OPENING: Feathers and Teeth at The Goodman Theatre

Chi, IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

HOME-SWEET-HOME...OR HAUNTED HOUSE?

CHARISE CASTRO SMITH’S DARKLY COMIC FEATHERS AND TEETH APPEARS SEPTEMBER 19 – OCTOBER 18

***FOLEY ARTISTRY ADDS EFFECTS AND ATMOSPHERE TO THE WORLD-PREMIERE PRODUCTION, DIRECTED BY RESIDENT ARTISTIC ASSOCIATE HENRY GODINEZ IN THE OWEN THEATRE***

This macabre tale is high on our must see list here at ChiIL Live Shows. It sounds like an exciting new work and a great fit for the fall season.

Goodman Theatre kicks off the 2015/2016 Season in its Owen Theatre with Feathers and Teeth, Charise Castro Smith’s bone-chilling dark comedy that brings dysfunctional family drama to scary new heights. Directed by Resident Artistic Associate Henry Godinez, Feathers and Teeth was developed in the Goodman’s New Stages Festival and features Northwestern University student Olivia Cygan as the distraught 13-year-old Chris. 

The cast also includes Eric Slater as Chris’ father, Arthur, and Ali Burch as Ellie, her deceased mother. Christina Hall portrays Carol, Arthur’s new live-in fiancée, and Jordan Brodess as Hugo, the boy next door. Carolyn Hoerdemann delivers Foley effects—the representation of ambient sound effects—as soundscape for the action. The design team includes Kevin Depinet (Set); Mikhail Fiksel (Sound); Jesse Klug (Lighting); and Christine Pascual (Costumes). Kimberly Osgood is the production stage manager. 

Feathers and Teeth runs September 19 – October 18, 2015 in the Owen Theatre (Opening Night is September 28). Tickets ($10 - $40; subject to change) are on sale now at GoodmanTheatre.org/Feathers, by phone at 312.443.3800 or at the box office (170 North Dearborn). The Time Warner Foundation is the Lead Supporter of New Play Development. The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust is the Supporter of New Work Development.

“I started watching 1970s horror films, and became interested in how horror can actually be a way to understand the obsessions or fears of a culture. I was intrigued by the idea of revenge plays,” said playwright Charise Castro Smith, who refers to Feathers and Teeth as a “thrilledy”—a thriller comedy. “This play is a horror play, yes, but it’s also about a family grieving. Sometimes people ask me what I want the audience to know about the play going into it. My response is ‘not much.’ The fun things about the play are the surprises.”

Smith’s other plays include Estrella Cruz [The Junkyard Queen] (Ars Nova ANT Fest/Yale Cabaret/Upcoming: Halcyon Theatre); Boomcracklefly (Miracle Theater in Portland, OR), and The Hunchback of Seville (Brown Trinity Playwrights Rep/Washington Ensemble Theatre). She is currently working on new work commissions from Trinity Repertory Company and South Coast Repertory. She received her MFA from the Yale School of Drama and her BA from Brown University.

“It is such a pleasure to be part of the development of a new play—especially one as unusual as Feathers and Teeth,” said director Henry Godinez. “Charise takes realism and infuses it with a combination of 1970s campy television and truly frightening elements of a horror thriller without ever compromising the central story of a teenage girl’s genuine, heartbreaking story of loss and grief. It’s remarkably human.”

Home-sweet-home quickly turns into a haunted house for 13-year-old Chris (Olivia Cygan) when Carol (Christina Hall)—her father’s new fiancée from hell—moves in. Struggling with the recent death of her mother Ellie (Ali Burch), Chris is convinced her father Arthur’s (Eric Slater) live-in fiancée is ill-intentioned, but she can’t persuade Dad to her point-of-view. Enter a mysterious creature—and a little help from a friend (Jordan Brodess as Hugo).

In role of Foley Artist, Chicago actor Carolyn Hoerdemann provides a live soundscape for the show’s surprises. “I think hearing the sound effects live adds another layer to the play that’s so alive, juicy and tangible,” said Hoerdemann. “I play with sound just as the other actors play off each other.”

TICKETS ($10 - $40) AND DISCOUNTS

Tickets – GoodmanTheatre.org/Feathers or call 312.443.3800. Fax: 312.443.3825; TTY/TDD: 312.443.3829. Subscriptions – 3-play Owen Theatre subscriptions start at $75 (GoodmanTheatre.org/Brilliant)

Box Office Hours –12noon - 5pm; on performance days, the office remains open until 30 minutes past curtain. MezzTix – Half-price day-of-performance mezzanine tickets available at 10am online (promo code MEZZTIX) $10Tix – Student $10 tickets for any performance; limit four, with valid student ID (promo code 10TIX)

Group Sales – Discounted tickets for parties of 10+ – 312.443.3820
Gift Certificates – Available in any amount (GoodmanTheatre.org/GiftCertificates)

EVENTS AND SPECIAL PERFORMANCES (Contact the Box Office for tickets/reservations)

September 27, Artist Encounter with Charise Castro Smith and Henry Godinez, 5-6pm ($5; FREE for Subs/Donors/students) October 7, Sign-Interpreted Performance – 7:30pm; professional ASL interpreter signs the action/text as played

October 11, Audio-Described Performance –2pm; the action/text is audibly enhanced via a special headset

October 11, Touch Tour – 12:30pm; a 45-60 minute presentation detailing the set, costume and character elements October 18, Open-Captioned Performance – 2pm; an LED sign presents dialogue in sync with the performance

Every Wednesday and Thursday evening, PlayBacks – Discussions with actors immediately following the show

About Goodman Theatre

The Goodman’s 2015/2016 Season features nine productions on its two stages—six in the 856-seat Albert Theatre and three in the 400-seat flexible Owen Theatre plus the annual New Stages Festival, including three development productions; a world premiere special event production of 2666; and partner productions with The Second City and Albany Park Theater Project. The 2015/2016 Season starts with Disgraced by Ayad Akhtar, directed by Kimberly Senior (September 12 – October 18 in the Albert) and continues with Feathers and Teeth by Charise Castro Smith, directed by Henry Godinez, a world premiere (September 19 – October 18 in the Owen); the annual New Stages Festival (October 28 - November 15 in the Owen); the 38th annual production of A Christmas Carol adapted by Tom Creamer, directed by Henry Wishcamper (November 14 – December 27 in the Albert); The Second City’s Twist Your Dickens by Peter Gwinn and Bobby Mort (December 4 – 27 in the Owen); Another Word for Beauty by José Rivera, directed by Steve Cosson, a world premiere Goodman commission (January 16 – February 21, 2016 in the Albert); 2666 adapted and directed by Robert Falls and Seth Bockley, a world premiere special event (February 6 – March 13, 2016 in the Owen); The Matchmaker by Thornton Wilder, directed by Henry Wishcamper (March 5 – April 10, 2016 in the Albert); Carlyle by Thomas Bradshaw, directed by Benjamin Kamine, a world premiere Goodman commission (April 2 – May 1, 2016 in the Owen); The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window by Lorraine Hansberry, directed by Anne Kauffman (April 30 – June 5, 2016 in the Albert); Soups, Stews, and Casseroles: 1976 by Rebecca Gilman, directed by Robert Falls, a Chicago premiere (May 21 – June 19, 2016 in the Owen); Wonderful Town music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, book by Joseph A. Fields and Jerome Chodorov, directed by Mary Zimmerman (June 28 – August 21, 2016 in the Albert); and a production still to be announced with the Albany Park Theater Project.

Chicago’s flagship theater since 1925, Goodman Theatre is an artistic and community institution dedicated to the art of theater and to civic engagement in the issues of the contemporary world. The Goodman has transformed over the past 35 years into a world class theater and premier Chicago cultural institution distinguished by the quality and scope of its programming and its culturally and aesthetically diverse creative leadership; artistic priorities include new plays, reimagined classics, culturally specific works, musical theater and international collaborations. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Robert Falls and Executive Director Roche Schulfer, achievements include the Goodman’s state-of-the-art two-theater complex in the heart of the downtown Theatre District. Over the past three decades, the Goodman has generated more than 150 world or American premieres and more than 30 new-work commissions. “A mainstay of Chicago and beyond” (Chicago Sun-Times), the Goodman is internationally acclaimed for its “fresh work of magnitude and ambition (and) bold, risky theatrical choices” (Chicago Tribune). From new plays to “first-class revivals” (The New York Times), the Goodman has earned numerous awards for its productions: two Pulitzer Prizes; 22 Tony Awards, including Outstanding Regional Theatre (1992); and nearly 160 Joseph Jefferson Awards. Joan Clifford is Chair of Goodman Theatre’s Board of Trustees, Swati Mehta is Women’s Board President and Gordon C.C. Liao is President of the Scenemakers Board for young professionals.

Visit the Goodman virtually at GoodmanTheatre.org, and on Twitter (@GoodmanTheatre), Facebook and Instagram.

OPENING: Sucker Punch at Victory Gardens

Victory Gardens Theater presents

The Midwest Premiere of Sucker Punch

by Roy Williams

directed by Dexter Bullard

September 18 – October 18, 2015

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we've caught a handful of boxing plays over the years, and their rhythm and cadence is not unlike theatre staging. We're particularly excited for Victory Gardens' Midwest Premiere of Sucker Punch with it's timely and discussion provoking racial overtones. We'll be reviewing at the press opening this Friday so check back soon for our full review.

Victory Gardens Theater opens its 41st season with the Midwest Premiere of Sucker Punch by Roy Williams, directed by Dexter Bullard. Sucker Punch runs September 18 – October 18, 2015 with the press performance on Friday, September 25, 2015, at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue.

"We're thrilled to welcome Roy Willams to our Victory Gardens family as he makes his Chicago debut with Sucker Punch. I first met Roy when he was our guest on a panel of British playwrights of color that Victory Gardens hosted during our 2011 London Trip. I've since been a big fan of his work, especially Sucker Punch in which he masterfully captures the dreams and struggles of the Black British that mirrors our very own contemporary African American experience. I can't wait for Chicago audiences to see this electrifying play and encounter one of Britain's greatest contemporary playwrights," comments Artistic Director Chay Yew.

The cast of Sucker Punch includes Taylor Blim (Becky), Walter Briggs (Tommy), Maurice Demus (Leon), Kenn E. Head (Squid), John Judd (Charlie), Denzel Love (Troy) and André Teamer (Ray). 

The creative team includes Tom Burch (scenic), Tif Bullard (costumes), Lee Fiskness (lighting), Christopher Kriz (sound), Jay Tollefsen (props), Ruben Gonzalez (fight choreographer) and Helen Lattyak (production stage manager). 

It’s the 1980s, Michael Jackson rules the radio waves and Conan the Barbarian is the box office king at the movies. Aspiring black boxers, Leon and Troy, both have promising futures in the ring. When race riots explode in their London neighborhood, these two friends are forced to make a tough decision. Years later, they square off, facing each other and the men they have become. After premiering at The Royal Court in London, award-winning playwright Roy Williams’ Sucker Punch received four-star reviews from The London Times, Evening Standard, and The Telegraph and was called a “Knockout Punch” by The Guardian. This fast-paced, triumphant mid-west premiere takes an unflinching look at family, friends and the world of boxing.

About the Artists
Roy Williams (Playwright) Lift Off, Clubland, Fallout, Sucker Punch (Royal Court, Olivier Award Best play nomination for Sucker Punch), Category B, The Gift, Starstruck (Tricycle Theatre), Days of Significance  (Royal Shakespeare Company), Joe Guy (Soho Theatre/Tiata Fahodzi), Absolute Beginners (Lyric Hammersmith), Slowtime, Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads, Baby Girl (National Theatre) The No-Boys Cricket Club, Kingston 14, Antigone (Theatre Royal Stratford East) Local Boy, Wildefire (Hampstead Theatre) Sixty Six Books (Bush Theatre) Little Sweet Thing, Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (UK Tour) Film & TV “Let It Snow,” “Fallout,” “Offside,” (BAFTA Award for “Offside”) “Babyfather, “Fast Girls.”

Dexter Bullard (Director) Victory Gardens: Circle Mirror Transformation. Broadway: Grace. Off-Broadway: Mistakes Were Made, Lady, Bug. Regional: The Big Meal (ATC), Odradek (House), Mistakes Were Made, Bug, In the Solitude of Cotton Fields, Place of Angels, Tis Pity She's a Whore (Red Orchid), Reverie, Better Late Than Nader (Second City), Gas for Less (Goodman), Butcher of Baraboo (Steppenwolf), Tom & Jerry (American Blues), Tiny Dimes (Famous Door), 5xNo, Julius Caesar, Night at the Fights, Fun & Nobody, Bouncers (Next). Plasticene: From a Fading Light, One Fal$e Note, Blankslate, The Palmer Raids, And So I May Return, Head Poison, Come Like Shadows..., Volume XII, Refuge, Doorslam.

Taylor Blim (Becky) Taylor’s previous credits include: The Theatre School DePaul University: Assassins: The Musical, Gruesome Playground Injuries, Anna Bella Eema, Video Galaxy, Phantom Tollbooth. 

Walter Briggs (Tommy) Water’s previous credits include: Romeo Juliet, 12 Nights (American Repertory Theater), All Our Tragic (Getty Villa, LA).  Chicago:  All Our Tragic (The Hypocrites), Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, North China Lover (Lookingglass), Hit The Wall (The Inconvenience/Steppenwolf), The Glass Menagerie (Mary-Arrchie). Film: Jessica, A Good Person, Ballad, and Older Children.

Maurice Demus (Leon) Previous credits include: Really Really (Interrobang Theatre Project), Brothers Beckett (Black Fox Theatre), Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Black Rep Theatre). Film & TV: “When the Lights Go Out,” “Chicago PD,” “Sirens.” 

Kenn E. Head (Squid) is a veteran of the Chicago theatre scene. He is a familiar face on many Chicago stages appearing in Romeo and Juliet (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); Fish Men, The Convert  (Goodman Theatre); The Lost Boys of Sudan (Victory Gardens Theater) and Seven Guitars (Congo Square Theatre) where they garnered the coveted Jeff Award for Ensemble as well as Best Play. Kenn was also part of the Invisible Man and the production of Spunk (Court Theatre). Some of his most recent work includes The Overwhelming (Next Theater Company). Other theaters include Yale Repertory Theatre and American Theater Company. Television credits include “ER” and “Early Edition” as well as various commercials.

John Judd (Charlie) returns to Victory Gardens where he appeared in Death And The Maiden. He has performed at The Goodman Theatre: The Little Foxes, Measure For Measure, Sweet Bird of Youth, The Iceman Cometh, A Christmas Carol, Magnolia, Shining City. At Steppenwolf: Three Sisters, Clybourne Park, The Butcher Of Baraboo, Last Of The Boys, The Dresser, Orson’s Shadow, Our Town, Golden Boy. At Writer’s Theatre: Othello, Crime And Punishment, The Price. At Chicago Shakespeare Theatre: The Feast: An Intimate Tempest, Romeo And Juliet. At Northlight: The Lieutenant Of Inishmore, The Cripple Of Inishmaan. At Court: Lettice And Lovage, Gross Indecency. At Lookingglass: Great Men Of Science. At A Red Orchid: Gagarin Way. At Profiles: Wrecks, At About Face: Execution Of Justice, Shattered Globe: Come Back Little Sheba, Next: A Number, The Boarding House, Irish Rep: Long Day’s Journey Into Night, The Journeymen: Angels In America parts I and II. Off-Broadway: The Iceman Cometh at BAM, Crime And Punishment at 59E59, Orson’s Shadow at Barrow Street. Regionally and Internationally: Tribes at Actor’s Theatre Of Louisville, City Theatre Pittsburgh, Philadelphia Theatre Co., The Rainmaker at The Old Globe, San Diego, American Buffalo at McCarter Theatre Princeton, Shining City at Huntington Theatre Boston, Orson’s Shadow at Williamstown, Westport Country Playhouse, and Beaver Creek Colorado, Long Day’s Journey Into Night at Town Hall Theatre in Galway, Ireland.

Denzel Love (Troy) Denzel’s previous credits include: A Charlie Brown Christmas (Emerald City), Coat Check (Dandelion Theatre). The Theatre School Credits: Last days of Judas Iscariot, In the Heights, Our Town, John Henry. TV/Film: “Chicago PD,” “They Wake Up,” “Veracity.”

André Teamer (Ray) Andre’s previous credits include: Windy City Playhouse: Stick Fly; Eclipsed:  Ruined; Court: Jitney; NEXT: Luck Of The Irish; Black Ensemble: The Trial Of Moses Fleetwood Walker; MPAACT: Warm On The Cooling Board. Film & TV: “The Christmas Tree,” “Love Shorts,” “Market Value,” "The Playboy Club," "Chicago PD," "EMPIRE."

Schedule: Tuesdays: 7:30 pm 
Wednesdays: 2:00 pm; 7:30 pm 
Thursdays: 7:30 pm 
Fridays: 7:30 pm 
Saturdays: 3:00 pm; 7:30pm
Sundays: 3:00 pm

Accessible Performances: Word for Word (open caption) performances 
Friday, October 2 at 7:30 pm 
Saturday, October 3 at 4:00 pm

Wednesday, October 7 at 2:00 pm

Audio Description performance
Sunday, October 11 at 3:00pm

ASL Interpreted, Word for Word and Audio Description (open caption) performance
Friday, October 2 at 7:30pm 

Location: Victory Gardens Biograph Theater is located at 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue, in the heart of Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood

Tickets: Previews: $15 - $40 
Regular run: $15 - $60
Subscription Packages: Starting at $80

Box Office: The Box Office is located at 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago.
773.871.3000; www.victorygardens.org

Season Sponsors: Alphawood Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, 
The Joyce Foundation, The Mellon Foundation, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, and 
The Wallace Foundation
Travel Sponsor: Southwest Airlines 

About Victory Gardens Theater
Under the leadership of Artistic Director Chay Yew and Managing Director Christopher Mannelli, Victory Gardens is dedicated to artistic excellence while creating a vital, contemporary American Theater that is accessible and relevant to all people through productions of challenging new plays and musicals. With Victory Gardens’ first new Artistic Director in 34 years, the company remains committed to the development, production and support of new plays that has been the mission of the theater since its founding, continuing the vision set forth by Dennis Zacek, Marcelle McVay, and the original founders of Victory Gardens Theater.

Victory Gardens Theater is a leader in developing and producing new theater work and cultivating an inclusive Chicago theater community. Victory Gardens’ core strengths are nurturing and producing dynamic and inspiring new plays, reflecting the diversity of our city’s and nation’s culture through engaging diverse communities, and in partnership with Chicago Public Schools, bringing art and culture to our city’s active student population.  

Since its founding in 1974, the company has produced more world premieres than any other Chicago theater, a commitment recognized nationally when Victory Gardens received the 2001 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre. Located in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, Victory Gardens Biograph Theater includes the Zacek-McVay Theater, a state-of-the-art 259-seat mainstage and the 109-seat studio theater on the second floor, named the Richard Christiansen Theater.

Victory Gardens Ensemble Playwrights include Luis Alfaro, Philip Dawkins, Marcus Gardley, Ike Holter, Samuel D. Hunter, Naomi Iizuka, Tanya Saracho and Laura Schellhardt. Each playwright has a seven-year residency at Victory Gardens. 

The Playwrights Ensemble Alumni includes Claudia Allen, Lonnie Carter, Steve Carter, Gloria Bond Clunie, Dean Corrin, Nilo Cruz, Joel Drake Johnson, John Logan, Nicholas Patricca, Douglas Post, James Sherman, Charles Smith, Jeffrey Sweet and Kristine Thatcher.

For more information about Victory Gardens, visit www.victorygardens.org.  Follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/victorygardens and Twitter @VictoryGardens.

Victory Gardens Theater receives major funding from The Wallace Foundation, Alphawood Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, The Shubert Foundation, The Joyce Foundation, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Allstate Insurance, Polk Bros. Foundation, Crown Family Philanthropies, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The William and Orli Staley Foundation, The National Endowment for the Arts, and The REAM Foundation. Additional funding is provided by: Abbot Downing & Wells Fargo, Alliance Bernstein, The Charles H. and Bertha L. Boothroyd Foundation, a City Arts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, Exelon, The Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, John R. Halligan Charitable Fund, Illinois Arts Council (a state agency),  Illinois Tool Works, Italian Village Restaurants, Mayer Brown LLP, The McVay Foundation, Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg, LLP, The Prince Charitable Trusts, The Saints, Charles & M.R. Shapiro Foundation, Southwest Airlines, The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, and Wrightwood Neighbors Conservation Association.

OPENING: The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence at Theater Wit

Chi, IL Live Shows On Our Radar

Directed by Theater Wit Artistic Director Jeremy Wechsler

Featuring Joe Dempsey, Joe Foust and Kristina Valada-Viars

We can't wait to review on opening night, Sunday, October 4 at 7 p.m. ChiiL Live Shows will be there... will YOU?! Playwright Madeleine George and Chicago's Theater Wit are excited to premiere a brand new version of George's stunning 2014 Pulitzer Award finalist to launch Wit's fall season with a time-hopping, comic homage to the people - and machines - upon which we all depend.

Don't miss Madeleine George's time-traveling, Pulitzer-nominated 

The (curious case of the) 

Watson Intelligence, 

September 17-November 14

Chicago A-listers Joe Dempsey, Joe Foust and Kristina Valada-Viars star in George's smart, funny, dizzying trip with four Watsons and eight million human hearts. Theater Wit Artistic Director Jeremy Wechsler will stage George's comic meditation on technology, love and communication over the last 150 years.

George, one of Theater Wit's favorite writers, authored the company's 2013 smash hit Seven Homeless Mammoths Wander New England. Her new play The Watson Intelligence premiered at Playwrights Horizons in New York in 2013, was nominated for a 2014 Pulitzer Prize, and won the 2014 Outer Critics Circle John Glassner Playwriting Award. 

George participated in a subsequent workshop of the script this summer at Theater Wit, which looks forward to introducing Chicago to a work already hailed "refreshingly whimsical...a sweet and twisty time-tripping fantasy that keeps the seriocomic juices flowing" (Time Out New York).

Previews of The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence are September 17 through October 3: Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 7 p.m. There is an added Industry Night, Wednesday, October 30 at 8 p.m. No show Saturday, October. 3. 

Press opening is Sunday, October 4 at 7 p.m. 

Regular performances continue through November 14: Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 7 p.m.

Tickets are $12-$36. Theater Wit is located at 1229 N. Belmont, in the heart of the new Belmont Theatre District in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood. To purchase single tickets, a Theater Wit Membership or Flex Pass, visit TheaterWit.org or call 773.975.8150.
                                                                          

More about The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence

Theater Wit first introduced its audience to playwright Madeleine George with its 2014 hit Chicago premiere of Seven Homeless Mammoths Wander New England. The Chicago Tribune hailed Mammoths "an exceedingly funny play. I snickered and chortled all night long." The Chicago Sun-Times agreed Wit's Mammoths was "the smartest, funniest, most poignant play to arrive on a Chicago stage in a very long time."

In her new work The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence, four constant companions become one for a brilliantly witty, time-jumping, loving tribute (and cautionary tale) dedicated to the people - and machines - upon which we all depend. Here's the itinerary:

February, 2011. A techno-dweeb programmer looking for love perfects her new AI as IBM's Watson wins its first Jeopardy tournament.

March, 1891. Dr. Watson takes on his first solo case without Sherlock Holmes at his side.

March, 1876. The first voice communication by wire.

March, 1931. Thomas A. Watson is interviewed at Bell Labs about the famous quote. 

New York magazine called this seriocomic journey "marvelous and filled with marvels. In the Stoppardian world of The Watson Intelligence, George's human, dramatic play takes surprising turns." Her other plays include Seven Homeless Mammoths Wander New England (Susan Smith Blackburn finalist), Precious Little and The Zero Hour (Jane Chambers Award, Lambda Literary Award finalist). She's a resident playwright at New Dramatists and a founding member of the Obie-Award-winning playwrights' collective 13P (Thirteen Playwrights, Inc.).

Joe Dempsey makes his Theatre Wit debut in The Watson Intelligence. He recently appeared in Graveyard of Empires at 16th St., Samsara at Victory Gardens, The Mousetrap at Northlight, Native Son at Court, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Drury Lane Oak Brook (Jeff Nomination). Around Chicago Dempsey has acted at Goodman, Steppenwolf, Court, Lookingglass, Remy Bumppo, many others, and regionally at Milwaukee Rep, St. Louis Rep, Cincinnati Playhouse, Centerstage Baltimore, and City Theatre Pittsburgh. TV credits include E.R., Early Edition, What about Joan? and Chicago Fire. Dempsey is also a member of the Neo-Futurists, writing and performing in their 25-year signature late night show, Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind.

Joe Foust returns to Theatre Wit having appeared in Spin and The Santaland Diaries. Chicago credits include Measure for Measure, A Christmas Carol (Goodman), What the Butler Saw, Endgame (Court), Mother Courage and Her Children (Steppenwolf), The Merry Wives of Windsor, Laughter on the 23rd Floor, Unnecessary Farce, Making God Laugh, The Woman in Black (First Folio), Kabuki Medea (Wisdom Bridge), The Seagull, Major Barbara (Remy Bumppo), Accidental Death of an Anarchist (Next), Sideman (American Blues), 14 productions with Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, and three seasons with Oak Park Festival Theatre. Regional credits include playing Hamlet at Nevermore Theatre, The 39 Steps, Around the World in 80 Days, (Cleveland Playhouse), five productions with Milwaukee Shakespeare, Kabuki Achilles (People's Light and Theatre Co), The Winter's Tale (Missouri Rep), Romeo and Juliet (River Styx, London) and 16 seasons acting, writing and directing with Peninsula Players. Foust is a founding member of Defiant Theatre, where credits include directing and co-writing Action Movie: the Play and Ubu Raw. He dedicates his performance to the memory of his beloved wife, Molly Glynn.

Kristina Valada-Viars was previously seen at Theater Wit in Completeness by Itamar Moses and served as assistant to the director on Madeline George's Seven Homeless Mammoths Wander New England. Other credits include The Diary of Anne Frank (Writers Theatre), The Great God Pan (Next), Time Stands Still (Jeff Award nomination, Steppenwolf), August: Osage County (understudy, Broadway), Monstrosity (13P), Love Drunk (Abingdon Theatre Company), The Music Teacher (New Group) and 516 (New York International Fringe Festival). Film and television credits include Molly's Girl (Best Actress in a Feature, Iris Prize Film Festival), The Door in the Floor, BlackBox, Shameless, Law & Order: CI and Animal Husbandry.

Jeremy Wechsler (director) most recently staged Theater Wit's hits Bad Jews by Joshua Harmon, Mr. Burns, a post-electric play by Anne Washburn, Madeline George's Seven Homeless Mammoths Wander New England, and that show's summer remount at Art Square Theatre in Las Vegas. Wechsler also staged Wit's acclaimed 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. His productions have been nominated for and won multiple awards for design, performance, adaptation and best new work.


More about Theater Wit's 2015-16 season

Less than a week after The Watson Intelligence closes, Theater Wit will re-gift Chicago with its 12th annual staging of The Santaland Diaries, adapted by Joe Mantello, based on David Sedaris' true comic tale of his hilarious stint as one of Santa's elves at Macy's Department Store. Theater Wit Artistic Director Jeremy Wechsler directs, and Mitchell Fain will star in his eighth consecutive outing as Santa's snarkiest elf, the always-irreverent Crumpet. Press opening is Friday, November 20 at 7:30 p.m. The Santaland Diaries runs through December 27. Purchase tickets early, as this production always sells out. Here at ChiIL Live Shows, this is one of our annual favorites. Fain's take on Sedaris' classic is a perfect antidote to too much saccharine sweet holiday cheer!

Next spring, Theater Wit will introduce Chicago to one of the nation's top young contemporary women playwrights with its Midwest premiere of Alena Smith's The New Sincerity, a comedy about love, sex and protest, and perhaps the first drama to deal with the idealism of the Occupy Movement. Previews start February 25. Press opening is Monday, March 7 at 7 p.m. Performances run through April 17.

Theater Wit membership card

The best way to secure seats to Theater Wit's 2015-16 season is by signing up for a Theater Wit Membership. Wit's Netflix-like "all the theater you can eat" membership deal lets members see as many plays at they want at any of Theater Wit's three spaces for one low monthly fee of $36/$22 for students, along with many exclusive member perks. Wit also offers a 10-play Flex Pass for $215 to anything presented in the building, a savings of up to 40%. Single tickets for Wit's 2015-16 productions start at $12, and will go on sale approximately two months before the first preview of each production.


Meanwhile, over at the Royal George...

In addition to its three-play season on Belmont Avenue, Theater Wit's wildly acclaimed Bad Jews, Joshua Harmon's smart, funny new play about 20something Jews grappling with faith, family and identity, has reopened at the Royal George Theatre, 1641 N. Halsted St., in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood, where it's just been extended yet again, till November 1st! We'll say it yet again. Don't miss THIS! If you haven't gone, go already. If you have, go again.

This is another highly recommended favorite our ours here at ChiIL Live Shows. We caught both opening nights at Theater Wit and Royal George and the show is a must see. The intimate staging of a small theatre space adds to the "fly on the wall" effect for the audience. This makes the family conflict more intense and the layers of relationship humor and pain more poignant. 

We enjoyed the fast paced banter from the original opening on, but the production has become even stronger over the months. The familiarity between characters has not only bred contempt, but compassion, and delicious down time between the bickering. The timing is better and the show is now not so much a full on verbal assault, but an unfolding game of chess, with plenty of non verbals and predatory pauses. The crowning highpoint remains the final stunning scene. No spoilers.  

Wit's Chicago premiere of Bad Jews debuted last May to critical acclaim, sold out houses, wait lists, and naturally, a few complaints about its title. Regardless, Bad Jews quickly became a Chicago storefront sensation, transferred for a successful summer run at the North Shore in Skokie, and transferred again for another fall run at Chicago's Royal George. For tickets and information, call the Royal George box office, 312.988.9000 or visit badjewschicago.com.


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 fifth 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, 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, including 2015-16 resident companies Stage Left, About Face, Shattered Globe and Kokandy Productions. 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.

For more information, call the Theater Wit box office, 773.975.8150, or visit  TheaterWit.org.

REVIEW: A Fond Hello to JAMAICA, FAREWELL now playing at Royal George

Hershey Felder Presents 

JAMAICA, FAREWELL

at The Royal George Theatre

From the Director of the Smash Hit Comedy 

“My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” Joel Zwick

Debra Ehrhardt is a consummate story teller who weaves a James Bond worthy web of a war torn 70's Jamaican escape epic. This one woman power house has no trouble captivating the audience with her tale, and her energy and enthusiasm are contagious. The simple, tropical lighting, ever changing background screens, and set design accentuate the action and ably set the stage for Debra's antics. We highly recommended this harrowing and hilarious immigration saga. Don't miss this.

All Photos courtesy of Chuck Osgood of Charles Osgood Photography.

Based on her true life story, writer-performer Ehrhardt’s JAMAICA, FAREWELL chronicles her escape from revolution-torn Jamaica in the 1970’s to fulfill her lifelong dream of coming to America. Performances begin at Chicago’s Royal George Theatre, 1641 North Halsted, 60614, on Tuesday, September 8, and continue through Sunday, October 11. Tickets are $50 each for all performances.

When Debra Ehrhardt was an eighteen-year-old secretary in Kingston, Jamaica, she bumped into a handsome CIA agent over a bowl of oxtail soup on her lunch break. During the turbulent 70s of the Manley Era she saw her chance – a pinhole of opportunity that she could squeeze through with the help of this love-struck American, to potentially make it to America. She began a dangerous adventure that only the single-minded passion of a teenage girl would chance, blurring the lines between bravery and foolishness as she became more desperate: agreeing to smuggle a million US dollars in cash to a mysterious contact somewhere in Miami, with the agent unknowingly becoming her accomplice.

See what happens when the audacity of youth comes smack up against the impossibility of escaping from the war-torn class struggle that seized Jamaica in the 1970s. With all the surprise and ingenuity of the best make-believe tales, the true story of Debra Ehrhardt's dangerous journey from the island of her youth to the country of her dreams will enthrall you, charm you, and ultimately leave you celebrating at the triumphant conclusion of her autobiographical one-woman show.

JAMAICA, FAREWELL is Kingston-born Debra Ehrhardt’s third one-woman show. Previous productions include the award-winning Mango Mango, and Invisible Chairs, which was produced by David Strasberg at the Marilyn Monroe Theatre in West Hollywood and subsequently optioned as a situation comedy by Fox. Ehrhardt was also a 2007 NYC Fringe festival award-winner and received a 2007 Proclamation from the City of New York for JAMAICA, FAREWELL for her outstanding contribution to the Jamaican community. JAMAICA, FAREWELL was optioned by Rita Wilson-Hanks who produced the play with Garry Marshall at the Falcon Theatre. Ehrhardt is currently adapting JAMAICA, FAREWELL for the big screen. More info at www.jamaicafarewelltheplay.com. 

Continuing to bring exciting stories and new productions to Chicago audiences, ‘Hershey Felder Presents’ (George Gershwin Alone, Maestro Bernstein, The Pianist of Willesden Lane, Louis and Keely ‘Live’ at the Sahara) now brings a newly designed production of the award-winning and internationally acclaimed play JAMAICA, FAREWELL, written and performed by Debra Ehrhardt and directed by Joel Zwick (My Big Fat Greek Wedding), to Chicago’s Royal George Theatre. 

The New York Times calls JAMAICA, FAREWELL “One loopy, increasingly funny story.” The production sold out in a critically acclaimed production at Chicago’s Chopin Theater in May, 2012. The Chicago Tribune’s Chris Jones raved “A very funny and fast-paced piece – ninety highly enjoyable minutes,” and the Chicago Sun-Times’ Hedy Weiss called Ehrhardt “A storyteller who can fill up empty space with the sheer power of her exuberant storytelling.”

Joel Zwick (Director) directed My Big Fat Greek Wedding, the highest-grossing romantic comedy of all time. Recent films include Fat Albert and Elvis Has Left the Building. Zwick directed the Broadway production of Hershey Felder’s George Gershwin Alone at the Helen Hayes Theatre, as well as Felder’s Monsieur Chopin, Beethoven as I Knew Him, and Maestro Bernstein. He began his theatrical career at La Mama E.T.C. as director of the La Mama Plexus. He has directed on Broadway, Off-Broadway and for Broadway touring companies. Zwick is recognized as one of Hollywood’s most prolific directors of episodic television, having directed over 550 TV episodes. He is currently directing Shake it Up for the Disney Channel. Zwick has taught drama at Yale University, Brooklyn College, Queens College, Wheaton College and USC and has made his home in Hollywood for the past decade.

Hershey Felder (Producer)

Broadway, London's West End: George Gershwin Alone (Helen Hayes Theatre, Duchess Theatre). Regional and international appearances of “Composers Sonata” (1999-2014) – George Gershwin Alone, Monsieur Chopin, Beethoven, As I Knew Him, and Maestro: Leonard Bernstein and Hershey Felder as IRVING BERLIN (Geffen Theatre LA World Premiere, Laguna Playhouse, upcoming: Majestic Theatre Boston, La Jolla Playhouse, Theatreworks Palo Alto, Arizona Theatre Company and more). He is the winner of the 2007 Los Angeles Ovation Awards, Best Musical and Best Actor for George Gershwin Alone. Worldwide live broadcasts, George Gershwin Alone, 2005 and 2011 for the WFMT Network. Direction includes Mona Golabek in The Pianist of Willesden Lane (National Tour), Current projects include Abe Lincoln’s Piano, Hershey Felder as IRVING BERLIN and several other titles in development for various artists. Mr. Felder is a Steinway Concert Artist, and has been a Scholar in Residence at Harvard University's Department of Music. He is the President of Eighty-Eight Entertainment and is married to Kim Campbell, the former Prime Minister of Canada.

The artistic team for JAMAICA, FAREWELL is led by Director Joel Zwick. Scenic Design is by Hershey Felder and Trevor Hay, Sound Design is by Erik Carstensen, Lighting Design is by Richard Norwood and Video Design is by Andrew Wilder. Scenic Decoration is by Meghan Maiya and Stacy Nezda. Matt Marsden serves as General Manager and the Production Stage Manager is Rebecca Peters.  Karen Racanelli serves as executive producer, and Samantha F. Voxakis serves as associate producer.

Performances of JAMAICA, FAREWELL begin Tuesday, September 8 at 7:30 p.m. and continue as follows: Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m., Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. All tickets are $50. Tickets are on sale at The Royal George Theatre and may be purchased by calling 312.988.9000. Box office hours are 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com.

REOPENING TONIGHT AT ROYAL GEORGE: Great News For Bad Jews- Fifth Extension!

FIFTH EXTENSION!

Now at the Royal George Theatre, 1641 N Halsted

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we caught Bad Jews' original opening at Theater Wit last spring, and we'll be back again tonight to catch their 5th extension and 3rd home since this production opened on the Chicago scene. If you haven't seen it yet, what are you waiting for? Go already! 

Bad Jews is a high energy, fast paced throw down between cousins. These characters are passionate about making a point and nothing is sacred. Religion, wealth, family relations, misogyny and cultural heritage are all ammunition in this hilariously cringe worthy creation. Bad Jews has a wicked wit and surprising depth. Highly recommended.

Nothing brings out the worst in a family like a funeral. Daphna is the most devout Jew in the Feygenbaum family. (Just ask her.) Her cousin Liam is the most deserving first-born. (Just ask him.) Don't ask Liam's brother Jonah anything. In this savagely funny comedy, long standing (and not-so-buried) antipathies boil up in a battle between two cousins over a treasured family heirloom. Stir in the identity curation and you get one of the funniest, wisest, most excruciating plays you'll see this year.

★★★ 1/2 STARS! Savagely fearless, hilarious comedy! It's a perilous arena, these matters of race and appearance, but if people are laughing, there are real opportunities for the fearless. And this hilarious staging of "Bad Jews" grabs its chance and squeezes hard.

Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune [Full review]

★★★★ Nuanced questions about cultural identity and assimilation anda lot of nervous laughter! Tremendously disquieting.

Kris Vire, Time Out Chicago

Witty and ruthless! Laura Lapidus makes Daphna utterly mesmerizingas she dances through Jonah's apartment, performing a kind of scorched-earth psychic ballet.

Tony Adler, Chicago Reader

★★★★ The most extraordinary acting I’ve seen on a Chicago stage! The audience is sent out of the theater dazzled.

CTR 

A stellar piece of emotional bloodsport, courtesy of director Jeremy Wechsler and a game, jugular-slashing cast. But Bad Jews isn’t cheap. It is a heartfelt, almost rabbinical debate about what it means to be Jewish. It’s interested in cultural memory, institutional religion, and the tug-of-war between progress and tradition.

New City 

FREE Corona Electric Beach Elevates Your EDM Experience at Roof On theWIT (21+)

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar. Come ChiIL out above the rest in Chi, IL, Sunday, September 6th. Roof On theWIT is featuring Aussie wunderkind Will Sparks joined by brass wielding producer/DJ Timmy Trumpet. The dynamic duo will be bringing much more than their "Straya" twang to the party, these two combined have boasted titles that include "Australia's #1 DJ," and "The Busiest DJ In Australia" with their endless list of megastar collaborations, festival headlining slots, and reality TV show gigs. 

This marks Electric Beach's third event in the the Windy City this summer, beginning with Whiite, Love Taps, AN21, and more. Elsewhere, Electric Beach has brought the party to Chicago, Las Vegas, and LA with Diplo, Skrillex, Tommy Trash, SNBRN, David Guetta, Avicii, RL Grime, and more.

Summer may be coming to a close with cooler weather slowly creeping in, but Corona's event series Electric Beach is just heating up. Capping off a summer season that saw the team bring the likes of Diplo, Skrillex, Just Blaze, Chromeo, Tommy Trash, Avicii, TWRK, and more, to venues in Las Vegas, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and The Hamptons, Electric Beach is blazing full steam ahead with a stacked line-up of events. 

First up, Electric Beach will be returning to Las Vegas on Friday, August 28th with old friend TJR who will bring his riot starting skill set to Wynn's sun soaked Encore Beach Club. If the desert isn't really your speed, Sunday, September 6th you can head out to the Big Easy, where you can check out Aussie wunderkind Will Sparks joined by brass wielding producer/DJ Timmy Trumpet throwing down at Chicago's Roof On theWit. The dynamic duo will be bringing much more than their "Straya" twang to the party, these two combined have boasted titles that include "Australia's #1 DJ," and "The Busiest DJ In Australia" with their endless list of megastar collaborations, festival headlining slots, and reality TV show gigs. 

Heading out east, Electric Beach will set up shop in Hotel Hugo's swanky Azul where they will bring out MOTHXR, French Horn Rebellion, and Julian Cavin for an afternoon soirée in NYC Saturday, September 5th. These forces combined represent some of indie-electronic's brightest shining stars. The trifecta of talent will leave the live instruments at home, rather hopping on the ones and twos to put their DJ skills on full blast. Find more info for all Electric Beach events, including the ones outlined above, here. 

Tuning into one of this season’s hottest fashion trends – nautical – this year’s ultimate day party is the perfect summer escape for those looking for an upscale, escapist experience. Themed “Sail Away,” ROOF Sundays will feature a dynamic entertainment line-up filled with live musicians, vocal artists, dancers and national EDM DJs every Sunday from May 24 – September 6. Expect to see staff sporting the easy, breezy nautical trend for Spring and Summer that evokes a relaxed warm weather style.

Set 27 stories above it all, the nightlife experience at the 7,000-square-foot lounge ROOF features the open air and stunning views, enhanced by a climate control system so it’s never too hot or too cool on the globally recognized rooftop.  Known for featuring world renowned DJs, this year ROOF Sundays will also be showcasing live musicians including Katarina Veskovic on the electric violin.

Along with some of the top DJs in the country, guests at ROOF Sundays will enjoy a specialty menu with items like tempura lobster roll, seafood tower, and fresh handmade flatbreads and dips to share from our wood-burning oven.

ROOF Sunday’s starts at 2pm; no cover charge and open to the public on a first come, first served basis. Reservations for table and bottle service can be made by calling 312-239-9502. For more information, visit www.roofonthewit.com

About Corona’s Electric Beach

Known for bringing a fun in the sun vibe to legendary dance clubs, Electric Beach is an EDM focused concert series sponsored by the legendary alcohol brand Corona. In 2014, Electric Beach had weekly residencies the Encore Beach Club in Las Vegas and SubClub in New York City among other popup events in Los Angelesand Chicago. These events have attracted large followings among dance music enthusiasts and conventional partygoers alike. By creating an authentic on site consumer experience, Electric Beach is a party atmosphere synonymous with the laid back music entertainment produced all over Mexico’s Beaches. “This is a party experience that is not only about the DJ but also about the ambiance.”

About Constellation Brands Beer Division

Constellation Brands Beer Division is the exclusive brewer, marketer and supplier of a growing portfolio of high-end, iconic, imported beer brands for the U.S. market.  The portfolio includes Corona Extra (the #1 imported beer in the U.S. and #5 beer overall), Corona Light, Modelo Especial, Negra Modelo, Pacifico and Victoria beer brands. The Beer Division also imports the Tsingtao beer brand in the U.S. For more information, visit www.cbrands.com

OPENING: American Idiot Hypocrites Style Opens at The Den This Sunday

Got your tickets? ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar. American Idiot, featuring the music of Green Day and the genius of Chicago's own Hypocrites opens THIS Sunday.  Here at ChiIL Mama, we've had the great pleasure of reviewing the Broadway touring production of American Idiot twice over the years when they played Chicago. Now we can't wait to see The Hypocrites' unique take on American Idiot. The Hypocrites are favorites of ours and unafraid to push the boundaries. They're equally adept at taking on French absurdist classics, epically long form mythology, or Gilbert and Sullivan musicals. Whether you're a GreenDay fan or not, American Idiot The Musical Hypocrites style is sure to be one to see. We can't wait!  The Hypocrites are thrilled to launch their 2015-16 season with the Chicago premiere of the smash Broadway musical American Idiot, featuring music by Grammy Award-winning punk rock band Green Day. Directed by Steven Wilson; Music Direction by Andra Velis Simon; Choreography by Katie Spelman. Cast/Band includes: Isa Arciniegas, Marcos Barnes, Becca Brown, Elisa Carlson, Jay W. Cullen, Whitney Dottery, Dakota Hughes, Brian Keys, Michael Kurowski, Luke Linsteadt, Alex Madda, Aubrey McGrath, Steven Perkins, David Daniel Smith, Janelle Villas, Malic White, Krystal Worrell, and Alexander Zukoff. The creative team includes: Rebecca Adelsheim, Pat Fries, Heather Gilbert, John Kelly, Alyson Kulin, Spencer Meeks, Mieka van der Ploeg, Joe Schermoly, Linda Sherfick, Rick Sims, Danny Spagnuolo, and Gabby Welsh. Remaining Previews: Wednesday, September 2 at 8 pm, Thursday, September 3 at 8 pm, Friday, September 4 at 8 pm and Saturday, September 5 at 8 pm. Press Performance: Sunday, September 6 at 7 pm Regular Run: Friday, September 11 – Sunday, October 25, 2015 Tickets Prices: $28 – $36. American Idiot plays through October 25 at The Den Theatre's Heath Main Stage, 1329 N Milwaukee Ave., Fri @ 8pm, Sat @ 3pm & 8pm and Sun @ 3pm. Got your tickets yet? What are you waiting for? Click here for The Hypocrites' main site and order your tickets today for best availability.