Theatre News Wire

Wendy Kaplan, President of MadKap Productions, will present the Chicago Premiere of SIDE EFFECTS MAY INCLUDE..., written by former Seinfeld writer Marc Jaffe and Emmy nominated playwright Eric Coble, previewing January 4, opening Friday, January 11 at 8 p.m., and running through February 10, 2013 at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 North Lincoln Avenue.

SIDE EFFECTS MAY INCLUDE... is a daringly funny, poignant and provocative one-man show about early onset Parkinson's disease that explores the idea that sometimes it's not the disease that changes us, but the side effects. Phil is a middle-aged stand-up comedian, living a reasonably happily married life. His only complaint is his wife Maggie's waning sex drive. This provides ample fodder for his stand-up act-until she is diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and their life takes an unexpected turn-in some ways for the better. Based on Jaffe's own bittersweet experience dealing with his wife Karen's Parkinson's diagnosis, SIDE EFFECTS MAY INCLUDE... is the story of a couple's love and devotion in the midst of coping with the heartache of an escalating mountain of pills, dangerous (yet faithful) liaisons, marital secrets revealed, questions of manhood and womanhood, age, and desire.

MadKap Productions will be donating 10% of the proceeds from SIDE EFFECTS MAY INCLUDE... to Shaking with Laughter, an organization that was set up by Marc and Karen Jaffe in support of the Michael J. Fox Foundation. According to the Michael J. Fox Foundation, "Marc Jaffe has approached his difficult topic and his family's private challenges with humor and a sense of optimism. And those are two attributes that all of us at the Michael J. Fox Foundation particularly prize." Parkinson's disease is a chronic, degenerative neurological disorder with symptoms that can progress from mild tremors to complete physical incapacitation. In the United States, 60,000 new cases of will be diagnosed this year alone. While the average age of onset is 60, an estimated five to 10 percent of people with Parkinson's experience onset at age 40 or younger.

SIDE EFFECTS MAY INCLUDE... stars Andrew J. Pond as "Phil Rosen." Pond has starred in productions at Metropolis, Citadel, Piccolo, Redtwist, Blue Heron, Circle Theatre and most recently the Greenhouse Theater Center production of Clutter, presented by MadKap Productions.

The artistic team for SIDE EFFECTS MAY INCLUDE... is led by director Wayne Mell who began his directing career in 1976 and received the Talented Student Scholarship from Northern Illinois University. Mell went on to continue his study of directing at Victory Gardens, as well as improvisation at The Second City. He continued to direct at Attic Playhouse, and Bailiwick Repertory's Director's Festival. He is now the Artistic Director for MadKap Productions.

Sound Design is by Bob Boxer and Lighting Design is by Kirk Stateler.