Shows On Our Radar: Mies Julie at Victory Gardens Theater Through June 24th

Chi IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

Victory Gardens Theater concludes 43rd Season with

Mies Julie

By Yaël Farber

Directed by Dexter Bullard

Adapted from August Strindberg’s Miss Julie

**Mies Julie is recommended for mature audiences, ages 18+**

May 25 – June 24, 2018

Victory Gardens Theater concludes its 43rd season with Mies Julie, written by Yaël Farber, directed by Dexter Bullard, and adapted from August Strindberg’s Miss Julie. Mies Julie runs May 25 – June 24, 2018

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we've seen many versions of Strindberg's Miss Julie over the years, yet none quite like this. I'm eager to check out Victory Gardens' take on Yaël Farber’s modern, post apartheid South Africa based adaptation.

Set in a remote South African desert, playwright Yaël Farber’s award-winning adaptation of August Strindberg's classic Miss Julie has never "raged quite so fiercely," (The Guardian).  It is Freedom Day, 18 years after the end of apartheid. A farm laborer John encounters his white Afrikaans master's daughter, Julie, on a feverish night fueled by heat, primal passion, and generation-deep resentment.  The visceral struggles of contemporary South African society are revealed as a deadly attraction spirals violently out of control. 

“We are very excited to bring you Yaël Farber’s internationally acclaimed play to Chicago,” said Artistic Director Chay Yew. “Raw, powerful, and passionate, Yaël's breathtaking adaptation of Strindberg's classic Miss Julie adds a new political dimension to the classic and fleshes out more fully the contemporary issues of race and power, and gender and power through the lens of post-apartheid South Africa. It’s a complex dance that so many of us walk on a day-to-day basis, and Yaël's exploration of this duality is relentless. With heated language and stark dialogue, we are forced to see ourselves reflected in the circumstances surrounding Mies Julie in unexpected ways.”



The cast of Mies Julie includes Tosha 'Ayo' Alston (Ukhokho), Heather Chrisler (Mies Julie), Jalen Gilbert (John) and Celeste Williams (Christine).

The creative team includes Kurtis Boetcher (scenic design), Raquel Adorno (costume design), Diane B. Fairchild (lighting design), Stephen Ptacek (sound design) and Eleanor Kahn (props). For this production of Mies Julie Phillip Timberlake serves as the dialect coach and Kristina Fluty is the intimacy and violence choreographer. Carol Ann Tan is the assistant director, Jessica Forella is the production stage manager and Skyler Gray is the dramaturg.


About the Artists
DEXTER BULLARD (Director) is happy to be back at Victory Gardens after directing Roy WIlliams' Sucker Punch and Annie Baker’s Circle Mirror Transformation. Recent credits include Tracy Letts’ Linda Vista and Annie Baker’s The Flick at Steppenwolf,  Craig Wright's Grace on Broadway, the world premiere of Dan LeFranc's The Big Meal at American Theatre Company, Odradek at The HOUSE Theatre, Mistakes Were Made at Barrow Street Theater Off-Broadway and with A Red Orchid Theatre, Reverie with Second City at The Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal, Lady at Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre Off-Broadway, and Gas for Less at the Goodman Theatre. In 2004, Dexter was awarded the Lucille Lortel Award for Tracy Letts’ Bug at The Barrow Street Theater, as well as a Drama Desk Nomination. In 1995 Dexter co–founded Plasticene, a physical theater company whose critically–acclaimed experimental works were featured at The Steppenwolf Studio, The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, The Storefront Theatre, Performing Arts Chicago, MCA, and in New York City. With the Plasticene company, he directed and collaboratively created sixteen original works over seventeen years including The Palmer Raids (2003.) Since 1996, Dexter has directed with The Second City, leading a National Touring Company and developing satirical revues at E.T.C. and at Second City Detroit. Back in 1990, Dexter founded The Next Lab at The Next Theatre where he directed Bouncers, for which he received a Jefferson Citation and an After Dark award for his direction. At Next Theatre, he directed and/or created eight shows for mainstage and Lab as well as producing the world premiere of Tracy Letts’ Killer Joe. He has also directed projects for Famous Door Theatre, Northlight Theatre, Hartford Stage Company, Manhattan Theatre Club, Links Hall, and several times for A Red Orchid Theatre. Dexter received his undergraduate degree from Northwestern, his MFA in Performance from School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and is the Head of Graduate Acting at The Theatre School at DePaul University.

YAËL FARBER (Playwright) is a multiple award-winning director and playwright of international acclaim. Her productions have toured the world extensively - earning her a reputation for hard-hitting, controversial works of the highest artistic standard. She has most recently directed a highly acclaimed production of Loraine Hansberry’s unfinished final work Les Blancs for the National Theatre in London. Her recent production of Salomé (written and directed by Farber) for Washington’s Shakespeare Theater Company was received powerfully by the press, was nominated for 10 and won 7 Helen Hayes Awards - including Best Director and Best Play 2015. Her award-winning production of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible for the Old Vic at London’s West End garnered ten 5-star reviews from UK’s top publications, and a rave review from The New York Times. The production earned her a London Evening Standard nomination and an Olivier Nomination, and is one of the most successful productions in The Old Vic’s illustrious history. A film of the production, captured by Digital Theatre, sold out in theatres for limited runs around the world. Nirbhaya (directed and written by Farber in India 2013) earned exceptional reviews and three international awards at the 2013 Edinburgh Festival. Mies Julie (written and directed by Farber) won a string of international awards at the Edinburgh Festival 2012 and was named one of the Top Ten Productions of 2012 by The New York Times, and Top Five Productions of 2012 by The Guardian. A selection of her awards include: BroadwayWorld Best Director (2014); Asian Media Award (2014); The Amnesty Freedom of Expression Award (2013); Best of Edinburgh Award (2012); Scotsman Fringe First Awards (2000, 2012, 2013); Herald Angel Awards (2003, 2012, 2013); South Africa’s Fleur du Cap (2012), Vita (1991) and Naledi Awards (2002, 2008, 2013); Boston’s Elliot Norton Award (2013); Canada’s Dora Mavor Moore Award (2014) and a BBC Sony Award (2001). She was named Artist of the Year in her native South Africa (2003). Ms. Farber was named amongst the top 100 South Africans by Citypress in 2013. Her plays are published by Oberon Books (London, UK). Her productions have toured across the major cities of the USA, the UK, Africa, Canada, Australia, Japan, Europe, India, United Arab Emirates, Singapore and Hong Kong. She has been an invitee at the Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab (NYC), a guest artist at Mabou Mines Theatre Company (NYC), Haus der Kulturen der Welt (Berlin), The Public Theater (NYC) and the Sundance Institute Theatre Lab (Utah). She served as Head of the Directing Program at the National Theatre School of Canada between 2009 and 2012. Ms. Farber was named amongst the top 100 South Africans by Citypress in 2013. Her plays are published by OBERON BOOKS (London, UK).

TOSHA 'AYO' ALSTON (Ukhokho) is a quintessential Brooklynite and was raised in a family of highly skilled artists and musicians. Ayo served as Dance Captain for Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago. In 2009, Ayo birthed Ayodele Drum and Dance; a teaching organization created for women to affirm their self-confidence and strength in our communities. Ayodele personalizes African music and dance in order to effectively infuse our children with cultural wealth. Ayohas and continues to share her growing knowledge of traditional and contemporary African and African diaspora dance and music forms across the country. She is a level 1 ASA fitness instructor. Ayo currently teaches at Columbia College at Chicago and Chicago High School for the Arts.

HEATHER CHRISLER (Mies Julie) makes her Victory Gardens debut. Chicago credits include Twilight Bowl (Goodman, New Stages), Machinal (Greenhouse Theatre Center, Chris Jones' Top Ten Performances of 2017), Mary's Wedding, Captain Blood, The Madness of Edgar Allan Poe (First Folio Theatre), Her Majesty's Will (Lifeline Theatre), good friday (Oracle Productions, Jeff Award Nomination Best Ensemble), and All's Well That Ends Well (Stage Left). Regional credits include Dancing Lessons (Riverside Theatre), Romeo and Juliet, Tempest (Door Shakespeare), Christmas Carol, The Three Musketeers (Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park), Much Ado About Nothing, and Blithe Spirit (Monomoy Theatre). She has appeared on TV in Chicago P.D. and holds a MFA from Ohio University.

JALEN GILBERT (John) has appeared in Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea (First Floor Theater), Paradise Blue (Timeline Theatre (u/s), and East Texas Hot Links (Writers Theatre(u/s). His Film & TV credits include The Exorcist, Medicine, and Solo.

CELESTE WILLIAMS (Christine) has previously appeared at Victory Gardens in Tree, Knock Me a Kiss, Emma’s Child, and Pecong. Other theatre credits include Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Northlight Theatre, Writers’ Theatre, Court Theatre, Next Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, and Clarence Brown Theatre. Film and TV credits include Rose White, Boss, and Empire.


Full Performance Schedule
Previews for Mies Julie are May 25 – 31, 2018. Previews are $15-$45. The Press opening is Friday, June 1 at 7:30pm. Regular performances run June 2 – 24, 2018: Tuesday – Friday at 7:30pm; Saturday at 3pm and 7:30pm; Sunday at 3pm.  Regular performances are $15-$60.

Victory Gardens has partnered with mobile theater ticketing app TodayTix to offer free tickets for the first preview of Mies Julie. Free Tickets will be available via TodayTix mobile lottery, launching one week before the first preview on Friday, May 18, 2018. Winners will be notified by email and push notification between 12:00pm and 3:00pm on the day of the first preview, Friday, May 25, 2018. To enter, download the TodayTix app on your iOS or Android device.

Accessible Performance Schedule
ASL Interpreted Performance: Friday, June 8 at 7:30pm

Word for Word (open captioning): Friday, June 8 at 7:30pm, Saturday, June 9 at 3:00pm, and Wednesday, June 13 at 2:00pm
           
Audio Description/Touch Tour: Friday, June 8 at 7:30pm (Touch tour at 6:00pm), Sunday, June 17 at 3:00pm (Touch tour at 1:30pm)

Performances are at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N Lincoln Avenue, in the heart of Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood. For tickets and information, call the Victory Gardens Box Office, 773.871.3000, email tickets@victorygardens.org, or visit www.victorygardens.org. Ask the Box Office about student tickets ($15), senior, and Access. For group discounts, call 872.817.9087.

Previews: May 25 – 31, 2018
Press opening:            Friday, June 1, 2018 at 7:30pm
Regular run:                June 2 – 24, 2018

Schedule:                     Tuesdays - Fridays:     7:30pm
Saturdays:                    3:00pm; 7:30pm
Sundays:                      3:00pm

Accessible Performances: Word for Word (open captioning): Friday, June 8 at 7:30pm,
Saturday, June 9 at 3:00pm, and Wednesday, June 13 at 2:00pm

ASL Interpreted: Friday, June 8 at 7:30pm

Audio Description/Touch Tour: Friday, June 8 at 7:30pm (Touch tour at 6:00pm), Sunday, June 17 at 3:00pm (Touch tour at 1:30pm)

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

Tickets:                        Previews:          $15 - $45
Regular run:     $15 - $60

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

2017/18 Women’s 
Series Major 
Production Sponsors:              Janice Miller

2017/18 Women’s 
Series Production 
Sponsors:                                Doris Conant; Marcelle McVay and Dennis Zacek; Jeffrey
Rappin and Penny Brown; Jane M Saks, Nathan Cummings Foundation; and Bill and Orli Staley Foundation

            Production Sponsors:              Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation and Virginia and Gary Gerst 

Playwright’s Society Sponsors: Bruce and Jacki Barron, David and Virginia Glasner, and Golden Country Oriental Food LLC

Major Season Support:            Allstate, Alphawood Foundation, David Rockefeller Fund, Doris Duke Charitable Trust, Exelon, Harold & Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, Paul M Angell Foundation, The Joyce Foundation, The Mellon Foundation, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The Prince Charitable Trust, The REAM Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, Time Warner Foundation  Inc., and The Wallace Foundation

Travel Sponsor:                       Southwest Airlines


About Victory Gardens Theater
Under the leadership of Artistic Director Chay Yew and Managing Director Erica Daniels, 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.  Victory Gardens Theater is committed to the development, production and support of new plays that has been the mission of the theater since its founding, set forth by Dennis Začek, 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 Začek-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 Theater.

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

Victory Gardens Theater receives sustaining support from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Joyce Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The REAM Foundation, Shubert Foundation, Venturous Theater Fund of the Tides Foundation, and Wallace Foundation. It receives major funding from Crown Family Philanthropies, Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, and Polk Bros. Foundation. Major funders also include:Allstate Insurance, Alphawood Foundation, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, Edgerton Foundation, Exelon, Field Foundation of Illinois, Illinois Arts Council Agency, David Rockefeller Fund, Bill and Orli Staley Foundation, Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, Time Warner Foundation Inc., Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation. Additional funding this season is provided by: Alliance Bernstein, Charles H. and Bertha L. Boothroyd Foundation, Capital Group Private Client Services, Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, The Chicago Foundation for Women, ComEd, Nathan Cummings Foundation, Golden Country Oriental Foods, John R. Halligan Charitable Fund, ITW, JCCC Foundation, Mayer Brown LLP, The McVay Foundation, Metropolitan Capital Bank & Trust, National Endowment for the Arts, Negaunee Foundation, Roberta Olshansky Charitable Fund, Origin Ventures, Pauls Foundation, PNC Financial Services Group, Prince Charitable Trusts, Seabury Foundation, Charles & M.R. Shapiro Foundation, Wrightwood Neighbors Association. In-kind support is provided by:  Dimo’s Pizza, Fiesta Mexicana, Italian Village Restaurants, Southwest Airlines, Roy’s Furniture, Suite Home Chicago, and Whole Foods Market. This project is partially supported by an Incent Ovate Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events.

Second City’s UP Comedy Club To Host 5th Annual Bob Curry Fellowship Showcase and 4th Annual NBCUniversal Break Out Comedy Festival This June

Chi IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

The Second City presents

5th Annual Bob Curry Fellowship Showcase

Wednesday, June 6 at 8 pm in Second City’s e.t.c. Theater

4th Annual NBCUniversal Break Out Comedy Festival

Hosted by Godfrey, David Pompeii and Azhar Usman

June 7 - 9 at Second City’s UP Comedy Club

The Second City will bring diverse new voices to the forefront of the comedy world with a series of events June 6 - 9, 2018. The weekend kicks off with the 5th annual Bob Curry Fellowship Showcase, featuring 16 of the best and brightest new voices in comedy. The 4th annual NBCUniversal Second City Break Out Comedy Festival, which spotlights rising talent from across the country, will be hosted by incomparable comic Godfrey (Comedy Central, VH1, BET), Second City alumnus David Pompeii (Comedy Central, Key and Peele) and special guest Azhar Usman (Comedy Cellar of NY).

“The Diversity and Inclusion program was formally introduced over 25 years ago as part of Second City’s ongoing mission. We couldn’t be more thrilled with the Bob Curry and Break Out Festival events, which are the centerpieces of the initiative and a vital part of the overall programming at Second City,” said Dionna Griffin-Irons, Director of Diversity Talent and Development. “No fan of comedy should miss out on this weekend exploding with fresh, diverse voices.”

The Bob Curry Fellowship Showcase
Second City’s e.t.c. Theater (230 W North Ave, 2nd Floor of Piper’s Alley)
Wednesday, June 6 at 8pm
Tickets, $15, 312-337-3992, www.secondcity.com

The 5th annual cohort of the Bob Curry Fellowship program, comprised of 16 of the best and brightest new voices in comedy, will perform together in the Bob Curry Fellowship Showcase, directed by Second City Co-Artistic Director, Matt Hovde. The showcase will highlight ten weeks of master improv training, with original material and best of Second City archival scenes.

The 2018 Bob Curry Fellows are: Angela Alise, Trumane Alston, Damian Anaya, Aaron Branch, Menaka Delekar, Jillian Ebanks, George Elrod, Steve Han, Maya Haughton, Jarid Igbal, Asia Martin, Julia Morales, Yazmin Ramos, Ana Silva, Max Thomas and Shadee Vossonghi.

Building upon a unique partnership established with Universal Television, the Bob Curry Fellowship is a professional mentoring and development program focused on cultivating the best new voices in improv and sketch comedy. A highly competitive and rigorous process, applicants must audition to be considered for the program. In 2018, over 250 applicants submitted with sixteen diverse actors and improvisers from a diverse, array of multicultural, ethnic backgrounds being selected. The Bob Curry Fellowship is offered bi-annually at Second City Toronto, and an inaugural program launches at The Second City Hollywood this summer.

The success of The Bob Curry Fellowship program is felt on Second City’s stages, as several participants in the fellowship have been cast in The Second City’s professional companies. Tyler Davis and Tien Tran are graduates of the fellowship who now perform in the current Second City Chicago Mainstage production of Dream Freaks Fall from Space, with numerous other fellows touring with the Second City Touring Company and Second City Theatricals.

4th Annual NBCUniversal Second City Break Out Comedy Festival
Second City’s UP Comedy Club (230 W North Ave, 3rd Floor of Piper’s Alley)
June 7 - 9, 2018
Tickets: $10-$25, 312-337-3992, www.secondcity.com

Thursday, June 7 at 7:30pm ($20-$25): Hosted by David Pompeii
with special guest Azhar Usman
Friday, June 8 and Saturday, June 9 at 7:30pm and 10pm ($20-$25): Hosted by Godfrey
Saturday, June 9 at midnight ($10): Hosted by Azhar Usman

Back for its fourth year, this dynamic partnership with NBCUniversal and Second City will again showcase some of the hottest emerging and seasoned diverse comedic acts in stand-up, sketch and improv from around the country. This year’s Break Out Comedy Festival includes hosts Godfrey (Comedy Central, VH1, BET), David Pompeii (Comedy Central, Key and Peele), Azhar Usman (Comedy Cellar of NY) and a lineup of Chicago favorites and emerging comedic acts.

On Thursday, June 7, veteran Chicago stand-up comics Calvin Evans and Alex Kumin will perform, along with up-and-coming new talent. Friday, June 8 and Saturday, June 9 performances will include New York-based comics Paul Elia (Conan), Adam Mamawala (Funny or Die’s Top 30 Under 30 Comedians to Watch) and Kerry Codett (BET’s The Rundown with Robin Thede), Toronto-based comedian Carol Zoccoli and newcomer Max Desolhn from Seattle. All shows will also feature select graduates of the Bob Curry Fellowship Program.

About Bob Curry
Bob Curry was Joseph Jefferson Award-winning actor and director. In 1966, Curry became the first African-American to join The Second City’s resident company before joining what evolved into the first-ever touring company. In 1986, he received a Jeff Award for the Northlight Theatre production of Boesman and Lenam, tying for Best Supporting Actor with Danny Glover. An inspired director, Curry coached many actors of color in the Chicago theatre community on several projects, and he directed Paul Robeson at Kennedy-King College shortly before his death in 1994.

About NBCUniversal Talent Development & Inclusion
NBCUniversal Talent Development & Inclusion hosts a variety of programs and events and partners with other entertainment entities to develop, nurture, showcase and provide networking opportunities for new and diverse actors, writers, directors and other talent.  The programs include Late Night Writers Workshop, NBCUniversal Short Film Festival, NBCU Emerging Directors Program, Writers on the Verge, StandUp NBC, Scene Showcase, the Casting Apprentice Program and the Diverse Staff Writer Initiative, among others.  For more information, please log onto www.nbcunitips.com.

About The Second City
Since opening its doors 1959, The Second City has grown to become the world’s premier comedy club, theater and school of improvisation, entertaining 1 million theatergoers a year around the globe. Alumni of The Second City’s resident stages, touring companies, and theatrical divisions include some of the biggest names in entertainment, and in addition to the sold-out shows playing nightly on resident stages in Chicago and Toronto, the comedy empire has staged productions with a wide range of illustrious creative partners and theatre companies, including the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Goodman Theatre, Center Theater Group Los Angeles, Portland Center Stage, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, La Jolla Playhouse, Woolly Mammoth Theatre, and even the Chicago Bulls.

Monsieur D'Eon is a Woman at Trap Door Theatre Through June 30, 2018

Monsieur D'Eon is a Woman

Written by: Mark Brownell

Directed by: Nicole Wiesner
May 24 through June 30, 2018

Featuring: Maryam Abdi, Dennis Bisto, Ty Easley, Bill Gordon, Miguel Long, Emily Lotspeich, Michael Mejia, Ann Sonneville, Keith Surney, Nora Lise Ulrey, and featuring David Lovejoy as D'eon.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
Runs: Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 8PM until Saturday, June 30th
Admission:  $20 on Thursday/Friday, $25 on Saturday 
Special: 2 for 1 Admission on Thursday



"Monsieur D'Eon is a Woman" is a madcap romp following the extraordinary life and adventures of the Chevailere D'eon, an eighteenth century French diplomat, soldier, spy and a celebrated figure for Transgender and Women's rights."

Where:  TRAP DOOR THEATRE 1655 West Cortland Ave.  Chicago, IL 60622
For Information/Reservations: 773-384-0494 To purchase online www.trapdoortheatre.com

Performances Thurs, Fri and Sat at 8PM

Admission: $20 on Thursdays and Fridays, $25 on Saturdays. Special 2 for 1 admission on Thursdays.

For More Information/Reservations:773-384-0494

Where: TRAP DOOR THEATRE 1655 West Cortland Ave. Chicago, IL  60622

Playwright: Mark Brownell is a Toronto-based playwright and co-artistic director of the Pea Green Theatre Group with his wife and partner Sue Miner. Awards: Nominated for a Governor General’s Literary Award for his play, Monsieur d’Eon. He also received a Dora Mavor Moore Award for his libretto Iron Road and a Dora Mavor Moore Award Nomination for Medici Slot Machine. In 2010 he was also the recipient of the infamous Harold Indie Theatre Award. Other award-winning work includes The Barbeque King, The Martha Stewart Projects, Playballs, High Sticking-Three Period Plays, The Chevalier St. George, The Storyteller’s Bag and The Weaving Maiden.

Director: Nicole Wiesner has been a member of the Trap Door Theatre since 1999. Directing credits include Jean Racine’s Phedre, Meg Miroshnik’s Fairytale Lives of Russian Girls, and Howard Barker’s Minna. Favorite Trap Door acting credits include First Ladies, (dir. Zeljko Djukic, Joseph Jefferson Citation: Outstanding Actress); OVERWEIGHT; unimportant: MISSHAPE, (dir. Yasen Peyankov); and the title roles in The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant and Nana, (dir. Beata Pilch); and Alice in Bed. (Director Dado). Other credits include 2666 (dir. Seth Bockley and Robert Falls), Shining City, (dir. Robert Falls); Passion Play, (dir. Mark Wing-Davy, After Dark Award, Outstanding Performance) at The Goodman Theatre; The Book Thief (dir. Hallie Gordon), South of Settling (dir. Adam Goldstein) and Dublin Carol (Dir. Amy Morton) at Steppenwolf Theatre; Shining City, (dir. Robert Falls) at the Huntington Theatre in Boston; Passion Play (dir. Mark Wing-Davy) at Yale Repertory Theatre; Passion Play (dir. Mark Wing-Davy) at the Epic Theatre in NYC; Dying City (dir. Jason Loewith) at Next Theatre, Great Men of Science (dir. Tracy Letts) at Lookingglass Theatre.

Assistant Director Skye Fort / Set Designer J. Michael Griggs / Lighting Design Richard Norwood / Costume Design Rachel Sypniewski / Sound Design Danny Rockett / Fight Design Almanya Narula / Assistant Fight Design  Bill Gordon / Make-Up Design Zsófia Ötvös / Graphic Design Michal Janicki / Dramaturg Milan Pribisic / Stage Manager Anna Klos / Renaissance Man Gary Damico

Presenting Trap Door Off-Night!

shs poster with textSad Happy Sucker

Written by: Lee Kirk

Directed by: Mike Steele

What if you found yourself standing in your backyard, stuck to the earth, unable to move? Funny, and unexpectedly touching, Lee Kirk’s absurdist comedy explores the meaning of life, gravity, and cupcakes.

Cast: Logan Hulick, Emily Lotspiech, and Alex Stein

Sundays, June 17th thru July 8th at 8PM

Saturday, June 22nd at 10:30PM

Monday, July 9th at 8PM

Lighting Design Gary Damico/ Sound Design Mike Steele / Production Assistant Nora Lise Ulrey

Admission: $5 for advanced online reservation and $10 donation suggested at the door. For Information/Reservations: 773-384-0494

Where: TRAP DOOR THEATRE 1655 West Cortland Ave. Chicago, IL 60622

Check out Trap Door's 24th Season!

OPENING: Waiting for Godot Via Ireland's Druid Theater Company at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar

Acclaimed Version of Beckett's Waiting for Godot 

Running Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Ireland's prestigious Druid theatre company is back with an enthralling new interpretation of Beckett’s seminal work. In one of the most acclaimed plays of the 20th century, two friends wait on a bare road in the middle of nowhere for the arrival of the mysterious Godot. To pass the time, they debate life’s great unanswered questions, when two figures appear at dusk. Druid, recognized as one of the world’s greatest acting ensembles, returns after its previous CST engagements of The Cripple of Inishmaan and The Walworth Farce with this universally acclaimed production of Beckett’s classic.

Marty Rea as Vladimir and Aaron Monaghan as Estragon. 

All Production Photos by Matthew Thompson.

WAITING FOR GODOT exemplifies Chicago Shakespeare Theater's commitment to importing the world's most exciting theatrical events to Chicago and exporting the Theater's productions to global destinations through WorldStage at Chicago Shakespeare.

Two friends wait on a bare road in the middle of nowhere for the arrival of the mysterious Godot. To pass the time, they debate life's great unanswered questions, until two figures appear at dusk. The Irish Times lauds it as "the freshest, funniest and most affecting production of the play in at least a quarter of a century."

Through its many successes, Druid has maintained a core group of actors, designers, and production crew who work closely on the company's acclaimed artistic program, including long-form projects such as DruidSynge and DruidShakespeare.

 Aaron Monaghan as Estragon. Photo by Matthew Thompson.

Aaron Monaghan as Estragon, Garrett Lombard as Lucky, and Marty Rea as Vladimir. 

THE IRISH TIMES lauds Druid's WAITING FOR GODOT as "the freshest, funniest and most affecting production of the play in at least a quarter of a century."

A. Birkett as Boy and Marty Rea as Vladimir. 

Internationally recognized as a groundbreaking theater company, Druid returns to Chicago Shakespeare after previous engagements of THE CRIPPLE OF INISHMAAN (2011) and THE WALWORTH FARCE (2009). 

 Pictured: Rory Nolan as Pozzo.

To date, WorldStage at Chicago Shakespeare has featured over 1,000 artists from 22 countries spanning five continents--including artists from South Africa, China, India, Belarus, France, Russia, and the UK. 

Marty Rea as Vladimir and Aaron Monaghan as Estragon.

The Waiting for Godot company includes Garret Lombard (Lucky), Aaron Monaghan (Estragon), Rory Nolan (Pozzo), and Marty Rea (Vladamir)-all members of the Druid Ensemble. Joining Garry Hynes on the creative team are Francis O'Connor (Design), James F. Ingalls (Lighting Design), Greg Clarke (Sound Design), and Nick Winston (Movement Director).

WAITING FOR GODOT is directed by Garry Hynes, the first woman to ever win the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play, for her production of Martin McDonagh's debut work THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE, which premiered in 1998.

Marty Rea as Vladimir and Aaron Monaghan as Estragon. 

The Druid theatre company production of Beckett's masterpiece WAITING FOR GODOT takes the stage at Chicago Shakespeare for a limited engagement, May 23-June 3, 2018.

Waiting for Godot exemplifies Chicago Shakespeare Theater's commitment to importing the world's most exciting theatrical events to Chicago and exporting the Theater's productions to global destinations through WorldStage at Chicago Shakespeare. To date, the program has featured over 1,000 artists from 22 countries spanning five continents-including artists from South Africa, China, India, Belarus, France, Russia, and the UK. Many of the globe's most iconic troupes have made Chicago their stage, including: The Abbey Theatre from Dublin, Shakespeare's Globe from London, the Chekhov International Theatre Festival from Moscow, La Comédie Française from Paris, and The Farber Foundry from South Africa.

For more information, visit www.chicagoshakes.com/godot.

Waiting for Godot will be presented in Chicago Shakespeare's Courtyard Theater for a limited engagement, May 23-June 3, 2018. Single tickets are on sale now for $68-$88 (subject to change). Special discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Chicago Shakespeare Theater's Box Office at 312.595.5600 or visit the Theater's website at www.chicagoshakes.com.

ABOUT Chicago Shakespeare Theater

A global theatrical force, Chicago Shakespeare Theater is known for vibrant productions that reflect Shakespeare's genius for storytelling, musicality of language, and empathy for the human condition. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Barbara Gaines and Executive Director Criss Henderson, Chicago Shakespeare has redefined what a great American Shakespeare theater can be, putting forward a company that delights in the unexpected and defies theatrical category. A Regional Tony Award winner, the Theater produces acclaimed plays at its home on Navy Pier, throughout Chicago's schools and neighborhoods, and on stages around the world. In 2017, the Theater unveiled a new stage, The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare. Together with the Jentes Family Courtyard Theater and the Thoma Theater Upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare, The Yard positions Chicago Shakespeare as the city's most versatile performing arts venue.

OPENING: Buried Child Via Writers Theatre Through June 17, 2018

Chi IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

Writers Theatre presents 

BURIED CHILD

Written by Sam Shepard

Directed by WT Resident Director Kimberly Senior

Featuring Shannon Cochran, Allen Gilmore, Arti Ishak, Timothy Edward Kane, 

Shane Kenyon, Mark L. Montgomery and Larry Yando

May 9 – June 17, 2018

I'll be ChiILin' just north of Chi, IL in Glencoe, with the acclaimed Writers Theatre, for the press opening of Buried Child on May 16th. Writers Theatre has long been a favorite of mine, for stellar seasons, award winning productions, and world class talent. I'm eager to catch their latest since Kimberly Senior is directing and I've long enjoyed her work. With the incomparable Larry Yando as Dodge, and an excellent cast all around, this is sure to be one to see.

Writers Theatre, under the leadership of Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma, presents Buried Child, written by Sam Shepard and directed by WT Resident Director Kimberly Senior. Buried Child runs May 9 – June 17, 2018 in the Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe. 

On a cross-country trip from New York to the west coast, Vince and his girlfriend Shelly decide to make a stop at his grandparents’ rural Illinois home. But when they arrive, neither his grandparents, Dodge and Halie, nor his father Tilden and uncle Bradley seem to recognize or remember him. As Vince searches for answers, truths begin to emerge that reveal a deep corrosion of this fragmented family living in a forgotten America.

This Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece will be newly invigorated for the WT stage by Resident Director Kimberly Senior (Hedda Gabler, The Diary of Anne Frank, Marjorie Prime, The Scene), drawing audiences deeply into the story of a family fighting to come to grips with an America that may have left them behind.

Dates:
First performance: Wednesday, May 9, 2018
Press opening: Wednesday, May 16, 2018 at 7:30pm
Closing performance: June 17, 2018

Schedule:
Tuesdays – Fridays: 7:30pm
(with select 3:00pm Wednesday matinees)
Saturdays: 3:00pm and 7:30pm
Sundays: 2:00pm and 6:00pm

Location:
The Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre
325 Tudor Court, Glencoe

Prices:
Prices for all performances range from $35 - $80
Purchase early for best prices

Box Office:
The Box Office is located at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe; 
847-242-6000; www.writerstheatre.org

WT’s production of Buried Child represents the first major Chicago production of a Sam Shepard play since his death in July of 2017. 

“Part of the Writers Theatre mission is to revive plays from the existing dramatic canon,” says artistic director Michael Halberstam “As a company that eschews overly conceptual stagings, the opportunity to look at that canon with fresh eyes is essential to keeping these plays relevant.  Shepard’s writing has a decidedly masculine perspective and yet, thematically, his play seems to signal the death of the patriarchy, the dwindling of the American Dream and it offers empathic insight into a segment of the population that the mainstream largely ignored, until they made themselves viscerally heard in the most recent election. It is therefore very worthy of revival.  

Buried Child is Director Kimberly Senior’s sixth production at Writers Theatre. She previously directed The Scene, Marjorie Prime, The Diary of Anne Frank, Hedda Gabler and The Letters.

“Kimberly Senior is the perfect director to guide this play into life on the Nichols Theatre stage.  She has assembled a superb team of artists to realize her vision.  It’s a play that ignites her passion on a personal level and fires up her fierce intellectual curiosity.  For those who have not seen the play before, this will be a perfect introduction to a fiercely complex and consciously imperfect playwright. For those who have experienced Buried Child previously, this will be a new realization.  Either way, expect the unexpected.  As she did with Hedda Gabler and The Diary of Anne Frank, Kimberly will find an emotionally blisteringly and thrillingly sharp way to bring this text into the hearts and souls of audiences with absolute present-day currency.”



Two cast members are making their Writers Theatre debuts in this production: Arti Ishak (Shelly) and Shane Kenyon (Vince).

The cast of Buried Child includes: Shannon Cochran (Halie), Allen Gilmore (Father Dewis), Arti Ishak (Shelly), Timothy Edward Kane (Bradley), Shane Kenyon (Vince), Mark L. Montgomery (Tilden) and Larry Yando (Dodge).

In creating the set for Buried Child, the WT production team imported 150 cubic yards of “stover” a mix of dirt and corn debris that is left over after a field has been harvested but not cleared for the next crop. That 150 cubic yards represents 350 plowed stalks of corn, which is cured and treated for bugs before use on stage.

The designers are Jack Magaw (scenic), Mieka van der Ploeg (costumes), Heather 

Gilbert (lighting), Mikhail Fiksel (sound) and Scott Dickens (props). The fight director is Matt Hawkins and the production stage manager is David Castellanos.

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


Sam Shepard’s Buried Child premiered at the Magic Theatre in San Francisco in 1978 and had its New York premiere at Theater for the New City later that year. The play won the 1979 Pulitzer Prize for Drama as well as Shepard the 1979 Obie Award for Playwriting. The 1996 Broadway production, directed by Gary Sinise, was nominated for five Tony Awards including Best Play. Buried Child was revived Off-Broadway by The New Group in 2016. The production was nominated for two Lucille Lortel Awards, for Outstanding Lead Actor (Ed Harris) and Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play (Paul Sparks). It transferred to the West End for a limited engagement in November 2016 starring Ed Harris and Amy Madigan of the Off-Broadway production.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Sam Shepard (Playwright) ranks as one of America's most celebrated dramatists. Prior to his death in 2017, he wrote nearly 50 plays and saw his work produced across the nation, in venues ranging from Greenwich Village coffee shops to regional professional and community theatres, from college campuses to commercial Broadway houses. His plays are regularly anthologized, and theatre professors teach Sam Shepard as a canonical American author. Outside of his stage work, he achieved fame as an actor, writer and director in the film industry. With a career that spanned nearly 40 years, Sam Shepard gained the critical regard, media attention and iconic status enjoyed by only a rare few in American theatre. Throughout his career Shepard amassed numerous grants, prizes, fellowships and awards, including the Cannes Palme d'Or and the Pulitzer Prize. He received abundant popular praise and critical adulation. While the assessment of Shepard's standing may evidence occasional hyperbole, there can be little doubt that he has spoken in a compelling way to American theatre audiences and that his plays have found deep resonance in the nation's cultural imagination.

Several members of the Buried Child cast and creative team (including director Kimberly Senior, scenic designer Jack Magaw, lighting designer Heather Gilbert, and actors Shane Kenyon and Larry Yando) have personal connections to Shepard’s work and Buried Child, specifically, and have noted the influence Shepard’s work has had on their careers. 

Kimberly Senior (Director) returns to Writers where she previously directed The Scene, Marjorie Prime, The Diary of Anne Frank, Hedda Gabler and The Letters. Chicago credits include: Disgraced and Rapture, Blister, Burn (Goodman Theatre), Discord, 4000 Miles, The Whipping Man (Northlight Theatre), Want, The North Plan (Steppenwolf Theatre Company), Inana, My Name is Asher Lev, All My Sons, Dolly West's Kitchen (TimeLine Theatre Company), Disgraced (American Theatre Company), among others. New York credits include: Disgraced (2013 Pulitzer Prize, Broadway), Chris Gethard's Career Suicide (Judd Apatow Productions), Discord (Primary Stages), Engagements (Second Stage Uptown), The Who and The What and Disgraced (Lincoln Center Theater 3). Regional credits include: Sheltered (Alliance Theatre), The Niceties (Contemporary American Theatre Festival), Other Than Honorable (Geva Theatre Center), Sex with Strangers (Geffen Playhouse), Disgraced (Mark Taper Forum, Berkley Repertory Theatre, Seattle Repertory Theatre), The Who and The What (La Jolla Playhouse), Little Gem (City Theatre), Games Afoot, Murder on the Nile, A Few Good Men (Peninsula Players), among others. Upcoming shows include Support Group for Men (Goodman Theatre), The Niceties (Huntington Theatre Company, McCarter Theatre) and Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley (Milwaukee Repertory). Kimberly also directed Chris Gethard's Career Suicide (HBO). Kimberly was awarded the prestigious Alan Schneider Award at the 2016 TCG Conference. She is also a 2013 Finalist for the SDCF Joe A. Callaway Award. She is the recipient of the 2016 Special Non-Equity Joseph Jefferson Award for her Chicago career achievements as a trail blazer, champion and role model for emerging artists.

Returning to Writers Theatre are Shannon Cochran (Halie), Allen Gilmore (Father Dewis), Timothy Edward Kane (Bradley), Mark L. Montgomery (Tilden) and Larry Yando (Dodge).

Shannon Cochran (Halie) has previously appeared at Writers Theatre in The Importance of Being Earnest, The Dance of Death, Hamlet, A Little Night Music, The Lion in Winter, The Father and Private Lives (Joseph Jefferson Award Nomination). Her recent theatre work includes the world premiere of A Doll's House, Part 2 (South Coast Repertory), The Christians (Steppenwolf Theatre Company) and the Roundabout National Tour of Cabaret. She performed in the National Tour of August: Osage County, for which received a Helen Hayes nomination and Chicago Theatre award. She is an Obie and TheatreWorld Award winner for the role she created in Bug (Gate Theatre-London, Barrow Street Theatre). Other theatre credits include The Old Globe, Long Wharf Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, Geffen Playhouse, Court Theatre, Victory Gardens, Route 66 Theatre, The Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Playhouse on the Square, Barbican (London). Her directing credits include Fallen Angels (Remy Bumppo), Dirty (Zephyr Theatre, West Coast premiere), Bug (Barebones Productions), The Rivalry, The Real Dr. Strangelove and Judgement at Nuremberg (LA Theatreworks), Therese Raquin (greasyjoan) and Private Passage (Odyssey Theatre Ensemble). Film credits include Captive State (in production), The Ring, Star Trek: Nemesis, Be Good for Rachel, The Perfect Family, Flowers and Weeds, and Fenton Black. Television credits include Modern Family, Scandal, Grey's Anatomy (ABC), NCIS: LA, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (CBS), The Office, Law and Order: SVU (NBC) and others.

Allen Gilmore (Father Dewis) previously appeared at Writers Theatre in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.  Most recently, Allen was seen in An Enemy of the People, as Alternate Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, Yasmina’s Necklace, Objects in the Mirror (all at Goodman Theatre) and Man in the Ring (Court Theatre). Last summer he was A Clown in The 39 Steps and The Duke in Two Gentlemen of Verona (Santa Cruz Shakespeare). He began the 2017/18 season at The Jewel Theater in Santa Cruz as Joe Keller in All My Sons. Allen has performed at theaters in Chicago and across North America including Lookingglass Theatre Company, Congo Square Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Yale Rep, Berkeley Rep, The Shakespeare Theater DC, Arena Stage, Portland Stage, Citadel Theater in Edmonton, National Arts Center in Ottawa, Atlantic Theater Festival in Nova Scotia and on Broadway. He is a native of Houston, a US Army Infantry veteran, a 2015 Lunt-Fontanne Fellow and a 2015 3Arts awardee.

Director Kimberly Senior has noted that in the context of today’s world, Buried Child feels more like it is “Shelly’s play” to her in ways different than before, emphasizing the themes of gender and generational power politics. In the Writers Theatre production, Shelly is played by Arti Ishak in her WT debut. 

Arti Ishak (Shelly) is an actor, writer and teaching artist originally from Detroit. Recent Chicago credits include Men On Boats (American Theater Company), Johnny 10 Beers’ Daughter (Chicago Dramatists), Venus in Fur (Circle Theatre), Fantastic Super Great Nation Numero Uno (The Second City), Harbur Gate (16th Street Theatre) and A Story Told in Seven Fights (The Neo-Futurists). She is a graduate of Western Michigan University's Theatre and Business schools.

Timothy Edward Kane (Bradley) previously appeared at Writers Theatre in Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead and Arms and the Man. Other Chicago credits include All My Sons, Harvey, One Man Two Guvnors, An Iliad (2011 & 2013), The Illusion, Wild Duck, Titus Andronicus, Uncle Vanya, The Romance Cycle, Hamlet (Court Theatre), Faceless, Lost in Yonkers, The Miser, She Stoops to Conquer (Northlight Theatre), Blood and Gifts (TimeLine Theatre Company), The North Plan (Steppenwolf Garage) and fifteen productions at Chicago Shakespeare Theater including Tug of War: Civil Strife, The Comedy Of Errors, A Flea In Her Ear and Henry IV Parts 1 & 2 (CST and at the Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford-Upon-Avon). Regional credits: The Mark Taper Forum, Notre Dame Shakespeare, Peninsula Players and the Illinois Shakespeare Festival. TV: Chicago Fire (NBC). Education: BS, Ball State University; MFA, Northern Illinois University. He is the recipient of a Joseph Jefferson award and an After Dark award.

Shane Kenyon (Vince) recently appeared in Romeo & Juliet, Shakespeare in Love and As You Like It (Utah Shakespeare Festival). Shane has a Jeff Award for Best Supporting Actor in If There Is I Haven’t Found It Yet (Steep Theatre). Other Chicago credits include Buzzer (Goodman Theatre), Where We’re Born, Hushabye, Betrayal, Sex With Strangers (u/s) (Steppenwolf Theatre Company), The Who and The What (Victory Gardens Theater), Shining City, The Seafarer (Jeff Award Winner – Best Ensemble), Shadow of a Gunman (Irish Theatre of Chicago, Ensemble Member), Things You Shouldn’t Say Past Midnight (Windy City Playhouse), Season on the Line (The House Theatre of Chicago), Trainspotting USA (Book & Lyrics), Big Love (Strawdog Theatre), and Mary’s Wedding (Rivendell Theatre). Regional theatre credits include Hedda Gabler (Studio Theatre), Hamlet, Romeo & Juliet, Macbeth and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Lakeside Shakespeare Theatre). Shane has been on screen in Chicago Med, Chicago Justice, Chicago PD (NBC), Empire, Chicago Code (Fox), Mind Games (ABC) along with multiple SAG independent films and commercials. Shane received his BFA in Theatre Performance from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University.

Mark L. Montgomery (Tilden) has appeared at Writers Theatre in The Scene, Hedda Gabler, The Letters, and The Beats. Mark has appeared in more than a dozen productions with Chicago Shakespeare Theater including: Twelfth Night, Troilus and Cressida and Rose Rage: Henry VI Parts 1, 2 and 3. Other Chicago credits include Camino Real, Stage Kiss, A Christmas Carol (Goodman Theatre), Fascination (About Face Theatre), Want, The Time of Your Life (Steppenwolf Theatre), In the Next Room or the Vibrator Play, Equivocation (Victory Gardens), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Apple Tree Theatre), and In the Belly of the Beast: Letters from Prison (The Journeymen Theater Company) as well as shows with Remy Bumppo and Northlight, among others. New York credits include: The Seagull, Mamma Mia! (Broadway), Macbeth (The Public), The Runner Stumbles (The Actors Company Theatre) and The Madras House (Mint Theater Company). Regional credits include: Julius Caesar (American Repertory Theater and French tour) and Emma (Cleveland Playhouse). Television credits include: Boss, Law & Order and Guiding Light.

Larry Yando and Shannon Cochran play opposite each other for the first time on a WT stage since their Joseph Jefferson Award-winning performances in the 2014 production of The Dance of Death by August Strindberg, adapted by Conor McPherson and directed by Henry Wishcamper.

Larry Yando (Dodge) has appeared at Writers Theatre in The Dance of Death, Hamlet, As You Like It, Bach at Leipzig, Rocket to the Moon and Nixon’s Nixon.  Chicago credits include Ebenezer Scrooge in nine productions of A Christmas Carol, The Little Foxes, The Jungle Book, Candide (Jeff Award) (Goodman Theatre), Titus Andronicus (Defiant Theatre), Shakespeare in Love, The Tempest, King Lear, Julius Caesar, The Two Noble Kinsmen, Cymbeline, Timon of Athens, All’s Well That Ends Well, Henry IV Parts I and II, Antony and Cleopatra, The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Chicago Shakespeare Theater), Angels in America (Jeff Award), Travesties, An Ideal Husband, Ghosts, Electra, Measure for Measure, The Importance of Being Earnest, Travels with My Aunt (Court Theatre), Fake, Mother Courage and Her Children (Steppenwolf Theatre Company), Kiss of the Spider Woman (Pegasus Players, Jeff Award), I Hate Hamlet and Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris (Royal George Theatre). Regional credits include Angels in America, Arcadia and Amadeus at Milwaukee Repertory Theater. Mr. Yando performed as Scar in the national tour of The Lion King for three years. He was honored as Chicago magazine’s Best Actor in Chicago, received DePaul University’s Excellence in the Arts Award and was the recipient of the 2014 Sarah Siddens Award for Chicago’s Leading Man. Mr. Yando has taught advanced acting classes at The Theatre School at DePaul University, Northwestern University, Columbia College Chicago and Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Classical Training Program. In 2010, he was one of nine actors chosen for the Lunt- Fontanne Fellowship Program, an acclaimed program serving regional theater actors and the future of American theater.

AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT

Accessible Performances:
ASL-Interpreted performance: Tuesday, May 29, 2018 at 7:30pm 
Open-Captioned performance: Friday, June 15, 2018 at 7:30pm


Sunday Spotlight — Sunday, June 3, 2018 after the matinee performance

Are you curious about the world that surrounds your favorite plays? Sunday Spotlight offers access to the finest speakers, scholars and cultural leaders. This one-hour event extends the conversation on our stages by featuring an expert in an area connected to the play. Seating is limited. RSVP is required. Save the date!


The Making of… Series— Monday, June 11, 2018 at 6:30pm

Writers Theatre will once again host its popular The Making of… Series, providing insight into a different aspect of creating the productions seen on our stages. Enjoy a short and lively presentation by our actors, designers or other experts who will walk you through the process of preparing for and executing a production. The Making of… events are FREE and open to the public. Seating is limited. RSVP is required.


Post Show Conversation: The Word

Join us after every Tuesday evening performance (excluding First Week and extensions) 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 extensions) 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 extensions) for a 15-minute primer on the context and content of the play, facilitated by a member of the WT Artistic Team.

For more information about Writers Theatre Audience Enrichment programs visit writerstheatre.org/events.



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 or Instagram page or their Twitter feed with a tag of @WritersTheatre and #[the title of the show], 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 2017/18 Season Sponsor and ComEd as the Official Lighting Sponsor of the 2017/18 Season. The Corporate Sponsor for Buried Child is United. Major Production Sponsors are Jennifer and Alec Litowitz. The Artists Council Sponsors are Susan and Don Belgrad and Gail and Tom Hodges. Additional support for Buried Child is provided by the Director’s Society Sponsors.

For more information about Writers Theatre’s 2017/18 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.

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.