly Recommended
Chicago Stage Review- Highly Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater Beat- Recommended
Chicago Stage Style- Somewhat Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended

The Pitmen Painters
TimeLine Theatre Company

Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Time Out Chicago- Highly Recommended
Chicago Reader- Somewhat Recommended
Examiner- Recommended
Windy City Times- Highly Recommended
Centerstage- Highly Recommended
Chicago On the Aisle- Highly Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater Beat- Highly Recommended
Chicago Stage Style- Highly Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended

A Christmas Carol
Goodman Theatre

Chicago Tribune- Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Recommended
Centerstage- Highly Recommended
Chicago On the Aisle- Highly Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater Beat- Highly Recommended
Chicago Now- Highly Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended

Old Times
Strawdog Theatre

Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Time Out Chicago- Highly Recommended
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Recommended
Windy City Times- Highly Recommended
Centerstage- Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Recommended
Chicago Theater Beat- Highly Recommended
Chicago Now- Highly Recommended
Chicago Stage Style- Highly Recommended

The Christmas Schooner
Mercury Theatre

Chicago Tribune- Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
Windy City Times- Highly Recommended
Talkin Broadway- Recommended
Centerstage- Highly Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater Beat- Highly Recommended
Chicago Now- Highly Recommended
Chicago Stage Style- Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended

Porgy and Bess
Court Theatre

Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Daily Herald- Highly Recommended
Time Out Chicago- Highly Recommended
Examiner- Highly Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Recommended
Windy City Times- Somewhat Recommended
Talkin Broadway- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theatre Addict- Highly Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater Beat- Highly Recommended
Chicago Now- Highly Recommended
Chicago Stage Style- Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended

Luke Heiden
Contributing Writer

Bodily Changes: Playing the Prince in Changes of Heart

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 08:40:40 -0600

How do actors act? We know that it involves memorizing speeches and moving around a stage, but what exactly do they do to convince us that they are somebody they aren't?

There are two fundamental ways to proceed when creating a persona: you can determine the character's psychological orientation and use it as a gateway to understanding their actions—Hamlet is angry at his mother, for example, and so he scolds her. Alternatively, you can start with the character's appearance and deduce his feelings based on how he stands, sits, etc. In this case, Hamlet might first crouch sullenly in the presence of his mother, thus suggesting his hostility before he expresses it through his words.

This latter technique nowadays is taught under the name of the actor who popularized it, Michael Chekhov (no relation to the playwright). Steve Wojtas, currently playing The Prince in Remy Bumppo Theatre's controversial adaptation of Pierre Carlet de Marivaux's Changes of Heart, is an advocate of the "outside-to-inside" approach to his role.

"We explored [the Chekhov technique] at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, where I went to graduate school, and it clicked with me," Wojtas explains, "The Stanislavski 'method' never seemed part of my natural process, but with Chekhov, I discovered a more refined version of what I was already doing instinctively. I continue to prefer it because it harnesses my unconscious imagination in a livelier way than other approaches."

You recently played Caliban for the American Players Theatre production of The Tempest. How did you apply your techniques to portraying a mythical sea-monster?

"I found Caliban's voice first—a low, deep growl that allowed me to speak the beautiful verse that Shakespeare wrote for this inarticulate beast, but without this language belonging to him. Then APT sent me to a Capoiera class where one of the exercises involved getting close to the ground and walking on our hands—this is how I found Caliban's body! Then, once I knew how he moved and spoke—that is, how he interacted with the world around him—it put into sharp focus what he wanted and how he would go about getting it."

Marivaux's Prince is a product of royal privilege—when he falls in love with a commoner, he kidnaps her and holds her captive until he can persuade her to marry him. To our modern sensibilities, this is pretty creepy, but we're supposed to applaud Silvia's ultimate decision to accept him. How did you pull that off?

"A powerful monarch that kidnaps a woman and plots to win her love is not an inherently sympathetic character," Wojtas sighs, "but he doesn't flaunt his power by ordering Silvia to marry him and for that, I think we can forgive a lot. When I was Caliban, I was hunched over, in the pose we assume when we lose at something—because constant defeat has made him close his heart off to others. The Prince, by contrast, stands with his chest out and arms wide, his heart open and unguarded."

I'm told that you had muscled up to play Caliban, and then muscled down for the Prince. How far do you usually go toward altering your actual body shape?

"My body carries a lot of muscle naturally, but I wanted the Prince to be in no way physically imposing. Early in rehearsals, they had me changing onstage from a dressing-gown into a suit, so that I'd have to be shirtless for a few moments. If that business had stayed in, I'd probably have been a bit more extreme in my diet and exercise regimen."

(Changes of Heart runs through January 8)

Mary Shen Barnidge
Contributing Writer

Protecting The Force: Star Wars memorabilia in All Childish Things

Fri, 2 Dec 2011 07:34:38 -0600

If the quarry in Joseph Zettelmaier's heist comedy was money, or gold, or diamonds, it would have been no problem—everybody knows that what they see onstage is just gilt paint and glass beads. Ah, but the treasure tempting a quartet of Star Wars fans to the Dark Side in All Childish Things is a warehouse filled with rare memorabilia commemorating George Lucas' legendary six-part film series—ephemera coveted by collectors willing to pay in the millions for plastic action-figures or boxed games not unlike those displayed in the basement apartment providing the play's setting, only a few feet away from an audience eager to share in the fantasy invoked by these relics of their youth.

These iconic objects are not replicas, however, but genuine vintage, making the question of just how far those spectators will go in their efforts to share in that fantasy a matter of no small concern.

"Everything you see onstage is borrowed from private collections," says stage manager Amy Hopkins, "Some from the actors, some from their friends and a few from other sources. The Empire Strikes Back bedsheets belong to Kevin D'Ambrosio, who plays Carter in the play, and the precious holy-grail action figure—created for the premiere production in Michigan—was a loan from the playwright."

What security measures are implemented to guard against theft or damage? "Every single item is packed away in tubs and stored in a padlocked cabinet. I have an inventory list that I check off before the show every night to ascertain that each object in the room is placed in the exact same spot."

How about when you have playgoers milling around at random—during intermission, say, or leaving afterward? "We are very aware of the potential for props walking away by themselves," Hopkins assures me, "We all keep a close eye on the stage when spectators are roaming unsupervised. Fortunately, it's a small auditorium, so it's easy to see when people are clustering a bit too near."

Do you offer chaperoned tours? "Sometimes patrons will ask, very politely, to look at the decor up close. Most of the time, they are extremely respectful about not touching things." She smiles, remembering, "When we were assembling the set dressing, and the various items were trickling in, little by little, we all turned into 6-year-olds again, re-living the excitement associated with each action-figure and bragging about which ones we had at home. The people who come see the show are no different—they just want to enjoy recalling their childhoods for a moment."

All Childish Things runs through December 17.

Mary Shen Barnidge
Contributing Writer

Bombs and Body Parts: Gruesome Gadgets for A Behanding In Spokane

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 08:04:03 -0600

Does Martin McDonagh sit up nights, thinking up extravagant scenic stunts to make the theater technicians who must stage them likewise lose sleep? Scalding fry-pan torture for The Beauty Queen of Leenane. Desiccated human bones smashed with sledge-hammers for A Skull In Connemara. A kitchen stove shotgunned to smithereens for The Lonesome West. Feline corpses and blood-spray shootings for The Lieutenant of Inishmore. And now, for the midwest premiere of A Behanding In Spokane, a suitcase stuffed with severed hands and a DIY time-bomb assembled from a candle affixed to a tin of gasoline.

Fortunately, special effects consultant Greg Poljacik is no stranger to grand guignol spectacle, having overseen surgery for such gory extravaganzas as Frankenstein in Love and Musical of the Living Dead. No easy Halloween-shop route for this deceptively mild-mannered violence designer!

"We started with a dozen hands left over from Florida's Gable Stage production last season for our models," he discloses, "Ballistics gel in plaster molds proved cost-prohibitive and the resulting hands too fragile—though you'll still see a few of our experiments in the show. We also bought some hands on-line, then cut them up to look like they had been chopped off. Others were constructed from nylon gloves filled with rawhide dog-chews and coated with Karo syrup, giving them a skeletal appearance, or from play-dough sculpted around dog-treats for a severely-decayed effect."

How long did it take to make all the hands we see onstage? "We held a 'hand party' one night, where the crew and interns applied makeup to the hands, then covered that with a layer of latex. This last step sealed the makeup, besides creating a shine on the surface and a peeling-skin texture. In the end, the combination of all these elements made for longevity, believability and affordability."

The hands are merely objects, but the incendiary device has moving parts. What led to the decision to use an open-spout tin, and not a jerry-can? "We wanted something uniquely old. The bomber has been searching for his missing hand for over two decades, and his tools have probably been traveling a long time," Poljacik explains, "We found ours on eBay and rigged the spout to keep the candle upright. That candle, by the way, is a non-drip kind, so there's no mess. Oh, and we fire-retard everything."

Wait a minute! Late in the play, when the killer splashes the liquid gasoline all over the stage in that tiny room, I'm sure that I smelled petrol—

Poljacik grins. "Don't worry—it's just water. We found a company named Silly Smells that actually sells something called 'High Octane Gasoline Fragrance Mist'—though why anybody would want their house or body to smell like a filling station is a puzzler. We soak a rag in it, and then hold the rag in front of a fan, so that the aroma blows into the whole room." He shrugs nonchalantly, "The audience's imagination does the rest."

(A Behanding In Spokane runs through December 4)

Mary Shen Barnidge
Contributing Writer

Theatre In Chicago's 2011 Holiday Show Round-Up

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 08:49:10 -0600

Chicago is a pretty good place to be for the holidays. We have Christkindlmarket, a wondrously Teutonic market/fairground in Daley Plaza selling all manner of Christmas tree ornaments and ridiculously detailed hand-carved Bavarian wooden clocks. We have Michigan Avenue, lit up and festive and able to provide enough egregious shop-till-you-dropness for even the most insatiable suburbanite or out-of-towner. And we have the Bears, who are doing pretty well this year but will never catch the Green Bay Packers.

Alas, all of these things must be done out-of-doors, in the Windy City's seasonable frigid windiness. Fun as that may be, eventually you're going to want to come inside and do stuff, which is why TheatreInChicago is pleased as Christmas punch to bring you the 2011 edition of our annual Holiday Theatre Round-up. You will see a lot of shows on this list you recognize, and some you will not. Venture out and explore, find something new, but please be advised that some of these offerings are not appropriate for the whole family. Use the links provided in the list to learn more about each show, and when in doubt, it is always best to call the theatre's box office and ask.

At the top of anyone's holiday theatre list (and most assuredly ours) is the Goodman Theatre's annual production of A Christmas Carol. It's the Goodman Theatre. It's A Christmas Carol. Need I say more? No. (In addition, there are few other productions of A Christmas Carol playing around town as well. You'd think people liked this story or something.)

Also perennially popular is American Blues Theater's It's A Wonderful Life: Live At The Biograph. This stage version of the Frank Capra film is presented as a live 1940s-era radio "broadcast", complete with old-fashioned microphones and live Foley sound effects. Two other productions of It's A Wonderful Life are also playing at Fox Valley Repertory and American Theater Company.

New to Chicago this year is Donnie and Marie - Christmas In Chicago. In the tradition of the Osmond Family Christmas TV specials of yore, Donnie and Marie Osmond do what they do (I'm not entirely sure what that is; singing may be involved) onstage at the Ford Oriental Theatre.

As always, audiences looking for something other than the more traditional, sentimental holiday stories will find plenty to amuse them. A favorite is The Santaland Diaries at Theatre Wit, a staging of humorist David Sedaris's stories of his woes working as an elf in a shopping mall Santa Claus exhibit. Probably not for children.

Definitely not for children: Fa La La La...F*ck It. Presented by Annoyance Theatre, it is the story of one Catherine Sims, a mother trying not to go insane over the holidays while dealing with an alcoholic husband, an angsty teenage daughter, and a pain pill addiction. Whee!

And for those more into dance than drama, the Joffrey Ballet is presenting it's annual production of The Nutcracker ballet. This is not to be confused with The Nutcracker, an annual holiday production by The House Theatre, which takes the familiar story and gives it a modern, hipster spin.

The full list is below, and is still being added to as more shows are announced, so check back often for the latest.

For a complete list of the holiday shows go to our Holiday Plays page.

Luke Heiden
Contributing Writer

Hold The Liquor: (Fake) Strong Drink in Touch Of The Poet and Old Times

Mon, 7 Nov 2011 15:34:17 -0600

The champion of dramatic binges, we all know, is Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, where for nearly three hours, liquor is swilled in quantities to test the livers of the dramatis personae, and the bladders of the actors who portray them. Whether hearkening to the Dionysic origins of western theater, or simply providing a handy means of exposing emotions, the propensity of playwrights to incorporate alcohol into their scenarios have confronted property masters throughout history with the task of concocting a beverage that replicates the look, but not the kick, of the Old Barleycorn.

Textbooks once recommended cold tea as a liquor substitute—who doesn't recall amateur productions featuring decanters of foam-surfaced "scotch" or "bourbon"? Nowadays, with smaller theaters bringing audiences closer to stages, the better to spot such hitherto-unnoticed details, more sophisticated measures are required.

Loretta Rode, stage manager for Artistic Home's production of A Touch of the Poet has a relatively easy time of it. Though the script repeatedly mentions the innkeeper's generous hand when dispensing whiskey to himself and his companions, the liquid is almost exclusively seen flowing from bottle to glass. "Our whiskey is water and food coloring," reveals Rode, "mostly yellow, except for the wine they drink at supper, which has more red and blue in the mix."

The host couple and their guest enjoying an evening at home in Harold Pinter's Old Times presents a different kind of challenge, however. The minimalism of the text and decor throws every object on the stage under microscopic scrutiny. Though the characters never call attention to their after-dinner coffee and brandy, the slightest break with verisimilitude represents a potentially fatal distraction.

Prop designer Danni Parpan and stage manager Jen Poulin admit to employing decaffeinated tea in their recipe, but only as a coloring agent. "We started out with a light tea and a few drops of yellow food coloring, but that had a drying effect on actors' mouths. Now we use diluted low-sugar apple juice, with only a touch of tea that we've left in the fridge overnight to darken to the desired color."

Touch Of The Poet has a cast of ten and runs a little over two hours, Old Times, three actors and a bare ninety minutes. How much fake liquor is consumed in each performance? "It varies, based on how thirsty the actors are that night." Rode shrugs, but Parpan is more adamant, "LOTS! We went through 48 bags of tea our first weekend!"

The containers are washed out and a fresh supply made up nightly. "Our mixing pitcher is about two liters," Poulin estimates, "The brandy decanter is filled to 3/4 full and they consume almost all of it. They don't drink as much coffee—the pots are only filled to about half. The coffee is also left to darken after being brewed the night before. Sometimes we use a little bit to dye the brandy."

This is still a massive amount of fluid to ingest in one sitting. Do the actors have any special way of dealing with—um, nature's call?

"That's a good question!" exclaims Pardan, while Rode chuckles, "You'd have to ask the individual actors about that!" but Poulin acknowledges the reality of the concern. "Adrenaline probably plays a large part—but just in case, when I give the 'five minutes to places" warning backstage, I also remind them that it's 'last chance to pee' as well."

(A Touch of the Poet closed November 6, Old Times runs through November 12)

Mary Shen Barnidge
Contributing Writer

Sleeping Snug In Tight Spaces: Beds in Becky Shaw (and Other Plays)

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 10:33:15 -0500

Designers confronted with tiny storefront stages cheat all the time—substituting love-seats for sofas, armchairs for loungers, parson's stools for coffee tables—but a bed cannot be easily stretched or squeezed, especially when the play's significant action calls for the hotel-sized variety—a factor presenting no obstruction to the three theater companies this year replicating an array of transient lodging in spaces barely bigger than walk-in closets.

Jack Magaw's furnishings for Redtwist Theatre's Bug had the advantage of Tracy Letts' paranoid thriller occurring solely in a single-occupancy motor-court unit, allowing the bed to dominate the center of the playing space, with remaining decor surrounding it like a dust-ruffle. By contrast, the locale in Pine Box Theatre's production of Joshua Rollins' A Girl With Sun In Her Eyes shifts repeatedly from a police station to a no-tell motel. Grant Sabin's answer to packing an interrogation-desk and a bed-with-nightstand into Second Stage's 12 X 10-foot area while still permitting actors to move around these obstacles, was to make the duplex a Murphy, levering up on hinges into the wall.

Gina Gionfriddo's quirky family comedy Becky Shaw, currently playing at A Red Orchid Theatre, is a mixture of both these challenges. The hotel, designated in the text as "three-star", leads us to expect luxurious accommodations. The bed must hold two people comfortably even when they are not locked in one another's arms. All this is to be fitted onto a wide, but shallow, stage in a likewise eccentrically-shaped auditorium with audience seated barely four rows deep. Furthermore, after the first scene, the bed must be dismantled in its entirety, then carried offstage to be stored in cramped backstage quarters, never to be seen again.

"Though the seating arrangements are flexible, the typical Red Orchid configuration is a kind of trapezoid a little over 12 feet from the back wall to the front seats and about 27 feet across at its widest, tapering to 18 feet as you move downstage," says scenic designer Stephen H. Carmody, "What's really tricky is that the only way to exit the space, without walking up the aisle and out to the lobby, is a narrow hall-three feet wide, max—leading to the dressing room. This means that only one person can come on or offstage at a time."

So how is an entire bed—complete with headboard, night tables and lamps—removed in a matter of seconds in full view of the audience? Carmody grins contemplatively, "The scene change is like a choreographed dance, involving our two assistant stage managers and all of the actors, each carrying a specific item. Fortunately, we can pre-set some of the next scene behind the sliding screens."

Is that a full-sized bed? "Yes, it is. Emily Guthrie, the show's prop master, did a fantastic job of finding, buying, borrowing or making all the furniture for the show. The hotel scene is almost half an hour long, and so it's important for the actors have whatever is necessary for them to perform the scene."

What's harder to move, the headboard or the mattress? "The mattress, definitely," Carmody replies without hesitation, "The headboard is an unattached freestanding unit, but the double mattress needs two people to lift and carry it all the way offstage." He shrugs philosophically, "Everything that you see on the stage is vital to the play. We don't have the room, or the time, to do it any other way."

Becky Shaw runs through November 6.

Mary Shen Barnidge
Contributing Writer

Painting By The Numbers for The Pitmen Painters

Mon, 3 Oct 2011 21:51:11 -0500

The Pitmen Painters recounts the fortunes of a group of English coal miners who hire a professor through their Workman's Education Association to teach a night-school course in Art Appreciation. When the teacher assigns his pupils the task of making their own art to serve as material for discussion. None of them anticipate a fashionable collector championing their amateur efforts to make them the toast of 1936 London.

In the big auditoriums where Lee Hall's play premiered on both sides of the Atlantic, audiences saw the contents of the muddy squares referenced onstage projected on huge screens—but Timeline Theatre's church-basement space seats its spectators less than 12 feet from the dramatic action, mandating physical pictures resembling those magnified hundreds of times. A few years ago, this task would entail copies of the slow-drying oils executed in quick-dry acrylics by a squad of SAIC students. In our technologically-advanced age, however, Property Designer Julia Eberhardt scoffs at such primitive methods of art-forgery.

The key to reproducing portraiture nowadays, she explains, lies in a process called wide-format print. But how wide? "To get a sense of the picture sizes, [scenic designer] Timothy Mann and I looked at video clips of the original London production. Once we had the dimensions, he started on the frames and I started scouring the internet for printable canvas."

Are there many different grades of this product? "Oh, yes. What we ended up using was a kind that had more of a muslin look. The print colors bled into each other a bit—but this made them look more like actual paintings, so it was to our advantage."

What else did you do to make the art look freshly-executed? "My original idea was to coat them with a clear gesso, but after we put them under the stage lights, some of them seemed awfully washed out. Our solution was to put a semi-gloss polyurethane on the ones that needed help. This worked so well, I wanted to make all of them glossy—but then they would all look the same, so only four of the nine in the play are covered in poly."

How about the unfinished painting in Professor Lyons' studio? "The sketches on the floor, I drew myself—they're supposed to be only studies, so they weren't hard. But the incomplete painting on the easel had to be photoshopped through a stylized filter and some of the figures removed to create the impression of being just roughed in. I made the palette backstage during a tech rehearsal, mixing the colors to match what was on the canvas and using hot-glue pools to give them dimension. Fortunately, some of the paints already had a shiny finish, so they looked like they were wet."

The script also calls for us to see Lyons drawing Oliver at one point? How did Andrew Carter [who plays Lyons] fake that? "I photoshopped the finished picture down to the basic outlines, traced very lightly. This way Andrew could fill it in during the scene."

Kind of like a coloring book? "Fortunately, Andrew is a very good artist! Seriously, though, the point the play makes is that art's meaning lies in the relationship between the art and the viewer. The whole process of making these props made me realize that it didn't matter how we did what we did, but how the audience saw it in the end."

The Pitmen Painters runs through December 4.

Mary Shen Barnidge
Contributing Writer

How Do Chicago Actors Survive?

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 19:28:23 -0500

Being an actor is akin to being a clown in the circus. You need to get into character for every performance, and juggling is a must for survival. In place of dogs and flying objects on a unicycle, an actor balances multiple bill-paying gigs while chasing down rehearsals, auditions and performance. Both jobs—actor and clown—require a healthy amount of risk and sacrifice for its rewards.

From doing corporate singing gigs, to hosting karaoke and dishing out dieting advice, Chicago actors do what it takes to make great theatre possible. "We do what we have to do in order to do what we want to do," says actress Bianca Isabel, who works as a Jenny Craig consultant and sometimes nanny.

For Isabel, who moved from Florida to Chicago in 2010, the day gigs often get in the way of her art. "The survival part is taking up more of my life than the acting life," she notes. A typical day for Isabel involves working at Jenny Craig during the day, often being a nanny at night, hitting the gym, and acting in short films when it's the right project. A one-time student of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, Isabel is devoted to doing acting projects that develop her wholly as an artist. She recently got involved in Chicago's Latina theatre, Teatro Luna, with the goal of becoming an artistic associate. "Acting is my passion, but is not something I have to do all the time—it's quality over quantity," she explains.

"It's a struggle and it will continue forever," explains Anthony D'Amato, a New Jersey actor and singer who moved to Chicago last January. For D'Amato, it's a matter of selling his voice to corporate singing gigs and recording sessions so he can sing and perform onstage. D'Amato plays Frank-n-Furter in the upcoming Underscore Theatre Company production of "The Rocky Horror Show," and is lead vocalist in the Chicago band The Live Debate. D'Amato played Hedwig in "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, N.J. and also won the Asbury Park Music Award for Top Male Vocalist in 2010. Despite his accolades, this actor has not been averse to delivering pizzas, when necessary, to pay the bills.

Balancing art and work hasn't been easy for actor Kyle Waddle, who moved to Chicago just days after graduating with a degree in theater from Nebraska's Chadron State University in 2002. He didn't land his first Chicago theater roles until 2010, after he was laid off from a box office sales job that took up his weekends and weeknights—the actor's holy grail of time. Waddle decided to "become more focused on happiness and fulfillment, rather than the ability to pay bills." He landed a job as karaoke host at Lakeview's retro bar, Friar Tuck, which afforded him more flexibility, and fun. "I meet new people every night, and I do a level of performing that some actors never get," he observes.

And besides the free popcorn and Cheers-like ambience Friar Tuck affords, the karaoke gig has given Waddle more time to do theatre. Since 2010, he has performed in "Arsenic and Old Lace" at Batavia's First Street Playhouse and in "Observatory" at Logan Square's Charnel House Theatre, in addition to several shows with the sketch comedy group Suspicious Clowns. Although he's not in a show at the moment, Waddle is more than content to wait for the next good thing. "I don't want to do this forever, as much as I love doing it, it's not the stage I want to be on," Waddle admits. "But it helps pay the bills and it's fun until I get there," he says.

At times, being a not-yet-discovered actor is stressful. Isabel has turned down many acting projects, especially if they occur at the last minute, due to work obligations. And when D'Amato first moved to Chicago last year, he endured the painful process of starting over, relying on savings while trying to land new paying gigs. Waddle makes enough to pay the bills, but not much else. Yet they are determined to hang in there. "I really want to focus on acting and see what happens," says Waddle. "If there comes a time when I look in the mirror and can say, I gave it my best, now I can move on I will, but I'm not at that point yet," he adds. "When it's artistic and worthwhile I have no problem giving up certain amenities to do something that fulfills me as an artist," explains Isabel. "Until I land that thing, I'll ride it for a while," says D'Amato.

Until they land that "thing," actors survive by leading double lives, as artists by night and wanna-be artists by day. But along the way up, actors often entertain those in need of diversion. At Friar Tuck, the show starts when Waddle takes the microphone, at 9 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday nights. "It's kind of nice because it's my own show-I can be the director and the star if I want. But I generally try to make the patrons the stars of the night," says Waddle.

Catch Kyle Waddle's karaoke show on Wednesday and Thursday nights, Friar Tuck, 3010 N. Broadway, 9 p.m. Free.

See Anthony D'Amato as Frank-n-Furter in The Rocky Horror Show, at the Underground Lounge, Thursday-Saturday, October 20-30, 8pm and midnight. Tickets are a suggested donation of $18-$25.

Marla Seidell

Marla Seidell (www.marlaseidell.com) is a Chicago-based writer and actress. She recently played the lead role in the Chicago independent short film, The Catastrophe (www.thecatastrophemovie.wordpress.com).

Sweeney Todd: The Bloodless Barber of Fleet Street

Fri, 9 Sep 2011 14:14:52 -0500

Sweeney Todd calls its protagonist "The Demon Barber of Fleet Street"—a fitting sobriquet for the crazed Victorian haircutter who murdered the customers in his chair and delivered their corpses to the pastry shop downstairs to be made into pies (the original "mystery meat"). So what you need to stage this Stephen Sondheim-Hugh Wheeler pop-opera is lots of blood—right?

Hold the hemostats, however! Unlike movies, where body fluids only have to be applied once, stage blood presents a number of problems. For one, the volume required for eight shows a week over a two-month run is expensive. For another, it renders the floor slippery when wet, sticky when dry, and the dye is nearly impossible to launder out of clothes. Finally, when viewed in a big auditorium, it can barely be seen from more than six rows back.

Does it come as any surprise, then, that Drury Lane Theatre decided to forgo gallons of gore and all the headaches that come with it? In the production currently running in Oak Brook, when Gregg Edelman, our Sweeney, dispatches his hapless clients, we first see them struggle, then the background is suddenly flooded by a video-projection of dripping red liquid. Our imaginations make the connection.

"The main reason for not using fake blood," insists artistic director William Osetek, "was that it's been done too many times before. After a few times, it's hard to keep the throat-cutting from coming off as comic instead of scary. Oh, and it's a nightmare for costumes. What we wanted to do was to reinvent the blood-letting."

The bakery products are likewise made of minimal-stain materials (the "pies" are cheesecloth and styrofoam), but the script also calls for straight-razor shaves, gunshots, victims falling through trap-doors. Why, then, is there no violence choreographer credited in the playbill? Because director Rachel Rockwell, in addition to her seemingly magic touch with musicals, is trained in stage combat, having studied it at the University of Evansville and worked closely with fight directors Robin McFarquhar and John Tover. ("The basics of combat," explains Rockwell, "are a lot like the physics of dance.")

"The period barber's instruments for Edelman and George Keating, the latter of whom plays rival barber Pirelli," continues Osetek, "were ordered by property designer Joel Lambie from various places for them to rehearse with until they were comfortable handling them, and the gunshot is not done live, but with a taped sound cue. It's much safer—not to mention more dependable—than a blank cartridge."

That leaves the infamous chair with the seat that ejects its occupants through a precariously small opening in the floor to land unseen some 12 feet below. The playbill claims that Drury Lane's was "engineered" by Chicago Flyhouse, but don't go mistaking it for a pre-fab rental. "No, we own it," Osetek declares proudly, "Flyhouse built the chair based on consultation with Kevin Depinet. Edelman controls the mechanism—he pushes the lever forward to open the trap, and then back again to release the seat. But only after making sure that the person in it is ready to drop and land safely!"

Sweeney Todd runs at the Drury Lane Theatre through October 9.

Mary Shen Barnidge
Contributing Writer

Chicago gains "Love, Loss And What I Wore" for an extended run

Wed, 7 Sep 2011 13:28:47 -0500

Famed rom-com writer/director Nora Ephron (When Harry Met Sally..., Sleepless In Seattle, etc.) is bringing her Drama Desk Award-winning, critically acclaimed, smash hit Off-Broadway play Love, Loss, and What I Wore to the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place beginning September 14, 2011 for a run that's already been extended six more weeks, through December 4, 2011.

Love, Loss, and What I Wore is based on the 1995 book of the same name, written by Ilene Beckerman, and presents as a series of monologues and vignettes womens' romantic histories in terms of the different items of clothing they owned and donned during key moments in their lives. Adapted for the stage by Ephron and her sister Delia, and directed by Karen Carpenter, Love, Loss, and What I Wore uses a rotating cast of five actresses to portray a variety of women, from a female gang member to a cancer patient, as they discuss their loves and losses and how each important event in their life was inextricably linked to what they happened to be wearing at that time. In addition to Beckerman's book, Ephron used anecdotes from friends as well as material from her own 2006 book I Feel Bad About My Neck.

In order to get well-known, top-level talent who might otherwise be hesitant to work at Off-Broadway pay levels for a lengthy run, Ephron devised a rotating cast system that kept each actress in the show for only four weeks. Thus the New York production was able to feature, at one time or another, Tyne Daly, Rosie O'Donnell, Kristin Chenoweth, Jane Lynch, Rhea Perlman, Carol Kane, Janeane Garofalo, and Brooke Shields, among others. To keep that practice, the first weeks of the Chicago run will feature actresses with Chicago connections, including Emily Bergl, Nora Dunn, Felicia Fields, Kate O'Brien, and Barbara Robertson. Rotating in starting October 25 will be All My Children veteran Taylor Miller, and Loretta Swit (M.A.S.H.) starting November 8. Additional casting for the second part of the run has yet to be announced.

Love, Loss, and What I Wore was initially developed through a series of readings in New York for charity benefits, including Dress For Success (which helps low-income women with affordable work clothing and job-hunting) and the renovation of the Guild Hall in East Hampton, New York. It officially opened at the Westside Theatre in October 2009 and won the 2010 Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience. It has since played in Los Angeles, Toronto, Buenos Aires, and Sydney, and the Chicago premiere production is the opening stop on its first national tour.

Love, Loss, And What I Wore runs September 14-December 4, 2011 at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place, 175 E. Chestnut Street. Tickets are available at ticketmaster.com.

Luke Heiden
Contributing Writer

The Women of the Jeffs talk with Eric and Andy

Tue, 6 Sep 2011 09:32:17 -0500

As everyone knows, here in Chicago we celebrate excellence in the theatrical arts with the Joseph Jefferson Awards. The nominations were recently released for the Equity Jeff Awards, and we noticed three young artists that have really made the grade after working in the non-Equity storefront scene for years. Golden throated Bethany Thomas was nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Musical for her work as Serena in The Gershwin's Porgy And Bess at the Court Theatre. Erica Weiss and Caitlin Parrish, a director and writer who thrive on their professional relationship as well as their friendship, wrote A Twist Of Water for the Route 66 Theatre Company which was nominated for Best New Work - Play. We invited them to McClannahan's Irish Pub and Health Spa in Hyde Park where we sipped the finest fruit juices, had our parts worked, and gabbed, gabbed, gabbed!

Hey guys! Thanks for meeting us at this spa on the Southside of Chicago!

Caitlin Parrish: Always happy to exfoliate with the Irish.

Erica Weiss: My pores have never felt more open and alive.

Bethany Thomas: Glad to be here!

You three have had AMAZING 2011s so far, culminating in huge Jeff nominations for your work in the Chicago theatre scene! I mean, we are proud to be wearing robes with you!

CP: Thanks, Eric. It's been a fun ride. But nothing's surprised or delighted me more than finding out you have the dainty calves of a 14 year old ballerina.

BT: He certainly is full of surprises.

EW: You guys are wearing robes? Ooops....

Don't worry, Erica. Everyone knows you are a "free spirit". So, can you tell us what each other is nominated for in the Equity Jeff Awards?

CP: Bethany, I believe, is nominated for best voice ever. I'm sorry, Best Voice EVAH.

BT: Oh geez. I actually got to see Caitlin and Erica's show and it was freaking awesome.

EW: Caitlin is nominated for writing a play, I think? I might have co-created that business, and then directed it on the sly.

CP: I have no idea what you're all talking about. I live in Hollywood now.

Man, women be shoppin'! Anyway, Erica & Caitlin are responsible for Mayor Rahm's favorite and only show he's ever seen A Twist Of Water. And Bethany was blowing the roof off the place in Porgy & Bess. Wait, isn't Porgy & Bess about old black people?

BT: Half right.

CP: What's the other half?

BT: I mean it's a love story for the ages. About black people.

I think I know some of the music from that one. Were you good in it?

BT: Ha! Well I got alright once I learned the music. Yes indeed, there's a bunch of familiar songs but this was the first time I'd actually learned the story that ties them together. I played Serena, a supporting character who loses her husband at the hand of Bess' boyfriend slash pimp. Lots of that crazy, rewarding emotional stuff.

Sounds like a real crowdpleaser! You've also done a lot of work at Theo Ubique, is that right?

BT: Heck yes! LOVE Theo. Love Fred Anzevino, love the vibe... usually love the No Exit. We did a Harold Arlen review there last year that just got revived at Theatre On the Lake. Big fun, but lots of spiders.

What a fun time! Hey Bethany, one last question for ya, before we move to the massages. If you and your other nominees in your category were race horses, what would your odds be?

BT: I don't know if you could have put it in a more unfamiliar analogy for me!

I know what my odds for Bethany are! My heart loves you to rainbows!

BT: I appreciate that. I'm sure that's the support I'll need to break from the pack and cross the finish line first.

Erica, I love that you are naked here in this steam room. Tell us about your directing job and have some water with cucumber.

EW: Thank you! So refreshing. Well, I've been working as a collaborator with Ms Caitlin Parrish for about 8 years now. I've directed all of her plays. This was the first play we've had produced that has my name on it as co-creator. What that means, and Caitlin can elaborate on this when Sergio is done working on the knots in her neck, is that we conceived of the characters and story and built the structure of the play together while she wrote all the balls-to-the-wall amazing dialogue. Then she moved to Hollywood, like an asshole, and I moved into rehearsal mode. This was my first equity show and my first directing job with my company, Route 66 Theatre.

Good thing you didn't blow it. How'd it feel when the show started getting all the accolades? Did you guys feel like Armistead Maupin?

CP: It was pretty bawse. And surreal. I wasn't in Chicago when it started happening, so it seemed feasible that it was a lovely, sadistic practical joke that the city might have been playing on me. As for Mr. Maupin, I hope to one day be that much of a 1970s gay man.

EW: I have never felt more Maupin-esque than when Rahm Emanuel hugged me.

CP: Yeah, I missed Rahm, too. (sighs)

Did Sergio finish working on your "neck"?

CP: For now. I have him on call.

You can't treat the help here like your courtesans, Caitlin.

CP: I treat everyone like a courtesan. It's how I show I have the common touch.

EW: That is so true, you guys. (weeps)

CP: Awww, poor kid. Have a twenty.

BT: One has to establish the upper hand immediately.

The pimp hand, if I will, and I WILL. Caitlin, will you be making the trek back to cold, horribly taxed Chicago for the event?

CP: Oh, hells yes. I would step over any number of grandmas and Salvation Army Santas to hang with Phil Dawkins, Lady Weiss, and whoever from the Goodman is bringing the fancy flasks.

Well, it seems like Eric and I are being called into the secret Asian lady room. We hope you guys have a great Jeff season and really stay on top of the game!

EW: I'm not sure those are ladies... but Thank You!!

CP: Always a pleasure, gents. Eric, NO TOUCHING!

BT: It was very nice getting to know you all a little bit more intimately.

Before we go...let's all make it rain one time.

EVERYONE THROWS 20s IN THE AIR.

BT: That's the stuff.

CP: Nobody makes it rain like non-profit theatre artists! Awwwww, yeah!

Eric Roach, Anderson Lawfer

Eric Roach and Anderson Lawfer are the founders of www.Reviewsyoucaniews.blogspot.com

Jeff Awards Announces 2011 Equity Nominations

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 06:40:15 -0500

The Jeff Awards announced 185 nominations in 35 categories for Chicago Equity theatrical productions which opened between August 1, 2010, and July 31, 2011. The Jeff Awards sent judges to the opening nights of 130 Equity productions offered by 51 producing organizations. From these openings, 100 productions were "Jeff Recommended," which made them eligible for award nominations.

The 43rd Annual Jeff Awards ceremony honoring excellence in professional theatre produced within the immediate Chicago area will be held on Monday, November 7, at Drury Lane Oakbrook, 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace. Pre-show Appetizers and Cash Bar will run from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., and the Awards Ceremony, directed by Michael Weber, will begin at 7:30 p.m., with a Buffet and Reception immediately following. Musical numbers featuring cast members from nominated musicals and video segments from nominated plays will highlight the Jeff Awards ceremony. Advance purchase tickets, which include the ceremony and buffets, are $75 ($55 for members of Actors' Equity Association, United Scenic Artists, Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, Stage Managers' Association, and The Dramatists Guild of America). The evening is black tie optional and the public is cordially invited to attend. To purchase tickets, visit the Jeff Awards website at www.jeffawards.org.

Chicago's reputation as the home of new works escalated despite a weak economy as 28 new plays delighted audiences this season. Eight of these world premiere plays from both large and midsize houses were Jeff-nominated: About Face Theatre scored with both Patricia Kane's "Float," a story of five women who cope with problems in their Midwestern town as they build the annual holiday float, and, in an extended run, the life and times of a group of friends in "The Homosexuals" by Philip Dawkins. American Theater Company's production of Dan LeFranc's "The Big Meal" provided a glimpse into a family's dinners in ordinary and poignant times. Congo Square Theatre Company burst back on the scene with Darren Canady's "Brothers of the Dust," a saga of the Coultons returning to their rural Kansas family farm. Goodman Theatre produced David Henry Hwang's new play "Chinglish" - opening on Broadway this fall - which showcases an American businessman as he negotiates Chinese language and culture and is lost in translation. Northlight Theatre presented the extended run of Bruce Graham's "The Outgoing Tide," a moving tale of an intimate family facing their father's receding memory. Route 66 Theatre Company presented "A Twist of Water" by rising young playwright Caitlin Montanye Parrish with Erica Weiss, a portrayal of a troubled father and daughter set against a backdrop of historic Chicago, and TimeLine Theatre charmed audiences with William Brown's and Doug Frew's "To Master the Art," the story of Julia Child's love affairs with husband, cuisine, and France.

Goodman Theatre topped the list of all theatres with 17 nominations, including 8 honors, the most for any production, for the new Mary Zimmerman and Doug Peck adaptation of Bernstein's epic journey "Candide," co-produced with Shakespeare Theatre Company, and 5 nods for the stylish new "Chinglish." In the midsize theatre tier, TimeLine Theatre again led the field of plays with 17 nominations, 5 of which went to the historic drama of the "Frost/Nixon" interviews by Peter Morgan and 5 also to the delicious "To Master the Art." Marriott Theatre garnered 16 honors, the most nominations among musical producers, with two dance spectaculars, "42nd Street" and "A Chorus Line," both getting 5 nods. Drury Lane Productions in Oakbrook achieved 15 honors with 6 nominations each for Monty Python's hilarious romp "Spamalot" and the infamous David H. Bell adaptation "Hot Mikado." Among individual multiple nominees, Andrew Hansen topped the list with 6 nods for sound design and original incidental music, followed by choreographer/actress Tammy Mader, music director Doug Peck, and actor/fight choreographer Nick Sandys and projections/video designer Mike Tutaj with 3 each.

The coveted nominations for Outstanding Ensemble reflected the strength and diversity of Chicago productions as nominees came from both midsize theatres and the city's largest houses. Ensemble nominations went to "A Chorus Line" from Marriott, About Face's "Float," "Sky's the Limit (Weather Permitting)" from The Second City e.t.c., American Theater Company's "The Big Meal," TimeLine Theatre Company's "The Front Page," Goodman Theatre's "The Seagull," and "Travels with My Aunt" from Writers' Theatre. Actors' Equity Association continues its support of the Equity Jeff Awards by sponsoring the Outstanding Ensemble Award.

The Jeff Awards has been honoring outstanding theatre artists annually since it was established in 1968. With up to 50 members representing a wide variety of backgrounds in theatre, the Jeff Awards is committed to celebrating the vitality of Chicago area theatre by recognizing excellence through its recommendations, awards, and honors. The Jeff Awards fosters the artistic growth of area theatres and theatre artists and promotes educational opportunities, audience appreciation, and civic pride in the achievements of the theatre community. Each year the Jeff Awards evaluates over 250 theatrical productions and holds two awards ceremonies. Originally chartered to recognize only Equity productions, the Jeff Awards established the Non-Equity Wing in 1973 to celebrate outstanding achievement in non-union theatre. The next Non-Equity awards ceremony will be held on June 4, 2011, at the Park West.

2011 EQUITY JEFF AWARD NOMINEES

PRODUCTION - PLAY - LARGE
- "Chinglish" - Goodman Theatre
- "Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" - Steppenwolf Theatre Company
- "Heartbreak House" - Writers' Theatre
- "The Madness of George III" - Chicago Shakespeare Theater
- "The Outgoing Tide" - Northlight Theatre
- "The Seagull" - Goodman Theatre
- "Travels with My Aunt" - Writers' Theatre

PRODUCTION - PLAY - MIDSIZE
- "The Big Meal" - American Theater Company
- "Frost/Nixon" - TimeLine Theatre Company
- "Edward Albee's The Goat or, Who is Sylvia?" - Remy Bumppo Theatre Company
- "The Importance of Being Earnest" - Remy Bumppo Theatre Company
- "Scorched" - Silk Road Theatre Project
- "To Master the Art" - TimeLine Theatre Company

PRODUCTION - MUSICAL - LARGE
- "42nd Street" - Marriott Theatre
- "Candide" - Goodman Theatre and Shakespeare Theatre Company
- "A Chorus Line" - Marriott Theatre
- "The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess" - Court Theatre
- "Monty Python's Spamalot" - Drury Lane Productions

PRODUCTION - MUSICAL - MIDSIZE
- "The King and I" - Porchlight Music Theatre
- "Merrily We Roll Along" - The Music Theatre Company
- "The Original Grease" - American Theater Company

PRODUCTION - REVUE
- "Shout!" - Marriott Theatre
- "Sky's the Limit (Weather Permitting)" - The Second City e.t.c.

DIRECTOR - PLAY
- James Bohnen - "Edward Albee's The Goat or, Who is Sylvia?" - Remy Bumppo Theatre Company
- Dexter Bullard - "The Big Meal" - American Theater Company
- Stuart Carden - "Travels with My Aunt" - Writers' Theatre
- Louis Contey - "Frost/Nixon" - TimeLine Theatre Company
- Robert Falls - "The Seagull" - Goodman Theatre
- BJ Jones - "The Outgoing Tide" - Northlight Theatre
- Pam MacKinnon - "Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" - Steppenwolf Theatre Company
- Penny Metropulos - "The Madness of George III" - Chicago Shakespeare Theater
- Leigh Silverman - "Chinglish" - Goodman Theatre

DIRECTOR - MUSICAL
- David H. Bell - "Hot Mikado" - Drury Lane Productions
- Gary Griffin - "Meredith Willson's The Music Man" - Marriott Theatre
- Michael Halberstam - "She Loves Me" - Writers' Theatre
- Mark Lococo - "A Chorus Line" - Marriott Theatre
- Charles Newell - "The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess" - Court Theatre
- William Osetek - "Monty Python's Spamalot" - Drury Lane Productions
- Rachel Rockwell - "42nd Street" - Marriott Theatre
- Mary Zimmerman - "Candide" - Goodman Theatre and Shakespeare Theatre Company

ENSEMBLE
- "The Big Meal" - American Theater Company
- "A Chorus Line" - Marriott Theatre
- "Float" - About Face Theatre
- "The Front Page" - TimeLine Theatre Company
- "The Seagull" - Goodman Theatre
- "Sky's the Limit (Weather Permitting)" - The Second City e.t.c.
- "Travels with My Aunt" - Writers' Theatre

ACTOR IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - PLAY
- Brad Armacost (C.S. Lewis) - "Shadowlands" - Provision Theater
- Brad Armacost (Jack) - "The Weir" - Seanachaí Theatre Company
- Harry Groener (George III) - "The Madness of George III" - Chicago Shakespeare Theater
- Terry Hamilton (Richard Nixon) - "Frost/Nixon" - TimeLine Theatre Company
- Tracy Letts (George) - "Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? - Steppenwolf Theatre Company
- John Mahoney (Gunner) - "The Outgoing Tide" - Northlight Theatre
- Nick Sandys (Martin) - "Edward Albee's The Goat or, Who is Sylvia?" - Remy Bumppo Theatre Company
- Nick Sandys (Charles Condomine) - "Blithe Spirit" - First Folio Theatre

ACTOR IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - MUSICAL
- Joe Kinosian (The Suspects) - "Murder for Two - A Killer Musical" - Chicago Shakespeare Theater
- Michael Mahler (Freddy Benson) - "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" - Theatre at the Center
- Geoff Packard (Candide) - "Candide" - Goodman Theatre and Shakespeare Theatre Company
- Stephen Schellhardt (Ko Ko) - "Hot Mikado" - Drury Lane Productions
- Alan Schmuckler (Officer Marcus Moscowicz) - "Murder for Two - A Killer Musical" - Chicago Shakespeare Theater

ACTRESS IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - PLAY
- Karen Aldridge (Iris) - "The Trinity River Plays" - Goodman Theatre
- Annabel Armour (Stevie) - "Edward Albee's The Goat or, Who is Sylvia?" - Remy Bumppo Theatre Company
- Jennifer Lim (Xu Yan) - "Chinglish" - Goodman Theatre
- Lois Markle (A) - "Edward Albee's Three Tall Women" - Court Theatre
- Sandra Marquez (Beatriz) - "26 Miles" - Teatro Vista and Rivendell Theatre Ensemble
- Rondi Reed (Peg) - "The Outgoing Tide" - Northlight Theatre
- Kathy Scambiatterra (Princess Kosmonopolis) - "Sweet Bird of Youth" - The Artistic Home
- Mary Ann Thebus (Mrs. K) - "The Piano Teacher" - Next Theatre Company
- Karen Janes Woditsch (Julia Child) - "To Master the Art" - TimeLine Theatre Company

ACTRESS IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - MUSICAL
- Brianna Borger (Anna Leonowens) - "The King and I" - Porchlight Music Theatre
- Elizabeth Lanza (Ann) - "Meet John Doe" - Porchlight Music Theatre
- Megan McGinnis (Jerusha Abbott) - "Daddy Long Legs" - Northlight Theatre, Cinicinnati Playhouse in the Park, Rubicon Theatre Company, TheatreWorks, David Elzer and Executive Producer Michael Jackowitz
- Jessie Mueller (Miss Adelaide) - "Guys and Dolls" - Marriott Theatre
- Jessie Mueller (Amalia Balash) - "She Loves Me" - Writers' Theatre

ACTOR OR ACTRESS IN A REVUE
- Tim Baltz - "Sky's the Limit (Weather Permitting)" - The Second City e.t.c.
- Tammy Mader - "Shout!" - Marriott Theatre
- Sam Richardson - "South Side of Heaven" - The Second City

SOLO PERFORMANCE
- Barbara Robertson (Alice Conroy) - "The Detective's Wife" - Writers' Theatre

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - PLAY
- Ira Amyx (Noel) - "That Was Then" - Seanachaí Theatre Company
- Lance Baker (Charlie Fox) - "Speed-the-Plow" - American Theater Company
- Marc Grapey (Jerry) - "Edward Albee's At Home at the Zoo" - Victory Gardens Theater
- Francis Guinan (Gary) - "Rantoul and Die" - American Blues Theater i/a/w Stephen Eich, Don Foster, Stuart Ditsky/Adam Ditsky
- Mike Nussbaum (Ben) - "Broadway Bound" - Drury Lane Productions
- John Reeger (Captain Shotover) - "Heartbreak House" - Writers' Theatre

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - MUSICAL
- Sean Blake (Sporting Life) - "The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess" - Court Theatre
- Matthew Crowle (Patsy, Mayor, Guard 2) - "Monty Python's Spamalot" - Drury Lane Productions
- James Earl Jones II (Uncle Henry, Lion) - "The Wiz" - Theatre at the Center
- Ted Louis Levy (The Mikado) - "Hot Mikado" - Drury Lane Productions
- Larry Yando (Pangloss and others) - "Candide" - Goodman Theatre and Shakespeare Theatre Company

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - PLAY
- Annabel Armour (Ann) - "Edward Albee's At Home at the Zoo" - Victory Gardens Theater
- Tracey N. Bonner (Woman 2) - "Home" - Court Theatre
- Mary Beth Fisher (B) - "Edward Albee's Three Tall Women" - Court Theatre
- Diane Kondrat (Bea Ball) - "The Gospel According to James" - Victory Gardens Theater
- Elizabeth Ledo (Tam) - "The Homosexuals" - About Face Theatre
- Diana Simonzadeh (Old Nawal, Nazira) - "Scorched" - Silk Road Theatre Project

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - MUSICAL
- Kate Garassino (Lady Thiang) - "The King and I" - Porchlight Music Theatre
- Heidi Kettenring (Ilona Ritter) - "She Loves Me" - Writers' Theatre
- Gina Milo (The Lady of the Lake) -"Monty Python's Spamalot" - Drury Lane Productions
- Hollis Resnik (Old Lady) - "Candide" - Goodman Theatre and Shakespeare Theatre Company
- Bethany Thomas (Serena) - "The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess" - Court Theatre

NEW WORK - PLAY
- William Brown and Doug Frew - "To Master the Art" - TimeLine Theatre Company
- Darren Canady - "Brothers of the Dust" - Congo Square Theatre Company
- Philip Dawkins - "The Homosexuals" - About Face Theatre
- Bruce Graham - "The Outgoing Tide" - Northlight Theatre
- David Henry Hwang - "Chinglish" - Goodman Theatre
- Patricia Kane - "Float" - About Face Theatre
- Dan LeFranc - "The Big Meal" - American Theater Company
- Caitlin Montanye Parrish with Erica Weiss - "A Twist of Water" - Route 66 Theatre Company

NEW WORK - MUSICAL OR REVUE
- Tim Baltz, Aidy Bryant, Matt Hovde, Brendan Jennings, Jessica Joy, Michael Lehrer, and Mary Sohn - "Sky's the Limit (Weather Permitting)" - The Second City e.t.c.
- Edgar Blackmon, Billy Bungeroth, Holly Laurent, Timothy Edward Mason, Katie Rich, Sam Richardson, and Tim Robinson - "South Side of Heaven" - The Second City
- Joe Kinosian and Kellen Blair - "Murder for Two - A Killer Musical" - Chicago Shakespeare Theater
- Robert Morris, Steven Morris, Joe Shane and Matte O'Brien - "White Noise" - Holly Way, Jay Strommen, Jimmy Mack, Deborah Taylor/Chris Bensinger, Tom Leonardis and Whoopi Goldberg

NEW ADAPTATION - PLAY OR MUSICAL
- Amanda Dehnert - "Peter Pan (A Play)" - Lookingglass Theatre Company
- Laura Eason - "Ethan Frome" - Lookingglass Theatre Company
- Sean Graney -"The Comedy of Errors" - Court Theatre
- Jon Jory - "Sense and Sensibility" - Northlight Theatre
- Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso - "Working" - Jed Bernstein, Dianne Fraser and Sheila Simon Geltzer
- Mary Zimmerman -"Candide" - Goodman Theatre and Shakespeare Theatre Company

CHOREOGRAPHY
- David H. Bell - "Hot Mikado" - Drury Lane Productions
- Tammy Mader - "42nd Street" - Marriott Theatre
- Tammy Mader - "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" - Drury Lane Productions
- Matt Raftery - "Meredith Willson's The Music Man" - Marriott Theatre
- Rachel Rockwell - "A Chorus Line" - Marriott Theatre

ORIGINAL INCIDENTAL MUSIC
- Jenny Giering - "As You Like It" - Chicago Shakespeare Theater
- Andrew Hansen - "In Darfur" - TimeLine Theatre Company
- Andrew Hansen - "To Master the Art" - TimeLine Theatre Company
- Lindsay Jones - "Romeo and Juliet" - Chicago Shakespeare Theater

MUSIC DIRECTION
- Roberta Duchak - "Monty Python's Spamalot" - Drury Lane Productions
- David Kreppel - "Meredith Willson's The Music Man" - Marriott Theatre
- Michael Mahler - "Hot Mikado" - Drury Lane Productions
- Ryan T. Nelson - "A Chorus Line" - Marriott Theatre
- Doug Peck - "42nd Street" - Marriott Theatre
- Doug Peck - "Candide" - Goodman Theatre and Shakespeare Theatre Company
- Doug Peck - "The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess" - Court Theatre

SCENIC DESIGN - LARGE
- David Korins - "Chinglish" - Goodman Theatre
- Jaqueline and Richard Penrod - "The Last Act of Lilka Kadison" - Lookingglass Theatre Company
- Keith Pitts - "Heartbreak House" - Writers' Theatre
- Collette Pollard - "Broadway Bound" - Drury Lane Productions
- Todd Rosenthal - "Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" - Steppenwolf Theatre Company

SCENIC DESIGN - MIDSIZE
- Robert Groth & Jenniffer J. Thusing - "The Weir" - Seanachaí Theatre Company
- Tim Morrison - "Edward Albee's The Goat or, Who is Sylvia?" - Remy Bumppo Theatre Company
- John Musial - "Float" - About Face Theatre
- Jaqueline and Richard Penrod - "The Importance of Being Earnest" - Remy Bumppo Theatre Company
- Collette Pollard - "The Front Page" - TimeLine Theatre Company

LIGHTING DESIGN - LARGE
- Christopher Akerlind - "As You Like It" - Chicago Shakespeare Theater
- John Culbert - "Romeo and Juliet" - Chicago Shakespeare Theater
- Jesse Klug - "Monty Python's Spamalot" - Drury Lane Productions
- Jason Lyons - "White Noise" - Holly Way, Jay Strommen, Jimmy Mack, Deborah Taylor/Chris Bensinger, Tom Leonardis and Whoopi Goldberg
- Jaymi Lee Smith - "Virginia Woolf's Orlando" - Court Theatre

LIGHTING DESIGN - MIDSIZE
- Brian Sidney Bembridge - "The Big Meal" - American Theater Company
- Jeff Glass - "Sweet Bird of Youth" - The Artistic Home
- Sarah Hughey - "Scorched" - Silk Road Theatre Project
- Nic Jones and Jesse Klug - "In Darfur" - TimeLine Theatre Company
- Keith Parham - "Frost/Nixon" -TimeLine Theatre Company

COSTUME DESIGN - LARGE
- Mara Blumenfeld - "Candide" - Goodman Theatre and Shakespeare Theatre Company
- Jacqueline Firkins - "The Comedy of Errors" - Court Theatre
- Jeremy W. Floyd - "Hot Mikado" - Drury Lane Productions
- Susan E. Mickey - "The Madness of George III" - Chicago Shakespeare Theater
- Nancy Missimi - "42nd Street" - Marriott Theatre

COSTUME DESIGN - MIDSIZE
- Mina Hyun-Ok Hong - "Sunday in the Park with George" - Porchlight Music Theatre
- Rachel Lambert - "Romeo and Juliet" - First Folio Theatre
- Bill Morey - "The King and I" - Porchlight Music Theatre
- Lindsey Pate - "The Front Page" - TimeLine Theatre Company
- Melissa Torchia - "The Importance of Being Earnest" - Remy Bumppo Theatre Company

SOUND DESIGN - LARGE
- Mikhail Fiksel - "Travels with My Aunt" - Writers' Theatre
- Andrew Hansen - "Heartbreak House" - Writers' Theatre
- Andrew Hansen - "The Outgoing Tide" - Northlight Theatre
- Andre Pluess - "Virginia Woolf's Orlando" - Court Theatre
- James Savage - "Murder for Two - A Killer Musical" - Chicago Shakespeare Theater

SOUND DESIGN - MIDSIZE
- Barry Bennett - "Hickorydickory" - Chicago Dramatists
- Joseph Fosco - "The New Electric Ballroom" - A Red Orchid Theatre
- Andrew Hansen - "In Darfur" - TimeLine Theatre Company
- Andrew Hansen - "To Master the Art" - TimeLine Theatre Company
- Peter J. Storms - "Scorched" - Silk Road Theatre Project

FIGHT / MOVEMENT DIRECTION
- Matt Hawkins - "Peter Pan (A Play)" - Lookingglass Theatre Company
- Nick Sandys - "Romeo and Juliet" - First Folio Theatre
- Rick Sordelet - "Romeo and Juliet" - Chicago Shakespeare Theater

PROJECTIONS / VIDEO DESIGN
- John Boesche - "A Twist of Water" - Route 66 Theatre Company
- Raj Kapoor - "White Noise" - Holly Way, Jay Strommen, Jimmy Mack, Deborah Taylor/Chris Bensinger, Tom Leonardis and Whoopi Goldberg
- Aaron Rhyne - "Working" - Jed Bernstein, Dianne Fraser and Sheila Simon Geltzer
- Mike Tutaj - "The Detective's Wife" - Writers' Theatre
- Mike Tutaj - "Frost/Nixon" - TimeLine Theatre Company
- Mike Tutaj - "In Darfur" - TimeLine Theatre Company

ARTISTIC SPECIALIZATION
- Tracy Otwell - Toy Theatre Design - "The Last Act of Lilka Kadison" - Lookingglass Theatre Company
- Melissa Veal - Wig and Make-up Design - "The Madness of George III" - Chicago Shakespeare Theater

MULTIPLE NOMINATIONS

BY THEATRE COMPANY
Goodman Theatre -17 (8 with Shakespeare Theatre Company)
TimeLine Theatre - 17
Marriott Theatre - 16
Drury Lane Productions - 15
Chicago Shakespeare Theater - 14
Writers' Theatre - 13
Court Theatre - 12
Northlight Theatre - 8 (1 with Cinicinnati Playhouse in the Park, Rubicon Theatre Company, TheatreWorks, David Elzer and Executive Producer Michael Jackowitz)
Remy Bumppo Theatre Company - 8
American Theater Company - 7
Porchlight Music Theatre - 6
About Face Theatre - 5
Lookingglass Theatre Company - 5
The Second City e.t.c. - 4
Silk Road Theatre Project - 4
Steppenwolf Theatre Company - 4
First Folio Theatre - 3
Seanachaí Theatre Company - 3
Victory Gardens Theater - 3
White Noise Chicago, LLC - 3
The Artistic Home - 2
Jed Bernstein, Dianne Fraser and Sheila Simon Geltzer - 2
Route 66 Theatre Company - 2
The Second City - 2
Theatre at the Center - 2

BY PRODUCTION
"Candide" - 8
"Hot Mikado" - 6
"Monty Python's Spamalot" - 6
"The Outgoing Tide" - 6
"42nd Street" - 5
"The Big Meal" - 5
"A Chorus Line" - 5
"Chinglish" - 5
"Edward Albee's The Goat or, Who is Sylvia?" - 5
"Frost/Nixon" - 5
"The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess" - 5
"The Madness of George III" - 5
"To Master the Art" - 5
"Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? - 4
"Heartbreak House" - 4
"In Darfur" - 4
"The King and I" - 4
"Murder for Two - A Killer Musical" - 4
"Scorched" - 4
"Sky's the Limit (Weather Permitting)" - 4
"Travels with My Aunt" - 4
"Float" - 3
"The Front Page" - 3
"The Importance of Being Earnest" - 3
"Meredith Willson's The Music Man" - 3
"Romeo and Juliet" - Chicago Shakespeare Theater - 3
"The Seagull" - 3
"She Loves Me" - 3
"White Noise" - 3
"As You Like It" - 2
"Broadway Bound" - 2
"The Comedy of Errors" - 2
"The Detective's Wife" - 2
"Edward Albee's At Home at the Zoo" - 2
"Edward Albee's Three Tall Women" - 2
"The Homosexuals" - 2
"The Last Act of Lilka Kadison" - 2
"Peter Pan (A Play)" - 2
"Romeo and Juliet" - First Folio Theatre - 2
"Shout!" - 2
"South Side of Heaven" - 2
"Sweet Bird of Youth" - 2
"A Twist of Water" - 2
"Virginia Woolf's Orlando" - 2
"The Weir" - 2
"Working" - 2

BY INDIVIDUAL
Andrew Hansen - 6
Tammy Mader - 3
Doug Peck - 3
Nick Sandys - 3
Mike Tutaj - 3
Brad Armacost - 2
Annabel Armour - 2
Tim Baltz - 2
David H. Bell - 2
Joe Kinosian - 2
Jesse Klug - 2
Michael Mahler - 2
Jessie Mueller - 2
Jacqueline and Richard Penrod - 2
Collette Pollard - 2
Sam Richardson - 2
Rachel Rockwell - 2
Mary Zimmerman - 2

Drury Lane Theatre Announces 2012-2013 Season

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 10:23:34 -0500

Drury Lane Theatre, known for producing acclaimed, innovative and classic musicals and comedies, announced its 2012-2013 season featuring five glorious films brought to new life on stage. The Tony Award-winning phenomenon Hairspray previews April 12, opens April 19 and runs through June 17; the riveting thriller The 39 Steps previews July 5, opens July 12 and runs through August 26; the effervescent Broadway classic Promises, Promises previews September 6, opens September 13 and runs through October 28; the beloved masterpiece Singin' In The Rain previews November 8, opens November 15 and runs through January 13; and Sunset Boulevard, the triumphant Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, previews January 24, opens January 31 and runs through April 7.

Drury Lane Theatre's 2012 season opens with the smash hit musical comedy Hairspray. Set in 1960s Baltimore, Hairspray is the exuberant story of pleasantly plump teen Tracy Turnblad, who does whatever it takes to fulfill her lifelong dream of appearing on the popular Corny Collins Show. Can this plus-size trendsetter vanquish the program's reigning princess, win the heart of heartthrob Link Larkin, and integrate a television show without denting her fabulous 'do? Hairspray won eight Tony Awards including Best Musical, and inspired the 2007 blockbuster feature film. The New Yorker called Hairspray "Exhilaratingly funny!" and The New York Times raved that "If life were everything it should be, it would be more like Hairspray. It's irresistible!" The upbeat score includes oldies-inspired songs "You Can't Stop the Beat," "Welcome to the 60's," and "Hairspray." The production features music by five-time Oscar nominee Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman, and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan. Hairspray is directed and choreographed by Jeff Award winner Tammy Mader (Choreographer of Drury Lane Theatre's Spamalot and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers) and previews April 12, opens April 19 and runs through June 17, 2012.

A current hit on Broadway and the West End, the thrilling comedy The 39 Steps is adapted from the 1935 Alfred Hitchcock film and the 1915 novel by John Buchan. The story centers on Englishman "Richard Hannay," who inadvertently embarks on a chaotic adventure full of narrow escapes after trying to help a female spy. When he wakes up to find her dead in his apartment, he flees from the police and an espionage organization, desperately trying to find the truth. The 39 Steps features four actors bringing more than 150 characters to life throughout the play, making it a one-of-a-kind production that NBC called "Brilliant!," the New York Post raved is "The most entertaining show on Broadway," and the New York Daily News hailed as "Ingenious!" This fast-paced fun ride is a dizzy delight!" The 39 Steps was adapted for the stage by Patrick Barlow and is the winner of two 2008 Tony Awards, a 2008 Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience, and the 2007 Olivier Award for Best Comedy. The 39 Steps is directed by multi-Jeff Award nominee David New (Drury Lane Theatre's Broadway Bound, Sarah Siddons Award Winner and former Associate Artistic Director at Steppenwolf Theatre) and previews July 5, opens July 12 and runs through August 26, 2012.

The recent Broadway hit Promises, Promises is a smart and sexy musical based on the Oscar-winning 1960 Billy Wilder film The Apartment starring Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine. Set in 1960s Manhattan, Promises, Promises tells the story of Chuck Baxter, an enterprising and charming new employee at Consolidated Life Insurance Company. To work his way up the corporate ladder, Chuck lends executives his apartment for their extramarital romantic trysts. Complications arise when Fran Kubelik, the object of Chuck's affection, becomes the mistress of one of his executives. The Associated Press called Promises, Promises "Exuberantly joyful and consistently witty!" and The Los Angeles Times raved that "Its stylish mix of nostalgia and parody will likely make you thirsty for a Tom Collins!" The original production of Promises, Promises debuted on Broadway in 1968 and ran for 1,281 performances. It was nominated for eight Tony Awards, and the original cast recording was honored with a Grammy Award. The 2010 revival received five Outer Critics Circle nominations, including Outstanding Revival of a Musical. Promises, Promises features a book by the legendary Neil Simon, and a splashy, retro-infused score by the Academy Award-winning team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Rachel Rockwell (Drury Lane Theatre's The Sound of Music, Sweeney Todd and Ragtime), named "Best Director" by Chicago Magazine, directs and choreographs Promises, Promises, previewing September 6, opening September 13 and running through October 28, 2012.

The quintessential Broadway musical masterpiece Singin' In The Rain was hailed as "Blissful!" by the New York Times and "Pure joy...hugely engaging!" by The Telegraph. Featuring exhilarating, toe-tapping dance numbers and an effervescent love story, Singin' In The Rain is a timeless classic with a delightful score including "Good Morning," "Make "em Laugh," and "Singin' in the Rain." Set in glitzy, glamorous Hollywood in the 1920s, this lighthearted and funny tale centers on Don Lockwood, a film star who finds love while navigating the ever-changing world of showbiz. Singin' In The Rain is based on the 1954 film starring Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds, which the American Film Institute named the #1 Greatest Movie Musical of all time and The New York Times called "The happiest movie musical ever made." The production has a book adapted by Betty Comden and Adolph Green with Music by Nacio Herb Brown and Lyrics by Arthur Freed. Singin' In The Rain is directed by Bill Jenkins (Chair of Ball State University's Department of Theatre and Dance and Director of Drury Lane Theatre's Seven Brides for Seven Brothers) and choreographed by Amber Mak and previews November 8, opens November 15 and runs through January 13, 2013.

Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard, based on Billy Wilder's 1950 film with the same name, weaves a magnificent tale of faded glory and unfulfilled ambition. Silent movie star Norma Desmond longs for a return to the big screen, having been discarded by Tinseltown with the advent of "talkies." Her glamour has faded in all but her mind. When Norma meets struggling Hollywood screen-writer Joe Gillis in dramatic circumstances, their subsequent passionate and volatile relationship leads to an unforeseen and tragic conclusion. The New York Times enthused that Sunset Boulevard is "Scored with some of Lloyd Webber's loveliest melodies and designed with an extravagance of mind." Sunset Boulevard was the winner of seven Tony Awards in 1995 and features a breathtaking score by the legendary composer Andrew Lloyd Webber (Evita, The Phantom of the Opera, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat) and a book and lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton. Sunset Boulevard, directed by Drury Lane Theatre's Artistic Director William Osetek (Drury Lane Theatre's smash hit production of Spamalot and Jeff Award nominee for Best Director and Best Production for Thoroughly Modern Millie) and choreographed by Tammy Mader, previews January 24, opens January 31 and runs through April 7, 2013.

The performance schedule is as follows: Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m. ($35), Thursdays at 1:30 p.m. ($35) and 8 p.m. ($40), Fridays at 8:30 p.m. ($45), Saturdays at 5 p.m. ($45) and 8:30 p.m. ($46) and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. ($45) and 6 p.m. ($40). Lunch and dinner theater packages range from $49.75 to $68 depending on the day of the week. Student tickets start as low as $20 and Senior Citizen tickets start as low as $30 for matinees and $44.75 for a matinee luncheon package. For reservations, call the Drury Lane Theatre box office at 630.530.0111, call TicketMaster at 800.745.3000, or visit www.drurylaneoakbrook.com.

Team Colors: Outfitting Sports Fans in Black and Blue

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 16:01:09 -0500

The play's title, Black and Blue, refers to the uniforms worn by Chicago's two baseball teams—black and white for the Sox, Blue and Red for the Cubs—in this world premiere play by Nick Digilio and Anthony Tournis. They are the flags under which brothers Jake and Tommy pledge their respective allegiances. Despite their widower father's attempts to address the needs of his sons, friendly dissent becomes grimly serious after a wager is proposed to decide the merits of their respective clubs. As the years pass, the contest becomes a catalyst for deeper rivalries that threaten to impair the siblings' psychological progress to maturity. "You're a pair of bitter young men turning into bitter old men!" the bartender in their father's tavern warns them.

Family feuds have been founded on less. Theatergoers not sharing this particular obsession may consider ten years devoted to spectator sport-loyalty an exaggeration, but they need only note that Graceland cemetery has a section set aside exclusively for Cubs supporters determined to "root, root, root for the home team" beyond the grave to evidence the stubborn loyalty of the appropriately-dubbed "die-hard fans."

But what a decade of bar-buddies wearing their affiliations on their sleeves (among other places) means for Factory Theater costumer Carla Hamilton is an extensive wardrobe of t-shirts, caps and jackets sufficient to outfit not only Jake and Tommy, but an assortment of strangers wandering into Sonny's tavern—expatriate New Yorkers, single-minded movie buffs, a mixed Cubs/Sox female couple whose sports-savvy teamwork renders them victorious at baseball trivia. And then there is the occasional football or hockey fan proclaiming their chosen champions.

This is a lot of souvenir-stand garb to assemble on a small budget. Fortunately, Hamilton found herself in the hire of a family-style ensemble willing to share the contents of their closets.

"I was incredibly lucky to have a cast both generous and age-diverse," she exults, "Almost all of the sports gear—including some cherished vintage pieces—were lent by the cast and crew members."

So who ended up with whose clothes? "Anthony Tournis, who plays Jake, and Greg Caldwell, who plays Tommy, are wearing their own Cubs and Sox gear. Heidi Grace—one of the women who trounce the boys at trivia—is dressed in a Cubs shirt provided by Laura Deger's Liz, who wears the Blackhawks jersey that Nick [Digilio] brought in. Oh, and our sound designer/managing director Chas Vrba supplied the Bears jersey worn by Papa-Bear Sonny, Brian Amidei."

What about the t-shirts reading "Cubs Suck" and "Future Bulls Fan"? You're not likely to see those in the tourist shops. "Those two I designed and ordered myself off Cafe Press," Hamilton confesses, "And the non-sports items came from nearby thrift shops after we verified the look from photographs taken during the period—from 1997 to 2007—referenced in the play. So yes, we actually had to buy some of the costumes."

Black and Blue continues at Prop Thtr through September 3.

Mary Shen Barnidge
Contributing Writer

The World According To Quinn

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 08:23:53 -0500

Former Saturday Night Live star and Comedy Central regular Colin Quinn is bringing his one-man comedy show Colin Quinn: Long Story Short to Water Tower Place's Broadway Playhouse for a three-week engagement beginning August 24th. Directed by Jerry Seinfeld, Long Story Short was extended twice on Broadway and was nominated for a Drama Desk Award. It ran as an HBO special in April 2011, and Quinn has subsequently toured the show in East Hampton, Philadelphia, Montreal, and New Haven earlier this summer before coming to Chicago.

Long Story Short is Quinn's very own and very brief history of the world, a 75-minute comedic crash course in human civilization (complete with maps and other multimedia) in which Quinn sardonically chronicles the rise and fall of great world empires and the larger-than-life figures who ruled them. From Julius Caesar as a mobster to blinged-out 15th century St. Peter's Basilica as a "Death Row Records release party from the '90s" to America's Founding Fathers' insistence on "the pursuit of happiness" being blamed for Dr. Phil, Quinn spares no one, and his common theme throughout is thus: the best of human intentions ruined, inevitably and hilariously, by the worst of human instincts.

A native of Brooklyn, Quinn began as a stand-up comic in the '80s and served as co-host of MTV's Remote Control game show before joining Saturday Night Live in 1995. On SNL, his characters included Gene the ex-convict and Lenny the Lion, a talking lion obsessed with self-betterment, and he served as the "Weekend Update" anchor from 1998-2000. During this time he also made his Broadway debut in his one-man show Colin Quinn: An Irish Wake, which he co-wrote with comedian Lou DiMaggio. Post-SNL, he is probably best known as the host of Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, a round-table talk show that ran for two seasons on Comedy Central following The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Though he reportedly turned down the role of Scott Evil in Austin Powers (later taken by Seth Green) to focus on his solo work, he has since made sporadic appearances in films such as Night At The Roxbury and Grown-Ups.

Colin Quinn: Long Story Short, directed by Jerry Seinfeld, runs August 24-September 10, 2011 at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place, 175 East Chestnut St. Tickets can be purchased at ticketmaster.com.

Luke Heiden
Contributing Writer

Jersey Boys Return to Chicago

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 07:06:31 -0500

Dates have been announced for Chicago's return engagement of the Tony, Grammy and Olivier Award-winning hit musical JERSEY BOYS, the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. The musical will make its much-anticipated return to Chicago to play the Bank of America Theatre (18 W. Monroe) nine weeks only; April 5 through June 2, 2012.

JERSEY BOYS is the winner of the 2006 Best Musical Tony Award, the 2006 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album, the 2009 Olivier Award for Best New Musical and the 2010 Helpmann Award for Best Musical (Australia). The premier engagement of JERSEY BOYS in Chicago was an overwhelming success running for more than two years, 951 performances and seen by more than one million theatergoers, JERSEY BOYS worldwide has grossed over $1.2 billion dollars and been seen by approximately 13 million people (as of July 17, 2011).

JERSEY BOYS was hailed as "The most exciting musical Broadway has seen in years!" by Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune. "PURE PLATINUM! A SUPERCHARGED KNOCKOUT PRODUCTION!" raves Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun-Times. "THE CROWD GOES WILD," says Ben Brantley, The New York Times. "WILL RUN FOR CENTURIES," exclaims Richard Corliss, Time Magazine.

"We are thrilled to bring JERSEY BOYS home, not a day goes by that someone doesn't ask, 'When are you bringing JERSEY BOYS back?' We can't wait to treat our audiences to the show where everyone leaves smiling" says Eileen LaCario, Vice President of Broadway In Chicago. "We were honored to have JERSEY BOYS in Chicago for more than two years, and look forward to a successful return."

JERSEY BOYS is the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons: Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi. This is the story of how a group of blue-collar boys from the wrong side of the tracks became one of the biggest American pop music sensations of all time. They wrote their own songs, invented their own sounds and sold 175 million records worldwide - all before they were thirty.

Directed by two-time Tony Award-winner Des McAnuff, JERSEY BOYS is written by Academy Award-winner Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, with music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe and choreography by Sergio Trujillo.

JERSEY BOYS opened at the August Wilson Theatre on Broadway to critical acclaim on November 6, 2005. The JERSEY BOYS National Tour opened to rave reviews in San Francisco on December 1, 2006, played a record-breaking run in Los Angeles and is still breaking house records in cities across North America. There are five current productions of JERSEY BOYS: New York, London, Las Vegas, Sydney, Australia, and a US National tour.

The JERSEY BOYS design and production team comprises Klara Zieglerova (Scenic Design), Jess Goldstein (Costume Design), Howell Binkley (winner of the 2006 Tony Award for his Lighting Design of JERSEY BOYS), Steve Canyon Kennedy (Sound Design), Michael Clark (Projections Design), Charles LaPointe (Wig and Hair Design), Steve Orich (Orchestrations) and Ron Melrose (Music Direction, Vocal Arrangements & Incidental Music).

The Original Broadway Cast Recording of JERSEY BOYS, produced by Bob Gaudio, was recently certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. The cast recording is now available on Rhino Records. JERSEY BOYS: The Story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons (Broadway Books) is the official handbook to the smash Broadway hit.

Tickets are available now for groups of 15 or more by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710. JERSEY BOYS is part of the 2012 Spring Season. Individual tickets will go on sale at a later date. Prices and performance schedule are subject to change.

How We Differ: Why Chicago Actors Stand Out

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 22:01:05 -0500

Sweeping Generalizations Alert: This article contains extravagant speculation about the differences between Chicago actors/theaters and their counterparts in Los Angeles and New York City. Sensitive, literal-minded and humorless souls with a preference for nitpicking nuance, factual relativism and reality checks may experience toxic side effects to the broader truths in this playful piece. Consider yourself warned.

So on to this hubristic feast of xenophobia, special pleading and Chicago cheerleading! But, yes, there are legitimate and authentic differences between Chicago actors and their counterparts on the coasts. Stereotypes don't become reliable or cliches convenient for no reason

Though it's clearly a chicken-or-the-egg paradox, Chicago actors inevitably reflect the theater they create (or that shapes them). If our five Tony Awards for regional theater prove anything, it's that ensemble acting is a triumph that comes with the territory. Actors here stick together longer than on either coast, as the results show. New troupes form almost weekly. Older ones can stay together for years, allowing novice thespians to learn their craft by paying their dues and graduating from playing ingenues to impersonating graybeards.

Plus, unlike New York, where Broadway calls the shots, or L.A., where "The Industry" reduces theater productions to "showcases" for individuals, not companies, in Chicago there are safety nets. You can fail without forfeiting your resume. If an actor looks good, it's often because or, rather than despite, the other folks who shared the stage.

Los Angeles is a town that, situated over fault lines that are just waiting to open up and devour the Kodak Theatre during an Oscar ceremony, is mired in a state of denial called California. Now that 3-D has hit the big screen, theater in L.A. is totally expendable, since sharing the same time as well as space as the actors, is much less important than special effects. When the Big One finally hits, it will just seem like a disaster movie taken over the top and out of the studio.

As for New York, "If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere" is strangely left-handed praise: If it's so great, why should it matter where ELSE you make it? It sounds as if you're supposed to go there first to get good, then somewhere else to turn great. (As in HERE...) The big deal about the Big Apple is that success between the Hudson and East rivers inevitably arrives one kudo at a time, as in one Tony Award followed by another.

In Chicago a more proper measure in theatrical success is the Joseph Jefferson Award for ensemble acting: Whether it's non-Equity or union-based, it's one of the happiest moments in either annual prizefest. There's enough communal euphoria and deep-dyed gratitude in the air for that award to levitate the Park West club or the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts. You feel it in the generous thanks from individual recipients to the theaters that gave them a chance and inspired them to rise to their occasion. These are the bonds that make Chicago theater, not just a movable feast, but a communal celebration, opening by opening, run by run, year after year.

In Chicago the theatrical whole is way bigger than its parts, a saving truth that gives a sense of proportion and purpose to the individual achievements of actors, designers, directors and even critics. Industry nights give our Thespians a chance to see what others are doing and measure themselves, not just against their own capacities, but the wide-eyed dreaming of the other troupes around town. Actors may "compare and despair" but it's a friendly rivalry that, like a rising tide, lifts all our boats.

If you see enough shows over a ton of time, as I have, you can see evolution in operation--how the eavesdropping naturalism of Steppenwolf's early days complemented the playful vulgarity of Stuart Gordon's Organic Theater Company, how the "let's make a show" enthusiasm of the Victory Gardens Theater when it began in Wrigleyville was echoed by another theater that also began in the Northside Auditorium Building, Bailiwick Rep (now Chicago). The Body Politic begat a similar artists colony in what used to be called the Theatre Building (now Stage 773), while, one door down, Theatre Wit's new playhouse (formerly Bailiwick's) insures that there are a record six theaters on one block. Short of the eight inside the Denver Theatre Center, that's a record that neither Tinsel Town nor Gotham can equal.

Well, any more grand conclusions and I risk cheapening the currency of commentary... (But you can't say you weren't warned.) Still there's more than Method to our madness. Chicago is a very elemental town-as in vicious winters and blistering summers-that's forced to manufacture its own fantasies. We have no palm trees to provide a semi-tropical escapism. What you see is what you get. In the face of such ruthless realism as seches, blizzards, heat waves, power failures and potholes, our theaters work overtime to create their own saving make-believe. Sure, we can resort to "smoke and mirrors" spectacles like Las Vegas in heat, but our "tricks of the light" ultimately come down to the bedrock definition of theater-"two boards and a passion." The real deal--if we build it they will come.

Lawrence Bommer
Contributing Writer

Salome's Reward: Creating A Severed Head

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 18:28:22 -0500

When death was more public and playhouses bigger, plays frequently featured sensational spectacle difficult to reproduce in modern theaters, where the level of realism achieved in cinema has raised the bar on audience expectations. The biggest obstacle to performing Oscar Wilde's SalomÉ in 2011 is not its Biblical origins, its lyrical language, or even its leading lady's erotic dance, but the graphic decapitation of Iokanaan (the fictional counterpart of John The Baptist) that figures in the play's grisly climax. Not only does the script mandate that this gruesome object resemble the actor playing the martyred saint, but that it be fondled by the actress portraying the temptress responsible for its owner's execution.

Suspension of disbelief decreases in quick proportion to audience proximity, increasing the challenge to National Pastime Theater in preventing playgoers seated within its intimate storefront space venting their nervousness in derisive giggles and groans. Arriving at a solution called for the collaborative efforts of property designer Phillip Denofrio, costume and makeup designer Julia Zayas-Melendez, and fight designers Richard Gilbert and David Gregory, all drawing their collective inspiration from the famous Aubrey Beardsley illustration.

Ironically, the show's violence consultants deny significant influence on the creation of the gory appendage. "All we contributed was some discussion about wrapping a cloth around the base of the skull and not using wet blood," insists Gilbert, "All the credit goes to Phil and Julia."

Denofrio first sculpted the head on a pre-existing mannequin before brushing on plaster, layer by layer, until both the weight and size seemed appropriate. After drying and sanding, the head was painted a skin tone slightly paler than the living Iokanaan's complexion. It was then ready for "dressing."

Using photos of actor Joshua Harris, Zayas-Melendez cut and styled a wig to the shape of his hairline, making Iokanaan's beard from the cuttings. Once the hair was firmly attached, she painted on the eyes and lips. "At first preview, it looked surprisingly realistic—held up full-front, the face was clearly a face," she recalls, "but the bloody fabric I'd chosen for the base wasn't quite right, so it went back to Phil."

"The Beardsley picture shows blood flowing from the neck," Denofrio explains, "so I dirtied up the wrapping-cloth a bit and added the red silk 'ribbons' trailing from the neck when it's picked up, along with a lacquer spray to give it a sweaty appearance."

The final illusion, however, was in the manner of the dismembered head's presentation. The repulsive trophy is brought in from upstage, where it remains for the duration of the scene, the actors initially directing our attention to it for a fleeting moment of horror, before turning away and moving downstage to draw our eyes away from protracted scrutiny of a sight hitherto existing only in our imaginations.

SalomÉ runs through August 20, headlining National Pastime Theater's annual Naked July: Art Stripped Down festival.

Mary Shen Barnidge
Contributing Writer

Nathan Lane and Brian Dennehy to star in The Iceman Cometh

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 18:27:16 -0500

Goodman Theatre Artistic Director Robert Falls announced that he will direct The Iceman Cometh, Eugene O'Neill's epic portrait of hope and disillusionment, running April 22 - June 10, 2012 in the Albert Theatre. Falls' major revival features Tony Award-winning stage and screen stars Nathan Lane as hardware salesman and pipe dream buster Theodore "Hickey" Hickman, and Brian Dennehy as one-time syndicalist-anarchist Larry Slade. Hailed by The New York Times as a "ferocious American classic that has lost none of its power," The Iceman Cometh marked Falls' and Dennehy's first O'Neill collaboration at the Goodman in 1990-a production which featured Dennehy in the role of Hickey.

"I am thrilled to create a new production of O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh-the greatest play by my favorite American playwright, Shakespearean in size, scope and challenge for its ensemble-led by two brilliant actors," said Artistic Director Robert Falls. "Nathan Lane has long expressed his passion for the work of Eugene O'Neill, and more specifically, the challenging leading role of Hickey. My longtime collaborator Brian Dennehy, who triumphed in the same role in 1990 at the old Goodman Theatre, will now assume the role of Larry Slade. It has been a dream of mine to return to this epic drama, and it is a thrill to collaborate with Nathan and Brian."

In The Iceman Cometh, Harry Hope's saloon is home to a ragtag band of drunks and dreamers who celebrate the arrival of Hickey, the charismatic traveling salesman whose raucous presence always ensures a grand good time. But when a newly sober Hickey blows in with a renewed outlook on life, his zealous attempts to fix the lives of his old friends leads to a series of events that are at once devastatingly comic and heartbreaking-and a revelation that threatens to shatter the tenuous illusions that fuel their lives. O'Neill's monumental drama is "as corrosive as rotgut whiskey, as morbidly funny as a funeral gone amok, and as hallucinatory as an alcohol-fueled excursion into purgatory" (Chicago Sun-Times).

Tony Award-winning stage and screen star Nathan Lane recently starred in the Broadway's musical The Addams Family at New York's Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. He will next be seen in the Tarsem Singh-directed The Brothers Grimm: Snow White,alongside Julia Roberts, Lily Collins and Armie Hammer (set for release in 2012). His numerous stage credits include the critically acclaimed production of Waiting for Godot at Studio 54; the Broadway production of David Mamet's hit comedy November; the blockbuster Broadway production of Neil Simon's The Odd Couple; and his wildly acclaimed portrayal of Max Bialystock in The Producers on Broadway, which earned Lane the Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Tony awards for Best Actor in a Musical. Films include Mike Nichols' The Birdcage, The Producers and the voice of Timon in The Lion King.

Brian Dennehy returns to the Goodman, where his credits include Hughie/Krapp's Last Tape (2010); Desire Under the Elms (2009, also on Broadway), Hughie (2004), Long Day's Journey into Night (2002), Death of a Salesman (1998), A Touch of the Poet (1996), The Iceman Cometh (1990, also at Abbey Theatre, Dublin) and Galileo (1986). Broadway credits include Inherit the Wind (2007), Long Day's Journey Into Night (Tony Award for Best Actor, 2003), Death of a Salesman (Tony Award for Best Actor) and Translations (1995). Film credits include The Next Three Days; Alleged, Ratatouille; The Warden; Virtuoso; Tommy Boy; Presumed Innocent; F/X 2; Gladiator; The Belly of an Architect; F/X and Cocoon, among many others.

Tickets to The Iceman Cometh are available now by subscription only; five-play Albert Theatre subscriptions start at $105; eight-play Albert and Owen Theatre subscriptions start at $168. Call 312.443.3800 or visit ExploreTheGoodman.org.

Even Walls Have Ears: Eavesdropping on Redtwist's Bug

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 18:24:24 -0500

Audiences attending Redtwist Theatre's revival of Bug—the first in Chicago since its premiere at Red Orchid in 2001—step off Bryn Mawr Avenue into the storefront playhouse's lobby, then into a hall flanked on one side by an Edward Keinholz-styled facade depicting a motor court in the American Southwest. We proceed through a numbered door to find ourselves in a motel room.

You heard that right. A motel room. Not a cutaway "motel room" replicated in an architecturally-divided auditorium, with seats ranged in tidy rows at one side, but a nearly full-scale single-occupancy transient unit whose corners serve as repositories for the chairs where playgoers will cluster, like literal flies on the wall, for the time it takes for this isolated outpost and its shabby furnishings to be gradually transformed by the tenants into a bunker fortified against unseen terrors.

Director Kimberly Senior recalls first measuring out the play's dimensions and then "squeezing the audience in wherever we could."

"The square footage of a cheap motel room is about two-thirds that of the entire Redtwist performance space," adds scenic designer Jack Magaw, "The size of the bed and the location of an actual bathroom played a role in deciding how we apportioned the space, but once Kimberly and I determined where the actors had to be for each scene, whatever was left was where we put the audience."

This reduces playgoers to the status of ambient debris. At one point, an actor reaches over a seated patron to close the window blinds, and the critic for the Tribune spoke of accidentally stepping on a corpse lying at his feet. Was the idea to give us a—well, bug's-eye view of the action?

Both Magaw and Senior felt that physical proximity would heighten the play's suspense and immediacy, as well as reducing the likelihood of, as Senior explains, "judgment based on distance from the characters and their choices,"

"Whatever being 'in the room' may mean to each individual in terms of intimacy," concurs Magaw, "that's what we wanted. And yes, we set up the perimeter from the first rehearsal on to acclimate the actors to their boundaries."

What made them decide to extend the environment to the motel's exterior, complete with dusty potted plants and a neon-lit roadside sign?

"Initially, we wanted to use the street entrance off Bryn Mawr for the motel façade," Magaw admits, "but a lot of important action occurs right in the doorway, forcing actors to cross over too long a distance. The outside world—the noise of passing traffic on the highway, for example—is critical to creating the tension within the room's interior, however, so we kept our original plan, but just kept it all closer together."

Something the production didn't anticipate was extending another month to find itself sharing a set with Polly Stenham's That Face. How does Redtwist propose to reconcile Bug's seedy quarters with a comedy set in a well-to-do English home?

That Face director Michael Colucci has his answer ready. "The family in Stenham's play was well-fixed at one time, but their circumstances have changed. The characters have disintegrated emotionally and their environment has become correspondingly distressed. To de-Bug-ify the set, the walls and carpet remain the same, but have attention drawn away from them by means of strategically-placed flourishes—a large rock-and-roll poster, for example."

(Bug continues at Redtwist through July 31, running in repertory with That Face, through August 14.)

Mary Shen Barnidge
Contributing Writer

The Return Of Sherlock Holmes: Actors Repeating Roles

Thu, 9 Jun 2011 10:04:20 -0500

Acting the same character in the same play is one thing, but tailoring a persona to the demands of different authors, directors and artistic concepts over a series of productions is quite another. A quartet of Chicago actors whose resumÉs list multiple portrayals of heroes drawn from classic genre fiction weigh in on the joys—and headaches—of wearing the same personality over several seasons.

The record-holder for repeat roles is Mark Richard, whose appearances in the role of Bertie Wooster, P.J. Wodehouse's bumbling English playboy, span seven fully staged productions between 1986 and 2000, in spaces ranging from a conference room in the Cultural Center to the boathouse-sized mainstage of the legendary Ivanhoe Theatre complex.

"The blessing of inhabiting the same character every year, with new scripts, new directors and new cast members," recalls Richard, "is that it allowed me—and Page Hearn, who took over the role of Jeeves from Kenneth Northcott in 1995—to develop a performing relationship facilitated by a kind of mutual shorthand based in our knowledge of what to expect from each other."

Peter Greenberg portrayed Lord Peter Wimsey, Dorothy Sayers' detective hero, in four adaptations by Frances Limoncelli for Lifeline Theatre between 2001 and 2009, three of them with Jennifer Tyler playing Wimsey's consort and fellow detective, Harriet Vane. Both readily acknowledge the advantages of having the same adapter for the duration.

"From the beginning, Frances had a clear vision of who these people were and what they wanted," Tyler declares, "and that consistency made our jobs easier."

Greenberg sees it differently, however. "For me, the nicest thing was that Sayers had Lord Peter mature over the years, so that he's not the same in each story. Frances wanted to tell a story over the whole series, yes, but that motivated her to focus the individual plays in ways that multiple adapters might not have."

The latest actor to take on a repeat character is Don Bender, now making his third appearance in the role of Sherlock Holmes in The Sign of the Four for City Lit Theater. Did he encounter discrepancies between adaptations?

"Any discrepancies I found arose from Doyle himself," Bender shrugs, "For example, the Holmes in Sign of the Four isn't as weary as in Hound of the Baskervilles, nor as confident as in A Scandal In Bohemia. At the beginning of this latest play, Holmes is retreating into cocaine to escape what he calls the 'dull routine of existence', and later he quotes from Goethe, Winwood Reade and J.P. Richter as he muses on the 'strange enigma' that is Man."

Do actors get bored playing the same character again and again? "Never!" asserts Tyler, "Harriet Vane is a fascinating woman—always a pleasure and a challenge to play", while Greenberg concurs, "Even after four plays in eight years, I was still looking for ways to make Lord Peter more comprehensible."

Richard flatly rejects the notion of familiarity breeding contempt. "How can loving and being loved be boring? I loved Bertie and Jeeves, and so did the audiences. By 2000, however," he notes, ruefully, "I had a son, a day job, and I was older, stouter and balder than I thought Bertie should be."

This brings up the uncomfortable subject of actors eventually becoming too old for their roles—but Sherlock Holmes isn't really an age-specific character. Could Bender be happy playing the supersleuth for another decade or two?

"The question is really whether I would be cast as the character—an actor can play whatever he's given-and I'm aware that I will probably age out of the traditional view of Holmes eventually," Bender acknowledges, "Even so, I'd have to say no—Holmes is a great joy to act, but I wouldn't want to restrict myself to the exclusion of other roles."

Mary Shen Barnidge
Contributing Writer

Recipients of 38th Annual Jeff Non-Equity Awards

Tue, 7 Jun 2011 08:14:57 -0500

At its 38th annual celebration of Chicago's non-union theatre scene, the Jeff Awards honored 27 award recipients for excellence Monday evening at the Park West. The event, emceed by Circle Theatre's Kevin Bellie for the second consecutive year, featured production numbers by the nominated musicals and presentation of awards, two of which were delivered by robots. The robots, created for Sideshow Theatre Company's "Heddatron," earned their creators an award for Robot Design and Engineering in the Artistic Specialization category, shared with Izumi Inaba, who received an award for makeup design for "Cats" at Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre in association with Michael James.

Top honors for outstanding play and musical went to Redtwist Theatre for Tracy Letts' "Man from Nebraska" and The Hypocrites' unique take on "Cabaret," which featured actress Jessie Fisher as the traditionally male Emcee, garnering her the award for Principal Actress in a Musical. "Man from Nebraska's" lead, Chuck Spencer, took home the honor for Principal Actor in a Play. The coveted Ensemble award went to "Shakespeare's King Phycus" by The Strange Tree Group in association with The Lord Chamberlain's Men.

In the Principal Actress in a Play category there was a tie between Caroline Neff, for Steep Theatre's "The Brief History of Helen of Troy" (who was also nominated in the same category for "Port," with Griffin Theatre Company) and Nicole Wiesner for her performance of a schizophrenic role in Trap Door Theatre's "The First Ladies." Principal Actor in a Musical honors went to Andrew Mueller as Huck Finn in Bohemian Theatre Ensemble's "Big River." Director of a Play also yielded a tie, with the awards going to James Palmer for Red Tape Theatre's "The Love of the Nightingale" and Jimmy McDermott for Strange Tree's "The Three Faces of Dr. Crippen," which also earned a New Work award for playwright Emily Schwartz.

Lifeline Theatre continued its winning streak in the New Adaptation category with the award to Robert Kauzlaric for "Neverwhere." In the Director of a Musical category Matt Hawkins was honored for "Cabaret, and Brenda Didier for Cats." Brenda Didier added to her laurels for Choreography for "Cats" and Theo Ubique scored again for Music Direction with the award to Austin Cook for his work on "Some Enchanted Evening: The Songs of Rodgers and Hammerstein."

Among the companies represented, The Hypocrites walked away with the most awards (6) - 5 for "Cabaret," followed by Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre in association with Michael James with 5. Reflecting the growing depth and breadth of Chicago's non-union theatre scene, the awards were presented to a larger number of companies than usual.

The gala evening was presented by the Joseph Jefferson Awards Committee under the leadership of Glenn Z. Hering, Chair, and produced by Douglas Bradburd, Non-Equity Wing Chair. The Jeff Awards has been honoring outstanding theatre artists annually since it was established in 1968. With 50 members representing a wide variety of backgrounds in theatre, it is committed to celebrating the vitality of Chicago area theatre by recognizing excellence through its recommendations, awards, and honors. The Jeff Awards fosters the artistic growth of area theatres and theatre artists and promotes educational opportunities, audience appreciation, and civic pride in the achievements of the theatre community. Jeff members evaluate over 250 theatrical productions and hold two awards ceremonies annually. Originally chartered to recognize only Equity productions, the Jeff Awards established the Non-Equity Wing in 1973 to celebrate outstanding achievement in non-union theatre. The next Jeff Equity Awards Ceremony, honoring productions presented under union contracts, will be held on Monday, November 7, 2011, at Drury Lane Oakbrook in Oakbrook Terrace.

COMPLETE LIST OF 2011 Non-Equity Jeff Award RECIPIENTS:

PRODUCTION - PLAY
"Man from Nebraska" - Redtwist Theatre

PRODUCTION - MUSICAL
"Cabaret" - The Hypocrites

DIRECTOR - PLAY (Tie)
Jimmy McDermott - "The Three Faces of Dr. Cripppen" - The Strange Tree Group

James Palmer - "The Love of the Nightingale" - Red Tape Theatre

DIRECTOR - MUSICAL (Tie)
Brenda Didier - "Cats" - Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre i/a/w Michael Jame8
Matt Hawkins - "Cabaret" - The Hypocrites

ENSEMBLE
"Shakespeare's King Phycus" - The Strange Tree Group i/a/w The Lord Chamberlain's Men

ACTOR IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - PLAY
Chuck Spencer - "Man from Nebraska" - Redtwist Theatre

ACTOR IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - MUSICAL
Andrew Mueller - "Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" - Bohemian Theatre Ensemble

ACTRESS IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - PLAY (Tie)
Caroline Neff - "The Brief History of Helen of Troy" - Steep Theatre Company

Nicole Wiesner - "The First Ladies" - Trap Door Theatre

ACTRESS IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - MUSICAL
Jessie Fisher - "Cabaret" - The Hypocrites

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - PLAY
Brian Parry - "Shining City" - Redtwist Theatre

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - MUSICAL
Courtney Crouse -"Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn " - Bohemian Theatre Ensemble

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - PLAY
Sara Pavlak - "Agnes of God" - Hubris Productions

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - MUSICAL OR REVUE
Kate Harris - "Cabaret " - The Hypocrites

NEW WORK
Emily Schwartz - "The Three Faces of Dr. Crippen" - The Strange Tree Group

NEW ADAPTATION
Robert Kauzlaric - "Neverwhere" - Lifeline Theatre

CHOREOGRAPHY
Brenda Didier - "Cats" - Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre i/a/w Michael James

ORIGINAL INCIDENTAL MUSIC
Chris Gingrich, Henry Riggs, Thea Lux, and Tara Sissom - "That Sordid Little Story" - The New Colony

MUSIC DIRECTION
Austin Cook - "Some Enchanted Evening: The Songs of Rodgers and Hammerstein" - Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre i/a/w Michael James

SCENIC DESIGN
Alan Donahue - "Neverwhere" - Lifeline Theatre

LIGHTING DESIGN
Jared Moore - "No Exit" - The Hypocrites

COSTUME DESIGN (Tie)
Matt Guthier - "Cats" - Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre i/a/w Michael James

Alison Siple - "Cabaret" - The Hypocrites

SOUND DESIGN
Mikhail Fiksel - "Neverwhere" - Lifeline Theatre

ARTISTIC SPECIALIZATION
Glen Aduikas, Rick Buesing, Mike Fletcher, Salvador Garcia, Stuart Hecht, David Hyman, Terry Jackson, Don Kerste, Bruce Phillips, Al Schilling, Lisi Stoessel, and Eddy Wright - Robot Design and Engineering - "Heddatron" - Sideshow Theatre Company

Izumi Inaba - Makeup Design - "Cats" - Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre i/a/w Michael James

STATISTICS
In the Season ended March 31, 2011, the Jeff Awards Committee judged the opening nights of 146 non-Equity productions from 62 producing organizations. Of these, 62 productions were "Recommended" by the opening night judges and became eligible for nominations in all categories..

Total Nominations for 2010 - 2011 Season - 106

Total Categories - 23

Total Number of Companies receiving nominations - 32

Total Number of Awards - 28 (including 4 ties and 1 double Award in a non-competitive category)

MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS - COMPANIES
The Hypocrites - 6

Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre i/a/w Michael James - 5

Lifeline Theatre - 3

Redtwist Theatre - 3

The Strange Tree Group - 3 (one i/a/w The Lord Chamberlain's Men)

Bohemian Theatre Ensemble - 2

MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS - PRODUCTIONS
"Cabaret" - 5

"Cats" - 4

"Neverwhere" - 3

"Big River" - 2

"Man from Nebraska" - 2

MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS - INDIVIDUALS
Brenda Didier - 2

Live From The Jeff Awards

Tue, 31 May 2011 10:45:22 -0500

Eric Roach and Anderson Lawfer, curators and founders of the insider Chicago Theatre blog Reviews You Can Iews! and writers for TheatreInChicago, will be hosting a "Red Carpet" style event from the Park West Theater at the 38th annual Joseph Jefferson Awards on June 6th, 2011 that will be streamed live and can be seen right here at TheatreInChicago.com.

The production will be handled by Brad Little and Ben Fuchsen from Oracle Theatre Productions who have live streamed other theatrical events in Chicago including a recent performance of Woyzeck from the Oracle Theatre. Mike Ooi will be directing the night's festivities with the help of guest liason David Seeber.

With their irreverent blend of comedy and knowledge of the theatre world in Chicago, Eric & Andy, two working actors and sometimes critics, will be interviewing their peers and colleagues in a 1 hour interview special for the first time ever.

Not in decades has the Jeff Awards allowed coverage of this scope, as people at home will be able to tune in for free and watch the red carpet rituals in a meet-and-greet hour of the city's most prestigious awards for the Theatre Arts.

Coverage will begin at 6:00pm from inside the fabulous Park West Theater and last for a non-stop action filled 60 minutes that will include interviews of presenters, nominees, theatre personalities and heavyweights.

You will have to tune in to see what happens, but be sure it will be exciting and add a level of distinction to these already revered awards!

Just tune in for free here at TheatreInChicago.com on June 6 at 6:00pm for all of the information and highlights as it will be live streamed and also available to watch afterwards.

The 38th Anniversary Non-Equity Jeff Awards Ceremony will be held on Monday, June 6, 2011, at the Park West, 322 W. Armitage, Chicago, IL. Doors open for a cash bar at 6:00pm., with a light buffet at 6:30pm., and the presentation ceremony at 7:30pm. Tickets are $40 in advance, $45 at the door. The ceremony will honor excellence in Chicago theatres not under a union contract for productions that opened between April 1, 2010, and March 31, 2011. A complete list of this year's nomination can be found here.

Also, make sure to follow the backstage gossip and behind the scenes info during the ceremony by following the Jeff Awards on twitter at twitter.com/josephjefferson.

Flipping Wigs at Navy Pier with George III

Mon, 23 May 2011 09:06:31 -0500

In Alan Bennett's big-cast historical drama, The Madness of George III, the stage picture often resembles (to our yankee eyes, anyway) portraits of our nation's Founding Fathers—aka "old men in white wigs". The primary reason for this dÉjÀ vu is the play's setting in late 18th century England, when fashionable members of the royal court habitually sported abundant tresses, real or false, crimped into various shapes and floured to a chalky hue. Beyond period authenticity, however, the multiplicity of artificial coiffures are also necessitated by double, or even triple, casting—an expediency requiring actors to exit as one character, only to appear seconds later as another.

Add to these elements the reluctance of many modern actors to follow our ancestors' practice of shaving their heads to facilitate hygiene in proximity with headgear that was, in those less fastidious times, hot, heavy or even vermin-infested, and Melissa Veal, Chicago Shakespeare Theater's resident wig designer, clearly has her work cut out for her.

Some of the male characters are seen onstage without their wigs, and so, Veal explains, they are given "hedge hog haircuts (very short as per the period)". The other actors in the show tuck their own hair away however they prefer, using headbands or surgical elastic to increase the gripping strength. Even with these preparations, however, the wigs can become very warm—so much that "the men in the very large yak hair wigs take them off when they are not on stage."

Did she just say yak hair? "In this show, we have three different wigs. Yak hair, human hair and synthetic. The lace caps are wefted with one of these three kinds of hair." But George III also calls for wigs that are supposed to look like wigs, and for these, Veal and her staff converted several ready-mades into hard-front wigs—where the hair stops abruptly in a rolled edge, as opposed to lace-fronts, where the strands are blended into a hairline attached to a transparent base that is then glued to the wearer's forehead.

Obviously these wigs are not the one-size-fits-all affairs available in beauty shops. Of course, says Veal, it's "great" if an actor's wig size should happen to match something already in the theater's stock, but otherwise, a head-wrap measuring the actor's head from every angle ascertains that each wig is fitted to the individual wearer. "They [the wigs] need daily maintenance, [so] the rolls are kept in place with bobby pins."

And what does "daily maintenance" entail? "The wig laces are cleaned with 91% isopropyl alcohol after every performance. Some are washed once in a while for re-sets. I always...try to make it as cool and comfortable as possible for the actors."

The Madness of George III runs through June 12 at Chicago Shakespeare Theater at Navy Pier.

Mary Shen Barnidge
Contributing Writer

Eric and Andy Interview the Great Heather Gilbert!

Mon, 9 May 2011 10:23:01 -0500

If you need some lighting design in this town, there are only a few places to look. One of the leading artists in this field is the beautiful and luxurious Heather Gilbert. We had a chance to talk to her about lighting, prom, and listen to some great war stories from the past! She joined us on the site of our prom, themed "The Great Ball of China".

Hey Heather! Thanks for joining us at New Trier High and this sweet prom, which has the awesomest theme we could think up! "The Great Ball of China"!

Thanks for having me. I used to have a plan to light proms one day. Never quite worked out. And here we are.

Well, we only do high school proms...real tasteful.

My mom would be happier with that career choice, I would imagine.

What kind of proms are you into?

Well, I was really only planning on lighting it. Proms have always had such poor lighting, wouldn't you say? Although one of my directors that I work with likes to quote BOOGIE NIGHTS when Ricky Jay says "There are shadows" in reference to the prom shoot. And Burt Reynolds says, "There are shadows in life, man." So maybe prom lighting is perfect after all.

It's actually "There are shadows in life, BABY." And then he asks about a woman's corsage. I'm pretty familiar with that film. But, whatever, why don't you tell these people what you are working on right now?

The Detective's Wife at Writers Theatre. It is a one actor play by Keith Huff directed by Gary Griffin starring the amazing Barbara Robertson.

Those are some really big names, though to be honest, I've never been too crazy about the name Keith. Is he a nice guy?

He is. I am a little atwitter working with him and he is so freaking cool. Calms my nerves on the pressure, you know. And my best friend in lighting design is names Keith so I am partial to the name already.

Why don't you tell us about some of your favorite shows you have worked on.

Well, it seems a little obvious to use this one, but of course OUR TOWN. That one was just amazing. Amazing actors, the whole idea. We hung three different versions of the light plot trying to get the perfect idea for the show, to match the amazing work the actors were doing.

The first meeting for the show ended up at a bar (what??? in theatre???) and it was me and Alison Siple (the finest designer in the world) and Jonathan Mastro (the finest person in the world), David Cromer (the genius), and Rachel Walsh (the real brains behind our operation) and we drank beers and ate sausage and David quoted the play and we all got to know each other more and we talked about the play for a long time. On the way home I sent David a text that said, "that was magic, right? something just happened that was magic?" and he wrote back, :"I know!" And we are doing the play again in January, 4 years later so....

And then STREETCAR where we talked about Blanche's trunk for so long when David was in town that Collette Pollard and I had to fly to NY to design the show because we forgot to talk about what the play looked like--we were just too excited talking about the characters.

And RED NOSES with Matty Hawkins because I just loved that process. He goes up on stage and acts the whole thing out for me. It's pretty awesome.

Matt Hawkins likes to wear women's Spanx. But, that show was really great and the lights were awe-inspiring.

He wears women's Spanx under those crazy ripped up "tech pants" (Hawkins is known to wear the holiest jeans on the planet for tech week) he has. So we all can see. I thought the acting was pretty awe-inspiring myself....

Listen, here's what you need to know. Matt Hawkins wears women's underpants and he also loves bubble baths. Speaking of bubble baths, it's almost time for our big dance number in the bubble bath at our awesome teen prom. Do you wanna be in it?

Can I light it? I am better lighting things than being in them.

You can be a Chinese chaperone. Just bring in the punch bowl and put that fresnel over on the tree.

Sounds good to me!

Heather, were you ever an actress and how did you get involved in lighting? You know I'm always so surprised when somebody decides to be a lighting designer because it is so much more thankless than say, costuming or directing.

I was not an actress. I did a few horrible scenes in college when they force you to. I hung lights for a class in college, then registered last the next semester and not surprisingly LIGHTING was open. My friend Emily conned me into taking it. And I just kind of loved it. My knack for geometry and love of literature and story telling somehow all came together. I am the kind of person who takes pictures of light that I love and texts them to people whether it is light through a window, light in my hallway, light on a billboard. And I feel like my job is to support the actors and they seem to appreciate me so that's all I need. Although the NY Times called my design for STREETCAR extraordinary and I will admit I memorized that and still drop that when I can find a reason...

Tell me your favorite story about something going horribly wrong.

Well, every designer I know has had at least one show that tanked and had to be done under work lights. Which isn't a bad thing because nothing makes people appreciate the lighting designer more than seeing the show under work lights.... but my favorite....hmmmmm.

Years ago I ran light board for a show called SWEET AND HOT--I think someone revived it in Chciago this year. It was at Berkshire Theatre Festival and it was gonna go to La Jolla Playhouse and then to Broadway. Des McAnuff came to see it and this was like a week after TOMMY won all those Tonys. So he is watching and I am hitting that computer GO button when suddenly the monitor does something weird and the next time I hit go the lights plunge to black. We get it back going, the lights are freaking out, doing whatever they want. Fancy Tony guy watching. Crazy. Intermission hits, everyone is consulting, freaking out. We get done. Sigh. Over. Then the director comes over and asks why there was a weird cue in one of the songs. ONE OF THE SONGS???? Anyway. It did go to La Jolla. It did not go to Broadway.

That's too bad. At least Des didn't ruin your career, because I hear he does that just for kicks. So during your last story, we were dressing in these bad ass samurai armors from the Ming Dynasty, and you haven't said boo. What gives?

I was trying to decide on the perfect gel color to fix what ails you. a little pink? Some R33?

A Klieg light right on the helmet should suffice. But, that's an amateur choice, I know. Well go ahead and get dressed for your part! You are our Geisha chaperone. Do you have soft hands?

I have been touching burning hot lights since I was 17 years old. Sadly no.

Well, it will have to do. Thanks for the interview, Man Hands, and can't wait to see your next show!

I do have the girliest hair in town though. Or biggest. Thanks!

Eric Roach, Anderson Lawfer

Eric Roach and Anderson Lawfer are the founders of www.Reviewsyoucaniews.blogspot.com

Filament's Marketplace: A Personal Approach To Selling Tickets

Wed, 4 May 2011 11:28:33 -0500

The purchase of a ticket to a live theatrical production (or any entertainment event, for that matter) is a largely anonymous ritual: you go online, select a ticket that you want at a price arbitrarily set by a producer you never see, present that ticket at the box office, and hope that you haven't wasted your money. It's a system that works, to be sure, or people wouldn't use it, but the folks at Filament Theatre Ensemble felt something was lacking. A personal something.

To that end, they have developed the Filament Marketplace, billed as an "exchange of goods" whose goal is to erase the distance between artist and audience. In effect, it does away with the consumer-based ticket model and turns every audience member into a sponsor with an investment in the production. "It helps make theatre, and the act of going to see live theatre, a community experience versus a faceless financial transaction," says Filament Artistic Director Julie Ritchey.

As an example of how this works, consider Filament's current production of Eurydice, playing at the Lacuna Artist Loft Studios in Pilsen. This performance space costs Filament a total of $3000 for the entire run. The Filament Marketplace divides the cost of renting the space into 100 "sponsorships", worth $30 each. So instead of simply paying $30 per person for the privilege of coming down to Pilsen and seeing Eurydice, a patron may elect to donate $30 towards sponsoring 1/100th of the cost of renting the space. In return for this sponsorship, that patron is entitled to a seat at the show (thus the sponsorships are not tax deductible, although this may change in the future as the concept evolves).

If a $30 sponsorship is more than you can afford, no worries. On the Marketplace site is a list of items that it takes to put on one performance of Eurydice, with the cost broken down into "shares" with varying prices, from $10 to $35. So if $10 is your limit, then you may elect to sponsor, for instance, one copy of the script for an actor or designer, which costs $10. $20 is the most you can pay? $20 will sponsor a portion of an actor's stipend.

The intent is twofold: first, to create a personal connection for the audience by empowering them to choose what aspect of live theatre they are interested in supporting, and then allowing them to directly witness the fruits of that sponsorship; second, to maintain financial transparency by showing patrons exactly where their money is going, as well as laying bare the true costs of mounting a theatrical production.

It should be noted, however, that all Filament productions are general seating; sponsoring a higher-cost item will not buy you a better seat. Nor is it "pay what you can"; there is a minimum. But that doesn't mean that everyone is simply opting for the cheapest item; Filament says that the median purchase price actually "leans [to the] higher" end of the scale. Furthermore, Ritchey says that audience members have approached her before and after the show to share with her what they contributed. And it's not always money: one patron donated the tricycle used by the Lord of the Underworld character. The motley assortment of chairs that make up the audience seating area have almost as many different origins. All of which suggests that the Filament Marketplace is so far achieving its goal: turning the act of performing and seeing live theatre into a shared community experience.

For more information, please visit www.filamenttheatre.org or the Filament Marketplace page directly

A Hare-aclitean Saga: Acting Like Rabbits In Watership Down

Mon, 2 May 2011 16:07:06 -0500

Richard Adams' Watership Down is an epic saga of a community driven from their land and forced to explore unknown territories in search of a new home. After a journey fraught with danger and uncertainty as they encounter a diversity of strangers, some friendly and some hostile, our pilgrims discover their opportunity to make a fresh start, but must then face the challenge of finding mates to establish a settlement. Oh, and by the way—we are in England's Yorkshire and our intrepid heroes are rabbits.

You heard me—rabbits. Bugs, Thumper, Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail rabbits. And while Lifeline Theatre has plenty of experience in transforming human actors into animals endowed with the psychological complexity of Shakespearean princes—in 2003's Far From The Madding Crowd and more recently, in the Jeff-winning 2007 adaptation of H.G. Wells' The Island of Dr. Moreau—how will they deal with the anthropomorphic restrictions of lupine physiques?

"I thought about the film called The Warriors," costume designer Aly Renee Amidei confides, "Each gang has their own 'uniform', but with personalized variations within the group, and this inspired me to give each warren its own distinctive 'look', reflecting its culture and lifestyle. The fugitive Sandleford rabbits have a street-grunge vibe, for example, while the police-state Efrafa rabbits are definitely militaristic. Other warrens might sport preppy fashions, or a beatnik aesthetic modeled on Andy Warhol's Factory days."

But more than wardrobe is needed to convey the appropriate level of orientation to this fantasy world. Movement Designer Paul Holmquist turned to footage from the internet in studying how rabbits interact with each other, adapting gestures based on their movements to normal non-verbal communication. "We [actors] don't use our fingers for pointing, instead keeping our hands closed, like paws. We shiver. We tilt our heads or stretch our necks to express certain emotions. We hop, yes—but there's no squatting with our fists underneath our chins."

And how about that final battle with the ruthless Efrafa army, when the rabbits must fight in Full Furry Jacket mode? "Rabbits will run to ground when confronted by a larger predator," explains David Gregory of R & D Violence Designers, "but fights between rabbits are characterized by great leaping charges. They will, literally, crash into one another and roll on the ground while locked in struggle. So we focus on grapples, takedowns and leg-strikes initiated at angles reflecting extreme peripheral vision—did you know that rabbits have almost 360-degree vision owing to their eyes being on the sides of their heads?—often preceded by a "freeze' just before launching an attack. Rabbits have very strong front and back talons for digging, but except for claw rakes, we don't use hands much. And while rabbits also have very strong teeth, the image of one actor biting another is not the artistic picture we want"

That artistic picture is what will ultimately determine the production's success. Adapter John Hildreth and director Katie McLean Hainsworth are adamant in their insistence that Richard Adams' fable was conceived as a mythical journey of conflict and challenges addressing human beings—"and many other species, too," adds Hainsworth, "Our goal was for actors, not to mimic rabbit behavior, but to interpret it, making the question of how to create the 'rabbit universe' our paramount concern, guiding every discipline toward rendering the story effective and efficient."

Watership Down is scheduled to run at Lifeline Theatre through June 19.

Mary Shen Barnidge
Contributing Writer

Jeff Awards Announces 2011 Non-Equity Nominations

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 08:20:15 -0500

The Jeff Awards announced 106 nominations in 23 categories for Non-Equity Jeff Awards, which honor excellence in Chicago theatres not under a union contract, for productions that opened between April 1, 2010, and March 31, 2011. The Jeff Awards judged the opening nights of 146 productions offered by 62 non-Equity producing organizations and recommended 62 shows for further judging, making them eligible for Non-Equity Jeff Award nominations in all categories. A record 32 theatre companies received nominations.

The Hypocrites, with a bold season of 3 completely different types of productions in 3 rental locations, earned 14 nods, the most of any theatre company. "Cabaret," a story set amid the rise of Nazism in 1930's Germany, received 7; "The Pirates of Penzance," with a Caribbean take on the Gilbert and Sullivan standard, had 4; and "No Exit," Sartre's dramatic exploration of hell, had 3.

The Glenwood Avenue Arts District in Chicago's far north Rogers Park neighborhood continued its recent streak of garnering a large percentage of nominations. Among producing organizations, Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre in Association with Michael James received 12 and Lifeline Theatre received 9. Top-nominated productions for Theo Ubique included "Cats," with 8, staged on a platform in a storefront and 2 each for their 2 long-running revues, "Some Enchanted Evening: The Songs of Rodgers and Hammerstein" and "Sweet and Hot: The Songs of Harold Arlen." Lifeline's new adaptation of "Neverwhere," based on the acclaimed BBC TV series "London Below," earned 7 nominations.

Redtwist Theatre, reflecting a season of critically acclaimed and extended shows, received 7 total nominations, including Production-Play nods for "Lobby Hero," about the clash between honesty and loyalty; for "Man From Nebraska," Tracy Lett's play about a mid-life crisis of faith; and for Albee's "A Delicate Balance." The hit "Boojum! Nonsense, Truth and Lewis Carroll," based on Carroll's epic poem "The Hunting of the Snark," by Chicago DCA Theater, Caffeine Theatre, and Chicago Opera Vanguard had 6 nominations. Griffin Theatre received a total of 6, including 3 for its hit production of the classic "Stage Door" and 2 for the musical "Company." Reflecting an ever-widening base of talented artists now working in Chicago, no individual received more than 2 nominations.

The 38th Anniversary Non-Equity Jeff Awards Ceremony will be held on Monday, June 6, 2011, at the Park West, 322 W. Armitage, Chicago, IL. Doors open for a cash bar at 6:00 p.m., with a light buffet at 6:30 p.m., and the presentation ceremony at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $40 in advance, $45 at the door. A group rate of $35 is available for parties of 10 or more. Festive cocktail attire is suggested, and the public is cordially invited. Tickets may be purchased on-line with a credit card at www.jeffawards.org or by mail.

The Jeff Awards has been honoring outstanding theatre artists annually since it was established in 1968. With 50 members representing a wide variety of backgrounds in theatre, the Jeff Awards is committed to celebrating the vitality of Chicago area theatre by recognizing excellence through its recommendations, awards, and honors. The Jeff Awards fosters the artistic growth of area theatres and theatre artists and promotes educational opportunities, audience appreciation, and civic pride in the achievements of the theatre community. The Jeff Awards evaluates over 250 theatrical productions and holds two awards ceremonies annually. Originally chartered to recognize only Equity productions, the Jeff Awards established the Non-Equity Wing in 1973 to celebrate outstanding achievement in non-union theatre. The next Equity Awards Ceremony, honoring productions presented under union contracts, will be held on Monday, November 7, 2011, at the Drury Lane Oakbrook in Oakbrook Terrace.

2011 Non-Equity Jeff Award Nominees

PRODUCTION - PLAY

"A Delicate Balance" - Redtwist Theatre
"Lobby Hero" - Redtwist Theatre
"Stage Door" - Griffin Theatre Company
"The Love of the Nightingale" - Red Tape Theatre
"Man From Nebraska" - Redtwist Theatre
"The Master and Margarita" - Strawdog Theatre Company

PRODUCTION - MUSICAL

"Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" - Bohemian Theatre Ensemble
"Boojum! Nonsense, Truth and Lewis Carroll" - Chicago DCA Theater, Caffeine Theatre, and Chicago Opera Vanguard
"Cabaret" - The Hypocrites
"Cats" - Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre i/a/w Michael James
"The Pirates of Penzance" - The Hypocrites

DIRECTOR - PLAY

Louis Contey - "The Master and Margarita" - Strawdog Theatre Company
Zeljko Djukic - "Baal" - TUTA Theatre Chicago
Keira Fromm - "Lobby Hero" - Redtwist Theatre
Jimmy McDermott - "The Three Faces of Doctor Crippen" - The Strange Tree Group
James Palmer - "The Love of the Nightingale" - Red Tape Theatre
Robin Witt - "Stage Door" - Griffin Theatre Company

DIRECTOR - MUSICAL

Brenda Didier - "Cats" - Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre i/a/w Michael James
Sean Graney - "The Pirates of Penzance" - The Hypocrites
Matt Hawkins - "Cabaret" - The Hypocrites
Jimmy McDermott - "Boojum! Nonsense, Truth and Lewis Carroll" - Chicago DCA Theater, Caffeine Theatre, and Chicago Opera Vanguard
P. Marston Sullivan - "Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" - Bohemian Theatre Ensemble

ENSEMBLE

"Boojum! Nonsense, Truth and Lewis Carroll" Chicago DCA Theater, Caffeine Theatre, and Chicago Opera Vanguard
"Cats" Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre i/a/w Michael James Ubique
"Shakespeare's King Phycus" The Strange Tree Group i/a/ w The Lord Chamberlain's Men
"Some Enchanted Evening: The Songs of Rodgers and Hammerstein" Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre i/a/w Michael James
"The Master and Margarita" Strawdog Theatre Company
"The Pirates of Penzance" The Hypocrites
"The Three Faces of Doctor Crippen" The Strange Tree Group

ACTOR IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - PLAY

Luke Hamilton (Sherlock Holmes) - "Sherlock Holmes, The Final Adventure" Idle Muse Theatre Company
Andrew Jessop (Jeff) - "Lobby Hero" - Redtwist Theatre
Chuck Spencer (Ken Carpenter) - "Man from Nebraska" - Redtwist Theatre
D'wayne Taylor (Mr. Zero) - "Brutal Imagination" - Caffeine Theatre
Ian Westerfer (Baal) - "Baal" - TUTA Theatre Chicago

ACTOR IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - MUSICAL

Alex Balestrieri (Dodgson / New Baker) - "Boojum! Nonsense, Truth and Lewis Carroll" - Chicago DCA Theater, Caffeine Theatre, and Chicago Opera Vanguard
Andrew Mueller (Huckleberry Finn) - "Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry
Finn" - Bohemian Theatre Ensemble
Benjamin Sprunger (Robert) - "Company" - Griffin Theatre Company
Jeremy Trager (Lewis Carroll) "Boojum! Nonsense, Truth and Lewis Carroll" Chicago DCA Theater, Caffeine Theatre, and Chicago Opera Vanguard

ACTRESS IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - PLAY

Brenda Barrie (Eva/Brenda) - "Memory" BackStage Theatre Company
Mechelle Moe (Terry Randall) - "Stage Door" - Griffin Theatre Company
Caroline Neff (Charlotte) - "A Brief History of Helen of Troy" Steep Theatre Company
Caroline Neff (Rachel) - "Port" - Griffin Theatre Company
Joy Thorbjornsen- Coates (Fonsia Dorsey) - "The Gin Game" - Lincoln Square Theatre
Nicole Wiesner (Marie) - "The First Ladies" - Trap Door Theatre

ACTRESS IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - MUSICAL

Jessie Fisher (The Emcee) - "Cabaret" - The Hypocrites
Jennifer T. Grubb (Jacky Samson) - "Oh, Boy!" - City Lit Theater Company
Anita Hoffman (Miss Mona Stangley) - "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" - Circle Theatre
Lindsay Leopold (Sally Bowles) - "Cabaret" - The Hypocrites

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - PLAY

Brian Parry (John) - "Shining City" - Redtwist Theatre
Vance Smith (Lenny) - "The Homecoming" Mary-Arrchie Theatre Company
Jon Steinhagen (Big Daddy) - "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" - Raven Theatre

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - MUSICAL

Courtney Crouse (Tom Sawyer) - "Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" - Bohemian Theatre Ensemble
Noah Sullivan (Sheriff Earl Dodd) - "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" - Circle Theatre

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTNG ROLE - PLAY

Nora Fiffer (Maggie) - "After the Fall" - Eclipse Theatre Company
Lorraine Freund (Mother Superior) - "Agnes of God" - Hubris Productions
Darci Nalepa (Steph) - "reasons to be pretty" - Profiles Theatre
Sarah Pavlak (Agnes) - "Agnes of God" - Hubris Productions
Amanda Powell (Rosemary) - "Brainpeople" - UrbanTheater Company

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - MUSICAL OR REVUE

Kate Harris (Fräulein Schneider) - "Cabaret" - The Hypocrites
Patti Roeder (Penelope Budd) - "Oh, Boy!" - City Lit Theater Company
Bethany Thomas - "Sweet and Hot: The Songs of Harold Arlen" - Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre i/a/w Michael James
Dana Tretta (Marta) - "Company" - Griffin Theatre Company

NEW WORK

Emily Schwartz - "The Three Faces of Doctor Crippen" - The Strange Tree Group
Robert Tenges - "People We Know" - the side project
Tom Willmorth - "Shakespeare's King Phycus" - The Strange Tree Group i/a/w The Lord Chamberlain's Men

NEW ADAPTATION

Christina Calvit - "Wuthering Heights" - Lifeline Theatre
Robert Kauzlaric - "Neverwhere" - Lifeline Theatre
Carla Stillwell - "Tad in 5th City" - MPAACT

CHOREOGRAPHY

Kevin Bellie - "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas"- Circle Theatre
Brenda Didier - "Cats" - Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre i/a/w Michael James
Marissa Mortiz - "Cabaret" - The Hypocrites
Myah Shein - "The Love of the Nightingale" - Red Tape Theatre

ORIGINAL INCIDENTAL MUSIC

Mikhail Fiksel - "Neverwhere" - Lifeline Theatre
Chris Gingrich, Henry Riggs, Thea Lux, and Tara Sissom - "That Sordid Little Story" - The New Colony
Josh Schmidt - "Baal" - TUTA Theatre Chicago

MUSIC DIRECTION

Steve Carson - "Sweet and Hot: The Songs of Harold Arlen" - Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre i/a/w Michael James
Austin Cook - "Some Enchanted Evening: The Songs of Rodgers and Hammerstein" - Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre i/a/w Michael James
Nicholas Davio - "Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" - Bohemian Theatre Ensemble
Ethan Deppe - "Cats" - Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre i/a/w Michael James
Andrea Velis Simon & Myron Silberstein - "Boojum! Nonsense, Truth and Lewis Carroll" - Chicago DCA Theater, Caffeine Theatre, and Chicago Opera Vanguard

SCENIC DESIGN

William Anderson - "Dead Letter Office" - Dog & Pony Theatre Company i/a/w Chicago DCA Theater
Tom Burch - "No Exit" - The Hypocrites
Alan Donahue - "Neverwhere" - Lifeline Theatre
Bob Knuth - "The Philadelphia Story" - Circle Theatre
Ray Toler - "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" - Raven Theatre

LIGHTING DESIGN

Kevin D. Gawley - "Neverwhere" - Lifeline Theatre
Jared Moore - "No Exit" - The Hypocrites
Jared Moore - "The Pirates of Penzance" -The Hypocrites
Keith Parham - "Baal" - TUTA Theatre Chicago
Eric Van Tassell - "The Ghost Sonata" - Oracle Productions

COSTUME DESIGN

Matt Guthier - "Cats" - Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre i/a/w Michael James
Branimira Ivanova - "Wuthering Heights" - Lifeline Theatre
Elizabeth Powell Wislar - "Neverwhere" - Lifeline Theatre
Alison Siple - "Cabaret" - The Hypocrites

SOUND DESIGN

Katherine M. Chavez - "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" - Raven Theatre
Mikhail Fiksel - "Neverwhere" - Lifeline Theatre
Kevin O'Donnell - "No Exit" - The Hypocrites
Miles Polaski - "The Love of the Nightingale" - Red Tape Theatre
Stephen Ptacek - "Dead Letter Office" - Dog & Pony Theatre Company i/a/w Chicago DCA Theater

ARTISTIC SPECIALIZATION

Glen Aduikas, Rick Buesing, Mike Fletcher, Salvador Garcia, Stuart Hecht, David Hyman,Terry Jackson, Don Kerste, Bruce Phillips, Al Schilling, Lisi Stoessel, Eddy Wright - Robot Design & Engineering - "Heddatron" - Sideshow Theatre Company
Aly Renee Amidei - Hair & Makeup Design - "The Master and Margarita" - Strawdog Theatre Company
Michael Buoninconto - Wig Design - "Cats" - Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre i/a/w Michael James
Izumi Inaba - Makeup Design - "Cats" - Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre i/a/w Michael James
Kimberly G. Morris - Puppet Design - "Neverwhere" - Lifeline Theatre
Brett Schneider - Magic Design - "The Master and Margarita" - Strawdog Theatre Company
Claire Yearman - Fight Choreography - "The Love of the Nightingale" - Red Tape Theatre

MULTIPLE NOMINATIONS

BY THEATRE COMPANY
The Hypocrites - 14
Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre i/a/w Michael James - 12
Lifeline Theatre - 9
Caffeine Theatre - 7 (6 i/a/w Chicago DCA Theater and Chicago Opera Vanguard)
Redtwist Theatre - 7
Griffin Theatre Company - 6
Bohemian Theatre Ensemble - 5
Red Tape Theatre - 5
The Strange Tree Group - 5 (2 i/a/w The Lord Chamberlain's Men)
Strawdog Theatre Company- 5
Circle Theatre - 4
TUTA Theatre Chicago - 4
Raven Theatre - 3
City Lit Theater Company - 2
Dog & Pony Theatre Company i/a/w Chicago DCA Theater - 2
Hubris Productions 2

BY PRODUCTION
"Cats" - 8
"Cabaret" - 7
"Neverwhere" - 7
"Boojum! Nonsense, Truth and Lewis Carroll" - 6
"Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" - 5
"The Love of the Nightingale" - 5
"The Master and Margarita" - 5
"Baal" - 4
"The Pirates of Penzance" - 4
"The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" - 3
"Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" - 3
"Lobby Hero" - 3
"No Exit" - 3
"Stage Door" - 3
"The Three Faces of Doctor Crippen" - 3
"Agnes of God" - 2
"Company" - 2
"Dead Letter Office" - 2
"Man from Nebraska" - 2
"Oh, Boy!" - 2
"Shakespeare's King Phycus" - 2
"Some Enchanted Evening: The Songs of Rodgers and Hammerstein" - 2
"Sweet and Hot: The Songs of Harold Arlen" - 2
"Wuthering Heights" - 2

BY INDIVIDUAL
Brenda Didier - 2
Mikhail Fiksel - 2
Jimmy McDermott - 2
Jared Moore - 2
Caroline Neff - 2

A New Play Redefines Chicago: The City as a Family Living By A Lake

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 09:03:25 -0500

A huge hit when it opened at Theater Wit as a vibrnat world premiere by Caitlin Montayne Parrish, "A Twist of Water" has made a major move. This just triumph reopens at Lakeview's Mercury Theater on May 1 to deliver even more shocks of recognition to appreciative audiences. The biggest one is that cities and families are just a matter of degree.

The success is no surprise: It's appropriate that, shortly after his election, Mayor-elect Rahm Emmanuel saw and praised this very Chicago piece, a play that goes beyond the genre of domestic drama to make connections with the city that shapes its story. Perfectly shaped by Erica Weiss, Route 66 Theatre Company's staging is as much a labor of love as the script that inspires it.

Parrish's richly metaphorical drama deals in elemental emotions and core values as it depicts our struggle to be decent despite ourselves and our world. Parrish focuses on Noah (Stef Tovar), a gay man who recently lost his husband when the good doctor drove into a pond. Worse, because Noah was not legally married, he was not allowed to say goodbye to his dying Robert. But he insisted that their adopted teenage African-American daughter Jira (Falashay Pearson) do so, though she has yet to forgive Noah for not insisting on seeing his lover in his last moments.

Now, just as Noah has found love with the sardonic Liam (Alex Hugh Brown), a younger colleague at the high school where they teach, Jira wants "more family": Wracked with an early-life crisis of identity, devastated by the loss of the father she preferred, Jira schemes to meet her birth mother and discover the biological legacy that her fathers' lover could not explain. (Of course, no quest for the past ever gets fully rewarded.)

"A Twist of Water" pits one good against another. Black versus white is easy opposition, but the clash of positives that divides Jira from her father-and also from her "new" mother (Lili-Anne Brown)-is complex and rewarding. Most important, it receives its own civic framework, as Noah eloquently compares the site and story of Chicago as the city by the lake and river defines itself by the waters that surround it with Noah's own effort to forge a family. (Chicagoans are "children of a risk taken" as they created the Columbian Exposition, "a resurfaced Atlantis," among other wonders by our waters.)

Few plays become their own civic commentary, let alone redefine how we feel the place where we live. Playwright Parrish presents an intriguing argument: The city is the context that tells us who we are. Like Jira's family, it's fluid. Shaping Chicago are constant identity crises, emotional dysfunction and conditional love, ways in which the Windy City repeatedly comes up with a new and more accommodating self-image.

Parrish explains her take on the town: "The residents of a city feel pride and animosity in the same way members of a family do. A city has as brutal and majestic a fight with itself on a daily basis as any family does for control or peace. But, despite that fight, whether city or family, there's always a sense of being in the same boat with someone. If disaster comes, no one is excused. Be it snowstorm or the death of a parent, everyone takes some hurt and deals some back. Shared crisis is the great unifier: We're bound to both love and resent the people who were there with us. Of course a city is a family. It's an evolving, tumultuous entity, hopefully doing the best it can with what it was given, and the likelihood of everyone always being understood is very slim. "

"A Twist of Water' argues for a new concept of family values, irrespective of sexual orientation or race. This may be, Parrish argues, the force that will hold together the families of the future and stamps its cities too: "One reason I started writing "A Twist of Water" was that I wanted to depict a family that I see all the time in life but rarely on stage or screen: a normal, flawed group made up of gay parents and adopted children."

That's the future that Parrish's play projects: "At some point, every state will legalize gay marriage and LGBT adoption. That's just how things go forward. Going forward, I don't believe that the ties that bind will be much different than what they are now. It comes down to love, a profound sense of loyalty and duty, and, simply, having an intertwined history with a few select people. Your family is made up of the people who know as much about you as possible and have walked the same roads. You don't need to be blood-related to be in the trenches together. Your family is who recognizes and sustains you, even as you change. Especially as you change."

Of course, this means nothing if it doesn't feel real. Director Erica Weiss makes the words matter. She establishes a balance between the domestic scenes and the father's apostrophes about Chicago history. These provide a powerful counterpoint to the story about searching for identity through-or despite-the family.

The trick, Weiss explains, was to make the family's story nourish the city's: "To achieve that balance we drew a really clear connection between each component of the Chicago history storyline and the more immediate story of Noah and Jira and their family's journey. We knew that if each actor had a specific understanding of the metaphor in any given moment, we could help the audience understand the connection between the 'apostrophes' and the scenes that proceed and follow them."

There's a constant tension between the characters and their city: "Even though Noah is addressing the audience directly in those moments where he speaks about Chicago, he's also trying to figure out how to repair his relationship with his daughter, how to rebuild his family, using the subject he knows best. He's trying to work out how he'd explain this connection to his daughter, how to share this perspective with her, and he discovers what he needs to say by having this conversation with us, the audience." As we watch, Noah's struggle resonates with anyone trying to connect the private with the public to find a whole-a city or a family--that's greater than the sum of its parts.

It's no accident that the story is set against the backdrop of a Chicago winter. For three months every year (or more) the landscape--and waterscape as well-force us to define ourselves against its bleak neutrality. Evoking that state of nature and of mind was a key challenge for Weiss and her design team: "Scene designer Stephen H Carmody very much wanted to evoke the feeling of winter in Chicago. We started the design process in December. When the show first opened at Theater Wit, it was the middle of February - so that feeling of cold and bleakness fresh in our bones! Having lived in this city for 10 Chicago winters now, I have learned that the way we cope with our weather and the long trudge from November to April becomes a defining characteristic of any Windy City resident. The balance we strike between self-pity and pride in our ability to weather the storms, be it yet another grey day with bitterly cold winds or the great Snowpacolypse of 2011, is one of the traits that defines you as a Chicagoan. It's something that bonds us together, for better or worse. We wanted "A Twist of Water" to tap into that shared experience."

But the bigger bond is the family as a microcosm of the town they're in, adapting to and reflecting it in ways they can't imagine because they're too close to this huge shaper of stories. Weiss: "To be shaped by our region and to be given a sense of context for our families by the cities in which we live is a fundamental element of the American experience. Some cities have clearer narratives than others. Chicago's story is inherently dramatic and rife with turning points that mapped our unique course, and that's how families work."

That may be why, Weiss explains, "A Twist of Water" has touched Chicago audiences: "The most rewarding thing has been hearing how many different aspects of the play have affected people emotionally. Certainly there are themes in "A Twist of Water" that are universal - family is family, and love is love, regardless of race, sexual orientation, or city dwelling. People who are adopted or have adopted children or family members have a particular response to those elements of the story. Many people in the gay community have expressed appreciation for the play's depiction of gay men in a way that does not make sexual orientation an issue or a "problem" to be overcome. Those who have lost loved ones or partners have responded to the way the play deals with grief, loss, and the process of rebuilding. But on a whole, this play is a love letter to Chicago, and it is so gratifying that Chicago audiences are receiving and appreciating that love letter. It's an evening in the theatre that attempts to create a feeling of community between artist and audience, as all of us share a story and a city together."

Like two other Chicago icons, "The Front Page" in the 1920s or "A Raisin in the Sun" in the 1950s, "A Twist of Water" is the right story in the right place at the right time. Right now it's at the Mercury Theatre, 3745 N. Southport, through June 5. The performance schedule is Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays at 8:00pm, Saturdays at 4pm and 8:00pm, and Sundays at 4pm. Tickets for preview performances (to May 1) are $38.50 and for the regular run range from $38.50 to $44.50. Tickets are available for sale at www.mercurytheaterchicago.com or at (773) 325-1700.

Lawrence Bommer
Contributing Writer

Eric and Andy's Sexy Interview with Elizabeth. AW MAN!

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 11:44:10 -0500

When your theatre company gets serious about growing and being the best, you look for the best Managing Director you can find. One woman has proved herself TWICE (Victory Gardens and TimeLine) to be the best and her name is Elizabeth Auman. We invited her to our new home and pill factory in the basement of an old burned down elementary school on the South Side.

Hi Liz and thank you so much for joining us in the basement of this elementary school in the heart of the ghetto! Did you find the place ok?

Good morning. I did find it ok with the help of the janitor.

Great! Would you like a medicine ball to sit on or maybe some text books?

I would love some text books.

Here you go. So Liz, we would really love to ask you about being a Managing Director. Now you used to be the Managing Director at Victory Gardens and then you moved over to TimeLine, yes?

Actually I was the General Manager at Victory Gardens. I was there for 15 years, 13 as the GM and about 4 years ago decided I was ready for a change.

Was it because the company was moving in a different direction or were you just feeling complacent?

(spits her coffee) Not complacent. But I did feel things were changing and I had been doing the job for a long time and was looking for a different challenge.

And you found TimeLine! Now TimeLine has done a lot of growing in the past few years and now it is a CAT 1 house right?

We have been growing so much in the past 3 years. We are in our final year of being an Equity CAT N theater and next year we will be finished with that program and probably be at Tier 2. We are still working out those details.

So being a CAT theater does not mean that there are any cats there at all though, right?

Not that I have seen but we had some pretty strange things happen in the building after we all left Saturday night so maybe it was cats.

Oh my God tell us.

Big Bessie the air conditioner was unplugged sometime between 2 AM and 11AM and there were some door stops missing. Very strange.

Woah. That sounds like this one time when my air conditioner was like all making this weird noise...

(silence)

Would you like some pills?

No.

So Liz, what can you attribute Lifeline's success to?

Nice! I don't know what Lifeline's success has been attributed to but TimeLine's success comes from planning and attention to detail on everything we do. We joke as a staff that this can be maddening but we know when it does not happen that is when things are go wrong. The company has a long history of strategic planning and sound fiscal management and those 2 things have allowed this company to not only manage the constantly changing fiscal climate we have been experiencing the last several years but to grow. It the last 2 years we have increased our subscription base by 75%.

OH SNAP! But you can't say it's all about planning- Hang on I hear something...

(listening)

But you are clearly doing something that people want to see. What is it about the art that makes people want to keep coming back? Is there an experience you are giving the audience they can't get anywhere else?

When PJ (PJ Powers, Artistic Director at TimeLine) and the 6 other company members are picking the season a huge part of the discussion they have about every play under consideration is "What conversation do we want to have with our audience about this piece and why is it relevant to what is going on in the world today." We also want to give them an unique experience. We have a flexible space and while it is a huge undertaking to reimagine the space and lobby for each show our patrons love to see what the space looks like each time they come back. What Nick Bowling had done with the design team for The Front Page is amazing and something we hadn't been able to do in the space in the past.

In your job, how much do you get to be involved in the "Art"?

I attend as many of the company meetings as I can. Because we work very hard to keep the "art" and equally import the mission as the front of everything we do we talk about it all the time.

Shhh.

Pretty much every time we talk about possibility of doing something new or something differently the conversation with the company, staff or board is and has to be about "How does this serve our mission."

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, I think I hear a ghost.

So for being around for only 13 years, you have made some huge leaps. Where did your board come from, and when are you guys gonna get out of that weirdo church?

The church has been a great partner for TimeLine. They are so supportive of our mission. They bring a group to every show. But as PJ always says the space was not build to be a theatre of the 20th century let alone the 21st. The building will be 100 years old this year. We have the problems you have with an old building and we also are busting at the seams. We love the space but one of our many realities is we have more people who want to see our shows than we have seats. One of things we are doing next year to solve this challenge is to produce one show next year in a different venue so we can run all productions for 13 weeks. I don't have an answer to when we will be in a different home but it is a discussion with every group within the TimeLine Theatre Company, the staff, company, and with our subscribers and donors. Our board members have come from a variety of places. The Arts and Business Council has a program called On Board where we have found great board members. Many of our board members have come from our audience and others where required by current board members.

Do you guys ever play softball or touch football with other theatre companies?

(falls off of her stack for books from laughing so hard)

YOU BETTER STOP LAUGHING AT US!

No we are not much into team sports at TimeLine. I'm not sure why that is. Ben Thiem might be up for that.

Well we will be sure to ask him, whoever that is. Thanks for meeting with us down here and we hope you get out safely. We can't go with you though, because we live down here now.

You are welcome. Do you mind if I take this Scholastic Early Reader? I think PJ's daughter would enjoy it?

Fine, but tell PJ he owes us. He owes us but good.

Eric Roach, Anderson Lawfer

Eric Roach and Anderson Lawfer are the founders of www.Reviewsyoucaniews.blogspot.com

Trashing the Stage in Edward Albee's Goat

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 22:43:47 -0500

There are basically two kinds of scenic disorder: the jumble representing accumulated clutter, usually applied by crew members during intermission (as employed in True West, for example), and the chaos created right before our eyes when characters give way to grief, anger or frustration with an old-fashioned temper tantrum.

Pandemonium can be generated cheaply by knocking over furniture, pulling books off shelves, throwing pillows or scattering papers. In Remy Bumppo's production of Edward Albee's The Goat or, Who Is Sylvia?, however, betrayed wife Annabel Armour not only does all of these things, but also snatches up vases and figurines decorating her chic upper-west apartment and hurls them furiously to the ground, where they smash into irreparable smithereens.

Multiply this by six performances a week, and what you need is an extensive array of disposable tchotschkes sufficiently attractive to grace a home reflecting tasteful affluence-no small expense, even at Salvation Army prices. So who supplies the show with its slated-for-demolition crockery?

"In the beginning, we looked at a few stores, but we also asked artists if they might be interested in this project," recalls property designer Nick Heggestad, "Alexis Ortiz at the Lill Street Art Center seemed to get a kick out of the idea of his work being destroyed nightly, so we went forward."

Is the design of the various pieces left up to the artist, or are they made to order? "[Director] James Bohnen, [set designer] Tim Morrison and I picked out four different objects-a bowl, a plate and two vases-of different shapes. We found kiln-fired terra cotta to be very explosive and, frankly, pretty scary. So now we use unfired pottery-called "greenware"-that is significantly cheaper and tends to crumble instead of shattering into sharp-edged fragments, making it safer for both the actors and the audience."

Flying projectiles still necessitate hands-on practice to determine trajectory and after-effects. Annabel Armour remembers the first samples disintegrating at simply being lifted. The second assortment was sturdier, but produced dust in quantities detrimental to actors' breathing. And then, there was the promenade factor. "We had to find certain locations for the breaks-upstage corners, or near furniture that we'd have to step around, anyway-in order to allow paths for moving through the debris on the floor. Oh, and to make sure we didn't hit anyone in the audience-I almost took out our costume designer during an early tech rehearsal."

How often is the supply replenished? "We have a few spare pieces stockpiled on-site," reports Heggestad, "Charlie [Rasmann], who does backstage prep at every performance, keeps me apprised of when we're running low, so I can pick up another load from the gallery and paint it here at the theater." His face brightens in a grin. "Another advantage to greenware is that the shards can be recycled. We sweep them into a big box to bring back to Alexis, who grinds up the leftovers and uses them for the next batch."

The Goat or, Who Is Sylvia? plays at the Greenhouse through May 8. Mary Shen Barnidge
Contributing Writer

Profiles Theatre announces 2011-12 season

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 19:35:11 -0500

Artistic Directors Joe Jahraus and Darrell W. Cox announce Profiles Theatre's 2011 - 2012 Season. Profiles, one of Chicago's longest-running storefront theatres, presents its 23rd season of new and challenging works, including the Midwest premiere of the Broadway hit A Behanding in Spokane by Martin McDonagh, directed by Steppenwolf ensemble member Rick Snyder; the Midwest premiere of Neil LaBute's controversial 2010 play The Break of Noon revised exclusively for Profiles Theatre; the Midwest premiere of the scathing Off-Broadway hit Bachelorette by Leslye Headland; and the world premiere of Deirdre O'Connor's latest play, Assisted Living.

Profiles Theatre follows up its highly praised 22nd season, which featured Chicago premieres by LaBute, O'Connor and Michael Weller, along with the World premiere of Kid Sister by Will Kern.

Darrell Cox comments, "The plays we have assembled for our 23rd Season will take audiences to four very different worlds, created by some of the most bold and dangerous artists working. We have long admired Martin McDonagh's work and are thrilled to present the Midwest premiere of his newest play, last season's Broadway smash hit A Behanding in Spokane. Our friend and collaborator Neil LaBute is back, working with us on a newly revised version of his provocative play, The Break of Noon."

"We continue our ongoing pursuit to produce work from the most talented, unique female voices in the country. The past few seasons included Deirdre O'Connor's Jailbait, Annie Baker's Body Awareness and Ellen Fairey's Graceland. This season, two of the four premieres are written by women. We're pleased to introduce Chicago audiences to the savagely funny work of Leslye Headland with her Off Broadway hit, Bachelorette. Deirdre O'Connor returns with the World premiere of a moving and insightful new play, Assisted Living."

The 2011-2012 Profiles season includes:

A BEHANDING IN SPOKANE
Midwest Premiere
by Martin McDonagh
directed by Steppenwolf ensemble member Rick Snyder
featuring Profiles ensemble members Eric Burgher, Darrell W. Cox
and guest artist Michael Pogue
Previews: August 26 - 31, 2011
Run: September 1 - October 16, 2011

In this darkly comical new work from the acclaimed playwright Martin McDonagh, the mysterious gun-toting Carmichael has been searching for his missing left hand for decades. Enter two bickering lovebirds with a hand to sell, and a hotel clerk with an aversion to gunfire, and soon life and death are up for grabs. A Behanding in Spokane turns over American daily existence, exposing the obsessions, prejudices, madness, horrors, and above all, the absurdities that crawl beneath it.

A Behanding in Spokane, McDonagh's first play set in America, received its World premiere on Broadway in 2010 starring Christopher Walken as Carmichael. For their version, the age of the character was changed to match the age of the actor, now in his middle 60s. Profiles' production returns the character to McDonagh's originally intended age, featuring Darrell W. Cox in the role.

McDonagh also wrote the award-winning plays The Pillowman (Tony nominee, Best Play 2005 and Olivier Award Winner 2004), The Lieutenant of Inishmore (Olivier Award Winner 2003), The Beauty Queen of Leenane (Tony nominee, Best Play 1998) and The Lonesome West (Tony nominee, Best Play 1999). His 2006 film Six Shooter won an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short and the full-length feature In Bruges received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay.

ASSISTED LIVING
World Premiere
by Deirdre O'Connor
directed by Artistic Director Joe Jahraus
Previews: November 4 - 9, 2011
Run: November 10 - December 18, 2011

Anne Kelly needs help. She's pushing 40 and still lives with her mother. Her deadbeat brother won't even return her calls and the ancient family home seems to be falling down around her. When Levi, a sweet but dim-witted younger man, comes into her life, Anne begins to see the upside of not always being the grown up.

Assisted Living makes its World premiere at Profiles Theatre, its second production by Deirdre O'Connor follows last season's long-running hit Jailbait. O'Connor, a 2008 Cherry Lane Project Fellow mentored by Michael Weller and a 2008 - 2009 Lark Playwrights Workshop Fellow, graduated from Hampshire College and Columbia University's MFA Playwriting program where she received the John Golden Playwriting Award.

BACHELORETTE
by Leslye Headland
Midwest Premiere
directed by Associate Artistic Director Darrell W. Cox
Previews: January 13 - 18, 2012
Run: January 19 - March 4, 2012

Ten years out of high school, three unhappy friends show up "not-quite-invited" to their classmate's hotel room for the perfect bachelorette celebration. Half a bathtub of booze later, the former prom queen is melting down, the nice-girl cokehead is on a mission to mend the mauled wedding dress, and the lacerating maid of honor finds her picture-perfect life less stable than it seemed. A smash hit Off Broadway, Leslye Headland's shrewd and biting play is an aria to the anxiety and self-loathing of a generation.

Bachelorette premiered at New York's Second Stage Theatre Uptown in July 2010 where it enjoyed a sold-out extended run. Leslye Headland, a Los Angeles-based playwright and screenwriter, wrote and directed the Seven Deadly Plays series, which premiered at the IAMA Theatre Company in Los Angeles. Her new play, Assistance, receives its New York premiere at the Playwrights Horizons Mainstage Theater this season. She's currently developing two projects with Gary Sanchez Productions (Adam McKay and Will Ferrell)-her screenplay of Bachelorette and a pilot based on Julie Klausner's memoir, I Don't Care About Your Band. Headland studied at the Playwrights Horizons Theatre School where she won the Robert Moss Prize.

THE BREAK OF NOON
Midwest Premiere
by Neil LaBute
directed by Artistic Director Joe Jahraus
Previews March 30 - April 4, 2012
Runs April 5 - May 20, 2012

What if God told you to be a better person but the world wouldn't allow it? Such is the dilemma facing John Smith, a run-of-the-mill white-collar businessman who survives an office shooting and is subsequently touched by what he believes to be a divine vision. His journey toward personal enlightenment-past greed, lust and the other deadly sins-turns tense, hilarious, profane, and heartbreaking. Exploring the narrow path to spiritual fulfillment, strewn with the funny, frantic failings of humankind, The Break of Noon showcases Neil LaBute at his discomforting best.

In 2010, The Break of Noon received its World premiere as a co-production with MCC Theater in New York and then transferred in 2011 to the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles. Neil LaBute will be working with Profiles on an exclusive, newly revised version of the script. The play received an Edgerton Foundation New American Plays Award. His new play, In a Forest Dark and Deep, opens in 2011 on London's West End.

This marks Profiles Theatre's ninth Midwest premiere of LaBute's work following the acclaimed productions of reasons to be pretty, The Mercy Seat, and Fat Pig.

Ticket prices range from $30 - $40. Profiles Theatre offers a FLEX PASS for discounts on the season, now available at www.profilestheatre.org or (773) 549-1815. A Four Ticket Pass is $120; an Eight Ticket Pass is $200 (a savings of over $100) when ordered before August 31, 2011. Tickets can be used in any combination of quantity and date throughout the season with advance reservations.

Losing Your Humanity: Monkeys, Dogs and Robots in Ephemera

Thu, 7 Apr 2011 08:14:22 -0500

There is an irony to actors' favorite roles being non-human ones. But who wouldn't relish playing creatures unshackled by socialized behavior, propelled by ego surpassing even the amorality of babies and cave-dwellers? How better for an artist to display their individual creativity?

Bryce Wissel's Ephemera, currently in production by the Polarity Ensemble, recounts the adventures aboard a space station, the inhabitants of which bond in unforeseen ways. The crew includes human astronauts rapidly losing their civilization, as well as a talking monkey and a mobile robot- all representing opportunities for warm-blooded thespians to assume personalities, literally, light-years away from their own.

Jonas Grey, who plays Colonel Bowie, responded to the challenge as early as auditions. "All I knew about the scene's context [at call-backs] was that my character acts like a dog. So I just went for it, jumping on the other actors and licking their faces, all the while hoping that they'd be amenable and had washed that morning."

And after you got the role? "I use mouthwash more often. Also a tongue scraper. Apparently there were only a few men bold enough to actually go in and lick. That doesn't sound dirty, does it?"

Charley Jordan prepared more extensively for his portrayal of monkey-man Davy, hosting his friends in a round-table script reading before ever facing a casting director, and thus arriving at auditions with a backstory for his simian persona. "The first monkey in space didn't survive the journey, but the third one made it back alive- only to die in re-entry as a result of parachute failure. Davy's unpublicized launch occurred between these two, but NASA couldn't retrieve him because of equipment malfunction and so, he just remained in orbit. And because he was a smart monkey to begin with, as more satellites were shot up, he gradually learned how to talk and think from picking up radio and television waves."

Considering that he shares the stage with a man who kisses like an affectionate airedale, how physical does Jordan's ape-man get? "I observed primates at the zoo in addition to videos on YouTube. What's more important about Davy, however, is his thought process. He wants to fit in with the rest of the spaceship crew, especially Col. Kate McBride [the group's lone female astronaut], so he tries to impress her by behaving like a gentleman-with emphasis on man."

Not even motorized computers are free of emotional conflicts, though more daunting initially were the technical skills demanded by Wissel's text. Says Kaelan Strouse, "Playing a robot is intimidating enough for actors, but Manuel is a comical robot with a Spanish accent, who sings a Mariachi song at one point and spends all his onstage time on roller skates. But once I was cast, I could craft each of these aspects- like learning to sit down in that cardboard-and-felt cage, which has to be the most unique costume I've ever had to wear."

And what's on our tin man's metallic mente? "Manuel has been a robot from the day he was programmed, but the playwright named him after an actual historical figure at the Battle of the Alamo. Based on that decision, my theory is that the unnamed "force" planning to attack the space station is actually a robot revolution, but Manuel chooses to stay and protect the people he's grown to love." Strouse grins slyly. "It's really a sweet Pinocchio story, you see. Manuel is a machine who gradually develops a soul to become a 'real boy' at last."

Ephemera plays at the Josephinium Academy through May 1.

Mary Shen Barnidge
Contributing Writer

Theater on the Lake Announces 2011 Season

Mon, 4 Apr 2011 15:39:16 -0500

The Chicago Park District's 59th annual Theater on the Lake season features reprisals of eight artistically diverse Chicago theater companies June 15 - Aug. 7, 2011. The season opens with The Improvised Shakespeare Company (June 15-19) and continues with popular productions by Infamous Commonwealth Theatre (June 22-26); At Play Productions in association with Chicago Dramatists (June 29-July 3); Griffin Theatre Company (July 6-10); Eclipse Theatre Company (July 13-17); Collaboraction (July 20-24); Bohemian Theatre Ensemble (July 27 - 31); and Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre (Aug. 3-7). Each production will be performed for five evenings only at the theater at Fullerton Avenue and Lake Michigan.

Hallie Gordon, Artistic Director of Theater on the Lake, comments, "Theater on the Lake is a perfect way to enjoy two great Chicago gems -- the diverse cultural community and the beautiful lakefront -- combined into a unique experience."

The 2011 Theater on the Lake season is as follows:

The Improvised Shakespeare Company
June 15 - 19

Based on an audience suggestion (the title has yet to be written), The Improvised Shakespeare Company creates a fully improvised Shakespearean masterpiece right before your eyes. Nothing is planned, rehearsed, or written. Dialogue is said for the first time, the characters are created as you watch, and if you're wondering where the story is going, so are they. Come see the show TimeOut Chicago calls, "staggeringly brilliant" and "downright hilarious." You've never seen the bard like this before.

Infamous Commonwealth Theatre
A Doll's House
By Henrik Ibsen
Adapted by Christopher Hampton
Directed by Chris Maher
June 22 - 26

New York City, 1962. As America hovers on the cusp of a second-wave feminist movement, Nora Helmer is a woman lost. Her entire life, Nora has defined herself by what she is to others - daughter, mother, wife, friend. Now she lives in a beautiful home with a husband and children who adore her, yet often feel like strangers. But after a dark secret from the past comes back to haunt her, Nora is finally forced to face the underlying realities of her carefully constructed existence.

At Play Productions in association with Chicago Dramatists
Dental Society Midwinter Meeting
B by Laura Jacqmin
Directed by Megan Shuchman
June 29 - July 3

Following a scandal of molar-sized proportions, the North Shore Regional Dental Society has gathered to debate their Midwestern dentistry future. After NSRDS president Morris J. Morris, Jr., is caught with his pants down, the dentists ask: in a field obsessed with profit over health, where morality has taken a backseat to the latest fads in composite fillings, how can a group of upright dental professionals (looking for something more filling) actually make a difference?

Griffin Theatre Company
Letters Home
A adapted by Bill Massolia
Directed by Jennie Cleghorn
July 6 - 10

The Afghanistan and Iraq wars are brought to life through actual letters written by soldiers serving in the Middle East. The production is inspired by The New York Times article "The Things They Wrote;" subsequent HBO documentary Last Letters Home; and letters and correspondences from Frank Schaeffer's books Letters Home From America's Military Family, Faith of Our Sons and Keeping Faith. The play gives audiences a powerful portrait of the soldier experience in our ongoing wars.

Eclipse Theatre Company
After the Fall
B by Arthur Miller
Directed by Stephen Fedoruk
July 13 - 17

Eclipse Theatre Company presents Arthur Miller's ambitious and personal 1964 masterpiece that explores a new sense of non-linear theatricality in its powerful study of one man's search for meaning through his memories and relationships. Images and scenes intertwine, illuminating his humanity and probing into the revealing, often painful events of his past.

Collaboraction
1001
B by Jason Grote
Directed by Seth Bockley
July 20 - 24

A theatrical mash-up that mixes Middle East politics with a modern tale of young love, 1001 asks the question, can passion conquer history? Six actors play a dizzying variety of roles, including the fabled princess Scheherezade, Sindbad the sailor, an American Jew named Alan, Gustave Flaubert, a princess with a lisp and even Osama Bin Laden. Featuring Collaboraction's signature blend of modern media and visceral storytelling, expect a theatrical journey into uncharted territory.

Bohemian Theatre Ensemble
Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Music and lyrics by Roger Miller
Book by William Hauptman
Directed by Peter Marston Sullivan
Music Directed by Nicholas Davio
July 27 - 31

When the irrepressible Huck Finn runs away from home and his friend Jim escapes slavery, the two embark on a thrilling voyage of freedom down the mighty Mississippi. Their adventures along the way are hilarious, suspenseful, and heartwarming, while reminding us of the tenacity of the human spirit. Propelled by an award-winning score from country music legend Roger Miller, Big River's jaunty journey provides a theatrical celebration of pure Americana.

Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Sweet and Hot: The Songs of Harold Arlen
Directed by Fred Anzevino
Music Directed by Steve Carson
August 3 - 7

This musical revue of Harold Arlen's famous, toe-tapping songs sung by a musical troupe of three women and three men, presents some of the 20th century's most popular tunes in two sets in two hours. His "Over the Rainbow," considered Judy Garland's signature song, is ranked first in the Songs of the Century list and with more than 400 composed songs, such as "Stormy Weather," "It's Only a Paper Moon," "Get Happy," and "That Old Black Magic," the 37-song revue is bound to strike a chord.

The Chicago Park District's Theater on the Lake is located at Fullerton Avenue and Lake Shore Drive in a historic building that offers breathtaking views of Lake Michigan. The schedule for all performances June 15 - Aug. 7 is Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 6:30 p.m.

Single tickets are $17.50 and a season subscription to all eight plays is available at a discounted price of $110. Subscriptions are available beginning April 25 via the brochure. All individual tickets go on sale June 7, 2011 at 2 p.m. at the Theater on the Lake box office at Fullerton Avenue and Lake Michigan or via phone at (312) 742-7994. Beginning June 7, the box office is open Tuesdays - Saturdays, 2 - 8 p.m. and Sundays, 3:30 - 7:30 p.m.

I don't think you're ready for this Ele! with Eric and Andy

Sun, 3 Apr 2011 08:47:37 -0500

This interview was one of our best. We were SUPPOSED to meet Ele Matelan, House Theatre Ensemble Member and member of the Jeff A/T Committee, in the Heart O' Chicago Hotel for a nice talk and maybe some sodas, but Eric had to try some Angel Dust our neighbor was throwing out. At least we THOUGHT he was throwing it out! After a brief scuffle, Eric was shot in the shoulder, and we had to move our interview to the back of an ambulance!

Andy: Oh gosh, Ele, sorry about having to meet like this, in the back of an ambulance.

Ele: It's cool. Sorry about that, Eric. How are you feeling?

Andy: Listen, he will be fine. He just gets dramatic when he gets in ambulances. So Ele, tell us about this House Sparrow thing going on.

Ele: The House is taking the Sparrow to the Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, Florida, for a three week run, opening April 7th. It's a couple of folks from the original production, including the leads, Carolyn Defrin, and Paige Hoffman, and a bunch of new friends and collaborators for the company.

Eric: I SAW THE SPARROW, AND I HAVE TO SAY IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST REALIZATIONS OF THE HOUSE'S AESTHETIC. HOW HAVE REHEARSALS BEEN GOING, AND CAN SOMEONE HAND ME THAT GAUZE?

Andy: Eric, do NOT go into that light.

Ele: Thanks, Eric, I don't have any gauze, but here's a sock. Rehearsals have been going great. We are using almost all of the same choreography from the previous productions, and the show is pretty precisely choreographed, outside of some of the more traditional narrative scenework, so this has afforded the creative team a lot of opportunity to clean up the storytelling. The props and costumes are all likely in Florida already, so we've not had them the past few days, which was a really interesting change from how the rehearsal process normally goes. I mean, usually we start out miming and then get thrown into the world we're actually supposed to be manipulating, which means we have to adjust for what we had originally assumed that world would look and feel like. This time around, it was kind of like the opposite. Feels a little bit like Our Town right now, having mimed work with desks, lockers and picture frames for the past several days.

Andy: Sounds super fun. I bet you are going to have a blast with your friends in Miami, doing an old fun show. So tell me this... You, in the past have been a stage manager, a production manager, and are currently on the Jeff Committee. What's it like on that committee and what does it entail, for say, somebody like me. If I wanted to join. Oh my God, Eric is starting to cough blood on us.

Eric: I SWEAR I AM FINE. THOSE ARE THE SNAKES COUGHING ON YOU. TELL US ABOUT THE JEFF COMMITTEE.

Ele: Classic blood-lossy Eric, way to stay on task. I'm a member of the Jeff A/T committee, which is the artists and technicians committee. We are assigned one to, max, maybe five openings per month to attend, and then we turn in our nominations for aspects of that production along with the members of the proper Jeff Committee. Then that Jeff magic determines whether the production is Jeff recommended, and the proper Jeff folk with attend for the rest of the production's run and make nominations for the end of the year awards accordingly. The Jeff A/T committee takes applications for new members on a quarterly basis. If I remember this correctly, an applicant needs to be sponsored by someone that is already a member of the Committee, and then supply the team with a bio, resume, and statement of intent.

Andy: Sounds sort of like a 12 step program, that maybe Eric should have joined. Then we wouldn't need to be dealing with his Angel Dust gun shot right now.

Eric: STOP SAYING JEFF SO MUCH.

Ele: I'm sorry Jeff, I'll Jeff to Jeff Jeffing so much Jeff. Candidates for the team need to have been working in Chicago as theatre professionals for a minimum of two years. The members then vote on the applicants and add or reject them accordingly. I'm glad to say that everyone takes the responsibility pretty seriously, Eric. We all have joined the team because we're excited and interested not only about the state of theatre in this city and celebrating excellence within it, but also broadening our own horizons, and not allowing ourselves to become insular as artists or audience members. I can say that being on this committee has taken me outside of my own social and artistic circle and gotten me to see shows i never would have sought out on my own.

Andy: Do you ever get any grief from your cast about being on the committee?

Ele: Well, there has...hrm. The Committee has gotten some flack in the past for having some old fashioned taste. The A/T team was formed partially to get younger folks involved in the voting, and also to get people that are more immediately familiar with the work going on within the community, and that perhaps will have a different approach to the work, and appreciate it in other ways. So a nomination won't just go to the show that had the most money to throw at a set, but may also celebrate the show that had the most creative problem-solving behind it. Also, we submit a list of conflicts at the beginning of every month, so we're never at risk of judging companies we have direct affiliations with.

Eric: THAT IS GREAT TO HEAR. HEAR. HEEEAAAARRR. EVER NOTICE IF YOU SAY A WORD ENOUGH IT LOSES ALL MEANING? ANYWAY, PERHAPS THE JEFF COMMITTEE IS AWESOME, AND PEOPLE SHOULD STOP BITCHING ABOUT IT.

Eric, your face is turning into an Alligator! Right Ele?!

Ele: Oh, classic gator-faced Eric! I wish we hung out like this more often, guys!

Eric: I THINK HAROLD WASHINGTON WAS THE BEST MAYOR WE EVER HAD! GATOR'S EATING MY HAND!

Andy: Just relax, man. Anyway, Ele, can you tell us about some of your favorite productions so far this year? Hold this tourniquet on his arm harder, he's losing a lot of blood now.

Ele: Poor Eric. That arm was his favorite. Let's see: I just saw The Three Faces of Dr. Crippen, which is part of Steppenwolf's Garage Rep (Strange Tree), over the weekend, and really loved it. The performances were great, the design was smart, cohesive and fun, and the writing had a lot of clever twists and turns in it. I also especially enjoyed Lifeline's The Moonstone, which brought a lot of life and joy into a classic. I always wish I could take my mom to see Lifeline's mystery shows, they're very smart and classy.

Andy: Well, I'm so happy we had a chance to catch up and talk about this stuff. I had always wondered about the Jeff Committee and junk.

Ele: Glad I could be helpful. Also, Eric, some club soda and some Zout mixed together may help you get all of the blood out of what's left of your shirt.

Eric: ALL HAIL THE GATOR! HE HAD MY HEAD INSIDE HIS BELLY, AND GOD TOLD ME A BEDTIME STORY! CTHULU FTAGHN, IA!!!!

(a minute of twitching that leads to a long silence)

Andy: I think he just died. Let's leave him at the hospital and get the hell outta here!

Ele: Can we stop at the gift shop, though? I want a Ding-Dong!

Andy: Girl, you know we can.

(Later, Eric makes his way out of the hospital morgue at 3 am)

Eric: So, tell us about the Jeff Committee, Ele. MuahahhhahahahahahahahahhahHAHAAHHAHAHAHAHH!

Eric Roach, Anderson Lawfer

Eric Roach and Anderson Lawfer are the founders of www.Reviewsyoucaniews.blogspot.com

Literate Lovers: All Those Books in Sex With Strangers

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 09:55:33 -0500

Bibliophiles whose homes are filled with reading matter are accustomed to visitors asking, "Have you read all these books?"-as opposed to lining the rooms with them as a cheap source of building insulation, presumably. But the question inevitably raised when a stage setting incorporates floor-to-ceiling shelves of weighty tomes is "Are those books all real?"

Sex With Strangers, currently playing at Steppenwolf Theatre, is a writers-in-love story-Olivia is a novelist and Ethan, a blogger-so it is almost inevitable that Todd Rosenthal's scenic design would include an abundance of literature. The first act takes place at a Writers' Retreat, where the rooms are considerately furnished with dictionaries, a thesaurus or two, and other tools of the trade. The locale then moves in the second act to Olivia's apartment, a cozy refuge with walls, literally, covered with books.

So are they real?

"All the books in Olivia's apartment are real and functional," stage manager Chris Freeburg assures me, "so real, in fact, that the cast and crew often 'borrow' them to read during the show's run. But some of the hardcover volumes have holes in the middle from being threaded onto steel rods when we did The Tempest."

All books are not created equal, however-a regency heroine's boudoir self wouldn't sport a Robert Ludlam, nor a science geek's dorm room, a Danielle Steele. And doctors' or lawyers' offices typically display reference compendiums with bindings recognizable even to ordinary citizens. What efforts are made to match the onstage library to its alleged reader?

"When the books need to be certain types of books, and the shelf contents are readable from the house, the prop department usually creates their own jackets. The pre-fab panels you buy at the Homeware stores always look fake, but our prop department prides itself on its quality and attention to detail."

After the show is up and running, however, it doesn't mean the work is finished. "Key volumes-the ones that figure in the play's physical action-are set in specific places that are checked before every performance," Freeburg tells me, "There haven't been any problems with wear and tear yet, but we keep pretty alert to things like that, and have a spare stack of books that can be swapped in as needed."

And what is Olivia reading these days to put her in the mood for a fling with an audacious bad-boy? Freeburg thinks a moment, "There are many, of course, but the short list includes John Irving's Piggy Sneed, Kazou Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go and Sara Green's Water For Elephants. Also Ian McEwan's Atonement, Richard Russo's Bridge of Sighs, and an etiquette guide by Emily Post. One Hundred Years of Solitude, several copies of Proust's Swann-oh, and lots of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky."

Sex With Strangers plays through May 15 at Steppenwolf Theatre. For information, phone 312-335-1650 or visit www.steppenwolf.org.

Mary Shen Barnidge
Contributing Writer

Talkin' Relationships! with Eric and Andy

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 08:49:13 -0500

Sometimes, being an actor is hard on a relationship. You usually have a day job, and then add 40 hours a week of another job on top of it, and it can make things stressful for your love life, because you spend so much time apart. Eric and Andy decided to investigate how hard it is when BOTH partners are well-known actors in Chicago and ask how they deal with these sorts of things.

Jon Steinhagen is a resident playwright at Chicago Dramatists, an ensemble member at Signal Theatre Company, and long time favorite of the Jeff Committee. Hell in a Handbag Theatre Company member Brigitte Ditmars is a wonderful performer and choreographer and might just be the next big thing! They seemed like the perfect couple to show Chicago Theatre professionals how it's done!

Eric and Andy met them at St. Barnaby's Church for a Saturday morning bake sale.

Good morning Jon and Brigitte! Thanks for meeting us at this Church Bake Sale!

Brigitte: No problem, I'm here every Saturday anyway. Those nuns make tasty brownies, you know.

Jon & Brigitte, let's get it ON! OK, you both are in the Chicago storefront scene. Jon, you are a member of Chicago Dramatists, am I right? How long have you worked with them?

Jon: I've been a resident playwright since September 2008.

And Brigitte? Are you a playwright too?

Brigitte: No, I'm an actor and a choreographer here in Chicago.

Jon: Don't forget "blogger," too, dearie.

Brigitte: Yes, that's right. This year, I'm going on first dates with all of my Facebook friends.

Now, tell me what it's like at home with you guys. Do you get to spend a lot of time together, or is it sort of, in and out, so to speak.

Jon: Very in and out. More out than in, actually. I live on the other side of the world, practically - takes a good 40 minutes or so to drive from my place to Chez Ditmars. We see each other - oh - maybe once a week? Twice, if we're lucky.

Does being a performer make it easier or put a strain on your relationship?

Brigitte: Both. In some ways , we understand the demands that the other has. But in other ways, we can't operate like "normal" people.

Jon: That's true. I don't have my operator's license. Actually, if she spent more time with me, she'd probably stab me.

Brigitte: That's true too. Being an amateur chef, I have a variety of knives to choose from.

Jon: She might be an amateur chef, but she's a professional diner. I have the receipts to prove it.

Brigitte: Except you use them as tax deductions.

Andy: (to Eric in a whisper) What the hell are these people talking about?

Eric: (to Andy in a whisper) Did he just call his girlfriend "dearie"?

Andy: (to Eric in a whisper) I don't know man, I quit listening when they showed up.

Eric: (to Andy in a loud voice) ASK THEM ABOUT THE MARSHMALLOW SQUARES AND LET'S GET OUT OF HERE!!

Did you guys try these marshmallow squares?

Jon: The ones shaped like baby Jesus? They're too chewy for my taste.

Brigitte: I've already done recon on this sale.

So...let's get to the heart of the story. When you are both playing in different shows and say, one of you is getting great reviews and the other is not as happy with their project, is there ever any animosity? Is jealousy an issue that you deal with as a couple that both perform so much?

Jon: Not at all. It's important that we each become good listeners at any given moment, I believe. Sounding boards. We're here to provide an absorbent pad. (Sorry, Miss Brigitte) to our various woes as well as our joys. There's no jealousy, as Miss Brigitte is female (very!) and I'm a manatee, so we certainly don't compete for the same roles. Although Miss Brigitte was a little pissed that SHE wasn't cast as Big Daddy. So that was a rocky moment.

Brigitte: It also helps that neither of us actually read our own reviews. We may read the other's and let them know if they can show their face on the streets of Chicago again, but we both subscribe to the thought of doing what you need to do as an actor. Jon's opinion matters,to me. And I think my opinion matters to him. Plus, I deal with my jealousy the old fashioned way, a pint of Ben & Jerry's in the dark.

Jon: "A" pint, you hussy? Seriously, she's absolutely correct. She'll tell me the truth and I'll tell her the truth. Or something that equates the truth. Approximates the truth? You know what I mean. Miss B was fantastic in TRUST - well, in everything she does, really - not so much as Willy Loman, though, in DEATH OF A SALESMAN. But I supported her choices.

So, as for projects, let's talk about what gets you revved up as performers. Jon, what is your preference...writing or acting?

Jon: Now THAT'S a tough question. I don't think I could survive without writing. As writing is what brought me to the theater as a teenager and has stuck with me so long, I'd have to list my preference for the writing hat. Acting, however, is a fantastic experience and enriches my writer's life. And I've had the good luck to perform with so many grossly talented (and gross) people.

And Brigitte, are you more into acting, dancing, or musicals these days?

Jon: Um, right now she's into the oatmeal raisin cookies.

Brigitte: That's because I've not been in a musical for almost 2 years and no one has to lift me. I'm doing a lot of acting and choreography these days. My first love is acting and performing, but I've become very successful as a choreographer so I can't just throw that away. Plus, choreography pays more than acting. Money talks, I listen.

Ain't that the truth, sister. So, let our readers know what you are working on right now, and if you've got anything coming up in the future.

Jon: I'm playing Sheridan Whiteside in Circle Theatre's production of THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER through April 3rd; after that, my play ACES opens at Signal Ensemble Theatre on May 16th - it's a nice, R-rated comedy (of sorts) set in 1975 Las Vegas, written for the ensemble - I'll be playing a sour alcoholic with a gambling problem. Oh, and I'm cat-sitting Miss Brigitte's cat while she goes to her friend's wedding.

Brigitte: And I'm getting ready to go into rehearsals for COLD COLD FEET with Diamante Productions which opens May 8th at Stage 773. I'm also doing some choreography for Raven Theatre's THE CHERRY ORCHARD. Not that Mike Menendian has turned it into a musical or anything, they just need some group dance choreography. I'm also 4 months into my social experiment/blog to have a drink with every one of my Facebook friends over the course of a year. It's called the Social Network Butterfly. I'm already up to 18 followers! Seriously, you actors wait til the last minute so if we are connected on Facebook, let me know when we can grab drinks. Don't wait until November please.

Jon: Brush the cruller crumbs off your snoobs, dear. Oh, and don't forget we're going to see THE MOONSTONE on Thursday. Nothing like spending our "us" time away from the theater AT a theater, right?

My wife Andy and I do the same thing. Well, I want to thank both of you for taking the time to talk with us at this lovely Bake Sa...oh, man, I think it just turned into a swinger party. Should we stay?

Brigitte: I haven't tried the pound cake yet. Do you think that's a euphemism for something or are they really selling pound cake?

Jon: Dirty, dirty. My virgin ears!

Eric Roach, Anderson Lawfer

Eric Roach and Anderson Lawfer are the founders of www.Reviewsyoucaniews.blogspot.com

Lookingglass Theatre Announces 2011-2012 Season

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 08:00:16 -0500

Lookingglass Theatre Company has announced its 2011-2012 season, featuring three productions about three moments in American history-The Great Fire that razed Chicago, Jackie Robinson's game-changing signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers, and the 1915 Chicago tragedy of the sinking of The Eastland. This upcoming season, Lookingglass will tell the stories of those who, whether famous or forgotten, were caught in the crucible of the moment.

Lookingglass' 24th season kicks off with the return of The Great Fire written and directed by Ensemble Member John Musial, and coinciding with its historic 140th Anniversary. Ensemble J. Nicole Brooks returns to direct Mr. Rickey Calls a Meeting by Ed Schmidt. The season continues with the World Premiere musical Eastland written by Ensemble Member Andrew White and directed by Amanda Dehnert, with music by Artistic Associate Andre Pluess and Ben Sussman.

Artistic Director Andrew White comments, "The 2011-2012 season will transport the Lookingglass audience to three pivotal moments in history. Looking back, the outcome seems inevitable - but was it? What choices were made in the literal heat of the moment? Who challenged the future, and who feared it? Who saved themselves, who saved others? Who became a hero, who a scapegoat? And what would each of us have done in their place? Their choices didn't just change lives...they changed history. In just one moment, everything changed -- and we were never the same."

The Lookingglass 24th season:

The Great Fire
Written and directed by Ensemble Member John Musial
Begins September 21, 2011
Coinciding with the 140th Anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire

October 8, 1871

It has been one of the hottest, driest autumns on record, and now a strong wind blows from the Southwest. At 9:40 pm, the Chicago Fire Department gets their first report of a small blaze on the city's southwest side. Soon there is no stopping the Great Chicago Fire until it finally runs out of things to burn. In one night, the very rich, the very poor, and everyone in between are transformed forever.

Ensemble Member John Musial (Our Future Metropolis, Nelson Algren: For Keeps and a Single Day) revisits his acclaimed 1999 production about the disaster that redefined Chicago. Spectacular, spiritual, highly physical and exquisitely emotional, the Chicago Sun-Times praised The Great Fire as "highly original, hugely entertaining" and remarked that "no one who sees this show will be able to look at Chicago in the same way again."

Mr. Rickey Calls a Meeting
Written by Ed Schmidt
Directed by Ensemble Member J. Nicole Brooks
Begins January 4, 2012

April 9, 1947

Baseball's Opening Day is one week away, and Branch Rickey, General Manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, will call up Jackie Robinson to break the color-barrier and play as the Major League's first black ballplayer. If he does, Robinson will face loud and heated opposition from virtually every owner, manager, and player in baseball - and it won't be a cakewalk with the fans, either. Who will be his allies if he makes the most daring and important play of his life?

Award-winning Ensemble Member J. Nicole Brooks (Black Diamond, Fedra: Queen of Haiti) directs this dazzling fast-ball script by Ed Schmidt. When some of 1947's most prominent African-American figures - baseball great-to-be Jackie Robinson, boxer Joe Louis, entertainer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, actor and activist Paul Robeson - put their heads together in this imagined meeting, it's not just the future of baseball they're discussing, but the future of the country. Ideas and ideals clash, sparks fly and America's national pastime will never be the same.

Eastland
An Original Musical
Written by Andrew White
Music by Andre Pluess and Ben Sussman
Directed by Amanda Dehnert
Begins June 6, 2012

July 24, 1915

Moored on the Chicago River between Clark St and LaSalle, The Eastland begins boarding and thousands of Western Electric employees and their families climb the ramp, excited for their annual company outing. Overflowing with passengers about to depart, the boat leans to port - and doesn't lean back. Within minutes, cries fill the air, families are torn apart and unexpected heroes emerge to rescue dozens of Chicagoans from a watery grave.

Artistic Director Andrew White (Of One Blood, 1984) resurrects the ghosts of America's forgotten tragedy in this Lookingglass Original musical, with music by Artistic Associate Andre Pluess and Ben Sussman, the team behind the score of Lookingglass Alice, 1984, Metamorphoses, Hard Times, and The Secret in the Wings, as well as the acclaimed Winesburg, Ohio. Directed by award winning? Amanda Dehnert who most recently directed Peter Pan: A Play for Lookingglass.

Lookingglass Theatre Company is located in the heart of the Magnificent Mile shopping district inside Chicago's historic Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave. at Pearson. Subscriptions to the Lookingglass 2011-2012 season are on sale now. Current subscribers who renew early may do so at the 2010-11 prices, $84-$158. Subscriptions for the 2011-2012 season are $92-$174.

La Cage Aux Folles comes to Chicago

Wed, 9 Mar 2011 10:18:02 -0600

Broadway In Chicago has announced that three-time Tony Award - winner including the award for Best Musical Revival, La Cage Aux Folles, is coming to the Bank of America Theatre (18 W. Monroe) Dec. 20, 2011 - Jan. 1, 2012. This hilarious new production of La Cage Aux Folles was the biggest hit of the 2010 Broadway season, leaving audiences in stitches night after night!

La Cage Aux Folles tells the story of Georges, the owner of a glitzy nightclub in lovely Saint-Tropez, and his partner Albin, who moonlights as the glamorous chanteuse Zaza. When Georges' son brings his fiancee's conservative parents home to meet the flashy pair, the bonds of family are put to the test as the feather boas fly! La Cage Aux Folles is a tuneful and touching tale of one family's struggle to stay together, stay fabulous and above all else, stay true to themselves.

La Cage Aux Folles recently made Tony Awards history as the first show to ever win the Tony Award three times for best production. The classic musical comedy by Jerry Herman and Harvey Fierstein originally won six Tony Awards in 1984, including Best Musical. A Broadway revival won two 2005 Tony Awards including the Best Revival of a Musical prize. The new, freshly reconceived La Cage Aux Folles won three 2010 Tony Awards including Best Revival of a Musical and Best Director of a Musical (Terry Johnson).

The creative team includes director Terry Johnson, who won a 2010 Tony Award for his La Cage Aux Folles direction, choreographer Lynne Page, set designer Tim Shortall, costume designer Matthew Wright, lighting designer Nick Richings, sound designer Jonathan Deans and orchestrator/musical supervisor Jason Carr.

The production is also the winner of three Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Revival of a Musical, four Outer Critics Circle Awards, including Outstanding Revival of a Musical and Outstanding Director of a Musical (Terry Johnson) and the Drama League Award for Distinguished Revival of a Musical.

La Cage Aux Folles features music and lyrics by Jerry Herman and book by Harvey Fierstein, based on the play by Jean Poiret.

The New York Times calls La Cage Aux Folles, "A triumph!" The Washington Post raves, "Undoubtedly a front-runner for best musical revival!" The Wall Street Journal says, "ILLUMINATING - and then some!" The New Yorker calls the show, "Utterly absorbing and subversive!"

Tickets range from $32 - $95. A select number of premium seats are also available for many performances. Tickets are available now for groups of 15 or more by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710. La Cage Aux Folles will be a part of the next 2011 Season Subscription Series. Individual tickets will go on sale at a later date.

Spring 2011 Children's Theatre Round-Up

Mon, 7 Mar 2011 09:12:04 -0600

Bringing young children to see live theatre is often a tricky proposition, for various and obvious reasons. In fact, I was just at a show the other night where I was somehow fortunate enough to sit directly in front of a family who decided to bring their (literally) infant child along with them. And no, he/she was not considerate enough to sleep through it all.

With that in mind, here is a brief run-down of some of the top family-oriented plays currently running or opening soon around town, those that are less likely to get you kicked out of the theatre if your toddler starts a running commentary on the plot.

Emerald City Theatre Company has made a name for themselves locally with their kiddie-friendly productions of well-known stories, and they continue in this mission with their rendition of Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, now running through May 8 at the Apollo Theater, 2540 N. Lincoln, Chicago. It is described as "a mad-cap experience of a lifetime" when "Mysterious Willy Wonka [opens] the gates to his coveted, curious chocolate factory...and only five children will be let inside!" Emerald City Theatre is also concurrently presenting Don't Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus!, an audience-interactive show about a pigeon who wants to do everything, based on a Caldecott-winning book by Mo Willems. It runs through April 10 at the Apollo Theater.

Up in Lincolnshire, Marriott Theatre is presenting How Can You Run With A Shell On Your Back?, about six young students stuck in library detention who bond over a copy of Aesop's Fables, as the different stories help them learn to use their imaginations. Sort of a Breakfast Club for tots, I suppose. It runs through May 22.

If you're looking for children's theatre with a socio-historical consciousness, then check out Chicago Children's Theatre's presentation of Jackie And Me, through March 27 at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn, Chicago. Jackie And Me tells the story of a kid named Joey who, while researching a book report, is transported back in time to 1947 to meet Jackie Robinson just as he's about to become the first athlete of color on a Major League baseball team.

Shows coming later this spring include Madagascar Live!, which is pretty much what it sounds like: a live version of Dreamworks' hit animated film Madagascar, coming to the Rosemont Theater March 16-20, 2011.

Lifeline Theatre is another company known for their children's theatre work, and they are presenting a world premiere musical from the adapters of Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch! called Arnie The Doughnut, about Arnie, the "happiest pastry in the bakery" until the day he's bought and taken home to be eaten. Arnie The Doughnut runs March 20 through May 15.

Lastly, for kids who aren't afraid of clowns, there's 500 Clown Nose (opens May 3), a show for young audiences from the renowned 500 Clown troupe that mixes vaudeville, improvisation, and physical clown-based performances into a story about a trio of clowns attempting to escape from a stark and ominous underworld and who, once they are finally free, find that they miss the imaginary world they had created to deal with their surroundings. It is presented at Adventure Stage Chicago, 1012 N. Noble Street.

Luke Heiden
Contributing Writer

Don't Be A Lou, Sir! - Eric and Andy Interview

Wed, 2 Mar 2011 13:48:07 -0600

Heroes move fast. We know this to be true, and one hero that moves the fastest is longtime Chicago storefront director Louis Contey. Winner of every Jeff Award over the last 15 years, this titan has brought his A-Game since day one. He now brings his prodigious talents to Strawdog Theatre's production of The Master and Margarita. We caught up with him at the Gas for Less on Lincoln, for a fast interview and faster women.

Hi Lou, and thanks for joining us here in this old gas station on Lincoln Avenue!

My pleasure, guys!

Now, for years we have heard all about Lou Contey and the various works you do, mainly at Timeline or Remy Bumppo or someplace. What do you look for in a particular piece?

I like plays that have a strong question that's being asked, sometimes a topical issue or something that just moves me emotionally.

Do you want a cup of coffee from inside? I love gas station coffee.

Sure, cream and sugar.

(Andy)Coming right up!
(Eric) Now, in the meantime, tell me a little about your latest project, The Master and Margarita at Strawdog Theatre.

It's a really weird, cool, fantastic story about love, censorship, and the Devil in Moscow during the Stalin era. I first read the novel about 20 years ago and found it fascinating and confusing and passionate. It's a tough read the first time through. But if you hang on it's very powerful. I have always wanted to try to adapt it, but I couldn't figure a way to do it. About four years ago--

Watch out for this car backing up.

About four years ago, I stumbled upon this version of it at a book store in Hyde Park. It takes the premise of the novel and turns it around a bit. In the novel the Master is a novelist writing a novel about Pontius Pilate. Watching a writer write a novel is pretty boring, but the adapter, Edward Kemp, came up with the notion of making him a playwright instead. Much more dynamic to watch Pilate as a character in rehearsal of a play. I knew that this was the key that would allow the story to be more theatrical.

(Andy) Hey guys! Back with the coffee! So did Eric ask you if you had read this book before?
(Eric) So Lou, I know this play has everything. There is magic and kissing and a few people put on ointments. Is all this true?

Yes, yes all of that is true. The magic and ointment are part of the Devil's world and the kissing is part of the Master & Margarita's world.

How was casting for this? Were you looking for specific things? Did any one talent really stick out as something you were looking for?

I wanted actors who were imaginative, who would be willing to go anywhere the play might take us. It wasn't enough that someone was a skilled actor or looked a particular way. I knew that I would need a cast with a particular kind of alchemy. Talent was in abundance, no doubt, but I was looking for people who were, for lack of a better word, fearless.

I also understand that this was your first time working at Strawdog Theatre. Now this is a two part question, so let me start over. How was it working at Strawdog Theatre, and how many Jeff Awards do you have?

It was great working at Strawdog. I've known Nic Dimond (Artistic Director at Strawdog) for a few years and I've seen a few shows here. The company walks it's own walk. Something a bit out of my usual experience. There's a lot of energy and creativity and a willingness to go that step out of the ordinary. The whole company has been really wonderful and great hosts. As for the Jeffs, I have seven citations and twelve nominations.

Well look at you. Do you have any projects lined up in the future?

I'm still floating a few things, but currently nothing on the immediate horizon.

I don't know if you were aware, but Brett Neveu just wrote an instant classic entitled "Eric and Andy Stop Terrorism", if that is something you'd be interested in, we'd love to get your resume and talk it over.

Sure thing, I'd love to talk about it.

Ok, well again, it was very nice to meet you, and I hope the stolen Little Debbies we shoved in your car don't melt. Have a safe trip home, new best friend!

Thanks for the hospitality, see you again!

No, Lou.

Eric Roach, Anderson Lawfer

Eric Roach and Anderson Lawfer are the founders of www.Reviewsyoucaniews.blogspot.com

Hippies Hit Chicago with Hair

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 12:55:19 -0600

If you have ever wanted to experience live hippieness up close and personal, and were either too young or too scared Back In The Day, then you will want to read further. Because for two weeks only starting March 8, the national touring production of Hair will be coming to the Ford Center for the Performing Arts Oriental Theatre. You won't want to miss this; the last time there were this many hippies in Chicago, Grant Park was destroyed.

This national tour of Hair comes straight from Broadway, where it won the 2009 Tony Award for Best Musical Revival, as well as Drama Desk, Drama League, and Outer Critics Circle awards for Outstanding Revival of a Musical. In addition, it was nominated for seven other Tony Awards and a Grammy for Best Musical Show Album. Recent cast members from the Broadway production who will be on tour include Steel Berkhardt as Berger, Matt DeAngelis as Woof, Kaitlin Kiyan as Crissy, Darius Nichols as Hud, Paris Remillard as Claude, Kacie Sheik as Jeanie, Nicholas Belton, Larkin Bogan, Allison Guinn, Josh Lamon, John Moauro, Kate Rockwell, Cailan Rose, Jen Sese, Lawrence Stallings, and Lee Zarrett. It also features the full Broadway production team of director Diane Paulus, choreographer Karole Armitage, scenic designer Scott Pask, costume designer Michael McDonald, lighting designer Kevin Adams, and sound design by Acme Sound Design.

Hair first opened Off-Broadway in October 1967 at the Public Theater. Featuring music by Galt MacDermot and book and lyrics by Gerome Ragni and James Rado, the show was a considerable hit, and transferred to Broadway in April 1968 where it ran for 1,750 performances. Other productions soon popped up around the United States and Europe, and the original Broadway score, featuring the hit songs "Aquarius" and "Let The Sun Shine In", became a platinum-selling soundtrack.

The original production of Hair was very controversial for its anti-war subject matter, use of profanity and, most specifically, the full onstage nudity of the entire cast for a brief portion of the show. Reportedly, even a few of the actors were initially less than comfortable baring themselves on a Broadway stage, and the producers eventually offered each of them $1.50 more per show if they would go through with it. (Insert joke here about supposedly anti-materialist hippies taking more money to get naked.) Audiences more accustomed to such things today may find it less shocking than they did in 1968. Nevertheless, the mature subject matter remains, and parents are thus advised to use their own best judgement.

Hair runs March 8-20, 2011 at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts Oriental Theatre. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting any of the Broadway In Chicago box offices or at ticketmaster.com.

Luke Heiden
Contributing Writer

A Brett Neveu From the Bridge with Eric and Andy

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 09:37:10 -0600

Brett Neveu, important American playwright and father agreed to an interview with us. Neveu has 3 plays onstage in Chicago right now, so naturally we needed the big scoop. There was only one problem! He is in L.A. and we are here in Chicago! So we decided to split the difference and meet somewhere in the middle; a miniature golf course in Moline, Illinois.

Good morning, Brett and thank you for meeting us here in Moline, Illinois at this mini golf park.

My pleasure, as long as I get to be the red ball. I'm always the red ball.

That's a fair request, since you are going to lose. They call us the white Chi Chi Rodriguez.

And they call me "The Red Ball." For obvious reasons. If you gather.

So Brett, let's talk about your stupid career decisions. First, you move to Los Angeles to become a famous playwright, and then all your plays are being done in Chicago, just a few miles north of here, Moline, Illinois.

And so what's the question? Hold on, let me putt. Okay. Go ahead.

I think what I'm asking is...why did you move away?

I moved away because my wife and I had a baby and we were looking for a change. Plus my parents were spending a lot of time in California and we wanted our daughter to be able to hang with them. And, regarding writing, I was looking to learn some new skills beyond playwriting. In addition, I was a bit burnt out and just wanted to be a dad for awhile.

Kids ruin everything, don't they?

Kids ruin most things, so it's just about deciding what they will ruin and when. That's what parenting is all about.

So did you go out there for TV work also, or do you have plans in that direction?

I've slowly been learning the TV writing process, taking two-three years of helping to raise Lia before I really started getting into it. So, yeah, I was looking to do TV stuff, but only in the past year or so have I gotten together with the folks that can help me with that, including managers, agents - pitching shows, taking meetings and all that.

It seems you have seen your play-writing star rise over the past few years. Are you afraid of being "Barton Finked" out in Hollywood?

Not really afraid of the Barton. Mostly because I've never subscribed to the idea that change is bad. From being an actor first, I learned that it's all "learning and changing", so whatever I learn and however I change, that's ultimately up to me and how I face that sort of stuff. Plus I know that whatever I do, people are hiring me because they like what I do. Whatever I bring to the whatever, folks know where I'm initially -- and eventually -- coming from. I'm a playwright in LA. There's no hiding or mistaking that fact.

I'm gonna go ahead and order us some chili dogs from our caddie. So, wait, you were an actor? What happened?

Control issues. Nerves. Frustration. Boredom. I like writing better.

Tell us about the plays you have onstage now in Chicago.

I have three running right now, each sort of very different. ODRADEK, with House, is a gothic fairytale about a teenager going slowly insane and how his insanity takes hold of him through the monster under the stairs. The second is titled DO THE HUSTLE and it's with Writers' Theatre, and it's about a father and son team of street hustlers who are trying to push poverty out of the way by chancing one last desperate and terrible family-related score. And the third is THE EARL with The Inconvenience and that play is about three brothers who hit each other with a crowbar while trying to have a nice, normal family reunion. And one of the brothers brings, basically, Clint Eastwood to the reunion.

Those all sound like the same play. So, at one time you were commissioned to write for The Haunted El, the scary El train adventure that happens around Halloween time on special trains down in the Chicago Loop. What was that like, having to work for the city?

Much like Wooderson in 'Dazed and Confused', it was a good gig that allowed me to party party party, all right all right all right. And it paid well. And I love Halloween, so it was honestly a great gig. I'd do it again in a heartbeep.

Do you have any favorite places you like to visit when you come back to Chicago these days? Another hole in one for us.

My favorite places to visit are: Uncle Fun; where I used to work and still love to be. Laurie's Planet of Sound; where I used to try and be casual and look at records like a geek. Chicago Comics; more looking like a geek in the self-published comic section.

That reminds me. We wanted to ask you if you would write a play where we stop terrorism. Not just a terrorist, but the entire notion of terrorism.

Sure. You want me to write it right now?

How long does it take you to write a play, like 30 minutes?

Depends on the kind of play. A play about you guys and terrorism, that I could do in a minute or so. A full-length (hour and a half for me) takes me a 3-4 months.

Man, I say go for it. Let's get all American Theatre up in this piece.

So write it now?
Okay.

Ladies and Gentlemen, a Neveu World Premiere:
ERIC AND ANDY DEMOLISH TERRORISM
by Brett Neveu
2011

(Lights up on a couch. Seated on the couch are ERIC and ANDY. Both wear sweats and hold salad bowls full of salad.)

ERIC
You call.

ANDY
No, you call.

ERIC
I'm not going to do it.

ANDY
You're the one with the strong opinion.

ERIC
You're opinion is just as strong.

ANDY
Sorry. You're right.

ERIC
Then make the call.
(The doorbell rings.)

ANDY
Oh crap.

ERIC
That's probably him.

ANDY
At least we won't have to call now...

ERIC
(to door) Come in!

(GERALD, in a suit, enters.)
GERALD
Eric. Andy. Hi.

ERIC
Hey, Gerald.

ANDY
Hey.

GERALD
Heard you had some opinions you wished voiced.

ANDY
Yeah, well, we were only just talking.

ERIC
Yeah. We were just talking over a few things.

ANDY
And we were thinking -- no terrorism. Anymore. Out with it. Get 'er gone. Make do with what we got. The end.

ERIC
Totally. I'm down.

GERALD
Wow. Okay. I'll let them know.

ANDY
Cool. Thanks.

ERIC
Excellent.

ANDY
(to GERALD) You want some salad?

GERALD
Sure.
(GERALD crams onto the couch with ERIC and ANDY. GERALD eats salad for about ten minutes.)
(Fade to black.)
END

Well there you have it, Chicago. A fresh take on the end of terrorism as we know it. Please email us if you'd like us to come do it at your church or community center.

And so, who wants the bill for the play? You or Andy?

Well, thanks Brett, looks like you shot a 56! New record for you and the Moline Mini Putt and GoKartAporium! Hope you enjoy all that Los Angeles has to offer!

Wait -- hold on -- who gets this bill for the play?! I got a kid to feed! And I have a putter to hit people with who don't pay.

Help! A semi-famous Chicago playwright is beating us up!

Aw, you guys are all right. I only halfway beat you up. I'll consider that payment enough.

Brett, you are a hero. Thanks for taking the time. Now, let's hit the first aid tent.

Eric Roach, Anderson Lawfer

Eric Roach and Anderson Lawfer are the founders of www.Reviewsyoucaniews.blogspot.com

Theater Symposium set for Chicago

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 19:12:07 -0600

How has Chicago theatre developed from a grassroots movement to a global phenomenon over the past 50 years? What is the current state of "the beating heart of American theatre," as British critic Michael Billington recently described Chicago? And what is the future of theatre in Chicago - in America and around the world - in a time of rapidly escalating technological innovation and globalization?

These are the questions that will be addressed during Chicago - Theatre Capital of America: Past. Present. Future, an international symposium presented by the Theatre Department of Columbia College Chicago on May 18-22. A principal focus of the symposium will be Chicago theatre since 1959, the year that director Paul Sills and others founded The Second City, Chicago's internationally acclaimed improvisational theatre which trained a legion of entertainment legends.

Online registration for the symposium is live at www.colum.edu/theatresymposium. Cost is $95 for the four-day event, with a discounted price of $60 for students. Registration and events are open to the public.

Featured speakers include Martha Lavey, artistic director of Steppenwolf Theatre Company; Harvey Young, director of Northwestern University's interdisciplinary doctoral program in theatre and author of Embodying Black Experience: Stillness, Critical Memory, and the Black Body; Todd London, coauthor of Outrageous Fortune: The Life and Times of the New American Play; and veteran Chicago arts critic Richard Christiansen, author of A Theater of Our Own: A History and Memoir of 1,001 Nights in Chicago.

International perspectives on Chicago theatre will be provided by scholars and guest artists from overseas including Phillip Zarrilli, actor, director and prize-winning author of Psychophysical Acting: An Intercultural Approach After Stanislavski. Zarrilli, with his company The Llanarth Group from Wales, will stage the American premiere of his latest work, Told By The Wind, at the Dance Center of Columbia College during the symposium.

"An exciting part of this project is the prospect of theatre artists, theatre scholars, and the community at large gathering for four days of celebration, investigation, stimulation, and speculation about the future of this unique cultural phenomenon we call Chicago theatre," says John Green, Ph.D., chair of the Columbia College Chicago Theatre Department. "Chicago theatre has evolved from a grassroots movement to a global phenomenon over the last 50 years, and we hope to provide a forum of creativity and innovation necessary to keep theatre alive, growing, and relevant to a new century."

More than 70 presentations by theatre scholars and practitioners from the United States and Europe will highlight the event. These presentations will be complemented by a variety of performances, workshops, and social events that will offer a unique opportunity for theatre academics, professionals and enthusiasts to meet and share ideas.

Specific themes to be addressed during sessions include:

- The influence of Chicago theatre artists and teachers on theatre, film, and TV in America and around the world -- from Broadway and Hollywood to regional theatre to universities here and abroad

- The work of Chicago playwrights (including Pulitzer Prize winners David Mamet and Tracy Letts) and directors (including Tony Award winners Robert Falls, Mary Zimmerman, and Frank Galati and Obie Award winner David Cromer)

- The rich history of African-American, Latino, Asian-American, and Arab-American theatre in Chicago

- The social, cultural, and political factors that have given Chicago theatre its distinctive qualities

- Ancestors and antecedents of contemporary Chicago theatre (including the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, the 1933 Century of Progress Chicago World's Fair, the historic Loop theatre district, the pioneering improv troupes and comedy artists of the Eisenhower era, and the civil rights and antiwar movements of the 1960s

- The influence of theatre criticism, dramaturgy, and even clergy in the evolution of Chicago theatre

- Arts leadership training, audience development, and funding strategies for the coming century.

The scholars selected to deliver papers and sit on panels at the event reflect an array of institutions from the United States and around the world. Among them, in addition to Columbia College Chicago, are Harvard University, Boston College, Emerson College, Northwestern University, DePaul University, Loyola University, the University of Illinois, the University of Wisconsin, the Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance in London, and the University of Macedonia for Economic and Social Sciences. Also participating are theatre professionals from Chicago companies such as Steppenwolf, Victory Gardens, Chicago Dramatists, Writers' Theatre and The Second City, as well as noted alumni of the Chicago theater explosion of the past four decades who have gone on to careers on stage and screen.

Joining Columbia College Chicago in this endeavor are a number of institutional partners including the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, the Chicago Public Library, the League of Chicago Theatres, the Dramatists Guild of America, Actors' Equity Association (Central Region) and the Museum of Contemporary Art.

For more information, visit http://www.colum.edu/theatresymposium.

Perhaps you will Emjoy this interview with Eric and Andy!

Fri, 4 Feb 2011 12:07:20 -0600

Working is a vital new musical based on the book by Pulitzer Prize-winning author and Chicago's own Studs Terkel. Adapted by Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Pippin and Godspell) from the original adaptation by Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso, Working is the working man's A Chorus Line. We caught up with hot, up-and-coming star of the Chicago Theatre Scene, Emjoy Gavino, in a burned down bodega on Pulaski and asked her how she got involved with this production opening on the 15th at the Broadway Playhouse.

Hi Emjoy! Thanks for meeting us at this old burned down grocery store.

I love it. Reminds me of my childhood.

So let's quit wasting time and have a seat here in the produce section. Tell me about your history in Chicago Storefront Theatre and how it led to you working on "Working".

Honestly, I'm still not sure how it led me to work on "Working." I started by not working in theater for almost a year, having to go back to Seattle for gigs. I finally scored a reading at Chicago Children's where I met Geoff Rice who told me about Barrel of Monkey auditions the next day and Halena [Kays] cast me the next month. I did some children's theater, then understudied for Chicago Children's with Sean Graney, the Goodman with Mary Zimmerman and Steppenwolf with Frank Galati, the whole time trying to claw into storefronts...Theatre Seven and House happened to cast me last year which was fun. And roles at Court and Lookingglass happened right after my year and a half of understudying. Nowhere in there did I ever think a musical would be in my career, ever again.

So you sort of skipped the storefront scene almost entirely and went right to the big houses.

Not on purpose! By any means! Maybe I wasn't fringey enough?

Well, you know that storefront people really likes to have white people in their plays, so maybe that's why.

That's what I meant by "fringey." "White."

So, you have a funny story about getting an audition for this show.

A friend of mine got a call from her agent telling her she'd be "perfect" for this role in Working, the musical. I think she laughed for thirty seconds and said, "no," then immediately called me. I wasn't so sure about auditioning for something that huge, but it sounded like a fun project so I called my agent asking why I hadn't heard about it and he informed me he "totally was just about to call me."

My agent is totally about to call me all the time too. So you went in, and blew them away and didn't have to have a callback or anything.

Not at all -- I went into a little room at a casting office and read three monologues for Becca Knights and then didn't hear anything for months. Then I got called into...audition for Working...for a camera...THEN, a month later, I auditioned for the director, and then the next day were callbacks in front of Stephen Schwartz. After which they called me an hour after I left the callback. Or rather, my agent did.

Wow. So tell me about what it's like to work with Stephen Schwartz. You know he worked with Ben Vereen.

Well, I haven't gotten to work with him so much, he was very kind to me at my callback and he watched part of one rehearsal our first week, but this weekend I think he's watching run thrus so maybe we'll get to chat with him then.

Well, if you want a little advice...He's a New York Jew, so talk a lot about good Chinese restaurants and sneakers.

Should I not have offered him a bagel?

That seems reasonable. So now you are in the middle of rehearsals with some of the biggest names in theatre in general, and Chicago theatre in particular. Namely Gene Weygandt, Barbara Robertson and E. Faye Butler. Have you been able to learn anything from their processes or, like most of us, have you learned nothing at all?

Oh, geez. I continue to learn every day - I don't mean to be all Pollyanna about it - but Gene and Barbara and E. Faye are such pros and "play" in rehearsal in such different ways. Gene doesn't just take the direction he's given, he chews it in his mouth, swishes it around a little and digests what works for him. Barbara comes in with a really strong idea of who these characters are and volleys back and forth with the director until she feels comfortable. And Faye continues to discover things and question things and challenge things. They're all so fearless. Mike Mahler and Gabe Ruiz are also blowing my mind.

Tell me about the show. What's the story? I have heard it is based on a Studs Terkel book, but he sounds like some weirdo porn star to me.

He could be! They wouldn't even have the change the title! Basically, it's an exploration of 26 people from different walks of life (a lot of people from the Midwest). They used a lot of the interviews from Studs' book, and then to update it from the previous drafts, Stephen, Gordon [Greenberg] (our director) and Lin Manuel Miranda (who wrote two of our new songs in the show) interviewed people in jobs that weren't covered in the books or at least drew from experiences of people they knew.

(Eric)Listen y'all...this is great so far. But let's get to the real nitty-gritty...what do you think of Halena Kays, and why is she so rotten?
(Andy)You better answer him, Emjoy, he looks furiously angry.

Halena is my favorite. Sorry.

I know. I can't stay mad at her either...even though she KNOWS what she did. So is there anything else on the horizon? How long will you be doing this book play?

Currently, no. They're selling tickets for this thing through May 8, but it's an "open ended run" so I guess this, for awhile. I'm hoping to sneak some Barrel of Monkeys stuff in there too.

Do you think you will stay in Chicago no matter what? Or will you go where the jobs take you?

Depends on the project. Chicago will be my home base and I don't really have an interest in relocating to NY or LA.

Omaha has a thriving dinner theatre and Haunted House scene. It's hot right now.

I HAVE always wanted to do one of those murder mystery things. Good point. And they have good steaks. Darn. Now I have some life choices to make.

Well, Emjoy, I think our interview is over, but would you like to wander into this abandoned laundromat with us?

I'd be delighted.

That's great, because we might be a little too "fringey" for this neighborhood.

Eric Roach, Anderson Lawfer

You can catch Emjoy Gavino in "Working" at the Broadway Playhouse starting February 15th.

Eric Roach and Anderson Lawfer are the founders of www.Reviewsyoucaniews.blogspot.com

Viva La Les Miserables

Sun, 30 Jan 2011 13:14:34 -0600

Les Miserables, perhaps France's third best-loved export after champagne and Brigitte Bardot (or fourth, after champagne, Bardot, and the two paired together), is coming to Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre for four weeks only starting February 2 in a new 25th Anniversary touring production that the London press has been calling "a five-star hit" (London Times), "overwhelmingly moving" (Daily Telegraph), and "...the story in a stimulating and refreshing new way" (Musical Stages).

Now featuring the tagline "Dream the Dream", perhaps a nod to the sudden revival of the song "I Dreamed A Dream" in the wake of Susan Boyle's now-famous rendition on Britain's Got Talent, it also features new staging, scenery, and a production design supposedly inspired by the paintings of the novel's author, Victor Hugo. The classic songs by Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil (with English lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer) remain, of course, as does the story itself. A tale of personal redemption amidst political revolution, Les Miserables tells of the reformed convict Jean Valjean, who breaks his parole in order to save the young Cosette and is pursued through 19th-century revolutionary France by his dogmatic jailer, Inspector Javert.

This new production is directed by Laurence Connor and James Powell, designed by Matt Kinley, with costumes by Andreane Neofitou and Christine Rowlands, lighting by Paule Constable, and sound by Mick Potter. The cast includes Lawrence Clayton as Valjean, Andrew Varela as Javert, Betsy Morgan as Fantine, Justin Scott Brown as Marius, and Jenny Latimer as Cosette, with the role of Young Cosette alternating between Katherine Forrester and Anastasia Danielle Korbal.

Hugo's book was developed as a musical by prolific British producer Cameron Mackintosh (Cats, The Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon) in the early 1980s with Boublil and Schonberg, who had originally conceived a musical version of Les Mis as a French concept album. Rewritten in English and adapted for the stage, it opened in London in 1985 and Broadway in 1987. It garnered 8 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and ran there until 2003, holding the record as the third longest-running show in Broadway history (behind Mr. Mackintosh's Phantom of the Opera and Cats). It is still playing in the West End, and remains the longest-running production ever there.

Indeed, though the student revolutionaries in Les Miserables (SPOILER ALERT!) do not succeed, the play itself has certainly conquered the world like a latter-day Napoleon, playing to 60 million people in 42 countries (if you wanted to know, that's just about 0.87% of the total world population, but still...), in 21 different languages. Alas, Russia is not among them. Too bad, M. Bonaparte.

Les Miserables runs at the Cadillac Palace Theatre February 2 through February 27. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com.

Luke Heiden
Contributing Writer

A Berry Special Interview with Eric and Andy

Tue, 25 Jan 2011 13:46:19 -0600

Jonathan Berry has been one of Chicago storefront's leading directors for the last few years. After graduating from Northwestern University, he got his start at Mary Arrchie Theatre Company directing Nicky Silver's The Altruists. He has also worked with Steep Theatre and Remy Bumppo, each time receiving more praise than the last. He met with us at a T.G.I. Friday's in Elmhurst to discuss his career, his new play PORT, now onstage for the Griffin Theatre, and his love of the technique for actors called Viewpoints.

Hi Jon and thanks for meeting us in this TGI Fridays. Are you ready for wing dings and things and talking to two dudes?

Boy howdy am I. Seriously. I've been trying for years to get the recipe for the chipotle dipping sauce, and they are like Fort Knox...

Let's start with a question we have all wondered for a while... When people say Jonathan Berry has a face like a basset hound, what does that mean?

Well. I think it refers to my earlier work, where I did the complete works of Ibsen, starring basset hounds. What that actually means, I'm not sure - but the work was effective. Nothing says Nordic depression like the hangdog jowls of a basset hound.

(Eric) Good answer. I used to have a mutt when I was a kid. His name was Bugsy Roach.

I had a dalmation named Muffet. She was sweet, but dumb. We called her the "Sweet dummy" she would lie in the road and sun herself.

Ok, now that's out of the way... Tell us about your new hit show, PORT.

PORT is the Griffin's second outing with British playwright Simon Stephens - Chicago has done the US premier now of 3 of his plays - I've directed two and Robin Witt did "Harper Regan" which apparently did well last year... I dig him as a writer, as he is writing from the sensibility of someone who has left behind a dying town that he loves, but that offers little for him in the way of opportunity. I guess I relate, being a theater artist from Detroit.

How is the hometown these days? Every pic I see of Detroit looks like a terribly depressing video game.

That seems about right. It's a weird place to go back to - since there is such a dichotomy between the people who are hanging on and doing well, and the people who have lost their jobs - you have these white collar business majors competing for jobs at Costco. It's rough times - but I also think that there is this pervasive hope that pushes people forward. No one is just throwing in the towel. Simon writes about that hope quite a bit - its one of the things I love about his plays - they seem realistic, and have, at their core, this basic human hope for survival and something better. No one really believes that their lives are worthless.

Except for Bears fans this week.

Right. Except for those guys. And Todd Collins.

Tell us about this cast you have together. I know some of them, they are all pretty young with the exception of John Byrnes. They play characters over the course of many years, yes?

Its hillarious. The kids call him Mr Byrnes and he chases them around with his walking stick yelling release the hounds but there are never any hounds. Yeah - it spans 13 years - from 1988 - 2002. Caroline Neff, who plays the primary girl Rachael, is in every scene and begins the play as an 11 year old girl and ends it at the age of 24. She never leaves stage, except for intermission - so we see the changes that she goes through as she comes to terms with her family and her situation. Which sounds like it could be totally crappy - watching adult people behaving like children - but Simon writes them in a way that rings incredibly true and I've been blessed with some really good actors who manage to do it and not be super annoying. It could have easily become a "Saved by the Bell " - but its not.

You are a company member at the Griffin. What challenges do you run into when you direct for the company you are also a member of, and what are some perks?

I think that the perks are, you enter into the relationship with a lot of trust. Bill Massolia, the artistic director, has known my work since the beginning and trusts that I can direct a play. So he gives me a lot of room to breathe and bring the production in. The harder part comes, just with familiarity. I know how I want to do things, and the organization is willing to let me do them, but sometimes folks step back a bit and just let me handle it.

I (Eric) worked at the Griffin right when I arrived in Chicago under the direction of Rick Barletta. How has the company grown and changed over the years?

Rick was my primary directing mentor when I started pursuing directing, and I learned a ton from him, first as an actor, and then as a director. The big thing being, make sure that the group of people you bring on board is A) of all, talented and B) of all good people. This work is too hard and no one is getting enough money in the off-loop world to work with challenging people you don't like. So I've tried to take that ethos and then also just raise the bar a bit in terms of what we can do with production value and quality. I had the rare opportunity to be working, in my early years, at both the Griffiin and at Steppenwolf, and I felt like there was no reason we couldn't apply some of Steppenwolf's professionalism and artistic benchmarks to the work at the off-loop scene. So I hope that we've done that - a bit of a hybrid. We just closed on our new building, so it seems like we are now going to take another step towards actually building a real home in the community.

Tell us about where you go to watch theatre, and who are some of your favorite actors and designers working in town.

I am incredibly lucky to have gone through Grad School with Joanie Schultz and Robin Witt and I pretty much love everything they do. So they've directed around, Steep, and A Red Orchid, and Redtwist. I'm a big fan of Sean Graney's work - at the very least, I will know I'm seeing something that has a very strong point of view and, love it or hate it, it will provoke something in me. I dig Matt Hawkins - thought his Red Noses at Strawdog was pretty great. So its tricky, I think I am generally more drawn to a director than to a theater. Basically, I love finding someone who manages to keep the focus on relationship, on human beings talking to each other and dealing with each other, and then going from there - it can go in a far more theatrical direction, or something more towards realism, but it has to start with people communicating and it doesn't always.

Designers?

I love to see what really creative people can do with the limitations they are given. Every time I see something at Strawdog, I'm struck by that - how they have 2 nickels to rub together and yet, some designers have made it look like an amazing, complete environment. Heather Gilbert and Sarah Hughey are brilliant at that, in the lighting department. Lee Fiskness just made 24 dimmers at Raven look like 42. There are always ways to make the limitations open up possibilities - I like when a designer helps me do that. Chelsea Warren, as a set designer, is fantastic as that as well...

Let's change the subject to YOUR favorite subject. How are you feeling about Viewpoints lately? I know you take a lot of flak from guys like us, but do you consider it something that can really get to the heart of a production?

I would argue that anyone who has gone through some Viewpoints in a process with me is, I hope, grateful at the end for having gone through it. In the same way that I'm hoping designers open up possibilties - I think viewpoints does that same thing. It brings an ensemble of sometimes strangers together in a very fast and efficient way and gets them thinking a bit more physically about the world. It, for me, diminishes the amount of time it takes actors to get past that polite "can I touch you there?" awkwardness when we start blocking - it just gets us to a point where you can respond to the play a bit more quickly. And everyone looks better in a unitard. So there's that as well.

I find Unitard to be such an offensive term. Please pass the Sesame Jack Chicken Strips.

(He passes them)

Thanks. Do you ever think that choosing any particular style in the beginning can be hard for actors to deal with? What I mean is, if an actor has his own specific process, and you throw them into viewpoints does it ever cause any contention?

Sure. And I try to be sensitive to that. In Journey's End, I did a half day with them and got a bit of resistance - they really wanted to sit and talk about the play - so I scrapped the Viewpoints plan and we sat around and talked about the history, and the relationships, and got at the connection that way. Generally I try to do both - my first week is split between table work and viewpoints work - so that you can almost always find SOME way in.

Jon, I've got an idea. Let's say you cast me and Eric in a show, and then when you start in with the viewpoints junk, we freak out and tell you that there is NO WAY IN HELL that we are going to blow like leaves in a tree with the wind or whatever, and then you fire us. Then EVERYBODY knows that you aren't playing around when it comes to body movement.

Man. That sounds like a great idea but it totally breeches my blood pact to NEVER NOT EVER NOT IN A MILLION YEARS CAST ANDY AND ERIC IN ANYTHING I EVER DO.... I'm not sure- I'll check the fine print of the blood pact - but I'm not sure I can do that...

(Andy) Man, I can totally understand this, since I have auditioned for you 37 times.

You were really close that last time. You are wearing me down...

I would cast Jon in a story about clowns who go to a funeral.

I would love to do that play. I have been practicing painting tears on my face.

Well, Jonnyboy, thanks for lunch and the great talk, but now Eric and I have to topography back to Chicago.

That's great, because I just ran out of wetnaps to clean off my fingers and I HATE to have to lick them in public - but the chicken was just that good.

You're a director who has a point of view and loves wings. I can respect that...but stop lying about licking things in public.

Sorry. I get carried away. I just really want people to think I'm working class.

Eric and Andy

Eric Roach & Anderson Lawfer are the founders of www.reviewsyoucaniews.blogspot.com

The Merchant of Venice coming to Bank of America Theatre

Mon, 24 Jan 2011 19:30:53 -0600

William Shakespeare's tragicomedy The Merchant of Venice from the acclaimed Theatre for a New Audience comes to Chicago for a limited two-week engagement at the Bank of America Theatre from March 15 - 27.

Starring Oscar winner F. Murray Abraham ("Amadeus," 1984) in his riveting portrayal of Shylock, and directed by Darko Tresnjak (former Artistic Director, Old Globe), the play has been arousing controversies for centuries with raucous and gentle comedy, tender poetry, and its struggle with mercy and justice. In this riveting update, religion, race and sexuality collide with love, family and justice and the currency of society and humanity has never been so changeable.

As Shylock, Mr. Abraham's performance is acclaimed: "touches greatness in every aspect of an immensely challenging role (New York Observer); "Among the great performances of our time." (Stephen Greenblatt, New York Review of Books. "In a performance as daring as it is powerful, Mr. Abraham delves into the shadowier recesses of Shylock's corrupted psyche, making him a little more sinister than sympathetic, sinning as much as sinned against...The achievement of this production is to offer a Shylock who is the equal of his tormentors in this exacting cruelty, not just a wronged man unhinged by suffering" (Charles Isherwood. New York Times). Darko Tresnjak's production received raves: "In its visible modernity, Darko Tresnjak's production for New York's Theater for New Audience gets to the work's disturbed heart." The Guardian; "The quality of Tresnjak's staging is mercifully high, and presents the most compelling possible argument for Shylock in the form of F. Murray Abraham, an actor of tremendous dignity and command." Time Out, New York

Theatre For A New Audience is the first American theatre to be invited to bring a production of Shakespeare to the Royal Shakespeare Company. Founded in 1979 by Jeffrey Horowitz, its mission is to develop and vitalize the performance and study of Shakespeare and classic drama. We are dedicated to a dialogue over centuries between Shakespeare and other great authors such as Marlowe, Edward Bond and Adrienne Kennedy. "New" in our name does not refer to an audience who goes to the theatre for the first time. "New" can mean a directional approach, a fresh talent, an innovative design, a rarely produced play, a new form and an audience open to discovery.

At Theatre for a New Audience, American and European artists interact, workshop, teach, and direct. The Theatre is committed to promoting the ongoing training of artists and supports the American Directors Project, a program led by Cicely Berry, C.B.E., Director of Voice, Royal Shakespeare Company.

The company's productions and affiliated artists have been honored with such prestigious awards and nominations as Drama Desk, Lortel, Obie and the Tony. The Theatre's production of the The Green Bird by Carlo Gozzi directed by Julie Taymor opened Off-Broadway, toured to La Jolla Playhouse, and later moved to Broadway. In 1994, Julie Taymor directed Titus Andronicus Off-Broadway for the Theatre. Taymor then directed Titus, a major film starring Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange. Theatre for a New Audience has an ongoing collaboration with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). Their production of Shakespeare's Cymbeline directed by Bartlett Sher opened at the RSC's The Other Place Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, in November 2001. In January 2006, Theatre for a New Audience's production of Souls of Naples starring John Turturro toured to the Teatro Mercadante in Naples, Italy, and in March 2007 we returned to the RSC with The Merchant of Venice starring F. Murray Abraham and directed by Darko Tresnjak. In partnership with New York City, Theatre for a New Audience is building its first home, a center for Shakespear and classic drama, in the BAM Cultural District. Groundbreaking will be this spring.

Theatre for a New Audience aspires to a civic role, bonding the diverse community of New York to the language, pleasures, and issues of classical drama. The Theatre offers talks with scholars, critics, and artists in conjunction with performances. Theatre for a New Audience created and runs the largest in depth program for introducing Shakespeare in the New York City Public Schools. The Theatre assists teachers in integrating classics into the Language Arts curriculum. Students study the play in their classroom and then see a Theatre for a New Audience production at special morning matinees. 2,100 students participate annually and over 120,000 young people ages 10-18 have been served since 1984. The Summer Arts Institute is a tuition-free, intensive, four-week arts program for New York City public school students. The Shakespeare Institute, supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities, offers public and private middle and high school teachers the opportunity to strengthen their familiarity with Shakespeare and their skills in communicating themes to students. Theatre for a New Audience's educational programs received the Municipal Arts Society's Certificate of Merit.

Individual tickets for The Merchant Of Venice are now on sale and range in price from $22.50 - $72.50. Tickets are available at all Broadway In Chicago Box Offices (24 W. Randolph St., 151 W. Randolph St. and 18 W. Monroe St.), the Broadway In Chicago Ticket Line at (800) 775-2000, all Ticketmaster retail locations (including Hot Tix and select Carson Pirie Scott, Coconuts and fye stores), and online at ticketmaster.com.

White Noise comes to Chicago

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 15:18:47 -0600

White Noise, the new rock musical directed and choreographed by Broadway's Sergio Trujillo will play an 8-week limited engagement with previews beginning on April 1, 2011 and opening April 9, 2011. Featuring a cast of nineteen, the production will run at The Royal George Theatre, 1641 North Halsted Street. Tickets will be on sale in early February.

White Noise is a provocative new rock musical that follows a pair of sisters who are discovered by a powerful record producer, and groomed into a well-packaged rock/pop band, which mixes irresistible harmonies with coded rhetoric into chart-blazing hits. Inspired by real life, White Noise fuses today's headlines and blogs into a cautionary tale that challenges conventional notions of free speech, media and the power of pop culture.

Directed and choreographed by Sergio Trujillo, whose recent Broadway credits include Jersey Boys (2006 Tony Award and 2009 Olivier Award for Best Musical), Next to Normal (Pulitzer Prize for Drama), Memphis (2010 Tony Award for Best Musical), The Addams Family; Guys and Dolls and All Shook Up, White Noise features a book by Matte O'Brien and music and lyrics by Robert Morris, Steven Morris and Joe Shane. White Noise was originally conceived by Ryan J. Davis with a story and characters by Joe Drymala.

Producer Whoopi Goldberg comments, "White Noise smacks you in a challenging, emotional and entertaining way. The producing team looks forward to bring this unflinchingly honest new production to Chicago where audiences are sophisticated, aware and open to a musical that will certainly remind them of today's headlines and might awaken a new awareness of current social issues."

The set is designed by Robert Brill, costumes by Paul Tazewell, lights by Jason Lyons, sound by Garth Helm, and multi-media design by Raj Kapoor.

White Noise had an early developmental production in the 2006 NY Musical Theatre Festival, and then was fully re-developed and went on to a critically-acclaimed and sold-out engagement at New Orleans' Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carre in July 2009.

For more information, visit www.whitenoisebroadway.com.

John Leguizamo Warms Up in Chicago at Royal George Theatre

Thu, 30 Dec 2010 06:37:29 -0600

John Leguizamo returns to Chicago next year for a limited two-week engagement with John Leguizamo Warms Up. Presented by WestBeth Entertainment, the pre-Broadway engagement will be performed at the Royal George Theatre, 1641 North Halsted Street, February 1 - 12, 2011.

Conceived and performed by Emmy and Obie Award winner John Leguizamo and directed by Academy Award winner Fisher Stevens, John Leguizamo Warms Up is an 'unplugged' version of his new solo play Ghetto Klown, which will open a 12-week engagement at the Lyceum Theatre (149 West 45th Street) in New York, beginning previews on February 21, and opening March 22.

Ghetto Klown is the next chapter in John Leguizamo's hugely popular personal and professional story. It follows in the unabashed, uncensored, and uninhibited tradition of his Mambo Mouth, Spic-O-Rama, Freak, and Sexaholix...a Love Story. In Leguizamo's trademark style, the piece explodes with energy, leading audiences on a fever-pitch adventure and heating up the stage with vivid accounts of where he's been and the colorful characters who have populated his life. Leguizamo takes audiences from his adolescent memories in Queens to the early days of his acting career during the outrageous 80s avant-garde theatre scene, and on to the sets of major motion pictures and his roles opposite some of Hollywood's biggest stars.

Leguizamo explains, "Ghetto Klown is all the things I say to my therapist and my manager, but would NEVER want the general public to know. It's cheaper than a lawsuit and I get to take a bow at the end. It's my do it yourself tragic-comedy."

Ghetto Klown was showcased in earlier incarnations in cities including Philadelphia, New Haven, Santa Fe, Louisville, La Jolla, Berkeley, Toronto, and at Montreal's Just for Laughs Festival.

Multi-faceted performer and Emmy Award winner John Leguizamo's notable career defies categorization. Possessing boundless energy and creativity, Leguizamo's work spans the genres of film, theatre, television, literature and beyond. As writer and performer, Leguizamo created the Off-Broadway sensation Mambo Mouth, in which he portrayed seven different characters (Obie, Outer Critics Circle, Vanguardia Awards). His second one-man show Spic-O-Rama enjoyed extended sold-out runs in Chicago and New York (Dramatists' Guild Hull-Warriner Award for Best American Play, Lucille Lortel Outstanding Achievement Award for Best Broadway Performance, Drama Desk Award for Best Solo Performance). His third solo show Freak completed a successful run on Broadway in 1998. A special presentation of Freak, directed by Spike Lee, aired on HBO (Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance in a Variety or Music Program and nomination for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special). In Fall 2001 Leguizamo returned to Broadway with Sexaholix...a Love Story, directed by Peter Askin (Outer Critics Circle Award nomination for "Outstanding Solo Performance" and Tony Award nomination for Best Special Theatrical Performance). Sexaholix aired as an HBO Special in Spring 2002 and toured widely. Other stage credits: A Midsummer Night's Dream and La Puta Vida at the New York Shakespeare Festival and Parting Gestures at INTAR. Presently, Leguizamo delights younger fans as the voice of Syd in Ice Age 1, 2 and 3. He has been seen in countless films including Love in the Time of Cholera opposite Javier Bardem and Benjamin Bratt, The Happening opposite Mark Wahlberg, Righteous Kill opposite Robert Deniro and Al Pacino, The Babysitters opposite Cynthia Nixon and The Take opposite Rosie Perez as well as Miracle at St. Anna, Land of the Dead, The Groomsmen, Lies & Alibis, Assault on Precinct 13, Sueno, Spin, Moulin Rouge, Summer of Sam, King of the Jungle, Spawn, William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet, Dr. Doolittle, Carlito's Way and Casualties of War.

Tickets for John Leguizamo Warms Up are $40 for weekdays and $45 for weekends and available by visiting www.ticketmaster.com, or at the Royal George Theatre box office.

Play List 2010: Top Shows Of The Year

Mon, 20 Dec 2010 10:34:59 -0600

TheatreInChicago presents its annual list of the top-rated plays that were produced in the Chicago area for 2010. The list was compiled objectively from critics' reviews, based on the Highly Recommended to Not Recommended scale. A few things to note...

There are 25 shows on the list, produced by 19 different theatre companies. There were four repeats: Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire shows up three times, as does Steppenwolf. Writers Theatre in Glencoe and Court Theatre each appear twice. All of these are established Equity companies, but the Non-Equity side is well represented by the likes of Redmoon, The House Theatre, Raven Theatre, Caffeine Theatre, and others.

Among the top ten, no company appears more than once, and the genres range from classics (To Kill A Mockingbird) to musicals (The Music Man) to Expressionist puppet shows (The Cabinet) to hipster Christmas cheer (The Nutcracker). Again, that's just in the top ten. This is good for The Scene. It means that not only do we have high-quality work being done by a lot of different companies, but the different types of theatre being offered are just as richly and rewardingly varied. Chicago has a long-cultivated reputation as a gritty, kitchen-sink drama town, but this list shows that that's only half, or a third, or perhaps even a quarter of the story. There is something for everyone, but more importantly, there is something for everyone that is good.

A caveat, however: only those productions that garnered at least seven reviews from recognized publications or blogs were eligible to be on this list. So a play that had only three reviews, for instance, even if all of those reviews were Highly Recommended, would not be included. This was done to ensure that the list could not be compromised by shows whose small number of reviews give each one undue weight.

A last note: the list has one repeat playwright, Tennessee Williams, who scores twice with Cat On A Hot Tin Roof and A Streetcar Named Desire. So way to go, T-Dubs. Finally some recognition.

Top Plays of 2010

A Streetcar Named Desire
Writers' Theatre

Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Daily Herald- Highly Recommended
Time Out Chicago- Highly Recommended
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Highly Recommended
Windy City Times- Highly Recommended
Copley News Service- Recommended
Talkin Broadway- Highly Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater Blog- Highly Recommended
Steadstyle Chicago- Highly Recommended

Hughie/Krapp's Last Tape
Goodman Theatre

Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Time Out Chicago- Highly Recommended
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Highly Recommended
Windy City Times- Highly Recommended
Talkin Broadway- Highly Recommended
Centerstage- Highly Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater Blog- Recommended
Steadstyle Chicago- Highly Recommended

The Music Man
Marriott Theatre In Lincolnshire

Chicago Tribune- Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
Examiner- Highly Recommended
Windy City Times- Highly Recommended
Copley News Service- Highly Recommended
Centerstage- Highly Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater Blog- Highly Recommended
Steadstyle Chicago- Highly Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended

Awake and Sing
Northlight Theatre

Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Time Out Chicago- Highly Recommended
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
Windy City Times- Highly Recommended
Copley News Service- Highly Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater Blog- Highly Recommended
Steadstyle Chicago- Highly Recommended

The Cabinet
Redmoon Central

Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Time Out Chicago- Highly Recommended
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
Chicago Stage Review- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater Blog- Highly Recommended
Steadstyle Chicago- Highly Recommended
Chicago Journal- Highly Recommended

Speed-the-Plow
American Theatre Company

Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Time Out Chicago- Highly Recommended
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
Windy City Times- Highly Recommended
Copley News Service- Highly Recommended
Centerstage- Highly Recommended
Chicago Stage Review- Highly Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater Blog- Recommended

To Kill a Mockingbird
Steppenwolf Theatre

Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
Time Out Chicago- Highly Recommended
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Highly Recommended
Centerstage- Highly Recommended
Chicago Stage Review- Highly Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater Blog- Highly Recommended
Steadstyle Chicago- Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended

The Other Cinderella
Black Ensemble Theater

Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Time Out Chicago- Highly Recommended
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Highly Recommended
Windy City Times- Highly Recommended
Copley News Service- Highly Recommended
Centerstage- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater Blog- Recommended
Steadstyle Chicago- Highly Recommended

Killer Joe
Profiles Theatre

Chicago Tribune- Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Time Out Chicago- Highly Recommended
The Wall Street Journal- Highly Recommended
Chicago Reader- Recommended
Examiner- Highly Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Highly Recommended
Windy City Times- Highly Recommended
Chicago Free Press- Highly Recommended
Copley News Service- Highly Recommended
Talkin Broadway- Highly Recommended
Centerstage- Highly Recommended
Chicago Stage Review- Highly Recommended
The Onion- Highly Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater Blog- Highly Recommended
Steadstyle Chicago- Highly Recommended

The Nutcracker
The House Theatre of Chicago at Chopin Theatre

Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Recommended
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
Examiner- Highly Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Highly Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater Blog- Highly Recommended
Reviews You Can Iews- Highly Recommended

The Ring Cycle
The Building Stage

Chicago Tribune- Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Time Out Chicago- Highly Recommended
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Highly Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Highly Recommended
Steadstyle Chicago- Highly Recommended

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Steppenwolf Theatre

Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Daily Herald- Highly Recommended
Time Out Chicago- Highly Recommended
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
Examiner- Highly Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Highly Recommended
Copley News Service- Highly Recommended
Talkin Broadway- Highly Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Recommended
Steadstyle Chicago- Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended

The Drowsy Chaperone
Marriott Theatre In Lincolnshire

Chicago Tribune- Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Recommended
Windy City Times- Highly Recommended
Centerstage- Highly Recommended
ShowBizChicago- Highly Recommended
7DAYS- Highly Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater Blog- Highly Recommended
Steadstyle Chicago- Highly Recommended

Hephaestus: A Greek Mythology Circus Tale
Lookingglass Theatre Company at Goodman Theatre

Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Time Out Chicago- Highly Recommended
Chicago Reader- Somewhat Recommended
Copley News Service- Highly Recommended
Talkin Broadway- Highly Recommended
Centerstage- Highly Recommended
Chicago Stage Review- Highly Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater Blog- Highly Recommended
Steadstyle Chicago- Highly Recommended

Oh Coward!
Writers' Theatre

Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Time Out Chicago- Recommended
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Highly Recommended
Copley News Service- Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater Blog- Highly Recommended
Steadstyle Chicago- Highly Recommended

Sizwe Banzi is Dead
Court Theatre

Chicago Tribune- Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Time Out Chicago- Highly Recommended
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Highly Recommended
Copley News Service- Highly Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater Blog- Recommended
Steadstyle Chicago- Highly Recommended

Wicked
Cadillac Palace Theatre

Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Recommended
Daily Herald- Highly Recommended
Time Out Chicago- Recommended
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
Examiner- Highly Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Highly Recommended
Copley News Service- Highly Recommended
Talkin Broadway- Highly Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Recommended
Steadstyle Chicago- Highly Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended

The Illusion
Court Theatre

Chicago Tribune- Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Time Out Chicago- Highly Recommended
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
Copley News Service- Highly Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater Blog- Recommended
Steadstyle Chicago- Highly Recommended

The Brother/Sister Plays
Steppenwolf Theatre

Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Time Out Chicago- Highly Recommended
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
Windy City Times- Highly Recommended
Copley News Service- Highly Recommended
Talkin Broadway- Recommended
Centerstage- Highly Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Recommended
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Steadstyle Chicago- Recommended

Abigail's Party
A Red Orchid Theatre

Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Time Out Chicago- Recommended
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
Copley News Service- Highly Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Recommended
Steadstyle Chicago- Highly Recommended

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Raven Theatre

Time Out Chicago- Highly Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Highly Recommended
Talkin Broadway- Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater Blog- Recommended
Steadstyle Chicago- Highly Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended

Boojum! Nonsense, Truth, and Lewis Carroll
Caffeine Theatre and Chicago Opera Vanguar at Storefront Theater

Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Time Out Chicago- Highly Recommended
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
Windy City Times- Recommended
Chicago Stage Review- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater Blog- Recommended
Steadstyle Chicago- Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended
Reviews You Can Iews- Highly Recommended

To Master the Art
TimeLine Theatre Company

Chicago Tribune- Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Time Out Chicago- Recommended
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Highly Recommended
Windy City Times- Highly Recommended
Copley News Service- Recommended
Talkin Broadway- Highly Recommended
ShowBizChicago- Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater Blog- Highly Recommended
Steadstyle Chicago- Highly Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended

The Importance Of Being Earnest
Remy Bumppo Theatre at The Greenhouse Theater Center

Chicago Tribune- Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Time Out Chicago- Recommended
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
Examiner- Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Highly Recommended
Windy City Times- Recommended
Copley News Service- Highly Recommended
Centerstage- Highly Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater Blog- Highly Recommended
Steadstyle Chicago- Highly Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended

A Chorus Line
Marriott Theatre In Lincolnshire

Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Chicago Reader- Recommended
Examiner- Highly Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Somewhat Recommended
Copley News Service- Highly Recommended
Centerstage- Highly Recommended
ShowBizChicago- Highly Recommended
ChicagoCritic- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater Blog- Highly Recommended
Steadstyle Chicago- Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended

Luke Heiden
Contributing Writer

Profiles Theatre continues 22nd Season with reasons to be pretty

Mon, 20 Dec 2010 10:34:21 -0600

Profiles Theatre continues its 2010-2011 Season with reasons to be pretty by Neil LaBute, directed by Steppenwolf ensemble member Rick Snyder. Previews are January 21-26, 2011 and the production runs through March 13, 2011 at Profiles Theatre, 4147 N. Broadway in Chicago.

In reasons to be pretty, Greg's tight-knit social circle is thrown into turmoil when his offhand remarks about a female coworker's pretty face and his own girlfriend Steph's lack thereof get back to Steph. But that's just the beginning. Greg's best buddy, Kent, and Kent's wife, Carly, also enter into the picture, and the emotional equation becomes exponentially more complicated. As their relationships crumble, the four friends are forced to confront a sea of deceit, infidelity, and betrayed trust in their journey to answer that oh-so-American question: How much is pretty worth?

reasons to be pretty, produced by MCC Theater and directed by Terry Kinney, premiered off-Broadway at the Lucille Lortel Theater in June 2008. It received three Drama Desk Award nominations including Outstanding Play. reasons to be pretty became Neil LaBute's first play ever to be staged on Broadway when it opened in March 2009 at the Lyceum Theatre. The comedy-drama was nominated for three 2009 Tony Awards, including Best Play and received the 2009 Broadway.com Audience Award for Favorite New Off-Broadway Play.

Profiles will also present a special one night only event, An Evening With Neil LaBute: Live and in Person on January 8, 2011. The theatre began its relationship with Neil LaBute in 2006 with the Midwest premiere of autobahn, followed by their long-running hit, Fat Pig. In 2007, Profiles devoted an entire season to the works of LaBute that included the Midwest premieres of In a Dark Dark House, Some Girl(s), This is How it Goes, and a collection of short works entitled Things We Said Today followed by the Midwest premiere of The Mercy Seat in 2009.

"Having watched reasons to be pretty grow from a show running off-Broadway into a production that had to deal with all the excitement and difficulties of playing on Broadway, I'm thrilled to see it in the kind of space that I really love-the intimacy of the Profiles house," says playwright Neil LaBute. "I'm never happier than when my work is in the safe hands of the artists who make up the Profiles company."

Directed by Steppenwolf ensemble member Rick Snyder (Killer Joe), the cast of reasons to be pretty features Profiles' ensemble members Somer Benson (Killer Joe, Graceland) and Darrell W. Cox (Kid Sister, Killer Joe) along with guest artists Darci Nalepa (Company at Griffin Theatre) and Christian Stolte (Orange Flower Water at Steppenwolf).

The designers are Stephen Carmody (set), Jessica Harpeneau (lights), Jeffrey Levin (sound and original music) and the stage manager is Corey Weinberg.

reasons to be pretty is the next production of Profiles Theatre's 22nd season, following the Midwest premiere of Jailbait by Deirdre O'Connor (returning for a limited engagement beginning January 13, 2011 at The Second Stage) and the World premiere of Kid Sister by Will Kern. The season will conclude with the Midwest premiere of Fifty Words by Michael Weller, opening in April 2011.

Give Your Family Some Drama This Season

Mon, 6 Dec 2010 09:26:46 -0600

It's cold, it's snowy, it's Christmas time, which means it's time to buy things. Now more than ever. And if you're stuck on a gift idea for that person on your list who has everything but culture, then might we suggest the gift of Theatre? Fortunately, you live in Chicago, where, from ridiculously enormous Broadway extravaganzas to actors-tripping-over-your-feet storefront drama, there is no shortage of options.

Broadway In Chicago offers gift certificates in denominations of $10, $25, $50, $75, $100, and $200. They can be redeemed for any show sponsored by BIC at one of their four venues: the Cadillac Palace, Ford Center at Oriental, Bank of America, or Broadway Playhouse theatres. They are not redeemable at Ticketmaster.

Ticketmaster has its own line of gift cards that can be purchased on its website, in similar denominations as BIC listed above. Among the most popular shows for gift tickets are Wicked (playing through Jan. 23), Les Miserables (coming in February), Million Dollar Quartet, and Blue Man Group. These can all be purchased through Ticketmaster, but the gift cards can be redeemed at any venue Ticketmaster has an agreement with, which includes not only live theatre, but also concerts, sports events, and special events like ice shows and circuses.

Most of the major regional theatres in town, including Goodman, Steppenwolf, Lookingglass, Chicago Shakespeare, and The Second City offer gift certificates redeemable towards the purchase of tickets at their shows. In addition, many also offer the (albeit more expensive) option of gifting someone with a subscription to an entire season.

An interesting and unique possibility for someone who's more into the storefront end of the scale is the Rogers Park Flex Pass. For $50, this pass allows the holder admission to one show of their choice at each of the four member theatres: Lifeline Theatre, Side Project, Raven Theatre, and Theo Ubique. Dining discounts at five participating Rogers Park restaurants are also included with the Flex Pass.

For half-price tickets, Goldstar is a popular site, and they offer gift certificates redeemable for any show listed with them. Many of the smaller, less-publicized venues in town like working with Goldstar because it allows them to sell some last-minute seats at half-price that may have otherwise been empty, so this makes them another good choice for seeing storefront theatre.

Lastly, while most theatres will bend over backwards to get you in their doors and thus are fairly generous with things like expiration dates, specifics (like return policy) will vary. Be a defensive shopper and read all terms and conditions carefully, and make sure the recipient understands them as well.

Something "Popular" Comes This Way...Again: Wicked Returns

Mon, 29 Nov 2010 08:44:30 -0600

That screeching sound you hear from off in the distance could be flying monkeys, or it could be the unrestrained vocal delight of gaggles of young girls that one of their favorite musicals of the past decade is dropping its house on Chicago again. Yes Aunty Em, Wicked is back.

For eight weeks only, from December 1 through January 23, the latest national touring incarnation of the Wizard of Oz prequel will play at the Cadillac Palace Theatre in downtown Chicago. Says producer David Stone, "We are absolutely thrilled to return to Chicago and play Wicked at the Cadillac Palace Theatre. For nearly four years, the Oriental Theatre was our home, but it is about much more than a building. It is really the city of Chicago and its audiences that are Wicked's home. And of course, there's no place like home."

The Chicago production of Wicked, the (very much told) story of the witches of Oz, originally opened at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre in June 2005. It played 1,500 performances and was seen by over 3 million people from all 50 states, 2 U.S. Territories, and 20 foreign countries before it finally closed three and a half years later, in January 2009, establishing Broadway In Chicago as the premier purveyor of regional sit-down productions of Broadway hits. It also grossed well over $200 million, making it the most financially successful theatrical production in Chicago history. Take that, Shear Madness.

Based on the novel of the same name by Gregory Maguire, Wicked was written by Stephen Schwartz (music and lyrics) and Winnie Holzman (book), and was the hit show of the 2003 Broadway season, winning a Grammy Award and three Tonys (though it was beaten for Best Musical by Avenue Q). For those few sorry individuals unfamiliar with the story, Wicked tells the tale of a young woman named Elphaba, who is taken under the wing of Glinda the Good Witch before a falling-out turns her into the Wicked Witch of the West. It made a star of Kristin Chenoweth, the original Glinda on Broadway, and features the hit songs "Popular", "Loathing", and "Defying Gravity." It continues to be performed in the U.S. and all over the world, including Japanese and German language productions, an Australian production, and a Dutch language production that will open in 2011.

Wicked opens December 1 at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph, in downtown Chicago. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by visting ticketmaster.com.

Also, for a complete list of Broadway In Chicago shows, visit our Broadway shows in Chicago page.

Luke Heiden
Contributing Writer

High-Tech Production of Peter Pan Coming to Chicago

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 08:08:01 -0600

Broadway In Chicago and threesixty° entertainment have announced the spectacular new threesixty° stage production of Peter Pan, J M Barrie's classic story performed in a state-of-the-art theater tent for a limited eight-week engagement beginning Friday, April 29, 2011. Conceived by an award-winning creative team and featuring 23 actors, stunning puppets, epic music, dazzling flying sequences and the world's first 360-degree CGI theater set, Peter Pan is an extraordinary experience.

One of the most striking elements of this new production is the setting in which it is presented. The threesixty° Theatre, a 1,300 seat theater tent, allows for performance "in the round" and will stand at the Chicago Tribune Freedom Center North at 650 W. Chicago Avenue (at Halsted).

The entire interior of the tent is lit with more than 15,000 square feet of Hi-Resolution video -- three times the size of Imax screens -- so that both cast and audience are immersed in a CGI Neverland. When Peter and Wendy fly to Neverland, the audience flies with them over 400 square miles of virtual London and beyond.

"The Tribune is thrilled to be hosting such an outstanding family oriented production on the grounds of the Freedom Center. This location allows us the opportunity to showcase unique and exciting events in the heart of our great city," said Tony Hunter, President, Publisher and CEO, Chicago Tribune Media Group.

The threesixty° Peter Pan first captivated audiences in London, where it started performances on May 26, 2009 in Kensington Gardens, where J M Barrie was first inspired to write the story. It played a sixteen-week sold-out engagement to 200,000 people - including a Royal Gala for the Prince's Trust for Children and the Arts, attended by their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall (Prince Charles and Camilla). In addition, an impressive parade of international celebrities enthusiastically attended with their families throughout the summer. The U.S. premiere was on April 27, 2010, at Ferry Park on the Embarcadero in San Francisco.

Theater patrons are also encouraged as well to enhance their trip to Neverland with food and beverage available in the Pavilion. (Please note however no outside food or beverage is allowed on site). At some performances, the audience can begin their journey even before the performance commences. Peter Pan is accompanied by a behind the scenes "Into Neverland" tour given weekly.

Robert Butters, threesixty° producer, said, "We are excited that Peter Pan and The threesixty° Theatre will be performing in Chicago next year. Chicago is a highly respected theater town and we are excited to bring our innovative production to Chicago theater-goers. The Chicago Tribune Freedom Center allows us to bring Peter Pan to a new exciting place in the city and attract new audiences to the theater."

threesixty° entertainment, a theatrical production company based in London with Charlie Burnell, Matthew Churchill, and Robert Butters as principals, commissioned a first class creative team to develop this production of Peter Pan. The cast of Peter Pan features members of the original London production joined by American actors, making it a truly international company.

One of the London Observer's "Hot 10 Must Do" events for 2009, the show was described by The Daily Express as "An immensely thrilling ride. A gem to be enjoyed whether you are 8, 18 or 80." Robert Hurwitt in the San Francisco Chronicle wrote, "As promised, the high- and low-tech special effects in the threesixty° Theatre are spectacular and highly entertaining. Richard Stayton in the Los Angeles Times wrote, "A multimedia, immersive "Peter Pan" provides enough spectacle and aerial acrobatics to compete with any Cirque show. It is the ultimate kid-friendly environment for the ultimate kid-friendly play - tiered rows near the stage locate every playgoer within a 360-degree circle of action, providing intimate close-ups of the performers and sensational CGI flying simulations and spectacular video projections." David Littlejohn in the Wall St. Journal said that Peter Pan is "unforgettable. Visually dazzling. Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, Wendy and her two brothers fly against an unbelievably complex computer-generated cyclorama.

Peter Pan, The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up was created by Scottish novelist and playwright J M Barrie. One night, Peter flies into the London nursery of the Darling children, Wendy, John and Michael, teaches them to fly and leads them to the magical Neverland, "second to the right and straight on till morning," where they live with Tinker Bell, the Lost Boys and meet the notorious Captain Hook.

The tale of Peter Pan has been adapted many times since then including the Walt Disney animated film and a Broadway musical. However, it was not until this 2009 production, presented by threesixty° entertainment, that a production was performed in London's Kensington Gardens, where J M Barrie was first inspired to create him and where the original statue of Peter Pan has stood since 1912. This 21st century Peter Pan mixes history and magic in equal measure to present a Peter Pan story for adults and children alike.

Peter Pan, directed by Ben Harrison and designed by William Dudley, is adapted by Tanya Ronder from the Barrie story, with music composed by Benjamin Wallfisch. Dudley has received more theatre awards and accolades in the United Kingdom than any theatre artist save Judi Dench. Choreography is by Fleur Darkin, sound design by Gregory Clarke, lighting design by Mark Henderson, fight direction by Nicholas Hall, puppetry design by Sue Buckmaster and illusions by Paul Kieve.

By arrangement with the Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity and Samuel French Limited, this production of Peter Pan is produced by Charlie Burnell, Matthew Churchill, and Robert Butters for threesixty° entertainment.

About this production of Peter Pan:

12 projectors, delivering 360 degree projection
10 million pixels
15,000 square feet of CGI
400 square miles of virtual London circa 1904 were rendered
The largest surround CGI venue in the world
The world's first fully 360-degree projected movie for live theater performance
The tent, which stands 100 feet high, was shipped via boat, 6,000 miles from London to San Francisco.
200 computers took four weeks to create the images - it would have taken eight years for a single computer to render

Tickets go on sale Wednesday, December 8 at 10 a.m. for performances April 29 - June 19. Individual tickets range in price from $20 to $75. Additionally, Premium Ticket Packages are available, which include a prime seat location, a Chicago tote bag and a commemorative souvenir program. Tickets are available online at www.BroadwayInChicago.com and peterpantheshow.com and by phone at 888-PPANTIX.

Glad Tidings of Great Theatre: The Annual List of Holiday Shows

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 09:24:00 -0600

To your list of things to be thankful for this holiday season, you may add the following: Theatre In Chicago's annual Holiday Shows Round-up! To help place you in the correct festive spirit, Theatre In Chicago has again made a full list (and yes, checked it twice) of all of the holiday-themed live theatrical offerings playing over the next several weeks in the Chicago area. As with all theatre in town, the shows range from timeless to timely, classic to brand new, family-friendly to not.

On the timeless/classic/family-friendly axis, there are multiple productions of A Christmas Carol. Everyone knows the Goodman Theatre puts on an extremely well-regarded production of the Dickens story every year, and if you didn't, well then I guess you heard it here first. But besides the Goodman, there are productions at Drury Lane in Oakbrook and Metropolis Performing Arts Center in Arlington Heights as well. In addition, there are also various non-traditional take-offs, including A Christmas Carl at RBP Rorschack Theatre and A Klingon Christmas Carol (performed "in the original Klingon with English supertitles") at the Greenhouse Theater Center. So whatever lands your spaceship...

American Blues Theater is again presenting its warmly received production of It's A Wonderful Life at Victory Gardens' historic Biograph Theatre. Billed as being "from the original director and ensemble that brought this holiday tradition to Chicago since 2004", It's A Wonderful Life: Live At The Biograph employs period costumes, sets, and authentic Foley sound effects to recreate a 1940s-era "radio broadcast" performance of the beloved Frank Capra film. There are also three other productions of the It's A Wonderful Life radio play showing, more or less concurrently with ABT, at American Theater Company, Overshadowed Theatrical Productions, and Noble Fool Theatricals in St. Charles.

A notable new offering this season comes from Northlight Theatre in Skokie. A Civil War Christmas: An American Musical Celebration, by playwright Paula Vogel, is set in 1864 Washington, DC, and weaves the story of a mother and daughter, both fugitives from slavery, in and around the lives of historical figures like Abraham and Mary Lincoln and Elizabeth Thomas as they prepare for Christmas. This is a brand new work by the Pulitzer Prize-winning Vogel (How I Learned To Drive), with a score composed of traditional carols and Civil War-era songs.

And for those who feel that this season always arrives with an excess of sentiment and solemnity, carpe diem and venture out to one or more of the "alternative" offerings that can be found all over Chicago. There is the aforementioned A Klingon Christmas Carol, of course, as well as The David Bowie Christmas Special 1977 (Network Edit) Or there's The Nutcracker. As adapted and performed by The House Theatre at their Chopin venue, this is not your little sister's Nutcracker ballet. And for improv lovers, The Second City presents another edition of their perennial Dysfunctional Holiday Revue, which plays at their home on Wells Street as well as four dates in the suburbs at Pheasant Run Resort.

As stated, many of these shows are perfect for the entire family, while others are most assuredly not. Please take the time to research individual plays you may be interested in. Information can be found by clicking on any of the titles listed on the TheatreInChicago site, and from there you can also navigate to the theatre's website.

For a complete list of the holiday shows go to our Holiday Plays page.

Luke Heiden
Contributing Writer

The Hypocrites - Young in Spirit

Sun, 7 Nov 2010 11:56:03 -0600
In 1997 Sean Graney, founder and Artistic Director of The Hypocrites, looked around Chicago and saw a theatrical scene dominated by naturalistic acting ensembles, and resolved to shake things up. In Graney's words, "I thought there were a lot of great theater companies in Chicago in the mid 90's and they were all embracing a specific style and sticking to it. I thought it would be interesting to take elements of many different styles and combine them into one company."

The Hypocrites most typically produce classic plays (like 2008's Our Town directed by David Cromer, Shakespeare's Henry V, or Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman) or new adaptations based on classic works (like Graney's own adaptations of Frankenstein, Sophocles' Ajax, or K., Greg Allen's adaptation of Kafka's The Trial). However, while the plays may be old, each production takes full advantage of modern directorial invention. Gone is an emphasis on thought-for-thought revival of an author's text, and injected into those words are new twists and turns from the present day. Graney recalls a conversation with David Cromer, director of The Hypocrites' 2008 hit production of Our Town: "[Cromer] tried to get at the essence of Hypocrites show, and he taught me that The Hypocrites strive to capture the spirit, rather than the letter of the play." It is that quest for a play's spirit, Graney implies, that invites such experimentation.

A recent recurrence in the work of The Hypocrites has been "promenade" staging, in which actors walk amongst the audience to create intimate, pictures and, often, a uniquely powerful feeling of danger. This technique has been applied to shows as various as Sarah Kane's 4:48 Psychosis, an adaptation of Sophocles' Oedipus, and August Strindberg's Miss Julie. "The Hypcorites to me has always been about making theater theory live in real space and time, and making theater theory exciting for an audience." Graney explains. "I still think The Hypocrites is that, but unfortunately most people just see it as my theater theory."

When asked via email why producing classic plays was important today, Graney responded: "It's not important, no more than studying history, or calling your mom every week, or petting kitties. But some things just make our lives better. I think theater makes our lives better. I think being involved in a historical dialogue makes our lives better. It gives us context, meaning, and although the meaning is a pure illusion, what else isn't?"

Find out more about The Hypocrites on their website or their Facebook page.

Joffrey Ballet's The Nutcracker returns for Holiday Season

Sun, 7 Nov 2010 11:54:47 -0600
The Joffrey Ballet's 2010-2011 season, entitled Stars, continues with the 23rd anniversary of Chicago's most popular family holiday event, Robert Joffrey's The Nutcracker, once again transforming the Auditorium Theatre into a winter wonderland complete with magical toys, dancing snowflakes and exotic sweets. The Joffrey Ballet presents America's #1 Nutcracker at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, 50 East Congress Parkway, Chicago, December 10 - 26, 2010.

This original production combines classical elegance with thrilling explosive action, set amidst lavish period costumes and spectacular scenery depicting Victorian America in the 1850s. Fierce battles are waged, snowflakes and flowers dance with magic, and toys come joyfully to life in the hands of familiar characters such as Clara; her mischievous brother, Fritz; the King and Queen of the glorious Land of Snow; the Sugar Plum Fairy; the warring Mice led by the Mouse King; the Nutcracker Prince; and the mysterious Dr. Drosselmeyer. Completing the Joffrey's dazzling production is an extravagant set design by Oliver Smith and a giant puppet designed by Kermit Love. Joffrey Co-Founder Gerald Arpino choreographed the Land of the Snow scene, which closes Act I, and the Waltz of the Flowers in Act II. The Chicago Sinfonietta will provide live musical accompaniment of Tchaikovsky's classic score.

Robert Joffrey's production of The Nutcracker, based on E.T.A. Hoffmann's early 19th century German tale, "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King," has become a Chicago holiday favorite since its first performance here in 1996. With the help of his Co-Founder and world-class choreographer Gerald Arpino, Robert Joffrey originally created his vision of The Nutcracker in 1987. The Nutcracker tradition took hold in America following George Balanchine's 1954 reinvention of the original production choreographed by Marius Petipa, but his and other following productions retained a European setting. Robert Joffrey was the first choreographer to set the ballet in an American home, populated with toys from his own childhood in the opening party scene. The curtains rose on The Joffrey Ballet's The Nutcracker on December 10, 1987 at the Hancher Auditorium at the University of Iowa, with the production then embarking on a national tour. Since then, The Joffrey Ballet has maintained the most tour dates of any major ballet company in the country so that the beloved Nutcracker can be brought to the homes of children across the country.

The Joffrey continues its tradition of being joined on stage by almost 120 young dancers from all over the Chicago area, Indiana and Wisconsin. In addition, young vocalists from the Providence-St. Mel School Choir, the Oak Park and River Forest Children's Choir and the Barrington Children's Choir will perform the choral parts from Tchaikovsky's magical "snow scene." The choirs will also delight audiences with popular seasonal selections in the Auditorium Theatre's main lobby one half-hour prior to curtain and during intermissions at every performance.

Recipients of 42nd Annual Jeff Equity Awards

Sun, 7 Nov 2010 11:53:38 -0600
At the 42nd Annual Jeff Equity Awards, "The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity," produced by Victory Gardens Theater in association with Teatro Vista...Theatre With a View, took top honors for a play with a total of 5 awards. An exciting world premiere by Kristoffer Diaz, the production uses professional wrestling to focus on the manipulation of American prejudices. After opening in Chicago, the play was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize in Drama and transferred to New York.
"Ragtime," produced by Drury Lane Productions took top honors for a musical with a total of 7 awards. Set at the turn of the century, "Ragtime" follows three stories that illustrate history's timeless contradictions of wealth and poverty, freedom and prejudice, hope and despair, and love and hate.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company's "The Brother/Sister Plays," a gritty trilogy of plays by Tarell McCraney about hard times in the Louisiana bayou and the clash of self-identity with community values, won the prestigious Ensemble Award, sponsored by Actors' Equity Association. In the midsized theatre category, honors went to TimeLine's "The Farnsworth Invention," detailing the race over the patents for the invention of TV, and "Oh Coward!," a sophisticated Noel Coward revue presented by Writers' Theatre, took top honors in their large theatre Revue category at the ceremony held at Drury Lane Oakbrook.

"Chad Deity" awards included wins for Production - Play, New Work (Playwright Kristoffer Diaz), Director Edward Torres, Principal Actor Desmin Borges and Fight Choreographer David Woolley. "Ragtime" won for Production - Musical; Director Rachel Rockwell; Principal Actor Quentin Earl Darrington as Coalhouse Walker, Jr.; Principal Actress Cory Goodrich as Mother; Supporting Actress Valisia LeKae as Sarah; Supporting Actor Mark David Kaplan as Tateh; and Music Director Roberta Duchak.

Other acting awards went to Natasha Lowe (Principal Actress - Play) playing Blanche in a revealing and realistic Writers' Theatre Production of "A Streetcar Named Desire," to Mary Beth Fisher for her Solo Performance in "The Year of Magical Thinking" at Court Theatre, and to Francis Guinan, capping a tremendously active and successful year winning for Supporting Actor - Play in Victory Gardens Theater's "A Guide for the Perplexed." Rob Lindley and Kate Fry won awards as Actor and Actress in a Revue, accounting for 2 of the 3 awards going to the much extended "Oh Coward!"

The near capacity audience enjoyed live performances from all nominated musicals and video performances from nominated plays. The Equity Awards ceremony was directed by Michael Weber and produced by Jeff Equity Chair, Diane Hires, with music direction by Linda Slein, and stage management by Colleen Tovar. Actors Deanna Dunagan and Felicia P. Fields emceed the proceedings.

The Jeff Awards has been honoring outstanding theatre artists annually since it was established in 1968. With up to 50 members representing a wide variety of backgrounds in theatre, the Jeff Awards is committed to celebrating the vitality of Chicago area theatre by recognizing excellence through its recommendations, awards, and honors. The Jeff Awards fosters the artistic growth of area theatres and theatre artists and promotes educational opportunities, audience appreciation, and civic pride in the achievements of the theatre community. Each year the Jeff Awards evaluates over 200 theatrical productions and holds two awards ceremonies. Originally chartered to recognize only Equity productions, the Jeff Awards established the Non-Equity Wing in 1973 to celebrate outstanding achievement in non-union theatre. The Non-Equity Awards
Ceremony will be held on June 6, 2011 at the Park West.

Complete List of Jeff Equity Award Recipients

PRODUCTION - PLAY - LARGE
"The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity" - Victory Gardens Theater in association with Teatro Vista...Theatre With a View

PRODUCTION - PLAY - MIDSIZE
"The Farnsworth Invention" - TimeLine Theatre Company

PRODUCTION - MUSICAL - LARGE
"Ragtime" - Drury Lane Productions

PRODUCTION - REVUE
"Oh Coward!" - Writers' Theatre

ENSEMBLE (sponsored by Actors' Equity Association)
"The Brother/Sister Plays" - Steppenwolf Theatre Company

DIRECTOR - PLAY
Edward Torres - "The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity" - Victory Gardens Theater in association with Teatro Vista...Theatre With a View

DIRECTOR - MUSICAL
Rachel Rockwell - "Ragtime" - Drury Lane Productions

SOLO PERFORMANCE
Mary Beth Fisher - "The Year of Magical Thinking" - Court Theatre

ACTOR IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - PLAY
Desmin Borges - "The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity" - Victory Gardens Theater in association with Teatro Vista...Theatre With a View

ACTOR IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - MUSICAL
Quentin Earl Darrington - "Ragtime" - Drury Lane Productions

ACTRESS IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - PLAY
Natasha Lowe - "A Streetcar Named Desire" - Writers' Theatre

ACTRESS IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - MUSICAL
Cory Goodrich - "Ragtime" - Drury Lane Productions

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - PLAY
Francis Guinan - "A Guide for the Perplexed" - Victory Gardens Theater

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - MUSICAL
Mark David Kaplan - "Ragtime" - Drury Lane Productions

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - PLAY
Natalie West - "Abigail's Party" - A Red Orchid Theatre

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - MUSICAL
Valisia LeKae - "Ragtime" - Drury Lane Productions

ACTOR IN A REVUE
Rob Lindley - "Oh Coward!" - Writers' Theatre

ACTRESS IN A REVUE
Kate Fry - "Oh Coward!" - Writers' Theatre

SCENIC DESIGN - LARGE
Walt Spangler - "A True History of the Johnstown Flood" - Goodman Theatre

SCENIC DESIGN - MIDSIZE
James Leaming - "Tobacco Road" - American Blues Theater

COSTUME DESIGN - LARGE
Alison Siple - "The Mystery of Irma Vep" - Court Theatre

COSTUME DESIGN - MIDSIZE
Sarah E. Ross & Kristin DeiTos - "Tobacco Road" - American Blues Theater

LIGHTING DESIGN - LARGE
John Culbert - "The Illusion" - Court Theatre

LIGHTING DESIGN - MIDSIZE
Jaymi Lee Smith - "Mary's Wedding" - Rivendell Theatre Ensemble

SOUND DESIGN - LARGE
Ray Nardelli - "Hephaestus: A Greek Mythology Circus Tale" - Lookingglass Theatre Company and Silverguy Entertainment

SOUND DESIGN - MIDSIZE
Victoria DeIorio - "Mary's Wedding" - Rivendell Theatre Ensemble

CHOREOGRAPHY
Tammy Mader - "Thoroughly Modern Millie" - Drury Lane Productions

ORIGINAL INCIDENTAL MUSIC
Ray Nardelli, Andre Pluess, Joshua Horvath, and Kevin O'Donnell - "Hephaestus: A Greek Mythology Circus Tale" - Lookingglass Theatre Company and Silverguy Entertainment

MUSIC DIRECTION
Roberta Duchak - "Ragtime" - Drury Lane Productions

NEW WORK - PLAY
Kristoffer Diaz - "The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity" - Victory Gardens Theater in association with Teatro Vista...Theatre With a View

MULTIMEDIA DESIGN
Bridges Media - "Trust" - Lookingglass Theatre Company

FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHY
David Woolley - "The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity" - Victory Gardens Theater in association with Teatro Vista...Theatre With a View

2009-2010 EQUITY STATISTICS

In the Season ended July 31, 2010, the Jeff Awards Committee judged the opening nights of 111 Equity productions from 42 producing organizations. Of these, 88 productions were recommended by the opening night judges and became eligible for nominations.

MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS

THEATRES:
Drury Lane Productions - 8
Victory Gardens Theater - 6 (5 in association with Teatro Vista...Theatre With a View)
Teatro Vista ...Theatre With a View (in association with Victory Gardens Theater) - 5
Writers' Theatre - 4
Court Theatre - 3
Lookingglass Theatre Company 3 (2 in association with Silverguy Entertainment)
American Blues Theater - 2
Rivendell Theatre Ensemble - 2
Silverguy Entertainment (in association with Lookingglass Theatre Company) - 2

PRODUCTIONS:
"Ragtime" - 7
"The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity" - 5
"Oh Coward!" - 3
"Hephaestus: A Greek Mythology Circus Tale" - 2
"Mary's Wedding" - 2
"Tobacco Road" - 2

Profiles Theatre continues season with World Premiere of Kid Sister

Sat, 23 Oct 2010 19:41:07 -0500
Profiles Theatre continues its 2010-2011 Season with the World Premiere of Kid Sister by Will Kern, directed by Artistic Director Joe Jahraus. The production will run November 2 - December 19, 2010, at Profiles Theatre, 4147 N. Broadway.

Demi Williams, a sexy 19-year-old single mom and American Idol wannabe, believes only one thing stands between herself and singing superstardom-her stalker, ex-boyfriend, Kendall Fritch. To get this psycho out of her life forever, she elicits the aid of her brother Cassius, recently returned from a stretch in Florida's Gainesville Prison. But ex-con Cassius wants more than she's willing to give-custody of her newborn baby girl. This "modern dime novel" tells the story of a deadly ambitious sister who stops at nothing on her quest for musical stardom as well as her brother's desperate shot at redemption.

Will Kern is best known for his play, Hellcab, one of the longest running shows in Chicago's history. Originally produced by Famous Door Theater Company in 1992, it ran for over nine years. Performed coast-to-coast and worldwide, Hellcab won numerous awards, including a Fringe First at the Edinburgh Festival. His newest play, Mothers and Tigers: True Stories of Korean Women, received its World premiere from the Chaimoo Theater Company in Seoul, South Korea, where he teaches Communications at the Sookmyung Women's University.

Kid Sister marks the first unsolicited script to receive a full production in Profiles' twenty-two year history.

The cast of Kid Sister features Profiles' ensemble members Eric Burgher (Jailbait, Body Awareness), Darrell W. Cox (Killer Joe, The Mercy Seat) and Allison Torem (Great Falls, In a Dark Dark House). The cast also includes Emily Vajda (Graceland) and Marc Singletary.

The designers are Roger Wykes (set), Mattison Voell (lights), Myron Elliott (costumes), Jeffrey Levin (sound and original music) and the stage manager is Corey Weinberg.

Tickets for Kid Sister are $30 for Thursdays and $35 for Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets are available by phone, (773) 549-1815, or online, www.profilestheatre.org.

Profiles Theatre is a not-for-profit professional theatre company founded in 1988 by five Eastern Illinois University alumni and has since been continually producing plays. Profiles brings new works to Chicago that illuminate the determination and resiliency of the human spirit. The company produces World, US and Midwest Premieres by new playwrights, as well as established writers whose work has been seen across the country and around the world. Profiles is particularly drawn to playwrights with a unique narrative style and use of language and the company takes pride in carefully selecting scripts that combine integrity with risk. Profiles Theatre is committed to producing plays that tell a story in a captivating way with productions that complement the ensemble and speak to its audience.

Bruised Orange Theater Company: Hypertension

Tue, 5 Oct 2010 13:31:28 -0500
In Budapest in 2003, Clint Sheffer, then a guest artist at the Studio K Theatre, began hatching a plan for a new theater company back home in Chicago. The idea was to mix the progressive and esoteric theatrical ideas he was encountering in Europe with a more traditional American theater. What he found upon returning home however, was a surprise.

"I came to Chicago and found out, that already existed," Sheffer admits. "There were so many small companies and they were doing just that." So, rather than either forge ahead blindly or abandon the idea altogether. Sheffer took some time and consulted with friends until they arrived together at a new idea.

The plan was to bring new plays from concept to the stage, allowing the company to emphasize what Sheffer calls the "great risk and great trust" that's essential to Bruised Orange Theater Company.

When Sheffer thinks about what defines Bruised Orange the central idea is one of conflict, "I think of us as a pugilist theatre company. We bring together different ideas of tone and genre...having an actor play against type, having a sound designer do our lights. The more tension there is the more exciting it is to us."

This has certainly been borne out in the works they've created in their five-year history. From their first show, Sheffer's own Lakefront Property, produced illegally in a small storefront in Ravenswood Manor, to the now fully legal re-visitation of that piece in a 200 seat renovated church, this is a company that thrives on hard choices and big risks.

In Sheffer's words, a Bruised Orange play is recognizable by being "disturbing, but in a good way. Like having your teeth worked on: you know it's going to be better for you in the long run, but it's extremely uncomfortable and you wish it would stop."

At the same time, this isn't a company afraid to have fun or entertain. For years now they've held a weekly performance of the Chicago Reader's "I Saw You" ads, personal ads of missed romantic connections across the city. Currently held on Wednesday nights at 8:00 at the Town Hall Pub in Lakeview, Sheffer is proud of the way these hour-long shows of melancholy and comedy serve as a fun and engaging introduction to the company.

The "I Saw You" series also points to another unique aspect of Bruised Orange's mission, a desire to reflect the city they call home while still staying in contact with global and universal truths. Their seasons alternate between three different cycles of expanding geographical resonance: Chicago, National, and International. And Sheffer concedes how central their "Rust Belt Midwestern" identity is to the company members.

"We always try to struggle against the need to be polite, the need to get along, to contain emotion. There's a tension between that disposition and making interesting art."

Find out more about Brusied Orange Theater Company by visiting their website, becoming a fan on Facebook, or following them on Twitter.

The Paper Machete Keeps the News Alive

Thu, 23 Sep 2010 20:06:17 -0500

The Paper Machete, which describes itself defiantly as a weekly "live magazine", is a theater company like the Huffington Post is a newspaper. On the one hand it's formally divergent and intrinsically modern, but on the other hand entirely familiar. "There's something really obvious about it," says founder and host Christopher Piatt. "I don't feel like I thought of it."

Indeed, Piatt points to the "Living Newspapers" of the Federal Theatre Project during the Great Depression as an important inspiration for this live variety show about current events. The shows were bare-bones, almost always free of charge, and were conceived as a means of entertaining and informing Americans of current events. Although we no longer live in a world where news is hard to come by, Piatt argues that engaging cultural commentary - as an antidote to punditry - is in shorter supply and even greater demand.

Piatt also acknowledges the influence of radio on this almost deliberately non-visual brand of theater, "As a kid in Kansas I loved listening to old radio shows. This is very much a nod to those shows and those comedians." Elaborating, he describes the personal appeal of theater that doesn't rely on sumptuous images, "I'm super blind, by the way. I can hardly see. But, I have really high aural reception so I love a rich auditory experience. It's really intense."

Part of this intensity comes from the encounter of essayists, performers, and musicians with a live audience. And especially, since the shows take place, not in an auditorium or traditional theater, but in a little bar in Lincoln Square. Piatt says each show guarantees to be both funny and smart, commenting on current events with a partially personal point of view. Additionally, he says, "The more we hone it, the more it becomes a real variety show and a vaudeville about the news. Performed by and for Chicagoans, with the occasional out of town guest." Appropriately, shows tend to include a variety of essays, brief performances, and musical guests, all of which vary from show to show.

Nine months into curating this weekly show with a constant demand for new talent, Piatt's been lucky to be able to call upon his previous career as Theater Editor of Time Out Chicago to gather his friends and colleagues from over the years to join in. And with such a huge talent pool to call on, he sees no end in sight for the demand either to watch or participate in the shows.

Recently, The Paper Machete has begun to post recordings from each week's show to podcasts available on iTunes and The Paper Machete's own website. Piatt admits that, in a sense, the podcasts and the recordings are the ultimate goal - allowing the work to proliferate more easily, and create a permanent record of opinions and reactions to the news of our day, but that without the live audience and the theatrical element of performance, the show couldn't exist.

"I love live performance: people gathering in a room and listening and watching together. It creates a whole host of problems that regular studio radio [doesn't have], but it really raises the stakes. You're facing your audience. It adds an element of accountability that's really satisfying. Even when the show is mediocre, people leave having had a good time."

You can download podcasts of The Paper Machete via iTunes. You can learn more about The Paper Machete's past and future by visiting their website, becoming a fan on Facebook, or following them on Twitter.
Benno Nelson

Marriott Theatre Announces 2011 season

Mon, 13 Sep 2010 09:24:34 -0500

The Marriott Theatre, Chicago's longest running musical theatre announces its 2011 season. The critically acclaimed theatre will present the high stakes musical comedy Guys And Dolls, previewing January 26, opening February 2, running through March 27; the song and tap extravaganza 42nd Street, previewing March 30, opening April 6, running through May 29; a new twist on the 60s hit parade Shout! previews June 15, opens June 22, runs through August 14; a world premiere musical For The Boys, based on the 1991 Fox film starring Bette Midler, previewing August 17, opening August 24, and running through October 16; and the "brand-new, old-fashioned" Irving Berlin musical treasure White Christmas, previewing October 16, opening October 26, and running through January 1, 2012.

The new Marriott season opens with two Tony Award-winning Best Musicals Guys And Dolls and 42nd Street!

Guys And Dolls brings to life the fabled Broadway world of high rollers, loveable lowlifes, and Salvation Army soul savers and features one of the great musical scores in the history of American theatre by Frank Loesser. Guys And Dolls will be directed and choreographed by Matt Raftery, an acclaimed actor and choreographer featured in numerous Marriott Theatre productions. Guys And Dolls marks Mr. Raftery's Marriott Theatre directorial debut. Musical direction is by Dr. Ryan Nelson.

Come and meet those dancing feet! 42nd Street taps its way to the Marriott Theatre. 42nd Street is based on the 1933 Busby Berkeley movie of the same name, telling the story of a starry-eyed young actress named Peggy Sawyer who comes to audition for the new Julian Marsh musical about to open on Broadway. Having garnered a Tony Award for Choreography, 42nd Street is heralded as displaying tap dance in a brand new light. One of the longest running musicals in Broadway's history, 42nd Street will be directed and musically staged by Rachel Rockwell (Spelling Bee, A Chorus Line) with choreography by Tammy Mader. Critically acclaimed musical director Doug Peck heads up the music department.

Summer 2011 will have audiences tap, clap and shout to the sensational sounds of the 60s British Invasion with Marriott's new twist on Shout!, previewing June 15, opening June 22 and running through August 14. With its irresistible blend of hip-swiveling hits, eye-popping fashions and outrageous dance moves, Shout! will feature terrific new arrangements of chart-topping hits such as "To Sir with Love", "Downtown", "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me","Son of A Preacher Man" and "Shout". The unique talents of Director and Choreographer Rachel Rockwell and musical director Dr. Ryan Nelson, along with Marriott Theatre's co-Artistic Director Andy Hite, head Marriott's take on this musical celebration.

In August 2011, The Marriott Theatre will present the world premiere of a new musical by Aaron Thielen, For The Boys; based on a popular 1991 Fox film starring Bette Midler (Midler garnered an Academy Award nomination for her role). Aaron Thielen, Marriott Theatre's co-artistic director, adapted For The Boys for the stage. It follows the story of 1940s big-band singer Dixie Leonard and America's premier entertainer Eddie Sparks, USO performers whose electrifying stage presence and flair for outrageous comedy captivates troops and civilians alike. Thielen once again teams up with Marc Robin who will direct and choreograph For The Boys. Robin and Thielen co-authored Marriott's 2006 smash hit All Night Strut. Musical direction is by Dr. Ryan Neson, overseeing a score of hit parade treasures from 3 decades of popular music.

One of America's most beloved silver screen classics is now a brand new stage musical - Irving Berlin's White Christmas. Perfect for the entire family, White Christmas closes out Marriott's 2011 season. When two song and dance men follow a sister act booked at a lodge in Vermont, they discover that with no snow and no customers, the owner is nearly bankrupt. The four actors now team up and put on a show to save the lodge. Packed with Irving Berlin hits like "Blue Skies," "I Love a Piano" and of course "White Christmas". The entire family will celebrate this magical time of year with this beautiful new musical. White Christmaswill be directed and choreographed by Marc Robin, with musical direction by Michael Mahler.

For information on becoming a Marriott Theatre Subscriber call the box office at 847-634-0200 and ask to be put on the waiting list to become a new subscriber in 2011. After the theater's 2010 subscribers renew, the waiting list will be given priority.

The performance schedule for all shows is Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays at 8:00 p.m., Saturdays at 4:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and Sundays at 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. Ticket prices range from $40.00 to $48.00, excluding tax and handling fees. On Wednesday and Thursday evenings get a three-course meal and a ticket to the show for only $55.00. For Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evening dinner reservations in The King's Wharf or Fairfield Inn, please call 847-634-0100. Free parking is available at all performances. To reserve tickets with a major credit card, call the Marriott Theatre Box Office at 847.634.0200 or go to Ticketmaster.com. For more information please visit www.MarriottTheatre.com .

The Side Project Gets A New Band Together

Tue, 7 Sep 2010 19:01:21 -0500

Not too long ago, Adam Webster, the founder and Artistic Director of The Side Project Theatre in Roger's Park, realized that despite the ironic name of his theater company, it had taken over his entire life. After nearly nine years of producing, directing, stage managing, prop gathering, and the million other tasks that come along with running a theater company, it was clear that this wasn't going the way he'd thought it would. He remembers looking at a season announcement a few years back and seeing the eight plays listed out consecutively, "I just remember thinking, that's not a season, that's a to-do list. And a big one."

The original plan was to take a page from the hippest multi-taskers in the world, rockstars. As Webster explains, when Rockstars form additional bands they always call them "side projects." Webster wanted to allow Chicago's theatre-makers the same privelege: a chance to explore sides of themselves that they weren't getting to otherwise. Additionally, like a musical "side project" offers the opportunity for Supergroups like the Traveling Wilburys, The Side Project hoped to bring together complimentary talents from across Chicago for a chance to collaborate. This past season, after bringing in some additional infrastructural help in the likes of managing director Dan Granata and tech guru Nick Keenan, the Side Project returned to its initial goals. This means Webster has more chances to meet the people he wants to bring together and, after successes like the Jeff Recommended People We Know, the company is happier and healthier than ever.

It is interesting how The Side Project sees its mission as serving the theatre makers of Chicago in addition to the theatre-going audience. Webster says he likes to think of The Side Project as a kind of "hub" for growing the collaborative and exploratory work that they seek to produce. A facet of this service to the community is seen in The Side Project's preference from new works and works by local writers. "It's absolutely in connection to the mission of fostering new voices or pairing up certain voices [for the first time] to make something new," says Webster. "I think we have so many good plays in our own backyard that it would be weird to do plays that you could see everywhere else. There's also just the thrill of discoveries and wanting to share that."

Webster remembers fondly one such discovery, Mark Young's New Orleans, produced by The Side Project in the late fall of 2006, "I remember exactly where I was when I read it," Webster enthuses. "Where I was, how I felt... I was laughing out loud and it was just two guys sitting at a bar talking about art and life." Which coincidentally, is how most rock bands get started too.

Learn more about The Side Project by checking out their website or become a fan on Facebook.

Bailiwick Chicago Announces 2010/11 Season

Tue, 7 Sep 2010 18:23:36 -0500

Bailiwick Chicago Executive Director Kevin Mayes has announced details of the theater company's 2010/11 Season. Planned productions include: Departure Lounge, a new musical by Dougal Irvine; Violet, music by Jeanine Tesori, book and lyrics by Brian Crawley; Passing Strange, book and lyrics by Stew, music by Stew and Heidi Rodewald, created in collaboration with Annie Dorsen; and The North/South Plays, two original works developed in association with Teatro Luna.

"Following an intense and artistically satisfying summer, we are very excited to continue the momentum we've created with four challenging works that explore self-image and identity," said Mayes. "Each of these diverse shows has something unique and provocative to say about some of the universal questions of our time: Who am I? What is my purpose? And where do I fit into this world? This season will be a fantastic journey for all the artists in our company, and we can hardly wait to share these pieces with our audiences."

Departure Lounge, with book, music & lyrics by Dougal Irvine and produced in association with Hilary A. Williams and Andy Barnes, follows four less-than-innocent 18-year olds caught between adolescence and adulthood who are delayed at Malaga Airport after a week in the sun to celebrate their graduation from school. As they reminisce about their time together, it soon becomes clear that their individual memories of the holiday are at odds, particularly when it comes to romance and the girl on all their minds. Is she as innocent as we're led to think, and will the boys friendships hold firm as they all face a coming of age? With a progressive pop score, close four-part harmonies, and a wicked sense of humor, Departure Lounge was a hit at the Edinburgh Festival and Summer Play Festival in New York, and will have its first commercial run in London opening later this September. Directed by Artistic Advisor Tom Mullen with Musical Direction by Executive Director Kevin Mayes, the show will begin previews on October 28 at the Royal George's Cabaret Theater.

Violet, with music by Jeanine Tesori, book and lyrics by Brian Crawley, is set in 1964 in the Deep South during the early days of the Civil Rights Movement. The story follows the growth and enlightenment of a bitter young woman accidentally scarred by her father. In hopes that a TV evangelist can cure her, she embarks on a journey by bus from her sleepy North Carolina town to Oklahoma. Along the way, she meets a young black soldier who teaches her about beauty, love, courage and what it means to be an outsider. Directed by Artistic Advisor Elizabeth Margolius, Violet will open in late February, location to be announced soon.

Passing Strange, book and lyrics by Stew, music by Stew and Heidi Rodewald, and created in collaboration with Annie Dorsen, is the third planned production in the season. From singer-songwriter and performance artist Stew comes a daring new musical that takes audiences on a journey across boundaries of place, identity and theatrical convention. Loaded with soulful lyrics and overflowing with passion, the show takes us from black, middle-class America to Amsterdam, Berlin and beyond on a journey towards personal and artistic authenticity. Passing Strange electrified Broadway in 2008, winning a Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical and numerous other awards. Directed by Collective member Lili-Anne Brown, Passing Strange will open in mid-April, location to be announced soon.

The North/South Plays: Bailiwick Chicago partners with Teatro Luna in producing two original plays in co-development with theatre companies from Mexico and Canada that explore the explosive and controversial issues surrounding the United States' border with our North and South neighboring countries. Presented in repertory, this promises to be the dramatic event of the summer. Opens in July, location to be announced soon.

Further details about the season will be made available over the coming weeks.

Jeff Equity Award Nominees Announced

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 06:42:09 -0500

The Jeff Awards announced 162 nominations in 31 categories for Chicago Equity theatrical productions which opened between August 1, 2009, and July 31, 2010. The 42nd Annual Jeff Awards ceremony honoring excellence in professional theatre produced within the immediate Chicago area will be held on Monday, October 25, at Drury Lane Oakbrook, 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace. A pre-show Appetizer Buffet will run from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., and the Awards Ceremony, directed by Michael Weber, will begin at 7:30 p.m., with a Reception immediately following. Musical numbers featuring cast members from nominated musicals and video segments from nominated plays will be included in the Jeff Awards ceremony, emceed by luminary actors Deanna Dunagan and Felicia P. Fields. The evening is black tie optional and the public is cordially invited to attend.

Advance purchase tickets, which include the ceremony and the pre-show buffet, are available through the link on our website: $75 (or $55 for members of Actors' Equity Association, United Scenic Artists, Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, and The Dramatists Guild of America) plus a $2 online purchase handling charge. Please note: there are no refunds.

Complete list of nominees:
PRODUCTION - PLAY - LARGE
"The Brother/Sister Plays" - Steppenwolf Theatre Company

"The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity" - Victory Gardens Theater i/a/w Teatro Vista Theatre With a View

"The Illusion" - Court Theatre

"Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" - Court Theatre

"The Mystery of Irma Vep" - Court Theatre

"A Streetcar Named Desire" - Writers' Theatre

PRODUCTION - PLAY - MIDSIZE
"Abigail's Party" - A Red Orchid Theatre

"All My Sons" - TimeLine Theatre Company

"The Farnsworth Invention" - TimeLine Theatre Company

"'Master Harold'…And The Boys" - TimeLine Theatre Company

"Tobacco Road" - American Blues Theater

PRODUCTION - MUSICAL - LARGE

"Animal Crackers" - Goodman Theatre

"Cabaret" - Drury Lane Productions

"The Drowsy Chaperone" - Marriott Theatre

"Hairspray" - Marriott Theatre

"Ragtime" - Drury Lane Productions

"Thoroughly Modern Millie" - Drury Lane Productions

PRODUCTION - REVUE

"The Absolute Best Friggin' Time of Your Life" - The Second City e.t.c.

"Low Down Dirty Blues" - Northlight Theatre

"Oh Coward!" - Writers' Theatre

ENSEMBLE
"Abigail's Party" - A Red Orchid Theatre

"Animal Crackers" - Goodman Theatre

"The Brother/Sister Plays" - Steppenwolf Theatre Company

"The Farnsworth Invention" - TimeLine Theatre Company

"Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" - Court Theatre

"Ragtime" - Drury Lane Productions

"The Wedding" - TUTA Theatre Chicago

NEW WORK - PLAY

Kristoffer Diaz - "The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity" - Victory Gardens Theater i/a/w Teatro Vista…Theatre With a View

Michael Golamco - "Year Zero" - Victory Gardens Theater

Andrew Hinderaker - "Suicide, Incorporated" - The Gift Theatre

Jim Lynch - "The Tallest Man" - The Artistic Home

Bruce Norris - "A Parallelogram" - Steppenwolf Theatre Company

David Schwimmer and Andy Bellin - "Trust" - Lookingglass Theatre Company

Craig Wright - "Mistakes Were Made" - A Red Orchid Theatre

DIRECTOR - PLAY

Nick Bowling - "The Farnsworth Invention" - TimeLine Theatre Company

David Cromer - "A Streetcar Named Desire" - Writers' Theatre

Sean Graney - "The Mystery of Irma Vep" - Court Theatre

Tina Landau - "The Brother/Sister Plays" - Steppenwolf Theatre Company

Shade Murray - "Abigail's Party" - A Red Orchid Theatre

Charles Newell - "The Illusion" - Court Theatre

Kimberly Senior - "All My Sons" - TimeLine Theatre Company

Edward Torres - "The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity" - Victory Gardens Theater i/a/w Teatro Vista…Theatre With a View

DIRECTOR - MUSICAL or REVUE

Jim Corti - "Cabaret" - Drury Lane Productions

Jim Corti - "Oh Coward!" - Writers' Theatre

William Osetek - "Thoroughly Modern Millie" - Drury Lane Productions

Marc Robin - "The Drowsy Chaperone" - Marriott Theatre

Marc Robin - "Hairspray" - Marriott Theatre

Rachel Rockwell - "Ragtime" - Drury Lane Productions

Henry Wishcamper - "Animal Crackers" - Goodman Theatre

ACTOR IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - PLAY

Desmin Borges - "The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity" - Victory Gardens Theater i/a/w Teatro Vista…Theatre With a View

Brian Dennehy - "Hughie/Krapp's Last Tape" - Goodman Theatre

Rob Fagin - "The Farnsworth Invention" - TimeLine Theatre Company

Erik Hellman - "The Mystery of Irma Vep" - Court Theatre

Tracy Letts - "American Buffalo" - Steppenwolf Theatre Company

Nick Sandys - "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" - Remy Bumppo Theatre Company

Michael Shannon - "Mistakes Were Made" - A Red Orchid Theatre

Chris Sullivan - "The Mystery of Irma Vep" - Court Theatre

ACTOR IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - MUSICAL

Quentin Earl Darrington - "Ragtime" - Drury Lane Productions

James Harms - "The Drowsy Chaperone" - Marriott Theatre

Max Quinlan - "Jesus Christ Superstar" - Theatre at the Center

Alan Schmuckler - "Sugar" - Drury Lane Productions

Joey Slotnick - "Animal Crackers" - Goodman Theatre

ACTRESS IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - PLAY

Tracy Michelle Arnold - "Private Lives" - Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Cassandra Bissell - "Mary's Wedding" - Rivendell Theatre Ensemble

Janet Ulrich Brooks - "All My Sons" - TimeLine Theatre Company

Kirsten Fitzgerald - "Abigail's Party" - A Red Orchid Theatre

Natasha Lowe - "A Streetcar Named Desire" - Writers' Theatre

Lia Mortensen - "The Hiding Place" - Provision Theater

Allison Torem - "Trust" - Lookingglass Theatre Company

ACTRESS IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - MUSICAL
Holly Ann Butler - "Thoroughly Modern Millie" - Drury Lane Productions

Cory Goodrich - "Ragtime" - Drury Lane Productions

Heidi Kettenring - "I Do! I Do!" - Theatre at the Center

Marissa Perry - "Hairspray" - Marriott Theatre

SOLO PERFORMANCE

Mary Beth Fisher - "The Year of Magical Thinking" - Court Theatre

Dael Orlandersmith - "Stoop Stories" - Goodman Theatre

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - PLAY

Allen Gilmore - "Sizwe Banzi is Dead" - Court Theatre

Francis Guinan - "A Guide for the Perplexed" - Victory Gardens Theater

Tom Irwin - "A Parallelogram" - Steppenwolf Theatre Company

Timothy Edward Kane - "The Illusion" - Court Theatre

Nick Sandys - "Twelfth Night" - First Folio Theatre

Lindsay Smiling - "Blue Door" - Victory Gardens Theater

Michael Patrick Thornton - "Suicide, Incorporated" - The Gift Theatre

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - MUSICAL
Mark David Kaplan - "Ragtime" - Drury Lane Productions

Peter Kevoian - "The Christmas Schooner" - Theatre at the Center

David Lively - "Cabaret" - Drury Lane Productions

Adam Pelty - "The Drowsy Chaperone" - Marriott Theatre

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - PLAY

Janet Ulrich Brooks - "When She Danced" - TimeLine Theatre Company

Cindy Gold - "Awake and Sing!" - Northlight Theatre

Rebecca Spence - "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" - Remy Bumppo Theatre Company

Stacy Stoltz - "A Streetcar Named Desire" - Writers' Theatre

Wandachristine - "The Old Settler" - Writers' Theatre

Natalie West - "Abigail's Party" - A Red Orchid Theatre

Jacqueline Williams - "The Brother/Sister Plays" - Steppenwolf Theatre Company

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - MUSICAL

Rebecca Finnegan - "Cabaret" - Drury Lane Productions

Heidi Kettenring - "Hairspray" - Marriott Theatre

Valisia LeKae - "Ragtime" - Drury Lane Productions

Barbara Robertson - "Yeast Nation (the triumph of life)" - American Theater Company

Paula Scrofano - "Thoroughly Modern Millie" - Drury Lane Productions

ACTOR IN A REVUE

Mississippi Charles Bevel - "Low Down Dirty Blues" - Northlight Theatre

Rob Lindley - "Oh Coward!" - Writers' Theatre

Gregory Porter - "Low Down Dirty Blues" - Northlight Theatre

Sam Richardson - "Spoiler Alert: Everybody Dies" - The Second City

ACTRESS IN A REVUE

Christina Anthony - "The Absolute Best Friggin' Time of Your Life" - The Second City e.t.c.

Felicia P. Fields - "Low Down Dirty Blues" - Northlight Theatre

Kate Fry - "Oh Coward!" - Writers' Theatre

Sandra Reaves-Phillips - "Low Down Dirty Blues" - Northlight Theatre

SCENIC DESIGN - LARGE

Jeffrey Bauer - "A Guide for the Perplexed" - Victory Gardens Theater

John Culbert - "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" - Court Theatre

Kevin Depinet - "Ragtime" - Drury Lane Productions

Kevin Depinet - "Thoroughly Modern Millie" - Drury Lane Productions

Collette Pollard - "The Illusion" - Court Theatre

Todd Rosenthal - "A Parallelogram" - Steppenwolf Theatre Company

Walt Spangler - "A True History of the Johnstown Flood" - Goodman Theatre

SCENIC DESIGN - MIDSIZE
Aimee Hanyzewski - "Of Mice and Men" - Oak Park Festival Theatre

James Leaming - "Tobacco Road" - American Blues Theater

Timothy Mann - "'Master Harold'…And The Boys" - TimeLine Theatre Company

Angela Miller - "Jeeves in Bloom" - First Folio Theatre

Inseung Park - "The Hiding Place" - Provision Theatre

COSTUME DESIGN - LARGE

Jacqueline Firkins - "The Illusion"- Court Theatre

Nancy Missimi - "The Drowsy Chaperone" - Marriott Theatre

Tatjana Radisic - "Cabaret" - Drury Lane Productions

Alison Siple - "The Mystery of Irma Vep" - Court Theatre

COSTUME DESIGN - MIDSIZE

William J. Morey - "Into the Woods" - Porchlight Music Theatre Chicago

Sarah E. Ross & Kristin DeiTos - "Tobacco Road" - American Blues Theater

Emily Waecker - "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" - Remy Bumppo Theatre Company

SOUND DESIGN - LARGE

Mikhail Fiksel - "The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity" - Victory Gardens Theater i/a/w Teatro Vista…Theatre With a View

Joshua Horvath and Nick Keenan - "The Illusion"- Court Theatre

Joshua Horvath and Ray Nardelli - "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom"- Court Theatre

Ray Nardelli - "Hephaestus: A Greek Mythology Circus Tale" - Lookingglass Theatre Company and Silverguy Entertainment

SOUND DESIGN - MIDSIZE

Victoria Delorio - "Mary's Wedding" - Rivendell Theatre Ensemble

Mikhail Fiksel - "War With the Newts" - Next Theatre Company

Nick Keenan - "End Days" - Next Theatre Company

Miles Polaski - "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"- The Gift Theatre

LIGHTING DESIGN - LARGE

Brian Sidney Bembridge - "Hephaestus: A Greek Mythology Circus Tale" - Lookingglass Theatre Company and Silverguy Entertainment

John Culbert - "The Illusion"- Court Theatre

Jesse Klug - "Cabaret" - Drury Lane Productions

Jesse Klug - "Ragtime" - Drury Lane Productions

Jesse Klug - "Thoroughly Modern Millie" - Drury Lane Productions

LIGHTING DESIGN - MIDSIZE

Lee Fiskness - "End Days" - Next Theatre Company

Jesse Klug - "Yeast Nation (the triumph of life)" - American Theater Company

Keith Parham - "The Farnsworth Invention" - TimeLine Theatre Company

Jaymi Lee Smith - "Mary's Wedding" - Rivendell Theatre Ensemble

CHOREOGRAPHY
John Carrafa - "Animal Crackers" - Goodman Theatre

Tammy Mader - "Thoroughly Modern Millie" - Drury Lane Productions

Marc Robin - "The Drowsy Chaperone" - Marriott Theatre

Marc Robin - "Hairspray" - Marriott Theatre

ORIGINAL INCIDENTAL MUSIC

Alaric Jans - "The Hiding Place" - Provision Theater

Lindsay Jones - "Richard III" - Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Henry Marsh - "Twelfth Night" - First Folio Theatre

Ray Nardelli and Joshua Horvath - "The Long Red Road" - Goodman Theatre

Ray Nardelli, Andre Pluess and Josh Horvath - "Hephaestus: A Greek Mythology Circus Tale" - Lookingglass Theatre Company and Silverguy Entertainment

Jesse Terrill - "The Wedding" - TUTA Theatre Chicago

MUSIC DIRECTION

Roberta Duchak - "Ragtime" - Drury Lane Productions

Doug Peck - "Animal Crackers" - Goodman Theatre

Doug Peck - "Cabaret" - Drury Lane Productions

Doug Peck - "Oh Coward!" - Writers' Theatre

Robert Reddrick - "Nothing But the Blues" - Black Ensemble Theater

ARTISTIC SPECIALIZATION

Bridges Media - Multimedia Design - "Trust" - Lookingglass Theatre Company

Sage Marie Carter - Projections Design - "Ragtime" - Drury Lane Productions

Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi - Circus Choreography and Movement Direction - "Icarus" - Lookingglass Theatre Company

Nick Sandys - Fight Choreography - "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" - Remy Bumppo Theatre Company

David Woolley - Fight Choreography - "The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity" - Victory Gardens Theater i/a/w Teatro Vista…Theatre With a View

Broadway in Chicago Announces 2011 Spring Season

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 18:14:06 -0500

Broadway In Chicago is proud to announce the complete 2011 Broadway In Chicago Spring Season Series. This season will include Les Miserables, Working, Hair, The Merchant Of Venice, Wishful Drinking and Next To Normal. Off-Season Specials include Rain: A Tribute To The Beatles, Spring Awakening and Disney's Beauty And The Beast..

The 2011 Spring Season Series emphasizes Broadway In Chicago's long-standing commitment to bringing the best of Broadway to Chicago. The complete season lineup, including performance dates, is as follows:

Les Miserables
February 2 - 27, 2011
Cadillac Palace Theatre

Cameron Mackintosh presents a brand new 25th anniversary production of Boublil & Schönberg's legendary musical, LES MISERABLES, with glorious new staging and spectacular re-imagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo. This new production has already been acclaimed by critics, fans and new audiences and is breaking box office records wherever it goes. The London Times hails the new show "a five star hit, astonishingly powerful and as good as the original." The Western Mail says "an outstanding success."
Working
February 15 - May 8, 2011
Broadway Playhouse

WORKING is a vital new musical based on the book by Pulitzer Prize-winning author and Chicago's own Studs Terkel. Newly adapted by Stephen Schwartz (WICKED, PIPPIN and GODSPELL), WORKING is the working man's A CHORUS LINE. It is a musical exploration of people from all walks of life, with twenty-six songs by all-star composers Craig Carnelia, Micki Grant, Tony AwardTM winning Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mary Rodgers, Susan Birkenhead, Stephen Schwartz and Grammy AwardTM winning James Taylor. WORKING celebrates everyday people, fills you with hope and inspiration and is the perfect musical for anyone who has ever worked a day in their lives.
Hair
March 8 - 20, 2011
Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre

The Public Theater's 2009 Tony-winning production of HAIR is an electric celebration on stage! This exuberant musical about a group of young Americans searching for peace and love in a turbulent time has struck a resonant chord with audiences young and old. Its ground breaking rock score paved the way for some of the greatest musicals of our time. HAIR features an extraordinary cast and dozens of unforgettable songs, including "Aquarius," "Let the Sun Shine In," "Good Morning, Starshine" and "Easy To Be Hard." Its relevance is UNDENIABLE. Its energy is UNBRIDLED. Its truth is UNWAVERING. It's HAIR, and IT'S TIME.
Merchant of Venice
March 15 - 27, 2011
Bank of America Theatre

From the acclaimed Theatre for a New Audience, the first U.S. theatre to be invited to the Royal Shakespeare Company, comes Shakespeare's tragicomedy following command runs Off- Broadway and in Stratford-Upon-Avon. Starring Oscar winner F. Murray Abraham in his riveting portrayal of Shylock, and directed by Darko Tresnjak (former Artistic Director, Old Globe), the play has been arousing controversies for centuries with raucous and gentle comedy, tender poetry, and its struggle with mercy and justice. In this riveting update, religion, race and sexuality collide with love, family and justice and the currency of society and humanity has never been so changeable.
Wishful Drinking
April 5 - 17, 2011
Bank of America Theatre

Wishful Drinking, Carrie Fisher's autobiographical solo show, follows Fisher's life. Born to celebrity parents, Fisher lands among the stars when she's picked to play a princess in a little movie called 'Star Wars.' But her story isn't all sweetness and light sabers. As a single mom, she also battles addiction, depression, mental institutions, and that awful hyperspace hairdo. It's an incredible tale-from having her father leave her mother for ElizaBeth Taylor to marrying and divorcing singer/songwriter Paul Simon, from having the father of her baby leave her for a man to waking up one morning and finding a friend dead beside her in bed. Don't miss this opportunity to see Carrie Fisher's hit Broadway show.
Next to Normal
April 26 - May 8, 2011
Bank of America Theatre

From the director of Rent comes the most talked about new show on Broadway, NEXT TO NORMAL, winner of the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and three 2009 Tony Awards including Best Score. Alice Ripley who received the 2009 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical, will reprise her acclaimed performance in Chicago. Having been chosen as "one of the year's ten best" by major critics around the country, NEXT TO NORMAL is an emotional powerhouse of a musical with a thrilling contemporary score about a family trying to take care of themselves and each other. The New York Times calls NEXT TO NORMAL "a brave, breathtaking musical. A work of muscular grace and power. It is much more than a feel-good musical; it is a feel-everything musical." Rolling Stone raves, "It is the best musical of the season - by a mile. It'll pin you to your seat."
Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles
February 8 - 13, 2011
Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre

RAIN, the acclaimed Beatles concert, returns by popular demand, direct from Broadway! They look like them and they sound just like them! "The next best thing to seeing The Beatles," raves the Denver Post. All the music and vocals are performed totally live! RAIN covers The Beatles from the earliest beginnings through the psychedelic late 60s and their long-haired hippie, hard-rocking rooftop days. RAIN is a multi-media, multi-dimensional experience...a fusion of historical footage and hilarious television commercials from the 1960s lights up video screens and live cameras zoom in for close-ups. "A thrilling bit of time-warping nostalgia...Boomer Heaven!" raves The Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "Uncanny! RAIN are a quartet of fine musicians in their own right...as The Beatles, they triumph!" cheers the Boston Herald. "An adoring Valentine to The Beatles," declares the Washington Post. Sing along with your family and friends to such favorites as "Let It Be," "Hey Jude," "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," "Come Together" and "Can't Buy Me Love," and relive Beatlemania from Ed Sullivan to Abbey Road!
Spring Awakening
May 3 - 8, 2011
Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre

The winner of 8 Tony Awards, including Best Musical - told by Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater through "The most gorgeous Broadway score this decade" (Entertainment Weekly) - SPRING AWAKENING explores the journey from adolescence to adulthood with poignancy and passion you will never forget. The landmark musical SPRING AWAKENING is an electrifying fusion of morality, sexuality and rock & roll that is exhilarating audiences across the nation like no other musical in years. Join this group of late 19th century German students on their passage, as they navigate teenage self-discovery and coming of age anxiety in a powerful celebration of youth and rebellion in the daring, remarkable SPRING AWAKENING. "Broadway may never be the same again!" NY TIMES.
Disney's Beauty and the Beast
June 28 - July 10, 2011
Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre

The romantic Broadway musical for all generations, NETworks presentation of DISNEY'S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, the smash hit Broadway musical, returns to Chicago! Based on the Academy Award-winning animated feature film, this eye-popping spectacle has won the hearts of over 35 million people worldwide. Hailed by the Chicago Sun-Times as "warm and winning performances, a tuneful score, and real heart," the classic musical love story is filled with unforgettable characters, lavish sets and costumes, and dazzling production numbers including "Be Our Guest" and the beloved title song. Experience the romance and enchantment of DISNEY'S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST!

2011 Broadway In Chicago Spring Season Series ticket holders will receive a multitude of special benefits, including savings up to 64%, priority seating at each venue, ticket exchange privileges, pre-paid and discounted parking, access to gift cards to give tickets as gifts, as well as the first opportunity to purchase additional tickets to future Broadway In ChicaGo Productions, including those not currently listed in the 2011 Season Series. 2011 Season Series subscription packages are on sale now, and are available by logging onto www.BroadwayInChicago.com or calling the Season Ticket Hotline at (312) 977-1717.

Group tickets are currently available for all of the 2011 Season Series shows. Groups of 15 or more may receive a discount on most shows by calling (312) 977-1710. 2011 Season Series subscription packages will go on-sale to new subscribers on September 12, 2010. Broadway In Chicago gift certificates, which can be redeemed for any production or for season ticket packages, can be obtained at Broadway In Chicago box offices, www.BroadwayInChicago.com or by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 775-2000.

The Inconvenience at Home

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 08:50:30 -0500

In a sprawling loft on the north side of Chicago, a gaggle of young artists is sitting on a powder keg. For two years now, and for two months longer (their lease ends in November), these eleven actors, authors, dancers, directors, and artists have lived and worked here, inviting ever swelling audiences to their platformed living room for gallery shows, short play festivals, young Chicago bands and, inevitably, a party.

Ike Holter, the literary manager and writer of the group's recent musical Chicagoland, handily explains the group's blurred style: "When you go to a party you go for conversation. Not just at the party, you go to talk to your friends about what happened after. Why do you go to art? Why to theater? It's for the conversation."

Artistic Director Chris Chmelik says the idea for the group started in a directing class at DePaul where a few of the members graduated together a few years ago. They were discussing how often the worst ideas come about because they are convenient, easy, and unchallenging. "Often it's the harder choice that's right," he says. And so The Inconvenience was born. "It's a bitch to live here with ten other people," Chmelik says, "but the inconvenient choices are the ones that stick with you."

From the beginning, the group has had little trouble finding either performers or audiences. Using mostly the defiantly analog marketing technique of word of mouth The Inconvenience has welcomed dozens of performers and artists of all kinds into their home. "I think people like coming here" Chmelik says, looking around the apartment, bottles and set pieces peppering busying the floor, "they like the 'sticking-it-to-the-man' aspect of it."

The main idea, according to Executive Director Emily Reusswig, is that "art begets art." So for instance if Holter writes a play, that play may inspire another friend to paint a picture, another friend to write a song, and so on. At a show at The Inconvenience, not just one, but all of these works can be seen. More recently the shows have been more focused, coming together around a specific theme like the recession (Strapped) or trauma (Post-Traumatic) rather than being entirely free-form. And while this level of increased curatorial focus is important to the group, Reusswig adds, "it's an open door policy."

And it's a policy that the group has recently found being extended to them. They recently held a weekend of late-night performances at the Chopin Theater, used A Red Orchid Theatre's space for an evening of readings, and were a guest at one of Chicago Theater's longest running parties The Abie Hoffman Festival at Mary-Arrchie Theater Co. It's these invitations, and the group's ability to bring an audience to places besides their home that have made an exciting transition even more possible.

The company is moving out of its communal life and looking to bring their brand of congregation and possibility to venues all around Chicago. Which, among other things, will allow them to be reviewed by critics, and have their location disclosed. Although, with all the requests they're getting, that may become an inconvenience of its own.

Learn more about The Inconvenience by checking out their blog, or by becoming a fan on Facebook.

Profiles Theatre opens its 22nd Season with Jailbait

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 06:56:16 -0500

Profiles Theatre opens its 2010-2011 Season with the Midwest Premiere of the acclaimed new play Jailbait by Deirdre O'Connor, directed by Artistic Director Joe Jahraus. The production runs August 27 - October 17, 2010, at Profiles Theatre, 4147 N. Broadway.

Through the course of one dizzying night at a club, Jailbait follows the parallel stories of two fifteen-year-old girls, desperate to grow up, and two thirty-something men who are looking to be twenty-one again. High-school sophomores Claire and Emmy make a game of posing as college students in order to meet older men. Brash bachelor Mark thinks a night out with attractive girls will be just what his friend Robert needs to recover from his recent breakup. When this unlikely foursome collides, they discover some surprising and dangerous compatibilities. Smart, funny, and disturbing, Jailbait asks the question: When do you really become an adult?

Jailbait was developed by Deirdre O'Connor in 2008 as part of the Cherry Lane Theatre's Mentor Project, with distinguished playwright Michael Weller serving as her mentor. In March 2009, it received its World Premiere as the inaugural production for its newest venue, the Cherry Pit Theatre. O'Connor is a graduate of Columbia University's MFA Playwriting program where she received the John Golden Playwriting Award.

"We're very pleased to bring this witty and perceptive new play to Chicago audiences," says Artistic Director Joe Jahraus. "Deirdre is a wonderfully talented playwright who tells her story naturally and truthfully. It's a funny, yet painfully real look at teens who desperately wish they could grow up quicker and the regrets of disillusioned adults who long to be young again."

The cast of Jailbaitfeatures Profiles' ensemble member Eric Burgher (Body Awareness, Graceland) as Robert. The cast also includes Rae Gray (Summer People at The Gift Theatre) as Claire, Zoe Levin (Trust at Lookinglass Theatre) as Emmy and Shane Kenyon (The Tallest Man at Artistic Home) as Mark.

The designers are Sotirios Livaditis (set), Jessica Harpenau (lights), Melissa Ng (costumes), and Jeffrey Levin (sound and original music). The assistant director is Sean Kelly and the stage manager is Corey Weinberg.

For more information, visit www.profilestheatre.org or call 773-549-1815.

Stage Left Asks The Questions

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 12:53:18 -0500

In a political climate where pundits look for clues of liberal or conservative agendas in every leaf that falls, the name of Stage Left Theatre makes for pretty easy work. There's only one problem: this storefront company with twenty-eight years of experience in Chicago aims to fight any bias their moniker evokes. Rather, their hope is to offer fierce ambiguity, providing a forum and an inspiration for debate that gives equal respect to both sides.
Vance Smith, Stage Left's artistic director since September 2009, acknowledges common misconception, "People expect a liberal agenda, but what we really try to do is ask a question and not tell you what to think."

For the past decade Stage Left has principally used world premiere plays to ask those questions, though Smith asserts that the two aren't necessarily tied together, "At least for me," he says, "I don't think you can't do political theater without doing new work - there are plenty of classic texts that still ask relevant political and social questions." Indeed this upcoming season boasts the first revival that Stage Left has done in about a decade (Henrik Ibsen's An Enemy of the People). However, Smith sees the artistic opportunity to provide a forum for authors working on new plays with meaningful political questions simply too exciting to overlook.

Keeping things exciting for Stage Left is their unique new play development program, and their annual workshop and new play presentation and workshop LeapFest and their longer development program, Downstage Left. For Stage Left, their role in new play development offers a chance to foster and encourage new works that struggle with political issues. "All of the Leapfest plays," says Smith, "are selected to address the mission of debate and of raising debate." Moreover, unlike typical reading series where new plays are given about ten hours of rehearsal for a single reading and no technical flourishes, LeapFest plays rehearse for a full forty hours as well as ten hours of technical rehearsals and three performances. This way, according to Smith, the playwright can benefit from more audience feedback as well as see how the play fares under larger scrutiny.

And the results have been impressive. Smith explains that "the goal is to get these scripts into a place where they're ready to produce." And it's working: of the roughly forty plays that have gone through the LeapFest process, Stage Left has gone on to give a full production to twelve of them.

Partly as an antidote to taking themselves too seriously, Stage Left also hosts the annual DrekFest, a hilarious festival where entrants compete for the dubious honor of writing the worst ten-minute plays in the country. "It's just fun," Smith beams, "It's a catharsis for us. Stage Left is always looking for a great comedy and we've definitely produced a few, but it's hard to produce a funny play that raises political and social debates. It's great to get out there and do something stupid."

After twenty-eight years, Stage Left finds itself at a new crossroads. With a new artistic director, a fresh crop of ensemble members, and a new permanent home in the Theater Wit space on Belmont, Stage Left is poised to use its substantial artistic experience and institutional memory to continue on its engaging course. Or at any rate, that's one side of the debate.

Learn more about Stage Left and their new home in Lakeview by visiting their website or becoming a fan on Facebook.

Northlight Theatre presents the new musical Daddy Long Legs

Thu, 5 Aug 2010 23:32:48 -0500

Northlight Theatre Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans are set for the new musical Daddy Long Legs, directed by John Caird, the Tony and Olivier Award-winning director of Les Miserables, with music and lyrics by Paul Gordon, composer of Jane Eyre. The world-premiere production features Megan McGinnis and Robert Adelman Hancock, with musical direction by Laura Bergquist. Daddy Long Legs will run September 16 - October 24, 2010 at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd in Skokie.

This charming musical love story from the Tony and Olivier Award-winning director of Les Miserables and the creators of Jane Eyre is presented in association with Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Rubicon Theatre Company, TheatreWorks, David Elzer and Executive Producer Michael Jackowitz.

Jerusha Abbott's prayers seem answered when the generosity of an anonymous gentleman allows her to move from orphanage to university. Through her grateful letters, Jerusha shares her life with her mysterious benefactor as she grows into an intelligent, independent New American Woman and discovers a budding romance with a wealthy young suitor. Yet there is one startling fact that Jerusha has yet to uncover- one that will change her life forever.

"It's a great honor to bring the world class talent of John Caird and his collaborators to Northlight audiences and to bring this warm and dynamic new musical to Chicago," says Artistic Director BJ Jones. "Northlight has built a tradition of producing small musicals with heart and savvy and Daddy Long Legs is certainly one of these."

Tony Award-winning director John Caird (Les Miserables, The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, Jane Eyre), who also wrote the book, helms the production. Caird's new adaptation of this story is based on the Jean Webster novel of the same name. And though the stage production has stayed true to the basic storyline, the character and voice of Daddy Long Legs is completely new.

Tickets for Daddy Long Legs are available by phone, 847-673-6300, or online at northlight.org.

Drury Lane Oakbrook Announces 2011 Season

Tue, 3 Aug 2010 09:52:01 -0500

Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook Terrace, known for producing acclaimed, innovative and classic musicals and comedies, announces its exciting 2011 season featuring five highly anticipated productions. Aida, the Tony Award-winning Elton John and Tim Rice musical is directed by Jim Corti and previews March 17, opens March 23 and runs through May 29; Neil Simon's poignant comedy Broadway Bound is directed by David New and previews June 9, opens June 15 and runs through July 31; Sweeney Todd, the Sondheim musical thriller previews August 11, opens August 17 and runs through October 9; the international smash hit Rodgers and Hammerstein masterpiece The Sound Of Music, directed by Rachel Rockwell, previews October 20, opens October 26 and runs through December 23; and William Osetek will direct the quintessential Broadway musical Gypsy, which previews January 19, opens January 25 and runs through March 25.

Aida is a sweeping tale of conflicting loyalties and star-crossed lovers with an exhilarating pop-rock score by Elton John and Tim Rice( The Lion King.) Featuring stunning choreography and musical influences ranging from African to Middle Eastern to Indian, Aida is the winner of four Tony Awards, including Best Original Score, as well as a Grammy Award for Aida: Original Broadway Cast Recording. Egypt has enslaved Nubia and the great power's prince, Radames, is engaged to be married when Aida, the princess of Nubia, comes to the palace as a slave. Forbidden love blossoms between them and the young lovers are forced to face death or part forever. The couple's devotion ultimately transcends the vast cultural differences between their warring nations, heralding a time of peace and prosperity. Aida is directed and choreographed by Jeff Award-winner Jim Corti, who received critical acclaim for Drury Lane Oakbrook's productions of Sweet Charity, Meet Me in St. Louis, Cabaret, and Sugar. The production previews March 17, opens March 23 and runs through May 29.

The New York Times called Broadway Bound"a mesmerizing journey". Broadway Bound received seven Tony Award nominations and was nominated for a 1987 Pulitzer Prize for drama. "If Broadway ever erects a monument to the patron saint of laughter, Neil Simon would have to be it," said Time magazine. Set in the late 1940s in Brighton Beach, New York, Broadway Bound is the story of two brothers, Eugene and Stanley Jerome, who are determined to break into show business as professional comedy writers. When the brothers use the trials and tribulations of their dysfunctional family as inspiration for a radio comedy skit, the Jerome clan may never be the same. Hailed as "expectedly funny and unexpectedly moving" by the New York Daily News, Broadway Bound is a hilarious, warm and poignant tribute to family and the ties that bind. The production will be directed by Sarah Siddons Award Winner David New, former Associate Artistic Director at Steppenwolf Theatre. Broadway Bound will preview June 9, opens Junes 15 and run through July 31.

Stephen Sondheim's haunting musical thriller Sweeney Todd was hailed as "the greatest musical of the past half-century" by the Wall Street Journal. A dark and mesmerizing journey through Victorian London, the play is the story of Benjamin Barker, a barber who escapes prison after 15 years to seek revenge on Judge Turpin, the man who unjustly imprisoned him and stole away his wife and child. When he returns to London, the deranged Barker changes his name to Sweeney Todd and joins forces with diabolical baker Mrs. Lovett. Sweeney Todd is the winner of eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Rachel Rockwell( Ragtime, Miss Saigon) will direct and choreograph this suspenseful, razor-sharp tale of murder and corruption. The musical previews August 11, opens August 17 and runs through October 9.

The Sound Of Music was the final collaboration between Rodgers and Hammerstein and is considered one of the world's most beloved musicals. The original 1959 Broadway production of The Sound Of Music won six Tony Awards and ran for 1,443 performances. The acclaimed 1965 film version of the musical won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and remains the most popular movie musical of all time. Set in Austria on the brink of WWII, The Sound Of Music is the enchanting story of Maria, a spirited young nun who leaves the convent to become a governess for the seven children of the widowed Captain von Trapp. Maria endears herself to the mischievous children by teaching them to sing and leading them on adventures through the Austrian countryside, eventually capturing the stern Captain's heart. Based on an inspiring true story, The Sound Of Music features one of the most popular scores of all time. Rachel Rockwell( Ragtime, Miss Saigon), who was recently named Best Director in the August 2010 Fall Theater preview issue of Chicago Magazine, will direct and choreograph this timeless musical classic. The production previews October 20, opens October 26 and runs through December 23.

The legendary musical Gypsy is considered by many critics to be the greatest American musical ever written. Gypsy won three Tony Awards and features music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by Arthur Laurents. The New York Daily News called Gypsy "the stuff Broadway dreams are made of," and Variety raved that Gypsy "has as much emotional resonance as showbiz pizzazz." A triumphant story of the complex bond between a mother and daughter, Gypsy is based on the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee and has a soaring score including Let Me Entertain You, Some People, and Everything's Coming Up Roses. The production will be directed by Drury Lane Theatre Artistic Director William Osetek, who has directed many acclaimed productions and also adapted the Charles Dickens' story for the stage in Drury Lane's annual production of A Christmas Carol. Tammy Mader will choreograph. Gypsy will preview January 19, opens January 25 and runs through March 25.

For reservations, call the Drury Lane Theatre box office at 630.530.0111, call TicketMaster at 800.745.3000, or visit www.drurylaneoakbrook.com.

The Chicago Fringe Festival

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 18:51:42 -0500

The Chicago Fringe Festival has announced the complete lineup for its inaugural performing arts festival, slated for September 1st through the 5th in the Pilsen neighborhood. In the spirit of fringe festivals worldwide, 46 productions were selected by lottery from a total of 156 applicants. The final schedule will be released on August 1, 2010.

13 states will be represented at the uncensored festival, including New York, California, Maryland, Massachusetts, Colorado and Nevada. In addition, 2 international productions will make an appearance at the festival, with works from Israel and Canada making their Chicago debut. All told, 198 performers will participate in this landmark event.

Local Chicago artists will have a strong showing at the festival, with many acts looking forward to performing for a hometown crowd. New Millennium Theatre Company will present a revival of The Texas Chainsaw Musical, directed by Artistic Director Chad Wise. Genesis Ensemble, a two-year-old performance collective, will present sweet, half-darkness.

Dance and movement will play a featured role, including Anatomy Collective's The Mutations III and Piel Morena Contemporary Dance's Machito Pichon. Local choreographer Megan Rhyme will present Inner Cartography: the science of new things.

The Pilsen neighborhood will be immersed in live art, with many galleries and establishments within the community taking part in a week of exciting events. "Pilsen's vitality and connection to the arts made it a natural fit for the festival," says Executive Director and Founder, Sarah Mikayla Brown. "We're excited to push both artistic and geographical boundaries as we introduce our audience to new works in what may be a new neighborhood to them."

At the heart of the festivities will be Fringe Central, located near Racine and 18th Street. Live music, entertainment and outdoor exhibits will be accompanied by delicious food provided by local favorite Honky Tonk BBQ. "Fringe Central will be ground zero for participants and audience alike to kick back, relax, and enjoy the sights and sounds of Pilsen. We're excited to provide a place where folks can share ideas, network and just enjoy good company," says Associate Producer Vinnie Lacey.

Fringe Central will also play host to the Chicago Fringe Preview Party on August 28, 2010. Attendees will get an early taste of festival offerings as selected performers preview their Chicago Fringe productions.

All eight venues have been announced, including the Chicago Art Department Gallery, Dream Theatre, Temple Gallery, EP Theater, Chicago Arts District Galleries, Casa Aztlan and Simone's Bar. Six of the venues are non-traditional spaces, and the Festival is currently raising capital to ensure premium flooring, lighting, sound equipment and technicians are in place to transform each space into a premiere performance venue.

The Chicago Fringe Festival will also mark the last stop of the first annual Midwest Fringe Circuit, featuring three other American fringe festivals: Kansas City, Minnesota and Indianapolis. Four productions from each festival were selected by lottery to tour all four cities.

"The American Fringe Festival movement is only growing stronger, with popular Festivals in New York, Minneapolis, Indianapolis, Kansas City, San Francisco, Hollywood, D.C; the list goes on. Naturally, audiences and performers crave a Fringe here in Chicago, arguably the new works capital of the United States. We endeavor to honor the Fringe tradition, but also seek to create a Fringe experience that will honor the unique qualities of Chicago," states Brown.

More information about the festival, including a full lineup and waiting list, is available at www.chicagofringe.org. Tickets go on sale August 2.

Profiles Theatre Announces 2010-2011 Season

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 15:29:12 -0500
Artistic Directors Joe Jahraus and Darrell W. Cox announce Profiles Theatre's 2010-2011 Season. Profiles, one of Chicago's longest-running storefront theatres, is presenting its 22nd season of new and challenging works, beginning with the Midwest Premiere of the acclaimed new play Jailbait by Deirdre O'Connor.

The Profiles Theatre season also includes the Midwest Premiere of Neil LaBute's Broadway triumph, reasons to be pretty, directed by Steppenwolf ensemble member Rick Snyder; the World Premiere of Kid Sister by Will Kern, author of the long-running Chicago hit, Hellcab; and the Midwest premiere of Fifty Words by Michael Weller. Profiles will also host a return engagement of An Evening with Neil LaBute: Live and in Person, a one-night event featuring all new readings and a talk back with the celebrated playwright.

Profiles Theatre is following up its hugely successful 21st season, which featured an extended run of Ellen Fairey's World Premiere Graceland, Midwest Premieres by Neil LaBute and Annie Baker, as well as the Jeff Award-winning production of Killer Joe by Tracy Letts, which transferred to the Royal George for an extended run.

"We are thrilled to announce the four premieres we have lined up for our 22nd season," says Joe Jahraus. "Our friend and collaborator Neil LaBute is back with his most acclaimed play yet, reasons to be pretty, his first to be produced on Broadway and the recipient of several Tony nominations including Best Play. We are continuing our quest to add work from the most anticipated, up-and-coming female playwrights in the country, as we have in the past couple of seasons with Ellen Fairey (World Premiere of Graceland) and Annie Baker (Midwest Premiere of Body Awareness). This season, Deirdre O'Connor will be the one to watch with her smart, funny and bittersweet new play, Jailbait."

Darrell W. Cox adds, "Will Kern took Chicago by storm back in the 90s with his smash hit Hellcab, and we're very excited to be presenting the World premiere of his new play, Kid Sister. Michael Weller is one of the most respected writers in American theatre, and his new play Fifty Words is a funny, frightening and ultimately touching look at modern marriage. All of the plays we've chosen for our 22nd Season are fierce, provocative and ultimately controversial - all things audiences have come to expect from Profiles."

The 2010-2011 Profiles season includes:

JAILBAIT
MIDWEST PREMIERE
By Deirdre O'Connor
Directed by Artistic Director Joe Jahraus
Featuring ensemble member Eric Burgher
August 27- October 17, 2010

Through the course of one dizzying night at a club, Jailbait follows the parallel stories of two fifteen-year-old girls, desperate to grow up, and two thirty-something men who are looking to be twenty-one again. High-school sophomores Claire and Emmy make a game of posing as college students in order to meet older men. Brash bachelor Mark thinks a night out with attractive girls will be just what his friend Robert needs to recover from his recent breakup. When this unlikely foursome collides, they discover some surprising and dangerous compatibilities. Smart, funny, and disturbing, Jailbait asks the question: When do you really become an adult?

Jailbait was developed by Deirdre O'Connor in 2008 as part of the Cherry Lane Theatre's Mentor Project, with distinguished playwright Michael Weller serving as her mentor. In March 2009, it received its World Premiere as the inaugural production for its newest venue, the Cherry Pit Theatre. O'Connor is a graduate of Columbia University's MFA Playwriting program where she received the John Golden Playwriting Award.
KID SISTER
WORLD PREMIERE
By Will Kern
Directed by Artistic Director Joe Jahraus
Featuring ensemble members Eric Burgher, Darrell W. Cox and Allison Torem
November 2 - December 19, 2010

Demi Williams, a sexy 19-year-old single mom and American Idol wannabe, believes only one thing stands between herself and singing superstardom- her stalker, ex-boyfriend, Kendall Fritch. To get this psycho out of her life forever, she elicits the aid of her brother Cassius, recently returned from a stretch in Florida's Gainesville Prison. But ex-con Cassius wants more than she's willing to give- custody of her newborn baby girl. This "dime novel in two acts" tells the story of a deadly ambitious sister who stops at nothing on her quest for musical stardom as well as her kind-but-cunning brother's desperate shot at redemption.

Will Kern is best know for his play, Hellcab, one of the longest running shows in Chicago's history. Originally produced by Famous Door Theater Company in 1992, it ran for over nine years. Performed coast-to-coast and worldwide, Hellcab won numerous awards, including a Fringe First at the Edinburgh Festival. His newest play, Mothers and Tigers: True Stories of Korean Women, received its World premiere from the Chaimoo Theater Company in Seoul, South Korea, where he teaches Communications at the Sookmyung Women's University.

REASONS TO BE PRETTY
By Neil LaBute
MIDWEST PREMIERE
Directed by Steppenwolf ensemble member Rick Snyder
Featuring Profiles ensemble members Somer Benson and Darrell W. Cox
January 21- March 13, 2011

In reasons to be pretty, Greg's tight-knit social circle is thrown into turmoil when his offhand remarks about a female coworker's pretty face and his own girlfriend Steph's lack thereof get back to Steph. But that's just the beginning. Greg's best buddy, Kent, and Kent's wife, Carly, also enter into the picture, and the emotional equation becomes exponentially more complicated. As their relationships crumble, the four friends are forced to confront a sea of deceit, infidelity, and betrayed trust in their journey to answer that oh-so-American question: How much is pretty worth?
reasons to be pretty, produced by MCC Theater and directed by Terry Kinney, premiered off-Broadway at the Lucille Lortel Theater in June 2008. It received three Drama Desk Award nominations including Outstanding Play. reasons to be pretty became Neil LaBute's first play ever to be staged on Broadway when it opened in March 2009 at the Lyceum Theatre. The comedy-drama was nominated for three 2009 Tony Awards, including Best Play and received the 2009 Broadway.com Audience Award for Favorite New Off-Broadway Play.
FIFTY WORDS
By Michael Weller
MIDWEST PREMIERE
Directed by Artistic Director Joe Jahraus
Featuring ensemble member Darrell W. Cox

While their nine-year-old son Greg is away for the night on his first sleepover, Adam and Jan have an evening alone together, the first in years. Adam's attempt to seduce his wife before he leaves on business the next day begins a suspenseful nightlong roller-coaster ride of revelation, rancor, passion and humor that explores a modern-day marriage on the verge of either a breakup or deepening love and understanding.
Fifty Words received its lauded World premiere at the MCC Theater in September 2008 where it was nominated for several Drama Desk Awards including Outstanding Play. Academy Award-nominee Michael Weller shot to stardom with his powerful anti-war drama, Moonchildren, in 1971. Weller's unique voice, at once moving and revelatory, garnered acclaim throughout three decades of productions at distinguished theaters such as Steppenwolf Theatre Company and New York's Circle-in-the-Square.

SPECIAL EVENT: An Evening with Neil LaBute 2011: Live and in Person

Profiles will present a special return engagement of An Evening with Neil LaBute 2011: Live and in Person, on January 8, 2011. This one night only event will feature a pre-show reception, selected readings of LaBute's work and a post-show audience talkback with Mr. LaBute. This is a rare opportunity for audiences in Chicago to see and hear up close and personal, one of most unique and prolific writers of our generation. Profiles presented its first highly successful evening of LaBute readings and talkback in January 2009.
Tickets to An Evening with Neil LaBute are $60 and will be on sale later this fall. One complimentary ticket will be given with each FLEX PASS purchased before August 31, 2010.
All productions are held at Profiles Theatre, 4147 N. Broadway, Chicago. Parking is available for $10 - $12 at 4100 N. Clarendon (one block east of the theatre at the corner of Clarendon and Belle Plaine). Performances are Thursdays-Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 7:00 p.m.
Ticket prices range from $25 - $35. FLEX PASSES offer discounts on the season and are now available at www.profilestheatre.org or (773) 549-1815. A Four Ticket Pass is $100; Eight Ticket Passes are available for $180 (a savings of over $100) when ordered before August 31, 2010. Tickets can be used in any combination of quantity and date throughout the season with advance reservations.

It's all Greek To Dream Theatre

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 08:38:57 -0500

Jeremy Menekseoglu seems genuinely surprised, "It's so much more heartbreaking than I thought it was going to be. Ending a trilogy...you really want a satisfying ending." Menekseoglu, as artistic director of Dream Theatre Company, is gearing up for the opening of Orestes, the final chapter of the "Agon Trilogy" a group of plays structured around the Ancient Greek triptych of Aeschylus' Oresteia. This final installment celebrates a kind of high-water mark for the small theater located in the Pilsen neighborhood, which has becoming increasingly engaged in revisiting the ancient Greeks when producing their unique shows.

Dream Theatre Company thrives on its demolition of the "fourth wall," the famous concept of theatrical realism in which the audience is not spoken to directly but encouraged to imagine that covering the front the stage is an invisible fourth wall separating the actors from the audience. Dream Theatre strives to discard this concept in an effort to heighten and explore the relationship between performers and audience in an honest way. Menekseoglu compares this interaction directly to the individual personal relationships we cultivate in our daily lives, " You have to have the courage to tell them that you love them first. And then, they can respond. That's what we do."

To this end, the actors rehearse speaking directly to the audience, a task which is perhaps surprising in its difficulty and intimacy. Furthermore, as soon as audience members enter the theater, they are immersed in the world of the play, in some instances being spoken to directly as they are lead to their seats.

Interestingly, Menekseoglu, rejects the current trend of "Promenade" productions in which the audience walks around with the actors in the space. " I rarely do Promenade because I think it's uncomfortable for the audience. Our seats are probably the most comfortable seats in the city; it's the only way the audience can get really involved."

Since their first production in the summer of 2003, all but two shows have been directed by Artistic Director Menekseoglu, and all have been written by him. He tends to take smaller roles in the plays but even that changed in the past year when he took the titular role in Agamemnon. It is interesting then that the other essential feature of Dream Theatre Company is its commitment to providing strong roles for female actors. Every year they host a short play festival entitled Theatre of Women in which all the roles are female. Menekseoglu admits that Dream Theatre's commitment to leveling the gender playing field doesn't appear in any official mission statement. And the irony of a company lead by a man who writes the plays, directs most of them, and frequently acts being billed as a feminist theater is not lost on him, "I just feel presumptuous saying something like that."

Yet in an astonishing development s part of Breast Cancer Awareness month in the spring of 2011, seven theaters have signed on to simultaneously produce Menekseoglu's Ismene, first produced by Dream Theatre Company in 2004. Not to be outdone, Dream Theatre will be joining in on the festival, dubbed the Ismene Project. It's a dream come true.

To find out more about Dream Theatre Company you can visit their website or become a fan on Facebook. While you're there, check out the Facebook page for the Ismene Project.

Rock of Ages set for Chicago

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 19:19:52 -0500

Individual tickets to the Broadway production of Rock Of Ages will go on sale on Friday, July 16, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. The five time Tony Award nominated smash-hit musical Rock Of Ageswill play the Bank of America Theatre for a limited two week engagement September 21 - October 3, 2010. Tony Award Nominee and "American Idol" finalist, Constantine Maroulis, will reprise his acclaimed performance as Drew in the First National Tour that launches in Chicago.

In 1987 on the Sunset Strip, a small-town girl met a big-city dreamer - and in L.A.'s most legendary rock club, they fell in love to the greatest songs of the '80's. It's Rock Of Ages, a hilarious, feel-good love story told through the hit songs of iconic rockers Journey, Styx, REO Speedwagon, Foreigner, Pat Benatar, Whitesnake, and many more. Don't miss this awesomely good time where big hair meets big dreams and the result totally wails.

Rock Of Ages opened on April 7, 2009 at Broadway's Brooks Atkinson Theatre to critical acclaim, following an off Broadway engagement in the fall of 2008. The Broadway production was nominated for Five 2009 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and New Line Records released the Original Broadway Cast Recording in July 2009, featuring 28 songs from the show. A New Line Cinema/Warner Bros. film of the musical, directed by Adam Shankman (Hairspray), is scheduled to be released in 2011.

As on Broadway, the touring production will be directed by Tony Award Nominee Kristin Hanggi (Bare, Pussycat Dolls on the Sunset Strip) and choreographed by Kelly Devine (Jersey Boys - Associate Choreographer). The book is by Chris D'Arienzo (writer and director of the film Barry Munday), the original arrangements are by David Gibbs(Counting Crows, Film: That Thing You Do) and the Music Supervision, Arrangements & Orchestrations are by Ethan Popp (Tarzan; Europe: We Will Rock You, Mamma Mia).

Individual tickets to Rock Of Ages are $18 - $85 and will go on sale on Friday, July 16 at 10:00 a.m. Tickets are available at ticketmaster.com.

Billy Elliot to close in January

Wed, 7 Jul 2010 09:17:05 -0500
After a successful 10-month run, Billy Elliot will play its final Chicago performance on January 15, 2011. This final block of performances runs from October 26, 2010 through January 15, 2011 and includes popular holiday performances. Tickets for the final block of Billy Elliot The Musical in Chicago will go on sale Friday, July 16, 2010.
On stage now at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre (24 W. Randolph), Billy Elliot has inspired standing ovations at every show and will celebrate its 100th performance in Chicago tonight (Wednesday, July 7). After Chicago, Billy Elliot will continue its national tour in Toronto and later San Francisco.

Based on the international smash-hit film, Billy Elliot is brought to life by the Tony-winning creative team - director Stephen Daldry, choreographer Peter Darling and writer Lee Hall - along with music legend Elton John, who has written what the New York Post calls "His best score yet!" Full of life, laughter, astonishing dancing and unforgettable music, this uplifting experience will stay with you forever.

Winner of ten 2009 Tony Awards including BEST MUSICAL, Billy Elliot delighted critics when it opened in Chicago in April 2010. Time Magazine's "BEST MUSICAL OF THE DECADE" is a joyous, exciting and feel-good celebration of one boy following his heart and making his dreams come true.

Rotating in the title role of 'Billy' are Tommy Batchelor, Giuseppe Bausilio, Cesar Corrales and J.P. Viernes. Starring in Billy Elliot are Emily Skinner (Mrs. Wilkinson), Armand Schultz (Dad), Cynthia Darlow (Grandma), Chicagoan Patrick Mulvey (Tony), Keean Johnson and Gabriel Rush (Michael), Chicagoan Samuel Pergande (Billy's Older Self), Jim Ortlieb (George), Chicagoan Susie McMonagle (Mum), Chicagoan Blake Hammond (Mr. Braithwaite) and Maria Connelly (Debbie).

Featuring music by Elton John, book and lyrics by Lee Hall, choreographed by Peter Darling and directed by Stephen Daldry, Billy Elliot opened at Broadway's Imperial Theatre on November 13, 2008.

Individual tickets range in price from $30 to $100. A select number of premium seats are also available. Tickets are available at all Ticketmaster.com.