EXTENDED: Remy Bumppo's Chicago Premiere of Frankenstein by Nick Dear October 11 – November 17, 2018

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar
Chicago Premiere!
Remy Bumppo Theatre Company Announces

Added Performances for
FRANKENSTEIN
by Nick Dear, from the novel by Mary Shelley

October 11 – November 17, 2018 at Theater Wit

Chicago's love affair with Frankenstein continues with Remy Bumppo's rendition of Shelley's creepy classic. I'll be out for the press performance October 16, so check back soon for my full review. Chicago's having a monster of an anniversary celebration with 4 productions on stage and film versions at The Music Box. 

Remy Bumppo Theatre Company is pleased to announce that FRANKENSTEIN will be EXTENDED by popular demand. The production will now play October 11 – November 17, 2018 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Avenue in Chicago. The Press Opening is October 16, 2018 at 7:00pm.

FRANKENSTEIN will feature Remy Bumppo Core Ensemble Member Eliza Stoughton with Claire Alpern, Zachary Scott Fewkes, Jyreika Guest, Steve Lords, Ben Miller, Frank Nall, Jose Nateras, and Michael Turrentine. This production will also feature Remy Bumppo Producing Artistic Director Nick Sandys and Remy Bumppo Core Ensemble Member Greg Matthew Anderson alternating the roles of Victor Frankenstein and the Creature each performance.

Mary Shelley’s revolutionary horror classic will be shocked to life in Nick Dear’s adaptation directed by Ian Frank. Retold from the abandoned creature’s point of view, this taut muscular version will raise urgent questions about scientific responsibility, parental neglect, and the nature of good and evil. 

Remy Bumppo Theatre Company’s production of FRANKENSTEIN will be performed October 11 through November 17, 2018 at Theater Wit on 1229 W. Belmont Avenue in Chicago. 2018-2019 Subscriptions and single tickets are on sale at www.RemyBumppo.org or by calling the Theater Wit Box Office at 773.975.8150.

Production made possible in party by Presenting Sponsor, Geoffrey A. Anderson and 2018 – 2019 Season Sponsors Nancy and Gene DeSombre and Brenda and James Grusecki.

PRODUCTION DETAILS:

Title: FRANKENSTEIN

Novel by: Mary Shelley

Adapted by: Nick Dear

Director: Ian Frank

Stage Manager: Dana M. Nestrick

Assistant Director: Erika Haaland

Dramaturg: Peter A. Davis

Scenic Designer/Technical Director: Joe Schermoly

Costume Designer: Kristy Leigh Hall

Assistant Costume Designer: Virginia Varland

Lighting Designer: Mike Durst

Original Music and Sound Design: Christopher Kriz

Properties Designer: Amanda Herrmann

Cast (in alphabetical order): Claire Alpern (Gretel/Clarice), Greg Matthew Anderson (Victor/Creature), Zachary Scott Fewkes (William – Cast 1), Jyreika Guest (Agatha), Steve Lords (Klaus/Ewan), Ben Miller (William – Cast 2), Frank Nall (Delacey/M. Frankenstein), Jose Nateras (Client/Felix/Constable), Nick Sandys (Creature/Victor), Eliza Stoughton (Elizabeth), and Michael Turrentine (Gustav/Rab).

Understudies: Maryam Abdi, Keith Illidge, Jim Morley, Jeremy Pfaff, Jillian Skale, and Marc Harley Wilson.

Location: Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago, IL 60657

Dates: Previews: Thursday, October 11 at 7:30pm, Friday, October 12 at 7:30pm, Saturday, October 13 at 7:30pm, and Sunday, October 14 at 2:30pm

Regular Run: Thursday, October 18 – Sunday, November 11, 2018

Curtain Times: Wednesdays – Saturdays at 7:30pm, Sunday at 2:30pm

Matinee Performances (other than Sundays): Saturday, October 20 at 2:30pm, Saturday, November 3 at 2:30pm, and Thursday, November 8 at 2:30pm

Audio Description/Touch Tour Performances: Saturday, October 20 (Touch Tour starts at 1:00pm, and the performance starts at 2:30pm)

Tickets: Previews: $37.75

Regular Run: $37.75 - $62.75

Audio Description/Touch Tour Performances: $15.00

Industry Tickets: $20.00, available Wednesdays – Fridays

Student Tickets: $15.00

Group Discounts: Available for parties of 10 or more, call 773.975.8150

ABOUT REMY BUMPPO THEATRE COMPANY:

Remy Bumppo Theatre Company produces theatre that thrills the ear, stirs the heart, feeds the mind, and sparks a conversation. As an ensemble-based producer of intellectually and emotionally inspiring plays that reveal the power and pleasure of language, we explore timeless ideas in timely productions that celebrate our common humanity; and we invite audiences to converse directly with the art and the artists.

Remy Bumppo challenges our audiences with the intersection of expansive ideas and rich language, often presenting texts that have been sidelined because they may seem too intellectually complex, demanding active intelligence as well as great passion from artist and patron alike. We produce such art in order to advance deeper understanding of the human condition, test commonly perceived notions, and elevate cultural discourse. We then invite audiences to converse directly with the art and the artists, engaging them in one-on-one conversation about the work itself through innovative supplementary programming.

EXTENDED: Vietgone at Writers Theatre Now Extended Through September 29, 2018

Writers Theatre extends the run of

VIETGONE

Written by Qui Nguyen

Directed by Lavina Jadhwani

Original Music & Music Direction by Gabriel Ruiz

Choreographed by Tommy Rapley

Featuring Aurora Adachi-Winter, Rammel Chan, Emjoy Gavino

Ian Michael Minh and Matthew C. Yee

Now through September 29, 2018

Writers Theatre, under the leadership of Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma, adds four performances to the run of Qui Nguyen’s Vietgone. The production is directed by Lavina Jadhwani, with original music and music direction by Gabriel Ruiz and choreography by Tommy Rapley. Due to demand, Vietgone now runs through September 29, 2018 in the Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe.

Newly added performances for VIETGONE are as follows: Wednesday, September 26 at 7:30pm; Thursday, September 27 at 7:30pm; Friday, September 28 at 7:30pm; and Saturday, September 29 at 7:30pm.

Tickets for VIETGONE are currently on sale. Subscriptions and individual tickets, priced $35-$80, may be purchased online at www.writerstheatre.org, by phone at 847-242-6000, or in person at the box office, 325 Tudor Court in Glencoe.

It's 1975 and two young survivors (who may or may not be the playwright's parents) meet in a Vietnamese refugee camp in mid-America shortly after the fall of Saigon. Will this strange new land of cowboys, hippies and bikers allow them to fall in love? Playwright Qui Nguyen’s wildly creative, irreverent style flips stereotypes on their head, remixing history and culture into a sexy, funny and energetic fantasia as he imagines how two soul mates might have found each other in a turbulent time.

Equal parts road-trip adventure, buddy film, romantic comedy and Hamilton-esque rap musical, this epic new play repurposes pop culture from the last forty years to tell its “probably-mostly-true” story. Directed by Lavina Jadhwani, Vietgone takes a no-holds-barred approach, transporting you through time and across the globe to put an innovative spin on a critical moment in our history.

Recommended for ages 14 and up. This production contains strong language and sexual situations, violent images, simulated drug use and vapor cigarettes. Please note that the production incorporates the use of fog and haze, as well as flashing lights.

The cast of Vietgone includes: Aurora Adachi-Winter (Tong), Rammel Chan (Asian Guy/American Guy/Nhan/Khue), Emjoy Gavino (Asian Girl/American Girl/Thu/Huong/Translator/Flower Girl), Ian Michael Minh (Playwright/Giai/Bobby/Captain Chambers/Redneck Biker/Hippie Dude) and Matthew C. Yee (Quang).

The creative team includes: Yu Shibagaki (scenic), Melissa Ng (costumes), Sarah Hughey (lighting), Kevin O’Donnell (sound), Rasean Davonte Johnson (projections), Dwight Sora (assistant director) and Carol Ann Tan (production dramaturg). The production stage manager is David Castellanos.


AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT
Sunday Spotlight
Sunday, September 16, 2018 at 11:30am
In Vietgone, playwright Qui Nguyen gives us a dynamic look at the Vietnam War and its aftermath from a rarely observed point of view. At this Sunday Spotlight event, we will be joined by a diverse panel of historians, activists and artists to discuss varying perspectives on this contentious time in history when the country—and the world—was undergoing great change. Seating is limited, RSVP is required.

The Making of... Vietgone
Post-Show Conversation: The Word
Join us after every Tuesday evening performance (excluding First Week and any extension weeks) for a 15-minute discussion of the play, facilitated by a member of the WT Artistic Team.
Post-Show Conversation: The Artist
Join us after every Wednesday evening performance (excluding First Week and any extension weeks) for a 15-minute talk-back featuring actors from the production, facilitated by a member of the WT Artistic Team.

Pre-Show Conversation: Up Close
Join us at 6:45pm before every Thursday evening performance (excluding First Week and any extension weeks) for a 15-minute primer on the context and content of the play, facilitated by a member of the WT Artistic Team.

RIDE METRA TO WRITERS THEATRE
In an effort to promote taking public transit to the Theatre, Writers Theatre launched a new promotion in 2013. Any audience member who purchases a ticket to a Writers Theatre production and rides Metra’s Union Pacific North Line to the Theatre may snap a photo of themselves on the train and post it to their Facebook, Twitter or Instagram account with a tag of @WritersTheatre (@Writers_Theatre on Instagram) and #VietgoneWT, and upon showing the post at the Writers Theatre Box Office, receive $5 in cash to put toward the cost of your fare as a thank you for going green.

This promotion is available for a limited time only and may end without warning. Ticket must have been paid for in advance. Not valid on comp tickets. More information available at writerstheatre.org/metra

WRITERS THEATRE PARTNERS
Writers Theatre is pleased to recognize BMO Harris Bank as the 2018/19 Season Sponsor and ComEd as the Official Lighting Sponsor of the 2018/19 Season. The Major Corporate Sponsor for Vietgone is Northern Trust. The Major Production Sponsors are Maryellen and Richard Keyser, and the Artists Council Sponsors are Laurie and Michael Petersen. Additional support for Vietgone is provided by the Director’s Society Sponsors.

For more information about Writers Theatre’s 2018/19 partners, visit writerstheatre.org/our-supporters.

ABOUT WRITERS THEATRE
For more than 25 years, Writers Theatre has captivated Chicagoland audiences with inventive interpretations of classic work, a bold approach to contemporary theatre and a dedication to creating the most intimate theatrical experience possible.

Under the artistic leadership of Michael Halberstam and the executive leadership of Kathryn M. Lipuma, Writers Theatre has grown to become a major Chicagoland cultural destination with a national reputation for excellence, being called the top regional theatre in the nation by The Wall Street Journal. The company, which plays to a sold-out and discerning audience of more than 60,000 patrons each season, has garnered critical praise for the consistent high quality and intimacy of its artistry—providing the finest interpretations of both classic and contemporary theatre in its two intensely intimate venues. 

In February 2016, Writers Theatre opened a new, state-of-the-art facility. This established the company's first permanent home—a new theatre center in downtown Glencoe, designed by the award-winning, internationally renowned Studio Gang Architects, led by Founder and Design Principal Jeanne Gang, FAIA, in collaboration with Theatre Consultant Auerbach Pollock Friedlander. The new facility has allowed the Theatre to continue to grow to accommodate its audience, while maintaining its trademark intimacy. The new facility resonates with and complements the Theatre’s neighboring Glencoe community, adding tremendous value to Chicagoland and helping to establish the North Shore as a premier cultural destination.


Up Next:

Find Writers Theatre on Facebook at Facebook.com/WritersTheatre, follow @WritersTheatre on Twitter or @Writers_Theatre on Instagram. For more information, visit www.writerstheatre.org.

EXTENDED: WOMEN LAUGHING ALONE WITH SALAD AT THEATER WIT NOW RUNNING TWO MORE WEEKS, THROUGH MAY 12

Chi IL Live Shows On Our Radar:
WOMEN LAUGHING ALONE WITH SALAD 
STAYS FRESH LONGER!

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we're elated that Theater Wit is extending its smash hit comedy Women Laughing Alone with Salad, Sheila Callaghan’s satirical feminist farce based on the Internet meme of the same name, through May 12 due to high box office demand. It's a favorite of ours and a fiercely funny show. Check out my full review right here, then go already. 

Originally slated to close April 29, audiences now have two more weeks to be shocked and convulsing with laughter at Wit’s wildly subversive tour-de-force about friendship, salad, sex, bodies, yoga, salad, men, envy, women, pharmaceuticals, diets, salad, uppers and salad.

Women Laughing Alone with Salad has been a fresh and healthy recipe for box office success at Theater Wit thanks to critical acclaim like:

“Don't read about it. Don't ask your friends about it. Just buy your tickets and go.”

- New City

“3-1/2 stars! Deeply original, stellar and fearless! Ribald and raucous, but also incredibly smart. Engstrom is breathtaking!”

- Chicago Tribune

“The ferocious, culture-eating acid of Callaghan's wit is hilariously rendered by Devon de Mayo's staging for Theater Wit.”

- Chicago Reader

“4 stars! One of the most hilarious things you’re likely to see in a theatre...more laughs in the first five minutes of this play alone than in most comedies. One of the best shows of 2018 so far. A must-see.”

– ChicagoOnStage.com

STOCK PHOTO CLICHÉ TURNED INTERNET MEME TURNED FEMINIST COMEDY 

MAKES ITS CHICAGO DEBUT MARCH 9-APRIL 29 AT THEATER WIT

 All photos by Charles Osgood 

(From left) Echaka Agba, Daniella Pereira and Jennifer Engstrom star in Women Laughing Alone with Salad, Sheila Callaghan’s satirical comedy based on the meta-feminist Internet meme of the same name. 

Expect nudity, a full on stylized orgy of a 3 way, beauty mutilation, masturbation, and plenty of colorful language, so leave the kids at home for this one!

(From left) Japhet Balaban, Echaka Agba, Daniella Pereira and Jennifer Engstrom 

Review:

I'll admit, I've never refrigerated a press release before! I have gotten some creative pitches, like a glass bottle full of sand delivered FedEx with a press invite for an iced tea company inside. Theater WIT's latest, a "Pinterest worthy" press release "salad" with lettuce, peppers and a fork, had me laughing before I left the lobby, and set the mood for this utterly unique show. 

**On a weird, semi related side note, if you have a phone app that turns phrases backwards, try speaking in "Eat The Salad". I discovered that backwards it sounds a hell of a lot like "philosophy". No kidding. 

Try it.**

With three large screens, Women Laughing Alone With Salad blasts us with a colorful media barrage that embraces the absurdity of the advertising we're bombarded with, and the joys of social media that loves to lampoon it. Philosophy indeed! The music is upbeat, recognizable, contemporary hits, and the nonverbal scenes are a scream. This show is achingly funny and revealing, literally and figuratively. The scenes are certainly exaggerated in style, and yet, they almost have to be, to counteract the crazy making diets, sexuality, and airbrushed, exuberant expectations we've held up as a feminine ideal for far too long.

"Three years, four performers, a production team of twenty eight and one thousand four hundred pieces of fake lettuce all came together at our press opening."

Jeremy Wechsler (Artistic Director, Theater Wit)

(From left) Tori (Daniella Pereira) tangles with Meredith (Echaka Agba) as Guy (Japhet Balaban) looks on

This show has some delightful gender bending drag going on, that more clearly exaggerates stereotypes and all too familiar behaviors. The second act also amusingly reveals just how clueless most adman bro dudes truly are about how to market to women or even how to date or relate to them as human beings. Of course, they've updated the stock images to represent contemporary women (snark font engaged). They are now using some androgyny along with mixed races and organic specialty greens instead of iceberg lettuce, to sell women on the laughing salad woman archetype. 

(From left) Echaka Agba, Daniella Pereira and Jennifer Engstrom

At least there's a ray of hope for change in the overeducated, multitasking mom boss. Although she's trapped in her own modern hell of unrealistic expectations as much as Sandy (Jennifer Engstrom), Guy's mom, a women's rights protester back in the day. She had a promising start fighting the patriarchy and ended fighting against a cheating spouse and unfulfilling destiny as a SAHM, and ultimately a fighting a losing battle against age and agism, one custom salad at a time. 

(From left) Jennifer Engstrom plays Sandy and Japhet Balaban is Guy

Women Laughing Alone With Salad is undoubtedly over the top, behind the couch, and below the belt funny. This intrepid cast eat raw onions and peppers, flee falling greens, and bare their bodies and souls in the name of story and truth telling. Echaka Agba, Japhet Balaban, Jennifer Engstrom and Daniella Pereira were all fabulously funny playing off one another and give lettuce entertain you a whole new connotation. As fun and funny as this show is, it'll likely leave a lasting impression, and have you kicking in that critical thinking at the sight of every salad and insidious ad, for days to come. 


(Foreground, from left) Meredith (Echaka Agba) and Guy (Japhet Balaban) flirt while Tori (Daniella Pereira) lies low behind 

(From left) Echaka Agba plays Meredith and Japhet Balaban is Guy 

Women Laughing Alone With Salad explores just what happens when a society orchestrates an organized assault on half the population for generations, to coerce them into buying more and more potentially painful and dangerous products to fix their flaws, all while starving themselves into sometimes fatally unrealistic and unsustainable sizes. 

We greatly enjoyed this raunchy, revealing, relevant exploration of what women do to ourselves and to others in the name of food, family, fashion, sexuality, and sizeism. This show is what happens when women stop laughing alone with salad and start laughing with friends at sexism. Highly recommended. 

 (From left) Japhet Balaban plays Guy and Echaka Agba is Meredith  

Don’t miss this subversive tour-de-force about friendship, salad, sex, bodies, yoga, salad, men, envy, women, pharmaceuticals, diets, salad, uppers and salad. Theater Wit’s Chicago premiere of Women Laughing Alone with Salad runs through April 29, 2018 at Theater Wit, 1229 N. Belmont Ave., Chicago. For mature audiences. Tickets: TheaterWit.org or call 773.975.8150. 

And in other great news, not only does this show promise to serve up big laughs, it comes with an immediate side of economic justice!

Single tickets to Women Laughing Alone with Salad are $12-$70.

However, tickets for women to all regular performances will be discounted to match the 79% wage gap between men and women in Illinois.

To illustrate, at the $24 ticket level, male-identifying patrons pay full price, while female-identifying patrons pay only $18.95, corrected for the 79% wage gap.

Theater Wit is tossing up a crisp Chicago premiere of Women Laughing Alone with Salad, Sheila Callaghan’s satirical comedy based on the meta-feminist Internet meme of the same name.

Don’t miss this four-person, satirical, subversive tour-de-force about friendship, salad, sex, bodies, yoga, salad, men, envy, women, pharmaceuticals, diets, salad, uppers and salad. 



Previews of Women Laughing Alone with Salad are March 9-18: Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m.

Performances run through April 29: Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at
3 p.m.

Theater Wit is located at 1229 N. Belmont in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. Another great way to secure seats is to sign up for a Theater Wit Membership, an “all the theater you can eat” deal that lets you see as many plays as you want in any of Wit’s three spaces for a low monthly fee of $29/$22 for students, along with many member perks.

To purchase single tickets, a Membership, or to inquire about Flex Passes, visit TheaterWit.org or call 773.975.8150.



More about Women Laughing Alone with Salad

You’ve seen them a hundred times before. Stock photos of attractive women, sitting alone, enjoying a salad so hilarious they can’t help but explode with laughter and delight.

The proliferation of this absurd cliché caught the attention of the Internet in 2011 after Edith Zimmerman posted the first collection on the feminist blog The Hairpin. Titled “Women Laughing Alone With Salad,” it featured 18 photos illustrating this trend with no accompanying text.

Zimmerman’s post spurred a number of hilarious memes parodying this stereotypical portrayal of women in media, including a tumblr page.

And this play, a fierce, funny, feminist look at the maniacal gauntlet of gender relations and the relentless pursuit of insane ideals. Our heroines are trapped on a treadmill of dysfunctional relationships, warped body image and ludicrous pornography, carving their way through a suffocating, tangled mess. With pointed jabs and razor wit, Women Laughing Alone with Salad disembowels the cosmetic myth of pre-packaged feminine empowerment.

When it debuted at Washington D.C.’s Woolly Mammoth Theatre in 2015, playwright Sheila Callaghan, also a writer/producer on the hit Showtime comedy Shameless, told the Washington Post, “Nobody likes salad that much. And the notion that you’re supposed to feel that way – salad will never be that kind of satisfying. No matter how creative you get with salad, it’s still (expletive) lettuce and vegetables, right?”

DC Theatre Scene subsequently hailed Women Laughing Alone with Salad a “fresh, funny play…the poster child for what feminist theatre should be: a great night out on the town watching a slam bam comedy which is also a serious conversation about the society we oh-so-currently live in.”

Salad Days @ Theater Wit:
Behind the scenes of Women Laughing Alone with Salad



Here in Chicago, Devon de Mayo (pictured above) makes her Theater Wit directorial debut with Women Laughing Alone with Salad, fresh from staging the world premiere of The Burn by Philip Dawkins for Steppenwolf Theatre for Young Audiences. Other recent projects include Harvey at Court Theatre, You On the Moors Now by Jaclyn Backhaus for The Hypocrites, the world premiere of Sycamore at Raven Theatre and Don't Look Back/Must Look Back at Pivot Arts.

Wit’s Women Laughing Alone with Salad stars Echaka Agba, Japhet Balaban, Jennifer Engstrom and Daniella Pereira.

Echaka Agba (Meredith/Bruce) was named to the Chicago Tribune’s “Hot New Faces of Chicago Theater, Class of 2017”), and singled out in the 2017 Time Out Chicago Theater Awards for featured performance and breakout performance in Broken Nose Theatre’s At the Table, which also won her the Jeff Award for Best Supporting Actress. Other credits are Short Shakes! Romeo and Juliet at Chicago Shakespeare, United Flight 232, Jeff Award winner for Best Ensemble at House Theatre, and The Crucible and Between Riverside and Crazy at Steppenwolf.

Japhet Balaban (Guy/Alice) was also named to the Chicago Tribune’s “Hot New Faces of Chicago Theater, Class of 2017”), drawing particular attention for his work in Ideation (Jackalope Theatre). Other credits are You on the Moors Now (The Hypocrites), Posh (Steep Theatre), Never The Sinner (Victory Gardens), Balm in Gilead (Griffin Theatre) and Look Back in Anger (Redtwist).

Jennifer Engstrom (Sandy/Guy) is a veteran of regional and Chicago stages and an A Red Orchid Theatre ensemble member, where she performed in The Fastest Clock in The Universe, Eric LaRue, Fatboy, The Hothouse, 3C and The Mutilated (Jeff nomination for Outstanding Actress).

Daniella Pereira (Tori/Joe) was most recently seen in Letters Home (Griffin Theatre), The Taming of the Shrew (Oak Park Festival Theatre) and Cymbeline (Strawdog Theatre Company).



Sheila Callaghan's plays have been produced and developed with Soho Rep, Playwright's Horizons, Yale Rep, South Coast Rep, Clubbed Thumb, The LARK, Actor's Theatre of Louisville, New Georges, The Flea, Woolly Mammoth, Boston Court and Rattlestick Playwright's Theatre. She received the Princess Grace Award for emerging artists, a Jerome Fellowship from Playwright's Center in Minneapolis, a MacDowell Residency, a Cherry Lane Mentorship Fellowship, the Susan Smith Blackburn Award and the Whiting Award. Her plays have been produced internationally in New Zealand, Australia, Norway, Germany, Portugal and the Czech Republic. These include Scab, Crawl Fade to White, Crumble, We Are Not These Hands, Dead City, Lascivious Something, Kate Crackernuts, That Pretty Pretty; Or, The Rape Play, Fever/Dream, Everything You Touch, Roadkill Confidential, Elevada and Bed. She is published with Playscripts.com and Samuel French, and several of her collections are published with Counterpoint Press. She has taught playwriting at Columbia University, The University of Rochester, The College of New Jersey, Florida State University and Spalding University. She is an affiliated artist with Clubbed Thumb, a member of the Obie winning playwright's organization 13P and an alumni of New Dramatists. In 2010, Callaghan was profiled by Marie Claire as one of "18 Successful Women Who Are Changing the World." She was also named one of Variety’s "10 Screenwriters to Watch" of 2010. Callaghan is a writer/producer on the hit Showtime comedy Shameless and a founder of the feminist activist group The Kilroys. She was nominated for a 2016 Golden Globe for her work on Hulu’s Casual and a 2017 WGA Award for her Shameless episode “I Am A Storm.”

Designers for Women Laughing Alone with Salad are Arnel Sancianco (set), Mieka van der Ploeg (costumes), Heather Gilbert (lights), Shain Longbehn (sound), Joe Burke (projections) Jesse Gaffney (props), Rachel Flesher (intimacy) and Clare Cooney (casting).


About Theater Wit
Theater Wit, Chicago’s “smart art” theater, is a major hub of the Chicago neighborhood theater scene, where audiences enjoy a smorgasbord of excellent productions in three, 99-seat spaces, see a parade of talented artists and mingle with audiences from all over Chicago.

“A thrilling addition to Chicago’s roster of theaters” (Chicago Tribune) and “a terrific place to see a show” (New City), Theater Wit is now in its eighth season at its home at
1229 N. Belmont Ave., in the heart of the new Belmont Theatre District in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. In 2014, Theater Wit was awarded the National Theatre Award by the American Theatre Wing for strengthening the quality, diversity and dynamism of American theater.

The company’s most recent hits include The Antelope Party by Eric John Meyer, This Way Outta Santaland by Mitchell Fain, 10 Out of 12 and Mr. Burns, a post-electric play by Anne Washburn, Naperville by Mat Smart, The New Sincerity by Alena Smith, Bad Jews by Joshua Harmon, The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence and Seven Homeless Mammoths Wander New England by Madeleine George, and Completeness and The Four of Us by Itamar Moses.

Visit TheaterWit.org or call the Theater Wit box office, 773.975.8150, to purchase a Membership, inquire about Flex Pass options or to buy single tickets.

To receive an “artisanal selection of consonants and vowels from Theater Wit,” sign up at TheaterWit.org/mailing for exclusive updates, flash deals and behind-the-scenes production scoop every few weeks.

In an odd screaming symmetry, Theater Wit is currently running not one but two shows whose posters feature an open, yelling mouth. Though very different, both shows are quite good and well worth a look! 

REVIEW: Pre-Famous Playwrights Disturb and Delight in Raven's Gentleman Caller

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

EXTENDED: Two Additional Weeks of Performances!

THE GENTLEMAN CALLER features Rudy Galvan as Tennessee Williams and Curtis Edward Jackson as William Inge. 

 

(left to right) Curtis Edward Jackson and Rudy Galvan. 
All Photos by Michael Brosilow.

Review:
It's a rare treat to catch a glimpse into the lives of the pre-famous. THE GENTLEMAN CALLER does just that, inviting the audience into the 1944 lives of two struggling artists who were soon to change the face of American theatre, Tennessee Williams and William Inge. 

We're privy to the future greats' first meeting, a botched interview slash seduction by unfulfilled teacher turned critic, Inge, and his subject, up and coming playwright Williams, who is at present still a starving artist and virtual unknown, blowing his meager earnings on binge drinking benders. Though seeming opposites in personality, as they get to know one another, the two sense a rare connection and depth of camaraderie in their respective works, and an undeniable sexual spark. The writing is at once playful and powerful, and Galvan and Jackson are a joy to see, embodying the iconic playwrights, as they battle their respective demons and embrace their destinies. 



There's an enticing sense of history and back story playing out in this production, along with spot on universal truths about the artistic temperament, the downside of success, and the intensity of introspection, addiction and self loathing. It's a heady mix and a must see. Highly recommended. 

In the microcosm of Chicago's theatre scene, accidental coincidences in programming and intentional themes happen. Either way, we're elated that productions Tennessee Williams' Suddenly Last Summer at Raven in May and an entire season of William Inge at Eclipse, are so closely following the opening of Raven's excellent world premiere of THE GENTLEMAN CALLER. Check out the details at Raven Theatre's site and at Eclipse Theatre. 

Raven Theatre’s World Premiere of

THE GENTLEMAN CALLER

By Philip Dawkins

Directed by Artistic Director Cody Estle

Extends Through May 27, 2018 

After selling out more than half its run prior to opening, Raven Theatre is pleased to announce a two week extension for its world premiere of Philip Dawkins’ provocative drama THE GENTLEMAN CALLER, directed by Artistic Director Cody Estle, now playing through May 27, 2018 in Raven’s intimate 55-seat West Stage, 6157 N. Clark St. (at Granville) in Chicago. Tickets for all performances are currently available at www.raventheatre.com or by calling (773) 338-2177. 

PHOTO CREDIT: (left to right) Curtis Edward Jackson and Rudy Galvan in Raven Theatre’s world premiere of THE GENTLEMAN CALLER by Philip Dawkins, directed by Artistic Director Cody Estle. Photo by Michael Brosilow.

Although now regarded as two of history's finest American playwrights, back in 1944, William Inge and Tennessee Williams had yet to experience anything close to success. Before the Chicago premiere of The Glass Menagerie, Inge, a dissatisfied newspaper critic, invites Williams to his St. Louis apartment for an interview. This fraught, sexy rendezvous sparks a relationship which radically alters the course of their lives and the American Theatre.

Comments Raven Artistic Director Cody Estle, “I am thrilled to bring Raven Theatre its first commissioned play in 35 years, and even more excited to be working with the exceptionally talented Philip Dawkins. The Gentleman Caller is based on the true story of the meeting, friendship and sexual tryst of Tennessee Williams and William Inge. Philip has written a play that poignantly depicts two writers struggling to find their purpose and grappling with the consequences of that purpose. It’s both intoxicating and harrowing – much like the lives of Williams and Inge. Philip’s writing is a gift, and I’m delighted to have this phenomenal team bring his play to life.”

The production team for THE GENTLEMAN CALLER includes: Jeffrey D. Kmiec (scenic design), Melissa Ng (costume design), Michelle E. Benda (lighting design), Kevin O’Donnell (sound design), Claire Stone (properties design), David Woolley (fight choreography), Elise Kauzlaric (dialect coach), Eli Newell (assistant director), Isabel Thompson (assistant to the playwright), Tara Malpass (stage manager) and Destiney Higgins (assistant stage manager).

Location: Raven Theatre West Stage, 6157 N. Clark St. (at Granville), Chicago
Regular run: Friday, April 6 – Sunday, May 27, 2018

Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm; Sundays at 3:30 pm. Please note: there will not be a performance on Thursday, April 5.

Tickets: Regular run $46 ($43 if purchased online). Seniors/teachers $41 ($38 if purchased online). Students/active military and veterans $15. Every Thursday is “Under 30 Thursday,” when patrons under age 30 can purchase tickets for $15. Single tickets and season subscriptions for the 2018-19 Season are currently available at www.raventheatre.com or by calling (773) 338-2177.

Group tickets: Groups of 10 or more are $30 per person for Thursday and Friday performances and $35 per person for Saturday and Sunday performances. Student groups are $15 per person.

About the Artists
Philip Dawkins (Playwright) is a Chicago playwright whose plays have been produced throughout the country and the world. His works Miss Marx: or The Involuntary Side Effect of Living (Strawdog Theatre) and Charm (Northlight Theatre at the Steppenwolf Garage) both won the Joseph Jefferson Award for Best New Work. His critically-acclaimed plays The Homosexuals, Le Switch (both produced by About Face Theatre) and Failure: A Love Story (Victory Gardens Theater), all received Joseph Jefferson Nominations for New Work, and he is the recipient of Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Solo Performance for his play, The Happiest Place On Earth (Side Show Theatre). His play, Charm, received its extended New York premiere with MCC this last year. Philip is an artistic associate at About Face Theatre, Side Show Theatre and MC-10 as well as an ensemble playwright at Victory Gardens Theater. He teaches playwriting at Northwestern University as well as at his alma mater, Loyola University Chicago.

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

Plan Your Visit: 
Free parking is provided in a lot adjacent to the theatre – additional street parking is available. Nearest El station: Granville Red Line, Buses: #22 (Clark), #36 (Broadway), #151 (Sheridan), #155 (Devon), #84 (Peterson).

About Raven Theatre
Raven Theatre tells stories of today and the past that connect us to our cultural landscape. Through its plays as well as its educational programming, Raven is committed to serving our communities’ needs through the arts.

Raven Theatre Company is funded in part by the Alphawood Foundation, Dramatists Guild Fund, Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, The MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince, Polk Bros. Foundation, The Arts Work Fund for Organizational Development, S&C Electric, The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the PAV Fund and the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.

OPENING: World Premiere of THE GENTLEMAN CALLER Via Raven Theatre Now Extended Through May 27th

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

EXTENDED: Two Additional Weeks of Performances!

Raven Theatre’s World Premiere of

THE GENTLEMAN CALLER

By Philip Dawkins

Directed by Artistic Director Cody Estle

Extends Through May 27, 2018 

I'll be ChiILin' at Chi, IL's Raven Theatre for the press opening on Monday, April 2nd. Check back soon for my full review.

After selling out more than half its run prior to opening, Raven Theatre is pleased to announce a two week extension for its world premiere of Philip Dawkins’ provocative drama THE GENTLEMAN CALLER, directed by Artistic Director Cody Estle, now playing through May 27, 2018 in Raven’s intimate 55-seat West Stage, 6157 N. Clark St. (at Granville) in Chicago. Tickets for all performances are currently available at www.raventheatre.com or by calling (773) 338-2177. 

PHOTO CREDIT: (left to right) Curtis Edward Jackson and Rudy Galvan in Raven Theatre’s world premiere of THE GENTLEMAN CALLER by Philip Dawkins, directed by Artistic Director Cody Estle. Photo by Michael Brosilow.

THE GENTLEMAN CALLER features Rudy Galvan as Tennessee Williams and Curtis Edward Jackson as William Inge. 

Although now regarded as two of history's finest American playwrights, back in 1944, William Inge and Tennessee Williams had yet to experience anything close to success. Before the Chicago premiere of The Glass Menagerie, Inge, a dissatisfied newspaper critic, invites Williams to his St. Louis apartment for an interview. This fraught, sexy rendezvous sparks a relationship which radically alters the course of their lives and the American Theatre.

Comments Raven Artistic Director Cody Estle, “I am thrilled to bring Raven Theatre its first commissioned play in 35 years, and even more excited to be working with the exceptionally talented Philip Dawkins. The Gentleman Caller is based on the true story of the meeting, friendship and sexual tryst of Tennessee Williams and William Inge. Philip has written a play that poignantly depicts two writers struggling to find their purpose and grappling with the consequences of that purpose. It’s both intoxicating and harrowing – much like the lives of Williams and Inge. Philip’s writing is a gift, and I’m delighted to have this phenomenal team bring his play to life.”

The production team for THE GENTLEMAN CALLER includes: Jeffrey D. Kmiec (scenic design), Melissa Ng (costume design), Michelle E. Benda (lighting design), Kevin O’Donnell (sound design), Claire Stone (properties design), David Woolley (fight choreography), Elise Kauzlaric (dialect coach), Eli Newell (assistant director), Isabel Thompson (assistant to the playwright), Tara Malpass (stage manager) and Destiney Higgins (assistant stage manager).


Location: Raven Theatre West Stage, 6157 N. Clark St. (at Granville), Chicago

Dates: Previews: Wednesday, March 28 at 8 pm, Thursday, March 29 at 8 pm, Friday, March 30 at 8 pm, Saturday, March 31 at 8 pm and Sunday, April 1 at 3:30 pm 

Regular run: Friday, April 6 – Sunday, May 27, 2018

Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm; Sundays at 3:30 pm. Please note: there will not be a performance on Thursday, April 5.

Tickets: Previews $32 ($29 if purchased online). Regular run $46 ($43 if purchased online). Seniors/teachers $41 ($38 if purchased online). Students/active military and veterans $15. Every Thursday is “Under 30 Thursday,” when patrons under age 30 can purchase tickets for $15. Single tickets and season subscriptions for the 2018-19 Season are currently available at www.raventheatre.com or by calling (773) 338-2177.

Group tickets: Groups of 10 or more are $30 per person for Thursday and Friday performances and $35 per person for Saturday and Sunday performances. Student groups are $15 per person.

About the Artists
Philip Dawkins (Playwright) is a Chicago playwright whose plays have been produced throughout the country and the world. His works Miss Marx: or The Involuntary Side Effect of Living (Strawdog Theatre) and Charm (Northlight Theatre at the Steppenwolf Garage) both won the Joseph Jefferson Award for Best New Work. His critically-acclaimed plays The Homosexuals, Le Switch (both produced by About Face Theatre) and Failure: A Love Story (Victory Gardens Theater), all received Joseph Jefferson Nominations for New Work, and he is the recipient of Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Solo Performance for his play, The Happiest Place On Earth (Side Show Theatre). His play, Charm, received its extended New York premiere with MCC this last year. Philip is an artistic associate at About Face Theatre, Side Show Theatre and MC-10 as well as an ensemble playwright at Victory Gardens Theater. He teaches playwriting at Northwestern University as well as at his alma mater, Loyola University Chicago.

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

Plan Your Visit: 
Free parking is provided in a lot adjacent to the theatre – additional street parking is available. Nearest El station: Granville Red Line, Buses: #22 (Clark), #36 (Broadway), #151 (Sheridan), #155 (Devon), #84 (Peterson).

About Raven Theatre
Raven Theatre tells stories of today and the past that connect us to our cultural landscape. Through its plays as well as its educational programming, Raven is committed to serving our communities’ needs through the arts.

Raven Theatre Company is funded in part by the Alphawood Foundation, Dramatists Guild Fund, Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, The MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince, Polk Bros. Foundation, The Arts Work Fund for Organizational Development, S&C Electric, The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the PAV Fund and the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.

REVIEW: I've Seen The Light and It's Brilliant; Now Extended Through February 25th

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

The New Colony Presents the World Premiere of

THE LIGHT
Now Extended Through February 25, 2018 at The Den Theatre 

Tiffany Oglesby and Jeffery Owen Freelon Jr. in The New Colony’s world premiere of THE LIGHT. 

All Photos by Evan Hanover.

Written by Loy Webb 

Directed by Toma Langston

January 5 – February 4, 2018 at The Den Theatre

Three Additional Weeks of Performances!

The New Colony’s World Premiere

The New Colony is pleased to announce its sell-out world premiere THE LIGHT is adding three additional weeks of performances, extending through February 25, 2018 at The Den Theatre (2B), 1333 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood. Tickets for all performance are currently available at www.thenewcolony.org.

Review:

In this illuminating and all too timely drama, the dynamic duo of Jeffery Owen Freelon Jr. and Tiffany Oglesby absolutely shine. Their energy is palpable and chemistry on stage is a joy to see, as they run the gamut of emotions. This secret filled love story crackles with lies and revelations, and an emotional tug-of-war that is a delight to see unfolding. These characters spring to life on stage with rich, compelling back stories and strong, complicated personalities that are a thrill to get to know.

There is much of immense importance here, about the experience and dynamic of well educated black women in leadership positions in particular, and universally, about survivors of rape and sexual violence. This piece is incredibly well written, and provides a much needed personal window into the current "Me Too" movement. The comfort of a worn family talisman quilt, an unconditional love deep enough to weather the harshest of emotional storms and rage, repressed memories and slow recovery in stages, all ring true and make The Light a multifaceted gem of a production.   

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we thoroughly enjoyed The Light and welcome the thought provoking discussions and debates this show is sparking. The Light is highly recommended and now extended an additional three weeks through February 25th. Don't miss this! 

Written by Chicago playwright Loy Webb and directed by Toma Langston, the gripping romantic drama features TNC Ensemble Member Jeffery Owen Freelon Jr. and Tiffany Oglesby.

A surprise proposal takes an unexpected turn that upends the world of Genesis and Rashad, forcing them to confront a devastating secret from the past and putting the future of their relationship at risk. Featuring two of Chicago’s most dynamic actors, THE LIGHT is a 70-minute, real-time rollercoaster journey of laughter, romance and despair that uncovers how the power of radical love can be a healing beacon of light.

The LIGHT is the 30^th world premiere presented by The New Colony since 2008 and marks the final production under the tenure of founding co-artistic directors Andrew Hobgood and Evan Linder, who are stepping down at the conclusion of the company’s ninth season. 

The production team for THE LIGHT includes: John Wilson (scenic design), Cassandra Kendall (lighting design), Regina Victor (dramaturg), Noelle Simone (assistant director) and Daryl Ritchie (stage manager). 

PRODUCTION DETAILS:

Title: THE LIGHT

Playwright: Loy Webb

Director: Toma Langston

Cast: Ensemble Member Jeffery Owen Freelon Jr. (Rashad) and Tiffany Oglesby (Genesis).

Location: The Den Theatre (2B), 1333 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago

Dates: Previews: Friday, January 5 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, January 6 at 7:30 pm

Opening: Monday, January 8 at 7:30 pm

Regular run: Thursday, January 11 – Sunday, February 25, 2018

Curtain times: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 3 pm

Industry Night: Monday, January 29 at 7:30 pm and Monday, February 19, 2018

Tickets: $30 on Thursdays/Fridays; $35 on Saturdays/Sundays. Students/seniors: 25% off. Tickets are currently available at www.thenewcolony.org.  

About the Artists

Loy Webb (Playwright) is a Chicago born theatre journalist and playwright. Her new play The Light was developed through The New Colony’s Writer’s Room 4.0. She is an inaugural Tutterow Fellow at Chicago Dramatists, and her one-act plays have been featured at Black Ensemble Theatre, American Theater Company, 20 Percent Theatre Company Chicago, University of North Dakota, GI60 International One Minute Play Festival, Modern-Day Griot Theatre Company New York and the Black Lives, Black Words International Project, in which she is an associate artist. As a theatre journalist she is a member of the Association of Women of Journalists-Chicago, a past mentor with the AWJ-Chicago/Goodman Theatre’s Cindy Bandle Young Critics Program and a contributing theater critic for Newcity. Her one act play, I AM a Woman is published in both Wish to Live: The Hip-hop Feminism Pedagogy Reader and the Black Lives, Black Words International Project anthology. Additionally, her one-act play Saving Inge is published in One Minute Plays: A Practical Guide To Tiny Theatre. Loy holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and J.D. from The John Marshall Law School. Her primary mission with all her writing is to be a pointer towards hope.

Toma Langston (Director) is a freelance theater director. Credits include Victory Gardens: Directors Inclusion Initiative Director 2015. (Assistant Director) Sucker Punch. Jackalope Theatre: 1980 (or Why I'm Voting for John Anderson). Sideshow Theatre: (Assistant Director) Truth and Reconciliation and Give It All Back. Toma is a proud steering committee member of DirectorsLab Chicago and an associate artist with Black Lives, Black Words International Project. Directorial credits include: The Last Five Years, The Shadow Box, For Colored Girls Who Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf. Toma has worked with Chicago Dramatists, Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre and Prologue Theatre. 

Jeffery Owen Freelon Jr. (Rashad) is a proud south side Chicagoan (Hyde Park) and excited  to work on a play by black people and for black people. He is also extremely proud to see it produced by The New Colony. He has worked with an array of theatre companies such as Theatre Unspeakable, Definition Theatre and Victory Gardens and has made an appearance on Chicago PD. He is represented by Paonessa Talent Agency.

Tiffany Oglesby (Genesis) is originally from Atlanta, GA. and recently appeared as Vanessa in About Face and Theatre Wit’s co-production of Significant Other. Other theatre credits include An Octoroon (Definition Theatre), truth and reconciliation (Sideshow), East Texas Hot Links (u/s Writers) and A Small Oak Tree Runs Red (u/s Congo Square). She also had the pleasure of working with other theatre companies including Raven and Lifeline. TV credits include Chicago Med and The Chi. She received her BFA in Performing Arts from Savannah College of Art and Design and her MFA in Acting from The Theatre School at DePaul University. Happily exclusive with Grossman and Jack Talent. 

THE LIGHT is sponsored by Michael and Mona Heath.

About The New Colony

The New Colony develops NEW ART and NEW ARTISTS in order to educate and build NEW AUDIENCES. Founded in 2008, The New Colony has established itself as “one of Chicago’s essential off-Loop companies” (Chicago Tribune) having developed and produced over 25 world-premiere plays and musicals garnering four Joseph Jefferson Awards, the 2011 Broadway in Chicago Emerging Theatre Award, and Best Overall Production at the 2012 New York International Fringe Festival. The New Colony is a resident company of The Den Theatre located in Wicker Park.