THIS SUNDAY 12/10: FREE SUNDAY SCHOLARS LINE-UP FOR IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY AFTER 2PM MATINEE

TIMELINE THEATRE COMPANY AMPS UP

FREE SUNDAY SCHOLARS LINE-UP FOR

IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY

DR. LAUREN STREICHER, TERRI KAPSALIS TO TACKLE FEMALE “HYSTERIA” THEN AND NOW, SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10 AT STAGE 773

(top, from left) Dr. Lauren Streicher, Terri Kapsalis,

and (bottom) Rochelle Therrien and Melissa Canciller in TimeLine Theatre Company’s

IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY. Production photo credit: Lara Goetsch

Noted women’s sexual health expert and TV personality Dr. Lauren Streicher, and educator Terri Kapsalis, author of "Hysteria, Witches, and The Wandering Uterus, Or Why I Teach 'The Yellow Wallpaper'" will headline TimeLine Theatre Company’s “Sunday Scholars” panel connected to IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY, Sunday, December 10 at 4:30 p.m. at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Avenue, Chicago.

Catch the buzz at TimeLine’s free Sunday Scholars event, which follows immediately after the 2 p.m. matinee of its current hit production of Sarah Ruhl’s intimate and humorous play about a Victorian era doctor, his sexually repressed wife, and the invention of a new piece of electrical machinery meant to treat the common affliction of female “hysteria.”

Streicher is an Associate Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern University’s medical school, The Feinberg School of Medicine; the medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause; and a noted TV personality.

Kapsalis is the author of Jane Addams’ Travel Medicine Kit, The Hysterical Alphabet, and Public Privates: Performing Gynecology from Both Ends of the Speculum; a co-founder of Theater Oobleck; and a collective member at Chicago Women’s Health Center.

Both will bring their deep expertise to TimeLine’s “Sunday Scholars,” and delve into the story and themes of sexual awakening and female equality found in Ruhl’s IN THE NEXT ROOM, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and a Tony Award nominee for Best Play.

TimeLine Company Member Maren Robinson, who served as dramaturg on the production, will moderate the panel, followed by audience Q&A.

Rochelle Therrien and Anish Jethmalani in TimeLine Theatre Company’s IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY. Credit: Lara Goetsch

Inspired by the book The Technology of Orgasm by Rachel P. Maines, Sarah Ruhl’s IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY is set in the 1880s, when Thomas Edison’s invention of the electric light began to change the fabric of daily life. Inspired by Edison’s discovery, scientist and inventor Dr. Givings experiments with a piece of machinery to treat the increasingly common affliction of female hysteria. When he starts to see a new patient regularly, his wife’s curiosity with the invention and what occurs “in the next room” grows, leading to discoveries of her own. This intimate and humorous story of self-discovery reveals that human connection is not simply a means to an end, but a vital part of life itself.

ChiIL Live Shows' Review: TimeLine Theatre Company In the Next Room, or the vibrator play

**Wow! Hysterical historical gem on sexuality science vs. sensuality at the dawn of the electric light! ** 

When I heard what playwright Sarah Ruhl was tackling IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY, I was excited to see it. I enjoy her thought provoking writing style immensely. She has the wit and wisdom to delve deeply into the psychology of human behavior and relationships while keeping things delightfully funny. 

We were drawn in by the great lobby display of a vintage vibrator and hilarious ads. Since the 773 space is shared by several shows simultaneously Timeline couldn't do their customary full blown lobby installation, so there's an on line component, which is an up side for those not in Chicago, or theatre goers who want to learn more, or were short on time to peruse the lobby at show time.

It's thrilling that Ruhl’s IN THE NEXT ROOM is now a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and a Tony Award nominee for Best Play. This is an era and an area of study woefully underrepresented on stage, particularly from women's point of view and it's at once enlightening and amusing how much sexually bumbling and clueless male scientists presumed they knew about women physically, emotionally and mentally. It's funny that many men still haven't caught up, in over a century!

It's particularly striking that the 1880's were bringing illumination in the form of the brand new electric light, and how the fears and excitement over this advent mirrored the evolution of vibrators. There were naysayers who wanted to maintain the relative darkness and mystique of candlelight and thought that romance and gentility would be lost in the bright wash of electric light. Some thought it would be dangerous or harmful. Yet, once lights became more familiar, people found them quite useful and superior to the dangers and drawbacks of candlelight.





The Victorian era costumes in Timeline Theatre's production are absolutely delightful, as is the attention to detail in the set design and props. All "treatments" are tastefully and modestly done, so the production never crosses into exploitive or prurient realms, and stays story based. The entire cast is phenomenal, making this period piece a joy to see. The chemistry on stage is palpable and it's fascinating to see the relationships developing among unlikely friends. This production brings in racial tensions, class issues, motherhood, lesbian attractions, the agonies of having to hire a wet nurse and having to be one, infant love and loss, loneliness, orgasms, and maladies, real and perceived. Even the link between creativity, creative blocks, loss, and sexual tension are explored. Ultimately, women take charge of their own methods and means of satiation, and the tightly wound doctor learns the sensual joys of letting go and doing something out of character and out of doors, one snowy evening with his passionate wife. This is an utterly satisfying play and a unique night out. Highly recommended.



Here’s what the critics are saying about TimeLine’s fresh new staging of IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY:

"Plugged in and amped up...it's like director Mechelle Moe

took the show and gave it a firmer shove toward the

right spot for the here and now. 3 stars!”

-Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, full review

"A charming and titillating look at life

in the bad old 19th century…

where clueless men misunderstand female sexuality.”

-Nancy Bishop, Third Coast Review, full review

“Hot stuff, fundamental stuff

and surprisingly funny stuff."

-Jonathan Abarbanel, Windy City Times, full review

IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY runs through December 16 at Stage 773. Single tickets are $42.50-$56.50. Student discount is 35% off regular price with valid ID. TimeLine also offers $25 tickets to U.S. military personnel, veterans, first responders, and their spouses and family. Discounted rates for groups of 10 or more are also available. For tickets and information, visit timelinetheatre.com or call the Stage 773 Box Office at (773) 327-5252.

Stage 773 is located one-half block west of the corner of Belmont and Racine and immediately east of Theater Wit in Chicago’s Lakeview East neighborhood. The theater is accessible via the CTA El stop at Belmont (Red/Brown/Purple lines). CTA bus #77-Belmont stops at Racine. Valet parking is available for $12 and there is also limited free and metered street parking nearby. Visit timelinetheatre.com for complete directions and parking information. Stage 773 is accessible for people with disabilities.    



TimeLine’s IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY is directed by TimeLine Company Member Mechelle Moe. The cast features TimeLine Associate Artist Anish Jethmalani (Dr. Givings), Edgar Sanchez (Leo Irving), Dana Tretta (Annie), Melissa Canciller (Sabrina Daldry), Joel Ewing (Mr. Daldry), Krystel McNeil (Elizabeth) and Rochelle Therrien (Catherine Givings).The production team includes Sarah JHP Watkins (Scenic Designer), Alison Siple (Costume Designer), Brandon Wardell (Lighting Designer), Andrew Hansen (Original Music / Sound Designer), Vivian Knouse (Properties Designer), Katie Cordts (Wig Designer), Eva Breneman (Dialect Designer), Maren Robinson (Dramaturg), Jared Bellot (Assistant Director), Daniel Parsons (Production Assistant), and Miranda Anderson (Stage Manager).

What's the buzz about TimeLine's Theatre's

IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY?

Watch the teaser video:

A peek at IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY

PANELIST BIOGRAPHIES
Theater maker and educator Terri Kapsalis is the author of Jane Addams' Travel Medicine Kit, The Hysterical Alphabet, and Public Privates: Performing Gynecology from Both Ends of the Speculum. As a collective member at Chicago Women’s Health Center, she co-founded TGAP (Trans Greater Access Project) and the Integrative Medicine Program. Since 2000, she has taught a renowned course at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago titled "The Wandering Uterus: Journeys through Gender, Race, and Medicine." Her essay “Hysteria, Witches, and The Wandering Uterus: A Brief History, or Why I Teach ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’” was published on Literary Hub in April 2017. A co-founder of Theater Oobleck, she has performed in over 35 productions.  

Lauren Streicher, MD is an Associate Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern University’s medical school, The Feinberg School of Medicine and the medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause. Her clinical interests include all aspects of women’s health but Dr. Streicher has a particular interest and expertise in menopause and sexual health. She frequently speaks and writes about the history of medicine including her recent lecture at a national medical conference on The History and Current Medical Use of the Vibrator. She is the author of Sex Rx: Hormones, Health and Your Best Sex Ever which includes a chapter on the history of the vibrator. Dr. Streicher has also published The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy. She appears weekly on WGN Morning News and is a frequent guest on shows such as The Dr. Oz Show, The Steve Harvey Show, The Today Show and Good Morning America. She is a Fellow in the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, a member of the Sexual Medicine Society of North America, Inc., The International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health, The Scientific Network on Female Sexual Health and Cancer, and is a Certified Menopause Practitioner of The North American Menopause Society.  

OPENING: IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY VIA TimeLine Theatre At Stage 773

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

TimeLine Theatre’s production of 

IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR 

THE VIBRATOR PLAY 

by Sarah Ruhl

OCTOBER 20 – DECEMBER 16, 2017 AT STAGE 773

TIMELINE THEATRE COMPANY ANNOUNCES CAST AND PRODUCTION DETAILS FOR SARAH RUHL’S PULITZER-PRIZE FINALIST AND TONY AWARD-NOMINATED IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY, DIRECTED BY MECHELLE MOE

TimeLine Theatre Company announces casting and details for the second production of its 2017-2018 season—the Chicago premiere of IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY, the “insightful, fresh and funny” (The New York Times) play by Sarah Ruhl, directed by TimeLine Company Member Mechelle Moe. The production runs October 26 - December 16, 2017 (previews 10/20 – 10/25) at the company’s alternate location, Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Avenue in Chicago.

For tickets and information, visit timelinetheatre.com or call the Stage 773 Box Office at (773) 327-5252.

directed by Mechelle Moe (from left), and featuring Anish Jethmalani, Edgar Sanchez, Dana Tretta, Melissa Canciller, Joel Ewing, Krystel McNeil and Rochelle Therrien.

We'll be out the final Friday in October to review IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY. Can't wait to check out more of Sarah Ruhl's award winning writing. Do note, this production's at Stage 773, not TimeLine's home space. Check back soon for our full review.

The cast for IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY features TimeLine Associate Artist Anish Jethmalani (Dr. Givings), Edgar Sanchez (Leo Irving), Dana Tretta (Annie), Melissa Canciller (Sabrina Daldry), Joel Ewing (Mr. Daldry), Krystel McNeil (Elizabeth) and Rochelle Therrien (Catherine Givings).
Sarah Ruhl—a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, a Tony Award nominee, and a 2006 recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship—has written a story of awakening, equality, and the need for connection that offers a “rare and savvy premise that manages to be titillating and amusing” (Chicago Tribune).

It is the 1880s and Thomas Edison’s invention of the electric light has begun to change the fabric of daily life. Inspired by Edison’s discovery, scientist and inventor Dr. Givings experiments with a piece of machinery to treat the increasingly common affliction of female hysteria. When he starts to see a new patient regularly, his wife’s curiosity with the invention and what occurs “in the next room” grows, leading to discoveries of her own. This intimate and humorous story of self-discovery reveals that human connection is not simply a means to an end, but a vital part of life itself.

Inspired by the book The Technology of Orgasm by Rachel P. Maines, IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY is insightful, relatable, and an “enticing blend of irreverent humor and skewed realism” (San Francisco Chronicle). Previously featured at TimeLine in 2016 in a staged reading in collaboration with The Chicago Inclusion Project, TimeLine looks forward to re-examining this play that illuminates “how much control men had over women’s lives, bodies and thoughts, even their most intimate sensations” (The New York Times).
“During the Victorian era when this play is set, women weren’t supposed to exercise their desires or their thoughts, and a diagnosis of ‘hysteria’ was often used to silence them,” said director Mechelle Moe, who is making her TimeLine directorial debut with this production. “Now, in our current political and social climate, women are still fighting for their voice. This smartly written play—a comedy that deals so thoughtfully with complex issues around intimacy in relationships of all kinds—provides a platform for the female voice, helping women be heard.”

The production team includes Sarah JHP Watkins (Scenic Designer), Alison Siple (Costume Designer), Brandon Wardell (Lighting Designer), Andrew Hansen (Original Music / Sound Designer), Vivian Knouse (Properties Designer), Katie Cordts (Wig Designer), Eva Breneman (Dialect Designer), Maren Robinson (Dramaturg), Jared Bellot (Assistant Director), Daniel Parsons (Production Assistant), and Miranda Anderson (Stage Manager).


PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE/EVENTS 
PREVIEWS: Friday 10/20 and Saturday 10/21 at 8 p.m.; Sunday 10/22 at 2 p.m.; Tuesday 10/24 and Wednesday 10/25 at 8 p.m.

REGULAR RUN: Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m., through December 16, 2017. EXCEPTIONS: No performance on Saturday, October 28 at 4 p.m.; no performance on Thursday, November 23; additional performances on Friday, November 24 at 4 p.m. and Tuesday, December 12 at 7:30 p.m.

DISCUSSION & ACCESSIBILITY EVENTS:
— Post-Show Discussions: A brief, informal post-show discussion hosted by a TimeLine Company Member and featuring the production dramaturg and members of the cast on Wednesday 11/1, Sunday 11/5, Thursday 11/9, Thursday 11/30, Wednesday 12/6, and Tuesday 12/12.
— Pre-Show Discussions: Starting one hour before these performances, a 30-minute introductory conversation hosted by a TimeLine Company Member and the production dramaturg with members of the production team on Wednesday 11/15 and Sunday 12/3.
— Captioned Performance: An open-captioned performance with a text display of words and sounds heard during the performance on Saturday 11/18 at 4 p.m. Partial support of open captioning is provided by Theatre Development Fund.
— Company Member Discussion: A post-show discussion with the collaborative team of artists who choose TimeLine’s programming and guide the company’s mission on Sunday 11/19.
— Sunday Scholars Panel Discussion: A one-hour post-show discussion eaturing experts on the themes and issues of the play on Sunday 12/10.
All discussions are free and open to the public. For further details about all planned discussions and events, visit timelinetheatre.com.

BUYING TICKETS           
Only TimeLine FlexPass Subscribers enjoy priority access to tickets to IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY. FlexPass Subscriptions for TimeLine’s 2017-18 season are now on sale, priced from $66 to $204. For more information and to purchase FlexPass Subscriptions, call (773) 281-TIME (8463) or visit timelinetheatre.com.

Single ticket prices are $42.50 (Wednesday through Friday), $51.50 (Saturday evenings) and $56.50 (Saturday and Sunday matinees). Preview tickets are $27.50. Student discount is 35% off regular price with valid ID. TimeLine is also a member of TCG’s Blue Star Theatre Program and is offering $25 tickets to U.S. military personnel, veterans, first responders, and their spouses and family. 

Discounted rates for groups of 10 or more are available. Ticket buyers age 18-35 may join TimeLine’s free MyLine program to obtain access to discounted tickets, special events and more. Visit timelinetheatre.com/discounts for more about Blue Star, MyLine and other available discounts.
Advance purchase is recommended as performances may sell out. For tickets and information, visit timelinetheatre.com or call the Stage 773 Box Office at (773) 327-5252.

LOCATION / TRANSPORTATION / PARKING / ACCESSIBILITY
IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY will take place at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. Stage 773 is located one-half block west of the corner of Belmont and Racine and immediately east of Theater Wit in Chicago’s Lakeview East neighborhood. The theater is accessible via the CTA El stop at Belmont (Red/Brown/Purple lines). CTA bus #77-Belmont stops at Racine. Valet parking is available for $12 and there is also limited free and metered street parking nearby. Visit timelinetheatre.com for complete directions and parking information. Stage 773 is accessible for people with disabilities.     

BIOGRAPHIES
Sarah Ruhl (Playwright) is a Pulitzer Prize Finalist and Tony Award-nominated playwright and has had her work produced across the country. Her plays include STAGE KISS; IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY (Pulitzer Prize finalist, Tony Award nominee for Best New Play); THE CLEAN HOUSE (Pulitzer Prize finalist, 2005; The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, 2004); PASSION PLAY (PEN American Award, The Fourth Freedom Forum Playwriting Award from The Kennedy Center); DEAD MAN’S CELL PHONE (Helen Hayes Award); MELANCHOLY PLAY (a musical with Todd Almond); EURYDICE; ORLANDO; DEMETER IN THE CITY (NAACP nomination); LATE: A COWBOY SONG; THREE SISTERS; DEAR ELIZABETH; and most recently, THE OLDEST BOY and FOR PETER PAN ON HER 70TH BIRTHDAY. Her plays have been produced on Broadway at the Lyceum by Lincoln Center Theater, off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons, Second Stage and Lincoln Center’s Mitzi Newhouse Theater, as well as at Yale Repertory Theater, Berkeley Repertory Theater, and in Chicago at the Goodman Theatre and the Piven Theatre Workshop. Her plays have also been produced internationally and have been translated into more than 12 languages. Originally from Chicago, Ruhl received her MFA degree from Brown University, where she studied with Paula Vogel. An alumna of 13P and of New Dramatists, she received a MacArthur Fellowship in 2006. She was the recipient of the PEN Center Award for a mid-career playwright, the Whiting Writers Award, the Feminist Press’ Forty under Forty Award, and a Lilly Award. She served on the executive council of the Dramatist’s Guild for three years, and she is currently on the faculty at Yale School of Drama. Her book of essays on the theater and motherhood, 100 Essays I Don’t Have Time to Write, was a The New York Times Notable Book of the Year.

Mechelle Moe (Director) is a Company Member at TimeLine, where her credits include directing readings of IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY in collaboration with The Chicago Inclusion Project, CARDBOARD PIANO in artistic alliance with The Yard, and EXPERIMENT WITH AN AIR PUMP, and appearing in THE APPLE FAMILY PLAYS, MY KIND OF TOWN, THE FRONT PAGE, THE CHILDREN’S HOUR, NOT ENOUGH AIR, and PARADISE LOST. She is co-artistic director of The Yard, a youth-based theater company that produces theater relevant to young people, performed by young people. She is also a founding member of The Hypocrites, and currently is a part of its ensemble. Moe is a Jeff Award recipient for Actress in Principal Role for her performance in MACHINAL (The Hypocrites) and received a Jeff Award nomination for Actress in Principal Role for STAGE DOOR (Griffin). She has directed and devised numerous works at Senn Arts and with The Yard, including MILK LIKE SUGAR, THE 4TH GRADER’S PRESENT AN UNNAMED LOVE SUICIDE, ECLIPSED, OUR AMERICA: GHETTO LIFE 101: REMORSE (which she also adapted) and METAMORPHOSES, both of which were selected for the 2014 and 2015 Illinois High School Theatre Festivals, as well as the docudrama BROKEN TEXT, an original work by Moe based on her interviews with men recently released from incarceration and living in a transitional facility. Moe graduated with honors from the University of Illinois Chicago with both a bachelor’s degree in Theater as well as Anthropology.



ABOUT TIMELINE THEATRE COMPANY
TimeLine Theatre Company, recipient of the prestigious 2016 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions, was founded in April 1997 with a mission to present stories inspired by history that connect with today's social and political issues. To date over 20 seasons, TimeLine has presented 71 productions, including nine world premieres and 31 Chicago premieres, and launched the Living History Education Program, now in its 11th year of bringing the company's mission to life for students in Chicago Public Schools. Recipient of the Alford-Axelson Award for Nonprofit Managerial Excellence and the Richard Goodman Strategic Planning Award from the Association for Strategic Planning, TimeLine has received 53 Jeff Awards, including an award for Outstanding Production 11 times.

Now playing at TimeLine is the Chicago premiere of Peter Morgan’s THE AUDIENICE, directed by Nick Bowling and starring Janet Ulrich Brooks as Queen Elizabeth II. Acclaimed as “smart, juicy and gossipy” (Chicago Tribune) and “sheer theatrical heaven” (Chicago Theatre Review), THE AUDIENCE is now playing through November 12, 2017, at TimeLine, 615 W. Wellington Ave., in Chicago.

The rest of TimeLine Theatre’s upcoming 2017-18 season includes:  
— The Chicago premiere of BOY by Anna Ziegler, inspired by the real-life story of a boy who claims his true identity after being raised as a girl, and finds love, directed by Damon Kiely, January 10 – March 18, 2018.
— And the world premiere of TO CATCH A FISH by Chicagoan Brett Neveu, the first play to be produced that was written and developed through TimeLine’s inaugural Playwrights Collective, about a family and a community torn apart by a flawed search for justice, directed by TimeLine Company Member Ron OJ Parson, April 25 – July 1, 2018.

TimeLine is led by Artistic Director PJ Powers, Managing Director Elizabeth K. Auman and Board President Eileen LaCario. Company members are Nick Bowling, Janet Ulrich Brooks, Behzad Dabu, Lara Goetsch, Juliet Hart, Mildred Marie Langford, Mechelle Moe, David Parkes, Ron OJ Parson, PJ Powers, Maren Robinson and Benjamin Thiem.

Major corporate, government and foundation supporters of TimeLine Theatre include Alphawood Foundation, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, The Chicago Community Trust, The Crown Family, Forum Fund, The Joseph and Bessie Feinberg Foundation, Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, Illinois Arts Council Agency, Laughing Acres Family Foundation, MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince, The Pauls Foundation, Polk Bros. Foundation, The Seabury Foundation, and The Shubert Foundation.

TimeLine is a member of the League of Chicago Theatres, Theatre Communications Group, Choose Chicago, Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce, Chicago Green Theatre Alliance, and Chicago’s Belmont Theater District.

OPENING: WORLD PREMIERE of THE CIVILITY OF ALBERT CASHIER STARRING DANI SHAY of THE GLEE PROJECT and AMERICA’S GOT TALENT at STAGE 773 8/31-10/15

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

PERMOVEO PRODUCTIONS, IN ASSOCIATION WITH PRIDE FILMS & PLAYS, PRESENTS THE WORLD PREMIERE OF 

CIVIL WAR ERA MUSICAL 

THE CIVILITY OF ALBERT CASHIER STARRING DANI SHAY 

OF THE GLEE PROJECT AND AMERICA’S GOT TALENT, AUGUST 31 – OCTOBER 15 AT STAGE 773

Photo of Dani Shay - courtesy of Dani Shay. 

Set During the Civil War, this Incredibly Timely New Musical Features a Book by 

GLAAD-Nominated Writer Jay Paul Deratany, 

Music and Lyrics by 

Acclaimed Folk Musician Joe Stevens and Emmy-Nominated Writer / Director Keaton Wooden

Here at ChiIL Live Shows we can't wait to check out this world premiere. Just today, I got an e-mail that the House of Representatives will vote on an anti-transgender Hartzler Amendment that would prohibit transition-related care for service members and their families. It's astounding to me that the military still has a huge issue with treating gay, trans, and even women soldiers in any kind of equitable way. That's all the more reason to revisit, recount and remember the heroic stories of brave individuals like THE CIVILITY OF ALBERT CASHIER. 

Permoveo Productions, in association with Pride Films & Plays, presents the world premiere production of The CiviliTy of Albert Cashier playing at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., August 31 – October 15, starring former Glee Project star and America’s Got Talent Contestant Dani Shay. The production is co-composed and directed by Keaton Wooden, co-composed by Joe Stevens, written by Jay Paul Deratany and is music directed by Jon Schneidman. 

Opening night is Wednesday, Sept. 6 at 8 p.m. and preview performances are August 31 – September 3. The regular performance schedule, running through October 15, is Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 4 p.m. 

Preview tickets are $30 and regular run tickets are $40. You may purchase tickets at http://www.stage773.com and get more information at www.albertcashierthemusical.com.

This true story, set between 1862 and 1915, tells the astonishing, “timely, essential, insightful” and true story of “an amazing figure from [our] history” (The Windy City Times). In The CiviliTy of Albert Cashier, Albert Cashier is a Civil War soldier with a secret that resonates with today’s modern world. Detailing the soldier’s life fighting in more than 40 engagements during the Civil War, the musical follows Cashier through retirement and the onset of dementia, when a life-long secret was discovered: That Albert was born Jennifer Hodgers. Causing an uproar in the small southern Illinois community where Cashier lived, Cashier was prosecuted for impersonating a soldier, requiring fellow soldiers to return once again after 60 years to detail Albert’s heroism and life.

In a joint statement, Director Keaton Wooden and cast member Delia Kropp said "in so many ways, Albert's story is a true American one -- a soldier who served their country and wanted nothing more than personal liberty to live life as they wished to. We don't know how Albert identified. All we know is they were born female, and lived as Albert. So, in a time where all of America was fighting to define what it would become, Albert fought to define themselves on their own terms. Male? Female? Soldier? Farmer? In Albert's time (and possibly in ours) there may have been no words to describe who Albert wanted to be. So we took the story to a place beyond words: a musical. This is a story about self-determination. While American society drew attention to Albert's gender, this story asks us to look through the eyes of a person who lived simply, authentically, and at peace with themselves until the outside world interfered. In the end, Albert became an outlaw for simply existing."

Jay Paul Deratany and Director Keaton Wooden worked together with acclaimed musician and trans composer Joe Stevens to translate Albert's story to music. The CiviliTy of Albert Cashier has been workshopped at The Chicago Musical Theater Festival at Victory Gardens, and The Los Angeles LGBT Arts Center. The show will make its world premiere in the same state that Albert Cashier lived: Illinois.

Photo of Cast headshot block courtesy of Permoveo Production: (L to R) Charlie Baker, Delia Kropp, Katherine Condit, Chuck Quinn, Josiah Robinson, Billy Rude, Roy Samra, Gabriel Fries, Jonathan Stombres and Jordan Harris. 

Cast for The CiviliTy of Albert Cashier includes: Dani Shay (Young Albert), Katherine Condit (Old Albert), Delia Kropp (Nurse), Billy Rude (Jeffrey), Chuck Quinn IV (Billy), Gabe Fries (Collins/Kirby), Jordan Harris (Joe/U/S Jeffrey), Jonathan Stombres (John/Confederate Soldier), Roy Samra (Bugle Boy/Ensemble/U/S Billy and John), Josiah Robinson (Hearing Officer/Ensemble/U/S Joe, Collins and Kirby) and Charlie Baker (U/S Young Baker). Additional cast will be announced at a later date.

The production and creative team for The CiviliTy of Albert Cashier includes: Jay Paul Deratany (writer/lead producer), Keaton Wooden (director/co-composer/creative producer), Joe Stevens (co-composer), Jon Schneidman (music director), Derek Van Barham (choreography), Robert Ulrich (casting director/producer), Tim Smith (marketing and sales manager), Christopher Pazdernik (associate producer) and David Zak (creative consulting producer). Additional production and creative team members to be announce at a later date.

ABOUT DANI SHAY, Playing Young Albert Cashier
Dani Shay is a non-binary trans singer/songwriter, actor, and activist is honored to portray Albert D.J. Cashier in this poignant piece. After experiencing big waves of internet attention, then appearing on America's Got Talent and The Glee Project 2, Shay co-founded Be More Heroic, a non-profit organization geared toward helping young people cultivate more compassion and confidence. Shay has also worked with the River Phoenix Center for Peacebuilding, Epic Leaders, PeaceLove, and ASTEP: artsINSIDEOUT.  Most recently, Shay started an artist commune in Los Angeles, where seven creatives, a goofy dog, and a lazy cat happily coexist. Shay's original music can be found in all the usual online places.

ABOUT JAY PAUL DERATANY, Book, Additional Lyrics and Lead Producer
A graduate of Michigan State University and then DePaul Law School, Jay Paul Deratany built a career in Chicago as one of the top 100 lawyers in the country and became a well-known human rights advocate, writing op-eds and multiple advocacy articles for legal and political journals. He then decided to pursue his passion for creative writing as a playwright and screenwriter and graduated as valedictorian with a Masters of Fine Arts from the University of California.  Two of Deratany’s earlier plays include Veronica, performed at Victory Gardens, and a comedy Two Grooms and A Mohel, at Bailiwick Theater.

When Deratany saw the abuses committed against the LGBTQ community worldwide, and specifically the murder of alleged gay youth he was inspired to write Haram Iran, for which he received a London Arts counsel grant, and a nomination for a GLAAD award for best theatrical writing in California. Haram Iran initially played in Chicago and went on to the Celebration Theater in LA, London’s Above the Stag Theater and, most recently, at TADA in New York.

In 2012, Deratany wrote his first feature film, Saugatuck Cures, a comedy which follows the struggles between a gay brother and his right wing Christian sister, which earned acclaims:  Official Selection and Audience Choice Award from the Cinema Diverse film festival inPalm Springs, Official Selection from the QFlix film festival in Philadephia and the REELING 32 film festival in Chicago. His recent screenplay, Foster Boy, is currently in production, and is backed by Double Dutch Entertainment and Executive Produced Antoine Fuqua and directed by Youssef Delara.  

Deratany’s recent stage play, The CiviliTy of Albert Cashier, is a musical that has been received with standing ovations for staged readings at the LGBT Center for the Arts in Los Angeles and will be fully produced in Chicago at Stage 773 this September.  Deratany continues to be an advocate for global LGBT youth rights.

ABOUT KEATON WOODEN, Co-Composer and Director
Keaton Wooden is an Emmy and Rhodes nominated writer, producer and director. Wooden's early work gained him an Emmy nomination for "Vibrations," following the Indiana School for the Deaf as they create a performing arts troupe. His next project was the feature film NightLights, at the Lifetime Movie Network. Wooden is a proud member of theatrical producing firm Chicago Commercial Collective, who remounted Chicago's biggest plays, including Ike Holter's Hit the Wall and The New Colony's 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche, and was producer Irvine Welsh's world premiere theatrical adaptation of his novel/film Trainspotting USA. A Rhodes scholar nominee, Wooden studied Modern Literature and Critical Theory at the University of Oxford England as part of the Scholarship and Christianity in Oxford program, and has travelled the world on humanitarian missions. He has presented research on his experience in the entertainment industry and the humanities at the University of Oxford England, Kingston University, IFP Chicago, Wheatstone Academy, and the Screen Actors Guild.

ABOUT JOE STEVENS, Co-Composer
Originally from Sacramento, CA, Joe Stevens received a Bachelor of Music from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, WA, and has been touring and wandering the U.S.A. for the last ten years. Stevens’ music rides the edge of the first wave of transgender performers to break through into the public consciousness. The social media explosion combined with shifting public opinion created the conditions that enabled trans and queer artists, a highly marginalized and isolated subculture, to connect and gain visibility. There is now a thriving community of trans and queer musicians, with new comers and folks who have been playing music all along, that is visible and growing in every corner of the world.

Between 2006 and 2012 Stevens’ first band, Coyote Grace, released five well-loved albums and toured with the Indigo Girls, Melissa Ferrick, and Girlyman; sharing stages with Chris Pureka, Greensky Bluegrass, Reverend Payton's Big Damn Band, and legends such as Cris Williamson and Lowen and Navarro. They quickly gained a strong cult following in the Folk/Americana world, taught workshops at many colleges and universities around the country and drove many a mile touring with their contemporaries and heroes.

Stevens released his first solo album “Last Man Standing” in 2014, recorded in Seattle at Empty Sea Studios and co-produced with everything-man Michael Connolly. The album has a strong focus on word craft, with folk roots and old time sensibilities, yet with subtly altered meters, progressions and content, a work that is both alternative and traditional.

“Songs of the People” was birthed in 2014; a project where Stevens writes songs based on interviews with willing folks. Creating a cohesive narrative of one’s life is a way to come to terms with the past, reintegrating an often times broken sense of self and honoring the conditions that give rise to who we are is one of the gifts of art and songwriting.

ABOUT JON SCHNEIDMAN, Music Director
Jon Schneidman is a Jeff-nominated music director, composer and musician. He has worked on various projects theaters all around the Chicagoland area, including Lookingglass Theater, Mercury Theater, Chicago Children's Theatre, as well as Refuge Theatre Project's award winning production of High Fidelity. Schneidman has also been seen on stages around the country with Close to You: The Music Of The Carpenters. He is a proud Barrel of Monkeys company member. 

ABOUT PERMOVEO PRODUCTIONS
Permoveo was created by Jay Paul Deratany to shed light on his professional and personal experiences with social injustices and bring awareness to the changes needed in society. Permoveo is Latin for “I move, shake up, agitate, or stir up.” Figuratively meaning “I move deeply, stir or rouse up, excite or influence.” Permoveo Productions is about bringing together people that are passionate for change and a greater good in society.  This company is about believing in all that have a voice and telling their story through creating productions that stir up thoughts or ideas.

ABOUT PRIDE FILMS & PLAYS
Pride Films and Plays (PFP) changes lives through the generation of diverse new work (or work that is new to Chicago) with LGBTQ positive characters or themes that is essential viewing for all audiences. The company produces a four-play season of full productions, shoots one short film each year, and continues our famed play developmental projects. PFP is the principal tenant in Pride Arts Center. 

Pride Arts Center, in its own right, produces events complimenting the PFP vision, including dance, cabaret, film, and more. Events can be one-night or limited run productions, or feature national treasures like Charles Busch.  PAC occupies The Broadway at 4139 N. Broadway, which has 85 seats, and The Buena, which has 50 seats at 4147 N Broadway. PAC is also the home of Red Tape Theater. 

OPENING: Chicago Premiere of Beauty's Daughter Season Opener for American Blues Theater at Stage 773

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

American Blues Theater Presents the Chicago Premiere of

Beauty’s Daughter

by Dael Orlandersmith, Directed by Ron OJ Parson

Featuring Artistic Affiliate Wandachristine

July 7 – August 5, 2017

We can't wait to catch Beauty's Daughter a the press opening on July 13th. Check back soon for our full review.

American Blues Theater opens its 2017-2018 Season with the Chicago Premiere of Beauty’s Daughter by Dael Orlandersmith, directed by Ron OJ Parson, and Artistic Affiliate Wandachristine. Beauty’s Daughter runs July 7 – August 5, 2017 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. 

Dates: July 7 – August 5, 2017
Previews: July 7 – July 12, 2017
Press Opening: Thursday, July 13, 2017 at 7:30 p.m.
Regular Run: July 14 – August 5, 2017

Schedule: 
Thursday:7:30 p.m.
Friday: 7:30 p.m.
Saturday:7:30 p.m.
Sunday: 2:30 p.m. 

Additional performances on Wednesdays, July 12, 19 & 24 at 7:30pm; Wednesday, August 2 at 2:30pm; and Saturday, August 5 at 3:00pm.  There will be no performance on Saturday, August 5 at 7:30 pm.

Location: Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago

Ticket prices: $19 - $49
Box Office: Buy online at AmericanBluesTheater.com or by calling 773.327.5252.

This Obie Award-winning play by Dael Orlandersmith depicts one woman’s journey through life’s obstacles in an East Harlem neighborhood. Artistic Affiliate Wandachristine takes on 6 different characters during the course of this solo play—some broken, some on the way down, but all memorable.

“Wandachristine’s performance is wholly engrossing as she embodies the gestures, voices, and exceptional rhythms of Ms. Orlandersmith’s world,” says Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside.

The creative team for Beauty’s Daughter includes Caitlin McLeod (scenic design), Artistic Affiliate Jared Gooding (lighting design), Michael Alan Stein (costume design), Eric Backus (sound design), Mary O’Dowd (props design), and Artistic Affiliate Paul Deziel (projection design). The assistant director is Artemis Steakley Freeman, the dramaturg is Wilson Cain and the stage manager is Cara Parrish.

About the Artists
Dael Orlandersmith is a Goodman Artistic Associate and Artist-in-Residence at the new Alice Rapoport Center for Education and Engagement at the Goodman. Ms. Orlandersmith collaborated with the Goodman on Black n Blue Boys/Broken Men during the 2012/2013 Season and Stoop Stories during the 2009/2010 Season. Black n Blue Boys/Broken Men was developed as a co-commission between the Goodman and Berkeley Repertory Theatre, where it was staged in May 2012. Ms. Orlandersmith first performed Stoop Stories in 2008 at The Public Theater’s Under the Radar Festival and Apollo Theater’s Salon Series; Washington, D.C.’s Studio Theatre produced its world premiere in 2009. Her play Forever, commissioned by the Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles, was performed at the Mark Taper Forum in fall 2014. The show was then performed at the Long Wharf Theatre, New York Theatre Workshop and Portland Center Stage in 2015. Her play Until the Fall will play the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis in fall 2016. Her play Horsedreams was developed at New Dramatists and workshopped at New York Stage and Film Company in 2008, and was performed at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater in 2011. Bones was commissioned by the Mark Taper Forum, where it premiered in 2010. Ms. Orlandersmith premiered The Blue Album, in collaboration with David Cale, at Long Wharf Theatre in 2007. Yellowman was commissioned by and premiered at McCarter Theatre in a co-production with the Wilma Theater and Long Wharf Theatre. Ms. Orlandersmith was a Pulitzer Prize finalist and Drama Desk Award nominee for Outstanding Play and Outstanding Actress in a Play for Yellowman in 2002. The Gimmick, commissioned by McCarter Theatre, premiered in their Second Stage OnStage series in 1998 and went on to great acclaim at Long Wharf Theatre and New York Theatre Workshop; Ms. Orlandersmith won the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize for The Gimmick in 1999. Her play Monster premiered at New York Theatre Workshop in November 1996. Ms. Orlandersmith has toured extensively with the Nuyorican Poets Café (Real Live Poetry) throughout the United States, Europe and Australia. Yellowman and a collection of her earlier works have been published by Vintage Books and Dramatists Play Service. Ms. Orlandersmith attended Sundance Institute Theatre Lab for four summers and is the recipient of a New York Foundation for the Arts Grant, the Helen Merrill Award for Emerging Playwrights, a Guggenheim award and the 2005 PEN/Laura Pels Foundation award for a playwright in mid-career. She is the recipient of a Lucille Lortel Foundation Playwrights Fellowship and an Obie Award for Beauty’s Daughter.

Ron OJ Parson is a native of Buffalo, New York, and a graduate of the University of Michigan’s professional theatre program. He is the co-founder and former Artistic Director of The Onyx Theatre Ensemble of Chicago, a Resident Artist at Court Theatre and an Associate Artist with Teatro Vista and Writers Theatre. Since moving to Chicago from New York in 1994, he has worked as both an actor and director. His Chicago credits include work with Victory Gardens, Goodman, Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago Dramatists, Northlight Theatre, Court Theatre, Black Ensemble Theatre, Congo Square Theatre, Urban Theatre Co., ETA Creative Arts Foundation, Chicago Theatre Company, and Writers Theatre. Regionally, Ron has directed shows at Studio Arena Theatre, Alliance Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, South Coast Repertory, Pasadena Playhouse, Geva Theatre, Virginia Stage and Portland Stage (Maine), among others. Ron also has directed at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Canada. Acting credits on television and film include ER, Early Edition, Turks, American Playhouse, Vamping, Barbershop 2, Primal Fear, Ali, Drop Squad, Boss and most recently Fox’s Empire.

Wandachristine has graced the small screen in many memorable guest starring roles; the last one playing Birdie on Chicago PD. On the large screen, she’s worked alongside talents like Whoopi Goldberg, Neil Patrick Harris, Paul Newman, Tom Selleck, Clifton Davis; and she starred as Mrs. Jones, in the hit dramedy Me and Mrs. Jones along with Kim Fields and Brian White. On stage, she has appeared in such notable productions as, Spunk, The Vagina Monologues, Oo-Bla-Dee, and the touring company of Fences. However, her role as Quilly in the Writer’s Theatre production of Old Settler, garnered both a Supporting Actress nomination and the Best Actress nomination for the noted Ruby Dee/Black Theater Alliance Award, which was also the last time she and director Ron Oj Parson worked together. Her voice work includes commercials for Mc Donald’s, political campaigns, Scarface the video game, The Justice League and work with Eddie Murphy on the PJ’s. As an alumni of Loyola University, she was commissioned to write a one-act play Welcome Home for the opening of the Newhart Family Theater.  Recent literary projects include her first novel, “I Love You…More Than Shoes!” and her most recent play One Day.

Community Service
American Blues Theater is proud to continue “Pink Previews” for this production. Proceeds from preview performances are donated to the Lynn Sage Foundation for breast cancer research.

Additional community partners for this production include the Night Ministry, Young Chicago Authors, and The Family Institute at Northwestern University.

Accessible Performance Schedule
Touch Tour and Audio Described Performance: Sunday, July 16. Touch Tour begins at 1:30pm, performance begins at 2:30pm.  Closed Caption Performance: Sunday, July 23 begins at 2:30pm.

Post-Show Town Hall Meetings and Special Events
American Blues Theater offers free post-show events following Sunday performances of Beauty’s Daughter, July 9 – 30, 2017. 

About American Blues Theater
Winner of the American Theatre Wing’s prestigious 2016 National Theatre Company Award, American Blues Theater is a premier arts organization with an intimate environment that patrons, artists, and all Chicagoans call home.  American Blues Theater explores the American identity through the plays it produces and communities it serves.

The diverse and multi-generational artists have established the second-oldest professional Equity Ensemble theater in Chicago.  The 37-member Ensemble has 530+ combined years of collaboration on stage. As of 2016, the theater and artists received 186 Joseph Jefferson Awards and nominations that celebrate excellence in Chicago theater and over 31 Black Theatre Alliance Awards. The artists are honored with Pulitzer Prize nominations, Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, Emmy Awards and numerous other accolades.  

The American Blues Theater Ensemble includes all four Founders Ed Blatchford, Rick Cleveland, James Leaming, and William Payne with Dawn Bach, Matthew Brumlow, Manny Buckley, Kate Buddeke, Sarah Burnham, Dara Cameron, Casey Campbell, Darren Canady, Brian Claggett, Dennis Cockrum, Austin Cook, Laura Coover, Ian Paul Custer, Lauri Dahl, Joe Foust, Cheryl Graeff, Marty Higginbotham, Jaclyn Holsey, Lindsay Jones, Nambi E. Kelley, Kevin R. Kelly, Steve Key, Ed Kross, Warren Levon, Michael Mahler, Heather Meyers, John Mohrlein, Christopher J. Neville, Suzanne Petri, Carmen Roman, Editha Rosario, Sarah E. Ross, and Gwendolyn Whiteside.

American Blues Theater programs and activities are made possible, in part by funding by The MacArthur Funds for Arts & Culture at Prince, the Shubert Foundation, The Chicago Community Trust, SMART Growth Grant, Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the Illinois Arts Council Agency, Anixter Foundation, Actors’ Equity Foundation, and the Chip Pringle Fund. ComEd is the Season Lighting Sponsor.

OPENING: ANTI-WAR OPERETTA JOHNNY JOHNSON AT STAGE 773 VIA CHICAGO FOLKS OPERETTA 6/24-7/9

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

CHICAGO FOLKS OPERETTA ANNOUNCES CHICAGO PREMIERE OF KURT WEILL’S ANTI-WAR OPERETTA JOHNNY JOHNSON, JUNE 24 – JULY 9, AT STAGE 773

Chicago Folks Operetta (CFO) is proud to announce the fully staged Chicago premiere of Kurt Weill’s anti-war operetta Johnny Johnson, June 24 – July 9, playing at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave.  Based on the novel The Good Soldier Schwejk by Jaroslav Hasek, Johnny Johnson is written by Kurt Weill (music) and Paul Green (libretto) and edited by Tim Carter for the Kurt Weill Foundation.  The CFO version is edited by Gerald Frantzen, directed by George Cederquist and music directed by Anthony Barrese.  

Opening night is Saturday, June 24 at 7:30 p.m. The regular performance schedule is Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $40 for adults, $35 for seniors (65 years and older), $30 for students (with student ID) and $20 for children (12 years and younger). For tickets and more information, please visit www.chicagofolksoperetta.org.

Kurt Weill’s and Paul Green’s witty anti-war operetta Johnny Johnson is set during World War I and the United States, having pledged to remain neutral, is pulled into the fight in order to make the world safe for democracy “over there.” Lowly American tombstone cutter Johnny Johnson, has been persuaded to enlist in the U.S. Army both by his sweetheart, Minny Belle Tompkins, and by President Woodrow Wilson’s promise of “a war to end all wars.” But confronted with the horrors of the trenches in France, he is outraged at the absurdity of it all, and with a hint of laughing gas, he fools the Allied generals into calling a cease-fire. Johnson is arrested, shipped back to America, and locked up in a lunatic asylum for his “peace monomania.” After 20 years in prison, Johnson is released and makes a living selling handmade toys as the trumpets of war once more sound in the distance.

Kurt Weill, like many other European operetta composers of Jewish origins, was forced out of Germany with the arrival of the Third Reich in the early 1930’s. The show, written in 1936, was “pure Weill,” with its anti-war theme and music that drew largely upon his unique orchestrations of his earlier European works. Johnny Johnson was developed in conjunction with the famed Group Theater headed by Lee Strasberg in New York City and ran for 68 performances at the 44th Street Theater. With a book and lyrics by Paul Green, the show was loosely based on Jaroslav Hasek’s novel the The Good Soldier Svejk, and its pacifist take on the First World War.  The show’s anti-war theme resonates throughout and was indeed a brave undertaking by Weill. The name Johnny Johnson was derived from the American First World War casualty lists, as it was the name that appeared most frequently.  Although rarely performed, Johnny Johnson is considered an important piece of the American musical theater and operetta canon. 

The production, with a 15-piece orchestra, features singers from the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Chicago Symphony and Grant Park choruses, as well as up and coming performers from throughout Chicagoland. Chicago Folks Operetta Music Director Anthony Barrese, artistic director of Opera  Southwest, conducts the orchestra with George Cederquist, Chicago Folks Operetta resident director, directing the production.

“The year 2017 is the 100th Anniversary of the U.S. entry into the First World War,” said Artistic Director Gerald Frantzen, “With wars currently raging in the Middle East and new provocations by the former Cold War power Russia and in North Korea; Johnny Johnson’s anti-war and pacifist leanings are more relevant than ever. Our Midwest premiere commemorates this country’s involvement in “the war to end all wars” and the lessons to be learned from aggression on an international scale.”

Performers include: Kaitlin Galetti, Robert Morrissey,  Christine Steyer, William Dwyer, Gabriel di Gennaro, Maxwell Seiftert, Jonathan Zeng,  Teaira Burge, Joshua Lee Smith, Nich Radcliffe  and Mary Lutz.

Production team includes: Anthony Barrese, conductor; George Cederquist, director; Eric Barry, co-lighting designer; Josh Prisching, technical director and Adam Veness,  co-lighting designer.




ABOUT ANTHONY BARRESE, Conductor

Anthony Barrese is the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of Opera Southwest and works frequently as an award-winning freelance composer and conductor that is regularly engaged by North American and Italian companies. He has led several productions with Sarasota Opera (Lakmé, Le nozze di Figaro, Hansel and Gretel), and with Opera Southwest (Le nozze di Figaro, Die Fledermaus, La cenerentola). He was the Assistant Conductor of the Dallas Opera in 2006 - 2007 and returned there as Guest Conductor for a production of Tosca in 2008 and in 2015 for La Wally. In 2008, Barrese conducted a new production of Turandot in Ascoli Piceno’s historic Teatro Ventidio Basso, with a cast that included Nicola Martinucci as Calaf. He also made his French debut conducting Turandot at the Opéra de Massy. He made his operatic conducting debut in Milan with La bohème and recorded Roberto Andreoni’s quattro luci sul lago with ”I Solisti della Scala” (a chamber group made up of the first chair musicians of the La Scala Philharmonic) for broadcast on Italian National Radio (RAI 3).

As Artistic Director of Opera Southwest he has performed Rossini’s Otello with the American staged premiere of the finale lieto and in 2014 he lead the new world premiere of Amleto, not heard anywhere since 1871. In the 2015-16 season Barrese led a “Return of Rossini” festival at OSW, as well as a production of Norma at Florida Grand Opera. In recent seasons Barrese made debuts with Florid Grand Opera (Les pêcheurs de perles), Opera Theatre of St. Louis (The Kiss), Opera North (L’elisir d’amore) and Boston Lyric Opera (Don Giovanni).

Barrese is the recipient of numerous composition awards including the 2007 Georg Solti Foundation U.S. award for young conductors, a N.E.C. Contemporary Ensemble Composition Competition Award for his Madrigale a 3 voci femminili and two B.M.I. Student Composers Awards. As a musicologist, Mr. Barrese rediscovered, prepared and edited the critical edition of Franco Faccio’s opera Amleto, in conjunction with Casa Ricordi. Upcoming engagements include L’italiana in Algeri at Sarasota Opera (2017) and Semiramide with Opera Delaware (2017)

ABOUT GEORGE CEDERQUIST, Director

George Cedequist has directed new productions and opera scenes with Chicago Fringe Opera (where he is the Artistic Director), Chicago Summer Opera, North Park University, Wolf Trap Opera, Chautauqua Opera, Roosevelt University, the Bay View Music Festival and Chicago Opera Vanguard. 

Cederquist is the recipient of the 2015 American prize in Directing, the 2011 – 2012 German Chancellor fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and his production of Kevin Puts’ Silent Night was chosen as a winner of Opera America’s Director-Designer competition. In May 2013, he presented Silent Night’s production concept to artistic directors and industry professionals during a special session of Opera America’s annual National Opera Conference in Vancouver, Canada. Also, during his fellowship in Germany, he served as a Regieassistent at the Staatstheater Darmstadt.

In September 2015, he launched “Opera Box Score,” America’s talk radio show about opera. Now in

its second season, he hosts the show every Monday at 9 pm (CT) live on WNUR 89.3 FM Chicago and it also shared as a podcast on iTunes. 

Cederquist served as the Resident Artist Stage Director at Pittsburgh Opera during the 2013-2014 season. He served as the Assistant Director for the company’s mainstage productions and directed new productions of Nico Muhly’s Dark Sisters and Gregory Spears’s Paul’s Case. As the Summer 2013 Apprentice Stage Director at the Merola Opera Program, he directed the Merola Grand Finale at the War Memorial Opera House, collaborating with conductor John DeMain and the San Francisco Opera Orchestra. Cederquist’s training includes an MFA in Directing from Northwestern University, a BA in Theatre Studies and English from Yale University and a Directing Fellowship at Wolf Trap Opera. A dual US-UK citizen, he is also an ensemble member of Steep Theatre Company (Chicago) and a member of the American Guild of Musical Artists.

ALSO PLAYING FROM CHICAGO FOLKS OPERETTA

A Lecture Featuring Music by Chicago Folks Operetta

“Kurt Weill and Paul Green: The Story Behind Johnny Johnson” 

May 24

Directed by Gerald Frantzen

Music accompanied by Anatolyi Torchinskyi

Lecture by Tim Carter

Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave.

Performance schedule: Wednesday, May 24 at 7:30 p.m. 

Tickets: $20

Performers include the singers Alison Kelly, Mary Lutz, William Dwyer and Gerald Frantzen and on piano Anatolyi Torchinskyi

Chicago Folks Operetta welcomes Kurt Weill scholar Tim Carter to Chicago for a lecture and performance.  Carter, one of the most acclaimed Weill scholars, shares with the audience information on the creation and history of Weill and Green’s Johnny Johnson.  The evening also includes performances of selections from Johnny Johnson and other Kurt Weill songs that showcase the operetta’s unique sound.

A Multi-Media Concert
Operetta and The Great War

June 28 and June 29

Directed by Gerald Frantzen

Music accompanied by Anatolyi Torchinskyi

Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave.

Performance schedule: Wednesday, June 28 and Thursday, June 29 at 7:30 p.m. 

Tickets: $30

The second offering in the 2017 season is Operetta and The Great War, a multi-media concert looking at how the operetta industry survived The Great War. Featuring performances of many of the forgotten World War I operettas, as well as examining the role of operetta in wartime propaganda efforts, Operetta and The Great War includes the music of Emmerich Kálmán, Leo Fall, Edmund Eysler, Harold Fraser-Stimson, Reynaldo Hahn, Leo Ascher, Henri Christine, Jerome Kern and others. At the height of its popularity when the First World War broke out, operetta found itself in the unusual position of being a vehicle for the propaganda of nations. Whether Axis or Allied, the operetta stars and composers of the time joined their nation’s war effort delivering patriotic messages and raising money. During the late years of the war, the thin line that once separated operetta and cabaret was breeched, as the political song writing so common to the cabaret stage now found voice in operetta. Operetta would not only survive, but also thrive during one of the most destructive wars in history.

This original multi-media presentation was written by CFO Artistic Director Gerald Frantzen and includes a host, four singers and a small chamber group accompanied by images of artists and photographs from The Great War. 

ABOUT CHICAGO FOLKS OPERETTA
Chicago Folks Operetta is a 501(c)(3) non-profit theater company devoted to the nurturing of live operetta through articulate and dynamic productions.  In the belief that the arts serve to illuminate the human condition, Chicago Folks Operetta is dedicated to the revival and development of operetta, a popular and accessible form of music and theater for general audiences.  In particular, the Chicago Folks Operetta concentrates on producing both Viennese and American operettas from the early 20th century.

Mr. Jerry Critser, The Pauls Foundation and the Kurt Weill Foundation for Music sponsor Chicago Folks Operetta