Court Theatre continues its 62nd Season with
Electra
By Sophocles
Translated by Nicholas Rudall
Directed by Seret Scott
November 10 – December 11, 2016
Ever since I was in Aristophanes' Ladies' Day way back in high school, I've had an affinity for Greek plays. They're still fairly rarely performed and we're elated to see the inimitable Court Theatre is taking on Sophocles' Electra! Don't miss this.
Court Theatre, under the leadership of Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director Charles Newell and Executive Director Stephen J. Albert, presents Electra by Sophocles, translated by Nicholas Rudall and directed by Seret Scott. Electra runs November 10 - December 11, 2016 at Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Avenue in Chicago.
Previews: November 10 – 18, 2016
Regular Run: November 20 – December 11, 2016
Schedule: Wed & Thurs: 7:30 p.m. (except November 24)
Fridays: 8:00 p.m.
Saturdays: 3:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m.
Sundays: 2:30 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Location: Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave.
Tickets: $38-$48 previews
$48-$68 regular run
Box Office: Located at 5535 S. Ellis Avenue, Chicago; (773) 753-4472 or www.CourtTheatre.org.
"More than three years ago, we began planning for our 60th Anniversary Season. We dreamed big, imagining a three-year cycle of plays that would tell a single narrative of the fall of the House of Atreus. After successful productions of Iphigenia in Aulis and Nick’s world premiere translation of Agamemnon, we now complete the cycle with Sophocles’ Electra. This massive undertaking is emblematic of Court Theatre’s mission, ambition, and opportunity as the professional theatre of the University of Chicago," comments Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director Charles Newell.
The cast of Electra includes Caren Blackmore, Thomas J. Cox, Kate Fry, Emjoy Gavino, Cruz Gonzalez-Cadel, Rashaad Hall, Sandra Marquez, Michael Pogue, Tracy Walsh and Dexter Zollicoffer.
The creative team for Electra includes Scott Davis (scenic design), Jacqueline Firkins (costume design), Paul Toben (lighting design), Andre Pluess (sound design) and Tracy Walsh (choreography). Amanda Weener-Frederick is the Production Stage Manager.
Proclaiming justice, Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus murdered her husband, Agamemnon, after his triumphant return from the Trojan War. Now, many long, quiet years have passed and she cannot anticipate the judgments that will soon arrive in Argos. Her vengeful daughter Electra and son Orestes reunite and scheme to confront their mother—upholding the House of Atreus’ eternal mission to balance the scales, they seek to reclaim their father’s throne.
Translated by renowned scholar and Founding Artistic Director Nicholas Rudall, Electra presents the third and final tragic chapter of Court’s groundbreaking Greek Cycle. Electra is directed by Seret Scott, who is welcomed back to Court following her incredibly successful direction of Native Son in 2014.
About the Artists
NICHOLAS RUDALL (Translator) is the Founding Artistic Director of Court Theatre, having led the theatre from 1971 to 1994. He led the growth of Court from a community theatre to a leading professional Equity theatre. In addition to his achievements as an actor and director, Rudall is a Professor Emeritus in Classics at the University of Chicago, where he taught for over forty years. His translations for the theatre—known for their stage-friendly language and “playability”—are myriad and span many languages, but he is best known for his translations of ancient Greek tragedy. Court is producing three translations by Rudall over three years. Iphigenia in Aulis by Euripides began the series two years ago, and last year featured the world premiere of his Agamemnon by Aeschylus. We now conclude with Sophocles' Electra.
SERET SCOTT (Director) is directing her third show at Court Theatre, having previously directed Spunk and Native Son. Directing credits: Old Globe Theatre (San Diego–Associate Artist), Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Denver Center Theatre Company, New Victory Theatre and Second Stage Theatre (Off-Broadway), Philadelphia Theatre Company, Arena Stage, Ford’s Theatre, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company and Studio Theatre (DC), American Conservatory Theatre (San Francisco), South Coast Repertory and L.A. Theatreworks (CA), Long Wharf Theatre and Yale Repertory Theatre (New Haven), Two River Theatre Company (NJ), Hartford Stage (CT), Indiana Repertory Theatre, Pan Asian Repertory Theatre and National Black Theatre (NYC), Alliance Theatre (Atlanta), Alley Theatre (Houston), Actors Theatre of Louisville, Virginia Stage Company, New Mexico Repertory, and Playmakers Repertory Company (NC). She is a member of the executive board of the Stage Directors and Choreographer’s Society and a recipient of a TCG/PEW Residency Grant (Long Wharf Theatre) and Drama Desk Award in acting (My Sister, My Sister). Ms. Scott’s play Second Line was produced by Passage Theatre (NJ) and Tribute Productions (DC).
CAREN BLACKMORE (Chorus) returns to Court Theatre, where she was last seen in Jitney. Some of her Chicago Theatre credits include: Spill(Timeline Theatre), The MLK Project:The Fight For Civil Rights (Writers Theatre),Bulrusher (Congo Square), Bodies and MiLK (MPAACT), I Gotcha!:The Story of Joe Tex and The Soul Clan (Black Ensemble Theater), and Checkmates (eta). Caren is a proud graduate of Oberlin College and has attended The National Theatre Institute at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center and Freedom Theatre.
THOMAS J. COX (Orestes) returns to Court Theatre, where he has previously appeared in Fräulein Else, Raisin, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom,Orlando,Agamemnon, and Man in the Ring. He is an ensemble member with Lookingglass Theatre, where he has worked on more than forty productions since 1988. Regionally, he has performed in End of the Rainbow (Milwaukee Rep); Elephant Man(Steppenwolf Young Audiences); Rock n Roll (Goodman); Season on the Line(House); Pride and Prejudice, Jekyll and Hyde, and Outgoing Tide (Northlight); andRichard III (Gift); as well as seven seasons at the Weston Playhouse in Vermont. He serves as Master Teacher for Lookingglass, and teaches theatre around the Chicago area. Film/TV:Since You've Been Gone (Miramax); Brotherhood(Showtime); Chicago Fire (NBC).
KATE FRY (Electra) returns to Court Theatre, where she has performed in over a dozen productions, including The Romance Cycle, Twelfth Night, The Cherry Orchard, My Fair Lady, and Caroline, or Change. Other Chicago area credits include work with Writers’ Theatre (Arcadia, Marjorie Prime, Hedda Gabler, The Letters, Oh, Coward!, A Minister’s Wife); Chicago Shakespeare Theatre (several productions, including As You Like It, Henry IV Part One and Two, The Merchant of Venice, The Moliere Comedies); Northlight Theater (Outside Mullingar, The Miser); Victory Gardens (In the Next Room, or the Vibrator Play); as well as work with Theater at the Center, Marriott Theatre, Apple Tree Theatre, and Candlelight Playhouse. Elsewhere, she has worked at McCarter Theatre Center in Princeton, NJ, Center Theatre Group in L.A., Repertory Theatre of St Louis, and Lincoln Center. She is the recipient of three Joseph Jefferson awards, an After Dark award, Chicago Magazine’s actress of the year, and the Sarah Siddons award for Chicago’s leading lady. Fry is married to actor/teacher Timothy Edward Kane. They have two sons.
EMJOY GAVINO (Chrysothemis) returns to complete Court Theatre's Greek Cycle, having been in its first chapter, Iphigenia in Aulis. She was last seen at Court as Bethany in The Good Book and looks forward to the upcoming production of A Hard Problem as Bo. Representative Chicago credits include The Hypocrites, Second City (national tour), Northlight, Steppenwolf, Victory Gardens, Remy Bumppo, Paramount, Broadway Playhouse, Lookingglass, The Neo-Futurists and The Goodman. Regional credits include Repertory Actors Theatre, Book-It Repertory, ACT and Village Theatre. Film/TV: The Exorcist, Mob Doctor, Chicago Fire, Empire and Chicago Med. Emjoy is the casting director of Gift Theatre, a company member with Barrel of Monkeys and is the founder and producer of The Chicago Inclusion Project.
CRUZ GONZALEZ-CADEL (Chorus) makes her Court Theatre debut. Born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Cruz received her degree in acting from the Universidad del Salvador. Chicago credits include: You on the Moors Now (The Hypocrites), The Compass (Steppenwolf Theatre), The Grown Up (Shattered Globe Theatre), The Life and Death of Madam Barker (Red Tape Theater), i put the fear of Mexico in ‘em (Teatro Vista), and Your Problem With Men (Teatro Luna). Film Credits include: Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. Cruz is an artistic associate at Teatro Vista and is represented by Stewart Talent.
RASHAAD HALL (Pylades) is an actor, teaching artist, poet and visual and performance artist in Chicago. He has worked at Goodman Theatre, Hypocrites Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Victory Gardens, Chicago Slam Works, and Black Ensemble Theatre among others since graduating from DePaul's BFA program in 2010. Recently, he was nominated for a Joseph Jefferson award with the cast of The Hairy Ape by Eugene O'Neil. Film credits include his guest starring role on Brown Girls, a web series premiering in 2017. He is a company member of For Youth Inquiry, providing sexual health and wellness forum theatre to students across Chicago with Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health. He is represented by Paonessa Talent Agency.
SANDRA MARQUEZ (Clytemnestra) returns to the Court Theater stage as Clytemnestra. She is an actor, director and educator, as well as a longtime ensemble member and former Associate Artistic Director (1998-2006) of Teatro Vista. Last spring she had the honor of joining the ensemble of Steppenwolf Theater where she most recently appeared in the world premiere of Mary Page Marlowe. As a director, Ms. Marquez’ credits include Teatro Vista’s production of Breakfast, Lunch and Dinnerand the critically acclaimed production of Our Lady of the Underpass, which went on to receive a Jeff nomination for best production. More recently she directed the very well received productions of My Mañana Comes (Chicago premiere, Teatro Vista), andMen on the Verge of Hispanic Breakdown (Pride Films and Plays). As an actor, Ms. Marquez has worked at respected venues in Chicago and beyond including The Goodman Theater; Steppenwolf Theater; Victory Gardens; the Oregon Shakespeare Festival; Madison Repertory; and New York’s off-Broadway house, Second Stage Theater, Uptown. A proud member of AEA and SAG-AFTRA, she has also worked in numerous industrial films and national commercials. Film and TV credits include: The Big Bang Theory, Chicago Code, Boss, Chicago Med and Timer. She has been a member of the theater faculty at Northwestern University since 1995.
MICHAEL POGUE (Aegisthus) returns to Court Theatre with Electra. He has appeared in their productions of Agamemnon, Tartuffe, The Misanthrope, Angels in America, and Spunk. Other theater credits include: Dutchman (American Blues); Carter's Wayand Venus (Steppenwolf); Stick Fly (Windy City Playhouse); Night and Day (Remy Bumppo); Romeo and Juliet (Teatro Vista); The Two Gentlemen of Verona and Hamlet(Oak Park Festival); Ruined and Six Degrees of Separation (Eclipse); Saturday Night/Sunday Morning (Prologue); As You Like It and King Lear (Lakeside Shakespeare); Radio Golf (Raven); Lobby Hero (Redtwist); Panther Burn (MPAACT). Television credits include: Chicago Fire and Crisis (NBC).
TRACY WALSH (Choreographer/Chorus) returns to Court Theatre where she recently choreographed Agamemnon and choreographed and appeared inIphigenia in Aulis. She is an ensemble member of Lookingglass Theatre Company where she has written, directed, acted in and choreographed shows over the years. Tracy has also written and directed several shows for the Lookingglass Young Ensemble. She modified her most recent project with them, Handle With Care, into a two woman play which is now being performed at locations in the Chicago area. The play was commissioned by The Working Women's History Project and is about the importance of quality, affordable childcare. She and her husband own Lighthouse Yoga in Evanston.
DEXTER ZOLLICOFFER (Paedagogus) Other Court Theatre appearances include Water by the Spoonful and The Mystery Cycle: Creation and Passion. Most recently, Dexter appeared in Charm for Northlight Theatre in the Steppenwolf Garage (Jeff nominations for Best Actor, Best Ensemble, Best Production). Other theatre credits include: The Little Foxes, Dartmoor Prison, The Odyssey, Blues for an Alabama Sky, and A Christmas Carol at Goodman Theatre; To Kill a Mockingbird, A Lesson Before Dying, and Pudd’nhead Wilson at Steppenwolf Theatre Company; Relatively Close,Knock Me a Kiss and The Sutherland at Victory Gardens Theater; The Overwhelming at Next Theatre Company. Regionally, Mr. Zollicoffer appeared in Blues for an Alabama Sky at Alabama Shakespeare Festival, The Odyssey at McCarter Theatre Center and Seattle Repertory Theatre, Our Country’s Good at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, The Recruiting Officer and Our Country’s Good at Madison Repertory Theatre, Voice of Good Hope at BoarsHead Theater, and Permanent Collection at Indiana University Northwest. On television, Mr. Zollicoffer has been seen on Chicago Fire, Detroit 1-8-7,and the upcoming feature, Who Gets the Dog. He is an administrator at The Theatre School at DePaul University where he received best director, best ensemble, and Special Jury Prize nominations for his original work, Ma Fille, Ma Naturelle at the 6th annual International Theatre Festival of University Theatre in Tangier, Morocco. He is a 2011-2012 recipient of the Spirit of DePaul award given by DePaul’s Office of Mission and Values.
Now in its 62nd season, Court Theatre is guided by its mission to discover the power of classic theatre. Court endeavors to make a lasting contribution to American theatre by expanding the canon of translations, adaptations, and classic texts. Court revives lost masterpieces, illuminates familiar texts, and distinguishes fresh, modern classics. Court engages and inspires its audience by providing artistically distinguished productions, audience enrichment activities, and student educational experiences.
Court Theatre's 2016/17 Season is sponsored by Barbara and Richard Franke. Electra is sponsored by The Karla Scherer Foundation.
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