ACT OUT HOLIDAY: “A KLINGON CHRISTMAS CAROL” at The Raven 11/30-12/29 & ECC 12/7 Only

COMMEDIA BEAUREGARD’S

“A KLINGON CHRISTMAS CAROL”

COMES TO THE ECC ARTS CENTER

FOR ONE PERFORMANCE ONLY,

DEC. 7 AT 7:30 P.M.

Want a truly unique holiday treat?   How about dinner and a Klingon Christmas Carol?!

Commedia Beauegard brings their new production of “A Klingon Christmas Carol” written by Christopher Kidder-Mostrom and Sasha Walloch and translated into Klingon by Laura Thurston, Bill Hedrick, Chris Lipscombe, and Christopher Kidder-Mostrom, to the ECC Arts Center, on the Elgin Community College Campus, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin, for one performance only, Saturday, Dec. 7 at 7:30 p.m. For more information visit tickets.elgin.edu.  In addition to this special performance at the ECC Arts Center, “A Klingon Christmas Carol” runs Nov. 30-Dec.29 at The Raven Theatre. For more information visit cbtheatre.org.

 “A Klingon Christmas Carol,” directed by Kidder-Mostrom, adapts Dickens’ classic tale of ghosts and redemption into a story of Klingon SQuja' (pronounced SKHOO-jah) overcoming cowardice to reclaim his honor. Performed in Klingon with English supertitles and a Vulcan narrator, Trekkies and non-Trekkies alike will love this inspired take on a holiday classic. “Those of you who can’t wait for ComiCon to break out that red shirt costume or your forehead ridges will undoubtedly find this a most honorable way to get into the holiday spirit…3 Stars,” says Chicago Theater Beat.

Kidder-Mostrom and Walloch’s “A Klingon Christmas Carol” was first performed in  St. Paul, Minn. in 2007.  2013 marks the 8th time that Commedia Beauregard has produced the play (four times in St. Paul, Minn.; four times in Chicago; 2010 had shows in both cities).  The exciting new 2013 production features a new multi-level set, new costumes that blend Victorian England with Klingon aesthetics and a 15-person cast with Elizabeth Richards as Narrator, Clark Bender as SQuja’ (Scrooge), Colin Fewell as QachIt (Bob Cratchit). For a complete list of the cast and design team, visit cbtheatre.org.

The mission of Commedia Beauregard is “to translate the universal human experience to the stage: to expand our horizons and share knowledge of all cultures, translating between languages and between arts to create theater that is beautiful in expression.” Commedia Beauregard was founded 1999 in St. Paul, Minn., by Christopher Kidder-Mostrom (then, Christopher O. Kidder).Commedia Beauregard has been headquartered in Chicago since 2011 and recently became a resident company of the West Stage of the Raven Theatre Complex in Chicago.

Tickets for the ECC Arts Center Saturday, Dec. 7, 7:30 p.m. performance of “A Klingon Christmas Carol” are $32. A three-course, pre-show dinner prepared by ECC’s award-winning Culinary Arts and Hospitality program can be purchased online for an additional $29. The menu includes a Mixed Green Salad with Pickled Red Beets (inspired by the Klingon dish Gagh), Sliced Beef with Horseradish Sauce accompanied by Roasted Shallot and Garlic Shipped Potatoes (inspired by the Klingon dish Heart of Targ), and Cranberry Panna Cotta (inspired by a favorite Klingon beverage, Bloodwine).  Dinners are served at 5:30 p.m. in the Spartan Terrace Restaurant, located in the lobby of the ECC Arts Center. Dinners must be ordered on or before Monday, Dec. 2.

Tickets for the ECC Arts Center performance and pre-show dinner can be purchased online at tickets.elgin.edu or at the ECC box office located in the Arts Center. Box office hours are noon to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, noon to 5 p.m. Friday and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday. To purchase tickets by phone, call 847-622-0300. All major credit cards are accepted.

In addition to this special performance at the ECC Arts Center, “A Klingon Christmas Carol” also runs Nov. 30-Dec.29 at The Raven Theatre, 6157 N Clark St. For tickets and more information, visit cbtheatre.org or call 773-338-2177.

The ECC Arts Center, located in Building H on the Elgin Community College Campus, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin, presents amazing artists in intimate theater settings. Delicious dinners prepared through a partnership with the ECC's award-winning culinary arts program often accompany events. Parking is plentiful and free.

For more information about the ECC Arts Center, visit tickets.elgin.edu or call 847-622-0300. The arts center also can be followed on Twitter at twitter.com/ECCArtsCenter. Become a fan of the arts center on Facebook at facebook.com/ECCArtsCenter.

INCOMING: King of Soul: Acoustic Otis Redding tribute at City Winery December 9th

King of Soul: Acoustic Otis Redding is a tribute that presents the Stax Records icon’s most memorable songs as performed by vocalist Gerald McClendon, guitarist Carlo Basile (Las Guitarras De Espana) and violinist Chihsuan Yang (Matt Santos’ band), alongside some of Chicago’s top players from the realms of soul and world music.   

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, City Winery is one of our favorite small, live music venues with plentiful seating and a stellar lineup crossing many genres of music.   Think date night, or a chance to meet new friends at the long, communal tables.

King of Soul - Acoustic Otis Redding AND Spanish Guitar Duo (featuring members of Las Guitarras de España) - 12/9

MONDAY, DECEMBER 09 2013 6:00 PM DOORS / 7:30 PM START

Click here for more info & to purchase tickets.

ACT OUT HOLIDAY: A Q BROTHERS’ CHRISTMAS CAROL NOVEMBER 30–DECEMBER 22, 2013 (ages 12+)

CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER INVITES AUDIENCES 

TO A SNEAK PREVIEW OF A NEW WORK-IN-PROGRESS

A Q BROTHERS’ CHRISTMAS CAROL

NOVEMBER 30–DECEMBER 22, 2013

Othello: The Remix Featured at Sydney Festival January 2014

ChiIL out with Jeff Award winning Chi-town favorites, The Q Brothers!  They've infused Shakespeare and other classics with fresh new breath and engaged a younger audience with edgier productions, hip-hop and comedic genius.   We can't wait to see their take on A Christmas Carol!

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) and hip-hop sensations the Q Brothers are back at it again turning up the volume with a fresh take on a beloved classic. The Q Brothers and CST Creative Producer Rick Boynton have come together to develop A Q Brothers’ Christmas Carol—a hip-hop reinterpretation of the perennial holiday favorite by Charles Dickens. Now, alongside Chicago theaters’ familiar renditions of this heartwarming tale, audiences will participate in the creation of an energized, reinvented tradition. Work-in-progress performances of A Q Brothers’ Christmas Carol will run in the theater Upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare, November 30–December 22, 2013.

A Q Brothers’ Christmas Carol is being created between stops of the Q Brothers’ international whirlwind tour of the award-winning Othello: The Remix, which will travel to Australia in January to be featured in the line-up of the highly regarded Sydney Festival 2014. Premiering at Shakespeare’s Globe for the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad’s ‘Globe to Globe’ festival, Othello: The Remix has toured to festival venues around the world, playing to sold-out houses of multi-generational and culturally diverse audiences in Edinburgh, Germany, South Korea and London. Its extended five-month Chicago engagement broke records for Chicago Shakespeare’s longstanding CST for $20 program for patrons under 35 years of age. 

Written and performed by GQ, JQ, Jackson Doran and Postell Pringle, A Q Brothers’ Christmas Carol takes on the cherished holiday tale and wrestles it from its sacred roots with irreverence, an array of music styles, and a lot of heart. Just as hip-hop borrows from many genres, the story will be underscored with beats spun live by DJ Super Nova at the turntables, mashing up everything from reggae and dancehall music, to futuristic dubstep and epic rock ballads. Audiences will recognize familiar characters like Ebenezer Scrooge with his erotic passion for money, a Jamaican Jacob Marley, and the most pitiful Cratchit, Lil’ Tim. The time-traveling Ghosts take Scrooge on a voyage through the hip-hop ages–decade by decade from past to present to future–documenting the still-evolving musical art form. This new holiday treat will prove to be as cheeky, intelligent and street smart as audiences have come to expect from the Q Brothers.

A Q Brothers’ Christmas Carol design team includes Scenic and Costume Designer Scott Davis, Lighting Designer Jesse Klug and Wig and Make-up Designer Melissa Veal. Properties Master Amy Peter and Choreographer Anacron complete the creative team. Written by GQ, JQ, Jackson Doran and Postell Pringle and developed with Rick Boynton, A Q Brothers’ Christmas Carol is presented in association with Richard Jordan Productions Ltd.

WORK-IN-PROGRESS PRESENTATIONS

November 30–December 22, 2013

Tuesdays–Fridays @ 7:30 p.m.

Saturdays @ 6:00 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.

   (on 11/30, 8:30 p.m. only)

Sundays @ 3:00 p.m.

Ticket Prices

Tickets on sale now for $20-$35

CST for $20 tickets for patrons under 35 years old.

All patrons receive a 40% discount on guaranteed parking in Navy Pier garages.

Recommended for audiences age 12 & up.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Box Office: 312.595.5600

www.chicagoshakes.com

Programming in the Carl and Marilynn Thoma Theater Upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare

is made possible through generous support from Hyatt Hotels Corporation

MONSTER MAGNET TONIGHT at Bottom Lounge (17+) Premiere Bonus Track From Last Patrol on the "Deciblog"

"Wyndorf's songs are like sci-fi adventures in the brain of an LSD-gobbling hippie" -Decibel Magazine- "Dave Wyndorf and company dial back into what made the band counterculture legends in the first place." -Blabbermouth- MONSTER MAGNET released their critically acclaimed new album Last Patrol this past October via Napalm Records.  Last Patrol is available as a Limited Edition Digipak, which contains two bonus tracks, standard CD, 2LP and digital format.  The album is available to order on Amazon and iTunes. MONSTER MAGNET will be hitting the road beginning in Grand Rapids, MI for their first North American tour in over 10 years!  The tour will run through December 14th in New York, NY.  Support on the tour will be come from Royal Thunder and Anti-Mortem.  (Zodiac who were originally part of the tour have been denied visas and will not be on the bill)  A complete last of dates can be found below. Decibel Magazine's "Deciblog" is hosting an exclusive premiere of one of the bonus tracks from Last Patrol.  The song "One Dead Moon" is only available on the Limited Edition Digipak, LP and deluxe digital versions of Last Patrol. Check out the exclusive premiere of "One Dead Moon" HERE. MONSTER MAGNET's video for the song "Mindless Ones" was directed by Tom Scharpling and can be seen HERE. MONSTER MAGNET North American Tour With Royal Thunder and Anti-Mortem: 11/14: Grand Rapids, MI @ Intersection 11/15: Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews 11/16: Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge 11/17: Minneapolis, MN @ Mill City Nights 11/19: Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater 11/20: Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge 11/22: Seattle, WA @ Neumos 11/23: Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theater 11/24: Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theater 11/26: San Francisco, CA @ The Independent 11/27: Los Angeles, CA @ House of Blues 11/29: Tempe, AZ @ Club Red 11/30: Albuquerque, NM @ Launch Pad 12/2: Austin, TX @ Red 7 12/3: Houston, TX @ Fitzgeralds 12/4: Dallas, TX @ Trees 12/6: Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade 12/7: Charlotte, NC @ Amos Southend 12/8: Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Sound Stage 12/10: Toronto, ON @ Lee's Palace 12/12: Boston, MA @ Sinclair 12/13: West Chester, PA @ The Note 12/14: New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom For More Info Visit: http://www.zodiaclung.com https://www.facebook.com/monstermagnet http://www.napalmrecords.com

REVIEW: A'Musing Myths at Actors Gymnasium Highly Recommended #ChiILPicksList #agyouthcircus

A'Musing Myths

Fall Youth Circus

Closing THIS WEEKEND!

ChiIL Mama, Du-Jay and Sagezilla caught opening night and highly recommend checking out A'Musing Myths at Actors Gymnasium.   It's a great, family friendly, all ages show, with a cast completely comprised of kids. The plot does work better if the audience has at least a rudimentary knowledge of Greek Mythology, so young kids might be a bit lost on the story line.   But the colorful, creative circus arts make this a fun production for the whole family.

We're huge fans of shows that have a fleshed out plot instead of just free standing circus skills demos, and The Actors Gym excels at productions like that. A'Musing Myths doesn't have quite as much live music as past shows we've seen there, but it's still well worth checking out.   We were particularly impressed with the multiple simultaneous silks and Spanish Web ropes in some of the bigger group aerial acts!   Don't be surprised if your kids are inspired to enroll in Actors Gym classes once they see how much fun these kids are having and what stellar skills they've developed.

We love the melding of the classics and these familiar character archetypes with circus skills.  The Greek Myths are given a vibrant, new twist with the introduction of aerial arts, unicycle and more.   It's a small space so we highly suggest you get tickets in advance to guarantee seats.   These show are very likely to sell out!

For group reservations and general questions call 847-328-2795.  If online sales are sold out, a limited number of tickets will be available at the door.

  

Final 2 days! 

November 16 & 17, 2013

Saturdays at 4:30 pm and 7:30 pm

Sundays at 3:00 pm  

$15 for adult tickets!

$12.50 for children, students and seniors!  

Have you bought your tickets yet? 

  

A young girl who sacrifices love for the sake of the world.  A fierce seamstress who dares flaunt her talents before the goddess of Arts & Crafts. That angry one with the snakes for hair.  The gift of fire and the origin of man himself. Join us as Prometheus, our favorite Titan, recounts the origins of some of his favorite characters from mythic Greece. 

The Members of The Actors Gymnasium's Fall Youth Circus Ensemble combine skills in circus, dance, clowning, and drama to delight us on adventures that span the heights of Mount Olympus, the depths of the Underworld, and every strange and imaginary place in between.  

  

A'Musing Myths: Fall Youth Circus is written and directed by Chris Mathews with circus choreography by Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi, dance choreography by Topeka Ellis, and assistant directed by David Corlew. Tickets will go quickly - so get yours today!

Tickets are available ONLINE only.  Once online sales are closed, 1.5 hours prior to the show start time, the on-location box office will be open.

Go early.   Things are a bit confusing due to building construction.   Actors Gym tickets are on the far left side of the lobby as you enter and their performance space is on the far right.   They have simplified things with actual tickets now.

Win:

Take part in our hashtag contest!  Whoever has the most #agyouthcircus comments on Facebook and/or Twitter before November 19 will win a free black AG jacket OR $50 off their next session of classes (Your choice!).  Posts must be relevant and on-topic. 

ACT OUT HOLIDAY: About Face Theatre Presents The Return of the Hit Holiday Musical WE THREE LIZAS

New Book and Expanded Score!

About Face Theatre Presents

The Return of the Hit Holiday Musical

WE THREE LIZAS

Book & Lyrics by AFT Artistic Associate Scott Bradley

Music & Additional Lyrics by Alan Schmuckler

Directed by AFT Artistic Associate Scott Ferguson

Musical Direction by Aaron Benham

November 27, 2013 – January 5, 2014 at Stage 773

Feeling "Mary" and Gay this holiday season?   You'll be in good company at We Three Lizas!   Embrace your inner diva and come on out for a fabulous night.

WeThreeLizas-5 (left to right) Danielle Plisz and Scott Duff in a publicity image for About Face Theatre’s production of WE THREE LIZAS with book & lyrics by Scott Bradley, music & additional lyrics by Alan Schmuckler and directed by Scott Ferguson.  Photo by Cheryl Mann.

About Face Theatre’s sparkly, queer holiday hit musical WE THREE LIZAS is back and better than ever – with a new book and expanded score!  Featuring book and lyrics by Scott Bradley*, music and additional lyrics by Alan Schmuckler, direction by Scott Ferguson*, music direction by Aaron Benham and choreography by Patrick Andrews*, WE THREE LIZAS will play November 27, 2013 – January 5, 2014 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. Tickets are available online at www.aboutfacetheatre.com or www.stage773.com, in person at the Stage 773 Box Office (1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago) or by calling (773) 327-5252.  The press opening is Thursday, December 5 at 7:30 pm.

WE THREE LIZAS will feature many of the original cast members including Scott Duff*, John Francisco*, Sharriese Hamilton, Danielle Plisz (Jeff Award-nominated), Dana Tretta and Andrew Swan in addition to newcomers Mark David Kaplan, James Nedrud and Bethany Thomas. Musicians include Aaron Benham (piano/conductor), Jed Feder (drums) and Debra Johnson (bass).  *Denotes AFT Artistic Associates.

Box maker Conrad Ticklebottom’s life has hit a block. Once, Conrad and his purple box ignited an entire movement in art and design, but now he finds himself alone, forgotten and teetering on ruin. The holidays bring three magical figures to his door – a trio of Liza Minnellis to escort him on a fabulous journey through what-was, what-could-be and what-the-f*?!, redeeming his lost promise and re-inventing a brand-new Conrad Ticklebottom.  It’s a quirky holiday musical tale of hope, transformation… and the power of Liza!

“Liza’s back and she’s better than ever! After having played to sold-out audiences in 2012 at the Steppenwolf Garage and in concert at Joe’s Pub in New York this summer, I’m thrilled to bring back this hilarious and moving holiday musical,” comments About Face Artistic Director Andrew Volkoff. “In this year of development at About Face, we are proud to support the continued growth of this project and the artists who’ve created it.  Artistic Associate Scott Bradley and composer Alan Schmuckler have developed a sensational new book and score and we’re delighted to share it with Chicago audiences.  If you missed it last year, get your tickets now: it’s bound to sell out again this year!  And if you saw it last year, you’ve got to see this fantastic new version and make We Three Lizas your new holiday tradition!” adds Volkoff.

The production team for WE THREE LIZAS includes: Jerre Dye (set design), Mieka van der Ploeg and Robert S. Kuhn (costume design), Mac Vaughey (lighting design), Josh Horvath (sound design), Eleanor Kahn (properties design), Davis McCarty (projections design) and Helen Lattyak (stage manager).

Title:  WE THREE LIZAS

Book and Lyrics:  AFT Artistic Associate Scott Bradley

Music and Additional Lyrics: Alan Schmuckler

Director:  AFT Artistic Associate Scott Ferguson

Musical Director: Aaron Benham

Choreography: AFT Artistic Associate Patrick Andrews

Featuring:  Featuring AFT Artistic Associates Scott Duff and John Francisco with Sharriese Hamilton, Mark David Kaplan, James Nedrud, Danielle Plisz, Bethany Thomas, Dana Tretta and Andrew Swan.

Musicians: Aaron Benham (piano/conductor), Jed Feder (drums) and Debra Johnson (bass).

Location:  Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago

Dates:  Previews: Wednesday, November 27 at 7:30 pm, Friday, November 29 at 7:30 pm, Saturday, November 30 at 7:30 pm, and Sunday, December 1 at 3 pm

Regular run:  Friday, December 6^th, 2013 – Sunday, January 5, 2014

Curtain Times:  Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 pm; Saturdays at 3 pm & 7:30 pm; Sundays at 3 pm

Tickets:  Previews: $20 adults/$10 students. Regular run: $45 adults/$20 students. Group discounts available. Tickets are available online at www.aboutfacetheatre.com or www.stage773.com, in person at the Stage 773 Box Office (1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago) or by calling (773) 327-5252.  Additional processing fees apply for phone and internet orders.

WeThreeLizas-3 (left to right) Scott Duff and Danielle Plisz in a publicity image for About Face Theatre’s production of WE THREE LIZAS with book & lyrics by Scott Bradley, music & additional lyrics by Alan Schmuckler and directed by Scott Ferguson.  Photo by Cheryl Mann.

About the Creative Team:

Scott Bradley (Book & Lyrics) is co-founder of Chicago's The Scooty & JoJo Show, for which he wrote and developed the critically-acclaimed musical works Alien Queen, Carpenters Halloween, Rosemary Clooney’s Baby, Mollywood, Tran: The Atari Musical, The Scooty & JoJo Variety Hour, Thank God! It’s the Scooty & JoJo Show and Diva Brunch.  As a writer, director, designer and performer, he has collaborated in the development of new works at New York's PNBC/HERE (Fiona Apple Kwaanza Explosion), New Works Project (Atlantis City, RSVP), adobe theater company (The Eight, Tracker), Next Stage Theater (Adventures of Bobbi & Vaughan), HOME for Contemporary Theatre & Art (No Shame), BACA Downtown (A Child is Being Beaten) and CBGB's Galleria (I’ll Go On); Chicago's About Face Theatre (We Three Lizas, The Homosexuals), Walkabout Theatre Company (Crow), BigTop JoJo (Phenomenal Phantasmagoria), Hell In A Handbag Productions (The Birds, Caged Dames); Washington, D.C.'s Washington Shakespeare Company (Romeo & Julius Caesar); Seattle's UMO Ensemble (Maldoror), Open Circle Theater (Ballyhoo, Poona the F*ckdog, ETA: Phoenix, Little Boy, Return to the Garden of Allah) and Bald Faced Lie (Slow Children). He is an Artistic Associate with About Face Theatre, former Artistic Director of Seattle's Open Circle Theater, and served as Associate Artistic Director at BACA Downtown, Brooklyn, NY. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild, AEA and SAG/AFTRA.

Alan Schmuckler (Music and Additional Lyrics) will see his new musical Days Like Today (book by Laura Eason) premiere at Chicago's Writers' Theatre in 2014. His musical The Emperor’s New Clothes (book by David Holstein) enjoyed a critically acclaimed premiere production at the Tony-winning Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and received its international debut at the Stage Artz Theatre Company in Sydney, Australia. He and Michael Mahler co-wrote book, music and lyrics for Chicago Shakespeare’s How Can You Run with a Shell on Your Back?, which premiered and remounted in 2007, and has since been produced nationwide, including at the Chicago Humanities Festival, the National Alliance for Music Theatre’s 21st Annual Festival of New Musicals, and at theaters and schools nationwide. His concert credits include Alan Schmuckler: I Miss The City (Joe’s Pub, NYC); and, with Mahler, the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage (Washington, D.C.), and numerous Chicago gigs with their band, the Lincoln Squares, whose debut EP, The Lincoln Squares!, is available online. Alan’s music and lyrics have been featured in the Fourth Annual Broadway in South Africa Gala; the York Theatre Company’s NEO6 Benefit Concert; the Chicago “Monday Nights, New Voices” series; and the National Alliance for Music Theatre’s New Works Summit and Songwriters’ Showcase. Alan is a three-time Joseph Jefferson-nominated actor and recently appeared in Nikolai and the Others, (Lincoln Center Theater). He is a proud alum of Northwestern University and the School at Steppenwolf, and a member of AEA and ASCAP.

Scott Ferguson (Director) is the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Theatrebam Chicago where he wrote and created the hit shows, Schoolhouse Rock Live!, Schoolhouse Rock Live Too! and The Main Street Kids’ Club: A MathStart Musical. Scott has directed the SRLive! National Tours (’99-’01) with Troupe American, Inc., the Off-Broadway productions at The Atlantic and the Lamb’s Little Theatre, as well as many productions across the country. Scott is a proud Artistic Associate of About Face Theatre, where he directed Xena Live! Episode One, the Jeff Nominated Xena Live! Episode Two, Xena Lives! The Musical and Say You Love Satan and last year's We Three Lizas. As a Founding Collective Member of Bailiwick Chicago, he directed the critically acclaimed Aida and Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. Scott has also directed for Hell in a Handbag, Filament, Chicago Children’s Theatre, Drury Lane Oakbrook and Watertower. For the former Bailiwick Repertory, Scott directed the Non-Equity Jeff Nominated A Man of No Importance as well as The Cousins Grimm. Regionally, he has directed for Playhouse On The Square in Memphis, The Fulton Opera House in Lancaster, PA, The Wohlfahrt Haus Theatre in Wytheville, Virginia, Rhodes College and New Trier High School. Favorites include; The Rocky Horror Show, Return To The Forbidden Planet, The Mystery Of Irma Vep, Evita, Bat Boy The Musical, Jekyll & Hyde, Floyd Collins, Disney’s Aida, Beauty And The Beast, Saucy Jack & The Space Vixens, Year With Frog And Toad, Big River, Altar Boyz, Xanadu and Pippin. 

Aaron Benham (Musical Director) is a local music director, conductor, arranger and composer. Chicago credits: A Cole Porter Songbook and Time After Time: The Songs of Jule Styne, Theo-Ubique; Anyone Can Whistle and Putting it Together, Porchlight Music Theatre; Sweet Charity and Days Like Today, Writer's Theatre; Avenue Q and Spamalot, NightBlue; RockShow(Tunes) and The Rise of the Numberless, Bailiwick Chicago.  He is a member of the Improvised Sondheim Project, and has performed locally and aboard the Norwegian Epic cruise ship with Second City.  Up next: The Sweet Smell of Success, Kokandy Productions, and the Chicago premiere of Carrie with Bailiwick Chicago.  BFA, Emerson College.

About Face Theatre (Andrew Volkoff, Artistic Director) is one of Chicago’s most acclaimed theatre companies, and is a national leader in the development of new work exploring gender and sexual identity.  Since its founding by Kyle Hall and Eric Rosen in 1995, the company has premiered more than 48 world premieres by writers and directors who have been recognized with several Tony Awards, The Pulitzer Prize for Drama, The MacArthur Fellowship and dozens of Joseph Jefferson Awards.

WeThreeLizas-1 (pictured) Danielle Plisz (above) and Scott Duff (below) in a publicity image for About Face Theatre’s production of WE THREE LIZAS with book & lyrics by Scott Bradley, music & additional lyrics by Alan Schmuckler and directed by Scott Ferguson.  Photo by Cheryl Mann.

ACT OUT SAVE THE DATES: Interrobang Theatre Project Continues Fourth Season: THE PITCHFORK DISNEY Feb 6th-March 2

THE PITCHFORK DISNEY 

By Philip Ridley

Directed by Co-Artistic Director Jeffry Stanton

February 6 – March 2, 2014

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we were blown away by Interrobang Theatre Project's excellent production of Terminus.   The trio of actors killed it with a creepy and compelling rendition of the entwined, lyrical, Irish tales.   We can't wait to check out their next offering!   Dark comedies are one of our favorite genres.   We also dig their name... INTERROBANG.  POW?!   This name makes my inner word nerd happy and is an excellent description of this troupe's on stage persona. 

What’s an interrobang?

An interrobang is the combination of a question mark and an exclamation point, joining the Latin for “question” (interro) with a proofreading term for “exclamation” (bang). Punctuation expresses an attitude, an idea, an attempt to make things clearer. Through the plays we produce, Interrobang Theatre Project poses muscular questions. Navigating through the dark together with our audience we attempt to arrive at new understandings and fresh perspectives of who we are and the world in which we live.

Following its critically-acclaimed, Jeff Award-nominated production of Terminus, Interrobang Theatre Project is pleased to continue its 4^th season with Philip Ridley’s dark comedy THE PITCHFORK DISNEY, directed by Co-Artistic Director Jeffry Stanton, playing February 6 – March 2, 2014 at The Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport in Chicago, where it is now a resident company.  Tickets for THE PITCHFORK DISNEY are on sale through the Athenaeum Theatre Box Office at www.athenaeumtheatre.org or by calling (773) 935-6875.  

THE PITCHFORK DISNEY features Andrew Goetten, Aislinn Kerchaert, Mark Lancaster and Kevin Webb.

“How easy it is to stop living. Not to die, but to stop being alive.”

–Cosmo Disney, THE PITCHFORK DISNEY

Ten years ago, something dreadful happened to Presley and Haley. Ever since, the grownup siblings have hid in their dead parents’ flat keeping the big bad world at bay on a diet of chocolate, drugs, fractured memory and fantasy. But one night their feral isolation is threatened by the arrival of the sinister cockroach-munching Cosmo Disney and his mute mate Pitchfork Cavalier.

The 1991 debut of Philip Ridley’s gothic fairytale is the stuff of legend sparking debate, horror and a renaissance of British playwriting. At its heart, THE PITCHFORK DISNEY is the story of two innocents, a modern day Hansel and Gretel, staring down a cruel, chaotic world in which money is all, fear sells, truth lies and existence is survival of the sickest.

23 years after it came kicking and screaming into the world, director Jeffry Stanton takes on this contemporary classic revealing THE PITCHFORK DISNEY has finally come of age. Or perhaps our age has simply come to reflect Ridley’s prophetic nightmare.

A spine-chilling pitch black comedy for our anxiety-ridden era!

The production team for THE PITCHFORK DISNEY includes: Stephen Carmody (Scenic Designer), Noël Huntzinger* (Costume Designer), Claire Chrzan* (Lighting Designer & Production Manager), Christopher LaPorte* (Sound Designer), Josh Hurley (Props Master), Lindsay Bartlett (Dialect Coach), Julia Rohed* (Stage Manager) and Justin Snyder (Technical Director).  *Denotes Interrobang Theatre Project Artistic Associate

PRODUCTION DETAILS:

Title:  THE PITCHFORK DISNEY

Playwright:  Philip Ridley

Director:  Co-Artistic Director Jeffry Stanton

Featuring:  Andrew Goetten (Presley Stray), Aislinn Kerchaert (Haley Stray), Mark Lancaster (Pitchfork Cavaliere) and Kevin Webb (Cosmo Disney). Understudies: Eric Feltes (Cosmo Disney) and Matthew Dealy (Presley Stray).

Location:  The Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport in Chicago

Dates:  Previews: Thursday, February 6 and Friday, February 7, 2014 at 8 pm

Press performance: Saturday, February 8, 2014 at 8 pm

Special understudy performance: Saturday, February 22 at 3 pm

Regular run: Sunday, February 9 - Sunday, March 2, 2014. Note: there will be added 3 pm performances on Saturday, February 15, 22 and March 1

Curtain Times:  Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm; Sundays at 3 pm

Tickets: Previews: $12. Regular run: $20 Fridays and Saturdays evenings, $18 Thursdays, Saturday and Sundays matinees. $12 students and industry tickets (with ID).  Tickets are available through the Athenaeum Theatre Box Office at www.athenaeumtheatre.org or by calling (773) 935-6875.  Note: all ticket prices include a $2 Athenaeum Theatre restoration fee.

About the Playwright

Philip Ridley was born in the East End of London where he still lives and works. In addition to three books for adults and the highly acclaimed screenplay for the The Krays feature film (winner of The Evening Standard Best Film of the Year Award), Ridley has written eight adult stage plays: The Pitchfork Disney, the multi-award-winning The Fastest Clock in the Universe, Ghost from a Perfect Place, Vincent River, the highly controversial Mercury Fur, Leaves of Glass, Piranha Heights and, most recently, the hugely successful Tender Napalm (nominated for the London Fringe Best Play Award), plus several plays for young people: Karamazoo, Fairytaleheart, Moonfleece, Sparkleshark and Brokenville. He has also written many books for children, including Scribbleboy (shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal), Kasper in the Glitter (nominated for the Whitbread Prize), Mighty Fizz Chilla (shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book of the Year Award), ZinderZunder, Vinegar Street, Zips’Apollo and the bestseller Krindlekrax (winner of both the Smarties Prize and WH Smith’s Mind-Boggling Books Award), the stage play of which, adapted by Philip himself, was premiered at the Birmingham Rep Theatre in the summer of 2002. He has also directed three feature films from his own screenplays: The Reflecting Skin (winner of eleven international awards, including the prestigious George Sadoul Prize), The Passion of Darkly Noon (winner of the Best Director Prize at the Porto Film Festival) and, most recently, Heartless (winner of The Silver Meliers Award for Best Fantasy Film), starring Jim Sturgess and Noel Clarke. Philip has won both the Evening Standard’s Most Promising Newcomer to British Film and Most Promising Playwright Awards; the only person ever to receive both prizes. He also studied painting at St. Martin’s School of Art and his work has been exhibited widely throughout Europe and Japan.

About Interrobang Theatre Project

Founded in 2010, Interrobang Theatre Project (Jeffry Stanton and James Yost, Co-Artistic Directors) produces visceral and timely plays that are not readily seen on other Chicago stages. Interrobang upholds live theatre and the act of collective imagining as a powerful means to change our world one play at a time. Interrobang is not recommended for audiences who prefer theatre to be benign or familiar.

Interrobang Theatre Project’s third season opened with the “scintillating revival” (Time Out Chicago) of Paula Vogel’s Hot ‘N’ Throbbing. The Chicago Tribune hailed Interrobang “a company to watch,” Time Out Chicago’s 5-star review claimed, “as the production barrels to its shocking finale, it’s clear (Jeffry) Stanton and his impeccable cast are in complete control,” and Newcity Stage exclaimed, “Interrobang Theatre Project, guns ablaze, dives headfirst into the play’s challenging themes, and offers a rare production in which every element onstage is as robust and capable as every other.”  Other Interrobang Theatre Project productions include the one-man Here Lies Henry by Daniel MacIvor, the Midwest premiere of The Argument by Gregory Moss, Orange Flower Water by Craig Wright, a co-production with BareBones Theatre and most recently, Mark O’Rowe’s critically acclaimed Irish drama Terminus.

For more information on Interrobang Theatre Project, visit www.interrobangtheatreproject.org or www.facebook.com/interrobangtheatreproj.