OPENING: Becky Shaw at Windy City Playhouse Now In Previews

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

PREVIEWS UNDERWAY FOR GINA GIONFRIDDO’S “BECKY SHAW,” 

DIRECTED BY SCOTT WEINSTEIN, RUNNING THROUGH NOV. 12

Carly Cornelius and Michael Doonan

Photo Credit for all production shots: Michael Brosilow  

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we've adored Windy City Playhouse since they first opened their doors. Their stellar productions, comfortable swivel seating and drink tables in the front section, and their cozy bar space up front, make for a fabulous night out year round. This is the future of successful storefront theatre. We'll be out for the press opening this coming Thursday, so check back soon for our full review.

Previews continue this weekend for Gina Gionfriddo’s “Becky Shaw,” playing now through November 12. Under the direction of Jeff Award winner Scott Weinstein, the dark “ferociously funny” (The New York Times) comedy stars Carley Cornelius as the titular character, an emotionally-fragile single woman swept up in the chaos of a blind-date gone array. The cast of “Becky Shaw” also features Michael Doonan as Max Garrett, Suzanne Petri as Susan Slater, Michael Aaron Pogue as Andrew Porter and Amy Rubenstein as Suzanna Slater.

Tickets ($15-$55) are on sale now and can be purchased at the Windy City Playhouse Box Office online or by calling the Box Office at (773) 891-8985.

The cast of “Becky Shaw” includes Carley Cornelius as Becky Shaw, Michael Doonan as Max Garrett, Suzanne Petri as Susan Slater, Michael Aaron Pogue as Andrew Porter and Amy Rubenstein as Suzanna Slater. 

                      Michael Aaron Pogue, Amy Rubenstein, Carly Cornelius and Michael Doonan

“’Becky Shaw’ is exactly the type of play that I wanted to produce when I founded Windy City Playhouse,” said Artistic Director Amy Rubenstein.  “It is thought-provoking, insightful and outrageously funny. I also think that our space – utilized in a new configuration that literally positions the audience just inches away from the actors – will make viewers feel as though they are a ‘fly on the wall’ during the performance.”

Windy City Playhouse’s intimate venue aims to make audience members part of the action. Scenic designer for “Becky Shaw” Jeffrey Kmiec has conceived a uniquely immersive, 360-degree viewing experience to make viewing as exclusive as possible. 70 of Windy City Playhouse’s signature club chair-style seats will be integrated into the three-stage modular set that will transform each night into seven unique locations.

In conjunction with “Becky Shaw,” Windy City Playhouse’s Talkback series offers patrons an intimate Q&A experience with an array of artists to learn more about the creative process behind each production. The series begins with Chicago-based Matchmaker “Stef in the City” Stef Safran, who will lead the discussion on the modern world of dating immediately following the 2 p.m. performance on Sunday, October 1. In addition, audiences have the rare opportunity to sit down with “Becky Shaw” director Scott Weinstein following the 3 p.m. performance on Sunday, October 15 to talk about the production from his unique perspective. All talkbacks are complimentary for Windy City Playhouse patrons; no sign-up is required.

The Playhouse continues the weekly post-performance Nightcap series, inviting patrons to grab a drink at the bar and partake in an intimate discussion around “Becky Shaw” with a member of the cast or creative team. The series takes place every Wednesday and Thursday at 9:30 p.m. through the duration of the run. For the complete schedule of special events at the Playhouse, visit WindyCityPlayhouse.com/Becky-Shaw.

No experience at the Playhouse is complete without a trip to their signature bar, and “Becky Shaw” is no different. The production-specific cocktails, available throughout the run, include:

Two Kinds of Trouble – Catdaddy Moonshine, spiced rum, lemon juice, simple syrup, blood orange San Pellegrino, a dash of bitters and an orange garnish

Reality Check – a twist on a Kentucky Sunrise; bourbon, grenadine and orange juice garnished with a lime and cherry skewer

Pocket of Mystery – a bubbly aviation; gin, violet liqueur, lime juice, and tonic served with a sugared rim and lemon or lime garnish

Alternative Redneck – a bittersweet and sexy martini; chocolate liqueur, vodka, cranberry juice and a cherry garnish

Also new at the bar, Windy City Playhouse has partnered with JR Bakery to provide organic sweets such as carrot cake, chocolate decadence cake, red velvet cake, chocolate chip cheesecake and chocolate dipped cheesecake pops for theatre patrons. For the complete beer, wine and cocktail menu, click here.

The Playhouse has just announced its newest program, Monday Mixers, beginning on October 9 at 7 p.m. (cocktails begin at 6:30 p.m.) and continuing on every Monday throughout the run of “Becky Shaw.” Monday Mixers feature a curated list of headliners performing everything from sketch to standup, singer-songwriters to spoken word with a full bar available to those who attend. Tickets are $5 in advance or $10 at the door.

The performance schedule for “Becky Shaw” is as follows: Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 3 p.m. For a detailed performance schedule visit WindyCityPlayhouse.com/Becky-Shaw. Tickets for “Becky Shaw” are on sale now and range from $15-$55—with discounts available for seniors and students—and can be purchased by calling 773-891-8985 or visiting WindyCityPlayhouse.com.

The creative team for “Becky Shaw” includes Jeffrey D. Kmiec (Scenic Design), Rachel M. Sypniewski (Costume Design), Brandon Wardell (Lighting Design), Eric Backus (Sound Design) and Jamie Karas (Properties Design). Mara Filler is the Production Stage Manager and Johnnie Schleyer is the Technical Director.

Suzanne Petri, Amy Rubenstein, Michael Aaron Pogue and Carley Cornelius 

About Windy City Playhouse
Windy City Playhouse, Chicago's most sophisticated not-for-profit Equity theater, aims to expand beyond the traditional theatergoing experience by offering audience members a night of high-quality entertainment with a full-service bar, in a lounge-like atmosphere. Windy City Playhouse premiered in March of 2015, with the inaugural production “End Days.” Lauded by audiences and critics alike, Windy City Playhouse promises to rock Chicago's theater scene.
For more information, visit WindyCityPlayhouse.com and follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

ON SALE NOW: “BECKY SHAW” AT WINDY CITY PLAYHOUSE 9/21-11/12

Casting Announced:

SCOTT WEINSTEIN DIRECTS GINA GIONFRIDDO’S 

“BECKY SHAW” 

AT WINDY CITY PLAYHOUSE, 

PLAYING SEPTEMBER 21 THROUGH NOVEMBER 12

 The Cast of “Becky Shaw” Includes Theo Allyn, Michael Doonan, Suzanne Petri, Amy Rubenstein and Joseph Sultani  

Windy City Playhouse (3014 W. Irving Park Road) announces the complete casting for Gina Gionfriddo’s “Becky Shaw,” the dark, “ferociously funny” (The New York Times) comedy. Jeff Award winner Scott Weinstein directs the final production in Windy City Playhouse’s third season, starring Theo Allyn (“The Matchmaker” at Goodman Theatre) in the title role as Becky Shaw. Together with Allyn, “Becky Shaw” features an ensemble of Chicago-based talent including Michael Doonan (“Long Day’s Journey Into Night” at Court Theatre), Suzanne Petri (“Waiting for Lefty” at American Blues Theatre), Artistic Director Amy Rubenstein (“This” at Windy City Playhouse) and Joseph Sultani (“Hamlet” at Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington D.C.). 

Previews for “Becky Shaw” begin September 21 and the production runs through November 12. Press Night is Thursday, September 28 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets ($15-$55) can be purchased at the Windy City Playhouse Box Office online or by calling the Box Office at (773) 891-8985.



“I am thrilled to dive into my first production with Windy City Playhouse,” said director Scott Weinstein. “Gionfriddo has written a piece exploring the reality of finding love while navigating the often rocky-road of getting to know someone new, and we’ve put together a talented cast of actors who will undoubtedly rise to the challenge of bringing these nuanced characters, penned expertly by Gionfriddo, to life each night.”

“Becky Shaw” is an explosive tale following Suzanna, a woman who has set up her best friend with her husband’s co-worker, thinking she’s helping them find love; however, what she doesn’t anticipate is the chaos that ensues from bringing together a brutally honest businessman and an emotionally-fragile college dropout. “Becky Shaw” received its world premiere at the Humana Festival for New Plays in 2008 and went on to have its off-Broadway premiere at Second Stage Theatre. Hailed as a “savvy and smart—and defiantly unsentimental” (Chicago Tribune) play, “Becky Shaw” “exerts a hypnotic pull, thanks in large part to the wonderfully witty dialogue and complex characterizations” (New York Post). The creative team for “Becky Shaw” includes Jeff Kmiec (Scenic Design), Rachel Sypniewski (Costume Design), Eric Backus (Sound Design), Brandon Wardell (Lighting Design) and Jamie Karas (Properties Design).

The performance schedule for “Becky Shaw” is as follows: Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 3 p.m. For a detailed performance schedule visit WindyCityPlayhouse.com/Becky-Shaw.

About the Artists of “Becky Shaw”

Scott Weinstein (Director) is a Jeff Award winning director currently based in Chicago. Notable directing credits include “Rent” (Theo Ubique, Jeff Award – Best Director, Best Musical), “Titanic” (Jeff Nominated – Best Director, Best Musical), “Bat Boy” and “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” (Griffin Theatre), “She Kills Monsters” (Steppenwolf Theatre), “Seussical” (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre), “Princess & the Pea” and the world premiere of “Cinderella…After the Ball” (Marriott Lincolnshire Theatre), “Charlotte’s Web” (Drury Lane Theatre), the world premieres of “Baristas” (New York International Fringe Festival), and “Ampersand” (Bloomington Playwrights Project), as well as the first full productions of “Murder for Two” (Adirondack Theatre Festival, Hangar Theatre, 42nd Street Moon). Weinstein is the recipient of a Berkshire Theatre Festival Directing Fellowship and a Stage Directors and Choreographers Observership. He is the Associate Director for the National Tour, Las Vegas, Chicago and Norwegian Cruise Line productions of “Million Dollar Quartet” and directed the first regional production currently running at the Lawrence Welk Theatre. He has assistant or associate directed at Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Pasadena Playhouse, Cleveland Playhouse and many more. Weinstein is a proud graduate of Northwestern University.

Gina Gionfriddo (Playwright) has received the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, the Helen Merill Award for Emerging Playwrights, a Lucille Lortel Fellowship and a Rhode Island State Council on the Arts Fellowship. Her work includes “After Ashley” (published by U.S. Dramatists Play Service Inc.) “Safe,” “Trepidation Nation,” U.S. Drag” (published by U.S. Dramatists Play Service Inc.; published in “Women Playwrights: the Best Playhouse of 2002”) and “Guinevere.”

Theo Allyn (Becky Shaw) is an actor, writer and improviser. In Chicago, her work has been seen most recently at Second City and Goodman Theatre. Regionally, Allyn has worked with City Theatre, Pittsburgh Public Theatre, Pittsburgh Irish and Classical, Pittsburgh Civic Lights Opera and Bricolage. As a teaching artist-in-residence at the University of Pittsburgh, she toured with “Lovers and Fighters” (Shakespeare in the Schools). Recent film credits include “Progression,” written and directed by Sam Turich and Gab Cody. Recent television appearances include “Chicago Fire.”

Michael Doonan (Max Garrett) is an actor whose Off-Broadway credits include “Music Hall” (59E59) and “On the Rocks” (Symphony Space). Regional credits include “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” (Court Theatre), “Cyrano de Bergerac” (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre), “Celebration” (A Red Orchid Theatre), “Metamorphoses” and “36 Views”(Alys Stephens Center), “Macbeth” (Fugitive Kind Theatre), the world premiere of Charles Mee’s “Café Le Monde” (ARK Theatre, LA), “Heralds” (world premiere at Theatre Tribe, LA), “The Arsonists” (Eisenring) and the U.S. premiere of “The Unveiling/Dozens of Cousins” (Trap Door Theatre, Chicago). Film and television credits include “1000 ways to Die,” “Screwed,” “Help Is On The Way,” “Brighter Palette,” “Mammon,” “Sirk,” “Catch-22,” “Same Same V.C.,” “Falling Girl,” “Yellow,” “The Takedown,” “Lab Rats” and “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.” He has attended the Stanislavski School at Harvard University (A.R.T./ MXAT, 2006), and participated in Atelier at The Grotowski Institute (Poland, 2008). He holds a Master's Degree in Fine Arts from the University of California at Irvine in acting (2009). He has taught acting and movement at The University of California, Irvine and The University of Illinois, Chicago.

Suzanne Petri (Susan Slater) is a Jeff nominated actor who has performed, produced and directed on dozens of Chicago stages including Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Apple Tree Theatre, Chicago Dramatists, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Next, Northlight, The Poetry Foundation and the Chicago Humanities Festival. She is a proud ensemble member of American Blues Theater (ABT) since 1998.  She recently played the Stenographer in the acclaimed production of “Waiting for Lefty,” played Grandma in the Jeff-nominated “Tobacco Road” with ABT at Victory Gardens Theater, Aunt Rose in “American Blues” by Tennessee Williams. She was seen as Aunt Eller in the highly acclaimed “Oklahoma!”, in the Midwest premiere of “Kid-Simple” as well as “Zorba,” “Twelfth Night,” “Book of Mercy,” “Follies,” “The Hairy Ape,” “Two Rooms,” “A Lie of the Mind,” “The Threepenny Opera,” “The People’s Temple” and has appeared in many Bernie Sahlins productions for the Poetry Foundation including “Lysistrata” as Lysistrata, “Meet Mr. Yeats,” “The Cure at Troy,” “The Waste Land,” and “Under Milkwood.” Her film and television work includes “Wednesday’s Child,” “Lac du Flambeau,” “Just Visiting” with Jean Reano, “Milwaukee, Minnesota” with Bruce Dern and Randy Quaid, “Early Edition” and “Evil Has A Face” with Sean Young.

Amy Rubenstein (Suzanna Slater) is originally from Chicago and graduated from Brandeis University’s Department of Theater, Magna Cum Laude. Upon graduation, she worked as an actress in Chicago, Los Angeles, and regional markets, earning her Actors Equity Association membership at the Human Race Theater Company in Dayton, Ohio. She has been working in real estate for the past thirteen years specializing in development, adaptive reuse and financial and legal structuring of assets. Rubenstein was thrilled to have the opportunity to combine her business and artistic skills together to form Windy City Playhouse, which has produced nine shows prior to Becky Shaw, six of which were Jeff Recommended.

Joseph Sultani (Andrew Porter) was born and raised in Northern Virginia. He graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a BFA in Performance. While in school, Sultani performed in “Titus Andronica,” “La Bete” and “Dracula.” He also performed in Richmond Shakespeare Festival at Agecroft Hall in “Henry V” and also the Richmond's main stage production of “Amadeus.” His favorite role so far was performing as "Hamlet" at the Shakespeare Theatre Company in D.C. Sultaini was selected and given a scholarship for the American Theatre Wing's Springboard NYC program and had the privilege of learning from John Rando, David Capparelliotis, Randy Lutterman, Peter Francis James, Neil Patrick Harris, Martha Plimpton and Leah Gardiner. Sultani moved to Chicago along with a group of his fellow graduates and started a theatre group called the ALLUVIUM GROUP.



About Windy City Playhouse
Windy City Playhouse, Chicago's most sophisticated not-for-profit Equity Theater, aims to expand beyond the traditional theatergoing experience by offering audience members a night of high-quality entertainment with a full-service bar, in a lounge-like atmosphere. Windy City Playhouse premiered in March of 2015, with the inaugural production End Days. Lauded by audiences and critics alike, Windy City Playhouse promises to rock Chicago's theater scene.

For more information, visit WindyCityPlayhouse.com and follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  

OPENING: Chicago Premiere of “BOOTYCANDY” Features All Chicago Cast at Windy City Playhouse

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

WINDY CITY PLAYHOUSE ANNOUNCES COMPLETE CAST FOR “BOOTYCANDY,”

WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY ROBERT O’HARA, BEGINNING JANUARY 25 

The All-Chicago Cast Includes Travis Turner, Krystel McNeil, Debrah Neal, Robert Fenton and Osiris Khepera in the Chicago Premiere

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we're elated to be back out at Windy City Playhouse this week for the opening of their latest Chicago premiere, Bootycandy. This swanky storefront is one of our favorite small venues for their high caliber, edgy productions, their comfortable swivel lounge chairs and drink tables, and their welcoming front bar area. Check back soon for our full review.

Windy City Playhouse (3014 N. Irving Park Road) announces casting for Robert O’Hara’s “Bootycandy,” the “searing and sensationally funny” (The New York Times) semi-autobiographical play about growing up gay and black. Under the direction of the NAACP, OBIE and Helen Hayes Award winner O’Hara, the cast is led by rising Chicago star Travis Turner (whose recent credits include “Thaddeus & Slocum” at Lookingglass Theatre Company and “The Flick” at Steppenwolf Theatre) as Sutter, the character loosely based on O’Hara himself.  Together with Turner, “Bootycandy” features a Chicago ensemble including Krystel McNeil (“Stoop Time,” You & Me Productions), Debrah Neal (“Sanctified,” Congo Square Theatre), Robert Fenton (“Port Authority,” Writers Theatre) and Osiris Khepera (“Tennessee Williams Project,” The Hypocrites). Previews for “Bootycandy” begin January 25 and the production runs through April 15. Tickets ($15 - $55) go on sale November 21 and can be purchased at the Windy City Playhouse Box Office or by calling (312) 891-8985. 

"We can't imagine a better production to kick of our 2017 season than ‘Bootycandy,’ a frank, funny, unpredictable, and most of all, entertaining story," said Windy City Playhouse Artistic Director Amy Rubenstein. “We feel so fortunate to have Robert here in Chicago to direct the Chicago premiere, and we can’t wait to see him put his signature spin on his play with our talented, fresh Chicago cast.”

“Bootycandy,” the “fearlessly unpredictable” (Los Angeles Times) coming-of-age tale premiered in New York City in 2014 at Playwrights Horizons. As a young, precocious boy, Sutter (Turner) has to quickly learn what it means to be gay and black and as he grows up, he must also learn that no one person will be able to tell him the meaning of love, life, sex or race—he’ll have to define those for himself. The creative team for “Bootycandy” includes Katie Bell Kenny (Scenic Design), Janice Pytel (Costume Design), Lee Fiskness (Lighting Design) and Lindsay Jones (Sound Design, who also did the original sound design in its 2014 premiere).  

“Being back in Chicago to direct ‘Bootycandy’ with this amazing group of artists at Windy City Playhouse is a great feeling,” said Playwright and Director Robert O’Hara. “From the moment I met this talented cast, I was eager to get started on helming the Chicago premiere and bringing this story to life anew.”

Subscriptions range from $60 - $135, with a special $45 rate for patrons under 30. Single tickets range from $15-$55—with discounts available for seniors and students—and will be available by calling 773-891-8985 or visiting their main site HERE. 

About the Artists of “Bootycandy”

Robert O’Hara (Playwright/Director) received the NAACP Best Director Award, the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding New Play, two OBIE Awards and the Oppenheimer Award. He directed the world premieres of Nikkole Salter and Danai Guiria’s “In the Continuum;” Tarell McCraney’s “The Brother/Sister Plays (Part 2);” Colman Domingo’s “Wild with Happy;” as well as his own plays, “Bootycandy” and “Insurrection: Holding History.” His new plays “Zombie: The American” and “Barbecue” world premiered at Woolly Mammoth Theater and New York Shakespeare Festival, respectively.

Travis Turner’s (Sutter) Chicago credits include “Thaddeus & Slocum” (Lookingglass Theatre Company); “The Flick” (Steppenwolf Theatre); “The Upstairs Concierge” (Goodman Theatre); “We Are Proud to Present…” (Victory Gardens Theater); “Porgy & Bess,” “Tartuffe” and “The Misanthrope” (Court Theatre); and “Bud, Not Buddy” (Chicago Children’s Theatre). Turner’s Second City credits include the Hubbard St. Dance collaboration “The Art of Falling,” which was also performed at Los Angeles’ Ahmanson Theater; and “Twist Your Dickens“ (Goodman Theatre). He has also performed at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, La Jolla Playhouse and Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park and is a graduate of Northwestern University and completed the School at Steppenwolf.

Krystal McNeil (Actor One) graduated from Columbia College Chicago in 2009 where she received her B. A. in Theatre Arts. Most recent credits include “Stoop Time” (You & Me Productions); “Jar the Floor” (Jeff Nomination Best Ensemble - ETA Theatre); “Ceremonies in Dark Old Men” (BTAA nomination, Most Promising Actress - ETA Theatre); “A Raisin in the Sun” (Madi Theatre Co.); “Patchwork U.S.A.” (Raven Theater Company); “Class Dismissed” (Victory Gardens Theatre, u/s), and “A Streetcar Named Desire” (Polarity Ensemble Theatre).

Debrah Neal (Actor Three) was last seen in Congo Square Theatre’s World Premiere of “Sanctified” when she was nominated for “Best Featured Actress in a Play” by the Black Theatre Alliance.  Some of her other credits include “The Old Settler” and “The Piano Lesson” (Hansberry-Sands Theatre Company);  “Love Child” and “American Menu” (Chicago Theatre Company); “No Place To Be Somebody” (The Performance Loft); “Sojourner Truth” (Stage Two); “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and “The Colored Museum” (Fleetwood Jourdain Theatre); and “Heat” (ETA Creative Arts Foundation).  As a director, Neal’s directing credits include the world premiere of “What It Be Like” (Living the Dream National Touring Company, Columbus, OH); the world premiere of “Goodness” (Clockwise Theatre); “Home” (Fleetwood Jourdain Theatre); and “Sing Sister Sing” (DuSable Museum).  Her film credits include “Officer Down” (Richard Blakewell); “The Rise and Fall of Miss Thang” (Lavender House Films); and “A Perfect Day” (Derrick Sanders).   

Robert Fenton (Actor Four) is a proud, founding ensemble member of The Alluvium Group. He was seen in Boston for the national tour of “Columbinus” with American Theater Company. Other Chicago credits include “Port Authority” (Writers Theatre); “The Big Meal” (American Theater Company - Jeff Award Best Ensemble); “Columbinus” (American Theater Company); “The Twins Would Like To Say” (Dog and Pony Theatre); “The Hostage” and “Port” (Griffin Theatre); “Cherrywood” (Mary Arrchie Theatre Co.); “The Terrible True Story of Pinocchio, the Wooden Boy, as Told by Frankenstein's Monster, the Wretched Creature” (The Neo-Futurists); “Too Much Memory” (Sinnerman Ensemble); “Princes of Waco” (Signal Ensemble); “The Gospel of Franklin” (Steppenwolf Theatre); and “The History Boys” (Jeff Award Best Ensemble and Best Production - Timeline Theatre). He has also been seen nationally for his commercial work in front of the camera.

The cast also includes Osiris Khepera as Actor Five. 

About Windy City Playhouse

Windy City Playhouse, Chicago's most sophisticated not-for-profit Equity theater, aims to expand beyond the traditional theatergoing experience by offering audience members a night of high-quality entertainment with a full-service bar, in a lounge-like atmosphere. Windy City Playhouse premiered in March of 2015, with the inaugural production End Days. Lauded by audiences and critics alike, Windy City Playhouse promises to rock Chicago's theater scene.

For more information, visit WindyCityPlayhouse.com and follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  

OPENING: THIS at Windy City Playhouse 6/15

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

WINDY CITY PLAYHOUSE ANNOUNCES CASTING FOR THIS

BY HOUSE OF CARDS’ SCRIBE MELISSA JAMES GIBSON

DIRECTED BY DEERFIELD NATIVE CARL MENNINGER

PREVIEWS BEGIN JUNE 15

Windy City Playhouse, Chicago’s most sophisticated new theater, presents the off-Broadway hit This, a tart “melanchomedy” centering on four educated, artistically inclined thirtysomething New Yorkers whose longtime friendship is tested by an act of infidelity.  Writer, director and playwright Carl Menninger (a former Deerfield native) returns home from Washington, D.C. to direct this piercing, beautifully crafted new play for lovers of language by Melissa James Gibson. Previews for This begin Wednesday, June 15 at Windy City Playhouse, 3014 W. Irving Park.

Location:	Windy City Playhouse, 3014 W. Irving Park
Previews	Wednesday, June 15-Wednesday, June 22
Closing Performance	Sunday, August 28
Curtain	Wednesdays & Thursdays at 7:30pm Fridays & Saturdays at 8:00pm Sundays at 3:00pm
Tickets	Wednesday, Thursday & Sunday: $25 (“House”) & $45 (“Top Shelf”) Friday & Saturday: $35 & $55 Previews: $15 & $30 Call 773-891-8985; or visit http://windycityplayhouse.com/

The This cast includes Brian Grey (Jean-Pierre), Steve O’Connell (Tom), Tania Richard (Marrell), Amy Rubenstein (Jane), and Joe Zarrow (Alan), while its design team includes Katie-Bell Kenney (set), Kristy Leigh Hall (costumes), Jared Gooding (lights), Jeffrey Levin (sound) and Jamie Karas (props).

On the cusp of leaving their thirties and entering middle age, Jane and her old college pals could use some laughs. But when the reminiscing reveals secrets, and among friendships she finds adultery, Jane must come to terms with the people she thought she loved and the woman she thought she knew. In order to become whole again, Jane finds herself asking what this is all about.

ARTIST BIOS

Brian Grey’s (Jean-Pierre) Chicago credits include: Othello and Pericles (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre); The Wheel (Steppenwolf); The Oxford Roof Climber’s Rebellion (Jeff Award nomination, Caffeine Theatre); The Hyacinth Macaw (The Bridge); Closer (Spartan Theatre Company); Mr. Chickee’s Funny Money, Bud, Not Buddy, and The Houdini Box (Chicago Children’s Theatre); Heddatron (Sideshow Theatre/Steppenwolf Garage Rep); and Goodbye Cruel World (The Strange Tree Group). Mr. Grey trained at PCPA in Santa Maria, CA, and received his MFA from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University.

Stephen O’Connell’s (Tom) Chicago credits include: An Issue of Blood (Victory Gardens); Dead Accounts (Jeff Award Nomination-Actor in a Principal Role, Step Up Productions); Henry V and Shakespeare's Greatest Hits! (Chicago Shakespeare); Amadeus (Jeff Award Nomination-Actor in a Principal Role, BoHo Theatre); The Killers Angels (Lifeline Theatre); Coriolanus (Jeff Award nomination–Actor in a Principal Role, The Hypocrites); Pygmalion (Stage Left Theatre, BoHo Theatre); Hostage Song (Signal Ensemble Theatre); and The Kid Thing (Chicago Dramatists, About Face Theatre); as well as productions with TimeLine Theatre Company, Red Tape Theatre, Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, Infusion Theatre Company, Theatre Wit, and BoHo Theatre, where he is an Artistic Affiliate. Steven is also a company member with Erasing The Distance, an arts organization that uses the power of performance to disarm stigma surrounding issues of mental health. Steve received his MFA in Acting from University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Tania Richard (Marrell) made her Broadway debut in Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s production of The Song of Jacob Zulu. Other credits include: Everyman and Nomathemba (Steppenwolf); two seasons of A Christmas Carol and understudying Disgraced (Goodman Theatre); Iphigenia at Aulis (The Court Theatre); understudying Doubt (Writers Theatre); Old Wine in New Bottles, Slaughterhouse 5, Cattle 0, Brother, Can You Spare Some Change?, and Studs Terkel’s Not Working (The Second City); the world premiere of Voyeurs de Venus (Black Theater Alliance Award nomination, Chicago Dramatists); The People’s Temple (American Theater Company); and Blues for an Alabama Sky and Valley Song (Drammy Award nomination, Portland Center Stage). Ms. Richard wrote and performed her solo show, Truth be Told, at Fleetwood Jourdain Theatre.

Amy Rubenstein (Jane) is originally from Chicago and graduated from Brandeis University’s Department of Theater, Magna Cum Laude. Upon graduation, she worked as an actress in Chicago, Los Angeles, and regional markets, earning her Actors Equity Association membership at the Human Race Theater Company in Dayton, Ohio. Favorite credits include: The Last Night of Ballyhoo (Long Beach Playhouse); We Just Moved in (The Complex); Steel Magnolias and Noon (Center Stage Theater); Macbeth (Fox Valley Shakespeare); and A Night Near the Sun (TinFish Theatre). TV/Film credits include: Cracking Up (Fox) and Nikki (The WB). Amy is the Artistic Director at Windy City Playhouse which has produced 5 productions since its launch in March of 2015, 4 of which were Jeff-recommended. Last season, Amy appeared as Jennie in the Jessica Thebus production of Chapter Two.

Joe Zarrow’s (Alan) favorite performances in Chicago include: Officer Don McMurchie in Buddy Cop 2 (Pavement Group); Edward Brennan in Sate & Madison: The Grid in The Chicago Landmark Project (Theatre Seven of Chicago); Schoolch in Bulrusher (Congo Square); Ezra Chater in Arcadia (New Leaf); Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream (Sankofa); and Dad in Walk Two Moons (Adventure Stage). His play Principal Principle (Stage Left Theatre / Theatre Seven of Chicago, Jeff Nomination for Best New Work) is available from Dramatic Publishing, and in Chicago his plays have also been produced by Walkabout Theatre, LiveWire Chicago Theatre, Tympanic Theatre, Broken Nose Theatre, and Collaboraction. Joe is a proud graduate of The School at Steppenwolf. You can find out more about his work at joezarrow.com. Love to Mary and Solly.

Melissa James Gibson’s (Playwright) plays include What Rhymes with America; This; [sic]; Suitcase or, Those That Resemble Flies from a Distance; Brooklyn Bridge (with a song by Barbara Brousal) and Current Nobody. Her work has been produced and/or developed at Playwrights Horizons, Center Theatre Group, Soho Rep, La Jolla Playhouse, The Children’s Theatre Company, Steppenwolf, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Seattle Rep and the Sundance Institute Theatre Lab among others, regionally and internationally. Commissions: Atlantic Theater Company; Manhattan Theater Club (Sloan Foundation); Second Stage Theatre. Honors: OBIE Award; Guggenheim Fellowship; Steinberg Playwright Award; Kesselring Prize; Whiting Writers Award; Lucille Lortel Foundation Playwrights’ Fellowship; LILLY Award; Jerome Fellow; MacDowell Colony Fellow; NEA/TCG Theatre Residency Program for Playwrights; Susan Smith Blackburn Prize finalist. MFA: Yale School of Drama; graduate of New Dramatists. Film: screenplay for Almost Christmas, starring Paul Giamatti, Paul Rudd and Sally Hawkins, directed by Phil Morrison. TV: writer of Netflix’s House of Cards and the FX show, The Americans, created by Joe Weisberg.

Carl Menninger’s (Director) work in the theater spans writing, directing, and teaching. He holds a master’s degree from Emerson College and bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University. He currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Theatre and Musical Theatre at American University in Washington, D.C.; previously taught at The Berklee College of Music and Victory Gardens Theatre; and led the Deerfield High School Theater Department from 1994-2003. His directing credits include over 150 productions in Boston, Chicago, and Washington, and his original plays have been seen at American University and The Ganymede Fall Arts Festival. He is also co-author of Minding the Edge: Strategies for a Successful, Fulfilling Career as an Actor.  

About Windy City Playhouse

Windy City Playhouse, Chicago's newest not-for-profit Equity theater, aims to expand beyond the traditional theatergoing experience by offering audience members a night of high-quality entertainment with a full-service bar, in a lounge-like atmosphere. Windy City Playhouse premiered in March of 2015, with the inaugural production End Days. Lauded by audiences and critics alike, Windy City Playhouse promises to rock Chicago's theater scene.

Click HERE For More Information and to book your tickets. 

OPENING: THE EXPLORERS CLUB at WINDY CITY PLAYHOUSE

WINDY CITY PLAYHOUSE ANNOUNCES CAST FOR CHICAGO PREMIERE OF

NELL BENJAMIN’S MADCAP COMEDY THE EXPLORERS CLUB

DAVID H. BELL DIRECTS FIRST SHOW OF 2016, BEGINNING PREVIEWS JANUARY 27

Here at ChiIL Live Shows and ChiIL Mama we can't wait to check this one out!

Nell Benjamin, Tony Award™-nominated co-composer and lyricist of Broadway’s Legally Blonde, penned this madcap physical comedy, animated by lightning-quick dialogue, daredevil stunts, precision acrobatics and onstage snakes and guinea pigs. The prolific David H. Bell, currently developing the English-language version of La Révolution Française in Chicago, directs with stunts and precision choreography staged by Max Fabian.

The antics, uproarious barbs and rejoinders of The Explorers Club are propelled by Phyllida Spotte-Hume (Cristina Panfilio) who believes Luigi, the blue NaKong tribesman she’s brought to London from a newly discovered race of Spoon worshipers, is her entree into the society as its first woman member. Goofy admirer Lucius (Alex Goodrich), a botanist and the Club’s acting president, sponsors Phyllida, while intrepid explorer Percy (Ryan Imhoff), returning from his expedition to the East Pole, vies for Phyllida’s affections even though he can’t take seriously the notion of a woman scientist. Neither can the Club’s resident zoologist (Matt Browning), herpetologist (Zach Shornick) and “archeo-theologist” (Dan Rodden). Chaos ensues in The Explorers Club after Luigi inadvertently insults the Queen, possibly setting the British Empire at war with the world.

Windy City Playhouse, Chicago’s newest professional theater, launches 2016 with the Chicago premiere of Nell Benjamin’s slapstick farce The Explorers Club, set in a Victorian-era scientific gentleman's club. David H. Bell directs Cristina Panfilio (Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Pericles) as a female anthropologist vying for membership. 

Alex Goodrich (Elf: The Musical), Ryan Imhoff (Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream), Matt Browning (Redtwist’s Incident at Vichy), Graham Emmons (Prologue’s Porcelain), Dan Rodden (Theater at the Center’s On Golden Pond) and Zack Shornick (MPAACT’s Ghosts of Atwood) make up the Club members, while Colin Morgan (Oracle’s No Beast So Fierce) is Queen Victoria’s private secretary and Wesley Daniel (Chicago Shakes’ Pericles) is a blue-skinned primitive. Previews for The Explorers Club begin Wednesday, January 27, 2016 at Windy City Playhouse, 3014 West Irving Park Road. Press performances are Thursday, February 4 at 7:30 pm. and Friday, February 5 at 8 p.m. Tickets, $15-$55, are available by calling the box office at 773-891-8985 or visiting windycityplayhouse.com/the-explorers-club/

THE EXPLORERS CLUB

By Nell Benjamin

Directed by David H. Bell

Previews begin: January 27, 2016

The Explorer’s Club has enough to deal with. One member has lost nearly all his guinea pigs, another can’t seem to locate the East Pole, the bartender is missing and, on top of all that, a woman wants to join. Before the British Empire crumbles under the weight, these good old boys must grapple with the approach of modernity, save the world from an international war and, for God’s sake, find a new bartender — but not until after brandy and cigars.

The Windy City Playhouse performance schedule is: Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30pm; Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm; and Sundays (consult website for Sunday times).

Single tickets range from $15-$55 and are available by calling 773-891-8985 or visiting windycityplayhouse.com. Flexible subscription packages are available for 2016.

The Explorers Club is part of Chicago Theatre Week 2016. Select performances, between February 11 and 21, are available for $15 and $30 via ChicagoTheatreWeek.com.

About Windy City Playhouse

Windy City Playhouse is a new theater at 3014 West Irving Park Road. Opened in March 2015, the Playhouse is a professional theater meant to entertain through exceptional contemporary, relevant and approachable art. Combining relatable material with high quality artistry, Windy City Playhouse seeks to create work accessible by audiences of all kinds. With a full service bar and light snacks, the Playhouse is not a traditional theater, rather a fun, relaxing and entertaining environment. With amenities such as swivel club chair seating, the Playhouse is designed as a space for audiences to linger before and after the performance—a place to decompress with art.