TICKETS ON-SALE TODAY AT NOON: IONESCO'S VICTIMS OF DUTY REMOUNT VIA RED ORCHID THEATRE

Chi IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

                                                           

A RED ORCHID THEATRE ANNOUNCES CASTING FOR

VICTIMS OF DUTY

BY EUGENE IONESCO

DIRECTED BY SHIRA PIVEN

FEATURING ORIGINAL CAST MEMBERS

ENSEMBLE MEMBERS MICHAEL SHANNON AND GUY VAN SWEARINGEN

PLUS KAREN ALDRIDGE, RICH COTOVSKY AND ENSEMBLE MEMBER MIERKA GIERTEN

July 11 – August 5, 2018

**TICKETS ON-SALE WEDNESDAY, MAY 30 AT NOON**

Here at ChiIL Live Shows we're so very excited for this remount for too many reasons to count. I've adored Ionesco since my college intro to his Theatre of the Absurd began with Rhinoceros. I'm also quite fond of Shira Piven's work, Michael Shannon, Guy Van Swearingen (original cast members)... and the rest of this cast of Chicago's finest. A Red Orchid Theatre is at it again, bringing vividly stunning works and star power to their intimate Old Town storefront. This is where theatre gets real. Don't miss this! Book ASAP. This run is sure to sell out.

A Red Orchid Theatre presents a special summer engagement of Victims of Duty by Eugene Ionesco and directed by Shira Piven. Victims of Duty runs July 11 – August 5, 2018 at A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N Wells in Chicago.

The cast of Victims of Duty includes original cast members Ensemble Members Michael Shannon (The Detective) and Guy Van Swearingen (Choubert), as well as Karen Aldridge (Madeleine), Rich Cotovsky (Nicolas D’eu), and Ensemble Member Mierka Gierten (The Lady).

Much of the original 1995 team come together to revisit Ionesco's absurd masterpiece. Choubert, the archetypal bourgeois everyman, and his wife Madeleine are spending a quiet evening at home when the Detective arrives to enlist their help in finding the previous tenant. A roller-coaster ride of high comedy and horrific tragedy as Choubert examines his past present and future in a quest to find out where Mallot could be hiding.

“Victims of Duty was the very first show I ever saw at A Red Orchid,” says Artistic Director Kirsten Fitzgerald. “I am not entirely sure Ionesco's investigation of a life made logical sense to me at the time, but it made perfect emotional sense and was viscerally stunning.  So much so, that I knew I needed to work with these people in this space.  That was 1996.  With many of the originals returning (including Director Shira Piven, Production Designer Danila Korogodsky, and actors Guy Van Swearingen and Michael Shannon) the investigation promises to go even deeper.”

In addition to Director Shira Piven, the creative of Victims of Duty includes Danila Korogodsky (Production Designer), Ensemble Member Mike Durst (Lighting Designer), and Brando Triantafilou (Sound Designer).

Tickets, priced at $50, will go on-sale Wednesday, May 30 at noon and may be purchased at the A Red Orchid Theatre Box Office (1531 N. Wells Ave, Chicago) by calling (312) 943-8722, or online www.aredorchidtheatre.org.

About the Artists

EUGENE IONESCO (Playwright) was a Romanian-born French playwright. He studied in Bucharest and Paris, where he lived from 1945. His first one-act antiplay, The Bald Soprano (1950), inspired a revolution in dramatic techniques and helped inaugurate the Theatre of the Absurd. He followed it with other one-act plays in which illogical events create an atmosphere both comic and grotesque, including The Lesson (1951), The Chairs (1952), and The New Tenant (1955). His most popular full-length play, Rhinoceros (1959), concerns a provincial French town in which all the citizens are metamorphosing into rhinoceroses. Other plays include Exit the King (1962) and A Stroll in the Air (1963). He was elected to the Acadmie Franaise in 1970.



SHIRA PIVEN (Director) is a director of both stage and film.  She was the child of theatre people and established herself originally as an actress and stage director in Chicago in the 90's.  Shira has directed numerous stage productions, many of them original adaptations, in New York, Chicago, LA, and Washington D.C. She was the director and a founding member of Burn Manhattan spontaneous theatre, a groundbreaking group performing entirely improvised physical theatre throughout New York City.  In Los Angeles Shira developed and directed the plays Little and All Cake No File at the Actor’s Gang Theatre and Fully Loaded at UCB Theatre. Her first foray into film combined live theatre with film sequences in Water's show Death of a Judge in 2003.  Shira completed her second feature film, Welcome To Me, starring Kristen Wiig in 2015. Her first feature Fully Loaded won the audience favorite feature award at Palm Beach International Film Festival as well as best feature at both The River's Edge International and Carmel Art and Film Festivals. It was also featured at the Boston, San Luis Obispo, Talking Pictures and Newport Beach film festivals and released by Starz. She also directed a short documentary The Beast and The Angel that premiered at the Lincoln Center Film Society and aired on PBS.



MICHAEL SHANNON (The Detective) is a founding member of A Red Orchid Theatre. He directed the world premiere of Traitor by Brett Neveu earlier this year and made his directing debut here with Ionesco’s Hunger and Thirst. He has been seen on stage at A Red Orchid in Pilgrim’s Progress, Simpatico, Mistakes Were Made, Gagarin Way, Mr. Kolpert, BUG, 'Tis Pity She's a Whore, The Killer, The Persecution of Arnold Petch, Canus Lunis Balloonis, Victims of Duty, and Drinking in America. Elsewhere around Chicago, he has worked at Steppenwolf, Lookingglass, Northlight, Famous Door (RIP), and the Next Lab, birthplace of Killer Joe, in which he originated the role of Chris Smith and performed it a gillion times all over God's green earth. Mike currently lives in NYC where he Performed in Ionesco's The Killer with Theatre for a New Audience and made his Broadway debut in Grace at the Cort Theatre. He also played Astrov in Annie Baker's adaptation of Uncle Vanya at Soho Rep, directed by Sam Gold.  Film credits include Groundhog Day, Chicago Cab, The Ride, Jesus' Son, Cecil B. Demented, Tigerland, Pearl Harbor, 8 Mile, Bad Boys II, Kangaroo Jack, Grand Theft Parsons, The Missing Person, Zamboni Man, Revolutionary Road, My Son My Son What Have Ye Done?, Shotgun Stories, Take Shelter, Mud, Machine Gun Preacher, Premium Rush, The Iceman, Man of Steel, 99 Homes, Free Held, Elvis & Nixon, The Shape of Water, Fahrenheit 451 and more. On TV: Boardwalk Empire, and the recent miniseries Waco. 



GUY VAN SWEARINGEN (Choubert) is founding Artistic Director and Ensemble Member of A Red Orchid Theatre where he has appeared in over a dozen productions, including Traitor, The Nether, Red Handed Otter, The Sea Horse (Jeff Nomination), Simpatico (Jeff Nomination) and the World Premiere of The Opponent (which was also produced at 59E59 in NYC).  Regional credits include Simpatico at the McCarter Theatre, The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window at the Goodman Theatre, the World Premiere of Taking Care and a revival of The Time of Your Life at Steppenwolf (which transferred to Seattle Rep and A.C.T.) and Eleven Rooms of Proust (a Lookingglass/About Face/Goodman Theatre collaboration).  Other local theatres he’s appeared with include Defiant, Plasticene, Famous Door and Mary Arrchie.  Film credits include Captive State (2018 release), The Dilemma, The Merry Gentleman, Take Shelter, Public Enemies, The Weatherman, Ali, Janie Jones and The Unborn. TV credits include Chicago Fire (NBC), Boss (STARZ), Sirens (USA), Detroit 1-8-7 (ABC), Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story (TNT), The Beast (A&E), Turks and Early Edition (CBS). 



KAREN ALDRIDGE (Madeleine) is a critically acclaimed theater artist consistently starring in productions at Chicago's most prestigious theaters such as The Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre and Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. Karen originated the role of "Mrs. Phelps" in Matilda on Broadway.  She also toured around the world in Le Costume with the Theatre des Bouffes du Nord. Karen has been nominated for two Joseph Jefferson Awards.  On television, Karen has appeared in a recurring role as "Dr. Kendra" on NBC's CHICAGO FIRE and as "Dr. Ella Harris" in the Golden Globe winning series BOSS.  Other television & film credits include CBS' Blue Bloods, CBS' Unforgettable and Ron Howard's THE DILEMMA.  



RICH COTOVSKY (Nicolas D’eu) directed the very first show at A Red Orchid Theatre in 1993.  He was the founder and Artistic Director of Mary Arrchie Theatre Company for all of it’s 30 years.  Cotovsky has performed in or directed more than 50 productions at Mary-Arrchie and other theaters, along with the occasional film, television, and commercial gig. Among his favorites: a record-setting run as the Hellcab cabbie and the role of Arthur in Mary-Arrchie's 2012 production of Tracy Letts's Superior Donuts, which he workshopped and understudied at Steppenwolf.  Though Rich and Guy and Mike have collaborated many times, this is the first time they will share the stage outside of the occasional late-night talk show at Mary Arrchie’s Abby Hoffman Died for our Sins festival.


MIERKA GIRTEN (The Lady) is an ensemble member at A Red Orchid, where she has been seen in over thirteen productions, including The Room, The Mutilated, Simpatico, Red Handed Otter, Mud Blue Sky and Abigail’s Party among others. Mierka was honored to reprise her role in Simpatico last fall with A Red Orchid at The McCarter Center in Princeton NJ.   She played Maria Callas in Master Class at The Human Race Theatre Company in Dayton Ohio.  Additionally, she has worked with The Hypocrites, Rivendell Theatre, Porchlight Music Theatre, Cobalt Ensemble, Apple Tree, Provision, Strawdog, Circle Theatre, American Blues, Mary-Arrchie, Live Bait, Roadworks, Steppenwolf and The Goodman. She played Esther in Mistakes Were Made both here at A Red Orchid and in the Off-Broadway Barrow Street Theatre production with friend Mike Shannon. Her voice can be heard on national broadcast and web commercials.

DANILA KOROGODSKY (Production Designer) is a director and stage designer. He is the Artistic Director of Pokoleniy Theater in St. Petersburg, Russia and serves as the head of set design at California State University, Long Beach.  Born into a theatrical family, his father Zinovy Korogodsky, a Stanislavsky prize winner, was one of the most important directors and theater pedagogues in Soviet Union. His mother, Liah Danilina, was a playwright. Danila grew up and was educated in the Soviet Union. He graduated from Leningrad Theater Academy in 1977 as a stage and costume designer, and after graduation worked as a resident designer at the Leningrad TYS (Theater for Young Spectators) - a premier company for young audiences in the Soviet Union. During that time he also worked as a freelance designer for theaters around the country designing more than 80 productions for various companies such as Baku Youth Theater, Tallin Drama Theater, Leningrad Comedy Theater, Novy Drama Theater, Mossoviet Theater, Ilkhom Theater, and Tashkent. In 1989 he was invited to design a show at Honolulu Theater for Youth. Since then he has worked in the United States as a stage designer and design professor. He designed more than 250 productions in the United States and around the world. He also started designing for the opera, and has worked with Chicago Lyric Opera, Opera Bielefeld and Opera Dessau in Germany, Opera Nantes in France, The Spoleto Festival and Opera Theater of Pittsburgh. Other theatrical design work has been with NYC Japan Society, A Noise Within, Actors Gang, Pittsburgh Playhouse, Minneapolis Children Company, ACT, Wheelock Theater, and more.  At Pokoleniy Theater in St. Petersburg, Russia. He has directed Without Lear based on King Lear by Shakespeare, Far Away on Lake Tchad, The Table, Peter-Burg, Songs of Love and Death, The Light Bulb all conceived and developed by the company, which were well received by the Russian and international press. He developed a project based on a play by Maxim Gorky The Summer Folks, which opened in Theater Pokoleniy in October 2012.

Dates:
Previews: July 11-14, 2018
Wednesday, July 11 at 7:30 p.m.
hursday, July 12 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, July 13 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 14 at 3:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Press Performances: Saturday, July 14 at 3:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Opening:Sunday, July 15 at 7:00 p.m. 

Regular Run:
July 17 – August 5, 2018           
Tuesday, July 17 at 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, July 19 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, July 20 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 21 at 3:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 22 at 3:00 p.m.
Wednesday, July 25 at 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, July 26 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 28 at 3:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 29 at 3:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, July 31 at 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, August 1 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, August 3 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, August 4 at 3:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, August 5 at 3:00 p.m.

Schedule:
Tuesdays:7:30 p.m. (July 17 & 31)
Wednesdays: 7:30 p.m. (July 11 & 25)
Thursdays: 7:30 p.m. (July 12, 19 & 26)
Fridays: 7:30 p.m. (July 13 & 20 and August 3)
Saturdays: 3:00 p.m. (July 21 & 28 and August 4)
and 7:30p.m. (July 14, 21 & 28 and August 4)
Sundays:
3:00 p.m. (July 22, 29 and August 5)

Location: A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N. Wells Ave.
Tickets: $50
Box Office: Located at 1531 N. Wells Ave, Chicago, (312) 943-8722; or online www.aredorchidtheatre.org

Concluding our 25th season of ambitious and powerful storytelling, we continue to champion A Red Orchid Theatre’s Red League, which is a gift $1k or more, and the Founders Circle, which is a gift of $5k or more annually for a three-year pledge. These donors represent a community of our most committed and impactful cultural investors. Every profound and shocking moment on our stage is made possible through their critical annual contributions. Their philanthropic leadership fosters the development of raw and relevant work, creates a platform for our talented ensemble to reach new audiences, and ensures that A Red Orchid Theatre remains a source for honest, compassionate, and aesthetically rigorous theatre.

About A Red Orchid
A Red Orchid Theatre has served as an artistic focal point in the heart of the Old Town community of Chicago since 1993 and was honored with a 2016 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions. Over the past 25 years, its Resident Ensemble has welcomed into its fold an impressive array of award-winning theatre artists with the firm belief that live theatre is the greatest sustenance for the human spirit. A Red Orchid is well known and highly acclaimed for its fearless approach to performance and design in the service of unflinchingly intimate stories. In addition to its professional season, the company is also committed to a Youth Project and hosts The Incubator (providing artists with space and time to explore new work, new forms and new artistic collaborations).

A Red Orchid Theatre is: Lance Baker, Kamal Angelo Bolden, Dado, Mike Durst, Jennifer Engstrom, Kirsten Fitzgerald, Joseph Fosco, Steve Haggard, Mierka Girten, Larry Grimm, Karen Kawa, Karen Kessler, Danny McCarthy, Shade Murray, Brett Neveu, Michael Shannon, Guy Van Swearingen, Doug Vickers and Natalie West.

OPENING: HAMLET Via The Gift Theatre 6/1-7/29/18

Chi IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

The Gift Theatre 

HAMLET

By William Shakespeare

Directed by Guest Artist Monty Cole

June 1 – July 29, 2018

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we've long been big fans of Gift Theatre's little space. They're outliers from all the cities various theatre districts, but well worth the trek to Jefferson Park on Chicago's northwest side. They've made a go of it for 17 seasons, with intimate, excellent, and award winning productions. Gift often likes to play vertically with multilayered shows, physically and mentally. We're eager to catch their take on Hamlet.

The Gift Theatre is pleased to announce casting for William Shakespeare’s HAMLET, directed by guest artist Monty Cole. The Gift’s production of the Bard’s great tragedy will crack open the mind of one of western drama's most fascinating and complex characters. 

The cast of The Gift Theatre’s HAMLET includes (top, l to r) John Kelly Connolly, Robert Cornelius, Shanésia Davis, Gregory Fenner and Daniel Kyri (bottom, l to r) Martel Manning, Casey Morris, Jake Szczepaniak, Hannah Toriumi and Netta Walker.

HAMLET will feature Daniel Kyri as Hamlet with Gift ensemble members John Kelly Connolly* as Claudius, Gregory Fenner* as Laertes, Martel Manning* as Guildenstern and Hannah Toriumi* as Rosencrantz, and guest artists Robert Cornelius as Ghost/Polonius, Shanésia Davis as Gertrude, Casey Morris as Horatio, Jake Szczepaniak as Fortinbras/Marcellus/Gravedigger and Netta Walker as Ophelia.

HAMLET will play June 1 – July 29, 2018 at 4802 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago’s Jefferson Park neighborhood. Single tickets and season subscriptions are currently available by calling the Gift’s box office at 773-283-7071 or visiting thegifttheatre.org. The press opening is Thursday, June 7 at 7:30 pm

After the death of his dad, a young black man named Hamlet returns home to grieve and seek revenge. Fighting against the injustice of his father's murder and the powers that want him out of the picture, Hamlet quickly loses power and sanity. 

Director Monty Cole comments, “Over the last year, this script has only become more personal to me and my production team. What makes this Hamlet unique isn’t necessarily “a new spin” from me but rather a process of personalization from incredibly respected Chicago artists working to make this 400 year old story feel prescient.”

Artistic Director Michael Patrick Thornton adds, “Experiencing Shakespeare at The Gift is electrifying. In our intimate space, we can deliver performances that mirror Hamlet’s advice to the players: stripped-down, clear, lyrical, and conversational. To be mere feet away from Hamlet’s heartache and blazing mind would be gift enough; with the colossal talents of these artists, our HAMLET will be one for the ages.”

The production team for HAMLET includes: William Boles (scenic design), Samantha Jones (costume design) Claire Chrzan and Michelle Benda (lighting design) Jeffery Levin (sound design) and Michael Petersen, Ph.D. (dramaturg).  

Location: The Gift Theatre, 4802 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago
Dates: Previews: Friday, June 1 at 7:30 pm, Saturday, June 2 at 7:30 pm, Sunday, June 3 at 2:30 pm and Wednesday, June 6 at 7:30 pm
Press openings: Thursday, June 7 at 7:30 pm
Regular run: Friday, June 8 – Sunday, July 29, 2018
Curtain Times: Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 pm; Saturdays at 3:30 pm & 7:30 pm; Sundays at 2:30 pm. Please note: there will not be a 3:30 pm performance on Saturday, June 9.

Tickets: Previews $25. Regular run $35 – $40. Single and season subscriptions are currently available by calling the Gift’s box office at 773-283-7071 or visiting thegifttheatre.org.

*Denotes Gift Theatre ensemble member

About the Director
Monty Cole is a director based in Chicago and Los Angeles. Cole has directed for The Goodman Theatre, Victory Gardens Theater, American Theatre Company, Definition Theater Company/ALTA, The House Theatre of Chicago, the Chicago Theater Marathon, California Institute of the Arts and others. Cole directed the critically acclaimed and Jeff Award winning production of The Hairy Ape for Oracle Productions. Monty is working with collaborator and choreographer Breon Arzell on revitalizing In Dahomey, the first black written and performed Broadway musical from 1903 for the Center for New Performance. Recently, he directed Kiss by Guillermo Calderon at the California Institute of the Arts where he is currently an MFA2 Directing candidate.

About The Gift Theatre
The Gift’s 17th season consists of Stacy Osei-Kuffour’s world premiere of Hang Man, directed by Jess McLeod (March 2 – April 29, 2018); Shakespeare’s Hamlet, directed by Monty Cole (June 1 – July 29, 2018); and the Midwest premiere of Tony Award-winning playwright and ensemble member David Rabe’s Cosmologies, directed by Artistic Director Michael Patrick Thornton (October 12 –December 9, 2018). The Gift subscribers ("Gifters") receive admission to three shows, free parking at Gale Street Inn, free admission to all Wednesday night “Natural Gas” improv shows and invitations to special subscriber-only special events. Subscribe at thegifttheatre.org or by calling (773) 283-7071. 

Tony Award Nominee Orfeh to Return to Broadway in PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL

TONY AWARD NOMINEE ORFEH

CAST IN PRE-BROADWAY WORLD PREMIERE OF

ORIENTAL THEATRE

MARCH 13 - APRIL 15, 2018

STARRING

SAMANTHA BARKS

TONY & GRAMMY AWARD WINNER STEVE KAZEE

MUSIC AND LYRICS BY

GRAMMY AWARD WINNER BRYAN ADAMS

& JIM VALLANCE

BOOK BY

GARRY MARSHALL & J.F. LAWTON

DIRECTED AND CHOREOGRAPHED BY

TWO-TIME TONY AWARD WINNER JERRY MITCHELL

Broadway In Chicago and Producer Paula Wagner are delighted to announce that Tony Award nominee Orfeh will return to Broadway in PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL. Based on one of the most beloved romantic comedies of all time, Garry Marshall’s PRETTY WOMAN, the new musical will have its pre-Broadway World Premiere stage production in Chicago in the spring of 2018 at Broadway In Chicago’s Oriental Theatre (24 W. Randolph) for a strictly limited 5-week engagement beginning March 13, through April 15, 2018.

PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL will star stage, television and film actress Samantha Barks as ‘Vivian’ opposite Tony Award winner and Grammy Award winner Steve Kazee as ‘Edward,’ with Tony Award nominee Orfeh as ‘Kit.’

“When Bryan and Jim played me a song they had written for the character ‘Kit’ called ‘Rodeo Drive’ I immediately thought Orfeh!” said director/choreographer Jerry Mitchell, “I told the guys...here’s the voice that will make this song fly on Broadway!”

ORFEH (Kit) was last on Broadway as Paulette in Legally Blonde: The Musical for which she was nominated for the Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards. Orfeh’s other Broadway credits include Saturday Night Fever, The Gershwin’s Fascinating Rhythm and Footloose. Off-Broadway credits include Love, Loss, and What I Wore, The Great American Trailer Park Musical and Love, Janis. Television and film work includes Sleeping with the Fishes (with Gina Rodgriguez), Across the Universe, “Film U,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent”, “Sex and the City” and “Chappelle's Show.” She has performed at Lincoln Center with her husband, Olivier Award winner and Tony nominee Andy Karl, and in numerous Broadway benefits including Hair for the Actors Fund (Grammy nomination). Her extensive recording career includes music with '90s top-40 group Or-N-More. She has performed with many music icons from legends the O'Jays to Chaka Khan. Her solo CD, "What Do You Want From Me" and latest single, "Forget My Name" are available on iTunes, as well as her most recent release, a live album titled "Legally Bound" that she and her husband recorded at Feinstein's/54 Below. Twitter: @official_orfeh, IG: @orfeh

PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL has original music and lyrics by Grammy Award winner Bryan Adams and his longtime songwriting partner Jim Vallance, book by Garry Marshall and the film’s screenwriter J.F. Lawton, is directed and choreographed by two-time Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell and will begin performances Tuesday, March 13, 2018, for a strictly limited 5-week engagement at Chicago’s Oriental Theatre (24 West Randolph Street, Chicago, IL).

PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL will begin performances on Broadway in the fall of 2018 at a Nederlander Theater to be announced.

One of the most beloved romantic comedy films of all time, PRETTY WOMAN was produced by Arnon Milchan (New Regency Productions) and swept the world off its feet in 1990 reinventing the romantic comedy genre by making the world believe in happily-ever-after.

PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL has scenic design by David Rockwell, costume design by Gregg Barnes, lighting design by Kenneth Posner & Philip S. Rosenberg, sound design by John Shivers, hair design by Josh Marquette, music supervision, arrangements and orchestrations by Will Van Dyke, and casting by Telsey + Company. 101 Productions, Ltd will be the Executive Producer and General Manager.

PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL is produced by Paula Wagner, Nice Productions, LPO, New Regency Productions, Roy Furman, James L. Nederlander, Caiola Productions, Hunter Arnold, Stage Entertainment and The John Gore Organization.

For more information visit: PrettyWomanMusical.com
Facebook: Facebook.com/PrettyWomanBway
Twitter: twitter.com/PrettyWomanBway
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prettywomanbway/

ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO
Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 17 years has grown to be one of the largest commercial touring homes in the country.  A Nederlander Presentation, Broadway In Chicago lights up the Chicago Theater District entertaining well up to 1.7 million people annually in five theatres. Broadway In Chicago presents a full range of entertainment, including musicals and plays, on the stages of five of the finest theatres in Chicago’s Loop including the Cadillac Palace Theatre, CIBC Theatre, Oriental Theatre, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place and presenting Broadway shows at The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

Facebook @BroadwayInChicago ● Twitter @broadwaychicago ● Instagram @broadwayinchicago ● #broadwayinchicago

OPENING: Ibsen & Tegby's GHOSTS & zombies Via Akvavit Theatre at Strawdog Theatre Company

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Casting Announced!

Akvavit Theatre Presents 

GHOSTS & zombies

By Henrik Ibsen & Gustav Tegby

Translated by Chad Eric Bergman
 

Directed by Co-Artistic Director Breahan Pautsch

September 28 - October 29, 2017 at Strawdog Theatre Company

Here at ChiIL Live Shows we're ready for the fall chill in the air and a touch of the macabre. We're also jazzed for Akvavit's latest, an updated spin on Ibsen by contemporary Swedish playwright, Gustav Tegby. I'm descended from Swedes who came to Chicago on a boat so rickety it sank on the return voyage! This is my heritage and ancestry and I adore the Akvavit's poetic mission statement. Can't wait to catch GHOSTS & zombies.

About Akvavit Theatre
Akvavit Theatre is haunted by Nordic visions: deep forests and ice-blue seas, the patience of the glacier, the sudden fury of the volcano, the arctic light and silence. Seeking the universal through the voices of contemporary Nordic playwrights, Akvavit Theatre is a kind of homecoming, a connecting back to the lands whose people and cultures have for generations been a part of the great prairies of North America that we call home. And like our namesake beverage, Akvavit brings a “strong spirit” to the work that we produce. Skål, Skál, Kippis! For additional information, visit www.chicagonordic.org.

Just in time to get you in the Halloween spirit, Akvavit Theatre is pleased to present GHOSTS & zombies, by Henrik Ibsen and Gustav Tegby, in a new American translation by Chad Eric Bergman*, directed by Co-Artistic Director Breahan Pautsch*. This dark and hilarious contemporary Swedish twist on Ibsen’s Norwegian classic Ghosts, will play September 28 - October 29, 2017 at the new Strawdog Theatre Company, 1802 W. Berenice in Chicago. Tickets on sale at chicagonordic.org.

GHOSTS & zombies will feature Marsha Harman as Mrs. Helene Alving, Victor Bayona as Chamberlain Alving, Jeremy Trager as Pastor Manders, Joshua K. Harris as Carpenter Engstrand, Micah Kronlokken* as Osvald and Almanya Narula as Regine with and ensemble including Jessica Kearney, Dylan M. Lainez, Madelyn Loehr*, Christiane Schaldemose, Erik Schiller and Tyler Skafgaard.

GHOSTS & zombies puts a blood-curdling spin on Ibsen's classic drama, Ghosts. As in the original, Mrs. Alving is preparing to open an orphanage in her husband's memory, while welcoming her son home from a long absence. However, things soon take a turn for the weird and scary as their country estate becomes overrun by the un-dead. Haunted by the ghosts of her past, Mrs. Alving now finds herself confronted by zombies that she is forced to stand and fight. GHOSTS & zombies shows us that we can try to bury the parts of our life we would rather forget, but we cannot control whether they walk again – slowly, hungrily – in our direction.

The production team for GHOSTS & zombies includes: Chad Eric Bergman* (set design), Rachel Sypniewski (costume design), David Goodman-Edberg (lighting design), Nigel Harsch* (sound designer), Leticha Guillaud (properties design), Kirstin Franklin* (casting director), Bethany Weise (asst. costume designer), R&D Choreography (violence design), Christiane Schaldemose (music direction), Chris Waldron (asst. director), Amy Hopkins (production manager), Harrison Ornelas (technical director), Hannah Harper-Smith (stage manager) and Katy Grabarski (asst. stage manager).

Location: Strawdog Theatre Company,1802 W. Berenice, Chicago
Dates: Preview: Thursday, September 28 at 8 pm
Regular run: Saturday, September 30 – Sunday, October 29, 2017
Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 4 pm. 
Tickets: Previews: $10. Regular Run: $25. Students/seniors/industry $15. Tickets go on sale Friday, September 1, 2017 available at chicagonordic.org.

*Denotes Akvavit Theatre company members.

Akvavit Theatre is also pleased to announce the addition of new company member Madelyn Loehr and associate company member Maggie Fullilove-Nugent.

Artist Biographies
Gustav Tegby (Playwright) was born in Umeå, Sweden in 1980, where he also grew up. He has written about twenty plays played at, among others, Drama, Malmö City Theater, Uppsala City Theater and a number of different free groups across Sweden, as well as in Finland and the USA. Among the titles noted, Gargantua was released to Bibu in 2014 and Everyone Loves Bernie Madoff, a raid scene version of the true and completely unlikely story of Wall Street's greatest scammers. The latter was set up on three different theaters and was also filmed for SVT's project Pulse in Sweden. As a dramatist, Gustav has been interested in popular culture, and especially for the horror genre – he has among other things given Ibsen's Gengångare an odd twist in his variant Ghosts & zombies, where the infection of Mrs. Alving's son is drawn to something worse than syphilis. In the summer of 2016 he was one of the authors of Sweden's Radio Drama's major success, The Voices of the Dead, a fictional horror documentary in eight parts. Gustav had previously run the Drama Cup for many years. He also works as a dramaturg at the National Theater.

Chad Eric Bergman (Translator) actively collaborates in the Chicago storefront scene having worked with Stage Left, Live Bait, Chicago Dramatists, MPAACT, parker, Plasticene and Akvavit in various artistic ways. He has been an artist in residence at the Ragdale Foundation and the University of Chicago’s Summer Incubator. He spent a year in Finland on a Fulbright exploring bilingual theatre. At North Park University, he has been developing a theatre curriculum that is based on the Chicago storefront theatre model.

Breahan Eve Pautsch (Director) is originally from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. She earned her BA in Theatre and English at UW-Madison and has been working in Chicago as an actor and director since 2003. She has been a company member with Akvavit Theatre since 2011, where she served as Literary Manager and Director of Development for several years before taking the position of co-Artistic Director at the beginning of 2017. She is also a company member with Indie Boots Theatre.  

CASTING ANNOUNCED: Lookingglass Theatre Company's 30th Anniversary Season

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

The 30th Anniversary Season includes Hard Times,

adapted and directed by Ensemble Member Heidi Stillman from the book by Charles Dickens

in Association with The Actors Gymnasium;

the World Premiere of Plantation! written by Ensemble Member Kevin Douglas,

directed by Ensemble Member David Schwimmer;

and the World Premiere of 20,000 Leagues Under the Seas,

adapted by David Kersnar and Althos Low from the books by Jules Verne,

directed by Ensemble Member David Kersnar

Here at ChiIL Mama & ChiIL Live Shows, we're absolutely elated about Lookingglass Theatre Company's upcoming season. Save the dates! Many of our top favorite directors and actors are back, to bring these stellar stories to life. With the highly anticipated return of Hard Times and two world premiers, this season is one to watch for sure. We're especially excited for the season opener, adapted and directed by Artistic Director and Ensemble Member Heidi Stillman from the book by Charles Dickens. We missed the earlier incarnation of this award-winning, circus-infused Hard Times and can't wait to catch it. 

Hard Times is presented in association with The Actors Gymnasium, another top favorite of ours. My teens have each been cast in 3 youth circus shows there over the past few years, and they also spent last summer in a 6 week summer lab intensive at Lookingglass, culminating in an incredible original show created by all the teens involved. We're huge fans of their professional productions and their education and outreach as well. Chicago is lucky to have them!

Lookingglass Theatre Company announces complete casting 
for its 2017–2018 Season lineup. 

The season begins with the return of the award-winning, circus-infused Hard Times, adapted and directed by Artistic Director and Ensemble Member Heidi Stillman from the book by Charles Dickens and in association with The Actors Gymnasium. Following Hard Times is the World Premiere of Plantation!, written by Ensemble Member Kevin Douglas and directed by Ensemble Member David Schwimmer. Concluding the 2017-2018 Season is the World Premiere of 20,000 Leagues Under the Seas, adapted by Ensemble Member David Kersnar and Althos Low from the books by Jules Verne. Kersnar also directs this new work. Subscriptions to Lookingglass’ 2017-2018 season are on sale now and may be purchased through the box office at (312) 337-0665 or lookingglasstheatre.org/subscribe.

The Lookingglass 2017–2018 Season up close:

Hard Times
Adapted and Directed by Ensemble Member Heidi Stillman
From the Book by Charles Dickens
In Association with The Actors Gymnasium
October 4, 2017 – January 14, 2018
Press Opening: October 14, 2017

Returning to Hard Times are Ensemble Members David Catlin (returning to the role of Stephen and Sleary), Raymond Fox (returning to the role of Mr. Gradgrind, Sissy’s Father and Slackbridge), Louise Lamson (in the role of Rachael, Mrs. Gradgrind and Scherezade through 12/17) and Artistic Associate Troy West (returning to the role of Mr. Bounderby). The cast also includes Artistic Associate Atra Asdou (Rachael, Mrs. Gradgrind and Scherezade beginning 12/19), with Audrey Anderson (Sissy), Amy J. Carle (Mrs. Sparsit, Drunk Woman and Pufflerumpus), Raphael Cruz (Bitzer and Le Papillon), Cordelia Dewdney (Louisa), Marilyn Dodds Frank (returning to the role of Mrs. Pegler), Nathan Hosner (Mr. Harthouse, Mr. M’Choakumchild and Kidderminster) and JJ Phillips (Tom).

The creative team includes Ensemble Members Daniel Ostling (scenic) and Mara Blumenfeld (costumes), with Artistic Associates Brian Sidney Bembridge (lighting), Andre Pluess (sound) and Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi (circus/choreography). Additional creative team members include Amanda Herrmann (props), Isaac Schoepp (rigging), Eva Breneman (dialect) and Jeri Frederickson (stage manager).

Lookingglass launches its 30th Season with the return of the award-winning, circus-infused Hard Times.

A Dickensian carnival of characters inhabits the streets of smoke-choked Coketown: grim Mr. Gradgrind’s school churns out joyless students; poor Stephen Blackpool toils in the nearby mines; and mill-owner Mr. Bounderby, full of bluster and bombast, presides over it all. Only when a traveling circus alights nearby, and young orphan Sissy Jupe enters their world, does a ray of hope shine through.

Artistic Director Heidi Stillman adapts and directs this timeless love-letter to the power of beauty, hope, and imagination. 



World Premiere
Plantation!
Written by Ensemble Member Kevin Douglas
Directed by Ensemble Member David Schwimmer
February 21 - April 22, 2018
Press Opening: March 3, 2018

Plantation! features Ensemble Member Louise Lamson (Kimberly) and Artistic Associate Ericka Ratcliff (Sydney), with Hannah Gomez (Diana), Lily Mojekwu (London), Linsey Page Morton (Kara), Tamberla Perry (Madison), Grace Smith (Kayley) and Janet Ulrich Brooks (Lillian).

The creative team includes Courtney O’Neill (scenic), Ensemble Member Mara Blumenfeld (costumes), Artistic Associates Christine A. Binder (lighting) and Rick Sims (sound and composition), with Amanda Herrmann (props), Eva Breneman (dialect) and Ari Clouse (stage manager).

Look who’s coming to tea…

A Texas matriarch, bless her heart, discovers that the history of the ancestral home is, well…complicated. When she reveals the news to her Southern Belle daughters, tempers rage hotter than the devil’s armpit and pandemonium runs amok on the pristine plantation…and that’s before the other set of sisters arrive.

Ensemble Member and playwright Kevin Douglas (Thaddeus and Slocum: A Vaudeville Adventure) returns with a sharp pen and sharper wit to slash into America’s thorniest underbrush and most enduring conundrum. Ensemble Member David Schwimmer directs this World Premiere black (and white) comedy. 



World Premiere
20,000 Leagues Under the Seas
Adapted by David Kersnar and Althos Low
From the Books by Jules Verne
Directed by Ensemble Member David Kersnar 
May 23 – August 19, 2018
Press Opening: June 2, 2018

20,000 Leagues Under the Seas features Ensemble Members Kareem Bandealy (Captain Nemo) and Thomas J. Cox (Gideon Spillet/J.B. Hobson) with Artistic Associates Walter Owen Briggs (Ned Land) and Kasey Foster (Professor Aronnax). The cast also includes Owais Ahmed (Harbert), Joe Dempsey (Farragut), Glenn-Dale Obrero (Neb/Mr. Drax) and Lanise Antoine Shelley (Conseil).

The creative team includes Todd Rosenthal (scenic), Sully Ratke (costumes), Artistic Associates Christine A. Binder (lighting) and Rick Sims (sound and composition), with Amanda Herrmann (props) and Mary Hungerford (stage manager).

When a terrifying sea monster is spotted off the coast, renowned scientist Professor Aronnax and fellow explorers set out to investigate. They soon find themselves kidnapped and held under the command, and spell, of the mysterious Captain Nemo. As they circle the globe aboard the most advanced submarine the world has never seen, they confront giant squids, bizarre sea creatures, and the monsters that lurk below…and within.

Adapted from Jules Verne’s epic adventure exploring the murky perils of the seas, Ensemble Member David Kersnar invites you to board the Nautilus and “Dive! Dive! Dive!” into this Lookingglass World Premiere.

Subscriptions
Subscriptions are on sale for the 2017–2018 Season. Performances will be held at Lookingglass Theatre Company, located inside Chicago's historic Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave. at Pearson.

Subscribers can choose between a 3-play subscription, the Gglasspass program, or for those under 35, the Madhatter’s Club. For the 2017–2018 Season, 3-play subscriptions range from $116–$170.

The Gglasspass is a flex pass available to all ages. For $150, Gglasspass holders receive 3 tickets that can be used in any combination and denomination for any Lookingglass production in the 2017–2018 Season.

The Madhatter’s Club flex pass is available to those 35 or younger. The Madhatter’s Club flex pass is $75 and includes 3 tickets that members can use in any combination and denomination for any Lookingglass production in the 2017-2018 season.

Subscription benefits include access to the best seats in the house, pre-sale opportunities and savings before single tickets go on sale to the general public, special perks at restaurant partners, unlimited ticket exchanges, discounted parking at the nearby John Hancock Center, Water Tower Place and Olympia Centre Garage, reduced tuition for Lookingglass’ renowned classes and summer camps, and access to exclusive subscriber-only events. For season subscription and ticket information, call the Lookingglass Theatre box office at (312) 337-0665 or visit lookingglasstheatre.org.

About Lookingglass Theatre Company
Inventive. Collaborative. Transformative. Lookingglass Theatre Company, recipient of the 2011 Regional Theatre Tony Award, was founded in 1988 by eight Northwestern University students. Now in its 30th season, Lookingglass is home to a multi-disciplined ensemble of artists who create story-centered theatrical work that is physical, aurally rich and visually metaphoric. The Company has staged 64 world premieres, received 144 Joseph Jefferson Awards and nominations, and work premiered at Lookingglass has been produced in New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle, Berkeley, Philadelphia, Princeton, Hartford, Kansas City, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Louisville and St. Louis. Lookingglass original scripts have been produced across the United States. In 2016, Lookingglass received the MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions.

The Lookingglass Theatre in Chicago's landmark Water Tower Water Works opened in June 2003. In addition to developing and presenting ensemble work, Lookingglass Education and Community programs encourage creativity, teamwork and confidence with thousands of community members each year.

Lookingglass Theatre Company continues to expand its artistic, financial and institutional boundaries under the guidance of Artistic Director Heidi Stillman, Executive Director Rachel Kraft, Producing Director Philip R. Smith, Connectivity and Engagement Director Andrew White, Interim Managing Director Michele Anderson, a 24 member artistic ensemble, 23 artistic associates, an administrative staff and a dedicated board of directors led by Chairman John McGowan and President Nancy Timmers. For more information, visit lookingglasstheatre.org.

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.  

Steppenwolf Announces Casting for The Rembrandt and The Crucible

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR FIRST TWO SHOWS OF 17/18 SEASON:

THE REMBRANDT BY JESSICA DICKEY

THE CRUCIBLE BY ARTHUR MILLER

Photo: B Kenaz-Mara

ALSO ANNOUNCED: THE REMBRANDT, FEATURING ENSEMBLE MEMBERS FRANCIS GUINAN AND JOHN MAHONEY, WILL EXTEND TWO WEEKS DUE TO HIGH DEMAND

Steppenwolf Theatre Company announces complete casting for the first two shows of its 2017/18 season: The Rembrandt by Jessica Dickey, directed by Hallie Gordon and Steppenwolf for Young Adults’ production of The Crucible by Arthur Miller, directed by Jonathan Berry.

Also announced—Due to high demand, The Rembrandt will extend its run for two weeks, now closing on Sunday, November 5, 2017. Tickets are available now with purchase of 17/18 Membership. Flexible and Classic Memberships to the 17/18 Season are currently available for purchase through Audience Services at steppenwolf.org/memberships and 312.335.1650. Single tickets to The Rembrandt go on sale to the public on Friday, August 4 at 11am.

The Rembrandt by Jessica Dickey (September 7 – November 5, 2017)

In September, Steppenwolf opens its 42nd season with The Rembrandt, a Chicago premiere by Jessica Dickey, directed by Hallie Gordon in the Upstairs Theatre (September 7 – November 5, 2017). The cast features ensemble members Francis Guinan as Henry/Rembrandt and John Mahoney as Simon/Homer with Ty Olwin (Dodger/Titus), Karen Rodriguez (Madeline/Henny) and Gabriel Ruiz (Jonny/Martin).

When a museum guard decides to touch a famous Rembrandt painting, a remarkable journey across the ages ensues. Spanning centuries of human experience, Jessica Dickey’s The Rembrandt movingly explores the power of creative expression and the sacrifices we make in the pursuit of love and beauty, reminding us that though our beliefs may die with the sound of our voice, it’s the love we share—and the art that love inspires—that finds eternity.

The Rembrandt begins previews September 7, 2017 the production opens September 17 and with the newly announced extension will now run through November 5, 2017. Press performances are September 17 and 19. Single tickets ($20 - $99) are available through Audience Services at 312-335-1650 or steppenwolf.org beginning August 4; 2017/18 Memberships are now available and can be used for extension dates.

Jessica Dickey is an award-winning actor and playwright most known for her play The Amish Project, which opened Off-Broadway at the Rattlestick Playwrights Theater (Helen Hayes Award, Barrymore Award, among others). The Rembrandt was commissioned and produced (then titled The Guard) by the Ford’s Theatre as part of the Women’s Voices Festival and was awarded the Stavis Award for Playwriting.

Hallie Gordon is an Artistic Producer at Steppenwolf and the Artistic Director for Steppenwolf for Young Adults, where she has directed many productions for the program including Monster by Walter Dean Myers; George Orwell’s 1984 and Animal Farm; The Book Thief; To Kill a Mockingbird; and the world premiere of Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye. She has directed for Northlight Theatre and is an ensemble member for Rivendell Theatre where she directed the critically acclaimed Dry Land and Eat Your Heart Out.



SYA Presents The Crucible by Arthur Miller (October 7 – 21, 2017)

In October, Steppenwolf for Young Adults (SYA) presents The Crucible by Arthur Miller, directed by Jonathan Berry from October 7 – October 21, 2017 in the Downstairs Theatre. The cast features Echaka Agba (Tituba/Judge Hathorne), Larry Baldacci (Giles Corey/Sarah Good), Taylor Blim (Mary Warren), Naima Hebrail Kidjo (Abigail Williams), Erik Hellman (Reverend Hale), Millie Hurley (Francis Nurse/Rebecca Nurse), Travis Knight (John Proctor), Peter Moore (Reverend Parris), Avi Roque (Ezekiel Cheever/Mercy Lewis), Stephanie Shum (Ann Putnam/Susanna Walcott/Martha Corey), Michael Patrick Thornton (Deputy Danforth), Kristina Valada-Viars (Elizabeth Proctor/Betty Parris) and Philip Winston (Thomas Putnam/John Willard).

The people of Salem are whipped into a bloodthirsty frenzy by a series of escalating misinterpretations after a group of teenage girls are accused of dancing devilishly in the woods. Fearing retribution, the girls begin a chain of finger-pointing until neighbor turns against neighbor, whispers become testimony, fabrications become facts, and a once powerless teenage girl suddenly has the ability to decide the fate of all those around her. As the hearts of the townsfolk become poisoned, even John Proctor, a principled farmer and family man, must wrestle with a corrupt court and his own transgressions to protect his innocent wife and his family’s good name.

Since its premiere in 1953, Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, a masterful and chilling portrayal of the historic Salem Witch Trials and an allegory for the rise of McCarthyism in the late 1940s, has rightfully become an American classic serving as both a cautionary tale and provocation that compels each generation to reflect upon the harrowing world it portrays.

Public performances for The Crucible are Saturday, October 7 at 3pm and 7:30pm; Sunday, October 8 at 3pm; Friday, October 13 at 7:30pm; Saturday, October 14 at 3pm and 7:30pm; and Saturday, October 21 at 3pm and 7:30pm. The press performance is Saturday, October 7 at 3pm. Weekday performances are reserved for school groups only. Tickets to public performances ($20; $15 with student I.D.) are currently available through Audience Services (1650 N Halsted St), 312-335-1650 and steppenwolf.org.

Jonathan Berry joined the Steppenwolf staff as Artistic Producer and Director of The School at Steppenwolf in June 2015. A prolific director, he began his work in Chicago as Steppenwolf’s Artistic Office intern in 1998, and has continued a strong relationship with the company since. His Steppenwolf directing credits include Nick Payne’s Constellations, Melinda Lopez's Gary for First Look and A Separate Peace for Steppenwolf for Young Adults, as well as assisting on The Weir, The Man Who Came to Dinner, Mother Courage and Her Children and This is Our Youth. Since 2009, Berry has taught Viewpoints for the School at Steppenwolf. A company member of both Steep and Griffin Theatres, Berry has also directed for many Chicago companies, including Goodman Theatre, Steep, Griffin, Remy Bumppo, Redtwist, Lifeline, and The Gift.

Steppenwolf for Young Adults’ unique approach combines play production with educational components to enhance arts education for young audiences, as well as their teachers and families. SYA creates two full-scale professional productions each season specifically for teens.

Visitor Information & Accessibility

Steppenwolf is located at 1650 N Halsted St near all forms of public transportation and is wheelchair accessible. The parking facility consists of both a covered garage ($11 cash or card) and an open-air lot, located just south of our theater at 1624 N Halsted. Valet parking service ($14 cash) is available directly in front of the main entrance at 1650 N Halsted St starting at 5pm on weeknights, 1pm on weekends and at 12 noon before Wednesday matinees. Street and lot parking are also available. For last minute questions and concerns, patrons can call the Steppenwolf Parking Hotline at 312.335.1774.

Committed to making the Steppenwolf experience accessible to everyone, performances featuring American Sign Language interpretation, open captioning and audio description are offered during the run of each play. Assistive listening devices and large-print programs are available for every performance. With the expertise of Assistive Hearing Systems Ltd., Steppenwolf installed an induction loop on both the main and balcony levels of our Downstairs Theatre in 2015. There is also an induction loop installed in the 1700 Theatre.

Northern Trust is a sponsor on The Rembrandt. United Airlines is the Exclusive Airline of Steppenwolf and ComEd is the Official Lighting Sponsor for the 17/18 season.

Now playing is the world premiere of Pass Over by Antoinette Nwandu, directed by Danya Taymor through July 9, 2017, followed by the final show of the 16/17 season, the Chicago premiere of Hir by Taylor Mac, directed by Hallie Gordon (June 29 – August 20, 2017).

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is the nation’s premier ensemble theater. Formed by a collective of actors in 1976, the ensemble has grown to 49 members who represent a remarkable cross-section of actors, directors and playwrights. Thrilling and powerful productions from Balm in Gilead to August: Osage County—and accolades that include the National Medal of Arts and 12 Tony Awards—have made the theater legendary. Steppenwolf produces hundreds of performances and events annually in its three spaces: the 515-seat Downstairs Theatre, the 299-seat Upstairs Theatre and the 80-seat 1700 Theatre. Artistic programing includes a seven-play season; a two-play Steppenwolf for Young Adults season; Visiting Company engagements; and LookOut, a multi-genre performances series. Education initiatives include the nationally recognized work of Steppenwolf for Young Adults, which engages 15,000 participants annually from Chicago’s diverse communities; the esteemed School at Steppenwolf; and Professional Leadership Programs for arts administration training. While firmly grounded in the Chicago community, nearly 40 original Steppenwolf productions have enjoyed success both nationally and internationally, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, London, Sydney, Galway and Dublin. Anna D. Shapiro is the Artistic Director and David Schmitz is the Executive Director. Eric Lefkofsky is Chair of Steppenwolf’s Board of Trustees. 

For additional information, visit steppenwolf.org, facebook.com/steppenwolftheatre, twitter.com/steppenwolfthtr and instagram.com/steppenwolfthtr.