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Showing posts with label Glencoe IL. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Glencoe IL. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 8, 2022

OPENING: World Premiere of Wife of a Salesman Via Writers Theatre March 3 – April 3, 2022

 Writers Theatre continues its 2021/22 Season with

the world premiere of

Wife of a Salesman

by Eleanor Burgess

directed by Jo Bonney

featuring Kate Fry, Amanda Drinkall and Rom Barkhordar

March 3 – April 3, 2022



Writers Theatre, under the leadership of Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma and Interim Artistic Director Bobby Kennedy, continues its 2021/22 Season with the world premiere of Eleanor Burgess’s Wife of a Saleman, directed by Jo Bonney, and in association with Milwaukee Repertory Theater. Wife of a Salesman runs March 3, 2022 – April 3, 2022 in the Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe. 

An iconic drama. An imagined meeting. A recentering of where “attention must be paid.” What if a 1950s housewife from a particularly well-known American play drove from Brooklyn to Boston to confront her husband’s mistress? Would the encounter be explosive? Or would the two women discover they have more in common than one might assume? Taking inspiration from Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, this world premiere play imagines how a potentially combustible confrontation brings themes of marriage, duty and division to the surface—and the ways in which the world has, and hasn’t, changed across generations.

Playwright Eleanor Burgess (The Niceties) brings her gift for sharp dialogue and spirited debate to Wife of a Salesman, influenced by interviews with her grandmothers in addition to the work of Arthur Miller. Staged in the intimate Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre, this world premiere co-presentation with Milwaukee Rep is sure to be the must-see theatrical event of the spring!

Wife of a Salesman was commissioned and developed through Writers Theatre’s Literary Development Initiative, in joint partnership with Milwaukee Repertory Theatre.

Interim Artistic Director Bobby Kennedy [he/him] comments, “We are proud to continue Writers Theatre's 30th Anniversary Season with the world premiere of Wife of a Salesman. This play, commissioned and developed in partnership with Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, connects both the past and future of live theatre. Having staged dozens of productions of theatrical classics over the years, it is exciting to now be a place where fresh voices are creating original work in dialogue with dramatic tradition. Eleanor Burgess has written a new play that brilliantly and passionately carves out space for women in a familiar narrative where little existed previously, making a call for attention to be paid not only in the mid-century era defined by male writers like Arthur Miller but in our own time as well. I’m thrilled to be giving this play its debut staging, and to be working with Jo Bonney, one of the foremost directors of new plays, for the first time. With a cast and design team full of both returning artists and newcomers, this production brings the past and future together to create something I think audiences will find extraordinarily refreshing and poignant.”

Kate Fry returns to Writers Theatre where she previously performed in A Minister’s Wife, Oh Coward, The Letters, Hedda Gabler, Marjorie Prime, and Arcadia. Rom Barkhordar performed at WT more than 20 years ago at Books on Vernon in Incident at Vichy and Fallen Angels.

The cast is Kate Fry (The Wife), Amanda Drinkall (The Mistress), Rom Barkholder (Jim/The Radio) with Dekyi Rongé (Angela/The Radio) and Karmann Bajuyo (The Radio). The understudies are Heather Chrisler (The Mistress/Violet), Stacy Stoltz (The Wife/Heather) and Keith Kupferer (Jim).

The creative team for Wife of a Salesman includes Jo Bonney (Director), Heather Gilbert (Lighting Designer), Courtney O’Neill (Scenic Designer), Raquel Adorno (Costume Designer), Sarah Espinoza (Sound Designer), Rae Watson (Properties), Kate DeVore (Vocal Coach) and Courtney Abbott (Violence Designer). The stage manager is Katie Klemme.

 

About the Artists

Writers Theatre previously produced Eleanor Burgess’ play The Niceties in its 19/20 season. Scenic Designer Courtney O’Neill and Lighting Designer Heather Gilbert worked on that production as well.

Eleanor Burgess (Writer) is a playwright whose plays include The Niceties, Start Down, Chill and These Dying Generations. Her work has been produced at Manhattan Theatre Club, McCarter Theatre Center, Geffen Playhouse, Huntington Theatre Company, the Alliance Theatre, the Contemporary American Theatre Festival, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, Portland Stage Company and Centenary Stage, and developed with The New Group, New York Theatre Workshop, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Alley Theatre, Writers Theatre, Milwaukee Rep, Salt Lake Acting Company, the Hermitage Artists Retreat, the Lark Play Development Center and the Kennedy Center/NNPN MFA Playwrights Workshop. She’s also been a member of the Dorothy Strelsin New American Writers Group at Primary Stages, Page 73's writers' group Interstate 73, The Civilians’ R&D Group, and New York Theatre Workshop’s 2050 Fellowship. Originally from Brookline, Massachusetts, she studied history at Yale College and Dramatic Writing at NYU/Tisch.

 Director Jo Bonney is an award-winning director known internationally for her work on world premiere plays.

Jo Bonney (Director) has directed premieres of plays by: Alan Ball, Hilary Bettis, Eric Bogosian, Hammaad Chaudry, Culture Clash, Eve Ensler, Jessica Goldberg, Isaac Gomez, Danny Hoch, Ione Patricia Lloyd, Neil LaBute, Warren Leight, Martyna Majok, Lynn Nottage, Dan O'Brien, Dael Orlandersmith, Suzan-Lori Parks, Darci Picoult, John Pollono, Will Power, David Rabe, Jose Rivera, Seth Zvi Rosenfeld, Christopher Shinn, Diana Son, Universes, Naomi Wallace, Michael Weller. Productions of plays by: Caryl Churchill, Nilo Cruz, Anna Deavere Smith, Charles Fuller, Lisa Loomer, Paul Lucas, Carey Perloff, Lanford Wilson. Productions directed at: ART, Boston; PS 122; The Public Theater NYC; NYTW; Second Stage; Goodman Theatre; La Jolla Playhouse; MCC, NY; Geffen Playhouse; Williamstown Festival; McCarter Theater; Playwrights Horizons; Arena Stage; CTG, LA; Signature, NY; Long Wharf; The New Group; CSC; Humana Festival; Almeida, London; Edinburgh Festival; The Market Theatre, Johannesburg; The Baxter, Cape Town SA, Cine 13, Paris. She is the recipient of two Obie Awards for Sustained Excellence of Direction, Lucille Lortel Best Musical and Lucille Lortel Best Revival, Drama Desk nomination for Direction of By the Way, Meet Vera Stark, and Alliance and Lilly Award. Audelco Award for Father Comes Home from the Wars. Outer Critics Circle Award nomination for Cost of Living. Editor of Extreme Exposure: An Anthology of Solo Performance Texts from the Twentieth Century (TCG).

Kate Fry (The Wife) is happy to be back at Writers, where she has performed in A Minister’s Wife, Oh Coward, The Letters, Hedda Gabler, and Marjorie Prime. Elsewhere in the Chicago area she has worked with Court Theatre (over a dozen productions including The Belle of Amherst, Electra, Mousetrap); Northlight Theatre (Outside Mullingar, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, Mother of the Maid); Goodman Theatre (The Winter’s Tale, Ah, Wilderness!), Chicago Shakespeare Theatre (As You Like It, Taming of the Shrew, Love’s Labor’s Lost, The Merchant of Venice, Henry IV parts 1 and 2—also at the Royal Shakespeare Company) and Victory Gardens (In the Next Room, or the Vibrator Play). Elsewhere, she has worked with Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles, McCarter Theatre Center, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, and Lincoln Center. Film/TV includes episodes on Boss, Empire, Proven Innocent, and Chicago PD. She is the recipient of 4 Joseph Jefferson Awards, the Sarah Siddons award for Chicago’s Leading Lady, the After Dark Award, and Chicago Tribune’s actress of the year. Kate is married to actor/teacher Timothy Edward Kane. They have two sons.

Amanda Drinkall (The Mistress) makes her Writers Theatre debut. She was most recently seen as Desdemona in The Tragedy of Othello at Court Theatre. Other Chicago credits include: Venus in Fur, A Winter’s Tale, Measure for Measure, Continuity, Bernhardt/Hamlet, and Ah, Wilderness! (Goodman Theatre); Mary Page Marlowe (Steppenwolf Theatre Company); King Charles III (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre); White Guy on the Bus, Funnyman, By the Water (Northlight Theatre); Southern Gothic (Windy City Playhouse); Significant Other (About Face Theatre); Dutchman (American Blues Theatre); Pygmalion (Oak Park Festival); Rest (Victory Gardens), The Last Train to Nibroc (Haven Theatre-Jeff Award-Best Actress), Great Expectations (Strawdog), Pride and Prejudice (Lifeline); and more than 20 shows with The Back Room Shakespeare Project, where she is a Partner. As an ensemble member of Red Tape Theatre, her favorite credits include: hamlet is dead. no gravity, The Skriker, Brand, and Pullman, WA. Regional credits: Sheltered (Alliance Theatre); My Father’s War (TheatreSquared), Michigan Shakespeare Festival’s The Comedy of Errors and Romeo and Juliet and North Carolina Shakespeare Festival’s King Lear and Much Ado About Nothing. Film/TV credits include: The View From Tall, Christmas...Again?! (Disney Channel), Chicago Med (NBC), Bobby & Iza (NBC). Ms. Drinkall is represented by Gray Talent Group and is married to actor Gage Wallace.

Rom Barkhordar (Jim/The Radio) is VERY happy to be making a return to Writers Theatre after a 21-year hiatus, where he appeared in Incident at Vichy and Fallen Angels. Chicago credits include: Acts of God, Around the World in 80 Days (Lookingglass Theatre); Yasmina’s Necklace, Ruined (u/s) (Goodman Theatre); The Elephant Man, Homebody/Kabul (u/s)(Steppenwolf Theatre Company); The Who and the What (Victory Gardens Theatre); Mosque Alert, Night over Erzinga (Silk Road Rising); Pravda, Halcyon Days, Not About Nightingales (Timeline Theatre). Regional: Proof (Kitchen Theatre); Disgraced (Virginia Stage Co.); The Who and the What (Huntington Theatre) Around the World in 80 Days (Kansas City Rep.) (Centerstage Theatre). Film: Canal Street, Abi, Roundabout American. Television: Proven Innocent, Chicago Med., Chicago Justice, Mind Games, Chicago Fire, Boss, The Beast.

Cast: Kate Fry (The Wife), Amanda Drinkall (The Mistress), Rom Barkholder (Jim/The Radio) with Dekyi Rongé (Angela/The Radio) and Karmann Bajuyo (The Radio). The understudies are Heather Chrisler (The Mistress) Stacy Stoltz (The Wife) and Keith Kupferer (Jim).

Creative team: Heather Gilbert (Lighting Designer), Courtney O’Neill (Scenic Designer), Raquel Adorno (Costume Designer), Sarah Espinoza (Sound Designer), Rae Watson (Properties), Kate DeVore (Vocal Coach) and Courtney Abbott (Violence Designer). The stage manager is Katie Klemme.

 

Dates:              

First performance: Thursday, March 3, 2022

Press opening: Friday, March 11, 2022 at 7:30pm

Closing performance: Sunday, April 3, 2022

 

Schedule:        

Wednesdays: 3:00pm and 7:30pm

Thursdays: 7:30pm

Fridays: 7:30pm

Saturdays: 3:00pm and 7:30pm

Sundays: 2:00pm and 6:00pm

 

Location: The Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre, 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe

             

Prices:              

Prices for all performances range from $35 - $90

Purchase early for best prices                                   


Box Office:       

The Box Office is located at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe;

847-242-6000; www.writerstheatre.org 

 WRITERS THEATRE 2021/22 SEASON

The Writers Theatre season began with Dishwasher Dreams, written and performed by Alaudin Ullah, directed by Chay Yew, and produced in association with Hartford Stage. Following Wife of a Salesman, is the Chicago premiere of Athena, written by Gracie Gardner, choreographed by Steph Paul, and directed by Jessica Fisch. The season concludes with the world premiere of Pearl’s Rollin’ with the Blues, a musical revue created by Felicia P. Fields and Ron OJ Parson and directed by Parson.

The 2021/22 Season will see the company return to live performances and celebrate its 30th Anniversary, now firmly at home in its award-winning building at 325 Tudor Court in Glencoe, designed by Studio Gang Architects. Productions will be presented in two spaces in the theater complex including the 255-seat Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre as well as the Gillian Theatre, a 50 to 99-seat flexible theatre space. 

The theatre, along with over 60 other Chicago performing arts organizations, will require patrons to be fully vaccinated and masked when attending performances. Please visit https://www.writerstheatre.org/covid-safety for full details.

 



SEASON PACKAGES

Writers is offering a variety of Classic Subscriptions, which include a ticket to each production throughout the season and includes renewal into fixed seats on set dates once each run is announced.

Subscriptions include three familiar package types that all offer fixed seats to see all four WT productions this season, one ticket to each production. Subscriptions are made for those who are looking to set their schedule in advance and gain access to seating at the top of the Season.

For the 2021/22 Season, Writers will continue the Membership Program, which includes 4 tickets to be used throughout the season as the Member chooses.

There are two types of Memberships: The most flexible option to “Pay As You Go” after an up-front Membership fee, or the option to pay in full for 4 tickets to be used throughout the season (“Up Front Flex”). Memberships are designed for those who want the freedom and flexibility of a more adaptable package.

Classic Subscriptions range in price from $160 to $240. Customizable payment plans are available. A “Pay As You Go” Membership is $35 per ticket after a one-time $60 Membership fee, or patrons may opt for the “Up Front Flex” Membership for $200 up-front 

Season package subscribers receive exclusive benefits including complimentary ticket exchanges by phone and mail (upgrade fees may apply), access to special play readings and lectures, special “subscriber-rate” prices on additional tickets, a year subscription to The Brief Chronicle digital newsmagazine and more. For a complete list of benefits visit writerstheatre.org/join.

Season Packages are available online at www.writerstheatre.org, and at the Box Office by calling 847-242-6000.

Writers Theatre is pleased to welcome back BMO Harris Bank as the distinguished 2021/22 Season Sponsor, marking the Bank’s ninth consecutive year as season sponsor.


AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES:

WT also offers Access Performances, including ASL-interpretation and Open Captioning on select dates for each production. Please visit writerstheatre.org/accessibility for more information.

Writers Theatre is also working with Erika Walker and Maylene Peña of the Walker Thomas Group on workplace culture and equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives. Additional information about this important and ongoing work can be found at writerstheatre.org/working-at-wt.

ABOUT WRITERS THEATRE 

Writers Theatre boldly looks to the future as it begins its 30th season. Having captivated audiences for years with its dedication to creating the most intimate theatrical experience possible, the theatre is now a major Chicagoland cultural destination with a national reputation for excellence, being called “America’s finest regional theater company” by The Wall Street Journal.

Since 1992, Writers Theatre has stayed true to its core values: valuing the power of the written word and uplifting the artists who bring that word to life. The company has produced over 120 productions—everything from inventive interpretations of classics to groundbreaking new work. In 2016, Writers Theatre opened a new, state-of-the-art facility designed by the internationally renowned Studio Gang Architects. The new facility has allowed the Theatre to accommodate its growing audience, while maintaining its trademark intimacy.

Writers Theatre now welcomes more than 60,000 patrons each season and has helped establish the North Shore of Chicago as a premier cultural destination. Through its Literary Development Initiative, which has been responsible for the nurturing and premiering of over two dozen world premieres, the theatre has established itself as a major originator of new theatrical works. Serving as an extension of the Writers Theatre mission, WT Education programs engage an average 10,000 students each year with active learning opportunities centered around the written word.

Tuesday, April 30, 2019

OPENING: Pulitzer Prize-Winning Musical Next to Normal at Writers Theatre May 8 – June 16, 2019

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar
Writers Theatre concludes its 2018/19 Season with
Next to Normal
Music by Tom Kitt, Book and Lyrics by Brian Yorkey
Directed by Tony Award winner David Cromer
Music Direction by Andra Velis Simon
Featuring Kyrie Courter, Alex Levy, Liam Oh, Gabriel Ruiz,
David Schlumpf and Keely Vasquez 


Photo Credit: Saverio Truglia

May 8 – June 16, 2019 

Writers Theatre, under the leadership of Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma, concludes its 2018/19 season with the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Next to Normal, with music by Tom Kitt, book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey, directed by Tony Award winner David Cromer (The Band’s Visit) and music directed by Andra Velis Simon. Next to Normal runs May 8 – June 16, 2019 in the Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe.

Next to Normal began in 1998 as a 10-minute workshop sketch called Feeling Electric, about a woman undergoing electroshock therapy and its impact on her family. After a number of readings and workshops, the full-length musical was produced Off-Broadway at the Second Stage Theater in 2008. 

I'll be out for the press opening May 15th, so check back soon for my full review. Two of my extended family members have undergone electroshock therapy for depression, so this topic hits close to home. I've seen the Broadway touring production, and can't wait to see Writers Theatre's take on this award winner. 

Next to Normal received the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama – one of only nine musicals to have ever won the award. The others are: Of Thee I Sing (1932), South Pacific (1950), Fiorello! (1960), How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1962), A Chorus Line (1976), Sunday in the Park with George (1985), Rent (1996), and Hamilton (2016).

On the outside, The Goodmans seem like the average American family: house in the suburbs, white picket fence and two sharp-witted kids. But inside, their lives are anything but normal, with long-buried secrets that threaten to tear them apart. Featuring powerful lyrics and an electrifying score, this explosive musical uses wry humor and brutal honesty to explore how family trauma can fracture the American Dream, while ultimately leading to a chance at new beginnings.

This deeply moving and captivating American musical took Broadway by storm in 2009, winning three Tony awards and the Pulitzer Prize for drama. Now, Chicago and Broadway director David Cromer returns to WT, where he has directed A Streetcar Named Desire and Picnic, to bring his singularly personal touch to this modern musical where the lines between reality and delusion are never quite clear.


Next to Normal opened on Broadway in April 2009 with the entire Arena Stage cast resuming their roles. The production was nominated for eleven Tony Awards and won three (Best Original Score – Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical – Alice Ripley, and Best Orchestrations – Michael Starobin and Tom Kitt).

“It is truly a privilege to be in collaboration with David Cromer again,” comments Artistic Director Michael Halberstam. “So much of my aesthetic and the aesthetic of Writers Theatre has been influenced by our friendship, the respect I have for his work and our many conversations about the form. We both share a profoundly personal attachment to the subject matter of this remarkable work and he has assembled a brilliant team of artists to realize his vision. David has a gift for taking a piece of theatre you might have thought familiar and then shedding a fresh perspective on it.  He manages to make you see it in a new light and yet he remains entirely true to the intent of the author.  Next to Normal is a rollercoaster ride for the emotions and features a soaring score filled with sophistication, beauty and sweeping melody.” 

The cast of Next to Normal includes: Kyrie Courter (Natalie Goodman), Alex Levy (Henry), Liam Oh (Gabe), Gabriel Ruiz (Dr. Madden/Dr. Fine), David Schlumpf (Dan Goodman), and Keely Vasquez (Diana Goodman).

The creative team for Next to Normal includes: Regina Garcia (Scenic Designer), Rachel Anne Healy (Costume Designer), Keith Parham (Lighting Designer), Christopher M. LaPorte (Co-Sound Designer), Ray Nardelli (Co-Sound Designer), Bobby Kennedy (Dramaturg), Nick Moran (CFM Contractor), Ethan Deppe (Keyboard Programmer), Eamon Foley (Choreographer), Ellen Morris (Assistant Music Director), Harmony France (Assistant Director), and Rebecca Pechter (Production Stage Manager).

Single tickets for Next to Normal, priced $35 - $80, are available at www.writerstheatre.org, by phone at 847-242-6000, or in person at the box office at 325 Tudor Court in Glencoe.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS


Director David Cromer returns to Writers Theatre, where he has directed A Streetcar Named Desire, Picnic, The Price, Booth, and Oscar Remembered. This marks Cromer’s first Chicago-area production since winning the 2018 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical for The Band’s Visit on Broadway. Cromer was raised in Skokie and attended Columbia College Chicago.

David Cromer (Director) returns to Writers Theatre where he previously directed A Streetcar Named Desire, Picnic, The Price, Booth, Oscar Remembered and The Beats. Recent credits include: The Band’s Visit (Tony Award winner for Best Director of a Musical, Broadway’s Ethel Barrymore Theatre), The Treasurer (Playwrights Horizons), Man from Nebraska (Second Stage Theatre), the Off-Broadway premiere of The Band’s Visit (Atlantic Theater Company), The Effect (Barrow Street Theatre), Come Back, Little Sheba (Huntington Theatre Company) and Our Town at the Almeida Theatre in London, which he also directed in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Boston and Kansas City. Additional New York Credits include: Women or Nothing at Atlantic Theater Company, Really Really at MCC, The House of Blue Leaves and Brighton Beach Memoirs on Broadway, When the Rain Stops Falling and Nikolai and the Others at Lincoln Center Theater, as well as Tribes, Orson’s Shadow at Barrow Street plus Adding Machine, which was a BST production at the Minetta Lane. Originally from Chicago, his credits there include Sweet Bird of Youth (Goodman Theatre), A Streetcar Named Desire, Cherrywood, Mojo, The Hot l Baltimore (Mary-Arrchie Theatre), The Cider House Rules (co-directed with Marc Grapey, Famous Door) and Angels in America (The Journeymen), among others. For his work he has received a Drama Desk, three Obies, three Lortels, four Jeff Awards and in 2010 was made a McArthur Foundation Fellow.


Kyrie Courter (Natalie Goodman), Alex Levy (Henry), Liam Oh (Gabe), and Keely Vasquez (Diana Goodman) are making their Writers Theatre debuts.

Kyrie Courter (Natalie Goodman) makes her Writers Theatre debut. Chicago credits include: Marie Christine (Jeff nominated for Performer in a Principal Role, BoHo Theatre), Legally Blonde (Paramount Theatre), Seussical (Drury Lane Theatre), Company (Venus Cabaret Theater), BLKS (Steppenwolf Theatre), Thaddeus & Slocum (Lookingglass Theatre Company), Dreamgirls, Applause, Babes In Arms (Porchlight Music Theatre), The Wiz and Little Fish (Kokandy Productions).

Alex Levy (Henry) makes his Writers Theatre debut. Alex is a graduate from the School of Theatre and Dance at Illinois State University with a B.A. in Acting. Recent theatrical credits include Hair (Metropolis Performing Arts Centre), Hamlet, Twelfth Night, Peter and the Starcatcher and Rodeo (Illinois Shakespeare Festival). TV credits include appearances on Chicago Fire (NBC) and Empire (FOX).

Liam Oh (Gabe) makes his Writers Theatre debut. Liam is currently a freshman at Northwestern University studying theater and music. He was a 2018 YoungArts Finalist in Theater and semifinalist for the Presidential Scholar for the Arts. Favorite credits include: Chip in The 25th… Spelling Bee, Clyde in Bonnie and Clyde (Actor’s Training Center) and Ren in Footloose (New Trier High School).

Gabriel Ruiz (Dr. Madden/Dr. Fine) returns to Writers Theatre where he previously music directed and composed original music for Vietgone and appeared in Arcadia and Company. Gabriel is a proud ensemble member of Teatro Vista. Chicago credits include: Cry it Out (Northlight Theatre), You Got Older, The Rembrandt, The Way West, How Long Will I Cry?, The Motherf**ker with the Hat (Steppenwolf Theatre Company), Native Gardens (Victory Gardens Theater), Agamemnon, Man in the Ring (Court Theatre), The Wolf at the End of the Block, White Tie Ball (Teatro Vista), Singin’ in the Rain, City of Angels (Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire), The Upstairs Concierge (Goodman Theatre), Creditors (Remy Bumppo Theatre Company), Sita Ram (Chicago Children's Choir), Working (Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place) Richard III, Short Shakespeare! A Midsummer Night's Dream (Chicago Shakespeare Theater) and Arabian Nights (Lookingglass Theatre Company). Regional credits include: Native Gardens (Cincinnati Playhouse), Harvey (Milwaukee Repertory Theater), Why Torture Is Wrong, and the People Who Love Them (Forward Theater Company) and Blood and Gifts (Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts). TV and Film credits include Chicago PD, Chicago Fire, Chicago Justice (NBC), APB (Fox), Electric Dreams (Channel 4) and Boss (Starz).

David Schlumpf (Dan Goodman) returns to Writers Theatre, where he previously appeared in Days Like Today. David recently moved to Washington DC and is thrilled to come home to Chicago for this extraordinary show, director, and cast. Other Chicago credits include Steven Kodaly in She Loves Me, Magaldi in Evita (Marriott Theatre), Sense & Sensibility (World Premiere), Timon of Athens (featuring Ian McDiarmid), As You Like It (Chicago Shakespeare Theater), Dartmoor Prison (Goodman Theatre), Captain Walker in The Who's Tommy (Paramount Theatre), Sidney in Sweet Smell of Success (Jeff Award for Best Actor, Kokandy Productions) and Nehemiah in Dessa Rose (Jeff Nomination for Best Supporting Actor, Bailiwick Chicago). DC credits: Buddy in Elf and Billis in South Pacific (Olney Theatre). David holds an MFA in Acting from Roosevelt University, Chicago College of Performing Arts and a BFA in Musical Theatre from University of Florida.

Keely Vasquez (Diana Goodman) makes her Writers Theatre debut. Keely Vasquez is a Chicago-based actor, singer, voice-over artist and teacher. Most recently she was seen in Porchlight Music Theatre’s productions of Merrily We Roll Along and In The Heights. Other Chicago theatrical credits include shows at Drury Lane Oakbrook Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Paramount Theatre, Marriott Lincolnshire Theatre, Mercury Theater and The Broadway Playhouse. For nearly a decade, she toured the US and Europe singing with Barry Manilow and was featured on more than twenty television shows as well as seven DVD specials.

AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT
From Page to Stage:
A CONCERT-LECTURE ON NEXT TO NORMAL & MENTAL HEALTH
Co-hosted by Family Service of Glencoe
Monday, April 29 at 7pm
In the Gillian Theatre | Writers Theatre | 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe

Next to Normal by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey shines a light on how living with bipolar disorder affects the individual, their families and support systems. Through the story of Diana Goodman and her family, we are offered a glimpse behind the seemingly-perfect suburban façade of normalcy and are invited to experience and understand the challenges of those who are often stigmatized due to their struggles with mental health. At this special From Page to Stage event, we will be joined by experts from Family Service of Glencoe who will unpack the real-life issues dramatized in Next to Normal alongside WT guest artists performing musical selections, addressing questions about bipolar disorder and how it is illuminated in this powerful, modern musical.

From Page to Stage
HELP IS OUT THERE: 10 COMMON MENTAL HEALTH WARNING SIGNS
Thursday, May 16 at 7pm
Hosted by Deerfield Public Library | 920 Waukegan Rd, Deerfield
Featuring: Mary Jouppi, President of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Lake County

With May being Mental Health Month, Deerfield Public Library will host this From Page to Stage event featuring Mary Jouppi, who will address concerns and questions regarding mental health challenges that families face in today's world.


Sunday Spotlight
Sunday, June 2, 2019 at 11:30am

Are you curious about the world that surrounds your favorite plays? Sunday Spotlight offers access to the finest speakers, scholars and cultural leaders. This one-hour event extends the conversation on our stages by featuring an expert in an area connected to the play. Seating is limited. RSVP is required. Save the date!

Post-Show Conversation: The Word

Join us after every Tuesday evening performance (excluding First Week and any extension weeks) for a 15-minute discussion of the play, facilitated by a member of the WT Artistic Team.

Post-Show Conversation: The Artist

Join us after every Wednesday evening performance (excluding First Week and any extension weeks) for a 15-minute talk-back featuring actors from the production, facilitated by a member of the WT Artistic Team.

Pre-Show Conversation: Up Close

Join us at 6:45pm in the Atrium before every Thursday evening performance (excluding First Week and any extension weeks) for a 15-minute primer on the context and content of the play, facilitated by a member of the WT Artistic Team.



RIDE METRA TO WRITERS THEATRE
In an effort to promote taking public transit to the Theatre, Writers Theatre launched a new promotion in 2013. Any audience member who purchases a ticket to a Writers Theatre production and rides Metra’s Union Pacific North Line to the Theatre may snap a photo of themselves on the train and post it to their Facebook, Twitter or Instagram account with a tag of @WritersTheatre (@Writers_Theatre on Instagram) and #NexttoNormalWT, and upon showing the post at the Writers Theatre Box Office, receive $5 in cash to put toward the cost of your fare as a thank you for going green.

This promotion is available for a limited time only and may end without warning. Ticket must have been paid for in advance. Not valid on comp tickets. More information available at writerstheatre.org/metra

WRITERS THEATRE PARTNERS
Writers Theatre is pleased to recognize BMO Harris Bank as the 2018/19 Season Sponsor and ComEd as the Official Lighting Sponsor of the 2018/19 Season. The Major Production Sponsor is the Poetry Foundation.  Foundation support provided by The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation. The Corporate Sponsor is Consolidated Electronic Wire & Cable. The Artists Council Sponsors are Jane and Richard Lipton, Mary Pat Studdert, Seth Traxler and Jessica Aspen, and Kirkland & Ellis LLP.

For more information about Writers Theatre’s 2018/19 partners, visit writerstheatre.org/our-supporters.

ABOUT WRITERS THEATRE
For more than 25 years, Writers Theatre has captivated Chicagoland audiences with inventive interpretations of classic work, a bold approach to contemporary theatre and a dedication to creating the most intimate theatrical experience possible.

Under the artistic leadership of Michael Halberstam and the executive leadership of Kathryn M. Lipuma, Writers Theatre has grown to become a major Chicagoland cultural destination with a national reputation for excellence, being called the top regional theatre in the nation by The Wall Street Journal. The company, which plays to a sold-out and discerning audience of more than 60,000 patrons each season, has garnered critical praise for the consistent high quality and intimacy of its artistry—providing the finest interpretations of both classic and contemporary theatre in its two intensely intimate venues. 

In February 2016, Writers Theatre opened a new, state-of-the-art facility. This established the company's first permanent home—a new theatre center in downtown Glencoe, designed by the award-winning, internationally renowned Studio Gang Architects, led by Founder and Design Principal Jeanne Gang, FAIA, in collaboration with Theatre Consultant Auerbach Pollock Friedlander. The new facility has allowed the Theatre to continue to grow to accommodate its audience, while maintaining its trademark intimacy. The new facility resonates with and complements the Theatre’s neighboring Glencoe community, adding tremendous value to Chicagoland and helping to establish the North Shore as a premier cultural destination.

Find Writers Theatre on Facebook at Facebook.com/WritersTheatre, follow @WritersTheatre on Twitter or @Writers_Theatre on Instagram. For more information, visit www.writerstheatre.org.


Dates:    
First performance: Wednesday, May 8, 2019
Press Opening: Wednesday, May 15, 2019 at 7:30pm
Closing performance: June 16, 2019

Schedule: Tuesdays – Fridays: 7:30pm (with select 3:00pm Wednesday matinees on May 29 and June 12); Saturdays: 3:00pm (except May 11) and 7:30pm; Sundays: 2:00pm and 6:00pm (except May 12, June 2 & 16)

Open-Captioned performance: Thursday, May 30, 2019 at 7:30pm


Location: The Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre, 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe


Prices: Prices for all performances range from $35 - $80 (Purchase early for best prices)  


Box Office: The Box Office is located at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe; 847-242-6000; www.writerstheatre.org



Gabriel Ruiz returns to Writers Theatre where he previously music directed and composed original music for Vietgone and appeared in Arcadia and Company. David Schlumpf previously appeared in Days Like Today at Writers. David recently moved to Washington DC and is thrilled to come home to Chicago for Next to Normal.


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