OPENING: Northlight Theatre presents The World Premiere of White Guy on the Bus 1/23

 Northlight Theatre presents

The World Premiere of

White Guy on the Bus

by Bruce Graham

directed by Artistic Director BJ Jones

January 23-February 28, 2015

Act Out:  Chicago Theatre openings, closings, reviews, giveaways, ticket sale dates and more via ChiIL Live Shows. 

ChiIL Live Shows will be there for opening night, so check back soon for our full review.

Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, presents the world premiere of White Guy on the Bus by Bruce Graham, directed by BJ Jones. The production will run at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd in Skokie, from January 23-February 28, 2015.  

*The cast is an all-star Chicago company, including Francis Guinan, Mary Beth Fisher, Jordan Brown, Amanda Drinkall and Patrese D. McClain*

A wealthy white businessman and a struggling black single mom ride the same bus every Saturday. As they get to know each other, the threads that tie these disparate individuals together gradually unravel in a complex web of moral ambiguity, revenge, and racial biases. This world premiere play provides a candid and surprising perspective on the racial and socioeconomic divide.
        

Dates: Previews: January 23-January 29, 2015

Regular run: through February 28, 2015

Schedule: 
Tuesdays: 7:30pm (except Feb. 3, 10 and 24)

Wednesdays: 1:00pm (except Feb. 11)

and 7:30pm (except Feb 18)

Thursdays: 7:30pm

Fridays: 8:00pm (except Opening on January 30 at 7:30pm)

Saturdays: 2:30pm (except January 24) and 8:00pm

Sundays: 2:30pm and 7:00pm (except Feb. 1 and 8)

Open Captioned performance Sunday, March 22 at 7:00pm

Location: Northlight Theatre is located at the North Shore

Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd,

Skokie

Tickets: Previews: $25-$54

Regular run: $25-$78

Student tickets are $15, any performance

(subject to availability)

Box Office: The Box Office is located at 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie.

847.673.6300; northlight.org

Bruce Graham, the award-winning playwright and screenwriter behind Northlight’s highly successful The Outgoing Tide and Stella & Lou, has never been sharper than in this fresh, surprising, and gutsy world premiere.

*This is Bruce Graham’s third world premiere at Northlight.  His other Northlight world premieres are The Outgoing Tide and Stella & Lou, which both then transferred to the Galway Arts Festival. Graham’s relationship with Northlight has been ongoing since the production of his play Belmont Avenue Social Club in 1992.*

“The challenge of new work is always exciting, mysterious and even scary. But when I'm working with Bruce Graham, whom I’ve known for many years and worked on several of his plays, the process is familiar, well oiled, but never less than surprising,” comments BJ Jones. “With White Guy on the Bus, Bruce fearlessly plunges into the country's racial psyche, stripping away liberal hypocrisy and exposing the raw nerve that is race in America. With a blue-chip cast headed by Francis Guinan and Mary Beth Fisher, White Guy on the Bus continues Northlight's fruitful relationship with one of America's most prolific and ambitious playwrights.”

The creative team includes John Culbert (scenic), Rachel Laritz (costumes), JR Lederle (lighting) and Andrew Hansen (sound).  Rita Vreeland is the stage manager.

The Box Office is located at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Boulevard, in Skokie.  Box Office hours are Monday-Friday 10:00am-5:00pm, and Saturdays 12:00pm-5:00pm. On performance days, the box office hours are extended through showtime. The Box Office is closed on Sundays, except on performance days when it is open two hours prior to showtime.

*In the current season, Northlight is producing two world premiere works (White Guy on the Bus and Shining Lives: A Musical), the second-ever productions of two plays (The Commons of Pensacola and Outside Mullingar) and a classic rarely produced in the US (The Mousetrap).  In addition, Northlight has a number of new works in development throughInterplay, a program that has sent 25 out of 29 scripts on to full professional productions throughout the country and developed Northlight’s three best-selling plays: Better Lateby Larry Gelbart and Craig Wright, The Outgoing Tide by Bruce Graham and Chapatti by Christian O’Reilly.*

Northlight is continuing its popular special event series in conjunction with each production.  All events are free. 

Post-Show Discussions with a Northlight facilitator, engaging audiences in a dialogue about the play's themes, will follow every performance of White Guy on the Bus.

Backstage with BJ is a mid-day discussion with Artistic Director BJ Jones, featuring special guest artists, actors, directors and designers, offering behind-the-scenes insight into each production while it is still in rehearsal.  Backstage with BJ for White Guy on the Bus will be held on Friday, January 16 at 12:00pm and will last approximately one hour.  Reservations are required, 847.679.9501 x3605 or specialevents@northlight.org.

Community Events

Thursday, January 29, 6:00-7:30pm

Curt's Café, 2922 Central Street, Evanston

A panel of civic leaders and social service representatives will address the local impact of issues raised in the play. Panelists include representatives from: City of Evanston, Curt's Café and Literature for All of Us.

Tuesday, February 3, 3:00-4:00pm
Wilmette Public Library, 1242 Wilmette Ave, Wilmette
Northlight artists and cast members engage in audience Q&A following scene selections from the play.

Thursday, February 5, at Northlight Theatre following the 7:30pm performance (Panel is free, tickets to the preceding performance required)

A panel of civic leaders and social service representatives will address the local impact of issues raised in the play. Panelists include representatives from: Connections for the Homeless, The James B. Moran Center, Youth Job Center of Evanston and YWCA Evanston/North Shore. 

Wednesday, February 11, 10:30-11:30am

Highland Park Public Library, 494 Laurel Ave, Highland Park
Northlight artists and cast members engage in audience Q&A following scene selections from the play. 

Northlight Theatre aspires to promote change of perspective and encourage compassion by exploring the depth of our humanity across a bold spectrum of theatrical experiences, reflecting our community to the world and the world to our community.

Now in its 40^th season, the organization has mounted nearly 200 productions, including over 40 world premieres.  Northlight has earned 188 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations and 31 Awards.  As one of the area’s premier theatre companies, Northlight is a regional magnet for critical and professional acclaim, as well as talent of the highest quality.

                                                     

The 40^th Anniversary is supported by season sponsor BMO Harris Bank and lighting sponsor ComEd.

White Guy on the Bus is sponsored in part by The Edgerton Foundation for New American Plays Award, The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, Room & Board and Tom Stringer Design Partners.

Northlight is supported in part by generous contributions from the Paul M. Angell Fund; BMO Harris Bank; Cramer-Krasselt; The  Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation; ComEd, An Exelon Company; Edgerton Foundation for New American Plays Award; Evanston Community Foundation; First Bank &  Trust; Full Circle Foundation; The Homestead Hotel; Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; KinderMorgan Foundation; Kirkland & Ellis Foundation; The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; Melvoin Award for Playwriting; Modestus Bauer Foundation; North Shore Center for the Performing Arts Foundation; NorthShore University HealthSystem; The Offield Family Foundation; The Pauls Foundation; Plante Moran; The Pritzger Pucker Family Foundation; Quince at the Homestead; The Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Foundation; Room & Board; Sage Products; Sanborn Family Foundation; The Shubert Foundation; Skokie Fine Arts Council; The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust; The Sullivan Family Foundation; Tom Stringer Design Partners; the Venturous Theater Fund; and The Farny R. Wurlitzer Foundation.

REVIEW: The Hypocrites' Trifecta of Gilbert & Sullivan Shows Are a Riotous Round of Hilarity Through 2/7/15 #Review #‎ChiILPicksList

Gilbert & Sullivan Rep

It was our great pleasure to catch all 3 of The Hypocrites' Gilbert and Sullivan musicals this past month and we highly recommend you hightail it over to The Den Theatre ASAP and see them. We loved The Mikado last year and couldn't wait to see it again and add H.M.S. Pinafore and Pirates of Penzance to the mix. These shows are great for theatre freaks, kids and adults of all ages, and the reluctant theatre goer as well. They have a small bar right in the performance space and a free range audience that's welcome to move about at will and sit, stand or lounge around the whole performance space or the traditional chairs. Click here and scroll down for loads of our past Hypocrites coverage.

Act Out:  Chicago Theatre openings, closings, reviews, giveaways, ticket sale dates and more via ChiIL Live Shows. 




The whole vibe begins more like a party than a play, with people with drinks in hand milling about and chatting up strangers, kids playing on the multilevel set pieces, and musicians everywhere. At all 3 shows we saw, there in the fray was director, Sean Graney, grinning ear to ear. And he had every right to beam like the Cheshire Cat. The Hypocrites are on to something magical and spectacular! 

I think Sean has the right idea. I kinda want to join him and spend the whole winter in The Hypocrites world of playful fun and light!

Here at ChiIL Live Shows/ChiIL Mama we can't think of a better way to spend the darkest, coldest days of the year than under the twinkling circus tent lights with The Hypocrites. Their trifecta of Gilbert & Sullivan musicals is a joyful celebration of light, color, music and ridiculous rhyme. We've never seen any troupe make better use of the promenade style. They don't just break down the 4th wall, they run rings around it! 

The Mikado is still our pick of the litter, but we dug all 3 and suggest you get a package deal and do it up right. I mean, come on, where else can you find a talented tribe of rag tag minstrels to serenade you in a pillow pile at the foot of a slide where you can snuggle a passel of stuffed animal cats, or on bunk beds, or in a rubber duckie filled kiddy pool sans water for cripes sake! I dare you not to grin. Perfect for a date night or fam friendly fun. 



We're also absofreakinlutely loving The Den Theatre's new performance space with no steep stairs, a bountiful bar and a spacious, open performance area! Joy. 

The Hypocrites' unique take on new and traditional works is something to see! Highly recommended. 

Do you want to come back to the show again? Do you want to see the other two in rep? Do you want to encourage others to do so and get a $6 discount per ticket? We created the code "comeback" for you to enter at checkout in order to do just that. 

Here's the Official Scoop:

Gilbert and Sullivan Rep 2014-15

November 26, 2014 – February 7, 2015

Music Direction by Andra Velis Simon Gilbert & Sullivan Rep Directed by Sean Graney and Thrisa Hodits featuring the world premiere adaptation of H.M.S. Pinafore Adaption by Sean Graney, Matt Kahler & Andra Velis Simon along with the highly anticipated return of BOTH Pirates of Penzance  Adaption by Sean Graney & Kevin O'Donnell and Mikado Adaption by Sean Graney The Hypocrites’ 2014-15 Season will continue in December 2014 with another world premiere: a playful re-imaging of Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic opera H.M.S. PINAFORE, adapted and directed by Sean Graney, with new arrangements by Matt Kahler and Andra Velis Simon. In what has become an annual celebration of the Gilbert and Sullivan canon, H.M.S. PINAFORE will run in repertory with remounts of the company’s wildly popular productions of THE MIKADO and THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE, also adapted and directed by Graney. Reviews: ★★★★ (out of ★★★★)    “The Hypocrites apply their winning formula of hip deconstruction and dark comedy to the cherished operetta” Chicago Tribune “Spirited, affectionate, and nearly irresistible” Boston Globe “Terrific…The Hypocrites’ musicianship has never sounded better.” TimeOut Chicago For the full schedule of the rep, click here Missed All Our Tragic this time around? Saw it but wanted to come back or tell your friends? Well now you have a second chance Buy your tickets for next summer now Looking ahead to 2015: Pirates of Penzance, Mikado and HMS Pinafore  now-February 7th (tickets on sale here) Endgame by Samuel Beckett Directed by Halena Kays Feb-April 2015 (tickets on sale soon) Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov Directed by Geoff Button April-June 2015 (tickets on sale soon) Remount of All Our Tragic June-August 2015  (tickets on sale here) Announcement of their 19th season coming April 2015 plus a lot of exciting surprises   to be announced throughout the year

OPENING: Clock Productions' Scary Tales 2015 at The Alley Stage 1/15 #theatre

Clock Productions will present  the next in its series of “Scary  Tales” with “Scary Tales 2015” which opens on Thursday, January 15, 2015 at the Alley Stage, 4147 N. Broadway.

Act Out:  Chicago Theatre openings, closings, reviews, giveaways, ticket sale dates and more via ChiIL Live Shows. 

There will be six tales, some from past versions and some new ones based on short stories which have been adapted to the stage.  They are tales of treachery, fear and irony and include A Tale of Greed, A Tale of Loneliness, A Tale of War, A Tale of Botany, A Tale of Madness and A Tale of Candy.

Written, adapted and directed by David Denman, the cast includes Kayla Boye, Andrew Buel, Sierra Buffum, Brittany Handle, Emilie Hanlet, Sara Heller, Ben Powell and Christopher Rozenboom.  Co-Director and Stage Manager is Amber Mandley with Scenic Design by David Denman and Costume Design by Arin Mulvancy.  Sound design is by Larry Bryan and Lighting Design by Benjamin Dionysus.

“Scary Tales 2015” will open on Thursday, January 15^th at 8pm and will run Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 3pm to February 8.  Tickets are $15 and can be obtained at Brown Paper Tickets at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/909822. 

OPENING: West Side Story at Drury Lane Theatre 1/15-3/22

West Side Story at Drury Lane Theatre
FROM JANUARY 15 THROUGH MARCH 22, 2015

Here at ChiIL Mama & ChiIL Live Shows we can't wait to see Drury Lane's take on this well loved classic. They do a spectacular job with high caliber productions from talent to tech. We'll be reviewing opening night so check back early and often. We've seen the Broadway touring version of West Side Story twice along with a host of hometown reincarnations and we're looking forward to this production.

Act Out:  Chicago Theatre openings, closings, reviews, giveaways, ticket sale dates and more via ChiIL Live Shows. 

Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane, is kicking off the New Year with WEST SIDE STORY, the revolutionary Tony Award-winning production that forever changed American musical theater. Experience the passion, drama and heart-pounding excitement of WEST SIDE STORY like never before. The production previews January 15, opens January 22 and runs through March 22. Multi-Jeff Award winner Rachel Rockwell (Les Misérables, Ragtime, The Sound of Music, Sweeney Todd, and Oliver! at Drury Lane Theatre) will direct, and Rhett Guter (who starred in the International Tour of WEST SIDE STORY and Choreographed Anything Goes at The Utah Shakespeare Festival) serves as Choreographer and Associate Director and stars as “Riff.” The musical's famous choreography is being reimagined says Rockwell, "Modern re-stagings of the famous dances often romanticize the violence of the piece. As we restructure the brilliant work of Jerome Robbins, much of the balletic movement will be replaced with more percussive dance and in some cases outright combat to depict the tragedy as the two rival street gangs wage a war in the back alleys of Manhattan.”  WEST SIDE STORY features a dynamic cast led by Christina Nieves as “Maria” (Les Misérables at Drury Lane Theatre, A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Chicago Shakespeare Theater and The Sins of Sor Juana at Goodman Theatre), Jim DeSelm as “Tony” (Godspell at Theatre at the Center and South Pacific at Marriott Theatre), and Michelle Aravena as “Anita” (Rocky, A Chorus Line, and Jersey Boys on Broadway and the National Tour of West Side Story).

WEST SIDE STORY is a provocative exploration of race relations with an underlying message of hope that is as relevant today as ever. Variety raves that the musical “Still dazzles after more than 50 years. Majestic! Some of the most achingly beautiful expressions of love ever sung!” The San Francisco Chronicle exclaims that it is “A miraculous fusion of theatrical elements…full of musical treasures!” and the New Yorker enthuses that WEST SIDE STORY is “So exciting it makes you ache with pleasure!”

A modern retelling of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet set on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in the 1950s, WEST SIDE STORY is the poignant tale of Tony and Maria, star-crossed young lovers caught in a turf war between rival gangs. The musical has an electrifying Latin and Jazz-infused score including “Somewhere,” “Tonight,” “I Feel Pretty,” and “America.” WEST SIDE STORY first premiered on Broadway in 1957 and is the result of a collaboration between three theatrical luminaries, featuring a masterful Book by Tony Award-winner Arthur Laurents, Music by Tony and Grammy Award-winner Leonard Bernstein and Lyrics by Tony, Grammy, Pulitzer Prize and Academy Award-winner Stephen Sondheim. The smash hit 1961 film version of WEST SIDE STORY won 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and catapulted the musical to the center of the national conversation.

The cast also features John Francis Gray as “Officer Krupke,” Roger Mueller as “Doc” (Brigadoon at Goodman Theatre and My One and Only at Marriott Theatre), Lucas Segovia as “Bernardo” (Swan Lake and Romeo and Juliet with Joffrey Ballet Chicago), Bret Tuomi as “Lt. Shrank” (Rock of Ages on Broadway and The Iceman Cometh at Goodman Theatre) and Tommy Rivera Vega as “Chino” (Cats at Theo Ubique Cabaret Theater). The ensemble includes Adrian Aguilar (“Action”), Isaiah Allatorre (“Anxious”),  Anthony Avino (“Indio”), Larry Baldacci (“Gladhand”), Annelise Baker (“Graziella”), Lillian Castillo (“Rosalia”), Courtney Cerny (“Minnie”), Carl Draper (“Diesel”), Cameron Erdis (“Snowboy”), Lucas Fedele (“A-rab”), Ryan Fitzgerald (“Big Deal”), Rachel Marie LaPorte (“Consuela”), Kristina Larson-Hauk (“Pauline”), John Marshall, Jr. (“Baby John”), Deanna Ott (“Velma”), Chip Payos (“Nibbles”), Todd Rhoades (“Luis”), Elena Romanowski (“Teresita”), Emma Rosenthal (“Anybodys”), Will Skrip (“Gee-Tar”), Glenn Snellgrose (“Pepe”) and Lauren Villegas (“Francisca”).

Musical Direction for WEST SIDE STORY is by Roberta Duchak (Les Misérables and Ragtime at Drury Lane Theatre, and vocal coach for Russell Crowe and Hugh Jackman for the Academy Award-winning film Les Misérables). The set, designed by Scott Davis (Les Misérables and Next to Normal at Drury Lane Theatre and Shrek the Musical at Chicago Shakespeare Theater), recreates the gritty streets and Upper West Side apartment living in 1950s New York City. The artistic team also includes Nick Heggestad as Properties Designer (Camelot and The Game’s Afoot at Drury Lane Theatre), Rick Jarvie as Wig and Makeup Designer (Camelot, The Game’s Afoot and The Sound of Music at Drury Lane Theatre), Yael Lubetzky as Lighting Designer (the Broadway production of Russell Simmons Def Poetry Jam), Ray Nardelli as Sound Designer (Camelot, Young Frankenstein, and Next to Normal at Drury Lane Theatre), Erika Senase as Costume Coordinator (Camelot, Les Misérables and Young Frankenstein at Drury Lane Theatre) and Original Costume Design is by David Woolard , featuring costumes from the 2012 National Tour. Eva Breneman is the Dialect Coach (Camelot and Les Misérables at Drury Lane Theatre) and Matt Hawkins is the Fight Choreographer (Les Misérables at Drury Lane Theatre and The Wheel and Belleville at Steppenwolf Theatre Company).

The performance schedule for WEST SIDE STORY is as follows: Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m. ($45), Thursdays at 1:30 p.m. ($45) and 8 p.m. ($50), Fridays at 8 p.m. ($60), Saturdays at 5 p.m. ($60), and 8:30 p.m. ($60), and Sundays at 2 p.m. ($60), and 6 p.m. ($55). Student group tickets start as low as $30 and Senior Citizens start at $35 for matinees. For reservations, call the Drury Lane Theatre box office at 630.530.0111, call TicketMaster at 800.745.3000 or visit www.drurylane.com. 

TOMORROW: Chicago Theatre Week Tickets on Sale Tomorrow 1/6/15 #ChicagoTheatreWeek

Due to overwhelming success, Chicago Theatre Week is expanding in 2015. The upcoming celebration of the rich tradition of theatre-going in Chicago is returning for its third year and will take place February 12 – 22, 2015, spanning a week and two full weekends for the first time. More than 100 productions are expected to participate as part of the 2015 lineup. Chicago Theatre Week is presented by the League of Chicago Theatres in partnership with Choose Chicago.

Tickets will go on sale Tuesday, January 6, 2015, at 10:00am at www.ChicagoTheatreWeek.com.

Act Out:  Chicago Theatre openings, closings, reviews, giveaways, ticket sale dates and more via ChiIL Live Shows. 

A few of Chicago Theatre Week’s 2015 participating productions include The Selfish Giant at Chicago Children’s Theatre; Waiting for Godot at Court Theatre; Rapture, Blister, Burn at the Goodman Theatre; Tannhäuser at the Lyric Opera of Chicago; Tommy at Paramount Theatre; Marie Antoinette at Steppenwolf Theatre Company; Mr. Burns: A Post Electric Play at Theater Wit; and Samsara at Victory Gardens Theater. The complete list of participating theatres are listed on www.chicagotheatreweek.com. In the past two years, more than 200 shows have offered value-priced tickets to more than 600 performances in one week. Visitors and residents will again have the opportunity to sample the extraordinary range of theatrical offerings throughout Chicagoland.

“The decision to expand Chicago Theatre Week comes in response to the overwhelming success this celebration has seen over the past two years,” comments Deb Clapp, Executive Director of the League of Chicago Theatres. “We are so thrilled to be able to share the amazing work this theatre community produces with audiences during this 10-day celebration.”

“Choose Chicago is excited to be a partner for Chicago Theatre Week in 2015,” declares Melissa Cherry, Vice President of Cultural Tourism & Neighborhoods of Choose Chicago. “This is a perfect moment for visitors to experience the city, and shine a light on Chicago's amazing theatre scene.”

Kate Lipuma, Executive Director of Writers Theatre and Chair of the League of Chicago Theatres adds, “The reach of Chicago Theatre Week has expanded so much that one week just wasn’t enough! The 10-day celebration in 2015 will offer Chicagoans and visitors even more opportunities to visit their favorite theatres and explore new companies all across Chicago.”

The hotel partners for Chicago Theatre Week 2015 are ACME Hotel Company and The Dana Hotel & Spa.  For information about Special Theatre Week rates, visit www.chicagotheatreweek.com.

About Chicago theatre

Chicago theatre is a leader in the U.S. with more than 250 theatres throughout Chicagoland, comprising a rich and varied community ranging from storefront, non-union theaters to the most renowned resident theatres in the country, including 5 that have been honored with Regional Tony Awards, and the largest touring Broadway organization in the nation. Chicago’s theatres serve 5 million audience members annually and have a combined budget of more than $250 million. Chicago produces and/or presents more world premieres annually than any other city in the nation. In 2012-13 alone, Chicago theatre companies produced more than 130 world premiere productions and adaptations. Each year, Chicago theatres send new work to resident theatres across the country, to Broadway, and around the world. 

About the League of Chicago Theatres

The League of Chicago Theatres is an alliance of theatres which leverages its collective strength to promote, support, and advocate for Chicago's theatre industry locally, nationally, and internationally. The League of Chicago Theatres Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the art of theatre in the Chicago area through audience development and support services for theatres and theatre professionals.

For a comprehensive list of Chicago productions, visit the League of Chicago Theatres website, www.chicagoplays.com.  Half-price tickets are available each week at www.hottix.org.  Additional information about Chicago Theatre Week is available at www.chicagotheatreweek.com.

INCOMING: Honey & the 45's at Lincoln Hall and Quinn Tsan at Martyrs (Both 21+)

Chi, IL Live Shows on Our Radar

SATURDAY 1/10: Honey & the 45’s play Lincoln Hall on Saturday, Jan. 10th. Check out their site here.

SHOESHINE BOY PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS:

HONEY AND THE 45'S

JORDAN ENGELHARDT

REDFIELD

LEONUM

$10.00 [$12 DOORS] 21+
8:00 PM 

TUESDAY 1/13: Estonia’s Tartu Popi ja Roki Instituut is performing at Martyrs’ on Tuesday, Jan 13. Chicago’s Quinn Tsan will be on hand as support. Check 'em out! Full details here.

Tue, Jan 13 - 8pm - $7 21+

OPENING: THEATER WIT'S MIDWEST DEBUT OF MR. BURNS, A POST-ELECTRIC PLAY

ANNE WASHBURN'S COMEDY/DRAMA/MUSICAL 

ABOUT A POST-APOCALYPTIC WORLD 

COMFORTED BY MEMORIES OF 

"THE SIMPSONS" 

TO TAKE CHICAGO BY STORM JAN.9-MAR.1

Act Out:  Chicago Theatre openings, closings, reviews, giveaways, ticket sale dates and more via ChiIL Live Shows. 

Here at ChiIL Live Shows we adore Theater Wit and we've been huge Simpsons fans since the first shorts ran on The Tracey Ullman Show in the late 80s. We can't wait to check out Mr. Burns A Post Electric Play! 

Check back with us like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often. We'll be there to review opening night. In the meantime, get your tickets locked in now before this pop cult production pops!

Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., will present one of the most anticipated productions of Chicago's 2014-15 season, the Midwest premiere of Mr. Burns, a post-electric play by Anne Washburn. (*WIT has even got rockin' Mr. Burns magnets in the bathroom, till they're gone!)

Washburn's meta-apocalyptic comedy/drama/musical about America rebuilding itself from the ashes of an apocalypse - and the enduring power of Bart Simpson - begins previews on January 9. Performances run through March 1. Tickets start at $25. For tickets and information, visit  TheaterWit.org or call 773.975.8150.

A paean to the power of live theater and the resilience of Bart Simpson through the ages, Mr. Burns is an animated exploration of how the pop culture of one era might evolve into the mythology of another, and a dazzling, panoramic vista on the power of storytelling. 

Mr. Burns had a hugely successful New York premiere in fall 2013 at Playwrights Horizons. The New York Times raved "Downright brilliant. When was the last time you met a new play that was so smart it made your head spin? Get ready to reel. Anne Washburn's Mr. Burns, a post-electric play has arrived to leave you dizzy with the scope and dazzle of its ideas."

The story begins after life as we know it has ended. Small bands of survivors band together to keep the pilot light of civilization burning, and their path to redemption is as unexpected as it is inevitable.

The cast participated in an entertaining read of the entire script to kick off Mr. Burns rehearsals on Dec. 8.

   Photo by Claire Cooney

Theater Wit's Midwest debut of Mr. Burns is directed by Artistic Director Jeremy Wechsler. The cast includes Kelly Abell, Daniel Desmarais, Hannah Gomez, Christina Hall, Andrew Jessop, Leslie Ann Sheppard, Jeff Trainor and Leah Urzendowski. 

   

Theater Wit's Midwest premiere of Mr. Burns, a post-electric play stars 

(top, from left) Kelly Abell, Daniel Desmarais, Hannah Gomez, Christina Hall, 

(bottom) Andrew Jessop, Leslie Ann Sheppard, Jeff Trainor and Leah Urzendowski. 

Click  here to download hi- and lo-res versions.

The production team includes Andra Velis Simon (musical director), Brigitte Ditmars (choreography), Joe Schermoly (set), Mike Durst (lights), Mara Blumenfeld (costumes), Jesse Gaffney (props), Majel Cuza (production manager) and Katie Klemme (stage manager). Music is by Michael Friedman. Theater Wit's Mr. Burns features a live band. 

Mr. Burns was first seen in New York in 2012.The New York Times' Charles Isherwood hailed Roundabout Theatre's 2013 production "the best comedy of the season."

Anne Washburn's other plays included The Internationalist, A Devil at Noon, Apparition, The Community Dracula Pageant, I Have Loved Strangers, The Ladies, The Small and a transadaptation of Euripides' Orestes. Her work has been produced by 13P, Actors Theatre of Louisville, American Repertory Theatre, Cherry Lane Theatre, Clubbed Thumb, The Civilians, Dixon Place, Ensemble Studio Theater, The Folger, London's Gate Theatre, NYC's Soho Rep, DC's Studio Theater, Two River Theater Company, NYC's Vineyard and Woolly Mammoth. Awards include a Guggenheim, a NYFA Fellowship, a Time WArner Fellowship, Susan Smith Blackburn finalist, residencies at MacDowell and Yaddo, and an Artslink travel grant to Hungary to work with the playwright Peter Karpati. She is an associated artist with The Civilians, Clubbed Thumb, New Georges, and is an alumna of New Dramatists and 13P.

Jeremy Wechsler (director) is the artistic director of Theater Wit where he most recently directed the hit Midwest premiere of Madeline George's Seven Homeless Mammoths Wander New England, and its subsequent summer remount at Art Square Theatre in Las Vegas. Wechsler also staged Wit's acclaimed productions of Completeness and The Four of Us (Itamar Moses), Tigers Be Still (Kim Rosenstock), This (Melissa James Gibson), Spin (Penny Penniston), Feydeau-Si-Deau (Georges Feydeau), Men of Steel (Qui Nguyen), Thom Pain (Based on Nothing) (Will Eno), Two for the Show (James Fitzpatrick and Will Clinger) and The Santaland Diaries. Wechsler's productions have been nominated for and won multiple awards.

On Deck @ Wit: Midwest premiere of Joshua Harmon's Bad Jews opens

April, 2015

Following Mr. Burns, Theater Wit's spring 2015 production is the Midwest premiere of Bad Jews by Joshua Harmon, one of the funniest, wisest, most excruciating comedies about the holy and holier-than-thou you'll see this season. 

Theater Wit's Chicago staging of Bad Jews will be presented in April and May 2015. For tickets and information, visit TheaterWit.org or call 773.975.8150.

Mr. Burns was first seen in New York in 2012.The New York Times' Charles Isherwood hailed Roundabout Theatre's 2013 production "the best comedy of the season." 

About Theater Wit

Theater Wit - "A thrilling addition to Chicago's roster of theaters" (Chicago Tribune) and "a terrific place to see a show" (New City) - is launching its fourth season in its home at 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago.

Founded in 2004, Theater Wit's mission is to explore contemporary issues with wit and wisdom through new works and Chicago premieres. As a production company, Theater Wit is Chicago's premier smart art theater, producing humorous, challenging, and intelligent plays that speak with a vibrant and contemporary theatrical voice. As an institution, Theater Wit seeks to be the hub of the Chicago neighborhood theater scene. In its three spaces, Theater Wit brings together Chicago's best storefront companies. Here audiences find a smorgasbord of excellent productions, see a parade of talented artists and mingle with audiences from all over Chicago. 

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. 

In 2011, Theater Wit originated Chicago's first monthly fee membership program to encourage cross-pollination among its productions and those presented by its resident and visiting companies. Resident companies at Theater Wit in 2014-15 include Stage Left, Shattered Globe and Kokandy Productions. Today, more than 100 Chicagoans areT heater Wit members, seeing as many plays as they want at Theater Wit, year round, for one low monthly fee of $36 ($22 for students). 

Theater Wit also offers a Flex Pass: 10 admissions for $215 to literally anything presented in the building, a savings of up to 40%. 

To purchase a Membership Program, Flex Pass, single tickets or for information about any production at Theater Wit, call 773.975.8150 or visit  TheaterWit.org.