Citadel Theatre's SILENT SKY February 16 Through March 17, 2024

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Citadel Theatre’Announces Cast and Creative Team for 

Lauren Gunderson’s Drama of the First Female Astronomers

Full cast and crew have been announced for Citadel Theatre’s upcoming production of SILENT SKY by Lauren Gunderson, one of the most produced playwrights in the U.S. Beth Wolf, nominated in the 2022 Jeff Awards – Equity wing for her direction of Citadel’s OUTSIDE MULLINGAR (nominated for Best Production of a Play – Midsize) returns to direct this drama celebrating the contributions of Henrietta Leavitt and other 19th century female astronomers employed at the Harvard Observatory who, because of their gender, were not recognized at the time for their work. SILENT SKY will open on Friday, February 16 (following previews on February 14 and 15) and play through Sunday, March 17, 2024.

Leading Wolf’s cast as Henrietta Leavitt will be Melissa Harlow, a member of Actors Equity Association who just completed a run as Mary Bailey in IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE: A LIVE RADIO PLAY with The Repertory Company of St. Louis. Playing Williamina Fleming and Annie Cannon, Henrietta’s fellow “human computers” at the Harvard Observatory, are Cameron Feagin and Anne Lentino of Promethean Theatre Ensemble. Feagin recently appeared with Promethean in the title role of RICHARD III as well as in A TOWN CALLED PROGRESS. Lentino and Feagin both appeared in that company’s highly regarded BLUE STOCKINGS in 2019. Adam Thatcher, of Citadel’s 2023 holiday hit SHE LOVES ME, will play Henrietta’s love interest Peter Shaw. Laura Michele Erle, who co-wrote and recently appeared in THREE SISTERS, FOUR WOMEN with SoHo Repertory Theatre in New York City, will play Henrietta’s sister Margaret Leavitt.  Understudies are Paige Klopfenstein (Henrietta Leavitt), Kelly Levander (Williamina), Tina Shelley  (Annie Cannon), Josh Bernaski (Peter Shaw), and Emily Turner (Margaret Leavitt). 

Top row L-R: Laura Michele Erle, Cameron Feagin, Melissa Harlow, Anne Lentino

Middle row L-R: Adam Thatcher, Josh Bernaski, Paige Klopfenstein, Kelly Levander

Lower row L-R: Tina Shelley, Emily Turner

The creative and production team for SILENT SKY, in addition to Wolf as stage director, are Trevor Dotson (Set Designer), Rachel Sypniewski (Costume Designer), Joel Zishuk (Lighting Designer), Stefanie Senior (Sound Designer), Patrick McGuire (Properties Designer), Cate Gillespie (Dialect Coach), Chris Owens (Projection Designer), and Sheryl Williams (Intimacy Designer). Rounding out the production team are Brian Wasserman (Master Carpenter), Alex Trinh (Stage Crew), Erin Galvin (Stage Manager), and Scott Phelps and Ellen Phelps (Production Managers).

Citadel Theatre is in residence in the West Campus of the Lake Forest School District at 300 S. Waukegan Road, Lake Forest. Further information and ticketing is available on the company’s website at www.citadeltheatre.org or by phone at 847-735-8554, ext. 1.

Friday, February 16 - Sunday, March 17, 2024

(Previews February 14 and 15 @ 7:30 pm)

Press Opening Friday, February 16 at 7:30 pm

Thursdays*, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sunday matinees at 3 pm. Wednesday matinees at 1 pm on February 21 and March 6.

*No performances on Thursdays February 22 and March 7.

Preview ticket prices $20. Regular run prices Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays $40; Saturdays and Sundays $45.00. Discounts available for groups, seniors and students.

Citadel Theatre, located in the West Campus building of the Lake Forest School District 300 S. Waukegan Road, Lake Forest, IL

Tickets available online at www.citadeltheatre.org or by phone at 847-735-8554, ext. 1

 

When 19th-century astronomer Henrietta Leavitt began work at the Harvard Observatory in the early 1900s, she wasn’t allowed to touch a telescope or express an original idea. Instead, she joins a group of women “computers,” charting the stars for a renowned astronomer who has no time for the women’s probing theories. As Henrietta, in her free time, attempts to measure the light and distance of stars, she must also take measure of her life on Earth, trying to balance her dedication to science with family obligations and the possibility of love. SILENT SKY explores a woman’s place in society during a time of immense scientific discoveries, when women’s ideas were dismissed until men claimed credit for them.

BIOS

Beth Wolf (Director) is the founder and Producing Artistic Director of Midsommer Flight, where she has directed eleven Shakespeare plays in Chicago parks since the company's founding in 2012, including critically acclaimed productions of CYMBELINE, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, THE TEMPEST, TWELFTH NIGHT, and HAMLET, among others. Her production of OUTSIDE MULLINGAR at Citadel was nominated for Best Production and Best Direction of Play (Midsize) in the 2022 Jeff Awards. Other recent credits include THE SUFFRAGE PLAYS at Artemisia, THE ROOMMATE at Citadel Theatre (Equity Jeff Recommended), AND NON-PLAYER CHARACTER at Red Theater (2020 Non-Equity Jeff nomination for Projection Design). Other Chicago credits include LIAR!, which won first place in the City Lit Art of Adaptation Festival; ROSENCRANTZ & GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD, BLACK MAGIC: AN EVENING OF SHAKESPEARE, BURY THE DEAD, and THE FANTASTICKS (Promethean Theatre Ensemble, where she was formerly the Artistic Director and co-founder); and various staged readings and assistant directing credits with Remy Bumppo, Idle Muse, City Lit Theater, and more. Beth is a proud Northwestern University graduate with a double major in Theatre and Gender Studies. She lives in Chicago with her husband and their two young children.

Lauren Gunderson (Playwright) has been one of the most produced playwrights in America since 2015, topping the list thrice including 2022/23. She is a two-time winner of the Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award for I AND YOU and THE BOOK OF WILL, the winner of the Lanford Wilson Award and a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. She is a playwright, screenwriter, musical book writer and children's author who lives in San Francisco. She graduated from NYU Tisch as a Reynolds Fellow in Social Entrepreneurship. LaurenGunderson.com 

Scott Phelps (Artistic Director) is in his 22nd year as the Artistic Director at Citadel. He’s acted in and directed dozens of Citadel productions over the two decades since founding this North Shore theatre in 2002 with his friend and lifelong companion, Ellen. Earlier in 2023, he starred in the leading role of Pastor Paul in THE CHRISTIANS. He has acted/directed in NYC, and in his home state of California, trained as an actor at the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts in Santa Maria, CA, received his BFA from the University of Utah, and did an apprenticeship at the Actors Theatre of Louisville in KY. For 18 years Scott worked for a promotional company and raised his three daughters and his son in Lake Forest. Recently he has been taking on the next chapter of his life — the role of “Beepa” to his grandchildren. Although he is unsure if he is old enough to play that part, he’s been enjoying the challenge.

Citadel Theatre is one of Chicagoland’s premier live theatres, producing hundreds of performances annually and inspiring audiences for nearly 22 years. Founded by Scott and Ellen Phelps in 2002, Citadel Theatre is comprised of its Main Stage performances and its theatre acting classes for children. A proud member of the League of Chicago Theatres and the Lake Forest/Lake Bluff ArtsLink, Citadel Theatre offers a unique intimate theatre experience that transports you to another setting and leaves you feeling exhilarated and wanting more. A recognized 501(c)3 non-profit organization, Citadel can accept tax-deductible donations. For more information, ticketing, and to donate, please visit Citadel online at www.citadeltheatre.org or call 847.735.8554.

OPENING: WORLD PREMIERE OF SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY at Citadel Theatre April 23-May 26, 2019

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

WORLD PREMIERE

SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY:

A MUSICAL TALE OF LOVE AND WAR

Written and performed by Ross Lehman

Directed by Mark Lococo

Citadel Theatre Company will close its 2018-19 season with the world premiere of a “musical remembrance” written and performed by one of Chicago’s best-loved actors, Ross Lehman.

SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY– a one-man performance piece - is the story of Lehman’s parents.

It weaves the romantic history of their courtship in college at Penn State University, their continued romance throughout WWII when he was an Air Force bombardier held prisoner by the Germans and she was a sophisticated career woman who waited for his return, and their family life during the postwar era of the 1950s when everyone simply wanted to get back to normal after a great depression and a devastating world war.

I'll be out for the press opening April 26th, so check back soon for my full review. 

In the piece, Lehman says that his parents would frequently “come to life upon hearing old songs”- so Lehman’s remembrances will be interspersed with his parents’ favorite songs of the early 20th Century, ranging from hymns to soldiers’ ditties to pop standards like “We'll Meet Again,” “Don't Fence Me In,” and the title song “Sentimental Journey.”

The production will open on Friday, April 26 and play through Sunday, May 26. It will be directed by Mark Lococo, Director of Theatre at Loyola University Chicago. Most recently at Citadel, he directed VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE. In addition to directing many shows at Loyola, he has also helmed productions at theatres across Chicagoland, including Marriott Theatre (A CHORUS LINE), Porchlight (THE GIFTS OF THE MAGI, ONCE ON THIS ISLAND), Northlight (THE MISER) and Citadel (OTHER DESERT CITIES, EDUCATING RITA).



BIOS
Ross Lehman (Writer/performer) has Broadway credits including A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM, THE TEMPEST, and ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST and many credits on Chicago’s professional stages. At Chicago Shakespeare Theater he has been seen most recently as the Fool in KING LEAR and Cerimon in PERICLES. Among his other CST roles have been Jacques/AS YOU LIKE IT, Feste/TWELFTH NIGHT, Dudley Marsh and Dromio of Syracuse/THE COMEDY OF ERRORS. He has performed at Steppenwolf in THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER and ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST; At the Goodman Theatre: WAITING FOR GODOT, A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM (Jeff Award), THE ROVER, A CHRISTMAS CAROL, and STAGE KISS. At Apple Tree Theatre: A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE (Jeff Award), THE DRESSER (After Dark Award), WHERE'S CHARLEY (Jeff Award) At Writers Theatre: AS YOU LIKE IT, and BACH AT LEIPZIG. His reprise of his role as Koko in THE HOT MIKADO in London’s West End production earned him a Laurence Olivier Award nomination. 

Mark Lococo (Director) Mark is Director of Theatre at Loyola University Chicago. Most recently at Citadel, he directed VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE. In addition to directing many shows at Loyola, he has also helmed productions at theatres across Chicagoland, including Marriott Theatre (A CHORUS LINE), Porchlight (THE GIFTS OF THE MAGI, ONCE ON THIS ISLAND), Northlight (THE MISER) and Citadel (OTHER DESERT CITIES, EDUCATING RITA).

Thursdays at 7:30 pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm, Sundays at 3 pm.
Additional matinees Wednesdays May 1 and 15 at 1 pm.
Preview ticket prices - $20.00. Regular run prices Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays $40.00; Saturdays and Sundays $45.00.
Discounts available for groups, the military, seniors and students.
Citadel Theatre, 300 S. Waukegan Road, Lake Forest, IL
Tickets available online at www.CitadelTheatre.org or by phone at 847-735-8554, ext. 1



Citadel Theatre is one of Chicagoland’s premier live theatres, producing hundreds of performances annually and inspiring audiences for over 15 years. Founded by Scott and Ellen Phelps in 2002, Citadel Theatre is comprised of its Main Stage performances, its On Tour programs, and its theatre acting classes for children. A proud member of the League of Chicago Theatres and the Lake Forest/Lake Bluff ArtsLink, Citadel Theatre offers a unique intimate theatre experience that transports you to another setting and leaves you feeling exhilarated and wanting more. A recognized 501(c)3 non-profit organization, Citadel can accept tax-deductible donations. For more information, ticketing, and to make a donation, please visit Citadel online at www.CitadelTheatre.org or call 847.735.8554.

SAVE THE DATES: Citadel Theatre 2019-2020 Season to Explore the Meaning of Family

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

Four-show subscription season will include two beloved musicals and two comedies about families lost, found and strengthened.

Citadel Theatre Company, an Equity-affiliated professional company performing in Lake Forest, IL, has announced its 17th season. The four-show subscription season will open in September with the Tony Award-winning adventure-comedy PETER AND THE STARCATCHER a “pre-quel” to the story of Peter Pan – the boy who, separated from his parents, refuses to grow up and forms a family among a group of lost boys. It will be followed for the holidays by the ever-popular family favorite ANNIE – the story of Little Orphan Annie and her new home with the uber-rich Daddy Warbucks. The season will continue in the new year with THE FANTASTICKS. The world’s longest running musical, THE FANTASTICKS tells the story of Matt and Luisa, young next-door neighbors who fall in love precisely because their scheming fathers, knowing the kids will do exactly what they’re told NOT to do, have been keeping them apart. The season will conclude with Neil Simon’s heartfelt BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS, a semi-autobiographical comedy inspired by Simon’s life at age 14 and his loving, but quirky family.

PETER AND THE STARCATCHER, opening on September 27 and running through October 27 is a pre-quel to PETER PAN, written by Rick Elice (author of the Broadway musicals JERSEY BOYS, THE ADDAMS FAMILY and THE CHER SHOW), based on the novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. On Broadway, It was nominated for nine Tony Awards, winning five. PETER AND THE STARCATCHER is an action-packed and humorous take on the Peter Pan characters in which 13 actors will play more than 100 roles.

PETER AND THE STARCATCHER will be directed by Jeremy Aluma, who recently directed THE ELABORATE ENTRANCE OF CHAD DEITY for Red Theater. The production was remounted at Theater on the Lake, named a Top 10 Show of 2017 by the CHICAGO TRIBUNE, and won a Jeff Award for Best Fight Choreography. Aluma is also the founder of the internationally touring clown troupe, Four Clowns.

ANNIE, which the CHICAGO TRIBUNE once called “one of the best family musicals ever penned,” will be Citadel’s holiday show. This musical comedy based on the long-running comic strip LITTLE ORPHAN ANNIE ran for nearly six years in its initial Broadway production and has twice been revived on Broadway. It was also adapted as a popular feature film and network television special.

Frequent Citadel director Robert D. Estrin, who helmed last year’s JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT and the Jeff Award-winning THE EXPLORERS CLUB, will direct a cast of professional musical theater performers alongside an ensemble of local children as the orphans. ANNIE will open on November 15 and run through December 22, 2019.



THE FANTASTICKS originally opened off -Broadway in New York City’s Greenwich Village in 1960 where it played until 2002. In 2006 it was remounted in a new theater in Times Square where it ran another 11 years, easily making its combined 53-year run the longest of any musical. It includes the song “Try to Remember,” which entreats audiences to remember a sweeter, gentler time.

Writers Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt adapted their story from a play by Edmund Rostand (CYRANO DE BERGERAC) in which two neighbors plot to make their children fall in love and marry each other by forbidding them to ever see each other, knowing that children will most want to do what they are told not to do. The boy and girl find a way to meet despite the fence that separates them, but they learn some hard lessons about romance and adventure vs. real life before the musical ends. Longtime Citadel collaborator Pat Murphy, who most recently directed LIGHT UP THE SKY for Citadel, will direct the production, opening on January 31 and running through March 1, 2020.



The season closer will be BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS, one of Neil Simon’s best-loved plays among his many hits. The first of an autobiographical trilogy that includes BILOXI BLUES and BROADWAY BOUND, BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS is a portrait of the writer as a young teen in 1937 living with his family in a crowded, lower middle-class Brooklyn walk-up.

Eugene Jerome, standing in for the author, is the narrator and central character. Dreaming of baseball and girls, Eugene must cope with the mundane existence of his family life in Brooklyn: his formidable mother, overworked father, and worldly older brother Stanley; as well as extended family members that include his widowed Aunt Blanche and her two young (but rapidly aging) daughters. The warm and funny BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS will open on Friday, April 24 and run through Sunday, May 24, 2020.  Citadel Founding Artistic Director Scott Phelps will direct.
Season subscriptions are available for the full four-show season at $120.00 or as flex passes that can be used for the patron’s choice of three shows for $100.00 or two shows for $70.00. Subscriptions and single tickets are now on sale at www.citadeltheatre.org.

Friday, September 20 – Sunday, October 20, 2019
(Previews September 18-19 @ 7:30 pm)
Thursdays at 7:30 pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm, Sundays at 3 pm.
Preview ticket prices - $20.00. Regular run prices Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays $40.00; Saturdays and Sundays $45.00. Discounts available for groups, seniors and student.

Citadel Theatre, 300 S. Waukegan Road, Lake Forest, IL
Tickets available online at www.citadeltheatre.org or by phone at 847-735-8554, ext. 1

The Tony Award-winning PETER AND THE STARCATCHER upends the century-old story of how a miserable orphan comes to be The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up (a.k.a. Peter Pan). A young orphan and his mates are shipped off from Victorian England to a distant island ruled by the evil King Zarboff. They know nothing of the mysterious trunk in the captain’s cabin, which contains a precious, otherworldly cargo. At sea, the boys are discovered by a precocious young girl named Molly, a Starcatcher-in-training who realizes that the trunk’s precious cargo is starstuff, a celestial substance so powerful that it must never fall into the wrong hands. When the ship is taken over by pirates – led by the fearsome Black Stache, a villain determined to claim the trunk and its treasure for his own – the journey quickly becomes a thrilling adventure.

ANNIE
Music by Charles Strouse, Book by Thomas Meehan, Lyrics by Martin Charnin
Directed by Robert D. Estrin
Friday, November 22 – Sunday, December 22, 2019
(Previews November 20-21 @7:30 pm)
Thursdays at 7:30 pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm, Sundays at 3 pm.
Preview ticket prices - $20.00. Regular run prices Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays $40.00; Saturdays and Sundays $45.00. Discounts available for groups, seniors and student.
Citadel Theatre, 300 S. Waukegan Road, Lake Forest, IL
Tickets available online at www.citadeltheatre.org or by phone at 847-735-8554, ext. 1

With equal measures of pluck and positivity, little orphan Annie charms everyone's hearts despite a next-to-nothing start in 1930s New York City. She is determined to find the parents who abandoned her years ago on the doorstep of a New York City Orphanage that is run by the cruel, embittered Miss Hannigan. With the help of the other girls in the Orphanage, Annie escapes to the wondrous world of NYC. In adventure after fun-filled adventure, Annie foils Miss Hannigan's evil machinations... and even befriends President Franklin Delano Roosevelt! She finds a new home and family in billionaire, Oliver Warbucks, his personal secretary, Grace Farrell, and a lovable mutt named Sandy.

THE FANTASTICKS 
Music by Harvey Schmidt, Book and Lyrics by Tom Jones
Directed by Pat Murphy
Friday, February 7, 2020 - Sunday, Mar 8, 2020
(Previews February 5 and 6 @ 7:30 pm)
Thursdays at 7:30 pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm, Sundays at 3 pm.
Preview ticket prices - $20.00. Regular run prices Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays $40.00; Saturdays and Sundays $45.00. Discounts available for groups, seniors and student.
Citadel Theatre, 300 S. Waukegan Road, Lake Forest, IL
Tickets available online at www.citadeltheatre.org or by phone at 847-735-8554, ext. 1

THE FANTASTICKS is a funny and romantic musical about a boy, a girl, and their two fathers who try to keep them apart. The narrator, El Gallo, asks the audience to use their imagination and follow him into a world of moonlight and magic. The boy and the girl fall in love, grow apart and finally find their way back to each other after realizing the truth in El Gallo's words that, "without a hurt, the heart is hollow."

BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS
By Neil Simon
Directed by Scott Phelps
Friday April 24, 2020 - Sunday May 24, 2020
(Previews April 22-23 @ 7:30 pm)
Thursdays at 7:30 pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm, Sundays at 3 pm.
Preview ticket prices - $20.00. Regular run prices Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays $40.00; Saturdays and Sundays $45.00. Discounts available for groups, seniors and student.
Citadel Theatre, 300 S. Waukegan Road, Lake Forest, IL
Tickets available online at www.citadeltheatre.org or by phone at 847-735-8554, ext. 1

Part one of Neil Simon’s autobiographical trilogy: a portrait of the writer as a young teen in 1937 living with his family in a crowded, lower middle-class Brooklyn walk-up. Eugene Jerome must cope with the mundane existence of his family life in Brooklyn: formidable mother, overworked father, and his worldly older brother Stanley. Throw into the mix his widowed Aunt Blanche, her two young (but rapidly aging) daughters and you have a recipe for hilarity, served up Simon-style. This bittersweet memoir evocatively captures the life of a struggling Jewish household where, as his father states "if you didn't have a problem, you wouldn't be living here."

BIOS

Jeremy Aluma (Director, PETER AND THE STARCATCHER) is an award-winning, Jewish-American theatre director of Iraqi descent. He founded the internationally touring clown troupe Four Clowns and served as Artistic Director during their first seven years. Directing credits include: ABRAHAM & ISAAC (MuBe Cultural Theatre, São Paulo, Brazil); PINOCCHIO and ROBIN HOOD (South Coast Repertory, CA); SUBLIMITY (Theatre Row, NYC); THE ELABORATE ENTRANCE OF CHAD DEITY (Theater on the Lake, Chicago) AN OAK TREE (Red Theater, Chicago); CRUMBLE, LAY ME DOWN JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE (Sacred Fools, LA); THE LAST DAYS OF JUDAS ISCARIOT (Urban Theatre Movement, LA); HENRY’S POTATO (REDCAT, LA); IN ARABIA WE’D ALL BE KINGS (Alive Theatre, Long Beach); JONAH (Annenberg, Santa Monica) and HAMLET (American Coast Theater, CA). His original show, FOUR CLOWNS toured nationally to La MaMa (NYC); Chopin Theatre (Chicago); Gremlin Theatre (St. Paul, MN); Exit Theatre (San Francisco); Space 55 (Phoenix, AZ); and Insurgo Theater Movement (Las Vegas). Aluma is a company member at Red Theater, a Board Member for the Alliance for Jewish Theatre, and a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Union (SDC). He continues to teach and take classes at The Clown School and will graduate in June 2019 with an MFA in Directing from The Theatre School at DePaul University. jeremyaluma.com

Robert D. Estrin (Director, ANNIE) Robert’s directing credits include JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, THE EXPLORERS CLUB, A CHRISTMAS STORY: THE MUSICAL, A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM, DON’T DRESS FOR DINNER, CABARET, OTHER PEOPLE’S MONEY, LEND ME A TENOR (Citadel); THE SUM OF US (1027 Productions). Director/Designer: SUCH A PRETTY FACE (Off Broadway Equity Showcase production, New York City). Designer: A CHRISTMAS CAROL, LITTLE WOMEN, THE PRISONER OF SECOND AVENUE, THE BOARDING HOUSE, SOMETHING’S AFOOT (Citadel); CORPUS DELICTI, MR. SHAW GOES TO HOLLYWOOD, SIDE EFFECTS MAY INCLUDE (MadKap Productions). Retired in 2005 from New Trier High School after thirty-four years of teaching theatre. Visit Bob on his Facebook page. Education: Northern Illinois University (B.A.); University of Illinois (M.A.).

Pat Murphy (Director, THE FANTASTICKS) returns to Citadel Theatre as director for the winter production of THE FANTASTICKS. Last year he directed LIGHT UP THE SKY. Previous shows he directed at Citadel are, OLIVER!, A CHRISTMAS CAROL several years ago and DEATHTRAP. He has also acted in LEND ME A TENOR and OTHER PEOPLE’S MONEY. Murphy was Director of Theatre for 35 years at Glenbrook North High School. Murphy directed over one hundred productions at Glenbrook North before retiring a number of years ago. He now directs, acts and coaches theatre students and actors.

Scott Phelps (Director, BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS) is in his 16th year as the Artistic Director at Citadel. He’s acted in and directed dozens of Citadel productions over the last decade and a half since founding this North Shore theatre in 2002 with his friend and lifelong companion, Ellen. He has acted/directed in NYC, and in his home state of California, trained as an actor at the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts in Santa Maria, CA, received his BFA from the University of Utah, and did an apprenticeship at the Actors Theatre of Louisville in KY. For 18 years Scott worked for a promotional company and raised his three daughters and his son in Lake Forest. Recently he has been taking on the next chapter of his life — the role of “Grandpa”. Although he is unsure if he is old enough to play that part, he’s been enjoying the challenge.

Citadel Theatre is one of Chicagoland’s premier live theatres, producing hundreds of performances annually and inspiring audiences for over 16 years. Founded by Scott and Ellen Phelps in 2002, Citadel Theatre is comprised of its Main Stage performances, its On Tour programs, and its theatre acting classes for children. A proud member of the League of Chicago Theatres and the Lake Forest/Lake Bluff ArtsLink, Citadel Theatre offers a unique intimate theatre experience that transports you to another setting and leaves you feeling exhilarated and wanting more. A recognized 501(c)3 non-profit organization, Citadel can accept tax-deductible donations. For more information, ticketing, and to donate, please visit Citadel online at www.CitadelTheatre.org or call 847.735.8554.

OPENING: THE EXPLORERS CLUB Via Citadel Theatre in Lake Forest 4/27-5/27/18

Chi IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

The Explorers Club

by Nell Benjamin

Directed by Robert D. Estrin

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we haven't had a chance to check out Citadel's take on the multi award winning play, THE EXPLORERS CLUB, but we caught Windy City's production in 2016 and adored it. The show is a hoot! If you can make it to Lake Forest, catch it if you can. 

Nell Benjamin’s comedy THE EXPLORERS CLUB is a spoof of all those bold Victorian adventurers who ravaged foreign lands and annihilated indigenous cultures in the name of science. It’s London 1879 and the prestigious Explorers Club is in crisis: a brilliant, beautiful woman who has discovered a legendary Lost City wants to join, but letting her in might shake the very foundations of the British Empire! THE EXPLORERS CLUB, which enjoyed a successful run off-Broadway in 2013, was honored with awards including the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Off-Broadway Play, the Edgerton Foundation New American Plays Award, and an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation grant.

THE EXPLORERS CLUB, which will conclude Citadel's 2017-18 season, will be directed by Robert D. Estrin, whose previous directing credits at Citadel include OTHER PEOPLE’S MONEY, LEND ME A TENOR, DON’T DRESS FOR DINNER, CABARET, and A CHRISTMAS STORY: THE MUSICAL.  Additionally, he was scenic designer for Citadel’s productions of A CHIRSTMAS CAROL, SOMETHING’S AFOOT and LITTLE WOMEN.

Estrin’s cast will include Jacob Fjare (Professor Cope), Frank Gasparro (Luigi), Edward Kuffert (Sir Bernard Humphries), Erik Pearson (Professor Walling), Scott Phelps (Beebe/Irish Assassin), Elizabeth Rude (Phyllida Spotte-Hume, Countess Glamorgan), Bob Sanders (Professor Sloane), Nate Strain (Lucius Fretway), and Guy Wicke (Harry Percy).  Phelps is a member of Actors Equity Association.

Top row left-right: Nate Strain, Jacob Fjare, Frank Gasparro, Edward Kuffert, Erik Pearson. Bottom row left-right: Scott Phelps, Bob Sanders, Elizabeth Rude, Guy Wicke.

The design and production team will include Jose Soto (Set Designer), Sandie Bacon (Scenic Artist), Matthew Wofford (Lighting Designer), Bob Boxer (Sound Designer), Paul Kim (Costume Designer), Mark Holley (Properties Designer), Lynn Baber (casting director), Jason Clark (Master Carpenter), Samantha Tink (Stage Manager), Robert Tobin (fight choreography) and Catherine Gillespie (dialect coach).

The Press Opening is Friday, April 27 at 8:00pm at Citadel’s West Campus Theatre at 300 S. Waukegan Rd., Lake Forest, following previews on Wednesday, April 25 and Thursday, April 26 at 7:30pm. THE EXPLORERS CLUB will run April 27 through May 27, 2018 with performances Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, and Sundays at 3pm, plus 11 am matinees on May 2 and May 16. Citadel Theatre (300 S. Waukegan Rd) is a 144-seat venue with a thrust stage and comfortable stadium seating. 

Tickets are available online at www.CitadelTheatre.org or over the phone by calling the Citadel Theatre box office at 847.735.8554. Tickets are $20.00 for previews, $37.50 for regular run Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and $40.00 for Saturdays and Sundays. Discounts are available for seniors, students, theatre industry professionals and groups.

Robert D. Estrin (Director) Directing credits include A CHRISTMAS STORY: THE MUSICAL, A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM, DON’T DRESS FOR DINNER, CABARET, OTHER PEOPLE’S MONEY, LEND ME A TENOR (Citadel); THE SUM OF US (1027 Productions). Director/Designer: SUCH A PRETTY FACE (Off Broadway Equity Showcase production, New York City). Designer: A CHRISTMAS CAROL, LITTLE WOMEN, THE PRISONER OF SECOND AVENUE, THE BOARDING HOUSE, SOMETHING’S AFOOT (Citadel); CORPUS DELICTI, MR. SHAW GOES TO HOLLYWOOD, SIDE EFFECTS MAY INCLUDE (MadKap Productions). Retired in 2005 from New Trier High School after thirty-four years of teaching theatre. Visit Bob on his Facebook page. Education: Northern Illinois University (B.A.); University of Illinois (M.A.).

Nell Benjamin (playwright) is a multi-talented playwright, composer and lyricist with several Broadway and off-Broadway credits. She received 2007 Tony and Drama Desk nominations and the Olivier and Helpmann Awards for Best Musical for her music and lyrics on LEGALLY BLONDE, co-written with her husband Laurence O’Keefe.  She is the lyricist of MEAN GIRLS, which will open on Broadway this spring and of the Broadway -bound musicals DAVE and HALF TIME (which had a pre-Broadway tryout in Chicago under the title GOTTA DANCE). Ms. Benjamin is the author of PIRATES!, an adaptation of THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE, developed at Goodspeed Opera House and Paper Mill Playhouse. She wrote book, music and lyrics for CAM JANSEN with Laurence O’Keefe, wrote lyrics for SARAH, PLAIN AND TALL and THE MICE, won a Kleban Award and a Jonathan Larson Foundation grant and is a member of ASCAP and the Dramatists Guild of America. Her television writing includes UNHAPPILY EVER AFTER, Animal Planet's WHOA!, SUNDAY WITH MO ROCCA and the new ELECTRIC COMPANY.

Ticket prices: Thurs., & Fris. $37.50, Sats. and Suns. $40.00, Previews $20.00. Discounts available for Seniors, Students, and for Groups of 10 or more.

Citadel Theatre is one of Chicagoland’s premier live theatres, producing hundreds of performances annually and inspiring audiences for over 14 years. Founded by Scott and Ellen Phelps in 2002, Citadel Theatre is comprised of its Main Stage performances, its On Tour programs, and its theatre acting classes for children. A proud member of the League of Chicago Theatres and the Lake Forest/Lake Bluff ArtsLink, Citadel Theatre offers a unique intimate theatre experience that transports you to another setting and leaves you feeling exhilarated and wanting more. A recognized 501(c)3 non-profit organization, Citadel can accept tax-deductible donations. For more information, ticketing, and to make a donation, please visit Citadel online at www.CitadelTheatre.org or call 847.735.8554.