A Theater Oobleck show, like the loose and heady Strauss at Midnight- a comic nightmare of The Odd Couple in an alternate past, where only Leo Strauss and Saul Bellow can set things right- is born out of a remarkably individual process which contributes Oobleck's signature style and subject matter. In addition to an ensemble composed of performers who also write, design, and share administrative duties for the company (which lacks an artistic director), there are two aspects of the Oobleck process that define their corner of Chicago Theater.

First, every Oobleck show is an original production generated from within the company, and they tend to adhere to a common stylistic recipe. Mickle Maher, a co-founder of the company who agreed to act as a spokesperson for this article, recalls a revealing workshop at Columbia College led by himself and David Isaacson, another Oobleck co-founder. The auditioning students were asked to prepare "a ten minute play with three characters: someone from their family, a figure from mythology, and a figure from history." Says Maher, "that's kind of (an oversimplification of) what an Oobleck show is. It welcomes things from all those realms." They tend to be comic and they tend to be political, but Maher says "There's no effort to exclude. Our nature is really to try to stuff everything into the bag."

The second important trait of the Oobleck process is found in rehearsal: all Oobleck shows are produced without a director. Actors collaborate with each other and the writer (who ideally is also performing in the piece) to bring the script to vibrant life. Maher admits that this is no longer a programmatic rejection of directors in general, it's just another way of doing things (Maher himself holds an M.F.A. in directing). But he is quick to describe the virtues of the approach. By taking full advantage of the talents of everyone onstage, rather than subordinating many voices to a single one, new worlds of ideas open up, "If it's done well and everyone's engaged and speaking their minds as much as possible, and as politely as possible, then when you have a problem onstage- when you have conflicting ideas- nine times out of ten the synthesis of those ideas and the compromise of those ideas is not actually a compromise at all: it's a better idea ."

If these differences- a kind of script and a kind of rehearsal- distinguish the process of creating a Theater Oobleck production, what distinguishes the show itself? Maher suggests that, "despite the ‘messiness' of our shows, there is a certain energy of creation that is absent from a directed work. The collaboration is at its foundation just fundamentally different." Maher compares Theater Oobleck's work to the films of Jean-Luc Goddard, and also to Kung Fu Hustle and the Marx Brothers, and admits that Oobleck does not create work with a specific audience in mind other than "anybody" or "a reasonably curious person."

Theater Oobleck tries to make it easy to satisfy this reasonable curiosity by making all of their shows "pay-what-you-can," meaning that the price of admission is only ever as much as an audience member can pay. "It's really important to the kind of work we do," says Maher, "we're asking people to take a risk.

For more information on Theater Oobleck check out their website, become a fan on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter.

Benno Nelson

You can read more of Theatre In Chicago contributor Benno Nelson's writing at The@er (http://the-at-er.blogspot.com)

Full Storefrontal

Read the previous articles in Benno Nelson's "Full Storefrontal" series that focuses on small theatre companies around Chicago:

The Strange, Full Dream of Dog & Pony
Strawdog Stands the Test of Time

High Fidelity...The Musical is based on the 2000 film starring John Cusack. Originally a 1995 British novel by Nick Hornby, High Fidelity has become a cult classic around the world. The show features music by recent Tony Award winner Tom Kitt and Amanda Green and a book written by Tony and Pulitzer Prize winner David Lindsay-Abaire.

High Fidelity...The Musical follows Rob, the thirty-something owner of Championship Vinyl, a beloved Chicago record store. When his current relationship with girlfriend Laura goes south, Rob enlists the help of his two quirky clerks to expound on the intricacies of life and music while revisiting his former relationships to find out where he went wrong.

The Route 66 Theatre Company presents a "Flight of the Conchords" approach to the show, featuring the talents of Michael Mahler and Jonathan Wagner as "Dick" and "Barry" who will double as an onstage band with Derek Hasenstab (as T.M.P.M.I.T.W) and Jim Barclay on the drums. High Fidelity...The Musical also stars Jeff Award-winning actor and Route 66 Theatre Company Artistic Director Stef Tovar as Rob. The Pipers Alley Theater setting provides patrons with an intimate bar atmosphere to enjoy this Chicago premiere event.

Directed and choreographed by Peter Amster and with musical direction by Diana Lawrence, High Fidelity…The Musical features an all-star cast of Equity and non-Equity talent with Dana Tretta as Liz, Tricia Small as Laura, Michael Weber as Ian, Christin Boulette as Marie LaSalle/Sarah Kendrew, Blair Robertson as Alison Ashworth/Anna, Katie Jeep as Jackie Allen, Maggie Chambers as Charlie Nicholson, Kelli Maier as Penny Hardwick/Backup Singer and Kevin Crowley and Ian Paul Custer as Mohawk Guy and Futon Guy, respectively.

High Fidelity will run Thursdays and Fridays at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Tickets range in price from $29.50-$39.50. For tickets or more information visit www.route66theatre.org or call Pipers Alley Theater at 312-664-8844.

A special benefit performance honoring Commissioner of Cultural Affairs Lois Weisberg will be held in the theater on Tuesday, July 14, 2009. Event highlights will include a pre-show reception in the Lookingglass Lobby, gala performance of Our Future Metropolis, and post-show party hosted by EVE at 840 N Wabash.

Lookingglass, the only theater company participating in the City-wide Burnham Plan Centennial, is proud to pay tribute to this important part of Chicago's history. The limited run production celebrates the anniversary of Burnham's groundbreaking plan for the urban design of the City of Chicago .

Adapted and directed by Ensemble Member John Musial, Our Future Metropolis draws from the archives of the Burnham Library at the Art Institute of Chicago to recreate the initial presentation of Burnham's Plan for The City of Chicago given 100 years ago. Lookingglass Ensemble Member Raymond Fox plays Daniel Burnham as he struggles to win over a skeptical audience using nothing more than early "magic lantern" slides and his own conviction in Chicago 's greatness.

"It is exciting to be looking backward to Burnham's original vision for the development of the city, at a time when Chicago looks forward to a new century's growth with the 2020 plan and as we contemplate an Olympic bid," says John Musial. "The themes Burnham set forth 100 years ago have tangible continuity to our present- so many issues he wrestled with remain with us today. The scale of his approach remains a gauntlet thrown to the future. Burnham challenges us to dream big."

Lookingglass Ensemble Member John Musial has created several theatrical productions celebrating Chicago 's history and culture, including the adaptation and direction of Nelson Algren: For Keeps and A Single Day and The Great Fire. He most recently designed the set for Lookingglass' acclaimed production of Our Town.

Ensemble Member Raymond Fox has worked with Lookingglass since 1989. In addition to numerous roles with Lookingglass, he has appeared at the Goodman, Remy Bumppo, Court, and off-Broadway in Mary Zimmerman's Metamorphoses. He was most recently seen in Lookingglass' spring production of Our Town.

Tickets are $25 and are available by calling the Lookingglass Theatre box office at 312-337-0665 or by visiting lookingglasstheatre.org.

Casting both veteran CST actors and introducing Chicago audiences to some of the nation's newest talent, Aladdin will feature CST audience favorite Larry Yando as Jafar and Derek Hasenstab as Iago. The pair recently starred in the national touring production of The Lion King, in which they brought two other memorable Disney characters (Scar and Zazu) to life on stage. Opposite the villainous veterans are the production's heroes, played by CST newcomers Tony Clarno and Melissa Espinosa as Aladdin and Jasmine, respectively. They are joined by Bill Larkin as Genie and Joseph Anthony Foronda as the Sultan with an ensemble rounded out by Karissa Barney, Sean Blake, Alex Goodrich, Jillian Jocson and Erik Kaiko who will each take on several roles.

Making his directorial debut at CST is Devanand Janki, who recently choreographed the CST-commissioned family musical, How Can You Run with a Shell on Your Back? Among Mr. Janki's credits are concerts for the Broadway stage including Hair (director), Funny Girl (choreographer) and Dreamgirls (associate choreographer). Off Broadway, he directed and choreographed Zanna, Don't!, for which he received the Lucille Lortel, Callaway and GLAAD Media Awards, and choreographed Junie B. Jones, Henry & Mudge, Cupid & Psyche and Judy Speaks. Janki has also directed at Tokyo Disney among other regional credits.

"What I love about doing Disney's Aladdin is that it's not just for kids. The parents love it too," says Janki. "I think that's the thing that's so sophisticated about doing a production like this. There's something for everyone. And doing it in a space like the Courtyard Theater right here on Navy Pier makes for such a magical and memorable day for the entire family."

Disney's Aladdin is recommended for ages 5 and up with performances scheduled July 1, 2009 through August 30, 2009 in the Courtyard Theater. Tickets are $18 for children (12 and younger), and $23 for adults and may be purchased by calling Chicago Shakespeare Theater's Box Office at 312-595-5600 or by visiting the Theater's website at  www.chicagoshakes.com.

"One thing that's been really thrilling for me," Dimond explains, "as someone who has watched the Chicago theater scene for the last couple of decades, is that it really started off as an actors' town, but a bunch of inventive directors have been able to add in a more visual style." Asked whether he prefers one style over the other- gutsy, unadorned ensemble acting or director/designer focused visually rich theater- Dimond insists, "They're not mutually exclusive... running a storefront is too hard to do for vanity." It's this multi-tiered approach that has guided Strawdog through a spate of recent critical and commercial successes such as last season's Cherry Orchard and Red Noses. While the two plays are wildly divergent (one is a naturalistic domestic classic, the other a circus-like fantasia on the Bubonic Plague) both drew strength from inspired theatrical design and the resources of Strawdog's acting ensemble.

Strawdog's slogan, "The whole wide world in a little black box," does a good job of encapsulating what Dimond calls the "supreme jujitsu" available to theater in tiny spaces (Strawdog reaches capacity at about 70 seats). "In a tiny space immersion is easy. We can really create a world: step through the door and I'm transported... and it's more of a surprise." Yet the intimacy of its space has not restricted the sprawling diversity of its operations. In addition to a season of three full-scale productions, Strawdog hosts a writing workshop for ensemble members to create original pieces and a late night performance series to showcase both these pieces and others from companies and individuals around Chicago . These performances tend to be shorter, and involve music and laughter, "That's a genuine connection too," says Dimond, "A different kind of intimate connection with our ensemble. You can see how these familiar artists throw down their own stuff."

However wide-ranging their programming becomes, for Dimond the best theater represents "not a challenge of breadth, but a challenge of depth . It's not 'how many things you can do.' I want to jam one thing and get all the way to the bottom of it." Dimond credits the acting ensemble as a big part of how Strawdog manages to achieve that depth. He explains that in a typical rehearsal period the first few weeks are wasted with the actors "just getting to know everybody. We all know each other, we can skip that and go deeper." And don't expect the current economic climate to cause the company to pull any artistic punches. Dimond slyly shrugs, "that's not who we are. Strawdog has been in a recession for the last twenty years."

For more information on Strawdog check out their website www.strawdog.org, become a fan on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter.

Benno Nelson

You can read more of Theatre In Chicago contributor Benno Nelson's writing at The@er (http://the-at-er.blogspot.com)

Steep's special blend of grit, edge, and ensemble work comes to life in this story about America 's early pioneers. Jim, a young Irish immigrant, arrives in New York in 1815 with dreams of boundless freedom, legendary profits, and unseen kingdoms. It is the cost of his 40 year pursuit that becomes more than he imagined. The Hollow Lands traces a nation's journey towards its Manifest Destiny and the trail it leaves behind.

Howard Korder is best known for his plays Search and Destroy, The Lights, and Boy's Life, for which he was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Steep's 2001 production of Search and Destroy was the second show in the company's history and the company's first unequivocal hit. Steep is pleased to announce that Korder will come out to Chicago to take part in a portion of the rehearsal process.

Steep is also thrilled to have long-time friend Jonathan Berry back in the director's chair. Berry last worked with Steep on The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui which was Jeff nominated for Best Production and was also named one of the top shows of 2007 by Timeout Chicago. Berry is an artistic associate of Griffin Theatre Company and has worked with Lifeline, Gift, Remy Bumppo, Mary Arrchie, Court and Steppenwolf, among other theater companies.

Over the last eight years, Steep Theatre Company has been home to exciting ensemble work. Steep made the news in late April when the company was nominated for a remarkable 5 Joseph Jefferson Awards for their productions In Arabia We'd All Be Kings and Greensboro: A Requiem. (Best Production, Best Director, Best Ensemble, and 2 Best Supporting Actress nominations.). Earlier in 2009, Steep's production of Breathing Corpses was named to Timeout Chicago's Top Ten list of 2008 and became the third Steep show to be named to that list. (Book of Days, 2005 and The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, 2007) In the four years that Timeout has come out with this list, only one other theater company has made the list three different years(Steppenwolf) and only one company made the list in both 2007 and 2008: Steep.

The Hollow Lands features a cast that reads like a virtual who's who from some of Steep's most memorable shows. Company Members Jonathan Edwards, Cynthia Marker, Brendan Melanson, and Peter Moore are joined by Sean Bolger (The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, In Arabia We'd All be Kings), Lucy Carapetyan (Breathing Corpses), Jeremy Fisher (Coronado), Yosh Hayashi (Arturo Ui), and Michael Salinas (In Arabia). New Steep collaborators Rom Barkholdar, Chris Chemlik, Kipland Dooley, Boyd Harris, and Faizan Ring round out a cast that will surely join the list of celebrated Steep ensembles.

The Hollow Lands runs Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings at 8 p.m. Performances begin Thursday, June 25th and run through Saturday, August 1st. Tickets are $18, and reservations can be made by calling 312-458-0722 or by visiting www.steeptheatre.com.

Normand Latourelle, founder and artistic director of Cavalia, is the visionary behind the show. As one of the co-founders of Cirque du Soleil, Latourelle first brought Cirque to Chicago in 1988. Through Latourelle's passionate vision, Cavalia revolutionizes equestrian and performing arts much like Cirque du Soleil revolutionized the circus. Latourelle has become renowned for adventurous, mammoth and innovative productions that transport spectators to new realms of imagination.

Cavalia has captivated audiences across North America and Europe and has been praised by the media and critics alike. It is a show unlike any other, a lavish orchestration blending multimedia theatrical spectacle with equestrian and performing arts. Acrobats, aerialists, dancers, musicians and riders are showcased on an enormous, 160-foot-wide stage; a space so expansive that it allows the horses sufficient space to gallop and cavort, at times completely unbridled. Recognized for their expertise in the realm of multimedia, Cavalia's creators have used cutting-edge technology to create dream-like fantasy world. Large, panoramic images are projected on to a 210-foot-wide curved screen, while stunning special and lighting effects illuminate the action on the stage and in the air. Original live music and vocals accompany this feast for the senses.

Cavalia is presented under North America's largest touring tent, a pristine white structure rising some 100 feet above the ground and spanning more than 26,264 square feet. The stage alone is the equivalent to the width of a regulation NFL football field.

Juxtaposed with the vibrancy of the lavish production is a subtle thematic line that tells the story of the evolution of horses and their bond with human beings, beginning with their unbridled life in the wilderness, to early domestication and ultimately to a rapport with people based on mutual respect.

Featured in Cavalia are 13 different breeds of horses, including Arabians, Spanish Pure Breeds, Lusitanos, Quarter Horses, Appaloosas and Paint horses from France, Canada, Spain and the United States. The featured artists represent talented individuals from such nations as the United States Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Morocco, Portugal, and Russia.

Tickets for the show are on sale now. Regular tickets are priced from $45.50 to $98.50. For more information, call 1-866-999-8111 or visit www.cavalia.net.

"I am thrilled to welcome back José to the Goodman with this gorgeous new play," said Artistic Director Robert Falls. "In a season that has included a number of vivid romances (from the doomed triangle at the center of Desire Under the Elms to the politically fraught coupling of Jan and Esme in Rock 'n' Roll), Boleros for the Disenchanted provides an especially wise insight into the vagaries of human relationships- and the bonds that hold them together."

Boleros for the Disenchanted received its world-premiere production last season, directed by Henry Godinez at Yale Repertory Theatre. After her fiancée breaks her heart, Flora vows never to fall for an unfaithful man again. Then she meets Eusebio, who sweeps her off her feet, and off to America- away from her family and her familiar life in Puerto Rico. Thirty-nine years later, an angel visits Eusebio with a mysterious message that stirs up old secrets. Boleros for the Disenchanted is a bittersweet and ultimately uplifting story about what it takes for two people to make a life together far from home, and the struggle to hold on to love in the face of life's unexpected challenges.

"I wanted to blend the fairytale optimism of Flora and Eusebio's early courtship days in Puerto Rico with a hardcore, gritty reality later in their life together," said José Rivera, who earned an Oscar nomination for his screen adaptation of The Motorcycle Diaries. "While this play is really a love story, it has another layer- a political consciousness that explores what happens when a society is so destitute and depressed that it has to emigrate. Literature and films often explore the immigrant experience once people have arrived; I thought it would be interesting to address what compels people to leave. In Puerto Rico they have family, they have love, they have connection to land, they have all these things- and yet there's still something that moves them to take this journey."

Boleros for the Disenchanted will be performed in English in the Albert Theatre June 20 - July 26, 2009. Tickets are $25 - $70.

The first three plays in ShawChicago's 2009-2010 season will be presented at the Company's resident theater, The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn Parkway, while the final work, The Doctor's Dilemma, will be presented in the Studio Theater of the Chicago Cultural Center, 77 E. Randolph Street, in association with the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs.

"The plays of George Bernard Shaw and his contemporaries changed not only the style and content of early twentieth century theater, but the audience's perception of theater itself," noted Scogin. "The plays focus on social, economic and political problems that exist in all countries. Shaw's Arms and the Man and Henrik Ibsen's Ghosts produced the same response in their ShawChicago Turkish presentations as they do in Chicago. The plays are universal in their content, and transcend national boundaries to show not how different we are, but how similar we are as human beings."

The not-for-profit ShawChicago was first created in 1994 as a program of the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs to present the plays of George Bernard Shaw and his contemporaries in concert readings at the Chicago Cultural Center. ShawChicago's first production was The Doctor's Dilemma, at the time presented in response to the controversy about health care during the first Clinton administration. The production deftly illustrated the fact that Shaw was always years ahead of his time in matters both political and human. Beginning with the 2000-2001 Season, ShawChicago established itself as an independent non-profit theater company and in January 2003, ShawChicago became the resident theater company at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts. In the fifteen years since its creation, ShawChicago has produced all of Shaw's major plays except Saint Joan, and that masterpiece is on the schedule for the near future.

ShawChicago's 2009-2010 Season

Votes For Women!
by Elizabeth Robins, directed by Robert Scogin
October 17 - November 9, 2009 at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts

Written by the American actress Elizabeth Robins in 1906, Votes for Women! is an early feminist work that confronts how men sexually exploit women. The story's heroines must not only open the eyes of their fellow female peers, but also must save men from their own dark nature. Votes for Women! is being presented in celebration of the 90th anniversary of women's suffrage in the U.S. Robins was noted for her feminist views and was a fan of playwright Henrik Ibsen, a fellow champion of women's rights. Robins was very active in the Women's Suffrage Movement in England and wrote this play to further the cause in England and America .

Mid-Winter's Tales '09
Works and music selected, adapted and directed by Belinda Bremner
December 18 - 21, 2009 at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts

This evening of theater and music, a celebration of the Winter Solstice, draws from stories and songs from a variety of different cultures and generations. This treasured holiday tradition will feature the best of '08 and surprises for '09.

The Philanderer
by George Bernard Shaw, directed by Robert Scogin
February 6 - March 1, 2010 at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts

In this play, Shaw introduces a man committed to remaining uncommitted. He is a philosophizing philanderer who believes that only conventional people marry, while advanced people form "charming friendships." But when he meets a self-described "new woman" who belongs only to herself and is the property of no man, he finds he may have met his match, if not his mate. The Philanderer was written in 1893 and published as one of the three plays of Shaw's Plays Unpleasant in 1898. This early Shaw work salutes the hilarious clash of sexism, vivisectionism and love at a time when Ibsen's ideas were in vogue in London .

The Doctor's Dilemma
by George Bernard Shaw, directed by Robert Scogin
April 17 - May 2, 2010 at the Chicago Cultural Center Studio Theater

The Doctor's Dilemma is just what its title implies—the dilemma of who should receive medical care and at what cost. In this play a number of dilemmas crop up, including that of a doctor who has developed a new cure for tuberculosis, but has only enough of it for one patient. He then has to choose which patient he is going to give it to: a kindly poor medical colleague, or an extremely gifted but also very unpleasant young artist. The doctor struggles to separate his emotions from his academic judgment for the decision. ShawChicago revisits the play that served as the vehicle for its launch in 1974 as the problems of medical issues and ethics are still debated over today as much as they were when the play was originally written in 1906.

Season subscription tickets will go on sale June 1st and can be purchased by calling 312-587-7390 and online at www.shawchicago.org. A 4-play subscription is $68, or $60 for seniors.

Featuring a cast of three in multiple roles, this new adaptation transforms the traditional role of the chorus. "I'm interested in how the audience can fulfill the responsibilities of the chorus," says Graney. For example, Graney's promenade style staging allows the audience to move around freely and explore multiple perspectives on the action.

Sean Graney, Founder and Artistic Director of The Hypocrites, received the NEA/TCG Career Development for Directors grant, two Joseph Jefferson Citations, and an After Dark Award for Best Original Play (The 4thGraders Present an Unnamed Love Suicide). He was named Chicago's Best Avant-Garde Director by Chicago Magazine and Chicagoan of the Year (in Theatre) from the Chicago Tribune.

The cast of three are all company members of The Hypocrites. Steve Wilson was last seen by Hypocrites' audiences in Eugene Ionesco's The Bald Soprano. Last year, he made his directorial debut at A Red Orchid and has worked as an actor with The House, Griffin , New Leaf and most recently for LiveWire's premiere of Eric Bogosian's Red Angel. Stacy Stolz's roles with The Hypocrites include The Woman in 4.48 Psychosis at the Steppenwolf Garage, Mrs. Gibbs in Our Town, and Miss Julie in Miss Julie. She most recently appeared in The Hairy Ape at the Goodman and performed Off-Broadway in The 4thGraders Present an Unnamed Love Suicide. Halena Kays is currently pursuing her MFA in directing at the University of Texas-Austin. Halena was last seen on stage in Fair Use at Steppenwolf and her most recent role for The Hypocrites was Mae in Mud.

Founded in 1997, The Hypocrites create bold productions that defy expectations. By turning theater inside out and redefining the traditional role of the audience, The Hypocrites are recognized as groundbreakers in the world's premiere theater city. The company has grown significantly in the past few years, receiving acclaim for both The Threepenny Opera and The Hairy Ape, produced in association with Goodman Theatre as part of its O'Neill Festival. The company's smash-hit Chicago production of Our Town, directed by David Cromer, recently transferred to Off-Broadway where it has received rave reviews during its New York run (currently extended through September 27th, 2009). The company's season features three mainstage productions, often presenting classics in a new light through innovative interpretation and staging.

Oedipus opens on May 31 at 7:30pm at The Building Stage, 412 N. Carpenter Street . The production runs until July 12 with Thursday-Saturday performances at 8pm and Sundays at 3pm. Tickets are $20-25 and can be purchased by calling 773.989.7352 or visiting www.the-hypocrites.com.

Arthur Przybyszewski owns a decrepit donut shop in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago . Franco Wicks, a black teenager who is his only employee, wants to change the shop for the better. This provocative comedy, set in the heart of one of Chicago's most diverse communities, explores the challenges of embracing the past and the redemptive power of friendship.

Playwright Tracy Letts received the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his critically-acclaimed play August: Osage County, currently playing on Broadway at The Music Box Theatre following sold-out runs at Steppenwolf in 2007 and the National Theatre in London in 2008. Mr. Letts is also the author of Man from Nebraska, which was produced at Steppenwolf in 2003 and was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize; Killer Joe, which has been produced in Chicago, London and New Yor; and Bug, which has played in New York, Chicago and London.

Director Tina Landau Director most recently directed The Tempest and Tracy Letts' Superior Donuts at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, where she is an ensemble member, as well as The Time of Your Life (also Seattle Rep, A.C.T.), The Diary of Anne Frank, The Cherry Orchard, and Charles Mee's Berlin Circle and Time to Burn, among others. She recently directed the world premieres of Tarell McCraney's In the Red and Brown Water at the Alliance and McCarter Theaters, Paula Vogel's A Civil War Christmas at Long Wharf Theatre and the Off-Broadway premiere of McCraney's Wig Out! at the Vineyard Theatre. Tina's work as a writer and director include Of Thee I Sing (Paper Mill Playhouse), Beauty (La Jolla Playhouse), Space (Steppenwolf, NY's Public Theatre, Mark Taper Forum), Stonewall (En Garde Arts), 1969 (Actors Theater of Louisville), Floyd Collins with composer Adam Guettel (Playwrights Horizons, Prince Music Theatre, Old Globe, the Goodman) and Dream True with composer Ricky Ian Gordon (Vineyard Theater).

Chicago DCA Theater offers downtown audiences an off-Loop theater experience with an exciting look at the vibrant emerging theater companies that call Chicago home. An anchor of the downtown theater district, Chicago DCA Theater's Storefront Theater will present productions by three Chicago theater companies: Caffeine Theatre, InFusion Theatre Company, and Silent Theatre Company.

Chicago DCA Theater will also host three theater companies in its Studio Theater Incubator Program. The selected companies are Promethean Theatre Ensemble, Striding Lions InterArts Workshop, and LiveWire Chicago Theatre. Additionally, Chicago DCA Theater presents several special events in the 2009 season, including Site Unseen 2009, the sixth edition of this annual site-specific performance at the Chicago Cultural Center .

CHICAGO DCA THEATER SUMMER/FALL 2009 SEASON

Under Milk Wood
Caffeine Theatre
August 21 - September 27
Storefront Theater, 66 E. Randolph Street

Caffeine Theatre stages Dylan Thomas' dark, but funny play about the dreams and waking lives of a fictional Welsh town. An iconic favorite since it was first broadcast as a radio play in 1954, the play's 47 quirky characters bring to life their inner longings bubbling beneath the surface of the town's daily life, endearing us to humanity's bawdy and magnificent possibilities. Paul S. Holmquist directs this classic but utterly relevant play with an intimate and physically intense ensemble of Chicago theater veterans and emerging talent.

Rhymes With Evil
InFusion Theatre Company
October 5 – November 8
Storefront Theater, 66 E. Randolph Street

For this Midwest premiere, InFusion Theatre Company brings creepy puppets and visual spectacle to a very human tale of an imaginative and inventive stay-at-home dad. In his Midwest farm house, he creates a beautiful yet bizarre world of puppets, costumed characters and fanciful stories for his young daughter. But all is not what it seems in this suspense-filled and disturbing tale of love, loss and danger appropriate for the Halloween season.

Carnival Nocturne
Silent Theatre Company
November 19 - December 20
Storefront Theater, 66 E. Randolph Street

Silent Theatre Company welcomes visitors into the mysterious underground world of a traveling carnival. In the midst of fire breathers, fortune tellers, bestial tamers and natural freaks, a somber secret lies – a curse that binds them all together. With a live band and physical acts of carnival performance, this original dark fable by Gillian Hastings combines the styles of Tim Burton and Edward Gorey in a thrilling and enchanting ride through a world of whimsy and macabre.

CHICAGO DCA'S STUDIO THEATER INCUBATOR SUMMER/FALL 2009 SEASON

The Studio Theater Incubator Series supports the creation of new work by emerging Chicago theater companies. Utilizing Chicago DCA Theater resources and rehearsal space in the Chicago Cultural Center, participants explore new projects, develop and refine styles, and share their process with the public during a special showcase event.

The evening showcase events each offer a glimpse into the companies' projects through readings, performances, or works-in-process.

Promethean Theatre Ensemble
Incubator Showcase for A Month of Development
Monday, August 31, at 7:30 p.m.
Studio Theater in the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington Street

Striding Lions InterArts Workshop
Incubator Showcase for Pioneers
Tuesday, September 29, at 7:30 p.m.
Studio Theater in the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington Street

LiveWire Chicago Theatre
Incubator Showcase for Lower Debt (or It's Not You, It's the Economy)
M onday, October 19, at 7:30 p.m.
Studio Theater in the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington Street

For more information on DCA Theatre visit www.dcatheater.org.

Storm clouds are gathering over the Addams Family manse. Daughter Wednesday, now 18, is experiencing a sensation that surprises and disgusts her - caring about another person. Young Pugsley, jealous of his sister's attention, begs her to keep torturing him, severely, while mother Morticia, conflicted over her daughter's lurch into womanhood, fears being upstaged and discarded.... like yesterday's road kill. All the while, father Gomez - master of the revels, mischievous and oblivious as ever - would prefer everything and everyone remain as it is. But when outsiders come to dinner, the events of one night will change forever this famously macabre family - a family so very different from your own...or maybe not.

In a prolific career spanning six decades, Charles Addams created several thousand cartoons, sketches and drawings, many of which were published in The New Yorker. But it was his creation of characters that came to be known as The Addams Family that brought Addams his greatest acclaim. With a unique style that combined the twisted, macabre and just plain weird with charm, wit and enchantment, Addams' drawings of Gomez, Morticia, Fester, Wednesday, Pugsley, Grandmama, Lurch and Thing have entertained millions worldwide and served as the inspiration for multiple television series and motion pictures.

Tickets are now available to groups of 20 or more by calling 312-977-1710. Individual tickets will go on American Express pre-sale beginning Wednesday, May 13 through May 28. Individual tickets will go on sale to the general public on Friday, May 29.

"I am thrilled to welcome back Rebecca to the Goodman with this thought-provoking and funny new play about how we measure success 'in our own backyard'-marriage and property, career and children," said Artistic Director Robert Falls, whose critically acclaimed production of Gilman's Dollhouse premiered at the Goodman in 2005. "We welcome director Wendy Goldberg, whose grace and skill with new plays is fast earning her a reputation as a leader in new play development in the country."

In the backyard of a Chicago two-flat on the 4th of July, three intelligent and liberal couples engage in what begins as friendly conversation, but soon evolves into a heated debate about the pros and cons of starting a family. Jasper (Coburn Goss) and Melinda (Janelle Snow) are considering having a baby, Dan (Kiff Vanden Heuvel) and Windsong (Stephanie Childers) are enthusiastically expectant and Tom (Rob Riley) and Karen (Linda Gehringer) have opted not to have children. As the innocuous barbeque turns into an ideological confrontation, each couple must ask themselves how much the crowd they're in with determines the course of their lives.

"I had been considering a couple of ideas for a new play when Bob Falls suggested I write something more personal," said Chicago Playwright Rebecca Gilman, who named The Crowd You're In With after a line in Bob Dylan's song "Positively 4th Street" about the alliances in friendship. "I thought about the time of transition my husband and I were going through, and how sometimes, what may seem like benign choices actually leave you in the minority-when you didn't expect to be in the minority. I am honored and excited to present this work here in my hometown."

Rebecca Gilman's plays include Dollhouse, Spinning Into Butter, Boy Gets Girl, Blue Surge, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter and The Glory of Living. Her plays have been produced at Goodman Theatre, Royal Court Theatre, Lincoln Center Theater, Joseph Papp Public Theater, Manhattan Theatre Club and Manhattan Class Company. She is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, The Prince Prize for Commissioning New Work, The Roger L. Stevens Award from the Kennedy Center Fund for New American Plays, The Evening Standard Award for Most Promising Playwright, The George Devine Award and The Harper Lee Award. Gilman was named a finalist for the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for her play The Glory of Living. She is an assistant professor of playwriting and screenwriting in the MFA in Writing for the Screen and Stage program at Northwestern University.

The Crowd You're In With runs May 23 - June 21. Tickets are $10 - 39, and may be purchased online at GoodmanTheatre.org, at the Goodman Theatre Box Office, 170 North Dearborn Street, or by phone at 312-443-3800.

This year's roster of films and artists:

June 25: Cool As Ice (1991)
Before Eminem, but after the Beastie Boys, there was Vanilla Ice. The original high-haired, Queen-cribbing 90s hip-hop legend stars as a tough-yet-tender urban rebel who, along with his posse, lands in a small middle American town that is unprepared for this new level of “street”. Dina Connolly directs and stars as Vanilla, in a film that will rock your mike like a vandal.

July 2: Cruising (1981)
Gay men weren't always your wacky neighbors and sexually non-threatening best friends. In the early 1980s, Cruising exposed this dark and creepy world of perversion, seduction and horror. Al Pacino stars as an undercover homicide detective in New York City who dangles dangerously close to gayness himself while tracking a serial killer on the gay scene. Jack Tamburri of The Plagiarists directs this controversial suspense film about influence and panic.

July 9: Screaming Mimi (1958)
When buxom Swedish blonde, Anita Ekberg, is attacked by an escaped mental patient, she is driven into a state of breathy hysteria. The only cure can be found at the former mental hospital of her attacker where she becomes the love slave of a creepy psychiatrist. Lounge singing, stalkers, screaming statues and plunging bustlines complicate this noir-ish-esque-ploitation, directed by Rachel Claff.

July 16: The Naked Killer (Chik loh go yeung) (1992)
The twisted love story of a seductive assassin and the tortured police detective hot on her trail is directed by Neo-Futurist Founding Director, Greg Allen. This film is a rampaging riot of fetishistic softcore sex and mindless hardcore mayhem, complete with badly performed English overdub of badly written dialogue.

July 23: Equinox (1970)
The visual effects designer of Star Wars didn't always produce work of that caliber when he created the creature effects for this cautionary tale of curious teenagers who explore dark spooky caves and are hunted by demon park rangers. Directed by Bob Stockfish, Equinox features live effects only slightly lower-tech than the original.

July 30: Legend (1986)
Just your typical girl-loves-boy, boy-loves-girl, boy-shows-girl-his-unicorns, girl-gets-unicorns-captured-by-Lord-of-Darkness story. Directed by Dana Dardai of Camenae Ensemble, Legend seamlessly blends together fairies, goblins, random lines spoken in rhyming couplet, dancing dresses, and endless clouds of magical debris.

Tickets for It Came From the Neo-Futurarium VIII: Legend of The Neo-Futurarium are $10 and may be purchased at www.neofuturists.org.

Chicago's oldest cemetery is the backdrop for Graceland, the story of four lonely Chicagoans whose lives collide one August weekend while the Blue Angels airshow is in town. As fighter jets buzz the skies from dusk till dawn, estranged brother and sister Sam and Sara try to make sense of their father's recent suicide. Sara's one night stand with Joe, an aging lothario, brings further trouble in the form of Joe's mercurial teenage son, Miles. Graceland is a World premiere comedic drama about the loneliness of family, the tenderness of strangers and the unexpected benefits of bad decisions.

Ms. Fairey's first full length play, Girl, 20, was named one of the "Top Ten Most Promising Plays of 2006" by the Chicago Tribune in its World Premiere production by Serendipity Theatre. The production subsequently moved to Los Angeles, where it received rave reviews and was nominated for two 2007-2008 LA Weekly Theatre Awards for Best Director (Matt Miller) and Best Ensemble.

This is the fifth and final production of Profiles Theatre's 20th Anniversary Season following its acclaimed productions of The Wonderful World of Dissocia by Anthony Neilson, Great Falls by Lee Blessing, The Thugs by Adam Bock and Men of Tortuga by Jason Wells.  The titles for Profiles' 2009-2010 season will be announced soon.

The cast of Graceland features Profiles' ensemble members Somer Benson (The Wonderful World of Dissocia, The Thugs), Eric Burgher (The Wonderful World of Dissocia, Men of Tortuga) and Darrell W. Cox (Great Falls, Men of Tortuga).  The cast also includes Brenda Barrie as Sara and Jackson Challinor as Miles, both making their Profiles debuts.

"Profiles, to me, is such a distinctly Chicago theatre company- the whole vibe, the work they do- it's honest and tough," says playwright Ellen Fairey.  "When they told me they were interested in Graceland, I was thrilled.  What better place for a play about Chicago? Although I've recently moved to Los Angeles, Chicago remains my close to my heart and Graceland is, in a way, a kind of love letter to the city that shaped the way I write plays and who I want to write plays about."

"Ellen continued the development of Graceland last year with Profiles in mind, and we have watched the play grow beautifully as she has revised it throughout the season," says Profiles Artistic Director Joe Jahraus.  "This is the first time in our 20 year history that we have worked so closely with the playwright on the development of a script."

Tickets for Graceland are $25 for Thursdays and Sundays; $30 for Fridays and Saturdays. Tickets are available by phone, 773- 549-1815, or online, www.profilestheatre.org.  Performances are Thursdays-Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 7:00 p.m.

Directed by David Shiner, this new production will present its own contemporary take on vaudeville. The show will feature short, fast-paced performances of comic variety fused with innovative choreography and dance styles.

Shiner is the writer and director of the Cirque du Soleil big top touring show KOOZA, which performed in Chicago in 2008 and is currently in New York . He also created the two-man show "Fool Moon" with Bill Irwin, which ran on Broadway in the 1990s and won a special Tony Award for Live Theatrical Presentation in 1999, a Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience and an Outer Critics Circle Special Achievement Award.

"MSG Entertainment is excited to partner with Cirque du Soleil once again," said Jonathan Hochwald, executive vice president productions, MSGE. "Our latest production will seek to capture the spirit of vaudeville and variety entertainments, mash it up with contemporary music and technology, and introduce a brand new art form--a reinvention of the live experience as only Cirque du Soleil could achieve."

Cirque du Soleil celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2009. From a group of 20 street performers at its beginnings in 1984, Cirque du Soleil is now a major Quebec-based organization providing high-quality artistic entertainment. The company has more than 4,000 employees from over 40 different countries, including 1,000 performing artists.

Pre-sale tickets are available exclusively to Cirque Club members and Chicago Theatre Insiders. Visit cirquedusoleil.com or thechicagotheatre.com to join.

Among producing organizations, Lifeline Theatre and Theo Ubique Theatre Company in Association with Michael James led the nominees with 14 and 13, respectively. Top- nominated productions were Theo Ubique's "Evita," Lifeline Theatre's world premiere adaptation of "Mariette in Ecstasy," and The House Theatre of Chicago's "Rose and the Rime" with 7 nominations each. Lifeline and Theo Ubique anchor the burgeoning Glenwood Avenue Arts District in Chicago's far north Rogers Park neighborhood and continue to show the strength of quality for which they received multiple awards at the 2008 Ceremony.

Steep Theatre Company also came on strong in its new Lakeview home, with 5 nominations. Redmoon Theater's creative brand of multi-media productions garnered 8 nominations.  Bailiwick Repertory Theatre's annual revival of "The Christmas Schooner" (eligible for judging this year under the Jeffs' 7-year rule) netted 5 nominations, including Outstanding Musical or Revue. Tops among individual nominees is Fred Anzevino, Artistic Director of Theo Ubique, with two nods as Director of a Musical or Revue and one for New Adaptation (together with Arnold Johnston and Joshua Stephen Kartes) for the highly successful "Jacques Brel's Lonesome Losers of the Night."

The 36th Anniversary Non-Equity Jeff Awards Ceremony will be held on Monday, June 8, 2009, 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 presentation at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $35 in advance, $40 at the door. 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 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.  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 October 19, 2009, at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie.

2009 NON-EQUITY JEFF AWARD NOMINEES

PRODUCTION - PLAY               
"Enchanted April" - Circle Theatre
"In Arabia We'd All Be Kings" - Steep Theatre Company
"Mariette in Ecstasy" - Lifeline Theatre
"The Mark of Zorro" - Lifeline Theatre
"Our Town" - The Hypocrites
"Rose and the Rime" - The House Theatre of Chicago

PRODUCTION - MUSICAL OR REVUE               
"The Christmas Schooner" - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
"Evita" -  Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Michael James
"Jacques Brel's Lonesome Losers of the Night" - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Michael James
"The Robber Bridegroom" - Griffin Theatre Company
"Woody Guthrie's American Song" - Blindfaith Theatre

DIRECTOR - PLAY
Nathan Allen - "Rose and the Rime" - The House Theatre of Chicago
David Cromer - "Our Town" - The Hypocrites
Elise Kauzlaric - "Mariette in Ecstasy" - Lifeline Theatre
Joanie Schultz - "In Arabia We'd All Be Kings" - Steep Theatre Company
Rick Snyder - "Men of Tortuga" - Profiles Theatre

DIRECTOR - MUSICAL OR REVUE           
Fred Anzevino - "Evita" - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Michael James
Fred Anzevino - "Jacques Brel's Lonesome Losers of the Night" - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w
       Michael James
Mary Beidler Gearen - "The Christmas Schooner" - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
Paul S. Holmquist - "The Robber Bridegroom" - Griffin Theatre Company
Nicolas Minas - "Woody Guthrie's American Song" - Blindfaith Theatre

ENSEMBLE               
"Evita" - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Michael James
"In Arabia We'd All Be Kings" - Steep Theatre Company
"Mariette in Ecstasy" - Lifeline Theatre
"Men of Tortuga" - Profiles Theatre
"Our Bad Magnet" - Mary-Arrchie Theatre Company
"Woody Guthrie's American Song" - Blindfaith Theatre

ACTOR IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - PLAY
Don Bender - "Old Times" - City Lit Theater Company
Esteban Andres Cruz - "Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train" - Raven Theatre
James Elly - "The Mark of Zorro" - Lifeline Theatre
Ryan Jarosch - "Torch Song Trilogy" - Hubris Productions
Brian Parry - "Shadowlands" - Redtwist Theatre
Brian Plocharczyk - "After Ashley" - Stage Left Theatre
Bradford Stevens - "Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train" - Raven Theatre

ACTOR IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - MUSICAL               
Courtney Crouse - "Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical" - Bohemian Theatre Ensemble
Chris Damiano - "Evita" - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Michael James

ACTRESS IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - PLAY
Brenda Barrie - "Mariette in Ecstasy" - Lifeline Theatre
Laura Coover - "Blue Surge" - Eclipse Theatre Company
Cameron Feagin - "Private Lives" - City Lit Theater Company
Nancy Freidrich - "The Dastardly Ficus and Other Comedic Tales of Woe and Misery" - The Strange Tree
    Group
Betsy Zajko - "Beholder" - Trap Door Theatre

ACTRESS IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - MUSICAL               
Laura McClain - "The Christmas Schooner" - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
Maggie Portman - "Evita" - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Michael James
Rachel Quinn - "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" - Circle Theatre
Bethany Thomas - "Belle Barth: If I Embarrass You Tell Your Friends" - Theo Ubique Theatre Company
    i/a/w Michael James

SOLO PERFORMANCE
Janet Ulrich Brooks - "Golda's Balcony" - Pegasus Players
Alice Wedoff - "The Shape of a Girl" - Pegasus Players

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - PLAY               
Paul S. Holmquist - "The Picture of Dorian Gray" - Lifeline Theatre
Matthew     Sherbach - "The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler" - Dog & Pony Theatre Company
Kevin V. Smith - "Our Bad Magnet" - Mary-Arrchie Theatre Company
Madrid St. Angelo - "A Passage to India" - Premiere Theatre & Performance i/a/w Vitalist Theatre
Jon Steinhagen - "Plaza Suite" - Eclipse Theatre Company
Nathaniel Swift - "Blue Surge" - Eclipse Theatre Company

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - MUSICAL               
Chris Damiano - "Jacques Brel's Lonesome Losers of the Night" - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w
    Michael James
Chris Froseth - "Woody Guthrie's American Song" - Blindfaith Theatre
Jim Sherman - "The Christmas Schooner" - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - PLAY               
Susan Veronika Adler - "Torch Song Trilogy" - Hubris Productions
Jeannette Blackwell - "The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler" - Dog & Pony Theatre Company
Nora Fiffer - "The Autumn Garden" - Eclipse Theatre Company
Mary Hollis Inboden - "Torch Song Trilogy" - Hubris Productions
Elise Kauzlaric - "On the Shore of the Wide World" - Griffin Theatre Company
Lily Mojekwu - "Greensboro: A Requiem" - Steep Theatre Company
Rinska Prestinary - "In Arabia We'd All Be Kings" - Steep Theatre Company
Mary Redmon - "Enchanted April" - Circle Theatre

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE - MUSICAL OR REVUE               
Amanda Hartley - "The Robber Bridegroom" - Griffin Theatre Company

NEW WORK
Tony Fiorentino - "All My Love" - Diamante Productions
Robert Koon - "Odin's Horse" - Infamous Commonwealth Theatre
Frank Maugeri & Seth Bockley - "Boneyard Prayer" - Redmoon Theater
Andrew Park - "The People's History of the United States" - Quest Theatre Ensemble
Ken Prestininzi - "Beholder" - Trap Door Theatre

NEW ADAPTATION
Fred Anzevino, Arnold Johnston & Joshua Stephen Kartes - "Jacques Brel's Lonesome Losers of the
    Night" - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Michael James
Cristina Calvit - "Mariette in Ecstasy" - Lifeline Theatre
Robert Kauzlaric - "The Picture of Dorian Gray" - Lifeline Theatre
William Massolia - "Be More Chill" - Griffin Theatre Company
Terry McCabe - "Scoundrel Time" - City Lit Theater  Company
Katie McLean - "The Mark of Zorro" - Lifeline Theatre

CHOREOGRAPHY
Kevin Bellie - "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" - Circle Theatre
Brenda Didier - "Evita" - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Michael James
Tommy Rapley - "Rose and the Rime" - The House Theatre of Chicago

ORIGINAL INCIDENTAL MUSIC
Lara Golan - "Dr. Egg and the Man with No Ear" - Redmoon Theater
Charles Kim & Seth Bockley - "Boneyard Prayer" - Redmoon Theater
Kevin O'Donnell - "Rose and the Rime" - The House Theatre of Chicago

MUSIC DIRECTION
Ryan Brewster - "Evita" - Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Michael James
Mark Elliott - "The Robber Bridegroom" - Griffin Theatre Company
Joshua Stephen Kartes - "Jacques Brel's Lonesome Losers of the Night" - Theo Ubique Theatre Company
       i/a/w Michael James
Jeremy Ramey - "The Christmas Schooner" - Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
Shaun Whitley - "Woody Guthrie's American Song" - Blindfaith Theatre

SCENIC DESIGN
Alan Donahue - "Mariette in Ecstasy" - Lifeline Theatre
Anders Jacobson - "Red Angel" - LiveWire Chicago Theatre
Bob Knuth - "Enchanted April" - Circle Theatre
Bob Knuth - "Hay Fever" - Circle Theatre
Richard & Jacqueline Penrod - "The Shape of a Girl" - Pegasus Players
Emily Schwartz & Kate Nawrocki - "The Dastardly Ficus and Other Comedic Tales of Woe and Misery" -
    The Strange Tree Group

LIGHTING DESIGN
John Horan - "Dr. Egg and the Man with No Ear" - Redmoon Theater
Denise Karczewski - "Golda's Balcony" - Pegasus Players
Lee Keenan - "Rose and the Rime" - The House Theatre of Chicago
Jared B. Moore - "Touch" - New Leaf Theatre

COSTUME DESIGN
Debbie Baer - "Rose and the Rime" - The House Theatre of Chicago
Michelle Julazadeh - "Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical" - Bohemian Theatre Ensemble
Suzanne Mann - "Hay Fever" - Circle Theatre
Suzanne Mann - "Enchanted April" - Circle Theatre
John Nasca - "Die! Mommie Die!" - Hell in a Handbag Productions
Jesus Perez - "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" - Circle Theatre

SOUND DESIGN
Victoria DeIorio - "The Mark of Zorro" - Lifeline Theatre
Mikhail Fiksel - "Winter Pageant Redux" - Redmoon Theater
Tim Hill - "Mariette in Ecstasy" - Lifeline Theatre
Joshua Horvath - "Rose and the Rime" - The House Theatre of Chicago
Nick Keenan - "Touch" - New Leaf Theatre
Stephen Ptacek - "God's Ear" - Dog & Pony Theatre Company

ARTISTIC SPECIALIZATION
Mask Design - Amanda Church - "The People's History of the United States" - Quest Theatre Ensemble
Animation - Jamie Clennett - "Dr. Egg and the Man with No Ear" - Redmoon Theater
Fight Choreography - Geoff Coates     - "The Mark of Zorro" - Lifeline Theatre
Puppets - Graeme     Davis - "Dr. Egg and the Man with No Ear" - Redmoon Theater
Puppets - Jesse Mooney-Bullock - "Boneyard Prayer" - Redmoon Theater

MULTIPLE NOMINEES

Individuals:
Fred Anzevino - 3
Seth Bockley - 2
Chris Damiano - 2
Paul S. Holmquist - 2
Joshua Stephen Kartes - 2
Bob Knuth - 2
Suzanne Mann - 2

Productions:
"Evita" - 7
"Mariette in Ecstasy" - 7
"Rose and the Rime" - 7
"The Christmas Schooner" - 5
"Jacques Brel's Lonesome Losers of the Night" - 5
"The Mark of Zorro" - 5
"Woody Guthrie's American Song" - 5
"Dr. Egg and the Man with No Ear" - 4
"Enchanted April" - 4
"In Arabia We'd All Be Kings" - 4
"The Robber Bridegroom" - 4
"Boneyard Prayer" - 3
"Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" - 3
"Torch Song Trilogy" - 3
"Beholder" - 2
"Blue Surge" - 2
"The Dastardly Ficus and Other Comedic Tales of Woe and Misery" - 2
"The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler" - 2
"Golda's Balcony" - 2
"Hay Fever" - 2
"Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical" - 2
"Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train" - 2
"Men of Tortuga" - 2
"Our Bad Magnet" - 2
"Our Town" - 2
"The People's History of the United States" - 2
"The Picture of Dorian Gray" - 2
"The Shape of a Girl" - 2
"Touch" - 2

Companies:
Lifeline Theatre - 14
Theo Ubique Theatre Company i/a/w Michael James - 13
Circle Theatre - 9
Redmoon Theater - 9
The House Theatre of Chicago - 7
Griffin Theatre Company - 6
Bailiwick Repertory Theatre - 5
Blindfaith Theatre - 5
Steep Theatre Company - 5
Eclipse Theatre Company - 4
Pegasus Players - 4
City Lit Theater Company - 3
Dog & Pony Theatre Company - 3
Hubris Productions - 3
Bohemian Theatre Ensemble - 2
The Hypocrites - 2
Mary-Arrchie Theatre Company - 2
New Leaf Theatre - 2
Profiles Theatre - 2
Quest Theatre Ensemble - 2
Raven Theatre - 2
The Strange Tree Group - 2
Trap Door Theatre - 2

Fantasia made her Broadway debut in The Color Purple on April 10, 2007. She won the 2007 Theater World Award and received across the board rave reviews. As a 19-year old single mother, Fantasia began her path to international stardom when she became the winner of FOX's hugely successful audience-driven singing competition in May 2004. Now 23, Barrino has garnered critical acclaim for the release of both her debut album, Free Yourself, which marked her becoming the first artist in Billboard Hot 100 chart history to debut at #1 with her debut single "I Believe," and her second album, FANTASIA, released by J Records on December 12, 2006. To date, she has gathered more than 20 award nominations including the Grammy Awards, American Music Awards, Vibe Awards, Soul Train Awards and Soul Train "Lady of Soul" Awards, Billboard Music Awards and R&B & Hip Hop Awards, BET Awards, NAACP Image Awards, and Teen Choice Awards.

No stranger to acting, Fantasia also broke records of a different kind after authoring a New York Times best-selling autobiography Life Is Not A Fairy Tale (Simon & Schuster, September 2005) and starring in The Fantasia Barrino Story: Life is Not a Fairytale, the Debbie Allen-directed Lifetime original movie adaptation of her truthful, outspoken and ultimately healing memoir in August 2006. For her performance, she was nominated for a 2007 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special. The biopic, also nominated as Outstanding Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special for the 2007 NAACP Image Awards, ranks as the channel's second most watched movie and has been seen by 19 million viewers.

With her Broadway debut as Celie, the heart and soul of The Color Purple, she added the distinction of being the first ever American Idol winner to star in a Broadway show.

Fantasia joins her Broadway cast-mate Felicia P. Fields, a native Chicagoan, who originated the role of Sofia , for which she received a Tony Award nomination. Her performance also earned her a 2006 Theatre World Award, a Clarence Derwent Award, two Broadway.com Awards and she was a 2006 Drama League honoree. Felicia has worked throughout the Chicagoland area and has received many Joseph Jefferson Award nominations for her performances in Jammin' With Pops (Ella Fitzgerald), Hot Mikado (Katisha), Show Boat (Queenie), Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (Ma Rainey), Ain't Misbehavin' (Nell/Amelia) and Dreamgirls (Effie Melody White), to name a few. Felicia's stellar performance in Chicago 's Drury Lane production of Sophisticated Ladies earned her the Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Actress in a Musical.

Nominated for eleven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, The Color Purple opened on December 1, 2005 at the Broadway Theatre where it ran for over two record breaking years. It is based on the classic Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker and the moving film by Steven Spielberg. It is the unforgettable and inspiring story of a woman named Celie, who finds the strength to triumph over adversity, and discover her unique voice in the world. With a joyous GRAMMY-nominated score featuring gospel, jazz, pop and the blues, The Color Purple is about hope and the healing power of love.

Tickets for performances go on sale May 1 at 10 a.m. and range in price from $49.50 - $85. Tickets are available at the Arie Crown Theater Box Office ( 2301 S. Lake Shore Drive), online at ticketmaster.com.

"Wee Thomas" the cat has been killed.  What's worse, he was the beloved pet of Padraic, a ruthless Irish hitman who considers the IRA "too soft."  As the folks back home fight over who has to break the bad news, the violence escalates- recalling Shakespeare and Quentin Tarantino at their bloody best.  A few murders, several dismemberments and a smattering of cow mutilations later, all is finally right with the world again.  Or is it? 

In this wickedly funny black comedy from the author of The Cripple of Inishmaan, A Skull in Connemara and the recent Oscar-nominated film In Bruges, McDonagh considers the implications of outrageous reactions to small misunderstandings.

“All of McDonagh's work sets up an initial conceit of character and plot, which are brilliantly conceived, and craftily constructed. But behind the fireworks of his craftsmanship, his thematic agenda emerges with canny wit and brutal force. In the case of Inishmore, he is examining the folly of violence, of resentment, of holding on to principal until all meaning and purpose are stripped from it,” says BJ Jones.  "This production might be a rough go for those in the audience who like their theatre like a weak tea. But for those who like theirs with a shot of Jameson in it, Northlight is the right place."

Tickets for The Lieutenant of Inishmore, $25- $55, are available by phone, 847-673-6300, or online at www.northlight.org. Student tickets (one per student with valid ID) are $10. The Box Office is located at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Boulevard, in Skokie. 

The announcement of the National Tour follows the news that Shrek The Musical received 10 nominations for Outer Critics Circle Awards, including Best Musical, tying for the most nominations for any show this season. The show also received three Drama League Award nominations this week, including Distinguished Production of a Musical.

"Chicago is a great theatre town and the perfect city to launch the Shrek The Musical National Tour. We feel we are in really good hands with the Broadway In Chicago team who have unmatched experience and success in presenting Broadway musicals. Everyone on the creative team has strong ties to the city of Chicago and is looking forward to getting to work on the touring production," said Bill Damaschke, Producer.

Shrek The Musical features a book and lyrics by Pulitzer Prize winner David Lindsay-Abaire (Rabbit Hole), music by Olivier Award-winner Jeanine Tesori (Thoroughly Modern Millie; Caroline, or Change), and is directed by Tony Award nominee Jason Moore (Avenue Q).

An entirely new musical, Shrek The Musical is based on the story and characters from William Steig's book Shrek!, as well as the DreamWorks Animation film Shrek, the first chapter of the Shrek movie series.

Shrek The Musical tells the story of a swamp-dwelling ogre who goes on a life-changing adventure to reclaim the deed to his land. Joined by a wise-cracking donkey, this unlikely hero fights a fearsome dragon, rescues a feisty princess and learns that real friendship and true love aren't only found in fairy tales.

Shrek The Musical was initiated when Sam Mendes, a big fan of the first Shrek film, suggested the idea of creating a musical to DreamWorks Animation's Jeffrey Katzenberg around the time the second film was in production. The musical is produced by DreamWorks Theatricals (Bill Damaschke, President of DreamWorks Theatricals and Co-President of Production for DreamWorks Animation) and Neal Street Productions, Ltd. (principals Sam Mendes and Caro Newling).

The Broadway production of Shrek The Musical opened on Sunday, December 14, 2008 at the Broadway Theatre in New York City to critical acclaim. "A triumph of comic imagination," said Elysa Gardner (USA Today), "A Big Fat Hit!" Syndicated columnist Liz Smith called the show "A fabulous flight of fancy. Incredibly joyous, with a brilliant cast." David Richardson (WOR Radio) said "The music by Jeanine Tesori and words and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire are the best I've heard this season!" Pat Collins (WWOR-TV) said Shrek The Musical is "Far, far and away the funniest new musical on Broadway."

Tickets are now available for groups of 20 or more by calling 312-977-1710 and to subscribers of the 2010 Broadway In Chicago Season Series. Individual tickets will be available to the general public at a later date to be announced.

Master playwright August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning play is the 1930s entry in his monumental 20th Century play cycle. A rich family history with origins in slavery is carved into the wood of the piano that could be Boy Willie's ticket to self-sufficiency or Berniece's legacy to her daughter. The Piano Lesson is the story of two siblings' struggle to come to terms with their inheritance and the ghosts of their dead.

"It is always an honor to work on an August Wilson play," says Ron OJ Parson. "My history with The Piano Lesson is extensive and I'm truly thrilled to bring this African-American classic to Court's Hyde Park home."

August Wilson ( 1945- 2005) authored Gem of the Ocean, Joe Turner's Come and Gone, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, The Piano Lesson, Seven Guitars, Fences, Two Trains Running, Jitney, King Hedley II, and Radio Golf. These works explore the heritage and experience of African-Americans, decade-by-decade, over the course of the twentieth century.

Wilson's plays have been produced at regional theaters across the country and all over the world, as well as on Broadway. In 2003, Mr. Wilson made his professional stage debut in his one-man show, How I Learned What I Learned. Mr. Wilson's works garnered many awards including Pulitzer Prizes for Fences (1987); and for The Piano Lesson (1990); a Tony Award for Fences; Great Britain's Olivier Award for Jitney; as well as eight New York Drama Critics Circle Awards for Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Fences, Joe Turner's Come and Gone, The Piano Lesson, Two Trains Running, Seven Guitars, Jitney, and Radio Golf. Additionally, the cast recording of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom received a 1985 Grammy Award, and Mr. Wilson received a 1995 Emmy Award nomination for his screenplay adaptation of The Piano Lesson. Mr. Wilson's early works included the one-act plays The Janitor, Recycle, The Coldest Day of the Year, Malcolm X, The Homecoming and the musical satire Black Bart and the Sacred Hills.

The Piano Lesson runs May 7 - June 7. For tickets and more information visit www.CourtTheatre.org.

Chicago's own Tony Award-winning Chicago Shakespeare Theater will mark the occasion as well. "We're asking our artists and audiences to find a moment to bring Shakespeare into their daily discourse-even if it's just asking a coworker to pass 'yonder stapler,'" said Artistic Director Barbara Gaines. "This is someone who literally, single-handedly, introduced at least 2,000 words to the English language that we still use today. We wish him a very happy birthday."

Hot off the Broadway stage, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a tuneful, offbeat and at times heartwarming tale that follows the story of six pubescent outcasts who are overseen by grown-ups who barely managed to escape childhood themselves.  Through the ups and downs of the BEE they’re forced to learn that winning isn’t everything and that losing doesn’t necessarily make you a loser. The comical bar is raised exponentially as four volunteer audience members get the opportunity to become part of the action as an on-stage BEE contestant. 

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee features witty and endearing music and lyrics by William Finn and a hilarious book by Rachel Sheinkin.  The musical is based upon C-R-E-P-U-S-C-U-L-E by Rebecca Feldman and was originally performed by The Farm, a New York-based improvisational comedy troupe. Nominated for six Tony Awards including Best Musical, it received two 2005 Tony Awards for Best Book of a Musical and Best Featured Actor in a Musical.

The cast for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee stars Katie Boren as Marcy Park, Roberta Duchak as Rona Lisa Peretti, Heidi Kettenring as Olive Ostrovsky, Kevin Smith Kirkwood as Mitch Mahoney, Michael Mahler as Isaac "Chip" Berkowitz, Brandy McClendon as Logainne Schwarzandgrubenierre, Eric Roediger as William Barfee, Derrick Trumbly as Leaf Coneybear and Michael Weber as Douglas Panch. Kyle Adams, Lara Filip, Chie Isobe and Travis Turner serve as the production’s understudies.

Andy Hite, Lead Artistic Director, heads the artistic team for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, with Direction and Choreography by Rachel Rockwell, and Musical Direction by Doug Peck.  Sound Design is by Robert E. Gilmartin IV, Properties Design by Gregory Isaac, Lighting Design by Jesse Klug, Costume Design by Nancy Missimi, and Set Design by Tomas M. Ryan.  Patti Garwood conducts the Marriott Theatre orchestra.

"Of all the productions on Broadway last season, none captured the imagination quite like Rock 'n' Roll," said Artistic Director Robert Falls. "I'm thrilled to produce this inventive, joyous celebration of freedom and the power of music at the Goodman-and to welcome Chicago's foremost Stoppard interpreter, Charlie Newell, to the Goodman to direct."

Charles Newell has been the "restlessly intelligent artistic director" (Chicago Tribune) of Court Theatre for 15 years, where he has directed more than 30 productions. He made his Chicago directorial debut in 1993 with The Triumph of Love, which won the Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Production. Directorial credits at Court include Caroline, or Change; The Wild Duck; Titus Andronicus; Uncle Vanya; Man of La Mancha; Hamlet; and Tom Stoppard's Arcadia, Travesties (twice) and The Invention of Love. Newell has also directed at the Guthrie Theater (The History Cycle, Cymbeline); Arena Stage; John Houseman's The Acting Company; the California and Alabama Shakespeare Festivals; The Juilliard School; and New York University.

"Rock 'n' Roll is a fascinating, complex journey that is at once highly emotional and intellectual," said Newell, who jokes that his affection for and extensive collection of Frank Zappa recordings were the real reasons he was chosen to direct Rock 'n' Roll. "Tom Stoppard masterfully weaves together Czech politics, Sappho poetry and early rock 'n' roll-and its transformative power in politics. It's an exhilarating night in the theater that makes its audience think and feel very deeply-leaving the theater basking in the high notes of Mick Jagger!"

Tom Stoppard uses 22 of history's greatest rock songs as narrative devices in Rock 'N' Roll, including:

"Golden Hair"
Syd Barrett's Madcap Laughs (1970)

 "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight"
Bob Dylan's John Wesley Harding (1967)

"It's All Over Now"
Rolling Stones' 12 X 5 (1964)

 "The Universe Symphony and Melody"
Plastic People of the Universe's Muz bez Uzi (1972)

"I'm Waiting for the Man"
The Velvet Underground's Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)

"Terrapin"
Syd Barrett's Madcap Laughs (1970)

"Astronomy Domine"
Pink Floyd's Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967)

"Jugband Blues"
Pink Floyd's A Saucerful of Secrets (1968)

"It's Only Rock ‘n' Roll (But I Like It)"
Rolling Stones' It's Only Rock ‘N Roll (1974)

"Chinatown Shuffle"
Grateful Dead's Rockin the Rhein with the Grateful Dead (1972)

 "Welcome to the Machine"
Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here

"Wouldn't It Be Nice"
The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds (1966)

"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"
U2's The Joshua Tree (1987)

"Wish You Were Here"
Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here (1975)

"Bring It On Home to Me"
John Lennon's Anthology (1998)

"Vera"
Pink Floyd's The Wall (1979)

"You Got Me Rocking"
Rolling Stones' Voodoo Lounge (1994)

"The Last Time"
Rolling Stones' Out of Our Heads (1965)

"Venus in Furs"
The Velvet Underground's The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)

"Break on Through (To the Other Side)"
The Doors' The Doors (1967)

"Give Peace a Chance"
John Lennon's Live Peace in Toronto, 1969

"Boys Don't Cry"
The Cure's Boys Don't Cry (1980)

"We have put together a season filled with bold ideas and tremendous heart and hope and guts," said TimeLine Artistic Director PJ Powers. "Through a steadfast commitment to our mission, TimeLine aspires to be a place for people to come together, to feel a sense of community and to engage in a dialogue about our place in history. The work on our stage allows audiences to lose themselves in a story from the past in order to perhaps better understand where we are today and where we might go tomorrow. During our 2009-10 season, we look forward to exploring some defining moments of the 20th Century together - moments of art and beauty, of friendship and understanding, and of innovation and exploration."

THE 2009-10 TIMELINE THEATRE SEASON INCLUDES:

When She Danced
by Martin Sherman
directed by Nick Bowling
Travel to the Paris of 1923 for this gorgeous and incredibly funny portrait of legendary dancer Isadora Duncan. The so-called mother of modern dance is desperate to keep herself financially solvent and to realize her dream for retirement: a school in Italy to teach young dancers her art. Through a multi-lingual script of great heart and appeal, Sherman mixes the high comedy of a colorful cast of characters with a poignant view of the importance of the arts to move and inspire us. Through the eyes of those in Duncan's life we glimpse her greatness and how she touched so many lives when she danced.

Master Harold.... And The Boys
by Athol Fugard
directed by Jonathan Wilson
Recipient of a Drama Desk Award and a Tony Award nomination for Best Play in 1982, 'Master Harold' ... and the Boys is considered Athol Fugard's masterpiece, valued for both its universal themes of humanity and its skilled theater craft. Set in South Africa during the 1950s era of apartheid, it depicts how institutionalized racism can become absorbed by those who live under it. A white 17-year-old spends time with two African workers he has known all his life, and through their conversations on one rainy day we see what unites and divides them. The play's beautiful and haunting dialogue and message of hope also inspire the recognition that there is much work to be done to bring people of different races together.

The Farnsworth Invention
Chicago premiere
by Aaron Sorkin
directed by Nick Bowling
From the creator of A Few Good Men and The West Wing comes this fascinating new play direct from Broadway. It's the story of two ambitious visionaries - Philo T. Farnsworth, an Idaho farmboy, and David Sarnoff, head of RCA - battling each other for the rights to one of the greatest inventions of all time: the television. Through corporate espionage, family tragedy, financial disaster and the thrill of discovery, these two larger-than-life men compete for fame and credit and become part of a decision that would change America, and eventually the world.

A fourth play and the season's schedule are still to be announced.

Performances take place at TimeLine's home inside the Wellington Avenue United Church of Christ, 615 W. Wellington Ave., Chicago, near the corner of Wellington and Broadway in the Lakeview East neighborhood. Four-admission FlexPass Subscriptions are avail