OPENING: Crime and Punishment Through October 20, 2018 at Theater Wit

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Shattered Globe Theatre Presents 

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

Adapted for the stage by Chris Hannan

Based on the novel by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

  Directed by SGT Ensemble Member Louis Contey

September 6 – October 20, 2018 at Theater Wit

Running time 2:45

PHOTO CREDIT: Crime and Punishment (left to right) Ilse Zacharias and Drew Schad in a publicity image for Shattered Globe Theatre’s production of CRIME AND PUNISHMENT, directed by Louis Contey. Photo by Nico Fernandez: A Little Photo Studio.  

I'll be ChiILin' with Chi, IL's Shattered Globe Theatre at Theater Wit, for the press opening of CRIME AND PUNISHMENT September 9th. Check back shortly after for my full review.

Shattered Globe Theatre is pleased to launch its 2018-19 season with Chris Hannan’s new stage adaptation of Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s masterful novel CRIME AND PUNISHMENT. SGT Ensemble Member Louis Contey* directs an ensemble of eleven actors in this rich interpretation of one of the world’s great literary treasures, playing September 6 – October 20, 2018 at SGT’s resident home Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. Single tickets are currently available at www.shatteredglobe.org, by calling (773) 975-8150 or in person at the Theater Wit Box Office.

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT will feature SGT Ensemble Members Christina Gorman*, Rebecca Jordan*, Drew Schad*, Joe Wiens* and Brad Woodard*, SGT Artistic Associates Daria Harper^ and Darren Jones^ and SGT Protégé alum Jazzma Pryor+ with Christopher Acevedo, Patrick Thornton and Ilse Zacharias.

One of the great stories of world literature comes to life in this fresh, theatrical adaptation featuring an ensemble of eleven actors as chorus and conscience. As Raskolnikov plays a dangerous cat and mouse game with a mercurial investigating magistrate, a psychological thriller unspools and probes how far humanity might go when driven by disillusionment and whether any crime can be justified by a higher purpose.  

Comments Director Louis Contey, “Dostoyevsky is a master at creating complex and contradictory characters, and Chris Hannan has beautifully distilled the essential themes and motifs of this major 19th century novel. It has long been an ambition of mine to stage this classic, whose exploration of human isolation and disillusionment is so very timely.”

The production team for CRIME AND PUNISHMENT includes: Nick Mozak (scenic design), Hailey Rakowiecki (costume design), Shelley Strasser (lighting design), Christopher Kriz (sound design & original music) and Vivian Knouse (props design), Judy Anderson (production manager) and Tina M. Jach (stage manager). 

Cast (in alphabetical order): Christopher Acevedo (Skabichevsky, Lebezyatnikov, Doctor, Ilya Petrovich), Christina Gorman* (Dunya), Daria Harper^ (Pulkheria, Alyona), Darren Jones^ (Marmeladov, Nikolai), Rebecca Jordan* (Katerina, Darya), Jazzma Pryor+ (Nastasya, Lizaveta, Amalia), Drew Schad* (Raskolnikov), Patrick Thornton (Porfiry Petrovich), Joe Wiens* (Razumikhin), Brad Woodard* (Luzhin, Koch, Priest) and Ilse Zacharias (Sonya).

Location: Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave, Chicago

Dates: Previews: Thursday, September 6 at 8 pm, Friday, September 7 at 8 pm, Saturday, September 8 at 8 pm and Sunday, September 9 at 3 pm.

Regular Run: Friday, September 14 – Saturday, October 20, 2018

Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 8 pm; Sundays at 3 pm. Please note: there will not be a performance on Thursday, September 13; there will be an added performance on Saturday, October 20 at 3 pm.

Touch Tour/Audio Description Performance: Friday, October 12 – 6:30 pm touch tour, 8 pm performance with audio description. $20 tickets available with code “ACCESS.”

Global Perspectives: SGT will be hosting post-show discussions immediately following 3 pm performances on Sundays.

Tickets: Previews: $20 general admission (pay-what-you-can on Thursday, September 6). $10 students, $10 industry tickets with code “FRIEND”.

Regular Run: $39 general admission. Discounts: $15 students, $30 seniors, $20 under 30. $15 industry tickets on Thursdays with code “INDUSTRY.” Single tickets are currently available at www.shatteredglobe.org, in person at the Theater Wit Box Office or by calling (773) 975-8150. SGT’s VIP Season Traveler Memberships are on sale on at www.shatteredglobe.org. Group discounts are currently available by contacting groupsales@shatteredglobe.org or by calling (773) 770-0333. 

* Denotes SGT Ensemble Member

^ Denotes SGT Artistic Associate

+ Denotes SGT Protégé alumni

About the Artists:

Chris Hannan’s (Adapter) work as a playwright has been produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Old Vic, Shakespeare's Globe and the National Theatre of Scotland. His most recent play, What Shadows, opened at Birmingham Rep in October 2016 and was described by the Daily Telegraph as "the most provocative theatrical act of the decade." His 1990 play The Evil Doers was produced by the Bush Theatre in London and received a Time Out Award among other prizes, and in 1996 his highly-acclaimed Shining Souls won him a nomination for Lloyds Bank Playwright of the Year. In Scotland, he is best known for Elizabeth Gordon Quinn, which is widely studied and was re-mounted by the National Theatre of Scotland in the first year of its existence. In his plays, he often creates big central roles for women. The critic Joyce McMillan, writing in The Guardian, hailed Elizabeth Gordon Quinn as a "monstrous and magnificent heroine." The same critic described the central character of Shining Souls as a kind of Mother Courage cum Marilyn Monroe of the post-industrial wastelands and called the play a "funny and serious postmodern masterpiece."

Louis Contey (Director) marks his 23rd SGT collaboration with Crime and Punishment. For SGT, Lou has also directed The Heavens are Hung in Black ,The Tall Girls, In the Heat of the Night, A View From The Bridge, The Manchurian Candidate, A Streetcar Named Desire, All My Sons, Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?, Peter Pan, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Warhawks and Lindberghs, Holy Ghosts, Judgment at Nuremberg, Requiem for a Heavyweight, The Whaleship Essex, Meet John Doe, The Lower Depths, Escape From Happiness, Real Classy Affair, Rocket to the Moon, Anna Karenina and Brilliant Traces. He has directed over 75 plays, among them The Master & Margarita, Marriage Play, The Diviners, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth and Hamlet. He is an Associate Artist at TimeLine Theatre, where he directed Frost/Nixon, Awake And Sing!, The General from America, Lillian, Copenhagen, It’s All True, Pravda, Paradise Lost, A House With No Walls, The Apple Family Plays and The Price. He has also worked at The Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Strawdog Theatre,Theatre at the Center, Buffalo Theatre Ensemble, Provision Theatre, Eclipse Theatre and American Theater Company. He is a twelve-time Jeff nominee and has received seven Jeff Citations, as well as an After Dark Award. He teaches part-time at The Theatre School/DePaul University where he received his MFA in Directing. 

About Shattered Globe Theatre

Shattered Globe Theatre (Sandy Shinner, Producing Artistic Director; Doug McDade, Managing Director) was born in a storefront space on Halsted Street in 1991. Since then, SGT has produced more than 60 plays, including nine American and world premieres, and garnered an impressive 42 Jeff Awards and 106 Jeff Award nominations, as well as the acclaim of critics and audiences alike. Shattered Globe is an ensemble driven theater whose mission is to create an intimate, visceral theater experience that challenges the perspective of audience and artist alike through passionate storytelling. Shattered Globe is inspired by the diversity of our city and committed to making the theater available to all audiences.   Through initiatives such as the Protégé Program, Shattered Globe creates a space which allows emerging artists to grow and share in the ensemble experience.

Shattered Globe Theatre is partially supported and funded by generous grants from The Shulman-Rochambeau Charitable Foundation, The James P. and Brenda S. Grusecki Family Foundation, Alphawood Foundation, The Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, The MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, The Illinois Arts Council, a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events, The Shubert Foundation, The Bayless Family Foundation, The Blum-Kovler Family Foundation, and The Robert J. & Loretta W. Cooney Family Foundation.

For more information on Shattered Globe Theatre, please visit www.shatteredglobe.org.

OPENING: Chicago Premiere HOW TO USE A KNIFE Via Shattered Globe Theatre At Theater WIT April 26 – June 9, 2018

Chi IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

Chicago Premiere!

Shattered Globe Theatre Presents 

HOW TO USE A KNIFE

By Will Snider

Directed by Producing Artistic Director Sandy Shinner

April 26 – June 9, 2018 at Theater Wit

I'll be ChiILin' with Shattered Globe Theatre and catching HOW TO USE A KNIFE May 4th, so check back soon for my full review on this Chicago premiere. Theater Wit is one of our favorite multi space, Chicago storefront theaters and Shattered Globe Theatre company has been a long time favorite of ours as well. 

Shattered Globe Theatre is pleased to conclude its 2017-18 Season with the Chicago premiere of Will Snider’s fast-paced gritty drama HOW TO USE A KNIFE, directed by SGT Producing Artistic Director Sandy Shinner*, playing April 26 – June 9, 2018 at SGT’s resident home Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. Single tickets are currently available at www.shatteredglobe.org, by calling (773) 975-8150 or in person at the Theater Wit Box Office. 

HOW TO USE A KNIFE will feature Shattered Globe ensemble Brad Woodard* with Michelle Bester, Peter DeFaria, Dennis García, Anthony Irons, Dillon Kelleher and Víctor Maraña. 

In the chaotic kitchen of a Wall Street restaurant, Chef George is trying to stay sober and keep the cross-cultural kitchen staff churning out orders on time. While dealing with two trash-talking line cooks, a naïve busboy and a jerk of a boss, George strikes up a surprising friendship with an unassuming dishwasher. The heat is turned up when secrets from their pasts are exposed.  Raw, fast-paced and funny, HOW TO USE A KNIFE serves up plenty of food for thought.

“Shattered Globe is thrilled to produce Will Snider’s How To Use a Knife which I enjoyed several years ago in an early reading at the National New Play Network and have been pursuing ever since,” comments Producing Artistic Director Sandy Shinner. “The overwhelmingly positive response from audiences and artists across the country during the play’s rolling world premiere is a tribute to Will’s compelling story and the energy and musicality of his dialogue. This is a playwright to watch. SGT is proud to introduce Will’s work to Chicago audiences.” 

The production team for HOW TO USE A KNIFE includes Jeff Bauer (scenic design), Hailey Rakowiecki (costume design), Shelley Strasser Holland* (lighting design), Abigail Cain (props design), Daniel Carylon (sound design), Judy Anderson* (executive production manager), Colin David+ (production manager), J. Hampton Cade and Arianna Soloway (asst. directors), Tina M. Jach (stage manager) and Devonte Washington+ and Ayanna Wimberly (asst. stage managers).

Location: Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave, Chicago
Dates: Previews: Thursday, April 26 at 8 pm, Friday, April 27 at 8 pm and Saturday, April 28 at 8 pm
Press Performance: Sunday, April 29 at 3 pm
Regular Run: Thursday, May 3 – Saturday, June 9, 2018
Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 8 pm; Sundays at 3 pm. Please note: there will not be an 8 pm performance on Friday, May 11; there will be an added performance on Saturday, June 9 at 3 pm.
Touch Tour/Audio Description Performance: Friday, May 18, 2018 – 6:30 pm touch tour, 8 pm performance with audio description. $20 tickets available with code “ACCESS.”
Global Perspectives: SGT will be hosting post-show discussions immediately following 3 pm performances on Sundays.

Tickets: Previews: $20 general admission, $10 students, $10 industry tickets with code “FRIEND”. Regular Run: $35 general admission. Discounts: $15 students, $28 seniors, $20 under 30. $15 industry tickets on Thursdays with code “INDUSTRY.” Tickets are currently available at www.theaterwit.org, in person at the Theater Wit Box Office or by calling (773) 975-8150. Group discounts are currently available by contacting groupsales@shatteredglobe.org or by calling (773) 770-0333. 

* Denotes SGT Ensemble Member
+ Denotes SGT Artistic Associate

About the Artists:
Will Snider (Playwright) was born and raised in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. His play How to Use a Knife received a Rolling World Premiere through National New Play Network, won the Barrymore Award for Outstanding New Play, and was a finalist for a PEN Center USA Literary Award. Other plays include The Big Man (Ensemble Studio Theatre’s 35th Marathon of One-Act Plays), Strange Men and Death of a Driver. His work has been developed at MCC, NNPN National Showcase of New Plays, The Kennedy Center, SPACE on Ryder Farm, #serials@theflea, the claque and MAKEHOUSE. He is an alumnus of Youngblood and received an EST/Soan Grant and The Kennedy Center’s Paula Vogel Playwriting Award. MFA: UCSD.

Sandy Shinner (Director) joined Shattered Globe Theatre in October 2013 as the theater’s first Producing Artistic Director. She directed Scott McPherson’s Marvin’s Room in 2015 and Sally Nemeth’s Mill Fire at SGT in 2014 for SGT. The former Associate Artistic Director of Victory Gardens Theater, she created the nationally known IGNITION! Festival, served as co-director of the Access Project, and accepted the 2001 Regional Theater Tony Award on behalf of VG with former Artistic Director Dennis Zacek and former Managing Director Marcelle McVay. Her other recent directing credits include: the world premiere of Rasheeda Speaking by Joel Drake Johnson (Rivendell Theater Ensemble) and Creditors by August Strindberg (Remy Bumppo Theater Company). She has directed over 80 plays at theaters including Victory Gardens, Remy Bumppo, American Blues, the University of Virginia, Actors Theater of Louisville’s Humana Festival, Steppenwolf’s First Look Repertory of New Work, New York’s 78th Street Theater Lab and the Sacramento Theater Company, among others. Her production of Trying by Joanna McClelland Glass transferred to New York and her direction was nominated for the Joe A. Callaway Award. Shinner received the 2013 Kathryn V. Lamkey Spirit Award from the Equal Employment Opportunity Committee of Actors’ Equity Association for her commitment to diversity and non-traditional casting. She has been recognized as one of “50 Top Players” by Newcity and a “Chicagoan of the Year” by the Chicago Tribune. She is an adjunct professor at DePaul’s Theatre School, an At Large Ambassador for the National New Play Network and an Artistic Affiliate at American Blues Theater.  

About Shattered Globe Theatre
Shattered Globe Theatre (Sandy Shinner, Producing Artistic Director; Doug McDade, Managing Director) was born in a storefront space on Halsted Street in 1991. Since then, SGT has produced more than 60 plays, including nine American and world premieres, and garnered an impressive 42 Jeff Awards and 106 Jeff Award nominations, as well as the acclaim of critics and audiences alike. Shattered Globe is an ensemble driven theater whose mission is to create an intimate, visceral theater experience that challenges the perspective of audience and artist alike through passionate storytelling. Shattered Globe is inspired by the diversity of our city and committed to making the theater available to all audiences.   Through initiatives such as the Protégé Program, Shattered Globe creates a space which allows emerging artists to grow and share in the ensemble experience.

Shattered Globe Theatre is partially supported and funded by generous grants from The Shulman-Rochambeau Charitable Foundation, The James P. and Brenda S. Grusecki Family Foundation, Alphawood Foundation, The Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, The MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, The Illinois Arts Council, a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events, The Shubert Foundation, The Blum-Kovler Family Foundation, and The Robert J. & Loretta W. Cooney Family Foundation.

For more information on Shattered Globe Theatre, please visit www.shatteredglobe.org.

REVIEW: Inertia and Shattered Dreams Hit Home With Shattered Globe's Five Mile Lake at Theater Wit

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Chicago Premiere!

Shattered Globe Theatre Presents 

FIVE MILE LAKE

By Rachel Bonds

Directed by Cody Estle

January 11 – February 24, 2018 at Theater Wit

All Photos by Evan Hanover.

Review:

Dive on in to the depths of Shattered Globe's Five Mile Lake for an excellent exploration on failed dreams, family dynamics, and future plans. Five Mile Lake is one of the stronger offerings in a series of productions on stage in Chicago now, all exploring young adults who end up stuck in their home towns with subpar employment, and often duties caring for elderly parents.

Steve Peebles, Drew Schad, Joseph Wiens, Daniela Colucci and Aila Peck were all adept at their roles. I enjoyed the complicated relationships between the brother who stayed and the one who got away, the unhappy girlfriend, and the childhood friend and coffee shop co-worker. The post lake plunge scene is particularly endearing and revealing.

This slice of American life is comedic in dialogue, yet tragic in it's characters' wasted potential and unhappiness. The delightfully askew set is simple but effective in providing the perfect playground for lives out of balance, deception, loneliness and longing for escape. Shattered Globe does an excellent job of portraying the lasting effects of the place one's from, along with the pros and cons of growing up and away, or taking root in the soil or one's childhood environs. Lies, loyalties, responsibilities, and choices are all on the line.

When the liquor flows, hidden truths come out. When the coffee is served up with gummy worms and sympathy, future possibilities emerge, and character traits become clearer.   

Though there are no earthshaking mysteries or plot twists, I enjoyed the familiarity of this small group of childhood friends, family, and strangers muddling through a seminal weekend together, in the comforts and constrictions of small town America.

Five Mile Lake is recommended and now playing through February 24, 2018 at SGT’s resident home Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave.

Shattered Globe Theatre is pleased to continue its 2017-18 Season with Rachel Bonds’ new drama FIVE MILE LAKE, directed by Cody Estle. This Chicago premiere asks the question, “In this rapidly transforming world, when is the right time to make a major change in your life? What holds you back?” FIVE MILE LAKE will play January 11 – February 24, 2018 at SGT’s resident home Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. Tickets go on sale Wednesday, November 15 at www.shatteredglobe.org, by calling (773) 975-8150 or in person at the Theater Wit Box Office. 

FIVE MILE LAKE features Shattered Globe ensemble members Steve Peebles*, Drew Schad*, Joseph Wiens* and SGT artistic associate Daniela Colucci+ with Aila Peck. 

Top (left to right): Daniela Colucci, Aila Peck, Steve Peebles. Bottom (left to right): Drew Schad and Joseph Wiens.

"That 'couple years' of treading water turned into like...eight." – Mary, Five Mile Lake

Five young adults approaching thirty navigate an unexpected reunion in a small Pennsylvania town: the kind of claustrophobic place that most kids grow up ready to leave. On the banks of a frozen lake, each struggles to make a new choice – the “right” choice – and comes face-to-face with the choices they have already made.

FIVE MILE LAKE is a funny, intimate portrait of unrequited love, tension among siblings, the discomfort of self-reflection, and the consequences of words left unsaid. Bonds creates a "pitch perfect evocation of small moments with life-sized repercussions." (Adrien-Alice Hansel, Studio Theatre).

Comments Director Cody Estle, “Five Mile Lake is a funny and moving portrait of small town people –both the people who stayed and the people who moved away. Sometimes everyone else’s life looks better from a distance but what really defines happiness? Coming from a small town myself and being around the age of these characters brings a special connection – it’s a story that I'm eager to tell. It’s filled with family, dreams and hope – I think it will engage, move and inspire audiences.”

Playwright Rachel Bonds adds, “I wrote this play because I was thinking a lot about the place I’m from and about the constant push-pull I feel about it. At times I think there’s nowhere I feel more at home than in that tiny, tiny mountain town – and times, walking down the whirling, vibrating, city streets, when I can’t believe I managed to spend 18 years there. I wrote this play because I was interested in that conflict in me, and because I was interested in how we look for and find home when we’ve lost our way.”

Producing Artistic Director Sandy Shinner comments, “The writing in Five Mile Lake is a gift to actors as they explore the tension between what the characters say and what they feel. In this season of all Chicago premieres, Shattered Globe is excited to welcome playwright Rachel Bonds to our theater. She’ll be joining us during the creative process and we look forward to introducing her to Chicago’s theater community and our audiences.”

The production team for FIVE MILE LAKE includes Jeffrey D. Kmiec (scenic design), Hailey Rakowiecki (costume design), JR Lederle (lighting design), Christopher Kriz+ (original music and sound design), Vivian Knouse* (props design), Eva Breneman (dialect coach), A.J. Roy (asst. director), Judy Anderson* (exec. production manager), Colin David (production manager), Denise Savas (stage manager) and Ayanna Wimberley (asst. stage manager).

Location: Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave, Chicago
Dates: Previews: Thursday, January 11 at 8 pm, Friday, January 12 at 8 pm and Saturday, January 13 at 8 pm 
Regular Run: Thursday, January 18 – Saturday, February 24, 2018 

Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 8 pm; Sundays at 3 pm. Please note: there is an added matinee on Saturday, February 24 at 3 pm. 
Touch Tour/Audio Description Performance: Friday, February 2 – 6:30 pm touch tour, 8 pm performance with audio description. $20 tickets available with code “ACCESS.”

Global Perspectives: SGT will be hosting post-show discussions immediately following 3 pm performances on Sundays.

Tickets: Previews: $20 general admission, $10 students, $10 industry tickets with code “FRIEND”. Regular Run: $35 general admission. Discounts: $15 students, $28 seniors, $20 under 30. $15 industry tickets on Thursdays with code “INDUSTRY.” Tickets go on sale Wednesday, November 15 at www.theaterwit.org, in person at the Theater Wit Box Office or by calling (773) 975-8150. Group discounts are currently available by contacting groupsales@shatteredglobe.org or by calling (773) 770-0333. 

* Denotes SGT Ensemble Member
+ Denotes SGT Artistic Associate

About the Artists:
Rachel Bonds (Playwright) plays have been developed or produced by South Coast Rep, Ars Nova, Manhattan Theatre Club, McCarter Theatre, Roundabout Underground, Atlantic Theater Company, Studio Theatre, New Georges, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, SPACE on Ryder Farm, Williamstown Theatre Festival, and New York Stage & Film, among others. Her plays include: Curve of Departure (Upcoming South Coast Rep, Studio Theatre); Five Mile Lake (South Coast Rep, McCarter, Weissberger Award); The Wolfe Twins (Studio Theatre, Kilroys List 2015); Swimmers (Marin Theatre Co., Sky Cooper Prize, Kilroys List 2014); Sundown, Yellow Moon (Ars Nova/WP); Alma (Atlantic Theatre Company commission); Firecracker (Kilroys List 2016); At the Old Place (La Jolla); Michael & Edie (NY Times Critic's Pick, 2010); Winter Games (Actors Theatre of Louisville, Heideman Award); and Anniversary (EST, Sam French OOB Festival Winner). She is an Alumna of the EST’s Youngblood, Ars Nova’s Play Group and SPACE on Ryder Farm’s Working Farm Writers’ Group. She was the 2016 Tow Foundation Playwright in Residence at Ars Nova. Current commissions include The Geffen and McCarter. Bonds is a graduate of Brown University.

Cody Estle (Director) is the newly appointed Artistic Director of Raven Theatre. Directing credits include By The Water at Northlight Theatre; The Assembled Parties, A Loss of Roses, Dividing the Estate, Vieux Carré (named by Chicago Tribune as one of the Year's Best in 2014), Good Boys and True, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Boy Gets Girl and Dating Walter Dante at Raven Theatre; American Hero at First Floor Theatre; Scarcity at Redtwist Theatre; The Seagull and Watch on the Rhine at The Artistic Home; Don't Go Gentle at Haven Theatre; Uncle Bob at Mary-Arrchie Theatre Company and Hospitality Suite at Citadel Theatre. He’s had the pleasure of assistant directing at Steppenwolf Theatre, Northlight Theatre, Marriott Theatre, Goodspeed Musicals, Court Theatre, Writers Theatre, Next Theatre and Strawdog Theatre. Estle is an associate member of SDC and a graduate of Columbia College Chicago.



About Shattered Globe Theatre
Shattered Globe Theatre (Sandy Shinner, Producing Artistic Director; Doug McDade, Managing Director) was born in a storefront space on Halsted Street in 1991. Since then, SGT has produced more than 60 plays, including nine American and world premieres, and garnered an impressive 42 Jeff Awards and 106 Jeff Award nominations, as well as the acclaim of critics and audiences alike. Shattered Globe is an ensemble driven theater whose mission is to create an intimate, visceral theater experience that challenges the perspective of audience and artist alike through passionate storytelling. Shattered Globe is inspired by the diversity of our city and committed to making the theater available to all audiences.   Through initiatives such as the Protégé Program, Shattered Globe creates a space which allows emerging artists to grow and share in the ensemble experience.

Shattered Globe Theatre is partially supported and funded by generous grants from The Shulman-Rochambeau Charitable Foundation, The James P. and Brenda S. Grusecki Family Foundation, Alphawood Foundation, The Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, The MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, The Illinois Arts Council, a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events, The Shubert Foundation, The Blum-Kovler Family Foundation, and The Robert J. & Loretta W. Cooney Family Foundation.

For more information on Shattered Globe Theatre, please visit www.shatteredglobe.org.

OPENING: The Chicago Premiere of FIVE MILE LAKE at Theater WIT Via Shattered Globe Theatre Through February 24th

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Chicago Premiere!

Shattered Globe Theatre Presents 

FIVE MILE LAKE

By Rachel Bonds

Directed by Cody Estle

January 11 – February 24, 2018 at Theater Wit

Here at ChiIL Live Shows we're elated that the award winning Shattered Globe Theatre is presenting another Chicago Premiere, Rachel Bonds' Five Mile Lake. We'll be out for the press performance on Sunday, January 14th, so check back soon for our full review.

Shattered Globe Theatre is pleased to continue its 2017-18 Season with Rachel Bonds’ new drama FIVE MILE LAKE, directed by Cody Estle. This Chicago premiere asks the question, “In this rapidly transforming world, when is the right time to make a major change in your life? What holds you back?” FIVE MILE LAKE will play January 11 – February 24, 2018 at SGT’s resident home Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. Tickets go on sale Wednesday, November 15 at www.shatteredglobe.org, by calling (773) 975-8150 or in person at the Theater Wit Box Office. 

FIVE MILE LAKE features Shattered Globe ensemble members Steve Peebles*, Drew Schad*, Joseph Wiens* and SGT artistic associate Daniela Colucci+ with Aila Peck. 

Top (left to right): Daniela Colucci, Aila Peck, Steve Peebles. Bottom (left to right): Drew Schad and Joseph Wiens.

"That 'couple years' of treading water turned into like...eight." – Mary, Five Mile Lake

Five young adults approaching thirty navigate an unexpected reunion in a small Pennsylvania town: the kind of claustrophobic place that most kids grow up ready to leave. On the banks of a frozen lake, each struggles to make a new choice – the “right” choice – and comes face-to-face with the choices they have already made.

FIVE MILE LAKE is a funny, intimate portrait of unrequited love, tension among siblings, the discomfort of self-reflection, and the consequences of words left unsaid. Bonds creates a "pitch perfect evocation of small moments with life-sized repercussions." (Adrien-Alice Hansel, Studio Theatre).

Comments Director Cody Estle, “Five Mile Lake is a funny and moving portrait of small town people –both the people who stayed and the people who moved away. Sometimes everyone else’s life looks better from a distance but what really defines happiness? Coming from a small town myself and being around the age of these characters brings a special connection – it’s a story that I'm eager to tell. It’s filled with family, dreams and hope – I think it will engage, move and inspire audiences.”

Playwright Rachel Bonds adds, “I wrote this play because I was thinking a lot about the place I’m from and about the constant push-pull I feel about it. At times I think there’s nowhere I feel more at home than in that tiny, tiny mountain town – and times, walking down the whirling, vibrating, city streets, when I can’t believe I managed to spend 18 years there. I wrote this play because I was interested in that conflict in me, and because I was interested in how we look for and find home when we’ve lost our way.”

Producing Artistic Director Sandy Shinner comments, “The writing in Five Mile Lake is a gift to actors as they explore the tension between what the characters say and what they feel. In this season of all Chicago premieres, Shattered Globe is excited to welcome playwright Rachel Bonds to our theater. She’ll be joining us during the creative process and we look forward to introducing her to Chicago’s theater community and our audiences.”

The production team for FIVE MILE LAKE includes Jeffrey D. Kmiec (scenic design), Hailey Rakowiecki (costume design), JR Lederle (lighting design), Christopher Kriz+ (original music and sound design), Vivian Knouse* (props design), Eva Breneman (dialect coach), A.J. Roy (asst. director), Judy Anderson* (exec. production manager), Colin David (production manager), Denise Savas (stage manager) and Ayanna Wimberley (asst. stage manager).

Location: Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave, Chicago
Dates: Previews: Thursday, January 11 at 8 pm, Friday, January 12 at 8 pm and Saturday, January 13 at 8 pm 
Regular Run: Thursday, January 18 – Saturday, February 24, 2018 

Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 8 pm; Sundays at 3 pm. Please note: there is an added matinee on Saturday, February 24 at 3 pm. 
Touch Tour/Audio Description Performance: Friday, February 2 – 6:30 pm touch tour, 8 pm performance with audio description. $20 tickets available with code “ACCESS.”

Global Perspectives: SGT will be hosting post-show discussions immediately following 3 pm performances on Sundays.

Tickets: Previews: $20 general admission, $10 students, $10 industry tickets with code “FRIEND”. Regular Run: $35 general admission. Discounts: $15 students, $28 seniors, $20 under 30. $15 industry tickets on Thursdays with code “INDUSTRY.” Tickets go on sale Wednesday, November 15 at www.theaterwit.org, in person at the Theater Wit Box Office or by calling (773) 975-8150. Group discounts are currently available by contacting groupsales@shatteredglobe.org or by calling (773) 770-0333. 

* Denotes SGT Ensemble Member
+ Denotes SGT Artistic Associate

About the Artists:
Rachel Bonds (Playwright) plays have been developed or produced by South Coast Rep, Ars Nova, Manhattan Theatre Club, McCarter Theatre, Roundabout Underground, Atlantic Theater Company, Studio Theatre, New Georges, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, SPACE on Ryder Farm, Williamstown Theatre Festival, and New York Stage & Film, among others. Her plays include: Curve of Departure (Upcoming South Coast Rep, Studio Theatre); Five Mile Lake (South Coast Rep, McCarter, Weissberger Award); The Wolfe Twins (Studio Theatre, Kilroys List 2015); Swimmers (Marin Theatre Co., Sky Cooper Prize, Kilroys List 2014); Sundown, Yellow Moon (Ars Nova/WP); Alma (Atlantic Theatre Company commission); Firecracker (Kilroys List 2016); At the Old Place (La Jolla); Michael & Edie (NY Times Critic's Pick, 2010); Winter Games (Actors Theatre of Louisville, Heideman Award); and Anniversary (EST, Sam French OOB Festival Winner). She is an Alumna of the EST’s Youngblood, Ars Nova’s Play Group and SPACE on Ryder Farm’s Working Farm Writers’ Group. She was the 2016 Tow Foundation Playwright in Residence at Ars Nova. Current commissions include The Geffen and McCarter. Bonds is a graduate of Brown University.

Cody Estle (Director) is the newly appointed Artistic Director of Raven Theatre. Directing credits include By The Water at Northlight Theatre; The Assembled Parties, A Loss of Roses, Dividing the Estate, Vieux Carré (named by Chicago Tribune as one of the Year's Best in 2014), Good Boys and True, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Boy Gets Girl and Dating Walter Dante at Raven Theatre; American Hero at First Floor Theatre; Scarcity at Redtwist Theatre; The Seagull and Watch on the Rhine at The Artistic Home; Don't Go Gentle at Haven Theatre; Uncle Bob at Mary-Arrchie Theatre Company and Hospitality Suite at Citadel Theatre. He’s had the pleasure of assistant directing at Steppenwolf Theatre, Northlight Theatre, Marriott Theatre, Goodspeed Musicals, Court Theatre, Writers Theatre, Next Theatre and Strawdog Theatre. Estle is an associate member of SDC and a graduate of Columbia College Chicago.



About Shattered Globe Theatre
Shattered Globe Theatre (Sandy Shinner, Producing Artistic Director; Doug McDade, Managing Director) was born in a storefront space on Halsted Street in 1991. Since then, SGT has produced more than 60 plays, including nine American and world premieres, and garnered an impressive 42 Jeff Awards and 106 Jeff Award nominations, as well as the acclaim of critics and audiences alike. Shattered Globe is an ensemble driven theater whose mission is to create an intimate, visceral theater experience that challenges the perspective of audience and artist alike through passionate storytelling. Shattered Globe is inspired by the diversity of our city and committed to making the theater available to all audiences.   Through initiatives such as the Protégé Program, Shattered Globe creates a space which allows emerging artists to grow and share in the ensemble experience.

Shattered Globe Theatre is partially supported and funded by generous grants from The Shulman-Rochambeau Charitable Foundation, The James P. and Brenda S. Grusecki Family Foundation, Alphawood Foundation, The Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, The MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, The Illinois Arts Council, a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events, The Shubert Foundation, The Blum-Kovler Family Foundation, and The Robert J. & Loretta W. Cooney Family Foundation.

For more information on Shattered Globe Theatre, please visit www.shatteredglobe.org.

LAST CALL: Shattered Globe Theatre's Acclaimed Production THE HEAVENS ARE HUNG IN BLACK Must Close 10/21

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Chicago Premiere!

Shattered Globe Theatre Launches 2017-18 Season with 

THE HEAVENS ARE HUNG IN BLACK

By James Still

Directed by SGT Ensemble Member Louis Contey

Through October 21, 2017 at Theater Wit

(center) Lawrence Grimm and the cast of Shattered Globe Theatre’s Chicago premiere of THE HEAVENS ARE HUNG IN BLACK by James Still, directed by Louis Contey. Photo by Evan Hanover.

Featuring Lawrence Grimm as Abraham Lincoln 

and SGT Ensemble Member Linda Reiter as Mary Todd Lincoln

Shattered Globe Theatre is pleased to launch its 2017-18 Season with the Chicago premiere of Pulitzer Prize nominee James Still’s fevered, emotional epic THE HEAVENS ARE HUNG IN BLACK, a theatrical rendering of Abraham Lincoln's struggle as a man of conscience to lead a divided country, directed by SGT Ensemble Member Louis Contey*. THE HEAVENS ARE HUNG IN BLACK will play September 7 – October 21, 2017 at SGT’s resident home Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. Tickets are currently available at www.shatteredglobe.org, by calling (773) 975-8150 or in person at the Theater Wit Box Office.

THE HEAVENS ARE HUNG IN BLACK will feature Lawrence Grimm and SGT Ensemble member Linda Reiter* as Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln, respectively. The cast also includes SGT Ensemble Members Kelsey Colleen Melvin*, Drew Schad*, Brad Woodard* and SGT Artistic Associate Darren Jones+, with Don Bender, Zach Bloomfield, Jennifer Cheung, Kate Harris, Tim Kough, Tim Newell, Leo Sharkey and Gus Zaruba.

Presented for the first time in the “Land of Lincoln,” THE HEAVENS ARE HUNG IN BLACK is Pulitzer Prize nominee James Still’s personal interpretation of the fevered, emotional months between the death of Abraham Lincoln’s young son and the signing of The Emancipation Proclamation. Cannon fire from across the Potomac echoes in the halls of the White House as dreams of Lincoln’s famous adversaries and unnamed soldiers walk through his waking life. His imperfections and humanity are both revealed in this moving theatrical epic which explores the conscience of the man who led America in a war that we’re still fighting today.

“The Heavens are Hung in Black portrays a transformational moment in Abraham Lincoln’s life and worldview,” comments Director Louis Contey. “In 1862, after nearly a year of bloody civil war, Lincoln must find a way of elevating the purpose of the conflict and save the Union. It is said that the office of President changes the individual who occupies it. With his conscience gnawing at him Lincoln begins to evolve as he considers the virtues and controversy of emancipation. The play, for me, embodies the essence of moral leadership and the idea of doing the right thing for the right reason, or as Lincoln himself states, listening ‘to the better angels of our nature’.”

THE HEAVENS ARE HUNG IN BLACK was commissioned by and premiered at Ford’s Theatre in 2009, where Lincoln was famously shot.

The production team includes Angela Weber Miller (scenic design), Madison Briedé and Hailey Rakowiecki (co-costume design), Michael Stanfill (lighting and projection design), Christopher Kriz+ (sound design), Vivian Knouse* (props design), Judy Anderson* (executive production manager), Jason Shivers (stage manager) and Ayanna Wimberly (assistant stage manager).

Regular Run: Thursday, September 14 – Saturday, October 21, 2017 
Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 8 pm; Sundays at 3 pm. Please note: there will be an added matinee on Saturday, October 21 at 3 pm.

Global Perspectives: SGT will be hosting post-show discussions immediately following 3 pm performances on Sundays, September 17 -October 15.

Tickets: Previews: $20 general admission, $10 students, $10 industry tickets with code “FRIEND”. Regular Run: $35 general admission. Discounts: $15 students, $28 seniors, $20 under 30. $15 industry tickets on Thursdays with code “INDUSTRY.” Tickets are currently available at www.theaterwit.org, in person at the Theater Wit Box Office or by calling (773) 975-8150. Group discounts are currently available by contacting groupsales@shatteredglobe.org or by calling (773) 770-0333. 

* Denotes SGT Ensemble Member
+ Denotes SGT Artistic Associate

About the Artists:
James Still’s (Playwright) award-winning plays have been produced at theatres throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan, China and Australia. He is the playwright-in-residence at the Indiana Repertory Theatre, artistic affiliate with American Blues in Chicago, a winner of the William Inge Festival’s Otis Guernsey New Voices in American Theatre Award, the Medallion for Sustained Achievement from the Children’s Theatre Foundation of America and the Charlotte B. Chorpenning Playwright Award for Distinguished Body of Work. He is an elected member of the National Theatre Conference and a member in the College of Fellows of the American Theatre. Three of Still’s plays have received the Distinguished Play Award from the American Alliance for Theatre & Education. His work has twice been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. His plays have been developed and workshopped at the Sundance Playwrights Lab, the New Harmony Project, the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, the Lark Play Development Center, Telluride Playwrights Festival, the Bonderman Playwriting for Youth National Competition & Symposium and New Visions/New Voices at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts. Still’s plays featured by Dramatic Publishing include The Heavens  are Hung in Black, The Velvet Rut, Iron Kisses, Searching for Eden: the diaries of adam and eve, A Long Bridge Over Deep Waters, Looking Over the President’s Shoulder, He Held Me Grand, And Then They Came for Me: Remembering the World of Anne Frank, A Village Fable, Hush: An Interview With America, The Gentleman From Indiana and The Velocity of Gary. His new plays include I Love to Eat, The House that Jack Built and Illegal Use of Hands. In addition to his work in theatre, Still also works in television and film.He has been nominated for five Emmy awards and an award from the Television Critics Association. He was also twice a finalist for the Humanitas Prize. Still was a producer and head writer for the Discovery Kids series Paz, head writer of the television series Frog & Friends for Amsterdam-based Telescreen and writer for the children’s film Miffy. For Nickelodeon, he was a writer and story editor for Maurice Sendak’s long-running Little Bear and the Bill Cosby series Little Bill. He wrote The Little Bear Movie and the feature film, The Velocity of Gary. Still grew up in a small town in Kansas, graduated from the University of Kansas and lives on the West Coast.

Louis Contey (Director) recently rejoined the ranks of Shattered Globe Theatre as an ensemble member. The Heavens are Hung in Black marks his 22nd collaboration with SGT, where he has also directed The Tall Girls, In the Heat of the Night, A View From The Bridge, The Manchurian Candidate, A Streetcar Named Desire, All My Sons, Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?, Peter Pan, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Warhawks and Lindberghs, Holy Ghosts, Judgment at Nuremberg, Requiem for a Heavyweight, The Whaleship Essex, Meet John Doe, The Lower Depths, Escape From Happiness, Real Classy Affair, Rocket to the Moon, Anna Karenina and Brilliant Traces. He has directed over 75 plays, among them The Master & Margarita, Marriage Play, The Diviners, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth and Hamlet. He is an Associate Artist at TimeLine Theatre, where he directed Frost/Nixon, Awake And Sing!, The General from America, Lillian, Copenhagen, It’s All True, Pravda, Paradise Lost, A House With No Walls, The Apple Family Plays and The Price. He has also worked at The Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Strawdog Theatre, Theatre at the Center, Buffalo Theatre Ensemble, Provision Theatre, Eclipse Theatre and American Theater Company. He is a twelve-time Jeff nominee and has received seven Jeff Citations, as well as an After Dark Award. He teaches part-time at The Theatre School/DePaul University where he received his MFA in Directing. 

Shattered Globe Theatre (Sandy Shinner, Producing Artistic Director; Doug McDade, Managing Director) was born in a storefront space on Halsted Street in 1991. Since then, SGT has produced more than 60 plays, including nine American and world premieres, and garnered an impressive 42 Jeff Awards and 106 Jeff Award nominations, as well as the acclaim of critics and audiences alike. Shattered Globe is an ensemble driven theater whose mission is to create an intimate, visceral theater experience that challenges the perspective of audience and artist alike through passionate storytelling. Shattered Globe is inspired by the diversity of our city and committed to making the theater available to all audiences.   Through initiatives such as the Protégé Program, Shattered Globe creates a space which allows emerging artists to grow and share in the ensemble experience.

Shattered Globe Theatre is partially supported and funded by generous grants from The Shulman-Rochambeau Charitable Foundation, The James P. and Brenda S. Grusecki Family Foundation, The Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, The MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, The Illinois Arts Council, a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events, The Field Foundation of Illinois, The Shubert Foundation, The Blum-Kovler Family Foundation, and The Robert J. & Loretta W. Cooney Family Foundation.

For more information on Shattered Globe Theatre, please visit www.shatteredglobe.org.

ACT OUT: OTHER PEOPLE’S MONEY at Chicago’s Theater Wit Through Oct 19th

Shattered Globe Theatre Launches 22nd Season with 

OTHER PEOPLE’S MONEY

By Jerry Sterner

Directed by Dennis Zacek

Through October 19, 2013

Shows on our radar:

Shattered Globe Theatre is pleased to kick-off its 2013-14 season with OTHER PEOPLE’S MONEY by Jerry Sterner, directed by Dennis Zacek, now playing through October 19, 2013 in its new artistic home as a resident theatre company at Chicago’s Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. Tickets are available at www.theaterwit.org , in person at the Theater Wit Box Office or by calling (773) 975-8150.  The press performance is Sunday, September 8 at 3 pm. 

OTHER PEOPLE’S MONEY features Shattered Globe Ensemble Members Doug McDade, Linda Reiter, Ben Werling and Joe Wiens with Artistic Associate Abbey Smith.

OTHER PEOPLE’S MONEY delves into the seedy and deceptive world of business, as a small company faces a hostile takeover at the hands of a ruthless businessman. Slimy, immoral and strangely likable, “takeover artist” Lawrence Garfinkle will stop at nothing to gain control of New England Wire and Cable. Equal parts corporate critique and romantic comedy, OTHER PEOPLE’S MONEY mines the manipulation, greed and unexpected humanity in the world of business.  “Other People’s Money is still up to the minute,” comments director Dennis Zacek. “We can see the effects of corporate greed trickle into every facet of our lives.”

The production team for OTHER PEOPLE’S MONEY includes: Andrew Hildner (Scenic Design), Charles Cooper (Lighting Design), Vivian Knouse (Props Design), Amanda Rozmiarek (Technical Director, Master Carpenter), Jeffrey Clark Stokes (Stage Manager), Judy Anderson (Production Manager) and Rosie Chevalier (Producer). 

PRODUCTION DETAILS:

Title:  OTHER PEOPLE’S MONEY

Playwright:  Jerry Sterner

Director:  Dennis Zacek

Featuring:  Shattered Globe Ensemble Members Doug McDade (Andrew Jorgenson), Linda Reiter (Bea Sullivan), Ben Werling (Lawrence Garfinkle) and Joe Wiens (William Coles) with Artistic Associate Abbey Smith (Kate Sullivan).

Location:  Theater Wit, 1229 W Belmont, in Chicago

Regular run: Through Sunday, October 19, 2013

Curtain Times:  Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays at 8 pm, Sundays at 3 pm.

Tickets:   Regular Run: $30. Discounts: Under 30 $20, students $12, seniors $25 and industry $15 on Thursdays. Tickets are available at www.theaterwit.org , in person at the Theater Wit Box Office or by calling (773) 975-8150.

About the Playwright:

Jerry Sterner was an American businessman-turned-playwright whose plays include Tit for Tat, Be Happy for Me, the musical Top 40 with Jerry Bock, and his biggest success, Other People’s Money. That show opened in New York in 1989 to much acclaim and ran for years. In 1991, Norman Jewison directed a film version of Other People’s Money starring Danny DeVito and Gregory Peck. 

About the Director: 

Dennis Zacek is the Artistic Director Emeritus of Victory Gardens Theatre and has directed over 250 productions in his career. In recent years, he directed the world premiere of James Sherman's Jacob and Jack; the Chicago premiere of Blackbird by David Harrower; the world premiere of Jeffrey Sweet's Class Dismissed; James Sherman's Relatively Close; the Midwest premiere of A Park in Our House by Nilo Cruz; the world premieres of Cynical Weathers by Douglas Post; Denmark by Charles Smith, the inaugural production at Victory Gardens' new home at the Biograph; Symmetry by David Field; The Family Gold by Annie Reiner; Affluenza! and The Old Man's Friend by James Sherman; Unspoken Prayers by Claudia Allen; and The Action Against Sol Schumann and Flyovers by Jeffrey Sweet.  Zacek, along with Marcelle McVay and Sandy Shinner, accepted the 2001 Regional Theater Tony Award for Victory Gardens Other honors include the Actors' Equity Association's (AEA) Spirit of Diversity Award, the Jeff Award for Outstanding Achievement in Chicago Equity Theatre and the Artistic Leadership Award from the League of Chicago Theatres.  He is also Full Professor Emeritus at Loyola University.  

Shattered Globe Theatre was born in a storefront space on Halsted Street 21 years ago. Since then, SGT has produced more than 60 plays, including 9 American and World premieres, and garnered an impressive 42 Jeff Awards and 97 Jeff Award Nominations as well as the acclaim of critics and audiences alike. Shattered Globe presents an eclectic mix of plays, intimate character driven selections, which speak to the universal aspect of what it means to be a part of the human experience.

Shattered Globe Theatre is partially supported and funded by generous grants from CityArts at the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, The MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, The Illinois Arts Council and Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund, The Kovler Family Foundation, The Robert W. and Loretta J. Cooney Family Foundation, Neurosource, Inc., The Berger Family Foundation and Dr. Leonard Cerullo.

For more information on Shattered Globe Theatre, please visit www.shatteredglobe.org .