OPENING: Neil LaBute’s Vices and Virtues at Profiles Theatre

 Profiles Theatre presents

Neil LaBute’s Vices and Virtues

two full evenings of new short works in rotating repertory

Profiles Theatre continues its 27^th season with Vices and Virtues, two full evenings featuring eleven short plays by Resident Artist Neil LaBute, performing in rotating repertory. Each evening features Midwest and World premieres of some of LaBute’s newest shorts, staged by individual directors and featuring an ensemble cast of twenty performers. Profiles’ production runs at The Alley Stage, 4147 N. Broadway, January 14 - March 6, 2016.

Vices will play Thursdays at 8pm, Saturdays at 4pm (new time) and Sundays at 7pm.  Virtues will play Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 3pm (new time).

An Evening of Vices. An Evening of Virtues. Running in rotating repertory, Profiles presents two full evenings of short works by Neil LaBute, each filled with many surprises, both virtuous and otherwise. Each evening features stories of lust and hate, humor and sadness, virtue and depravity. Through them all, “love” will be the dominant theme--what it is, what it's not and how far it can be stretched.

The first evening, Vices, contains the World premieres of LaBute’s "I'm Going to Stop Pretending That I Didn't Break Your Heart" and "Totally,” as well as the Midwest premieres of "Happy Hour," “The Great War” and “Lovely Head.”

The second evening, Virtues, provides LaBute's World premiere of "Swallowing Bicycles," the Midwest premieres of "Good Luck (in Farsi)," "Romance" and "10-K," as well as the Chicago premieres of "Kandahar" and "Mulberry Bush."

“It’s so great to be working on another project with Profiles Theatre and it’s especially nice to have it be two evenings of short works,” says playwright Neil LaBute. “I love writing in this form and it’s always hard to find a home for this kind of piece. Thankfully, my collaboration with Profiles allows for this type of experimentation and creates a home for so many artists to work on this project at the same time. This is a really terrific way to start the new year!”

This marks Profiles Theatre’s thirteenth collaboration with Resident Artist Neil LaBute. Previous productions include the American premiere of In a Forest, Dark and Deep and acclaimed Midwest premieres of Wrecks, reasons to be pretty, The Mercy Seat and Fat Pig as well as the World premiere of his revised stage version of In the Company of Men, recipient of a Joseph Jefferson Nomination for Best New Adaptation.

The directors for Vices and Virtues include Bradley Bartolo, Tara Branham, Profiles ensemble member Eric Burgher, Brianne Duncan Fiore, Profiles Artistic Associate Jeff Gamlin, Profiles Artistic Director Joe Jahraus, Miles Mabry, Kay Martinovich, Andy Root, Benjamin Thiem and Scott Wolf. The ensemble cast includes many performers returing to Profiles, including Marilyn Bass (Dream of the Burning Boy), Betsy Bowman (The Jacksonian),Tamara Chambers (Hellcab), Tim Curtis (The Jacksonian), Rob Grabowski (Hellcab), Drew Halliday (Hellcab), Nik Kourtis (Cock), Eleni Pappageorge (Cock), Brennan Roche (In the Company of Men), Steve Silver (The Other Place), Adam Soule (Bachelorette) and Laura Berner Taylor (The Jacksonian). Making their Profiles Theatre debuts are Elizabeth Birnkrant, Sarah Brooks, Patrick Gannon, Brian Goodman, Brookelyn Hebert, Tom McGregor, Sarah Ruggles and Marie Weigle.

The designers are Greg Pinsoneault (set), Mike Rathbun (lights), Brandon Reed (sound), and Uriel Gomez (costumes). Amber R. Dettmers serves as production stage manager.

Profiles’ 2015-16 season continues with the Midwest premieres of Jerusalem by Jez Butterworth, opening in March and The Village Bike by Penelope Skinner.

Tickets for either evening of Vices and Virtues are $40 each. Patrons who purchase tickets to one evening may purchase a discounted ticket to the second program for $10 off regular price. Tickets are available by phone, (773) 549-1815, or online, www.profilestheatre.org.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

NEIL LABUTE (Playwright) is a Resident Artist at Profiles Theatre and has been working with them since their 2006 production of Autobahn. His World premiere adaptation of his original play and film In the Company of Men (New York Critics’ Circle Award for Best First Feature and the Filmmakers’ Trophy at the Sundance Film Festival) had its debut at Profiles in 2013 and received a Jeff Nomination for Best New Adaptation. He received his Master of Fine Arts degree in dramatic writing from New York University and was the recipient of a literary fellowship to study at the Royal Court Theatre, London and also attended the Sundance Institute’s Playwrights Lab. His films include Your Friends and Neighbors, Nurse Betty, Possession, The Shape of Things (a film adaptation of his play by the same title), The Wicker Man, Lakeview Terrace, Death at a Funeral, Some Girl(s), Some Velvet Morning and Dirty Weekend. LaBute made his television debut with a new series for DirecTV entitled Full Circle. His plays include Bash: Latter-Day Plays, The Mercy Seat, The Distance From Here, Filthy Talk for Troubled Times, Autobahn, Fat Pig, Wrecks, Some Girl(s), Things We Said Today, This is How it Goes, In a Dark Dark House, The Break of Noon, In a Forest, Dark and Deep, The Money Shot, Lovely Head, Miss Julie and The Way We Get By. Reasons to be Happy, a follow-up to his acclaimed play reasons to be pretty, opened at MCC in May 2013. reasons to be pretty premiered off-Broadway in 2008, receiving three Drama Desk Award nominations including Outstanding Play. It became Neil LaBute’s first play ever to be staged on Broadway when it opened in 2009 and was nominated for three Tony Awards, including Best Play. LaBute is also the author of several fictional pieces including “Seconds of Pleasure,” a collection of his short stories published by Grove Atlantic.

ABOUT PROFILES THEATRE

Profiles Theatre, founded in 1988 by Artistic Director Joe Jahraus, joined shortly thereafter by Artistic Director Darrell W. Cox, was formed as an actor-driven theatre ensemble dedicated to creating provocative and emotionally truthful productions. Passionate about shaping an original vision for new works, they focused on performing World, American and Midwest premieres as well as rarely performed plays. Critically acclaimed hits, such as BLACKBIRD, FAT PIG, GRACELAND and the multiple Jeff Award-winning KILLER JOE, established Profiles as a destination for challenging and edgy theatre. Their unique collaboration with playwright Neil LaBute led the ensemble to perform an entire season of his plays in 2007-2008. Now a Resident Artist at Profiles, LaBute remains an unequivocal artistic influence on the ensemble.

After performing at 4147 North Broadway for more than two decades, Profiles acquired an adjacent theatre at 4139 North Broadway in 2012. Profiles’ new theatre, The Main Stage, with its larger seating capacity, increased performance space and higher ceilings, accommodates more ambitious and technically demanding productions. Their long-time venue, renamed The Alley Stage, continues as the home for plays strengthened by a more intimate staging. Driven by an undiminished appetite for creating honest and resonant theatre, Profiles still seeks to present work that illuminates the determination and resiliency of the human spirit.

OPENING: World Premiere of Genius by Kate Walbert at Profiles Opening This Thursday

Profiles Theatre continues 26^th Season

with the World Premiere of

Genius by Kate Walbert

Directed by Artistic Director Darrell W. Cox

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we're excited to see Profiles Theatre continue its 26^th Season with the World premiere of Genius by Kate Walbert, directed by Artistic Director Darrell W. Cox. With a fairly misogynistic streak in their past, it's a welcome change to see Profiles giving strong female characters and award winning women authors a voice! The production runs March 13 – May 3, 2015 at Profiles Theatre’s The Alley Stage, 4147 N. Broadway.  

Genius examines the secrets and alliances of two creative couples from different generations who find their lives changed forever after an uneasy dinner party. Joel, a once highly regarded painter turned museum director caught in the midst of a very public indiscretion and his wife Sara, a formally famous journalist, venture to Brooklyn for dinner with their new friends Peter and Chelsea, a young filmmaking couple with rising careers and a baby on the way. After an evening riddled with illuminating discoveries, deceptions and perhaps too much wine, each couple deconstructs the evening’s events as they grapple with their own uncertain futures. Using a constantly shifting timeline, playwright Kate Walbert turns her kaleidoscopic lens on two marriages battered by urgent ambitions.

Kate Walbert, an award-winning novelist and playwright, is the author of A Short History of Women, chosen by The New York Times Book Review as one of the ten best books of 2009 and a finalist for the LA Times Book Prize. Other works include Our Kind, a finalist for the National Book Award in fiction in 2004, The Gardens of Kyoto, winner of the 2002 Connecticut Book Award in Fiction, and Where She Went, a collection of linked stories and a New York Times notable book. Her plays include an adapted version of A Short History of Women with readings at the Powerhouse Theater and the Roundabout Theater, Elsewhere, featured in readings at Playwrights Horizons and Ars Nova in New York as well as Year of the Woman, produced at the Yale Cabaret and the Lantern Theater in Philadelphia.

Directed by Profiles Artistic Director Darrell W. Cox, the cast of Genius features guest artist Robert Breuler as Joel. Robert, most recently seen in Airline Highway at Steppenwolf, previously appeared at Profiles in their Midwest premiere of Sweet and Sad. Also featured are guest artists Stephanie Chavara, Cale Haupert and Liz Zweifler.

“Taking classes with the great Frank Galati as an undergraduate at Northwestern, I fell in love with Chicago theatre,” say playwright Kate Walbert. “At the time, every other dusty storefront seemed to be masking a production of something, each one more creative, more inventive, more thrilling than the next. I remember rickety backstairs leading to a makeshift stage where I watched, transfixed, Krapp’s Last Tape performed in candlelight, then stumbled out afterward to a snowy, Chicago night. So what a thrill to collaborate with the venerable Chicago company Profiles on Genius — and to be the beneficiary of the group’s amazing talent, risk-taking, and commitment to keeping that Chicago theatrical spirit alive and supporting new playwrights. I am so thankful for their belief in the play, and for their inspiration.”

The designers for Genuis are Michelle Lilly (set), Mike Durst (lights), Jeffrey Levin (sound and original music), Raquel Adorno (costumes). The stage manger is Jennifer Kiehl.

Profiles’ sixth and final show of the season, Our New Girl by Nancy Harris, opens at Profiles’ Main Stage on May 14, 2015. The titles for Profiles’ 2015-16 season will be announced soon.

Tickets for Genius are $35 for Thursdays, $40 for Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets are available by phone, (773) 549-1815, or online, www.profilestheatre.org. Performances are Thursdays and Fridays at 8:00 p.m., Saturdays at 5:00 and 8:00 pm, Sundays at 7:00 p.m.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

KATE WALBERT (Playwright) is an award-winning novelist and playwright and the author of A Short History of Women, chosen by The New York Times Book Review as one of the ten best books of 2009 and a finalist for the LA Times Book Prize. Other works include Our Kind, a finalist for the National Book Award in fiction in 2004, The Gardens of Kyoto, winner of the 2002 Connecticut Book Award in Fiction, and Where She Went, a collection of linked stories and a New York Times notable book. Her plays include an adapted version of A Short History of Women with readings at the Powerhouse Theater and the Roundabout Theater, Elsewhere, featured in readings at Playwrights Horizons and Ars Nova in New York as well as Year of the Woman, produced at the Yale Cabaret and the Lantern Theater in Philadelphia.

DARRELL W. COX (Director) is an Artistic Director of Profiles Theatre and most recently directed the Midwest premieres of Reasons to Be Happy by Neil LaBute and Cock by Mike Barlett as well as both the 2013 holiday season revival and 20^th Anniversary production of Hellcab by Will Kern. Prior to that, he directed the Midwest premiere of Bachelorette by Leslye Headland, the American premiere of The Wonderful World of Dissocia by Anthony Neilson, Profiles’ Midwest premieres of This is How it Goes, “Coax” and the titular piece from Things We Said Today and Profiles’ long running hit, Autobahn, all by Neil LaBute. Mr. Cox has directed numerous productions for Profiles over the years including the Midwest premieres of The Radiant Abyss by Angus MacLachlan and Wonder of the World by David Lindsay-Abaire. Other directorial credits for Profiles include The Water Engine, How the Other Half Loves and The Twilight Zone: The Series.

ROBERT BREULER (Joel) was last seen at Profiles in their Midwest premiere of Sweet and Sad. He is celebrating his 44^th year as a member of Actors Equity Association. From his first role at Joe Papp’s New York Public Theatre where he played Kress in David Rabe’s The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel to Airline Highway at Steppenwolf, he has played over one hundred roles, including Big Daddy in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof twice (at Steppenwolf and The Apple Tree), Moe in Riverview and Dean Strauss in Spinning Into Butter at Goodman. Bob is a member of the Steppenwolf acting ensemble where he performed in some 40 roles over 28 years. Some favorites include Botwinnic in A Walk in the Woods, Father Lux in Our Lady of 121^st Street, Pa Joad in The Grapes of Wrath, Charlie “Blackie” Blackwell in Killers, The Wheel, The Cherry Orchard, A Lesson Before Dying, The Time of Your Life, Mother Courage and Her Children, Uncle Vanya, The Infidel and Molly Sweeney. On Broadway, he appeared in The Grapes of Wrath, The Song of Jacob Zulu, Carousel and Death of a Salesman. One of his favorite roles was The Devil in the live broadcast of Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du Soldat with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra on public radio. His television credits include Chicago Fire, Prison Break, Early Edition, NYPD Blue, Angel Street and The Untouchables. Robert’s film credits include The Crucible, Trial By Jury, The Company, Love and Action in Chicago, Miles From Home, A Piece of Eden, Ray Bradbury’s Small Assassin and Lac de Flambeau. He is a recipient of the William and Eva Fox Fellowship Grant. Bob and his wife Suzanne Petri have formed a not-for-profit organization called Suzbo Entertainment where they produced the original musical DUO at Steppenwolf and other locales as well as A Little Touch of Coward in the Night at the Metropolitan Room in NYC.

STEPHANIE CHAVARA (Charlotte) is making her Profiles Theatre debut. Her Chicago credits include Charles Ives Take Me Home at Strawdog Theatre Company, Brighton Beach Memoirs at Fox Valley Rep, If You Split a Second at Pegasus Players, Motion at Signal Ensemble, Mourning Becomes Electra at Remy Bumppo, And a Child Shall Lead at Adventure Stage, as well as work at The Goodman, TimeLine, Dog + Pony and Collaboraction. Stephanie is a company member with 2nd Story where she writes, directs, and teaches. She has worked abroad with the Rhodopi International Theatre Laboratory in Bulgaria. Stephanie holds an MFA from The Theatre School at DePaul. 

CALE HAUPERT (Peter) Cale Haupert returns to Profiles Theatre for the World premiere of Genius after understudying the role of Greg in their production of reasons to be pretty. He most recently appeared in A Streetcar Named Desire with Pulse Theatre Company. Cale’s other regional credits include Frank Galati’s Philadelphia Here I Come and The Grapes of Wrath, both with the Asolo Rep, Twelfth Night and Stop Kiss at the FSU/Asolo Conservatory, Hamlet, Richard III and Merry Wives of Windsor with Shakespeare Festival St. Louis aa well as Amadeus and Diary of Anne Frank with the St. Louis Rep. He is a recent graduate of the FSU/Asolo Conservatory where he earned is MFA last spring.

LIZ ZWEIFLER (Sara) is making her Profiles Theatre debut. She most recently appeared in The Quality Of Life at The Den Theatre (Jeff Nomination for Best Actress). Her other Chicago credits include Sirens at Fox Valley Rep, Bus Stop at The Den Theatre, Little Women at The Bog Theatre and Fool for Love at Aspect Theatre. She has voiced many national and regional commercials and is an ensemble member of The Den Theatre. Liz is represented by Stewart Talent.

Dates:          

            Regular Run: March 19 – May 3, 2015

Schedule: Thurs., Fri.: 8:00 p.m. 

Saturday: 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 pm

Sunday: 7:00 p.m.

Location: Profiles Theatre, The Alley Stage, 4147 N. Broadway

Parking is available for $14 - $16 at 4100 N. Clarendon

(One block east of the theatre at the corner of Clarendon and Belle Plaine)

Ticket prices: Previews: $20

Regular Run: Thursdays are $35, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays are $40; Students and Senior Citizens receive a $5 discount on all performances; Group rates are available.

Box Office: Buy online at www.profilestheatre.org

or call (773) 549-1815

ABOUT PROFILES THEATRE

Profiles Theatre, founded in 1988 by Artistic Director Joe Jahraus, joined shortly thereafter by Artistic Director Darrell W. Cox, was formed as an actor-driven theatre ensemble dedicated to creating provocative and emotionally truthful productions. Passionate about shaping an original vision for new works, they focused on performing World, American and Midwest premieres as well as rarely performed plays. Critically acclaimed hits, such as BLACKBIRD, FAT PIG, GRACELAND and the multiple Jeff Award-winning KILLER JOE, established Profiles as a destination for challenging and edgy theatre. Their unique collaboration with playwright Neil LaBute led the ensemble to perform an entire season of his plays in 2007-2008. Now a Resident Artist at Profiles, LaBute remains an unequivocal artistic influence on the ensemble.

After performing at 4147 North Broadway for more than two decades, Profiles acquired an adjacent theatre at 4139 North Broadway in 2012. Profiles’ new theatre, The Main Stage, with its larger seating capacity, increased performance space and higher ceilings, accommodates more ambitious and technically demanding productions. Their long-time venue, renamed The Alley Stage, continues as the home for plays strengthened by a more intimate staging. Driven by an undiminished appetite for creating honest and resonant theatre, Profiles still seeks to present work that illuminates the determination and resiliency of the human spirit.

Also Playing Profiles: The Other Place

ChiIL Live Shows #ChiILPicksList 

Highly Recommended

Profiles Theatre continues its 26th Season with the Chicago premiere of The Other Place by Sharr White, directed by Artistic Director Joe Jahraus. The production runs through April 5, 2015 at Profiles Theatre’s The Main Stage, 4139 N. Broadway.  

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we had the pleasure of catching opening night of The Other Place. Despite a similar feel to Still Alice, The Other Place is a unique and compelling piece. Lia D. Mortensen was nothing short of astonishing in her transformation, as Julianna both dissolves and evolves throughout the piece. The plot twists will blindside the audience and the entire cast does an excellent job of bringing the story to fruition and evoking compassion for these archetypes.

In Sharr White’s acclaimed new drama The Other Place, Juliana Smithton, a successful neurologist, finds her life coming apart at the seams. Her husband filed for divorce, her daughter eloped with a much older man and her own health hangs in jeopardy. But in this brilliantly crafted work, nothing is as it seems. Piece by piece, a mystery unfolds as fact blurs with fiction, past collides with present and the elusive truth about Juliana boils to the surface.

The Other Place received its world premiere Off-Broadway at MCC Theater in 2011. The production, starring Laurie Metcalf, was nominated for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play from the Outer Critics Circle Awards. It later premiered on Broadway in a production by Manhattan Theatre Club in 2013, also starring Metcalf, who received a Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role. The Other Place won the 2010 Playwrights First Award and the 2011 Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation’s Theatre Visions Fund Award. White’s plays have been developed or produced at theatres across the country, including South Coast Repertory, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Marin Theatre Company, Lincoln Center Theater’s Directors Lab and Key West Theatre Festival.

"I'm thrilled to have my play The Other Place in Chicago, and with Profiles Theatre,” says playwrightSharr White. “The Other Place is about the smartest woman in the world who discovers nothing she knows is true. It takes both technical skill and emotional depth to pull off and I'm excited the artists at Profiles are taking it on just one season after producing my play Annapurna.”

Directed by Profiles Artistic Director Joe Jahraus, the cast of The Other Place features guest artist Lia D. Mortensen as Julianna. Lia was most recently seen in Pericles with Chicago Shakespeare Theatre and was seen last season at Profiles in their Midwest premiere of Annapurna. Also featured are guest artists George Infantado, Matt Maxwell, Nina O’Keefe, Steve Silver and Autumn Teague.  

 For more information about Profiles Theatre, visit www.profilestheatre.org.

OPENING: The Other Place at Profiles Theatre

                       

 Profiles Theatre continues 26^th Season

with the Chicago Premiere of

The Other Place 

by Sharr White

Directed by Artistic Director Joe Jahraus

  

Profiles Theatre continues its 26^th Season with the Chicago premiere of The Other Place by Sharr White, directed by Artistic Director Joe Jahraus. The production runs February 13 – April 5, 2015 at Profiles Theatre’s The Main Stage, 4139 N. Broadway. 

In Sharr White’s acclaimed new drama The Other Place, Juliana Smithton, a successful neurologist, finds her life coming apart at the seams. Her husband filed for divorce, her daughter eloped with a much older man and her own health hangs in jeopardy. But in this brilliantly crafted work, nothing is as it seems. Piece by piece, a mystery unfolds as fact blurs with fiction, past collides with present and the elusive truth about Juliana boils to the surface.

Title: The Other Place

Playwright: Sharr White

Directed by: Joe Jahraus

             

Dates:

Previews: February 13, 14, 17, 18 at 8 pm, February 15 at 7 pm

Regular Run: February 19 – April 5, 2015

Schedule: Thurs., Fri.: 8:00 p.m. 

                Saturday: 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 pm

                Sunday: 7:00 p.m.

Location: Profiles Theatre, The Main Stage, 4139 N. Broadway

Parking is available for $14 - $16 at 4100 N. Clarendon

(One block east of the theatre at the corner of Clarendon and Belle Plaine)

Ticket prices: Previews: $20

Regular Run: Thursdays are $35, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays are $40; Students and Senior Citizens receive a $5 discount on all performances; Group rates are available.

Box Office: Buy online at www.profilestheatre.org

or call (773) 549-1815

The Other Place received its world premiere Off-Broadway at MCC Theater in 2011. The production, starring Laurie Metcalf, was nominated for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play from the Outer Critics Circle Awards. It later premiered on Broadway in a production by Manhattan Theatre Club in 2013, also starring Metcalf, who received a Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role. The Other Place won the 2010 Playwrights First Award and the 2011 Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation’s Theatre Visions Fund Award. White’s plays have been developed or produced at theatres across the country, including South Coast Repertory, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Marin Theatre Company, Lincoln Center Theater’s Directors Lab and Key West Theatre Festival.

Directed by Profiles Artistic Director Joe Jahraus, the cast of The Other Place features guest artist Lia D. Mortensen as Julianna. Lia was most recently seen in Pericles with Chicago Shakespeare Theatre and was seen last season at Profiles in their Midwest premiere of Annapurna. Also featured are guest artists George Infantado, Matt Maxwell, Nina O’Keefe, Steve Silver and Autumn Teague.  

"I'm thrilled to have my play The Other Place in Chicago, and with Profiles Theatre,” says playwright Sharr White. “The Other Place is about the smartest woman in the world who discovers nothing she knows is true. It takes both technical skill and emotional depth to pull off and I'm excited the artists at Profiles are taking it on just one season after producing my play Annapurna.”

The designers for The Other Place are Keenan Minogue (set), Claire Chrzan (lights), Jeffrey Levin (sound and original music), Raquel Adorno (costumes) and Smooch Medina (projections).

Profiles’ fifth show of the season, the world premiere production of Genius by Kate Walbert, begins previews on March 13, 2015 at The Alley Stage, 4147 N. Broadway. The 2014-15 season concludes with the Midwest premiere of Our New Girl by Nancy Harris.

Tickets for The Other Place are $35 for Thursdays, $40 for Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets are available by phone, (773) 549-1815, or online, www.profilestheatre.org. Performances are Thursdays and Fridays at 8:00 p.m., Saturdays at 5:00 and 8:00 pm, Sundays at 7:00 p.m.

ABOUT PROFILES THEATRE

Profiles Theatre, founded in 1988 by Artistic Director Joe Jahraus, joined shortly thereafter by Artistic Director Darrell W. Cox, was formed as an actor-driven theatre ensemble dedicated to creating provocative and emotionally truthful productions. Passionate about shaping an original vision for new works, they focused on performing World, American and Midwest premieres as well as rarely performed plays. Critically acclaimed hits, such as BLACKBIRD, FAT PIG, GRACELAND and the multiple Jeff Award-winning KILLER JOE, established Profiles as a destination for challenging and edgy theatre. Their unique collaboration with playwright Neil LaBute led the ensemble to perform an entire season of his plays in 2007-2008. Now a Resident Artist at Profiles, LaBute remains an unequivocal artistic influence on the ensemble.

After performing at 4147 North Broadway for more than two decades, Profiles acquired an adjacent theatre at 4139 North Broadway in 2012. Profiles’ new theatre, The Main Stage, with its larger seating capacity, increased performance space and higher ceilings, accommodates more ambitious and technically demanding productions. Their long-time venue, renamed The Alley Stage, continues as the home for plays strengthened by a more intimate staging. Driven by an undiminished appetite for creating honest and resonant theatre, Profiles still seeks to present work that illuminates the determination and resiliency of the human spirit.

 For more information about Profiles Theatre, visit www.profilestheatre.org.

ACT OUT EXTENDED: Cock at Profiles

PROFILES THEATRE EXTENDS

HIT PRODUCTION OF

COCK BY MIKE BARTLETT

Profiles Theatre announces an extension for their Midwest premiere of Cock by Mike Bartlett, directed by Artistic Director Darrell W. Cox. The production opened February 20, 2014 and will extend for an additional seven weeks through May 25, 2014. Original cast members Eleni Pappageorge, Christopher Sheard and Jake Szczepaniak continue their roles with Torrey Hanson joining the cast beginning April 10, 2014. Performances are held at The Main Stage, 4139 N. Broadway.

In this tense comedy about sexual identity, Cock explores one man's choices about which path of love to pursue. When John takes a break from his longtime boyfriend, the last thing he expects is to fall in love with a woman. Trapped between two lovers, John feels the physical and emotional tug as neither party wants to lose the battle for his heart. John must make a choice as he navigates his sexuality, selfhood, and the intersection of the two.

Cock received its World premiere at London’s Royal Court Theatre, selling out its entire run in the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs before opening in November 2009. Directed by James Macdonald, it won the 2010 Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre as well as a nomination for Best Play at the 2010 Evening Standard Theatre Awards. The American premiere, also produced by Royal Court and staged by Macdonald, opened off-Broadway in May 2012 and received a nomination for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play from the Outer Critics Circle Awards and Outstanding Play for the 2013 Lucille Lortel Awards. Mike Bartett won the Old Vic New Voices Award for Artefacts at the Bush Theatre while Contractions at Royal Court received a nomination for the TMA Best New Play Award. Bartlett, a Pearson Playwright in Residence at the Royal Court in 2007, currently works as Associate Playwright at Paines Plough.

Tickets for Cock are $35 for Thursdays, $40 for Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets are available by phone, (773) 549-1815, or online, www.profilestheatre.org. Performances are Thursdays and Fridays at 8:00 p.m., Saturdays at 5:00 and 8:00 pm, Sundays at 7:00 p.m.

FACTS

Title:  Cock

Playwright:  by Mike Bartlett

Directed by: Darrell W. Cox

Featuring: Guest Artists Torrey Hanson, Eleni Pappageorge, Christopher Sheard, Jake Szczepaniak

           

            Dates: Extended through May 25, 2014

Schedule:        Thurs., Fri.:                  8:00 p.m. 

                        Saturday:                     5:00 p.m. and 8:00p.m.

                        Sunday: 7:00 p.m.

Location:          Profiles Theatre, The Main Stage, 4139 N. Broadway

                        Parking is available for $14 - $20 at 4100 N. Clarendon

(One block east of the theatre at the corner of Clarendon and Belle Plaine)

Ticket prices:    Thursdays are $35, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays are $40; Students and Senior Citizens receive a $5 discount on all performances; Group rates are available.

Box Office:       Buy online at www.profilestheatre.org

or call (773) 549-1815

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

MIKE  BARTLETT (Playwright) is currently Associate Playwright at Paines Plough. In 2011 he was writer-in-residence at The National Theatre and in 2007 he was Pearson Playwright in Residence at the Royal Court Theatre. His play Love, Love, Love won Best New Play in the 2011 Theatre Awards UK, and his play Cock won an Olivier Award in 2010 for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre; he won the Writer's Guild Tinniswood and Imison prizes for Not Talking and the Old Vic New Voices Awards for Artefacts. Additional theatre credits include 13 (National Theatre), Decade (co-writer), Earthquakes in London, Contractors and My Child. His radio credits include: "The Core," "Heart," "Liam," "The Steps," "Love Contract," "Not Talking," and "The Family Man," all on BBC. Mike’s screen credits include "Earthquakes in London" and "Hometown." His directing credits include Honest by DC Moore. Mike is currently under commission from Headlong Theatre, Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse, Hampstead Theatre and The Royal Court Theatre.

DARRELL W. COX (Director) is the Co-Artistic Director of Profiles Theatre and most recently directed the holiday season revival as well as last year's 20th Anniversary productions of Hellcab by Will Kern. Prior to that, he directed the Midwest premiere of Bachelorette by Leslye Headland, the American premiere of The Wonderful World of Dissocia by Anthony Neilson, Profiles’ Midwest premieres of This is How it Goes, “Coax” and the titular piece from Things We Said Today and Profiles’ long running hit, Autobahn, all by Neil LaBute. Mr. Cox has directed numerous productions for Profiles over the years including the Midwest premieres of The Radiant Abyss by Angus MacLachlan and Wonder of the World by David Lindsay-Abaire. Other directorial credits for Profiles include The Water Engine, How the Other Half Loves and The Twilight Zone: The Series.

TORREY HANSON (F) is making his Profiles Theatre debut in Cock. He most recently appeared in Chicago in Language Archive at Piven Theater Workshop. Other Chicago credits include Paulus with Silk Road Rising Theater, Spoon River Anthology with Provision Theater, Julius Caesar, Elizabeth Rex and Madness of King George with Chicago Shakespeare Theater and Never The Sinner at Northwestern University. Torrey’s regional and international credits include Seattle Repertory Theatre, Intiman Theatre, A Contemporary Theatre, The Empty Space Theatre, The Cleveland Play House, Indiana Repertory Theater, Oregon Shakespeare Festival (five seasons), Utah Shakespeare Festival, Madison Repertory Theatre, Subaru Theater Company, Tokyo, and seventy-five productions in seventeen seasons at Milwaukee Repertory Theater. His television credits include Crisis, Chicago Fire, Cheers and Wings.

ELENI PAPPAGEORGE (W) is makes her Profiles Theatre debut in Cock. She is a Waltzing Mechanics company member focusing these past few years on developing and performing original documentary theatre including EL Stories and Over My Dead Body. She’s also had the pleasure of working with Northlight, The Chicago Dramatists, Remy Bumppo, Second City, Chemically Imbalanced Comedy, North Carolina Shakespeare Festival, Circle Theatre and The Pre-Post Humanists. She is a graduate of the Second City Conservatory and holds a BFA in Acting from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

CHRISTOPHER SHEARD (John) is makes his Profiles Theatre debut with Cock. He was last seen in Chicago in SS! Romeo and Juliet with Chicago Shakespeare Theatre and A Christmas Carol for Metropolis PAC. His regional credits include Skylight, Troilus and Cressida, Les Liaisons Dangereuses  and Antony and Cleopatra with American Players Theatre as well as Henry IV Part One and A Midsummer Night's Dream with the Great River Shakespeare Festival. He is a graduate of Florida State University with a BA in Theatre and received his MFA from The University of Illinois PATP.

JAKE SZCZEPANIAK (M) appears with Profiles Theatre for the first time. He was last seen in Unwilling and Hostile Instruments with Theater Seven, Burn This with Shattered Globe, Changes of Heart with Remy Bumppo and Girl You Know It’s True with Pavement Group. He has also worked with Baliwick Chicago, Circle Theater, Red Tape Theater, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Pride Films and Plays and (re)Discover theater. Jake is a graduate of the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana acting program and an artistic associate with Pavement Group. 

ABOUT PROFILES THEATRE

Profiles Theatre, founded in 1988 by Artistic Director Joe Jahraus, joined shortly thereafter by Artistic Director Darrell W. Cox, was formed as an actor-driven theatre ensemble dedicated to creating provocative and emotionally truthful productions. Passionate about shaping an original vision for new works, they focused on performing World, American and Midwest premieres as well as rarely performed plays. Critically acclaimed hits, such as BLACKBIRD, FAT PIG, GRACELAND and the multiple Jeff Award-winning KILLER JOE, established Profiles as a destination for challenging and edgy theatre. Their unique collaboration with playwright Neil LaBute led the ensemble to perform an entire season of his plays in 2007-2008. Now a Resident Artist at Profiles, LaBute remains an unequivocal artistic influence on the ensemble.

After performing at 4147 North Broadway for more than two decades, Profiles acquired an adjacent theatre at 4139 North Broadway in 2012. Profiles’ new theatre, The Main Stage, with its larger seating capacity, increased performance space and higher ceilings, accommodates more ambitious and technically demanding productions. Their long-time venue, renamed The Alley Stage, continues as the home for plays strengthened by a more intimate staging. Driven by an undiminished appetite for creating honest and resonant theatre, Profiles still seeks to present work that illuminates the determination and resiliency of the human spirit.

ACT OUT OPENING: Cock at Profiles Theatre

PROFILES THEATRE PRESENTS

THE MIDWEST PREMIERE OF

COCK by Mike Bartlett

DIRECTED BY ARTISTIC DIRECTOR DARRELL W. COX

Profiles Theatre continues its 25^th Anniversary Season with the Midwest premiere of Cock by Mike Bartlett, directed by Artistic Director Darrell W. Cox. The production runs February 14 – April 6, 2014 at The Main Stage, 4139 N. Broadway. 

In this tense comedy about sexual identity, Cock explores one man's choices about which path of love to pursue. When John takes a break from his longtime boyfriend, the last thing he expects is to fall in love with a woman. Trapped between two lovers, John feels the physical and emotional tug as neither party wants to lose the battle for his heart. John must make a choice as he navigates his sexuality, selfhood, and the intersection of the two.

Cock received its World premiere at London’s Royal Court Theatre, selling out its entire run in the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs before opening in November 2009. Directed by James Macdonald, it won the 2010 Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre as well as a nomination for Best Play at the 2010 Evening Standard Theatre Awards. The American premiere, also produced by Royal Court and staged by Macdonald, opened off-Broadway in May 2012 and received a nomination for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play from the Outer Critics Circle Awards and Outstanding Play for the 2013 Lucille Lortel Awards. Mike Bartett won the Old Vic New Voices Award for Artefacts at the Bush Theatre while Contractions at Royal Court received a nomination for the TMA Best New Play Award. Bartlett, a Pearson Playwright in Residence at the Royal Court in 2007, currently works as Associate Playwright at Paines Plough.

Directed by Profiles Co-Artistic Director Darrell W. Cox, the cast of Cock features Guest Artists Larry Neumann, Jr., Eleni Pappageorge, Christopher Sheard and Jake Szczepaniak.

"I'm thrilled that Profiles Theatre is producing Cock this season,” says playwright Mike Bartlett. “It's about sex and sexuality, fighting, falling in love, and getting things wrong. It needs four clever actors, and an audience with a bold imagination, a big heart, and a capacity to laugh out loud when required. From what I've heard about Profiles, it'll have no trouble finding that audience, and they'll encounter a fantastic production of a play I care a huge amount about."

The designers for Cock are Katie-Bell Springmann (set), Mike Durst (lights), Jeffrey Levin (sound and original music), and Raquel Adorno (costumes), with Kaylie Honkala serving as stage manager and Scott Wolf as assistant director.

Profiles Theatre concludes its 25^th Anniversary Season with the Midwest premiere of Hunter Gatherers by Peter Sinn Nachtrieb, also at The Main Stage. Their Midwest premiere of Gidion’s Knot by Johnna Adams is now playing at The Alley Stage, 4147 N. Broadway, through March 9, 2014.

Tickets for Cock are $35 for Thursdays, $40 for Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets are available by phone, (773) 549-1815, or online, www.profilestheatre.org. Performances are Thursdays and Fridays at 8:00 p.m., Saturdays at 5:00 and 8:00 pm, Sundays at 7:00 p.m.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

MIKE  BARTLETT (Playwright) is currently Associate Playwright at Paines Plough. In 2011 he was writer-in-residence at The National Theatre and in 2007 he was Pearson Playwright in Residence at the Royal Court Theatre. His play Love, Love, Love won Best New Play in the 2011 Theatre Awards UK, and his play Cock won an Olivier Award in 2010 for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre; he won the Writer's Guild Tinniswood and Imison prizes for Not Talking and the Old Vic New Voices Awards for Artefacts. Additional theatre credits include 13 (National Theatre), Decade (co-writer), Earthquakes in London, Contractors and My Child. His radio credits include: "The Core," "Heart," "Liam," "The Steps," "Love Contract," "Not Talking," and "The Family Man," all on BBC. Mike’s screen credits include "Earthquakes in London" and "Hometown." His directing credits include Honest by DC Moore. Mike is currently under commission from Headlong Theatre, Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse, Hampstead Theatre and The Royal Court Theatre.

DARRELL W. COX (Director) is the Co-Artistic Director of Profiles Theatre and most recently directed the holiday season revival as well as last year's 20th Anniversary productions of Hellcab by Will Kern. Prior to that, he directed the Midwest premiere of Bachelorette by Leslye Headland, the American premiere of The Wonderful World of Dissocia by Anthony Neilson, Profiles’ Midwest premieres of This is How it Goes, “Coax” and the titular piece from Things We Said Today and Profiles’ long running hit, Autobahn, all by Neil LaBute. Mr. Cox has directed numerous productions for Profiles over the years including the Midwest premieres of The Radiant Abyss by Angus MacLachlan and Wonder of the World by David Lindsay-Abaire. Other directorial credits for Profiles include The Water Engine, How the Other Half Loves and The Twilight Zone: The Series.

LARRY NEUMANN JR. (F) has performed in over 75 productions in his career. A native Chicagoan, audiences have seen Larry most recently in Goodman Theatre’s A Christmas Carol. Profiles audiences will remember him as Mitch in their production of In God’s Hat. Larry will reprise his role of Ed Mosher in Robert Falls’ award-winning production of The Iceman Cometh with Nathan Lane and Brian Dennehy at BAM in January 2015. At Lookingglass Theatre, Larry portrayed baseball icon Branch Rickey in the critically acclaimed production Mr. Rickey Calls a Meeting, as the title role in The Richard Nickel Story and as Austin Shagg in the music-infused production, The Shaggs.  Mr. Neumann received Jeff awards for performances in A Moon for the Misbegotten as Phil Hogan at First Folio Theatre, in the epic, two-part production of The Cider House Rules as Dr. Larch and for his portrayal of the Dali Lama in Hitting For The Cycle both at Famous Door Theater. Other Chicago performances include The Madness of Edgar Allen Poe (First Folio), The Puppetmaster of Ludz (Writer’s Theatre) and Underneath The Lintel (Noble Fool). He has appeared regionally at Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Madison Repertory Theater and Kansas City Repertory. His film credits include Merry Gentleman, Stranger Than Fiction and Stir of Echoes. Larry is a member of Actors’ Equity.

ELENI PAPPAGEORGE (W) is makes her Profiles Theatre debut in Cock. She is a Waltzing Mechanics company member focusing these past few years on developing and performing original documentary theatre including EL Stories and Over My Dead Body. She’s also had the pleasure of working with Northlight, The Chicago Dramatists, Remy Bumppo, Second City, Chemically Imbalanced Comedy, North Carolina Shakespeare Festival, Circle Theatre and The Pre-Post Humanists. She is a graduate of the Second City Conservatory and holds a BFA in Acting from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

CHRISTOPHER SHEARD (John) is makes his Profiles Theatre debut with Cock. He was last seen in Chicago in SS! Romeo and Juliet with Chicago Shakespeare Theatre and A Christmas Carol for Metropolis PAC. His regional credits include Skylight, Troilus and Cressida, Les Liaisons Dangereuses  and Antony and Cleopatra with American Players Theatre as well as Henry IV Part One and A Midsummer Night's Dream with the Great River Shakespeare Festival. He is a graduate of Florida State University with a BA in Theatre and received his MFA from The University of Illinois PATP.

JAKE SZCZEPANIAK (M) appears with Profiles Theatre for the first time. He was last seen in Unwilling and Hostile Instruments with Theater Seven, Burn This with Shattered Globe, Changes of Heart with Remy Bumppo and Girl You Know It’s True with Pavement Group. He has also worked with Baliwick Chicago, Circle Theater, Red Tape Theater, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Pride Films and Plays and (re)Discover theater. Jake is a graduate of the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana acting program and an artistic associate with Pavement Group. 

FACTS

Title:                 Cock

            Playwright:        by Mike Bartlett

Directed by:      Darrell W. Cox

Featuring:            Guest Artists Larry Neumann, Jr., Eleni Pappageorge, Christopher Sheard, Jake Szczepaniak

           

            Dates:              Previews:                     February 14, 15, 18, 19 at 8 pm

                                                                        February 16 at 7 pm

                                    Press Opening:            Thursday, February 20 at 8 pm

                                    Regular Run:                February 20 – April 6, 2014

Schedule:         Thurs., Fri.:                  8:00 p.m. 

                        Saturday:                     5:00 p.m. and 8:00p.m.

Sunday:                       7:00 p.m.

Location:          Profiles Theatre, The Main Stage, 4139 N. Broadway

                        Parking is available for $14 - $20 at 4100 N. Clarendon

(One block east of the theatre at the corner of Clarendon and Belle Plaine)

Ticket prices:    Previews:         $20

Regular Run:    Thursdays are $35, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays are $40; Students and Senior Citizens receive a $5 discount on all performances; Group rates are available.

Box Office:       Buy online at www.profilestheatre.org

or call (773) 549-1815

Also now playing:

ABOUT PROFILES THEATRE

Profiles Theatre, founded in 1988 by Artistic Director Joe Jahraus, joined shortly thereafter by Artistic Director Darrell W. Cox, was formed as an actor-driven theatre ensemble dedicated to creating provocative and emotionally truthful productions. Passionate about shaping an original vision for new works, they focused on performing World, American and Midwest premieres as well as rarely performed plays. Critically acclaimed hits, such as BLACKBIRD, FAT PIG, GRACELAND and the multiple Jeff Award-winning KILLER JOE, established Profiles as a destination for challenging and edgy theatre. Their unique collaboration with playwright Neil LaBute led the ensemble to perform an entire season of his plays in 2007-2008. Now a Resident Artist at Profiles, LaBute remains an unequivocal artistic influence on the ensemble.

After performing at 4147 North Broadway for more than two decades, Profiles acquired an adjacent theatre at 4139 North Broadway in 2012. Profiles’ new theatre, The Main Stage, with its larger seating capacity, increased performance space and higher ceilings, accommodates more ambitious and technically demanding productions. Their long-time venue, renamed The Alley Stage, continues as the home for plays strengthened by a more intimate staging. Driven by an undiminished appetite for creating honest and resonant theatre, Profiles still seeks to present work that illuminates the determination and resiliency of the human spirit.

REVIEW: Profiles Season Opener In God's Hat Beautifully Brutal #review #theatre

Profiles is off to a roaring start for their 25th Anniversary Season.   We highly recommend In God's Hat.   Somehow playwright Rhett Rossi has managed to blur the lines between victim and victimizer to create a hilarious, thought provoking, and cringe inducing dark comedy.   I don't know whether the emphasis should fall more on dark or comedy because he manages to merge the most reprehensible members of society... little boy child molesters and God fearing, Aryan Nation white supremacists into one wickedly funny production.

Though there are a fare share of cringe inducing flashback monologues and sick ideological rants, this show is truly funny throughout.  We enjoyed the multifaceted characters who had sympathetic elements despite their gaping character flaws.   In God's Hat is a compelling look at extreme ideologies, and what humans do to survive unbearable situations.   There are myriad contradictions in every one of these complex human beings, and In God's Hat has enough drama and plot twists to keep you guessing. 

The tension, stage combat, and delivery do justice to this outstanding script   and Roy, Mitch and Arthur were disturbingly possible.   I'd love to see Early step up the psychotic a bit as the run progresses.   He needs to ride that creepy menace with just a veneer of polite.   Early was just a bit too affable, but Arthur pulled off the crazy with panache.  

 

Larry Neumann, Jr. as Mitch, Darrell W. Cox as Roy, and Bruce Cronander.

John Victor Allen, Darrell W. Cox  Larry Neumann, Jr.

PHOTO CREDIT: Michael Brosilow

Files are named left to right with actor names.

The cast of In God's Hat features Co-Artistic Director Darrell W. Cox as Roy, Larry Neumann, Jr. as Mitch, John Victor Allen and Bruce Cronander.

The live musicians in their prison like mesh are a stand out, too.   This talented crew rocks the guitar, harmonica, fiddle, keyboards, percussion and more, to lend a bluesy ambience that goes well beyond just a backdrop to the action.

This is absolutely a mature audiences only show.   Leave the kids at home for this one.  

Darrell W. Cox as Roy, Larry Neumann, Jr. as Mitch

Profiles Theatre opens 25h Anniversary Season

with the Midwest premiere of

In God’s Hat by Rhett Rossi

Profiles Theatre opens its 25^th Anniversary Season with the Midwest premiere of In God’s Hat by Rhett Rossi, directed by Artistic Director Joe Jahraus. The production runs August 23 – October 13, 2013 at The Main Stage, 4139 N. Broadway. 

In God's Hat examines the extremes of humanity and the love of family as well the contempt for it. For nearly a decade, estranged brothers Roy and Mitch found themselves kept apart by prison bars and a nefarious history. On the day of Mitch's release, he is shocked to see Roy waiting for him, unsure of his intentions. Together they travel down a desolate road stopping at the only lodging around--a fleabag motel where confrontation and tension manifest themselves through darkly comical situations. In the end, the brothers must confront both the past and present, as some secrets are revealed and new ones must be kept.

Produced off-Broadway by the Apothecary Theatre Company, Rhett Rossi’s criticall- acclaimed play In God’s Hat received its world premiere in July 2010. His other plays include the one-man show Burnt, first performed by the Present Company Theatorium and From Red to Black, which received a reading at South Coast Rep and was runner up for the Laurents/Hatcher Prize. Rossi recently developed a pilot for HBO about minor league hockey.

Directed by Profiles Co-Artistic Director Joe Jahraus, the cast of In God's Hat features Co-Artistic Director Darrell W. Cox as Roy and Larry Neumann, Jr. as Mitch. Also featured are guest artists John Victor Allen and Bruce Cronander.

“In God’s Hat explores familial bonds, crisis of faith and our interwoven destinies through it’s tough, hard-edged dialogue and dark humor,” says Jahraus. "Rossi’s play is the perfect way to kick off our 25^th year of bringing exciting, visceral new works to Chicago.”

The designers for In God's Hat are Shaun Renfro (set), Mike Durst (lights), Jeffrey Levin (sound and original live music), and Raquel Adorno (costumes). Profiles ensemble member Eric Burgher is the assistant director.

Profiles Theatre plans six productions for the 25^th Anniversary Season alternating between its two venues, The Main Stage at 4139 N. Broadway and The Alley Stage at 4147 N. Broadway. Following In God’s Hat, the Midwest premiere of Wrecks by Neil LaBute debuts at The Alley Stage on October 3, 2013 featuring John Judd as Edward Carr. Also scheduled are Midwest premieres of the award-winning plays Cock by Mike Bartlett, Gidion’s Knot by Johnna Adams and Hunter Gatherers by Peter Sinn Nachtrieb along with Profiles’ acclaimed production of Hellcab by Will Kern, returning for the holiday season.

Tickets for In God’s Hat are $35 for Thursdays, $40 for Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets are available by phone, (773) 549-1815, or online, www.profilestheatre.org. Performances are Thursdays and Fridays at 8:00 p.m., Saturdays at 5:00 and 8:00 pm, Sundays at 7:00 p.m.

Darrell W. Cox as Roy, Larry Neumann, Jr. as Mitch

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

RHETT ROSSI (Playwright) premiered his critically-acclaimed play In God’s Hat off-Broadway with the Apothecary Theatre Company. His other plays include the one-man show Burnt with Present Company Theatorium and From Red to Black which received a reading at South Coast Rep and was runner up for the Laurents/Hatcher Prize. Rhett recently developed a pilot with HBO about minor league hockey. He lives in Brooklyn.

JOE JAHRAUS (Director) is the founder and Co-Artistic Director of Profiles Theatre. He most recently directed Profiles' Midwest Premieres of The Dream of the Burning Boy by David West Read and Sweet and Sad by Richard Nelson, the American Premiere of In a Forest, Dark and Deep by Neil LaBute as well as Profiles' World Premiere of Assisted Living by Deirdre O'Connor. His other directing credits with Profiles include the Midwest Premieres of Fifty Words by Michael Weller, Jailbait by Deirdre O'Connor, The Mercy Seat by Neil LaBute, Great Falls by Lee Blessing, The Thugs by Adam Bock and the World Premiere of Kid Sister by Will Kern. Joe directed the American Premiere of Apple by Vern Thiessen and the long-running hit Fat Pig by Neil LaBute for which he received a Jeff Award Nomination for Outstanding Director. Other directing credits for Profiles include the American Premiere of Apple by Vern Thiessen, the award-winning Midwest Premiere of Blackbird by Adam Rapp, Babylon Gardens by Timothy Mason, The Water Engine and Sexual Perversity in Chicago by David Mamet, and the award-winning Midwest Premiere of Carnal Knowledge by Jules Fieffer, among others.

JOHN VICTOR ALLEN (Arthur) makes his Profiles Theatre debut with In God's Hat. He was most recently seen in Measure for Measure at the Goodman Theatre and Elephant’s Graveyard with Red Tape Theatre. Other productions include Five Flights with Immediate Theatre, Coup and Rotten Couch Potatoes with Gearworks Theatre and Indecent Proposals with Metropolis PAC. John was also seen in the independent feature film The Soul Gatherer as well as numerous appearances around Chicago's vibrant improv and sketch comedy scene with his award-winning sketch group The Dancing Pig from The Second City. 

DARRELL W. COX (Roy) is Co-Artistic Director of Profiles Theatre where he most recently appeared in Profiles' Midwest Premiere of The Dream of the Burning Boy by David West Read. Prior to that he was seen in Profiles' Midwest Premiere of Sweet and Sad by Richard Nelson and Profiles' American Premiere of In a Forest Dark and Deep by Neil LaBute. Darrell received his fourth Joseph Jefferson Award for Actor in a Principal Role for his performance as Joe Cooper in Profiles' production of Killer Joe by Tracy Letts. Darrell has appeared at Steppenwolf in the World Premiere of Men of Tortuga (where he originated the role of Taggart), the Midwest Premiere of Orange Flower Water (which traveled to the Galway Arts Festival), and the World Premiere of Wendall Greene. He has also been seen at the Goodman in The Shawl and Home as part of the David Mamet Festival, American Theatre Company's Speed the Plow and Oleanna as part of the Mamet Repertory, as well as Jim Jones in the Midwest Premiere of The People's Temple, and the World Premiere of Martin Furey's Shot at TimeLine, among others. He has won four Joseph Jefferson Awards for Principal Actor for his work in Profiles' productions of Killer Joe, Blackbird, Some Voices, and Eye of God. In addition, he has received two After Dark Awards for Outstanding Performance for Profiles' productions of Popcorn, and Carnal Knowledge. Darrell can currently be seen in a recurring role as Uncle Ray on "Chicago Fire" on NBC and appeared in the film "AB-" directed by Dan Klein and produced by The Gravity Collaborative, which premiered at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival. 

BRUCE CRONANDER (Early) is working for the first time at Profiles Theatre. A recent transplant from Los Angeles, and originally from San Francisco, he has enjoyed becoming part of the thriving theatre community in Chicago. Since his arrival he has performed in Anna Christi with the Rendition Theatre and Outward Bound at the JPAC theatre in Cicero. Favorite roles in Los Angeles include the Reverend Chasuble in The Importance of Being Ernest and Lt. Calley in In the Heart of America. Roles in the San Francisco area include Camping with Henry and Tom at Theatreworks, A Few Good Men and Six Degrees of Separation. Film roles include XXX:State of the Union with William Defoe, Prom-troversy with Jane Lynch and Living the Dream with Sean Young. Television roles include Arrested Development and A&E Biography Series: Eisenhower.

LARRY NEUMANN, JR. (Mitch) makes his Profiles Theatre debut with In God's Hat. Mr. Neumann has been seen in over 70 productions in his career, primarily in his hometown of Chicago where audiences have seen Larry recently at the Goodman Theatre in Robert Falls The Iceman Cometh with Nathan Lane and Brian Dennehy and earlier at Lookingglass Theatre in Mr. Rickey Calls a Meeting as baseball icon Branch Rickey. Larry has also worked with Lookingglass previously in The Richard Nickel Story (title role), & Austin in The Shaggs. Mr. Neumann has received Jeff awards for performances in Moon for the Misbegotten at First Folio as Phil Hogan, Dr. Larch in Famous Door’s epic two-part production of Cider House Rules, and for his portrayal of the Dali Lama in Hitting For The Cycle, also with Famous Door.  Other Chicago favorites include Madness of Edgar Allen Poe (First Folio); Puppetmaster of Ludz (Writer’s Theatre); and Underneath The Lintel (Noble Fool). He has appeared regionally at Milwaukee Rep., Madison Rep. and Kansas City Rep.  Film credits: Merry Gentleman, Stranger Than Fiction, Stir of Echoes. A native Chicagoan, he lives with wife Sandy and their cats in Ravenswood Manor. Larry is a member of Actors’ Equity.

FACTS

Title:                 In God’s Hat

            Playwright:        by Rhett Rossi

Directed by:      Rick Snyder

           

            Dates:              

                                   Regular Run:                August 29 – October 13, 2013

Schedule:         Thurs., Fri.:                  8:00 p.m. 

                        Saturday:                     5:00 p.m. and 8:00p.m. (no 5pm show August 31)

Sunday:                       7:00 p.m.

Location:          Profiles Theatre, The Main Stage, 4139 N. Broadway

                        Parking is available for $14 - $20 at 4100 N. Clarendon

(One block east of the theatre at the corner of Clarendon and Belle Plaine)

Ticket prices:   

Regular Run:    Thursdays are $35, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays are $40; Students and Senior Citizens receive a $5 discount on all performances; Group rates are available.

Box Office:       Buy online at www.profilestheatre.org

or call (773) 549-1815

 

Darrell W. Cox as Roy, Larry Neumann, Jr. as Mitch and Bruce Cronander.

ABOUT PROFILES THEATRE

Profiles Theatre, founded in 1988 by Artistic Director Joe Jahraus, joined shortly thereafter by Artistic Director Darrell W. Cox, was formed as an actor-driven theatre ensemble dedicated to creating provocative and emotionally truthful productions. Passionate about shaping an original vision for new works, they focused on performing World, American and Midwest premieres as well as rarely performed plays. Critically-acclaimed hits, such as BLACKBIRD, FAT PIG, GRACELAND and the multiple Jeff Award-winning KILLER JOE, established Profiles as a destination for challenging and edgy theatre. Their unique collaboration with playwright Neil LaBute led the ensemble to perform an entire season of his plays in 2007-2008. Now a Resident Artist at Profiles, LaBute remains an unequivocal artistic influence on the ensemble.

After performing at 4147 North Broadway for more than two decades, Profiles acquired an adjacent theatre at 4139 North Broadway in 2012. Profiles’ new theatre, The Main Stage, with its larger seating capacity, increased performance space and higher ceilings, accommodates more ambitious and technically demanding productions. Their long-time venue, renamed The Alley Stage, continues as the home for plays strengthened by a more intimate staging. Driven by an undiminished appetite for creating honest and resonant theatre, Profiles still seeks to present work that illuminates the determination and resiliency of the human spirit.