ACT OUT OPENING: Buffalo Theatre Ensemble (BTE) presents “Trumbo—Red, White and Blacklisted” Through May 19

BUFFALO THEATRE ENSEMBLE CONCLUDES 2012-2013 SEASON WITH

“TRUMBO — RED, WHITE AND BLACKLISTED” MAY 3-19, 2013

This timely drama is high on our must see list here at ChiIL Live Shows.   

Trumbo - Red, White and Blacklisted

McAninch Arts Center
425 Fawell Blvd Glen Ellyn

Presented by Buffalo Theatre Ensemble

Thru - May 19, 2013

Thursdays:	8:00pm
Fridays:	8:00pm
Saturdays:	8:00pm
Sundays:	2:00pm

Price: $25-$33

Show Type: Drama

Box Office: 630-942-4000

Buffalo Theatre Ensemble (BTE) concludes its 2012-2013 Season with  Christopher Trumbo’s “Trumbo – Red, White and Blacklisted" directed by Ensemble Member and Lombard’s own Kurt Naebig. The two-man cast will feature BTE Ensemble Member and Glen Ellyn’s  Bryan Burke as Christopher Trumbo, and Chicago’s Ben Werling as Dalton. All performances take place at the Building K Theatre on the College of DuPage Campus, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn, Ill. through May 19. 

 
In 1947, Dalton Trumbo, author of the classic films “Spartacus,” “Roman Holiday” and “Exodus” refused to testify to the House Un-American Activities Committee. He was found in contempt of Congress and was sent to prison and blacklisted as one of the infamous “Hollywood Ten.” Written as homage to his father, Christopher Trumbo’s two-man show, “Trumbo-Red, White and Blacklisted” is inspired by Dalton’s brilliant and razor-sharp letters written to family, friends, former friends, and acquaintances, and sheds new light on how the Dalton took on Congress, Hollywood, and the Red Scare -- and won. "Positively sizzles with wit...sweet, sad and ultimately uplifting,” says Variety.
 
“This play is about rising above adversity for the greater good, with little regard for what the cost may be to oneself,” says director Naebig. “It’s about holding onto ones core beliefs, and fighting for truth…what’s right for the country and those who live in it. I’m hoping this play gives the audience some good food for thought, even encourages a little soul searching and inspires some good conversations in those car rides home after the show as only theater can do.”

Other members of the design team include Westmaont’s Galen G. Ramsey (set, projections, property and sound design), Aurora’s Michael W. Moon (lighting design), and Chicago’s Allison R. Amidei (costume, hair & makeup design). Jill Yetsky is stage manager.
 
Buffalo Theatre Ensemble presents “Trumbo – Red, White and Blacklisted" through May 19.  Performances are Thursday-Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $25 to $33. $2 discounts are available for non-COD students and seniors age 60 and over. For more information, call the MAC Ticket Office at (630) 942-4000, or purchase tickets online at www.AtTheMAC.org.
 

Buffalo Theatre Ensemble, under the direction of artistic director Connie Canaday Howard and associate artistic director Amelia Barrett is a professional Equity theater company in residence at the McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage. It is rooted in the idea that an acting ensemble and company, who have a history of working together and have developed a sense of trust and community, can create better art.  It is committed to the American tradition of creating believable characters in the context of the production's style. BTE’s 2011-2012 26th season includes David Rambo's "The Lady with All the Answers" (Sept. 7 - 23), "The Underpants," by Carl Sternheim, adapted by Steve Martin  (Jan. 18 - Feb. 3) and Christopher Trumbo's "Trumbo-Red, White & Blacklisted"  (May 3 - 19).
 
The McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage, located 25 miles west of Chicago near I-88 and I-355, houses three performance spaces, an art gallery and classrooms for the college’s academic programming. This unique facility has presented theater, music, dance and visual art to more than 1.5 million people since its opening in 1986 and last year welcomed more than 75,000 patrons from the greater
 
The MAC began major renovations in fall 2012 that will update the major performance spaces, address significant infrastructure needs and improve several academic program areas. Scheduled completion date is spring 2014. The project will cost $35 million and is funded by the $168 million referendum that voters of District 502 passed in November 2010. Other projects beginning this year include the renovation of the Physical Education Center, Student Resource Center and Seaton Computing Center, and construction of the Campus Maintenance Center. The mission of the McAninch Arts Center is to foster enlightened educational and performance opportunities, which encourage artistic expression, establish a lasting relationship between people and art, and enrich the cultural vitality of the community. For more information click here.
 

Profiles

 
Bryan Burke*+ (Christopher Trumbo) is a member of Buffalo Theatre Ensemble's acting ensemble. BTE acting credits include George in “Moon Over Buffalo,” Francis Hardy in Bradley Armacost’s staging of Faith Healer, “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune” as Johnny in “Italian-American Reconciliation” as Huey, “Sleuth” as Andrew Wyke, “The Melville Boys” as Lee, “Seascape with Sharks and Dancer” as Ben, “Noises Off” as Fredrick Fellows/Phillip Brent and “Visiting Mr. Green” as Ross Gardiner. Other acting credits with BTE include “The Trip to Bountiful,” “The Lonesome West,” “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” “The Living,” “Picasso at the Lapin Agile,” “Look Homeward Angel,” “Warrior and Hamlet.” BTE directing credits include BTE‘s 2011-2012 Season Opening production of “Shining City,” “Love Song, Stones In His Pockets,” “The Weir” and “Three Days of Rain.” He was also a founding member of Chicago's Cactus Theatre Company. Acting credits with The Cactus Theatre Company include “Golden Boy,” “Fishing,” “Paradise Lost” and “Waiting for Lefty.” He also directed their production of “Hurly Burly.” Burke is also a member of Actors’ Equity Association.
 
Ben Werling (Dalton) is proud to be a member of the Shattered Globe Theater Ensemble. Dalton began his Chicago career 20 years ago with SGT in their critically acclaimed very first production (in the space next to the Gaslight on Halsted), of “ Talk Radio” (for which he received the Joseph Jefferson Citation for Actor in a Principle Role as abusive talk show host Barry Champlain). Other favorite Chicago roles include: Biff in Raven Theater’s “Death of a Salesman”; a member of the Ensemble in “A clockwork Orange” at Steppenwolf; Dracula in “The Passion of Dracula” at First Folio Theater; the evil Villeforte in ‘The Count of Monte Cristo” at Bailiwick; Prosecutor Challee in A Red Orchid’s “The Caine Mutiney Court Marshall”; and The Cabbie in Famous Door Theater’s long running “Hellcab.” Regional credits include: three consecutive seasons at The Illinois Shakespeare Festival as Claudius in”Hamlet,” Orsino in “Twelfth Night,” Banquo in “Macbeth”, and Brutus in “Julius Caesar;: and as Bernard Nightingale in Indiana Repertory’s production of Tom Stoppard’s “Arcadia.”
 
Kurt Naebig*+ (Director) is a BTE Ensemble member and has performed in many BTE shows. A Juilliard Graduate, he has also studied at Moscow School of the Arts in Russia and has worked at Steppenwolf, Portland Stage, Milwaukee’s Pabst Theatre, National Jewish Theater, and Chicago Shakespeare Theatre.  Favorite Roles include Stanley in “Streetcar,” Merrick in “The Elephant Man,” Einstein in “Picasso at the Lapin Agile” and Joe in “Golden Boy.”  Film/TV roles include “Public Enemies,” “The Express,” “Witless Protection,” “Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer,” He has appeared in “Chicago Fire,” “The Chicago Code,” “Detroit 1-8-7” and multiple episodes of “Prison Break” and “ER.”  Naebig directed “The Drawer Boy, “ “Moonlight and Magnolias,” “Italian American Reconciliation,” “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” “Nocturne,” “Fuddy Meers,” “Sylvia” and “Lost in Yonkers” at BTE. He is a former artistic director of The Theatre of Western Springs, and a teacher and Acting Coach at Acting Studio Chicago.
 
* Denotes BTE Ensemble member
+ Denotes Member of Actors Equity Association