The Strange Tree Group, in association with
the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events,
Presents the World Premiere Muzical
THE DEAD PRINCE
Book, Music & Lyrics by Emily Schwartz
Directed by Paul Holmquist
November 17 – December 22, 2013
The Strange Tree Group, in association with the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, is pleased to kick off its 2013-14 Season with the world premiere of THE DEAD PRINCE, an original, rambunctious, fairly-family-friendly, fairy tale muzikal, with book, music and lyrics by Jeff Award-winning playwright Emily Schwartz and directed by Lifeline ensemble member Paul Holmquist. THE DEAD PRINCE plays November 17 – December 22, 2013 at The DCASE Storefront Theater, 66 E. Randolph St. in Chicago. Tickets are available at www.strangetree.org.
THE DEAD PRINCE features: Cory Aiello, Elizabeth Bagby, Dan Behrendt, Scott Cupper, Michael Thomas Downey, Kate Nawrocki, Stuart Ritter, Amber Vaughn Robinson, Sara Scanlon, Zachary Sigelko, Ann Sonneville, Jen Starewich and Thomas Zeitner.
Epic, goofy, comedic and romantic, THE DEAD PRINCE follows the story of a put-upon princess who is told by every magic mirror in the land that her true love has died and the two were destined never to meet: for he was dead and she alive! We join the play on the day she discovers it is possible to sneak across the void and steal him back; but does pulling someone from the brink do more damage than you think? A musical comedy full of corpses, bat attacks, horrible misunderstandings and quests... glorious quests.
In the tradition of the smash hits Mr. Spacky and The Mysterious Elephant, THE DEAD PRINCE showcases Strange Tree's patented mash-up of literary styles, which playfully bend the rules of normal theatrical narrative while drawing on the deep (and deeply eccentric) musical talents of the Strange Tree ensemble. Lively, inventive, and completely original, for the past nine years Chicago’s Strange Tree Group has playfully toyed with the entire notion of storytelling, featuring a hand-made “twigs and twine” aesthetic replete with bright bursts of magical realism in highly detailed, audience-interactive environments.
The production team for THE DEAD PRINCE includes: Joe Shermoly (scenic design), Delia Baseman (costume design), Rebecca Jeffords (lighting design), Michael Huey (sound design), Sarah Luse (production manager) and Becky Bishop (stage manager).
PRODUCTION DETAILS:
Title: THE DEAD PRINCE
Book, Music and Lyrics: Emily Schwartz
Director: Paul Holmquist
Cast: Cory Aiello (Diggs), Elizabeth Bagby (The Captain), Dan Behrendt (Leopold the Thief), Scott Cupper (The Dead Prince), Michael Thomas Downey (Maldorf the Mirror), Kate Nawrocki (Tasha the Farmer’s Daughter), Stuart Ritter (Wilkes), Amber Vaughn Robinson (Oh, Death), Sara Scanlon (Sallie), Zachary Sigelko (Will the Minstrel), Ann Sonneville (Sara the Princess), Jen Starewich (Pea) and Thomas Zeitner (Dennis the Accordion Player).
Location: The DCASE Storefront Theater, 66 E. Randolph St. in Chicago
Dates: Previews: Sunday, November 17 at 2 pm, Monday, November 18 at 7:30 pm, Wednesday, November 20 at 7:30 pm and Thursday, November 21 at 7:30 pm
Press performance: Friday, November 22 at 7:30 pm
Regular run: Saturday, November 23 – Sunday, Dec. 22, 2013
Curtain Times: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7:30 pm, Sunday at 2. Please note: there will not be a performance on Thursday, November 28 (Thanksgiving).
Tickets: Previews: Pay-what-you-can. Regular run: $15. Tickets are available at www.strangetree.org.
About the Playwright:
Emily Schwartz is the Artistic Director of, and Resident Playwright for, The Strange Tree Group. For the Trees she has penned the Jeff Award-winning The Three Faces of Doctor Crippen, as well as the critically acclaimed The Dastardly Ficus and Other Comedic Tales of Woe and Misery, Mr. Spacky, The Man Who Was Continuously Followed by Wolves and The Mysterious Elephant, among many others. Emily is also a Resident Playwright of Chicago Dramatists, an Artistic Associate of Collaboraction and one of New City's Top 50 people who really perform in Chicago 2012.
About the Director
As a director, Paul S. Holmquist’s work has mainly been with Lifeline Theatre, where he has been a member of the Ensemble since 2006. Lifeline MainStage productions include The Island of Dr. Moreau (winner of five Non-Equity Jeff Awards including Best Production-Play), Busman's Honeymoon, Neverwhere, The Moonstone and The Count of Monte Cristo. For Lifeline's KidSeries, Paul directed Rikki Tikki Tavi and Other Just So Stories, Flight of the Dodo, Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed and The Mystery of the Pirate Ghost. Other area directing credits include The Constant Wife and The Robber Bridegroom (Non-Equity Jeff Award Nomination: Director-Musical) with Griffin Theatre, Under Milk Wood for Caffeine Theatre, and the Chicago premiere of Jon Fosse's Winter for Akvavit Theatre. Paul holds a BFA in Acting from the Theatre School at DePaul University and a Graduate Laban Certificate in Movement Analysis from Columbia College Chicago, where he teaches and works.
About The Strange Tree Group:
A collective of multifaceted individuals dedicated to creating intricate, intimate theatrical experiences that extend beyond the boundaries of a traditional stage. We produce works that inspire creativity not only in our actors but also in our audience. We Trees embrace the theatricality inherent in live performance and are committed to producing pieces that celebrate the strange and the magical; the dangerous and the fantastical; and the surprisingly usual nature of unusual behavior. The world is full of adventure...let us embark on this one together! For more information, please visit www.strangetree.org.
A collective of multifaceted individuals dedicated to creating intricate, intimate theatrical experiences that extend beyond the boundaries of a traditional stage. We produce works that inspire creativity not only in our actors but also in our audience. We Trees embrace the theatricality inherent in live performance and are committed to producing pieces that celebrate the strange and the magical; the dangerous and the fantastical; and the surprisingly usual nature of unusual behavior. The world is full of adventure...let us embark on this one together! For more information, please visit www.strangetree.org.
Chicago Cultural Center Presents is an ongoing performing arts series that showcases both emerging and established music, theater, dance and multi-disciplinary artists at the Chicago Cultural Center and other venues. Dedicated to capacity building in the arts, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events hires the artists and provides performance space as well as technical and marketing support.
