Assassins Takes Aim at Chicago’s Storefront Theater

Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman’s dark and provocative musical “Assassins” will be presented by the award-winning ensemble of Open Eye Productions at Chicago’s Storefront Theater, May 12-June 18, 2006.  Performances are Thursday through Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 3:00 p.m. 

“Assassins” explores the dark side of the human experience, where presidential assassins and would-be assassins from different periods in American history convene and examine their lives and actions in the name of the American dream.  The darkly humorous one-act musical illuminates the lives of successful and not-so-successful assassins – and questions how their decisions affected the course of both personal and national history.  Originally produced Off-Broadway in 1991, “Assassins” was revived on Broadway in 2004, receiving five Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical.  Featuring songs like “Everybody’s Got the Right,” “Ballad of Booth” and “How I Saved Roosevelt,” “Assassins” brings new meaning to the words “killer musical.”

Open Eye Productions Artistic Director Chris Maher leads a 15-member ensemble cast, including John Byrnes, Kevin Grubb, Chuck Patella, Clay Sanderson, Sara Sevigny, Noah Simon, Kate Staiger, Tom Weber, Steve Welsh, Matt Wilson, Carmen Aiello, Brigitte Ditmars, Adam Minegar, Michaela Petro and CW van Baale.  Open Eye Productions was co-founded in 1996 by Jon and Sara Sevigny.  Now celebrating its tenth season, Open Eye strives to produce works that stimulate both the intellect and emotion of their audience.  Over the past ten years, their work has ranged from improvisation and sketch comedy to original works, musical revues and contemporary classics including “Laughter on the 23rd Floor,” “Tomfoolery,” “You Can’t Take it With You” and “Middle Aged White Guys”.

Tickets for “Assassins” are $15 for all shows except the opening performance on May 12, when tickets are $25 and include a post-show cocktail and hors d’oeuvres reception with the cast.  Tickets are available by calling (312) 742-8497, online at www.dcatheater.org, or at the box office in the Gallery 37 Center for the Arts.  The Storefront Theater is located in Gallery 37 at 66 E. Randolph Street.

Across the street from the Storefront Theater, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs presents the 9th Annual Chicago Improv Festival at the Chicago Cultural Center, 60 E. Randolph Street, April 24-28, 2006.  All week long, visitors can laugh out loud at lunchtime with free programs at 12:15 p.m. in the Cultural Center’s Randolph Café.  The line-up includes Norway’s “Oslo Improvisasjonsteater” on Monday; Chicago’s hilarious sketch comedy duo, “The Mike and Duane Show” on Tuesday; the New Orleans improvisation troupe, “Cold Towne Heroes” on Wednesday; the trio of deaf improvisational comedy actors from Sacramento, California, “Iceworm” on Thursday (sign language interpreters will be present); and New York’s “Josh and Tamra Show” on Friday, who will improvise with puppets.

The evening program kicks off on Monday, April 24 with “The Xprovisation Series: Singularities” in Preston Bradley Hall at 7:00 p.m., and includes short improvised solo performances by Chicago-are artists Andy Eninger, video artist Tony Herman, improvisational poet Michael Green, Eric Leonardson of Plasticene, and dancer/choreographer Margaret Morris, followed by a group improvised performance with all five soloists.  On Tuesday, April 25 at 7:00 p.m. in Preston Bradley Hall, five ensembles take to the stage for individual group performances, followed by a joint collaboration.  Entitled “The Xprovisation Series: Colossal,” the evening features performances by the London improv company, “Fluxx,” along with the woman’s dance ensemble “Moonbones,” the cutting-edge art and poetry ensemble “Polyrhythmic,” the filmmaking collective, “Split Pillow” and the storytelling ensemble, “Storybox.”

“Bodies of (Comedy) Work” takes place on Wednesday, April 26 at 7:00 p.m. in Preston Bradley Hall.  Terry Galloway of Austin, Texas performs “Mean Little deaf Queer,” followed by “Iceworm,” the deaf improv group performing “Whose Sign Is It Anyway?”.  Chicagoan Tekki Lomnicki will emcee the evening and sign language interpreters will be present.  The program is a featured program of “Bodies of Work: The Chicago Festival of Disability Arts and Culture,” held in venues across the city from April 20-30.  “Bodies of Work” features artwork and performances that address disability issues and highlights the work of artists with disabilities in a variety of disciplines including the visual and literary arts, dance, film and theater.  For more information about the Chicago Improv Festival, visit www.chicagoimprovfestival.org.

	Joe Stead
Theatre In Chicago News Contributor Joe Stead has spent over 20 years as a critic, director, designer and performer. His reviews currently appear online at www.steadstylechicago.com.