Theatre News Wire

Chicago Shakespeare Theater continues its commitment to introducing young audiences to the enchanting world of live theater with its upcoming summer production of Corduroy. Adapted for the stage by Barry Kornhauser, this heartwarming play is based on the beloved children's books Corduroy and A Pocket for Corduroy by Don Freeman. The world premiere of this adaptation took place at the renowned Children's Theatre Company in Minneapolis in 2018. Acclaimed Chicago director Amber Mak, fresh off the success of last summer's hit production of Disney's Beauty and the Beast, brings her extensive experience in directing shows for young audiences to this 60-minute production, which will run from June 18 to July 14, 2024, in the Jentes Family Courtyard Theater.

Corduroy at Chicago Shakespeare Theater

The story follows the adorable teddy bear Corduroy, who discovers that he's missing a button on his green overalls. Lisa, a kindhearted girl, desperately wants to bring Corduroy home, but the bear must first embark on a quest to find his missing button. Audiences will join Corduroy on a lively and charmingly destructive adventure through the department store as he searches high and low, riding escalators and climbing to the top of a precarious store display. After each performance, children will have the exciting opportunity to meet costumed cast members in the lobby for engaging conversations, autographs, and photos, creating lasting memories of their theater experience.

"Corduroy has been a beloved book for over 50 years as an enduring, lovable story of friendship, home, and being accepted just as you are today," says Mak. "I am excited to bring these characters from the book to life in a very fun, whimsical, and imaginative adventure that multi-generational audiences can experience together."

Jean Claudio plays the title bear Corduroy. Claudio trained in circus and physical theater in Buenos Aires, before returning home to their native Puerto Rico to establish a theater company. They moved to Chicago to study in the Actors Gymnasium's Professional Circus Training Program in 2016 and have lived and worked in the city since. Credits include Lucha Teotl at Goodman Theatre, Dream King at Teatro Vista, and work with La Vuelta Ensemble, the Nouveau Sud Circus Project, Midnight Circus in the Parks, Filament Theatre, and Emerald City Theatre.

Demetra Dee plays Lisa, a young girl in search of a friend. Dee's credits include The Penelopiad and The Nacirema Society at Goodman Theatre, Chlorine Sky at Steppenwolf Theatre, along with work at Shattered Globe Theatre, Victory Gardens Theatre, Timeline Theatre, and more. Celeste M. Cooper plays Lisa's Mother. Cooper is an ensemble member at Steppenwolf Theatre, where her many credits include POTUS and The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington. Other Chicago credits include work at Court Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Windy City Playhouse, and more.

Danielle Davis plays a night guard determined to stop Corduroy's journey through the department store. Davis returns to Chicago Shakespeare after appearing as Maria in last season's Twelfth Night, and her other CST credits include multiple Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks productions and Romeo and Juliet. Additional credits include Antigone at Court Theatre, performing the title role in Clyde's at Goodman Theatre, and many more. Kat Harvey and Ryan Huemmer play two clowns Corduroy encounters along his adventure. Harvey and Huemmer are aerialists and acrobats who make up Duo Refraction, a circus duo, and are both graduates of the Actors Gymnasium Professional Circus Training Program.

Director Amber Mak is one of Chicago's most sought-after directors. Mak's Chicago Shakespeare credits include directing and choreographing summer family productions of Disney's Beauty and the Beast and Peter Pan - A Musical Adventure, and choreographing the American premiere of Nell Gwynn. Her recent credits include the acclaimed production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella at Drury Lane Theatre and The Sound of Music, Rock of Ages, Hairspray, The Wizard of Oz (for which she received a Jeff Award nomination for Best Director), Disney's The Little Mermaid, and choreographing the world premiere, The Secret of My Success at Paramount Theatre, where she was the New Works Development Director for many years.