ACT OUT OPENING: Collaboraction presents SKETCHBOOK 14: 2049 #Theatre

Collaboraction presents

SKETCHBOOK 14: 2049

May 22 - June 15, 2014

Here at ChiIL Live Shows we've been covering Sketchbook for 3 years now and it's become one of our favorite annual theatre feasts.  The quality and creativity of this mash up of world premier theater pieces is hard to beat.  This year there are EIGHTEEN social issues based pieces on the theme of "incite change". We also dig the concept of setting the fest in a future society looking back and exploring their past (our present). Sounds like wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff (ala Dr. Who), and right up our alley!

The kick off/press opening is an offering of ALL the pieces, back to back, and it's enough to make your head explode... in the best possible way!!  Come gorge on new theatre.  We did it that way the past 2 years and it was crazy cathartic.  Otherwise... there's a saner approach, where you can buy single show tickets or a festival pass and check the shows out at your leisure. However you roll... we HIGHLY recommend you roll on over to The Flatiron and catch SKETCHBOOK 14: 2049.  

Collaboraction presents

SKETCHBOOK: 2049

 A Mixed Medium Theatre Festival of Positive, Post-Apocalyptic
Short New Works, May 22 - June 15, 2014

Collaboraction's 14^th annual SKETCHBOOK festival boasts 17 world premiere theater pieces addressing a wide range of current social issues, guest curated by Ike Holter

  

Continuing with its new "incite change" mission, Collaboraction presents SKETCHBOOK: 2049, a rapid-fire, raucous festival of 17 world premiere theatre pieces ranging from under a minute to 20 minutes in length, all set in a positive post-apocalypse and reflective of contemporary society's current challenges. 

  

Collaboraction's annual SKETCHBOOK festival is Collaboraction at its best: breaking down the walls that divide theater, music, visual art, video and the internet. Selected from hundreds of submissions, SKETCHBOOK once again brings together the collective talents of more than 150 pioneering and established directors, designers, actors, musicians and artists from Chicago and around the country for two jaw-dropping programs packed with creativity, experimentation and celebration.

This year, SKETCHBOOK transports audiences to the year 2049, a post-apocalyptic world of regeneration and birth where 17 shows from the past have been unearthed to reveal how we lived before the Revolution. Chicago-based playwright Ike Holter (Hit the Wall, Loom and B-Side Studio) is Guest Curator of SKETCHBOOK: 2049, which features new works by Caitlin Parrish, The New Colony, Usman Ally, Seth Bockley and Holter himself in a collaboration with director Dexter Bullard. 

In addition to two programs of fresh new work, Collaboration's air-conditioned Lounge in the Pentagon Theatre will be a live connection zone for audiences to relax, socialize, discuss, debate and enjoy post-show "pop up" performances on Saturday evenings.  

  

SKETCHBOOK: 2049 runs May 22 - June 15, 2014 at Collaboraction, located in the historic Flat Iron Arts Building, 1579 N. Milwaukee Ave., Room 300, in Wicker Park. The pieces are split into Program A: Reflection and Program B: Echo and run in rep with both programs performed each Saturday. 

Regular show times are Thursday and Friday at 7.30 p.m.; Saturday at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.; Sunday at 7 p.m. Exceptions: Industry Night for Program B: Echo is Monday, June 2 at 7 p.m. Industry Night for Program A: Reflection is Monday, June 9 at 7 p.m. Both programs will be performed on the final day of the festival, Sunday, June 15, at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. 

Single tickets to each program are $30; $15 for students, educators and industry. All-Access festival passes to both programs are $50; $25 for students and industry. Purchase tickets and All-Access passes online at collaboraction.org or call 312.226.9633.   

"Each year SKETCHBOOK brings together more than 150 actors, visual artists, musicians, writers, directors, designers, and stagehands from all over the city to collaborate on this beautiful and ambitious undertaking. Many return year after year, drawn by the energy and passion that drives this festival forward," said Anthony Moseley, Founding Executive and Artistic Director of Collaboraction and SKETCHBOOK Festival Director. "SKETCHBOOK serves as an invaluable opportunity for both seasoned and emerging artists to connect and grow together, turning Collaboraction into a hub of talented individuals working toward the common goal of creating a broad array of innovative art for a diverse audience."

Following are SKETCHBOOK: 2049 dates, times and program summaries:

Program A: Reflection

Thurs, May 22, 7:30 p.m.; Sat, May 24, 7 p.m.; Sun, May 25, 3p.m.; Fri, May 30, 7:30 p.m.; Sat, May 31, 9 p.m.; Sun, June 1, 7 p.m., Fri, June 6, 7:30 p.m.; Sat, June 7, 9 p.m.; Mon, June 9, 7 p.m.; Thurs, June 12, 7:30 p.m.; Sat, June 14, 7 p.m.; Sun, June 15, 5 p.m.

Pieces listed in run order. Run Time: Approximately 90 minutes.

The Surprise

by Corey Rieger, directed by Nathan Green  The tables get unexpectedly turned on a group of people gathered to throw a surprise birthday party for a friend.

The Distance to the Moon

devised by First Floor, directed by Jesse Roth  Puppet theater, live action and multimedia elements combine in this story of a young sailor stranded on the moon alongside the woman he loves.

Let Me Tell You What I See Here

by Jason Gray Platt, directed by Anna Bahow  Real YouTube comments are deconstructed and repurposed to show personal connections in a disconnected world.

To the NSA Agents Listening in on this Play

by Sam Graber, directed by Mary O'Connor  An important message to our burgeoning national security state from one lone voice in the wilderness.

Asshole

by Lisa Kenner Grissom, directed by Jo Cattell  When some 'infernal ass pains' force Lena to retreat into the solace of her bathtub, she learns a thing or two about suffering in silence.

Young Fathers

by Joel Kim Booster, directed by Chris Chmelik  A single father and his gay neighbor are each on the verge of a complete breakdown as they wrestle with the meaning of fatherhood in the wake of personal tragedy.

The Big One

by Idris Goodwin, directed by Marie Cisco  Vernon is always waiting for his home team to score the big one, but his wife and son aren't so keen on waiting. A subtle story about chasing the past at the expense of missing out on the present.

Attic Play

by Anthony Donald Kochensparger, directed by John Rooney  Gender and personal boundaries blur in this rhapsodic two-person piece about family, fear and sexual awakening.

Dream Scenario

devised by Ike Holter, directed by Dexter Bullard  A victim of an insanely elaborate stalking plans a face-to-face meeting with their pursuer.     

  

Program B: Echo

Fri, May 23, 7:30 p.m.; Sat, May 24, 9 p.m.; Sun, May 25, 5 p.m.; Thurs, May 29, 7:30 p.m.; Sat, May 31, 7 p.m.; Mon, June 2, 7 p.m.; Thurs, June 5, 7:30 p.m.; Sat, June 7, 7 p.m.: Sun, June 8, 7 p.m.; Fri, June 13, 7:30 p.m.; Sat, June 14, 9 p.m.; Sun, June 15, 3 p.m.

Pieces listed in run order. Run Time: Approximately 95 minutes - Room 300

Tomorrow

by Caitlin Parrish, directed by Josh Sobel  A cosmic story of two celestial bodies intertwining, told from an all-too-human vantage point right here on earth.

Sanatorium Story

by Seth Bockley, directed by Lydia Milman Schmidt  A child deals with his terrible illness and macabre surroundings through the comedic character Boob McNutt.

Goodbye, Night

devised by The New Colony, written by Nick Delehanty, directed by Thrisa Hodits 

A medical breakthrough spawns a pill, which nullifies the need for sleep. But what happens when the well-to-do can reclaim a third of their life while the rest are left to sleep through it?

Until the World is Beautiful

by Jack Miggins, directed by Elana Boulos  While wandering the labyrinthine tunnels of a post-apocalyptic world, a man comes across a 2000-year-old pregnant woman longing to return to the surface.

Boys and Violence

by Mackenzie Yeager, directed by John Williams  This parodic send-up of masculinity and morality features Andy and Ben, two young 'boys,' as they come together to play a harmless game of 'Violence.'   

Based on a True Story

by Usman Ally, directed by Sonny Das  When two friends stop over to catch a high school game at Ismail's apartment, things turn heated when their schools' mascots are shown to trade in vicious racial stereotypes. Nationalism and race collide in this satirical look at America's cultural heritage.

The Rise and Fall of Everything in the World

by Brooke Allen, directed by Diana Raselis  What exactly is the value of a universe fashioned by two bored and aimless clown-like beings? And what would be its value if it could simply disappear?

10 Things

by Scott Tobin, directed by Emmi Hilger  At each sequential ten-year marker of his life, a man takes stock of all that he's gained, all that he's lost, and all that he continues to be grateful for.

Set design for SKETCHBOOK: 2049 is by Ashley Ann Woods. Lighting design is by Jeff Glass. Sound design is by Mikey Moran, Stephen Ptacek and Matthew Reich. Costumes are by Elsa Hiltner and Kate Setzer Kamphausen. Props are by Angie Campos and Rachel Watson. Michael Sanfill is video designer. Dan Haymes is technical director. Drew Donnelly is stage manager. Brian Foster is floor manager. Danielle Stack is production manager. SKETCHBOOK: 2049 is produced by Sarah Moeller.   

About Collaboraction  

Collaboraction (collaboraction.org) celebrates its 18th year as a Chicago-based arts organization and has recently moved its theater and operation headquarters to the historic Flat Iron Arts Building, 1579 N. Milwaukee Ave., in the heart of Wicker Park. By incorporating innovative artists and interdisciplinary collaboration, Collaboraction creates groundbreaking theatrical and art-based experiences.    

The overwhelming response to Crime Scene: A Chicago Anthology in 2013 was the first step in Artistic Director Anthony Moseley's new vision for Collaboraction to be used as an artistic tool to explore critical social issues in an effort to create dialogue and incite change. To do so, Collaboraction collaborates with artists, community leaders, health professionals and citizens from throughout the city to create original theatrical experiences that push artistic boundaries and explore critical social issues with a diverse community of Chicagoans. 

More recently, Collaboration's world premiere This is Not a Cure for Cancer was an immersive live theater experience that used the same provocative, docudrama style conceived via Crime Scene to attack cancer, its treatment and the way we live.     

  

Collaboraction has worked with more than 2,500 artists to bring more than 60 productions and events to more than 50,000 audience members. Production highlights also include 2010's Chicago premiere of 1001 by Jason Grote, 2008's world premiere of Jon by George Saunders and directed by Seth Bockley, and 2007's critically acclaimed production of The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow: an instant message with excitable music by Rolin Jones. 

REVIEW: House Theatre's Dorian & Post Show Dance Party May 10th #Theatre

This Saturday 5/10: DJ Bouncy Castle (aka Zeke Sulkes) will be spinning the best of the best in techno, disco, hip-hop, and house music! Come ready to play, and be prepared to leave your clothes on the dance floor. The party starts at 8pm with a performance of DORIAN, with its onstage cash bar and lush, dance-fueled, promenade staging. At 10pm, DJ Bouncy Castle takes the stage for a dance party with the cast and crew of the show. The cash bar remains and the dancing continues!

Admission is FREE with your ticket to DORIAN, and you're welcome to come when the party starts at 10:00 PM! Industry folks get half price anytime with code "IMAKEART" and a proof of industry at will call.

Dorian Review: ChiIL Live Shows had a chance to check out Dorian on opening night and this unique production is well worth a look. Do note, there is brief nudity, and stage violence, so this show is recommended for mature audiences and not appropriate for those under 16.   Now for the rest of you...  The set of DORIAN is like an art gallery opening, and to reflect this, DORIAN is staged in promenade. Audience members experience the show by walking and standing with the actors throughout the stage space. There will be places to perch during scenes, but not regular theatre seats. With promenade staging you are encouraged to move about the stage however you like, which gives you some exciting choice in exactly how you experience this show.  For this show there's also a large bar on stage, which means during intermissions you won't have to go far for a drink! If you know you won't be able to stand for a duration, just let the theatre know and they'll arrange seating for you. Other limited seating is available... first come first served. Current run time for DORIAN is 2 hours including one intermission. Doors open 30 minutes before showtime, and The House Theatre encourages you to come early and enjoy the on-stage cash bar, and mingle with the performers.  (Do note, unfortunately only 2 specialty show drinks are available at the on stage bar. For good Polish beer & other options, purchase in the lobby and bring it in with you!) Promenade It's become all the rage and sometimes rightfully so. Promenade staging (or shows where the audience stands and mingles in the performance space and follows the action, moving as needed) was used to great effect for The Hypocrites runaway hit, The Mikado (coming back again this winter--yay).  We've honestly never seen the 3rd wall so effectively broken down. The Mikado was playful, fun, interactive and highly effective as a promenade style piece.  There's currently a promenade style Midsummer Night's Dream at Strange Loop Theatre and Red Moon Theatre's latest, Bellboys, Bears and Baggage, is billed as a promenade style spectacle, too. Now for Dorian... We have mixed feelings about the success of this style here. On the up side, most of the action is in the New York art party scene so it makes sense to have the audience included as party goers & every night the audience is different & can truly alter the show.  Yet, promenade style can be intimidating for those more reticent audience members, and a cast of art snobs is not the most welcoming by nature. The cast in character was rude and snobbish, pushing through the audience to get to their hot, new favorite, leaving the party guests/audience members feeling brushed off at best and excluded and in the way, at worst.  The sight lines were also bad for shorter people in much of the space. Maybe they've tweaked it since the opening and this isn't such an issue, but a big percentage of the audience literally fled for the minimal seating after the first couple scenes. The sight lines looked better there (although I can't be sure as we stuck it out on the floor), but the behind the bar seating seemed problematic and a bit blocked off and detached from the action as well.   An even bigger obstacle to the Dorian promenade success is the big obstacles... ie: large set pieces. There are huge chunks of stage being shifted in and out of the space routinely, so that we were completely distracted from the dialogue and action on stage.  It felt like we were constantly in the way and every few minutes someone was saying excuse me and barreling down on us with a big, rolling hunk of set.   Plot & Characters Dorian starts slow and for all the sordid plot points, it is a stylized piece without a lot of action. We dug the giant, evolving portrait and thought that was highly effective. Otherwise the set and costumes were fairly unremarkable. There seemed to be a lot of extraneous rushing about from the art snobs, that didn't appear organic or seem to have much point.  Last December we saw We Three Lizas by About Face Theatre at Stage 773. It's been over 4 months and I'm STILL laughing about Andy Warhol's entourage club scene, and replaying it in my head. It was incredibly spot on hilarious!  Dorian left me wishing for this level of pretentiousness and parody. That said, it's an interesting enough piece. Though not one of our favorites from The House, Dorian is macabre, dark, refreshingly new, and worth a look. A DANCE-FUELED THRILLER OF VICE AND VIRTUE By Ben Lobpries and Tommy Rapley Directed and Choreographed by Tommy Rapley Adapted from the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde PRICE: $20-$39 for Regular Run. TIMES: Thursdays, Fridays, & Saturdays at 8:00pm, Sundays at 7:00pm RUN TIME: 2 hours, including one intermission New to the big city, a young, beautiful, and fragile Dorian Gray is greedily embraced by a group of artists and art critics. Frustrated and sensitive painter Basil Howard creates a stunning portrait of the young Dorian.  But wild gallery parties, heart-broken lovers, and desperate violence wreak havoc on the portrait, reflecting the scars on Dorian’s soul. Yet the man himself remains flawless for decades. What crime can ultimately break the spell? This boldly modern adaptation reveals depth, pain, and longing beneath the surface of Wilde’s morality tale. Just like Dorian’s picture, this classic story about the creation of a masterpiece is transformed into a lush, dance-fueled stage production. DORIAN is staged in promenade, with actors and audience sharing the stage space. If you want to join us, but won't be able to stand and move easliy, just let us know and we'll work it out. DORIAN contains brief nudity, adult topics, and a bar on stage. Leave the kids at home on this one! Thinking about bringing your teen? Check out our Parent's Guide for more content info.  “A stunning achievement” -Windy City Times “No question, Rapley’s appropriately stylized revision is THRILLING stuff, aesthetically consistent with Wilde… while PERFECTLY TUNED into the overkill of American affluence.” -Chicago Free Press Show Dates: Apr 4 2014 to May 18 2014  Location:  The Chopin Theatre 1543 W. Division St., Chicago, IL Click or call 773-769-3832, use Industry code IMAKEART Can't make it this Saturday? Advance Industry tickets for ANY performance are HALF-PRICE!  Use code IMAKEART.

Performed in promenade, driven by dance, and with a bar right on stage.

DORIAN performs Thursdays - Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 7pm at The House Theatre's home, The Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division St. in Chicago.

ACT OUT: CATS at Marriott Theatre Through May 25th

Terry James, Executive Producer

Andy Hite, Lead Artistic Director

Aaron Thielen, Artistic Director

PRESENT

THE WORLD’S BEST-LOVED MUSICAL

ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER’S

CATS

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we've been so slammed with all the spring openings to review in the city, we haven't made it out to The Marriott for this production. Still, we've been impressed with the quality and professionalism in past productions we've seen there. The Marriott Theatre is a gem in the dearth of high quality, suburban, theatre arts and not that far for a trek out, if you live in Chicago, like we do. Traffic isn't too bad, once you leave the heart of the city, so even though the distance is greater, the drive time can be shorter than getting across town or downtown to Chicago theatre. And free parking is always a welcome incentive!

We have seen the touring Broadway cast of CATS and it is one of the most playful, fun musicals out there. It's a great choice for multigenerational family fun and appeals to all ages. Check it out.  

The Marriott Theatre is proud to present one of the biggest blockbuster musical hits of our time, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s CATS.  Based on the poems of T.S. Eliot, CATS runs through May 25 at 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire, IL.  CATS is Directed and Choreographed by multiple Jeff Award-winner Marc Robin with Musical Direction by Ryan T. Nelson.

Since premiering in London in 1981, CATS went on to become the longest running musical in the history of British theatre and the longest running musical on Broadway.  In 2003, the Marriott Theatre presented a new production of CATS, directed and choreographed by Marc Robin, which quickly became the best-selling show in the theatre’s long history.  One of the audience’s most requested encores, the Marriott Theatre presents a whimsical, environmental production in which our intimate surroundings bring you closer than ever to the “The Jellicle Ball.”

CATS stars Heidi Kettenring as “Grizabella” (National Tour of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Broadway in Chicago’s Wicked, the World Premiere of Hero at the Marriott Theatre) and Matthew R. Jones as “Old Deuteronomy” (Broadway’s Titanic and Phantom of the Opera); with William Carlos Angulo, Brian Bohr, Ellen Green, Shanna Heverly, Raymond Interior, Patrick Keefe, Jake Klinkhammer, Tammy Mader, Luke Manley, Christine Mild, Johanna McKenzie Miller, Alexandra Palkovic, Sagiya Eugene Peabody, Andy Planck, Liam Quealy, Buddy Reeder, Sam Rogers, Laura Savage, Summer Naomi Smart, Adrienne Storrs, Amanda Tanguay, J. Tyler Whitmer, George Andrew Wolff, and Melissa Zaremba.

The CATS production team is led by the Marriott Theatre’s Lead Artistic Director Andy Hite.  Set Design is by Tom Ryan, Costume Design by Nancy Missimi, Lighting Design by Jesse Klug, Sound Design by Bob Gilmartin and Properties Design by Sally Weiss. The Marriott Theatre orchestra is conducted by Musical Supervisor Patti Garwood.

The performance schedule is Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays at 8:00 p.m., Saturdays at 4:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and Sundays at 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.  Ticket prices range from $40 to $48, excluding tax and handling fees.  Students 17 and under and senior citizen 62 and older receive $5.00 off a full price theatre ticket for Wednesday Matinee, Saturday Matinee, Sunday Matinee and Sunday Afternoon performances.  On Wednesday and Thursday evenings a limited number of Dinner and Theatre tickets are available for only $55.00 per person. For Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evening dinner reservations in The King's Wharf or Fairfield Inn, please call 847-634-0100. Free parking is available at all performances. To reserve tickets, please call the Marriott Theatre Box Office at 847.634.0200. Visit www.MarriottTheatre.com for more information.

ACT OUT OPENING: Jack Lemmon Returns at The Royal George

Hershey Felder presents

THE WORLD PREMIERE OF

Chris Lemmon as his father Jack Lemmon in

JACK LEMMON RETURNS

A new play with music about a world famous Dad and his son.

OPENING MONDAY MAY 12 AT THE ROYAL GEORGE THEATRE.

Here at ChiIL Mama, we're fascinated by how creatives parent and how parents create. We've been shooting an ongoing video series on the subject now for years.  Click here to see some of our interviews.   We're particularly interested in the effect parents in the arts have on their kids and vice versa--the effect family has on the arts.  This world premiere should be fascinating as it stars a son playing his famous father!

Continuing in a tradition of storytelling and music, Hershey Felder (George Gershwin Alone, Maestro Bernstein and last season’s smash hit Mona Golabek in The Pianist of Willesden Lane) will present the World Premiere of Chris Lemmon in JACK LEMMON RETURNS, a new play with music. The production will preview May 2 and open on Monday, May 12 at 7 p.m. at The Royal George Theatre, 1641 North Halsted Street. The production is written and directed by Hershey Felder and based on the true story of the legendary Jack Lemmon (Mister Roberts, Some Like it Hot, Days of Wine and Roses, The Odd Couple) and his relationship with his son, actor and musician Chris Lemmon (Duet, That’s Life, Lena’s Holiday, etc.).

Jack Lemmon’s lifelong dream was to be an actor, head to New York from his hometown of Newton, Mass. and “Save Broadway.” At the urging of a show-biz minded mother, but a serious business-minded father, Jack pursued his dream and, due to a remarkable set of events, became one of the world’s all-time great movie stars. Believing that no actor should ever be pigeonholed into being either a comedian or a serious dramatic artist, Jack Lemmon broke barriers, and played everything. As the first actor to win Academy Awards as both Best Supporting Actor and Best Actor, Jack Lemmon’s talents knew no bounds. But with every blessing there can also be a curse, and Jack’s son Chris was witness to it all.

                Jack and his son, Chris

“This remarkable story told by Chris Lemmon in the voice of his father is performed in the style of musical storytelling that Chicago audiences have come to know from me,” said playwright/director Hershey Felder. “Being able to work with Chris to present this piece has been an incredible joy both because of Chris’ skill as an actor in the tradition of his father, and as a musician given that music was such an important part of his father’s life. Having an insider’s view into Hollywood and the craft of one of its prodigal sons makes for an extremely satisfying event.”

Chris Lemmon is the son of actress Cynthia Stone and actor Jack Lemmon. Passionate about music, he studied classical piano, composition and theater at the California Institute of the Arts. He has appeared in multiple stage productions, including the West Coast tour of Barefoot in the Park, directed by Jerry Paris, the original West Coast production of Shay by Anne Commire, and A. R. Gurney's Love Letters with Stephanie Zimbalist. He also starred as “Richard Phillips” in the situation comedies, Duet and Open House, as well as in three films with his father, Airport '77, That's Life! and Dad. Chris’ tribute to his father, A Twist of Lemmon, was published in 2006 by Algonquin Books and re-released in 2008 by Applause Theatre and Cinema Books.

Hershey Felder (Playwright/Director)

Broadway, London's West End: George Gershwin Alone (Helen Hayes Theatre, Duchess Theatre). Regional and international appearances of “Composers Sonata” (1999-2014) – George Gershwin Alone, Monsieur Chopin, Beethoven, As I Knew Him, and Maestro: Leonard Bernstein and the upcoming Hershey Felder as IRVING BERLIN (Geffen Theatre LA World Premiere). Winner of 2007 Los Angeles Ovation Awards, Best Musical and Best Actor for George Gershwin Alone. Worldwide live broadcasts, George Gershwin Alone, 2005 and 2011 for the WFMT Network. Direction includes Mona Golabek in The Pianist of Willesden Lane (National Tour), Current projects include Abe Lincoln’s Piano, Hershey Felder as IRVING BERLIN and several other titles in development for various artists. Mr. Felder is a Steinway Concert Artist, and has been a Scholar in Residence at Harvard University's Department of Music. He is the President of Eighty-Eight Entertainment and is married to Kim Campbell, former Prime Minister of Canada.

The artistic team for Chris Lemmon in JACK LEMMON RETURNS is led by Director Hershey Felder with Associate Direction by Trevor Hay. Scenic Design is by Hershey Felder and Emma Hay, Sound Design is by Erik Carstensen, Lighting Design is by Jason Bieber, Projection Design is by Andrew Wilder, and Scenic Decoration is by Meghan Maiya and Emma Hay. Erik Carstensen serves as Production Manager and the Production Stage Manager is Rebecca Peters. Artistic Direction Consultant is Joel Zwick.

Performances of Chris Lemmon in JACK LEMMON RETURNS begin Friday, May 2 at 8 p.m. and continue as follows: Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m., Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 3 p.m. All tickets are $55. Tickets are now on sale at The Royal George Theatre and may be purchased by calling 312.988.9000. Box office hours are 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.theroyalgeorgetheatre.com.

ACT OUT OPENING: Lay Me Down Softly by Seanachai Theatre Company

Seanachaí Theatre Company Presents U.S. Premiere of

LAY ME DOWN SOFTLY

By Billy Roche

Directed by Kevin Christopher Fox

April 23 – May 25, 2014

LayMeDown-4 (left to right) Michael Grant, Dan Waller, Jeff Christian and Matthew Isler

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we were quite impressed with Seanachai's production of The Seafarer and we're looking forward to what's next. There have been a plethora of boxing plays in the recent past. We saw Griffin Theatre's Golden Boy at Theater Wit back in February, and The Opponent at A Red Orchid, by local fav, Brett Neveu. The boxing ring size is conducive to shows and there's something about the pacing, blocking and rhythm that rings true for stage and sport alike. This time there's the added bonus of the Irish brogue and the quirky, multiculti back story!

Following its wildly successful production of the The Seafarer, Seanachaí Theatre Company is pleased to continue its 2013-14 season with the U.S. premiere of Billy Roche’s drama LAY ME DOWN SOFTLY directed by Kevin Christopher Fox (Hughie). LAY ME DOWN SOFTLY plays April 23 – May 25, 2014 at The Den Theatre, 1333 N. Milwaukee in Chicago. Tickets are available at www.seanachai.org or by calling (866) 811-4111. 

We do dig Seanachaí Theatre Company's name and creative statement.  In case you're curious, Seanachaí is the Gaelic word for Storyteller. It was the duty of the Seanachaí to keep these stories alive. Seanachaí Theatre Company's mission is to create compelling productions and programs that focus energy on exceptional storytelling.  Check it out.

(left to right) Michael Grant, Jamie L. Young, Dan Waller, Matthew Isler and Jeff Christian

LAY ME DOWN SOFTLY features Seanachaí ensemble members Jeff Christian, Michael Grant, Carolyn Klein and Dan Waller with Chicago actors Matthew Isler and Jamie L. Young.

Early 1960s. Delaney’s Traveling Roadshow tours the Irish countryside with bumper cars, bearded ladies, rifle ranges and the main attraction: the boxing ring. The Roadshow invites all comers to fight them to win a prize. Theo, the iron fisted patriarch, struggles to keep his crew in line and when his long abandoned daughter arrives, the patchwork family is thrown against the ropes.

(left to right) Dan Waller and Jamie L. Young in Seanachai Theatre Company’s U.S. Premiere of LAY ME DOWN SOFTLY by Billy Roche, directed by Kevin Christopher Fox.  All production photos by Emily Schwartz.

The production team for LAY ME DOWN SOFTLY includes: Joe Schermoly (scenic design), Beth Laske-Miller (costume design), Julian Pike (lighting design), Stephen Ptacek (sound design), Eva Breneman (dialect design) and John Tovar (fight choreographer).

PRODUCTION DETAILS:

Title: LAY ME DOWN SLOWLY

Playwright: Billy Roche

Director: Kevin Christopher Fox

Cast: Seanachaí ensemble members Jeff Christian (Theo), Michael Grant (Peadar), Carolyn Klein (Lily) and Dan Waller (Junior) with Chicago actors Matthew Isler (Dean) and Jamie L. Young (Emer).

Location: The Den Theatre, 1333 N. Milwaukee, Chicago

Dates: Preview: Wednesday, April 23 at 7:30 pm

Press performance: Thursday April 24 at 7:30 pm

Regular run: Friday, April 25, 2014  – Sunday, May 25, 2014.

Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 3 pm

Tickets: Previews $12. Regular run $26 Thursdays & Fridays; $30 Saturdays & Sundays. Seniors/students $5 off. Tickets are available at www.seanachai.org or by calling (866) 811-4111. Group discounts (8 or more) are available by calling (773) 878-3727.

(left to right) Dan Waller, Carolyn Klein, Michael Grant and Jamie L. Young 

About the Playwright

Billy Roche’s first novel, Tumbling Down, was published by Wolfhound Press in 1986 (revised version published by Tassel Publications in 2008).  His first stage play, A Handful Of Stars, was staged at The Bush Theatre in 1988, followed by Poor Beast In the Rain in 1990. Belfry completed this powerful trilogy at the Bush Theatre.  All three plays, directed by Robin LeFevre, became known as The Wexford Trilogy and were performed in their entirety at The Bush, the Peacock and the Theatre Royal, Wexford.  Later, The Wexford Trilogy was filmed for the BBC, directed by the late and great Stuart Burge.  Roche’s fourth play, Amphibians, was commissioned by the R.S.C. and performed at the Barbican, followed by The Cavalcaders at The Peacock and Royal Court, London. He wrote the screenplay for Trojan Eddie, which was directed by Gillies MacKinnon and starred Stephen Rea and Richard Harris.  Trojan Eddie won the Best Film Award at The San Sebastian Film Festival in 1996.  His sixth play, On Such As We, was performed at the Peacock in 2001, directed by Wilson Milam and starring Brendan Gleeson. Tales From Rainwater Pond, his collection of short stories, was published by Pillar Press in 2006.  Lay Me Down Softly, his seventh play, was originally performed at the Peacock Theatre in 2008, directed by Wilson Milam.  Billy has been Writer-In-Residence at the Bush and Writer-In-Association at Druid and the Abbey Theatre.  The Eclipse, a film that was co-written with Conor McPherson, won IFTA awards for Best Screenplay and Best Film.  The film is inspired by Billy’s short story Table Manners (from the Tales From Rainwater Pond collection). In 2013, his short novella The Diary Of Maynard Perdu was published by Lantern.ie. 

About the Director

Kevin Christopher Fox is an actor and director based in Chicago. With Seanachai, he directed Hughie with Brad Armacost and Jeff Duhigg last season – and last century he played Manus in David Cromer's production of Translations. Chicago directing credits include Accidental Rapture and Pull of the Moon (16th Street Theater), Widowers' Houses and Androcles and the Lion (ShawChicago), St. Crispin's Day (Strawdog), Arms and the Man and Betrayal (Oak Park Festival), The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (Gift Theatre Company), Beggars in the House of Plenty (Mary-Arrchie), Widowers' Houses (TimeLine), Patient No. 1 (WNEP), and his debut Buicks (Precious Mettle). At TheatreSquared (Fayetteville, AK) he directed world premieres of Sundown Town by Kevin Cohea and, this past fall, The Spiritualist by Robert Ford, along with Fall of the House, and a youth production of Macbeth, as well as numerous development projects for Arkansas New Play Festival. Recently he adapted and directed Macbeth (Montana Shakespeare in the Parks, Shakespeare in the Schools), he served as co-director for the remount of Nick Sandys' Chamber Opera Chicago production of Persuasion, and toured with it to England, Chicago and New York. This last winter, he directed two projects for the William Inge Festival and Center for the Arts in Independence, KS. This coming summer, he will direct the world premiere of The Gun Show by EM Lewis for 16th Street Theater.

About Seanachaí Theatre Company

The mission of Seanachaí Theatre Company is to return theatre to this origin - by creating compelling productions and programs that focus the energy of artists towards the common goal of exceptional storytelling. To achieve this end, Seanachaí Theatre Company strives to provide an atmosphere where all theatre artists – actors, playwrights, directors and designers – have the support and assurance to collaborate openly.

Seanachaí Theatre Company is supported in part by The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelly Foundation, The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, Charles River Associates, the Illinois Arts Council and The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs: City Arts Program. 

ACT OUT EXTENDED: Motown The Musical at Oriental Theatre

EXTENDED BY POPULAR DEMAND

THROUGH AUGUST 9

FINAL BLOCK OF TICKETS GOES ON SALE APRIL 22

Here at ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows, we dig Motown and can NOT wait to check out Motown the Musical.  We're interested to see how it compares to Human Nature, The Motown Show which we had the great pleasure of reviewing several years ago. The buzz has been BIG!

Producers Kevin McCollum, Doug Morris and Berry Gordy, along with Broadway In Chicago, are thrilled to announce that due to popular demand MOTOWN THE MUSICAL has added four weeks to its Chicago engagement.  The National Tour will launch at the Oriental Theatre on April 22 and now play 16 weeks, through August 9, before continuing on its National Tour across North America.  The final block of tickets for performances July 15 through August 9 will go on sale Tuesday, April 22 at 10 a.m.

Directed by Charles Randolph-Wright, MOTOWN THE MUSICAL is the true American dream story of Motown founder Berry Gordy’s journey from featherweight boxer to the heavyweight music mogul who launched the careers of Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye and so many more.

Featuring more than 50 classic hits such as “My Girl” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” MOTOWN THE MUSICAL tells the story behind the hits as Diana, Smokey, Berry and the whole Motown family fight against the odds to create the soundtrack of change in America.  Motown shattered barriers, shaped our lives and made us all move to the same beat.

                                                                                                              

MOTOWN THE MUSICAL features choreography by Patricia Wilcox (Blues in the Night) and Warren Adams (Toy Story), scenic design by David Korins (Bring It On: The Musical, Annie), costume design by Tony Award^® nominee ESosa (The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, “Project Runway”), lighting design by Tony Award^® winner Natasha Katz (Once, Sister Act), sound design by Tony Award^® nominee Peter Hylenski (Rock of Ages, The Scottsboro Boys), projection design by Daniel Brodie (Jekyll and Hyde), hair and wig design by Charles LaPointe (Memphis) and casting by Telsey + Company.

MOTOWN THE MUSICAL’s arrangements and orchestrations are by Grammy and Tony Award® nominee Ethan Popp (Rock of Ages), who also serves as music supervisor in reproducing the classic “Sound of Young America,” with co-orchestrations and additional arrangements by Tony Award^® nominee Bryan Crook (“Smash”) and dance arrangements by Zane Mark (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels).

MOTOWN THE MUSICAL is produced by Tony Award^® winning producer Kevin McCollum (Rent, In the Heights, Avenue Q), Chairman and CEO of SONY Music Entertainment Doug Morris and Motown founder Berry Gordy.

For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com or www.MotownTheMusical.com.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

The performance schedule for MOTOWN THE MUSICAL is as follows:

Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m.

Wednesdays at 2 and 7:30 p.m. (No 2:00 p.m. performance April 23; No 7:30 p.m. performance May 7)

Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.

Fridays at 7:30 p.m.

Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m.

Sundays at 2 p.m. (Additional 7:30 p.m. performances on April 27, May 11 and July 6)

Please note: Performance schedule is subject to change.

TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets are now on sale at all Broadway In Chicago Box Offices (24 W. Randolph St., 151 W. Randolph St., 18 W. Monroe St. and 175 E. Chestnut), the Broadway In Chicago Ticket Line at (800) 775-2000, all Ticketmaster retail locations and online at www.BroadwayInChicago.com. Best availability for tickets are currently on Tuesday and Wednesday performances.  Tickets are also available for groups of 10 or more by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710.

ACT OUT: Look Back in Anger at Redtwist #OnSaleNow

Look Back in Anger

By John Osbourne 

Directed by Jonathan Berry 

Opens Saturday, May 17, at 3pm 

The seminal British drama of the 20th century, Look Back in Anger, exploded onto London's post-war theatrical landscape in the midst of silly comedies and splashy musicals. It took no prisoners and gave no quarter, mercilessly skewering the leftover relics of the Edwardian class system while blazing a trail for every British dramatist who followed. In a recent Entertainment Weekly poll, it was voted #17, among the 50 Greatest Plays of the Past 100 Years.

SCHEDULE 

Opens: Sat, May 17, 3pm (there is no evening performance on this date)

 Runs: Thu, Fri, Sat, 7:30pm; Sun, 3pm

Closes: Sun, June 15 

Running Time: Approximately 2:20 minutes, which includes one intermission

Previews: $15; Wed, Thu, Fri, May 14, 15, 16, at 7:30pm

Tickets: Thursdays, $30; Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, $35 (seniors & students $5 off)

RESERVATIONS  

Call: 773-728-7529 

Website/Tickets: www.redtwist.org

PLAY 

This is the post-war British drama that started it all, said it best, and influenced every British playwright who came after it. In the play, Jimmy Porter, a bright, educated young man of working-class roots, is railing incessantly against the status quo and the vestiges of the desiccated social strata of the Edwardian ethic. When his long-suffering, upper-middle-class wife, Alison, has had her fill of his diatribes, things explode in every direction. The teetering couple, estranged and in extremis, flanked by his best buddy and her best friend, realize that amidst the despair and anger, they have one last thing that may save their souls. This is the long-awaited revival of a post-war classic...directed by post-modern maestro, Jonathan Berry.

CAST

Japhet Balaban (Cliff Lewis), Larry Baldacci (Colonel Redfern), Baize Buzan (Alison Porter), Lucy Carapetyan (Helena Charles), Joseph Wiens (Jimmy Porter)

UNDERSTUDY CAST

Nick Freed (Jimmy Porter), Rachel Griesinger (Helena Charles), Jerry M. Miller (Colonel Redfern), Mickey O'Sullivan (Cliff Lewis), Annie Sauter (Alison Porter) 

  

STAFF 

Jonathan Berry (Director), Kristen Johnson (Assistant Director), Allison Queen (Stage Manager), Joe Schermoly (Set Designer), Izumi Inaba (Costume Designer), Eric J. Vigo (Lighting Designer), Chris Kriz (Sound Designer), Ryan McCain (Props Designer), Elise Kauzlaric (Dialect Coach), Chris Rickett (Violence Designer), Kevin McDonald (Dramaturg), Sara Dickey (ASM Intern), Felicia Soler (Production Assistant), Jessie Chappe (Casting Director), Jan Ellen Graves (Graphic Design, Marketing), Charles Bonilla (Box Office Manager), E. Malcolm Martinez (Box Office Associate), Johnny Garcia (Box Office Associate/Associate Producer), Michael Colucci & Jan Ellen Graves (Producers)

Redtwist is located at 1044 W Bryn Mawr, 2 blks W of LSD, 2 blks E of the Red Line El station. Street parking (paybox/meters until 10pm, Free on Sundays) is available on Bryn Mawr, side streets, and Broadway. Please reserve 48 hours in advance. Credit cards accepted by phone and online to guarantee seating.  

ACT OUT OPENING: Mud Blue Sky at A Red Orchid

A RED ORCHID THEATRE PRESENTS 

THE CHICAGO PREMIERE OF 

MUD BLUE SKY  

BY MARISA WEGRZYN

Here at ChiIL Live Shows we've long turned to A Red Orchid for consistently cutting edge, world class productions.

Regular Run: April 18 – May 25, 2014

Schedule:     Thursdays: 8:00 p.m.

Fridays: 8:00 p.m.

Saturdays: 8:00 p.m. (4pm matinee added on Saturday, April 19)  

Sundays: 3:00 p.m. (No performance on Easter Sunday, April 20) 

Location: A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N. Wells Ave.

Tickets: $25-$30 regular run.  ($25 Thurs, $30 Fri-Sun)

Box Office: Located at 1531 N. Wells Ave, Chicago, (312) 943-8722; or online www.aredorchidtheatre.org 

A Red Orchid Theatre presents the Chicago Premiere of Mud Blue Sky written by Marisa Wegrzyn and directed by Ensemble Member Shade Murray. The production will feature AROT Ensemble Members Natalie West, Mierka Girten and Kirsten Fitzgerald, and will run April 9 – May 25, 2014 at A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N. Wells.

A high school pot dealer abandons his prom night to crash the hotel room reunion between three flight attendants (all old enough to be his mother). Booze is poured, herb is smoked, the room blurs and futures, careers, and kindness snap sharply into focus. We suggest that you keep your seat belt fastened throughout the performance, as you are certain to experience turbulence. Local Playwright Marisa Wegrzyn's profoundly compassionate and fiercely witty play makes its Chicago Premiere. 

“Mud Blue Sky is both fierce and compassionate,” comments Artistic Director Kirsten Fitzgerald. “I find these two qualities at the core of Marisa’s work and am thrilled to be collaborating with her and with my fellow Orchids to bring it to Chicago. The previous work we have all done together allows us to challenge each other and the play all the more.”

Mud Blue Sky features Ensemble Members Kirsten Fitzgerald (Angie), Mierka Girten (Sam) and Natalie West (Beth), with Matt Farabee (Jonathan). Fitzgerald, Girten and West were last seen together at A Red Orchid together in the Company’s smash-hit production of Abigail’s Party, also directed by Shade Murray. West, Fitzgerald and Murray also collaborated on Wegrzyn’s Butcher of Baraboo in 2012.

The creative team for Mud Blue Sky includes Jackie Penrod (scenic), Ensemble Member Karen Kawa (costumes), Ensemble Member Mike Durst (lighting), Brando Triantafillou (sound), Corinne Bass (props), Stephanie Heller (stage manager), Jessie Roth (assistant director) and Brian Sauer (technical director).

Marisa Wegrzyn (playwright) Productions include The Butcher of Baraboo (A Red Orchid Theatre & Steppenwolf Theatre's First Look Rep); Diversey Harbor; Killing Women; The Chicago Landmark Project: State & Madison; The Grid (Theatre Seven); Hickorydickory; Ten Cent Night (Chicago Dramatists); Psalms of a Questionable Nature (Rivendell Theatre).Her plays have been produced Off Broadway at Second Stage, at Actors Theatre of Louisville's Humana Festival, Moxie Theatre (San Diego), The Road Theatre (Los Angeles), CENTERSTAGE Baltimore. She's been commissioned by Yale Repertory Theatre and Steppenwolf Theatre. Chicago Reader named her Best Playwright in the 2008 "Best of Chicago" issue, and she received the 2009 Wendy Wasserstein Playwriting Prize. She was a writer for the TV drama "Mind Games" on ABC, a contributor to The Paper Machete Live Magazine, a resident playwright at Chicago Dramatists, and a founding company member of Theatre Seven of Chicago.

Shade Murray (Director) directed Annie Baker’s The Aliens and Nick Jones’ Trevor at A Red Orchid as well as The Butcher of Baraboo, Abigail's Party (Jeff Nomination, Director) and Kimberly Akimbo.  He recently had the pleasure of directing Annie Bosh is Missing for Steppenwolf Theatre’s First Look.  Other credits include End Days at Next Theatre, The Chosen (Jeff Nomination, Director), The Subject Was Roses at Writers' Theatre, Fatty Arbuckle... at Second City, The Petrified Forest, The Good Soul of Szechuan, R.U.R., Marathon '33 (Jeff and After Dark Awards, ensemble), Detective Story (Jeff Award, Production, Director, Ensemble), WRLS #5, and Our Country's Good at Strawdog Theatre, Stupid Kids (Jeff Nomination, Director), Some Explicit Polaroids, Santaland Diaries, Never Swim Alone at Roadworks as well as productions at the MCA, Shattered Globe, About Face, Colbalt, Shakespeare's Motley Crew, Timberlake Playhouse and dance theatre in collaboration with MK and Birgitta Victorson. Shade is an MFA candidate in directing at Northwestern University, an associate artist with A Red Orchid and Strawdog Theatre Companies and has taught at Northwestern University, DePaul University, Act One Studios, National Louis University, National High School Institute, Piven Workshop and the Actor's Gym.

Matt Farabee (Jonathan) Chicago credits include:  punkplay (Steppenwolf Garage); Skylight (Court Theater); MilkMilkLemonade (Pavement Group); Elizabeth Rex (Chicago Shakespeare); Tigers Be Still (Theater Wit); The Shadow Over Innsmouth(WildClaw Theatre); The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek (Eclipse Theatre Company).  Off Broadway: A Bright New Boise (Partial Comfort). Regional: Lord of the Flies; One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Round House Theatre).  He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Kirsten Fitzgerald (Angie) is a member of the Artistic Ensemble at A Red Orchid and the current Artistic Director.  Her performances here at home include The Butcher of Baraboo, The New Electric Ballroom, Abigail's Party, The Sea Horse [Jeff Award], Pumpgirl, Weapon of Mass Impact, Mr. Bundy, The Killer and more. Other Chicago credits include Appropriate (Victory Gardens), Clybourne Park, The Elephant Man, and A Streetcar Named Desire (Steppenwolf Theatre); Major Barbara (Remy Bumppo); Romeo and Juliet (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre); Flaming Guns of the Purple Sage (Defiant Theatre);  A Moon for the Misbegotten (Circle Theatre) in addition to work with Next, Goodman, Shattered Globe, Famous Door, Plasticene and the Utah Shakespeare Festival among others. Kirsten teaches acting at DePaul University and Columbia College.  She can be seen on TV right now in Sirens (USA- Thursdays 9:00c) and has worked on Chicago Fire (NBC), ER (NBC) and Underemployed (MTV).

MIERKA GIRTEN (Sam) was last seen in Trevor and in Simpatico at A Red Orchid Theatre where she is an ensemble member. Off-Broadway, she was seen in Mistakes Were Made with Michael Shannon and Sam Deutsch, after doing the world premiere right here at home. Also at A Red Orchid: Abigail’s Party, Weapon of Mass Impact, The Meek, Kimberly Akimbo and The Treatment. Other Chicago credits include:  her one woman show With or Without Wings, The Walls at Rivendell Theatre Company, A View From The Bridge at ATC, The Book Of Liz with Roadworks, The Danube, Edmond, Marat Sade and A Blood Wedding with The Hypocrites, Into The Woods at Porchlight, Marathon 33 and Subterranean Love Story at Strawdog Theatre, in addition to work with Appletree, Circle Theatre, Livebait, Illinois Theatre Center, Provision, and Cobalt Ensemble.  Mierka toured the country in The Secret Garden and has been heard nationally, as an announcer and jingle singer on many radio and television commercials. Film credits include: The Manson Family, The Lake at Evening and The Drunk. Mierka is the founder of The Mookie Jam Foundation, benefiting artists with Multiple Sclerosis - because she is a daily warrior against the disease. Perseverance furthers. 

Natalie West (Beth) is a member of the ensemble at A Red Orchid. She most recently appeared in Sons of the Prophet at American Theatre Company. Previous productions include Side Man (Steppenwolf), The Man Who Came to Dinner (Steppenwolf and The Barbican in London), House and Garden (Goodman), How I Learned to Drive (Northlight), God of Hell (Next), The Guys (Piven), and several shows with Remains Theatre where she was an ensemble member for many years. Natalie was a regular on the television show Roseanne as Crystal. Films include Nate and Margaret, Poker House, Life Sentence and Bushwhacked. Natalie is the recipient of three Jeff Awards for supporting actress for Butcher of Baraboo and Abigail's Party at A Red Orchid and Life and Limb at Wisdom Bridge. She holds a MSW from Loyola University Chicago and a BA in Theatre from Indiana University. She also attended Webber Douglas Drama Academy in London.

About A Red Orchid 

Since 1993 A Red Orchid Theatre has been an artistic mainstay of the Chicago theatre community; known and praised for its powerful ensemble, creative design and its gripping, intimate productions.  It was named Best Theatre of 2010 by Chicago Magazine. The resident Ensemble maintains the conviction that live theatre is the greatest sustenance for the human spirit, and the 2013-2014 subscription season promises to bring Ensemble and audience even closer together.

A Red Orchid Theatre is: Lance Baker, Kamal Angelo Bolden, Dado, Mike Durst, Jennifer Engstrom, Kirsten Fitzgerald, Joseph Fosco, Steve Haggard, Mierka Girten, Larry Grimm, Karen Kawa, Karen Kessler, Danny McCarthy, Shade Murray, Brett Neveu, Michael Shannon, Guy Van Swearingen, Doug Vickers, Natalie West and Craig Wright.