REVIEW: PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE’S SUNSET BOULEVARD NOW EXTENDED THROUGH DECEMBER 8, 2019

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PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE’S 

25th ANNIVERSARY SEASON MAINSTAGE 

COMMENCES WITH HOLLIS RESNIK AS 

LEGENDARY FILM STAR “NORMA DESMOND” 

IN ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER’S 

SUNSET BOULEVARD 

*NOW EXTENDED THROUGH DECEMBER 8, 2019*

AT THE RUTH PAGE CENTER FOR THE ARTS, 

OCTOBER 11 – DECEMBER 8

Winner of the Best Musical Tony Award and Based on the Billy Wilder Academy Award-Winning Film, Sunset Boulevard Features Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Lyrics and Book by Don Black and Christopher Hampton, Direction by Porchlight Music Theatre Artistic Director Michael Weber, Choreography by Shanna VanDerwerker and 

Music Directed by Aaron Benham

Guest Review

by Catherine Hellmann

“I AM BIG! It’s the pictures that got small,” declares Norma Desmond, 

Playing an icon from Sunset Boulevard takes a singer of tremendous stature with serious acting chops. Luckily, there is Hollis Resnick. She is mesmerizing in this role as the delusional, larger-than-life, fascinating, and narcissistic silent-film-star-turned-recluse who dreams of returning to her former glory in movies.

From her initial entrance down the staircase of her eerie mansion to her final audition as Salome for her imagined comeback, it’s hard to take your eyes off Ms. Resnick. She is dramatic without being a caricature. Bill Morey’s costumes are just wonderful; I liked seeing what Norma, the aging diva, would be wearing next. 

Norma’s biggest (only?) fan and devoted butler Max von Mayerling is played beautifully by Larry Adams. His reserved demeanor was perfect for Max, and his singing was exquisite.  

 

Billy Rude does a fine job as struggling writer Joe Gillis who becomes Norma’s editor/lover/boy toy/kept man. The scene where Joe is treated to a new, expensive wardrobe at Norma’s expense was one of my favorites. (“What is this? Mink?” asks his pal later at a party when he takes Joe’s coat.) 

Joe’s writing partner (and eventual love interest) Betty Schaefer is played by the charming Michelle Lauto who has a lovely voice and stage presence. She may not be able to offer Joe gold, engraved cigarette cases, but she is persistent in advocating for his writing career.  



I loved the little inside jokes, like the lyric that “Billy Wilder will know my name,” from the wanna-be actors in Hollywood (Billy Wilder was the writer and director of the original movie) and William Holden’s picture on one of the many projected movie posters (handsome Holden, one of my Hollywood crushes, was the original Joe Gillis.)  All of the projected images constantly remind us of the film noir genre of old Hollywood glam. When Norma visits the movie set to chat with DeMille about her script, a boom microphone is over her head momentarily; Norma pushes it away with disgust, a nice touch to show her disdain for “talkies.”  

Several years ago, my Theater Camp Pal Mary and I saw Sunday in the Park with George because we had never seen that classic before. “That was Porchlight, too,” Mary observed. “They have really hit their stride.” We were enthralled with Porchlight’s End of the Rainbow and Side Show. It’s exciting to have musicals of this caliber being produced in Chicago. Mary had seen Sunset Boulevard in London twenty years ago. But she liked Porchlight’s version better because of the intimacy of the theater space and the performers.  Porchlight is ready to celebrate their 25th anniversary and ready for their “close-up with Mr. DeMille.” 

Sunset Boulevard’s run has already been extended. It’s one of those shows that will go into Chicago theater history. You won’t want to miss it. 

Catherine Hellmann is a long time teacher and theater junkie. One of her absolute favorite movies of all time is Sunset Boulevard. 

Porchlight Music Theatre’s 25th Anniversary Mainstage season launches with 

Sunset Boulevard, 

at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 

1016 N. Dearborn Street. 

Featuring music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics and books by Don Black and Christopher Hampton, Sunset Boulevard stars Hollis Resnik and is directed by Michael Weber, choreographed by Shanna VanDerwerker and music directed by Aaron Benham. 

The regular run performance schedule is Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 3:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. with weekday matinees on Thursday, Oct. 24 and Nov. 14 at 1:30 p.m. and an added performance Sunday, Nov. 24 at 6 p.m. 

Tickets are $39 - $66 and are available at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org or by calling the Porchlight Music Theatre box office, 773.777.9884.

The first musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber to be produced at Porchlight, and winner of eight Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Original Score and Best Book of Musicals, this landmark work has electrified audiences around the world. In her mansion on Sunset Boulevard, faded, silent-screen goddess, Norma Desmond (Hollis Resnik), lives in a fantasy world. When impoverished screenwriter Joe Gillis (Billy Rude) on the run from debt collectors, stumbles into her reclusive domain he is persuaded to work on Norma’s “masterpiece,” a screenplay that she believes will put her back in front of cameras. Seduced by Norma and her luxurious lifestyle, he finds himself trapped in her clutches until his love for another woman leads him to try and break free with shattering consequences. 

Based on the iconic Billy Wilder film, Sunset Boulevard, the musical, has a long and storied history of its own with productions and revivals around the world starring Patti LuPone, Glenn Close, Diahann Carroll, Petula Clark and others. The production also features a rich score including the hit songs “With One Look” and “As if We Never Said Goodbye.” 

The principal cast of Porchlight Music Theatre’s Sunset Boulevard includes: Billy Rude as “Joe Gillis;” Michelle Lauto as “Betty Schaefer;” Larry Adams as “Max Von Meyerling;” Joe Giovannetti as “Artie Green” and David Girolmo as “Cecil B. DeMille.” The ensemble includes Anna Brockman, Marcellus Burt, Justin Cavazos, Shane Roberie, Laz Estrada, Brian Healey, Alex Jackson, Molly Kral, Jerry Miller, Mandy Modic, Michelle Owens, Danny Spagnuolo, Laura Sportello and Ambria Sylvain. 

Sunset Boulevard’s production team includes: Michael Weber, director; Shanna VanDerwerker, choreographer; Aaron Benham, music director; Kevin Barthel, wig design; Anthony Churchill, projection design; Maggie Fullilove-Nugent, lighting design; Robert Hornbostel, sound design; Jeff Kmiec, set design; Bill Morey, costume design and Michael Hendricks, stage manager.



ABOUT HOLLIS RESNIK, “Norma Desmond”
Returning to Porchlight Music Theatre where she was last seen in the Porchlight Revisits production of The Rink, Hollis Resnik is the recipient of 12 Joseph Jefferson Awards, 2 Sarah Siddons Awards, the Helen Hayes Award and was a 2012 recipient of the Lunt-Fontanne Fellowship at Ten Chimneys. Her Chicago theatre credits include One Man, Two Guvnors, The Little Foxes, Travesties, Angels in America, Man of La Mancha, The Cherry Orchard, The Learned Ladies, Titus Andronicus, The Good Book and Carousel (Court Theatre); Grey Gardens and You Can’t Take It with You (Northlight Theatre); Candide, A Little Night Music, Wings, and The House of Martin Guerre (Goodman Theatre); Mame, Anything Goes, Into the Woods, Hairspray (Marriott Lincolnshire); and as “The Beggar Woman” in Sweeney Todd (Ravinia Festival). National tours include Les Misérables, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Sister Act. 

ABOUT BILLY RUDE, “Joe Gillis”
Making his Porchlight Music Theatre Mainstage debut, Billy Rude appeared in the Porchlight Revisits production of They’re Playing Our Song. Recent credits include the National Tour of Million Dollar Quartet as “Jerry Lee Lewis,” a role he has played numerous times regionally at PCPA, Laguna Playhouse, Little Theatre on The Square and Maples Repertory Theatre, Beauty and the Beast (Drury Lane), Murder for Two (Marriott Theatre), Altar Boyz (Theo Ubique) and The Civility of Albert Cashier (Stage 773).  

ABOUT MICHELLE LAUTO, “Betty Schaefer”
Michelle Lauto returns to the Porchlight stage were she has appeared in In The Heights and the Porchlight Revisits production of 1776. Lauto is a Jeff Award-winning actor and Porchlight Music Theatre’s education associate. Performance credits include Seussical the Musical, Oklahoma! and Ragtime (Marriott Theatre), HAIR (Mercury Theater), Spamilton (The Royal George, Jeff Award-Best Actress in a Revue), Xanadu (American Theater Co.), 35mm (Circle Theatre), The Boy From Oz (Jeff Nominated-Best Supporting Actress; Pride Films & Plays) and Murder Ballad (Bailiwick Chicago).

ABOUT LARRY ADAMS, “Max Von Meyerling”
Making his Porchlight Music Theatre Mainstage debut, Larry Adams has worked with many of Chicago's leading theatre companies, including: The Goodman Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Drury Lane, The Paramount Theatre, The Marriott Theatre, Theatre at the Center, Light Opera Works and Victory Gardens Theatre. Broadway credits include The Phantom of the Opera. Off Broadway credits include The Hunchback Variations and Photo Op.  National Tours credits include Scrooge. Regional credits include the title role in Sweeney Todd (Fulton Theatre). 

ABOUT DAVID GIROLMO, “Cecil B. DeMille”
David Girolmo returns to Porchlight where he appeared in Candide, played the title role in Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street and, most recently, in the Porchlight Revisits production of Can-Can. Broadway credits include Candide, directed by Hal Prince, and War Paint. Regionally, he has appeared at The Goodman, Chicago Shakespeare, Drury Lane, Marriott Theatre, Northlight, Paramount Theatre, Ravinia, Fulton Theatre, Maine State Music Theatre and more. Film and TV credits include “Crisis,” “Chicago P.D.,” “Chicago Fire, E.R.” and “Death Of A President,” on NBC and “Empire,” on FOX.

ABOUT MICHAEL WEBER, director / artistic director
Michael Weber is the artistic director of Porchlight Music Theatre where, under his leadership, the company has received the Best Production Equity Jeff Award for five consecutive years. He previously served as artistic director for the inaugural season of Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place (now The Broadway Playhouse) and at Theatre at the Center (1998 – 2004). Most recently at Porchlight he directed Gypsy starring E. Faye Butler and the Porchlight Revisits production of 1776 and he appeared on stage in  Porchlight Revisits Do Re Mi. His productions of End of the Rainbow, Sweeney Todd, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Pal Joey, Assassins and Side Show at Porchlight Music Theatre, Grand Hotel at Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place and She Loves Me at Theatre at the Center were each nominated for the Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Production. Weber is proud to serve as a Public Television pledge host on WTTW, Channel 11. 

ABOUT AARON BENHAM, music director
Aaron Benham returns to Porchlight where he music directed the Mainstage productions of Merrily We Roll Along and Side Show and the Porchlight Revisits production of City of Angels.  Most recently Benham served as the associate music director on the Broadway National Tour of Beautiful - The Carole King Musical and as music director of The Book of Merman Off-Broadway. Chicago credits include Grand Hotel and Sweet Smell of Success (Kokandy); Marie Christine (BoHo); Bewildered (original score –Hell in a Handbag); Pumpboys and Dinettes (Timberlake Playhouse); Benham has won two Jeff Awards and additional local credits include work with About Face, ATC, Bailiwick Chicago, Chicago Opera Theater, Circle, Montana Shakespeare, Piven, Pride Films, Second City, Theo-Ubique and Writers Theatre. 

ABOUT SHANNA VANDERWERKER, choreographer 
Shanna VanDerwerker is an inaugural recipient of The Rachel Rockwell Memorial Fund supporting fierce women behind the table at Porchlight Music Theatre and recently choreographed Porchlight Revisits Can-Can. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Dance from Point Park University and is a Chicago-area choreographer and educator. Locally, she has been the associate choreographer of Pippin at Venus Cabaret Theater as well as Beauty and the Beast and Joseph at Drury Lane Oakbrook. VanDerwerker received a Jeff Nomination for her choreography on Lysistrata Jones for Refuge Theater Project. Other choreography credits include: My Fair Lady, Newsies, 42nd St, South Pacific, Beauty and the Beast and Singin’ In The Rain at The Fireside Theatre in Fort Atkinson, WI. She was Christopher Gattelli’s associate for over 10 years, working on Broadway’s Amazing Grace, High Fidelity, and Silence! The Musical at the NY Fringe Festival. In the summer of 2018 she set his Tony-winning Broadway choreography of Newsies at NewArts in Newtown, CT. Performing credits: Beauty and the Beast at Drury Lane, “Lady in Green” in Singin’ in the Rain at the Fireside Theatre, swing in the Broadway company of Wicked, dance captain of the 1st National Tour of Wicked, company member of dre.dance with directors Andrew Palermo and Taye Diggs and several other shows at The Fireside. 

ABOUT 2019 YEAR OF CHICAGO THEATRE
Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to be part of the 2019 Year of Chicago Theatre, presented by the City of Chicago and the League of Chicago Theatres. To truly fall in love with Chicago, you must go to our theatres. This is where the city bares its fearless soul. Home to a community of creators, risk-takers and big hearts, Chicago theatre is a hotbed for exciting new work and hundreds of world premieres every year. From Broadway musicals to storefront plays and improv, there’s always a seat waiting for you at one of our 200+ theatres. 

ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE AS RUTH PAGE ARTIST IN-RESIDENCE
Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to be a member of the vibrant Ruth Page Center for the Arts community and an Artist In-Residence. Central to the Ruth Page Center for the Arts’ programming is the Artists In-Residence program, which is designed to serve organizations looking for a home base while they grow or expand their artistic and organizational capabilities. The Center is committed to nurturing and assisting dance and other performing artists, allowing for exchange and collaborative relationships to develop within the artistic community. The Ruth Page Center for the Arts is a destination for quality performing arts, accessible to a wide community regardless of race, gender, age, education or disability. An incubator of artistic energy and excellence, the Ruth Page Center for the Arts carries forward the vision of its founder, legendary dance icon Ruth Page, to be a platform for developing great artists and connecting them with audiences and community.

ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE
As the home for music theatre in Chicago now in its 25th season, Porchlight Music Theatre is nationally recognized for reimagining classic productions, developing new works and showcasing musical theatre’s noted Chicago veterans and rising stars. Porchlight elevates the genre by providing intimate and powerful theatrical experiences of music theatre through the lens of the “Chicago Style.” The 2017–2018 year marked a milestone for Porchlight as the company became an Artist In-Residence at the historic Ruth Page Center for the Arts in Chicago’s Gold Coast. Porchlight’s rich history includes the staging of more than 70 productions with 15 Chicago premieres and five world premieres. Through Porchlight’s “Off the Porch” new works program, the musicals of the next generation are developed and given a first audience. The School at Porchlight is Chicago’s center for music theatre training in the areas of performance, writing and appreciation including the launch of a youth summer “Make Your Own Musical” Camp in 2017. The company’s many accolades include 28 Black Theatre Alliance nominations and 12 awards, as well as a total of 150 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations resulting in 42 Jeff Awards including five consecutive Best Production awards for The Scottsboro Boys (2017), Dreamgirls (2016), Sondheim on Sondheim (2015), Ain’t Misbehavin’ (2014) and A Class Act (2013).

Ms. Resnik's performance is sponsored by Virginia and Gary Gerst.  

Special thanks to June Golin for production support.

The 2019 – 2020 25th Anniversary Season is dedicated to the memory of long-time Board Member George K. “Kim” Sargent. 

Porchlight Music Theatre is partially supported by generous contributions from the Abe and Ida Cooper Foundation, Actors’ Equity Foundation, Allstate, Bayless Family Foundation, Michael Best & Friedrich LLP, Chapman | Spingola, Attorneys at Law, the Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, Elegant Event Lighting, Elevate Energy, James P. and Brenda S. Grusecki Family Foundation, Harris Family Foundation, Hearty Boys, Hopsmith, A.L. and Jennie L. Luria Foundation, the MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at the Prince Foundation, the Pritzker Traubert Foundation, Daniel and Genevieve Ratner Foundation, The Saints, the Stuart Family Foundation, and the Topfer Family Foundation. The season program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, a state agency, and by a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events. 

REVIEW: A Man of No Importance Now Playing at The Pride Arts Center Through November 10, 2019

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A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE

Music by Stephen Flaherty, Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, Book by Terrence McNally

Directed by Donterrio Johnson

Music Direction by Robert Ollis 

The Broadway, Pride Arts Center, 4139 N. Broadway, Chicago

Guest Review
by lori morrison 

Alfie Byrne is a middle-aged bachelor living with his sister in 1964 Dublin. His two great loves are Oscar Wilde and the theater.

Alfie is a bus conductor who spends his days reading Wilde’s poetry to his community riding the bus. He also directs many of those same passengers in amateur productions of Wilde’s plays at the local parish hall.

Although never acting on it or getting close to anyone, much to his sister's (who keeps trying to set him up with woman after woman so she can marry her love) annoyance, he is also secretly in love with his friend and driver to the bus, Robbie.

Having had past success with staging The Importance of Being Earnest, Alfie sets out to produce his dream production, the much more explicit, Salome. 

This play is a character study of Alfie struggling with his secret and shame over a love “that dare not speak its name.” With visions of Wilde as his only confidant and hero, he eventually comes to believe Wilde and realize "The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it".

In doing so, he faces violence, bigotry, the loss of his church and his beloved theater company. 

However, it is theatre that once again changes his life and gains him the support of his true friends.

Ryan Lanning does an excellent job of playing Alfie. You really feel for his character and become invested in him. 

The music was great and did a lot to drive the story forward in an interesting and fun way. 

It is a small stage with lots of scene changes and some big props. This did sometimes lead to some traffic jams and if you are sitting in the front row, better keep your feet pulled in. 

Lori Morrison is an unschooling Chicago mom who lives in LaGrange with her three kids. She is a 2nd degree black belt in TKD and a burlesque dancer, who teaches self defense and works for Edge Theatre, NFP.

Pride Films and Plays will stage the first Chicago production in more than a decade of A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE, the heartwarming musical created by Lynn Ahrens, Stephen Flaherty, and Terrence McNally, the team that wrote RAGTIME and ANASTASIA. A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE is based on a 1994 film starring Albert Finney as a Dublin bus conductor and features a gorgeous Irish-influenced score. Donterrio Johnson, the Jeff award-winning actor who directed PFP’s BUYER AND CELLAR earlier this year and recently appeared in THE SPITFIRE GRILL with American Blues Theater, will direct. Music direction is by Robert Ollis, who most recently music directed SOUTHERN COMFORT for Pride Films and Plays. Ollis received a Jeff Award for his music direction of KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN, plus Jeff nominations for six other shows, including HAYMARKET: A NEW FOLK MUSICAL  in 2019.  Ollis was Music Director for the 2008 production of A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE, which earned five Jeff Award nominations for Bailiwick Repertory.

Alfie Byrne is a middle-aged, unmarried bus conductor who idolizes Oscar Wilde and harbors a secret crush on his handsome young co-worker Robbie Fay. Much of the musical’s comedy comes from Alfie’s determined efforts to stage a production of Wilde’s SALOME with his quirky community theater group. 

Director Johnson says “I find A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE to be above all, a story about community and how art is keeping this particular community together. I’m very honored to be bringing A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE back to Chicago with this unbelievable and diverse cast of actor/musicians. This is a show I’ve always had an affinity for, and to be given the chance to retell this story about acceptance and the power of the theatre will be an awe-inspiring experience for the cast and audiences alike.”

Johnson’s cast will be led by Ryan Lanning as Alfie. Lanning appeared as Robbie Fay in the 2008 production. Lanning is a Jeff Award winner for his Molina in Bailiwick’s KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN and his leading roles on Chicago stages also include the title roles in CANDIDE for Porchlight and HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH for Haven Theatre. Nick Arceo, who recently performed the leading role in Underscore Theatre’s workshop of NOTES AND LETTERS, will play Robbie Fay.

Also featured in Johnson’s diverse cast are Ciera Dawn (of THE LITTLE MERMAID and JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR at Paramount and WE ARE PROUD TO PRESENT…. at Steppenwolf) as Adele Rice, Sarah Beth Tanner (of HAYMARKET for Underscore Theatre and TWELFTH NIGHT for Midsommer Flight) as Lily Byrne, and Jeff Award-winner Tommy Bullington (who most recently played Pseudolus in A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM at Metropolis Arts Center) as William Carney.

Also in the cast are Ryan Armstrong (Ernie, Rasher Flynn), Tiffany Taylor (Mrs. Patrick), Ian Rigg (Father Kenny), Kimberly Lawson (Mrs. Grace), Jessica Lauren Fisher (Miss Crowe), Christopher Davis (Baldy), Orlando Shelly (Peter), Amanda Giles (Mrs. Curtin), Thomas Tong (Sully O’Hara), Kevin O’Connell (Brenton Beret, Oscar Wilde), Patrick O’Keefe (Swing) and Jenni Carroll (Swing). The production team includes Robert S. Kuhn (costume design), Evan Frank (scenic design), Mike McShane (lighting design), Allison Petrillo (assistant director), Emily Marrazzo (stage manager), and Justus Wright (sound engineer).

Top row L-R: Ryan Lanning, Nick Arceo, Ciera Dawn, Sarah Beth Tanner, Tommy Bullington.

Second row L-R: Jessica Lauren Fisher, Ryan Armstrong, Kimberly Lawson, Thomas Tong, Patrick O'Keefe, Christopher Davis.

Bottom row L-R: Orlando Shelly, Tiffany Taylor, Ian Rigg, Amanda Giles, Kevin O'Connell, Jenni Carroll.

A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE will be staged in the 85-seat Broadway Theatre of the Pride Arts Center and will open to the press on Monday, October 14 following previews from Thursday, October 10. It will play through Sunday, November 10. Tickets are on sale now at www.pridefilmsandplays.com.

October 10 – November 10, 2019
Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 2:30 pm., plus Wednesday November 6 at 7:30 pm

Premium reserved seats $40, general reserved seats $30, student/senior/military $25 (not valid Saturdays)
The Broadway, Pride Arts Center, 4139 N. Broadway, Chicago
Tickets available by phone at 866-811-4111 or 773-857-0222 or online at www.pridefilmsandplays.com.


ABOUT PRIDE FILMS AND PLAYS

Pride Films and Plays produces a year-round festival of work centered on LGBTQ characters or themes that are essential viewing for all. Since opening Pride Arts Center in 2016, with our two intimate spaces, Pride Films and Plays is in many ways the center of queer programming in the Midwest thanks to our award-winning full productions, cabarets, film fests, new play development and special events. Founded in 2010, Pride Films and Plays has earned 36 Jeff Recommendations and Awards. 

Pride Arts is grateful for hundreds of individual donors, especially the recurring donors in the Pride Society.  The company is most grateful for foundation support from Illinois Arts Council, a State Agency, City Arts Grant, The MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at The Richard Driehaus Foundation, The Heath Fund, the Pauls Foundation, The Service Club of Chicago, Arts and Business Council, Taproot Foundation, Alphawood Foundation, Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, Chicago Community Trust, Elliott Fredland Charitable Trust, AmazonSmile Foundation, among others. 

Pride Arts is grateful for the support of Braintree, which sponsors our Pride Parade float, the Australian Consulate-General Chicago and Qantas Airlines, and the Consulate General of Canada, Chicago. Pride Arts is a member of the League of Chicago Theaters, Northalsted Business Association, Buena Park Neighbors, Uptown United, and Lakeview East Business Association.

REVIEW: WORLD PREMIERE of Bloody Bathory Via Barrens Theatre Co Now Playing Through through November 16, 2019

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Bloody Bathory

By Millie Rose

WORLD PREMIERE

Directed by Molly H. Donahue

An immersive and interactive thriller putting you on the jury judging history's famous female vampire

All Production Photos by Les Rorick

REVIEW:
by bonnie kenaz-mara

* I'm keeping this review as spoiler free as possible, because Bloody Bathory is best experienced with few preconceived notions.

Barrens Theatre Company's Bloody Bathory is a preternatural romp through a crumbling, castle-like setting, where guests have the option to follow any or many of 17 characters. My 16 year old daughter and I chose to split up, so we'd see different story lines, and we both had a blast. We also had quite different experiences and were privy to unique secrets and storylines, even to the point of voting opposite each other as jury members. It was fun to compare notes after the show. 

My daughter, Sage, tailed one of the women in white with black corsets, who have the most energetic track with lots of running, pranking and haunting. Are they demonic fairy folk, ghosts of slaughtered teen girls who have gone missing in the castle, or something else entirely? Some characters can see them, they can certainly be heard and felt in the physical world, and their storyline travels forward and backwards in time. Are these recollections real or faulty fictions?

Sage got to do a lot of hands on participation and mess with other characters and audience alike, while running from room to room, and even outdoors. She initially wasn't sure if she wanted to catch the show with me, but was a total convert after, raving about how much fun it was and taking a handful of flyers for her theatre teachers and friends.

I started out following a poor, young girl, sent to the castle as a servant and never seen again. As paths crossed, I switched to following numerous different characters including Countess Bathory herself, the Cardinal, and others. Mine was a less physical track, sans running, but full of mental gymnastics. In the process I heard about love triangles, sadistic discipline, midwifery and healing practices, gender based power struggles, superstition and rumor, religious and royal power grabs, romantic tiffs, hexes, herbs, and hauntings. Between the proliferation of Dracula tales and this new-to-me story of Countess Bathory, I was left wondering WTF is wrong with the literally bloodthirsty, Transylvanian gentry of old?! Bloody Bathory is an amazing night of clever clue hunting and fabulously fun theatre, full of passionate characters, plot twists galore, intriguing locals, and sketchy shenanigans.

I'm sure the experience is different every night, and for each participant, even on the same evening. That said, here's a few helpful tips.

Know Before You Go:

1. Wear comfortable shoes and something warm. There's a wide range of options for audience participation from sedentary to downright athletic, but there are stairs to interesting locals and short exterior scenes available to explore. There are umbrellas and blankets if you're in need, but DIY is a good bet.

2. Enter through the front doors to the sanctuary. We easily found free street parking and located Epworth United Methodist Church, but wandered around with a group of equally lost souls, trying locked door after door. There wasn't signage or anything about where to enter in the advance materials. Turned out we were just a bit early! 

3.  Talk less, learn more. This is a show best enjoyed in silence. There's an eery soundtrack, a zillion clues, and characters who contradict others. No-one will jump out and scare you, touch you, or make you do anything against your will. Characters may enlist your help to do small tasks, if you're down for it. I mostly lurked and listened, fly on wall style, while my daughter ended up assisting her character with lots of pranking. 

4. Make a point to get to the cellar and through the hanging sheets at least once. There are fascinating environs all over, so explore the hidden nooks, in addition to the larger rooms where most of the action occurs. 

I've seen plenty of interactive theatre over the years and this is one of my favorites. BLOODY BATHORY is a show you could return to multiple times and catch new storylines with each visit. There was plenty of action, history, and mystery, and yet we were left wanting more. BLOODY BATHORY is a thoroughly enjoyable evening of macabre mayhem and magic, and a fall must see. Highly recommended. 

Bonnie Kenaz-Mara is a Chicago based writer-theater critic-photographer-videographer-actress-artist-general creatrix and Mama to two terrific teens. She owns two websites where she has published frequently since 2008: ChiILLiveShows.com (adult) & ChiILMama.com (family friendly).

The 16th Century Countess Elizabeth Bathory has been described as “the most vicious female serial killer in all recorded history,” and with her penchant for drinking the blood of virgins – a “beverage” she thought would keep her young – she is outrivaled only by Dracula in her fame as a vampire. Like Dracula, Bathory was born in Transylvania and it’s been said she enjoyed torturing and killing young girls before drinking and even bathing in their blood. No one knows what’s fact and what’s fiction in the legend of this bloody countess, but it’s all horrifying and is certain to scare the wits out of the audiences of BLOODY BATHORY, to be staged by Chicago’s Barrens Theatre Co. from October 1 through November 16. Epworth United Methodist Church, 5253 N. Kenmore Ave., Chicago. Tickets on sale now. Click HERE.

In this world premiere drama by Chicago-based playwright Millie Rose, audience members can choose to follow any of seventeen characters and can move from space to space and jump freely from track to track over the course of the night.  Some of the characters will talk to the audience members or even ask them for help. Audience members will act as jury members ruling over the trial of Elizabeth Bathory and at the end of the show, decide if Elizabeth Bathory is innocent, or guilty. 

Rose’s script, which has been in development the past four years through workshops and readings, will be realized in an immersive staging by director Molly H. Donahue, who has worked with (re)discover theatre as the director of 50 SHADES OF SHAKESPEARE, as a creator and director of “The Guest” in FOR ONE, and as the dramaturg and developer on THE INNOCENTS.





Playwright Millie Rose herself will take the role of Elizabeth Bathory. The cast will also include Amy Carpenter (Zsofia, U/S Zita), August Stamper (Hanna), Cory David Williamson, (Janos Ficzko), Danny Turek (Cardinal Melchior Klesl, U/S Matthias), David Quiñones (Count George Thurzko), Ebony Chuukwu (Zita, U/S Bathory), Erich Peltz (Deseo the Castellan), Kayla Cole (Mira, U/S Katalin), Kelly Schmidt (Anna Darvolya), Kristen Alesia (Hedi, U/S Anna), Levi Schrader (Reverend Ponikenusz), Lo Miles (Katalin Beneczky), Maggie Miller (Kovac/Judge), Stephanie Mattos (Archduke Matthias), Tague Zachary (Benedek Toth), William Delforge (Ferenc Kalmar). Additional understudies will include Hannah Ewing (U/S Mira, U/S Zsofia), Lauren Walters (U/S Hanna, Hedi), Michel Bigelow (U/S Thurzo), and Richard Eisloeffel (U/S Toth/Kalmar/Ficzko).

L-R: Kristen Alesia,  Amy Carpenter, Kayla Cole, Wiliiam Delforge, Stephanie Mattos.

Middle Row L-R: Lo Miles, Maggie Miller, Erich Peltz, Millie Rose, August Stamper.

Third Row: L-R: Kelly Schmidt, Levi Schrader, Danny Turek, Cory David Williamson, Tague Zachary. Bottom row: Ebony Chuukwu, David Quinones.

The BLOODY BATHORY design and production team includes Amanda Vander Byl (Costume Designer), Owen Nichols (Lighting Designer), Matt Reich (Sound Designer), Nina D’Angier (Production Designer), Fight Choreographer (Molly H. Donahue), Kate Lass (Intimacy Designer), Brent Ervin-Eickhoff (Script Captain), Emilie Modaff (Music Director), Kristina McCloskey (Associate Director), Hannah Beehler (Production Stage Manager), Jamie Lyn Woods, Christian Tabotabo (Assistant Stage Managers), Emily "Red" Melgard (Crew Swing), and Les Rorick, Cory David Williamson and Millie Rose (Producers).





BLOODY BATHORY will be both immersive and interactive. The audience will have direct experience with the story and its characters, giving them the power to decide Bathory’s fate. Rose says, “Immersive theatre gives the audience purpose and investment in the story in a way that regular seated theatre cannot.  There is an exclusivity about it, a gathering, a camaraderie created.  The audience is not just watching the story but now they are a part of it. I believe we attend the theatre because we want to experience something outside of ourselves and our own lives.”

ABOUT THE BARRENS THEATRE 
Inspired by Stephen King's epic novel, IT, the barrens were a place where nightmares truly existed.  Nightmares reveal the existence of our deepest fears as well as our greatest desires.  

We, at The Barrens Theatre, want to examine the intricacies of human behavior, how we cope with fear and hope and desire in scary places.





BIOS
Millie Rose (Playwright) is an actor and playwright. She also creates her own murder mystery parties. Millie has worked in Chicago over the past four years with a number of different theatre companies including Filament Theatre, Arc Theatre, New Colony, Bluebird Arts, Pride Films & Plays and About Face Theatre.  She participated in the New Colony's Writer's Room 2.0. She is a neighbor with The Neighborhood Theatre. She received her BFA in Theatre Performance from the University of Idaho.  

Molly H. Donahue (Director) is a Chicago based director and new works developer. She has worked with (re)discover theatre as the director of 50 SHADES OF SHAKESPEARE, a creator and director of “The Guest” in FOR ONE, and as the dramaturg and developer on THE INNOCENTS. She is proud to be a founding member of The Barrens Theatre Co. Recently she has directed the Out of Time 24 Hour Play festival as we well as The Bloody Bathory Project in 2018. She is passionate about immersive artforms and challenging artists and audiences alike to see each other in a new light. She is so excited to be directing Bloody Bathory 2019!  

Kristina McCloskey (Associate Director) is a freelance director and producer from Virginia, based in Chicago. Recent directing credits include THE LITTLE FOXES at Citadel Theater, EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN with Dandelion Theatre, and an immersive staged reading of RICHARD III with Midsommer Flight/Unbound Theatre Co. She was Executive Producer of BLOODY BATHORY with Barrens in 2017. Kristina is also an Associate Artist with Dandelion Theatre Company and has had the good fortune to work with 16th Street Theatre, Midsommer Flight, Tarleton/Dawn Productions, and Griffin Theatre. Kristina is passionate about development opportunities for artists in Chicago, including devising and developing new work as well as adapting classic texts. She is equally obsessed with homesteading and every dog she meets (especially corgis). kristinamccloskey.com

Production Details:
Thursdays through Saturdays at 8:00 pm (Tuesday, October 1 at 8 pm)
Epworth United Methodist Church, 5253 N. Kenmore Ave., Chicago
Tickets: Previews $17, Regular performances $27. Tickets on sale now. Click HERE. Additional show information at www.thebarrenstheatreco.com

Verdi's LUISA MILLER at Lyric Opera of Chicago October 12 - 31, 2019

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar
Verdi's tragic romance 

LUISA MILLER 

opens Saturday, October 12 at 

Lyric Opera of Chicago

conducted by Music Director Designate Enrique Mazzola

October 12 - 31

Verdi’s heart-wrenching romantic drama Luisa Miller returns to Lyric Opera of Chicago for the first time in more than three decades on Saturday, October 12 at 7:30 p.m. Enrique Mazzola, Lyric’s music director designate, will be on the podium.

There will be six performances through October 31 at the Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Dr., Chicago. Tickets start at $39 for adults and $20 for children, and are available now at lyricopera.org/Luisa or by calling 312-827-5600.

Luisa Miller features an outstanding international cast of acclaimed Verdian artists. Bulgarian soprano Krassimira Stoyanova is sweet, vulnerable Luisa, who loves and is loved by Rodolfo (Maltese tenor Joseph Calleja), the son of ruthless, unethical nobleman Count Walter (American bass-baritone Christian Van Horn/Ryan Opera Center alumnus) whom Luisa’s own father Miller (American baritone Quinn Kelsey/Ryan Opera Center alumnus) loathes. To keep the lovers apart, Walter employs the help of his retainer Wurm (American bass Soloman Howard/Lyric debut), who wants to marry Luisa himself. An arranged marriage between Rodolfo and Duchess Federica (Russian mezzo-soprano Alisa Kolosova) further complicates Luisa and Rodolfo’s desperate situation.

The revelatory arias, breathtaking duets, thrilling ensembles, and electrifying orchestration of Luisa Miller foreshadow Verdi’s famous mid-career operas, marking his transition from bel canto to his own compositional style. These performances mark an exciting opportunity to experience a largely unfamiliar work by a well-known and beloved composer. The opera’s libretto by Salvadore Cammarano is based on the play Kabale und Liebe by the German dramatist Friedrich von Schiller. Luisa Miller has been presented only once previously in Lyric’s 65-year history, during the 1982 season. You can hear musical excerpts here (scroll down to "Learn More").

Lyric’s music director designate, Enrique Mazzola, is a lauded expert in conducting early Verdi, as well as bel canto and French opera. (Previously at Lyric he led acclaimed performances of two bel canto masterpieces, Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor and Bellini’s I puritani). Luisa Miller marks the first installment of Lyric’s Early Verdi Series, to be presented over the coming years and which will be conducted by Mazzola.

The production of Luisa Miller is directed by Francesca Zambello, with open, evocative set designs by Michael Yeargan, traditional-period costume designs by Dunya Ramicova, and dramatic lighting design by Mark McCullough. Lyric’s chorus master is Michael Black, and August Tye is the choreographer for this presentation.

Performance dates for Luisa Miller are October 12, 16, 20, 25, 28, and 31. Performance times vary.

For tickets and information call (312) 827-5600 or go to lyricopera.org/Luisa Tickets start at $39.

Luisa Miller is performed in Italian with projected English translations.

About Lyric 
Lyric Opera of Chicago is committed to redefining what it means to experience great opera.  The company is driven to deliver consistently excellent artistry through innovative, relevant, celebratory programming that engages and energizes new and traditional audiences.  

Under the leadership of general director, president & CEO Anthony Freud, music director Sir Andrew Davis, music director designate Enrique Mazzola, and creative consultant Renée Fleming, Lyric is dedicated to reflecting, and drawing strength from the diversity of Chicago. Lyric offers, through innovation, collaboration and evolving learning opportunities, ever more exciting, accessible, and thought-provoking audience and community experiences.  We also stand committed to training the artists of the future, through The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center and to becoming increasingly diverse across our audiences, staff, programming and artists - magnifying the welcoming pull of our art form, our company, and our city.

Through the timeless power of voice, the splendor of a great orchestra and chorus, theater, dance, design, and truly magnificent stagecraft, Lyric is devoted to immersing audiences in worlds both familiar and unexpected, creating shared experiences that resonate long after the curtain comes down.

Join us @LyricOpera on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. #Lyric1920 #LongLivePassion.

Production sponsors: NIB Foundation, Julie and Roger Baskes, the Henry and Gilda Buchbinder Family Foundation, Liz Stiffel, and The Nelson Cornelius Production Endowment Fund.

Luisa Miller is a San Francisco Opera production.

COLLABORATION WITH WORLD-RENOWNED CHEF RICK BAYLESS AND WINDY CITY PLAYHOUSE IN 2021

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

WINDY CITY PLAYHOUSE TO STAGE THE WORLD PREMIERE OF AN ORIGINAL FARCE IN COLLABORATION WITH WORLD-RENOWNED CHEF RICK BAYLESS IN 2021

Rick Bayless by Galdones Photography 

“Boys in the Band” to Begin Performances Jan. 29; “Every Brilliant Thing” Continues through Dec. 8

Despite the long lead time on this opening, slated for 2021, we're beyond excited for this collaboration and can't wait to share the news with our readers! 
I adored Rick Bayless in Cascabel: Dinner – Daring – Desire, a circus/theatre/fine dining extravaganza that was too much fun. I'm overjoyed to hear there will soon be another Chicago based theatre/Bayless world premiere.

Windy City Playhouse Artistic Director Amy Rubenstein announced that the theater will be collaborating with James Beard Award-winning chef Rick Bayless on a yet-to-be-named theatrical project to be presented at Windy City Playhouse’s flagship location in the first quarter of 2021. Bayless, Rubenstein and Associate Artistic Director Carl Menninger are teaming up to create a fully immersive theatrical, culinary farce; audiences will enjoy special tastes crafted by Bayless as the hilarity unfolds. The story revolves around a special event at a well-known restaurant where everything that could possibly go wrong occurs, sending the restaurant staff into a tailspin. A drunk chef, a couple in crisis, a dishonest health inspector and a spy from a competing restaurant all contribute to chaos with hysterical results.

Windy City Playhouse’s production of Duncan MacMillan’s “Every Brilliant Thing,” starring Rebecca Spence and directed by Jessica Fisch, opened last week to rave reviews. In the Chicago Tribune, Chris Jones awarded the production four stars, calling it “a really beautiful, kind and lovable little show that, in the 72 hours since I left the theater, has buoyed me, amused me, warmed me and challenged me.” Writing for the Chicago Sun-Times, Kris Vire called the show “breathtaking,” adding that it reminds “us to take stock of joy and possibility and human kindness.” Kerry Reid, reviewing for The Reader, wrote “when it comes to making us all feel welcome and valued, this show is, well, brilliant.” And reviewing for WTTW-TV, Hedy Weiss wrote “Windy City has proven itself to be a master of ‘immersive theater,’ a theatrical form that heightens the interplay between actors and audience, and cleverly removes ‘the fourth wall,’ that traditional ‘boundary’ between performer and spectator. ‘Every Brilliant Thing’ is its latest marvel.” Tickets for “Every Brilliant Thing” are now on sale through Dec. 8.

Windy City Playhouse’s production of Leslie Liautaud’s “Southern Gothic” will complete its Chicago run Sunday, Oct. 27, having played 20 months (originally opening Feb. 14, 2018). At the conclusion of its run, the play will have been seen by 14,000 audience members, will have employed more than 100 artists and served up more than 250 cans of Spam and 2,310 Twinkies. The theater’s production of Jonathan Caren’s “The Recommendation” will close Sunday, Oct. 20, having played 111 performances, and dispensing 2,400 Jello shots and the contents of 24 family-size bags of wonton chips.

Next up will be an immersive production of Mart Crowley’s revolutionary play, “The Boys in the Band” directed by Playhouse Associate Artistic Director Carl Menninger, beginning January 29, 2020. Set in 1968, the play is set at the birthday party of Harold, who is turning 32. Luckily, friend-enemy Michael is there with six mutual friends to help him ease into his early 30s. The party is all jokes and catty quips until the host proposes a playful game of truth or dare. What happens when you put eight complicated gay men - out, closeted, flamboyant, or "passing" - in one room with all their grudges? On the heels of the recent hit Broadway revival, this landmark play comes to Chicago for the first time in 20 years. In the signature Windy City Playhouse style, audience members will sit inches from the prototype personalities during the pre-Pride era.  Reviewing the recent revival, Dave Quinn of People raved “If there were ever a time to revisit ‘The Boys in the Band,’ it’s now.” Tickets go on sale Friday, Nov.1; the press performance will be announced at a future time.

“I am proud to say that Windy City Playhouse has found its stylistic groove,” said Rubenstein. “For a theater company to be successful in a city as competitive as Chicago, it must establish a unique voice. I feel that we have audiences have come to expect something truly unique when they visit our theater, an experience where they truly become involved in the action not as a passive observer, but where they are almost a participant. Our guests tell me that they know that every production will deliver something completely different but always exciting, thought-provoking and moving. Our upcoming productions will continue in that vein.”

About Rick Bayless 
Most people know Rick Bayless from winning the title of Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters,” besting the competition with his authentic Mexican cuisine. His highly rated public television series, “Mexico: One Plate at a Time,” is broadcast coast to coast and his nine cookbooks have earned multiple high-profile accolades. Located in Chicago, Bayless’ Frontera Grill and Topolobampo have each received the “Outstanding Restaurant” designation from the James Beard Foundation — an unprecedented feat for side-by-side restaurants. His wildly popular fast-casual Xoco has been around since 2009 and Tortas Frontera at Chicago’s O’Hare airport has changed the face of airport dining.

In 2016, he opened two new critically acclaimed restaurants in Chicago’s bustling West Loop neighborhood — the Baja-inspired, wood-fired Leña Brava and the adjacent Cervecería Cruz Blanca, a craft brewery and taquería. Also in 2016, he opened Frontera Cocina in Disney Springs. In 2018, Bayless’ opened Bar Sótano, a Oaxacan inspired mezcal bar with modern Mexican bar food.

Always a philanthropist, Bayless and his staff established the Frontera Farmer Foundation in 2003 to support small Midwestern farms. To date, the Foundation has awarded nearly 200 grants totaling more than $2 million. He also launched the Frontera Scholarship, a culinary school scholarship for Mexican-American students in Chicago. The Government of Mexico has bestowed on Bayless the Mexican Order of the Aztec Eagle–the highest decoration bestowed on foreigners whose work has benefitted Mexico and its people.

About Windy City Playhouse
Windy City Playhouse is a professional theater and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, located on Chicago's northwest side. Premiering in March of 2015 with a mission to present contemporary, relevant, and approach art, the Playhouse has quickly become a mainstay of the Chicago theater scene. In 2018, its runaway hit, the immersive “Southern Gothic” solidified the Playhouse as the first choice in Chicago theater for one-of-a-kind audience experience. "Experience driven. Audience first."

For more information, visit WindyCityPlayhouse.com and follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

  

HELP OUT: Hell in a Handbag Productions' Annual Benefit THE RIP NELSON CELEBRITY ROAST Returns Saturday, November 9, 2019

Hell in a Handbag Productions’ Annual Benefit

THE RIP NELSON CELEBRITY ROAST

Saturday, November 9, 2019 

at Ebenezer Lutheran Church

Hell in a Handbag Productions is pleased to present its annual benefit, THE RIP NELSON CELEBRITY ROAST on Saturday, November 9, 2019 from 6 – 11 pm at Ebenezer Lutheran Church, 1650 W. Foster Ave. in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood. Tickets ($75 in advance) are currently available at www.handbagproductions.org (via Brown Paper Tickets) or by calling (800) 838-3006.

The stars – dead and alive – are coming out in droves to roast everyone’s favorite Hollywood has-been, Rip Nelson (Ed Jones*), described as a mash-up of Paul Lynde, Charles Nelson Reilly and Rip Taylor. The celebrity line-up includes Lucille Ball (David Cerda*), Bette Midler (Caitlin Jackson*), Liza Minnelli (Alexa Castelvecchi), Doug Henning (David Lipschutz*) and Dame Maggie Smith herself (Danne Taylor*). The star-studded evening also includes a full course of your favorite TV dinner-style comfort foods by Chef’s Joey Chiapetta and Adam Ordish with hearty helpings of Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes and other favorites, desserts from Bubbie’s kitchen (Nancy Lipschutz) and refreshments, plus games, raffles, silent auctions and a few surprises.

All proceeds benefit Hell in a Handbag Productions, Chicago’s leading camp and parody theater company.

EVENT DETAILS:

Name: THE RIP NELSON CELEBRITY ROAST

Date: Saturday, November 9, 2019

Time: Doors open at 6 pm, dinner is served from 6:30 – 8 pm; celebrity roast at 8:15 pm.

Location: Ebenezer Lutheran Church, 1650 W. Foster Ave., Chicago
Tickets: $75 in advance; $85 at the door. Includes food, two drink tickets and the roast. Industry tickets are now available here- https://handbagbenefit2019.bpt.me/.

*Denotes Handbag Ensemble Members

About Hell in a Handbag Productions

Hell in a Handbag is dedicated to the preservation, exploration, and celebration of works ingrained in the realm of popular culture via theatrical productions through parody, music and homage. Handbag is a 501(c)(3) Not for Profit. For additional information, visit www.handbagproductions.org.

REVIEW: World Premiere of INVISIBLE Via Her Story Theater Now Playing Through November 3, 2019

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

INVISIBLE

Written by Mary Bonnett

Directed by Cecilie Keenan

The World Premiere of a play about the Women's Ku Klux Klan 

in 1920's Mississippi

REVIEW:

by bonnie kenaz-mara

Her Story Theater's Invisible is full of characters you'll love to hate. These women, in a small Mississippi town in 1925, are the most dangerous kind of self-righteous, southern bigots, who justify hate crimes, violence, and even murder in the name of Christianity and white supremacy. Though subservient to their husbands and sometimes even domestic violence abuse victims themselves, these women have power and use their smarts, social standing and ability to ostracize to amass an army for the first Women’s Ku Klux Klan. The clan not only harassed and hurt African Americans, but Jews, Catholics, and even disenfranchised whites who were perceived as "other" as well. Greed, deception, corruption and theft ran rampant among the ranks of the KKK movement, which eventually imploded, but not before amassing a frightening number of members. This period piece is a stark reminder of how little has changed in 100 years, as white supremacy, scapegoating immigrants, and race based discrimination is once again gaining mainstream credibility in our current political climate.

Invisible is a character driven exploration of a moment in history, between world wars, where immigrants were maligned, race based violence was condoned, and patriotism and Christian religion got twisted to justify horrific ends. It's an era of errors we'd best remember as a country, as we teeter on the bring of repeating it. 

There is a bright spot in the morass. Without revealing too many spoilers, there are those who step up embrace human decency regardless of skin color, heritage or religion, just because another person is in need. Invisible has a wonderful character, a well educated artist from Chicago, who has gone back to the location of family trauma and tragedies to challenge the status quo with poetry, music, activism and acts of human kindness. We're also huge fans of the swamp foundling who can hear and speak to the dead. There's also a compelling mystery around the lineage of "ghost girl" and an intriguing dose of the supernatural, which makes Invisible great storytelling. This production has nuance and depth, and avoids coming across as preachy, on a tough topic.

Invisible also does an excellent job of including conflicted characters, trying to do the right thing. In every movement there are those who embrace an ideology for financial reasons, out of fear, or for other reasons aside from true belief in the cause. It's telling that the core KKK women relied on bullying and fear of financial ruin to control this segment of their base. Even white women were seen as "other" if they were Irish, not born in town, or showed any slight immodesty, impropriety, or rebellion. 

 

The casting is excellent, and Maddy Flemming and Lisa McConnell are particular standouts. Though the subject matter is heavy, particularly the end with video projections of throngs of hooded KKK members, it's a story that needs to be seen. As long as hate crimes and immigrant bashing are still happening, racial inequality is acceptable, and religion is used to justify hate, there's a need for theatre and art to shine a light in those dark corners, and make audiences think and feel again. Kudos to Her Story Theater for bringing this world premiere to life on stage. 

Bonnie Kenaz-Mara is a Chicago based writer-theater critic-photographer-videographer-actress-artist-general creatrix and Mama to two terrific teens. She owns two websites where she has published frequently since 2008: ChiILLiveShows.com (adult) & ChiILMama.com (family friendly).

INVISIBLE imagines a woman in a small Mississippi town in 1925 who is forced to reconcile her involvement in the modern Women’s Ku Klux Klan movement with her religious beliefs and sense of decency. Wrapping their anti-immigrant mission in a cloak of patriotism following the passage of women’s suffrage, Mabel Carson’s neighbors have convinced her of the justness of their cause, but the arrival in town of a Chicago newspaper reporter just as their WKKK chapter is gaining momentum forces Mabel to question her beliefs. INVISIBLE is a powerful and suspenseful drama in the tradition of American southern-set narrative fiction.

Performance Details
Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 3 pm, plus Saturday, November 2 at 3 pm

Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago

Tickets: https://www.stage773.com/show/invisible, 773-327-5252

PRICES: $35.00, Students $15.00
For information on group rates, visit www.HerStoryTheater.org or call 312-835-1410.

Info: www.HerStoryTheater.org

In the 1920s in America, the Women's KKK came into being. By then Black Codes in the South were firmly in place; the oppression was profound and often violent. Unlike the Klans of the Reconstructionist Era and Civil Rights Movement who specifically targeted the African American community, this Klan turned its main attention toward Immigrants, Catholics and Jews. 

Under the guise of an all welcoming flag of patriotism, they wrapped themselves up in Nationalism, Nativism and Purity -- 100% American. "America for Americans". The newly formed Women's Klan of that era fought their way to power after winning the women's right to vote. They infiltrated churches, schools, civic organizations and appealed to motherhood, the future and safety of children. 

They were the inventors of "Poison Squads" who spread lies and destroyed reputations. If any of this reminds you of today's climate, come see this show and understand what we collectively inherited from this brief but impactful time in history. It was a movement that swept the nation. It was when the Klan went mainstream in America. While the plot and characters of INVISIBLE are imagined, the descriptions of the WKKK activities are accurate, and actual historical figures are mentioned as off-stage characters. 

Cast 

left-right: Morgan Laurel Cohen, Richard Cotovsky, Maddy Flemming, Brad Harbaugh.

Lower row left-right: Barbara Roeder Harris, Megan Kaminsky, Lisa McConnell.

INVISIBLE was written by Her Story Theater’s Producing Artistic Director Mary Bonnett, author of the company’s earlier productions that comprised its “Chicago Sex Trafficking Cycle.” The cycle includes SHADOW TOWN, voted one of the 2013 “Ten Best Productions of the Year” by Chicago Theater Beat; THE JOHNS, MONEY MAKE ‘M’ SMILE for youth, and 2018’s breakout hit MONGER, of which the SUN TIMES said “It lands with a crushing (and factually supported) weight.”  SPLASH MAGAZINE gave it four stars, saying, “The Play’s action is mesmerizing; at a tightly crafted 75 minutes… it hits many nerves at once; anger, disbelief, compassion, fear and a desire to help.” BUZZ CENTER STAGE said “What I really want is for you to go see this play. This is something real.”

INVISIBLE will be directed by longtime Chicago director Cecilie Keenan, who earned raves for her direction of WEDDING BAND in 2017 for The Artistic Home. That production prompted Tony Adler, the then-theater editor of the READER to declare “ So praise the Lord, as one of its characters would certainly say, for the Artistic Home revival of Childress's WEDDING BAND.”

INVISIBLE will be the first HerStory Theater production to be eligible for Chicago's Jeff Awards.



HER STORY THEATER
Her Story Theater is a theater for social change. Through theater and the written word, our mission is to shine bright lights in dark places on women and children in need of social justice and community support.  Since 2011, we have partnered with countless organizations to raise awareness on current issues that impact women and children.

Sponsored by the Oppenheimer Family Foundation