OPENING: World Premiere Ask Aunt Susan at The Goodman

DON'T MISS THE WORLD PREMIERE PRODUCTION OF ASK AUNT SUSAN BY SETH BOCKLEY, NOW THROUGH JUNE 22 AT GOODMAN THEATRE 

***MEET THE CREATORS AND DISCUSS THEMES OF THE PLAY AT THE JUNE 1 “ARTIST ENCOUNTER” AND MEET REAL LIFE “AUNT SUSANS” AT A JUNE 16 CONVERSATION ABOUT ONLINE IDENTITY ***

Seth Bockley’s 21st century satire of the internet era, Ask Aunt Susan, directed by Henry Wishcamper is now in previews and opening on June 2 in the Owen Theatre.  Ask Aunt Susan tells the story of “Aunt Susan”, a 20-something man moonlighting as an internet advice columnist, dispensing advice for women’s everyday woes.

DISCUSS ASK AUNT SUSAN

ARTIST ENCOUNTER

A discussion with playwright Seth Bockley and director Henry Wishcamper about the themes of Ask Aunt Susan, moderated by Director of New Play Development, Tanya Palmer
Sunday, June 1 at 5pm | FREE for Subscribers, Donors and students with ID; $5 for general public |Reservations are required. Reserve by calling the Box Office at 312.443.3800 or online at GoodmanTheatre.org/AuntSusan.

CONTEXT Discussion: Authentic Artifice and Crafting Identity Online

Join social media leaders Dan Fietsam (@fietstweets; former creative director of BBDO and a current University of Chicago instructor in Creativity Branding and Technology), Shannon Downey (@shannondowney; owner of Pivotal Chicago) and Alex Mohr (@alexophile; formerly of Ketchum Inc.) to learn how people tasked with creating and maintaining false personas hold the line between their creation’s identity and their own identity. These “real life Aunt Susans”—leading professionals in search engine optimization, social media and digital marketing—discuss the creation of content versus identity and the space that lies between them.
Monday, June 16 at 6:30pm │ FREE, online reservations required at GoodmanTheatre.org

About Ask Aunt Susan 

Inspired by Nathanael West’s 1933 novella Miss Lonelyhearts—a Great Depression-era commentary of urban alienation through the eyes of an eponymous male newspaper advice columnist—Ask Aunt Susan begins with a young man working on the fringes of the burgeoning internet industry as a writer and coder. When an ill-conceived scheme to swindle Yelp.com lands him in hot water, Steve, his brash, entrepreneurial boss, decides to create AskAuntSusan.com and advises the young man to moonlight as the online advice guru, “Aunt Susan.” The scheme begins as a joke, allowing Steve to make a quick buck and Aunt Susan to keep up with his student loans—but Aunt Susan’s followers become incredibly loyal and the constant, desperate requests from readers spark a “need to be needed” in Aunt Susan. As his internet reputation mushrooms, so does Aunt Susan’s web of deceit—and soon the phenomenon is much larger than anyone could have imagined. 

As previously announced, the ensemble cast includes Alex Stage as Aunt Susan; Marc Grapey as Steve; Meghan Reardon as Betty; Jennie Moreau as Lydia; and Robyn Scott as Jill. Ask Aunt Susan runs now through June 22 in the Owen Theatre (opening night is Monday, June 2). Tickets ($10 - $40; subject to change) are on sale now and can be purchased at GoodmanTheatre.org/AuntSusan, by phone at 312.443.3800 or at the box office (170 North Dearborn). Bank of America is the Owen Season Sponsor. Edelman Worldwide is the Corporate Sponsor Partner. Baxter, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Studley, Inc. are Contributing Sponsors.