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Showing posts with label Northwestern’s Wirtz Center. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Northwestern’s Wirtz Center. Show all posts

Saturday, April 16, 2022

Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo at Northwestern University's Wirtz Center April 22 – May 1, 2022

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 

Northwestern’s Wirtz Center closes season with bold dramas

“Bengal Tiger” and “Water by the Spoonful” 

provide relevant connections to our time



I'll be checking out Rajiv Joseph's Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo on the 23rd, with my son. I reviewed this play at Chicago's Lookingglass Theatre back in January of 2013 and still recall the deep impact it made. I just reviewed the world premiere of Rajiv Joseph's new smash hit at Steppenwolf last month (King James Review) and can't wait to see Northwestern's take on his award winning words.

"GROUNDBREAKING… I'm tempted to call it the most original drama written so far about the Iraq war, but why sell the work short? The imagination behind it is way too thrillingly genre-busting to be confined within such a limiting category."

—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times

The complexities of our current times are reflected in two bold dramas set to take the stage at Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts on the Evanston campus this spring. “Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo” blends the realities of war and humor as a tiger haunts the streets of present-day Baghdad seeking the meaning of life. The second offering, “Water by the Spoonful,” is a Pulitzer prize-winning drama about forgiveness, redemption and family in a precarious, virtual world that reverberates in real life.


“Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo”

April 22 – May 1

Josephine Louis Theater

“Bengal Tiger at Baghdad Zoo” is based on a real-life incident at the Baghdad Zoo involving two U.S. Marines and an Iraqi translator who encounter a tiger. The play unfolds to reveal how war influences each of these characters.

“When I picked this play, there was no war,” said director Hamid Dehghani, a master’s degree candidate in the School of Communication. “But now, we are unfortunately dealing with a terrible war in Ukraine, making this show even more relevant.”

“Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo” was written by Steppenwolf Theater ensemble member Rajiv Joseph, and appeared on Broadway in 2011 starring Robin Williams as the Tiger in the actor's Broadway debut.

“I think Rajiv Joseph realized that a play all about war and violence is a challenging play to watch — it does have its moments that are quite intense,” said Ph.D. student Keary Watts, dramaturg for the production. “Joseph layers in comedy and absurdist elements to give the audience a break, in some sense, but also to show that these characters have levity and that these characters are more than just a type. They're more than just soldiers or interpreters, or animals, they are fully formed beings capable of being serious in one moment and lighthearted in the next.”.

Performances of "Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo" are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. in the Josephine Louis Theater, 20 Arts Circle Drive, on the Evanston campus.

 


“Water by the Spoonful”

May 20 – 29

Ethel M. Barber Theater

“‘Water by the Spoonful’ is a heartfelt, poetic meditation on people at the brink of redemption and self-discovery that takes place during a time of heightened uncertainty,” said director Ji Won Jeon, a master’s degree candidate in the School of Communication.

“This play is especially relevant given the impact of human connections and the virtual aspects related to the pandemic these past few years,” he said.

Playwright Quiara Alegría Hudes, Tony-nominated for “In the Heights” and screenwriter for the film, tells the story of two families — one connected by birth, one discovered online — who struggle with human connection but reveal that honest relationships are the lifeline in our brutal world.

“‘Water by the Spoonful’ paints a vivid portrait of addicts' struggles,” said Lia Christine Dewey, dramaturg and Northwestern Ph.D. candidate. “It's all about human connections and failing the people you care most about.” 

Performances of "Water by the Spoonful" are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. in the Ethel M. Barber Theater, 30 Arts Circle Drive, on the Evanston campus.

 

Tickets

More information and tickets for both shows are available on the Wirtz Center website. Tickets can be purchased by phone at 847-491-7282 or in-person at the Wirtz Center box office, located in the lobby of the Ethel M. Barber Theater, 30 Arts Circle Drive on Northwestern's Evanston campus. Box office hours are Tuesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday’s from noon to 4 p.m.  The box office is closed Sundays and Mondays.


The Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts is a member of the Northwestern Arts Circle, which brings together film, humanities, literary arts, music, theater, dance and visual arts.

Monday, January 27, 2020

OPENING: Legally Blonde: The Musical at Northwestern’s Wirtz Center Feb. 14 to March 1, 2020

America’s beloved blonde law student takes the stage at Northwestern’s Wirtz Center
“Legally Blonde: The Musical” 
(complete with canines) 
opens Valentine’s Day


Northwestern University’s Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts presents “Legally Blonde: The Musical” Feb. 14 to March 1.

Elle Woods, Bel Air's favorite pink-clad blonde, and her equally stylish Chihuahua, Bruiser seem to have it all until Elle’s boyfriend dumps her to attend Harvard Law. Determined to get him back, Elle charms her way into law school, then discovers she has far more legal savvy than she ever imagined. 

Based on the popular 2001 movie, this musical comedy with book by Heather Hatch and music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin is directed and choreographed by Christopher Chase Carter.

“‘Legally Blonde’ is just as relevant today because it is all about breaking down stereotypes,” said Chase Carter, known to Chicago audiences for his recent directing work for Theo Ubique Cabaret’s production of “Working” and choreography for Porchlight Musical Theatre’s production of “A Chorus Line.”

Chase Carter even believes Elle’s signature color “pink” is about breaking down stereotypes.  “For many people, pink is seen as soft, or for girls, but in this show, pink makes a statement,” Chase Carter said. “It’s power, it’s vibrant and bold, and it’s a symbol for breaking down stereotypes.”

In addition to plenty of pink, this production includes two campus canines: Atty, who plays Bruiser, Elle’s stylish Chihuahua and Shlomo, who plays Rufus, Elle’s manicurist and confidant’s dog. Bruiser’s pet parent is Caleb Whittaker, a Northwestern student, and Rufus’ pet parent is China Whitmire, house manager for the Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts.

“It’s always interesting working with animals,” Chase Carter said. “You can’t always communicate 100 percent of what you want them to do.” Despite the communication challenges, Chase Carter knows the canines add something very special to the cast. “Bruiser is Elle’s dearest friend, he serves as an important support system for her,” Chase Carter said.

“Legally Blonde: The Musical” opens Valentine’s Day, Fri., Feb. 14 and continues performances through March 1 on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. in the Ethel M. Barber Theater, 30 Arts Circle Drive, on the Evanston campus.

Tickets are available now on the Wirtz Center website, by phone at 847-491-7282 or in-person at the Wirtz Center box office, which is located in the lobby of the Ethel M. Barber Theater.

Box office hours are Tuesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. The box office is closed Sundays and Mondays. 

The Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts annually mounts more than 40 productions in theater, music theater and dance. Undergraduate actors, managers and playwrights, alongside graduate actors, designers, directors and dramaturgs, collaborate on works both classic and contemporary for audiences of all ages. The Center adheres to and reflects the academic mission of the University, the curricular needs of the theater and performance studies departments and the educational priorities of communication students. It exists in service to the campus and the greater community of the Metropolitan Chicago area.

The Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts is a member of the Northwestern Arts Circle, which brings together film, humanities, literary arts, music, theater, dance and visual arts.  

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