OPENING: Chicago Premiere of Red Handed Otter at A Red Orchid #opening

A RED ORCHID THEATRE PRESENTS 

THE CHICAGO PREMIERE OF

RED HANDED OTTER

BY ETHAN LIPTON

DIRECTED BY ENSEMBLE MEMBER DADO

APRIL 9 – MAY 24, 2015

ChiIL Live Shows will be there... will you?! Check back with us early and often. Our full review will be up after the press opening on April 13th. 

A Red Orchid Theatre continues its 22^nd Season with the Chicago premiere of Red Handed Otter, written by Ethan Lipton and directed by Dado.  The production runs April 9 – May 24, 2015 at A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N. Wells. 

Not long ago, Paul had a girlfriend, a cat, and few complaints. Now? Well, at least he’s got his health. In between shifts at their security guard posts, Paul’s work buddies try to cheer him up. In this comedy by one of New York’s hottest emerging playwrights, Paul’s friends’ awkward (and hilarious) attempts to console him may just prove that some comforts only come on four legs. 

Red Handed Otter premiered at Cherry Lane Theatre in NYC, 2012.

Dates: Previews: April 9 – 12, 2015

Regular Run: April 16 – May 24, 2015

Schedule: Thursdays: 8:00 p.m.

Fridays: 8:00 p.m.

Saturdays: 8:00 p.m. 

Sundays: 3:00 p.m. 

Location: A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N. Wells Ave.

Tickets: $15 previews, $30-$35 regular run.  ($30Thurs, $35 Fri, Sat, Sun)

Box Office: Located at 1531 N. Wells Ave, Chicago, (312) 943-8722; or online www.aredorchidtheatre.org 

The cast of Red Handed Otter includes A Red Orchid Ensemble Members Mierka Girten and Guy Van Swearingen with Bob Kruse, Luce Metrius and Ashley Neil. 

The creative team for A Red Handed Otter includes Jim Moore (Scenic Design), Karen Kawa (Costume Design), Matt Gawryk (Lighting Design), Mikey Moran (Sound Design), Linda Sherfick (Props Master), Seth Henrickson (Video Director), David Wooley (Fight Director), Christa van Baale (Stage Manager), Arianna Soloway (Assistant Director) and Kyle Stoffers (Assistant Stage Manager).

About the Artists

Ethan Lipton (playwright)’s plays have been produced in New York, Los Angeles, Edinburgh, Boston, and Chicago (Luther at Steep). His Obie-Award winning song cycle No Place to Go premiered at the Public Theater’s Joe’s Pub in 2012 and was later produced by Two River Theatre (Red Bank, NJ) and the Gate (London). No Place to Go has since been presented in concert in more than 25 cities around the US and UK. Ethan was a member of the Public’s Emerging Writers Group and a Playwrights Realm Page One Fellow.  He is an associate artist of Clubbed Thumb and has received playwriting grants and commissions from NYFA, the NEA, Playwrights Horizons, NYSCA, True Love and Barrington Stage Company.  He has been a Kesselring nominee, a Kleban finalist and a Drama-Logue winner.  He has also worked with Elevator Repair Service (Gatz), Laurie Anderson and Matt Berninger. 

Dado (Director) is an ensemble member at A Red Orchid Theater and appeared on stage earlier this season in Strandline. She directed Simpatico here and more recently A Night Out for AROT's Incubator series. Other A Red Orchid productions include Megacosm, The Unseen, The Hothouse, The Seahorse, Fastest Clock in The Universe, and The Grey Zone. Dado is a Maggio Fellow and directed Fahrenheit 451 for Steppenwolf's Youth series as well as Coyote on a Fence and High Life for Shattered Globe at Victory Gardens.  Dado directed and acted in Hellcab at Famous Door and has been seen on stage at Trapdoor in First Ladies and Overweight, unimportant: Misshape - A European Supper, at Steppenwolf in The Duel and Pot Mom, and on television in an episode of Chicago Fire, Early Edition, Missing Persons, Turks and was edited out of an episode of Cupid . On the big screen she has been seen in US Marshalls and Payback.  Dado received an MFA in Visual Art from the University of Chicago.

Mierka Girten (Estelle) is a member of the Artistic Ensemble at A Red Orchid where she was most recently seen in Mud Blue Sky, Trevor and Simpatico.  Off-Broadway, she was seen in Mistakes Were Made with Michael Shannon and Sam Deutsch, after doing the world premiere right here at home. Also at A Red Orchid: Abigail’s Party, Weapon of Mass Impact, The Meek, Kimberly Akimbo and The Treatment. Other Chicago credits include: her one woman show With or Without Wings and work with Rivendell Theatre Company, Roadworks, The Hypocrites, Strawdog Theatre, Appletree, Circle Theatre, Livebait, Illinois Theatre Center, Provision, and Cobalt Ensemble.  Mierka toured the country in The Secret Garden and has been heard nationally, as an announcer and jingle singer on many radio and television commercials. Film credits include: The Manson Family, The Lake at Evening and The Drunk. Mierka is the founder of The Mookie Jam Foundation, benefiting artists with Multiple Sclerosis - because she is a daily warrior against the disease.

Bob Kruse (Randy) makes his first appearance with A Red Orchid.  He has previously worked with Vintage Theatre, Strange Tree Group, Eclipse, Wildclaw, Victory Gardens, Steppenwolf Garage, The Gift and The House Theatre. Bob is a graduate of Circle in the Square.

Luce Metrius (Donald) made his A Red Orchid Theatre debut earlier this season in Accidentally Like a Martyr.  Other recent Chicago credits include All Our Tragic with The Hypocrites and Buzzer at The Goodman Theatre.  Luce understudied roles in Raisin in the Sun at TimeLine Theatre and was seen on stage in The March at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Iphigenia at Next Theatre Company, and Romeo & Juliet at Crowded Tub Collective. Mr. Metrius received his BA in acting from of Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University.

Ashley Neil (Angela) makes her A Red Orchid debut and is an ensemble member with Rivendell Theatre. She was most recently seen in The Life and Sort of Death of Eric Argile at Steep Theatre and before that in Men Should Weep with Griffin Theatre where she also did Stage Door.  Other Chicago credits include Reverb at Redtwist, 25 Saints with Pine Box, Living Newspaper at Jackalope and Christmas is for Fools with Step Up Productions.  With Rivendell Theatre Ashley has performed in Wrens, 26 Miles, The Walls, These Shining Lives and more.  Ashley is a graduate of the School at Steppenwolf and Columbia College.

Guy Van Swearingen (Paul) is an Ensemble Member and the founding Artistic Director at A Red Orchid Theatre, where he was last seen in Simpatico.  He has appeared in 14 other productions, including the World Premiere of The Opponent; first here at home and then in its remount Off-Broadway at 59E59th Theatre.  Guy has worked with many theaters in Chicago, including Steppenwolf, Lookingglass, Plasticene, Defiant Theatre, and Mary-Arrchie. Television credits include Chicago Fire, Underemployed, Detroit 1-8-7, The Beast, Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story, Early Edition and TURKS. Film: The Dilemma, Take Shelter, Janie Jones, Public Enemies, The Merry Gentleman, Mad Dog & Glory, The Negotiator, Ali, The Weatherman and Adam Rapp’s Blackbird.  Guy is also a Lieutenant for the Chicago Fire Department.

About A Red Orchid 

A Red Orchid Theatre has served as an artistic focal point in the heart of the Old Town community of Chicago since 1993.  Chicago Magazine named Red Orchid Chicago’s Best Theatre Company of 2010. Over the past 22 years, its Resident Ensemble has welcomed into its fold an impressive array of award winning actors, playwrights and theatre artists with the firm belief that live theatre is the greatest sustenance for the human spirit. A Red Orchid is well known for its highly-acclaimed experimental and cutting edge productions. In addition to its professional season, the company also maintains an exciting youth programming wing.

A Red Orchid Theatre is: Lance Baker, Kamal Angelo Bolden, Dado, Mike Durst, Jennifer Engstrom, Kirsten Fitzgerald, Joseph Fosco, Steve Haggard, Mierka Girten, Larry Grimm, Karen Kawa, Karen Kessler, Danny McCarthy, Shade Murray, Brett Neveu, Michael Shannon, Guy Van Swearingen, Doug Vickers and Natalie West.

OPENING: La Bete at Trap Door Theatre #Theatre #Chicago

Trap Door Theatre Presents:

LA BÊTE

March 19th - April 25th, 2015

  Written by: David Hirson   

Directed by: Kay Martinovich

Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm

$20 on Thursdays and Fridays, $25 on Saturdays, 

Special 2-for-1 Admission on Fridays

$30 on this Saturday, March 21st for talkback with director Kay Martinovich. Wine and cheese reception to follow!

________________________________

La Bête is a rollicking play, written in rhyming couplets, and inspired by the life of the French comic master, Molière. In the play, Elomire (an anagram for Molière) is the leader of an acting troupe, which according to their patron, the Princess, has gone stale and listless. She decrees that they must now hire a new company member, the bombastic, vulgar street performer Valere. A standoff between Elomire and Valere ensues and their lively debate is both funny and dramatic, hilarious and tragic.

Featuring: Marzena Bukowska, Casey Chapman, Kevin Cox, Jesse Dornan, Skye Fort, Bill Gordon, Kelly Jean,Meghan Lewis, Mike Mazzocca & Ann Sonneville

David Hirson (Playwright) is an American playwright born into a show business family. He attended Yale and Oxford and his two well known-plays (La Bête and Wrong Mountain) deal with the issues surrounding the “creative process,” culture, and art vs. entertainment. La Bête, his first play, was produced on Broadway in 1991 where it infamously closed after only 25 shows despite the John Gassner Playwriting Award of the Outer Critics Circle for its author. The next year, it was produced at London’s West End garnering both critical and commercial success and winning the prestigious Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Comedy. The play got its second chance on Broadway in 2010 with great success, which was repeated at London’s West End. Hirson’s plays have received nominations for multiple Tony and Drama Desk Awards. Kay Martinovich (Director) works as a freelance director based in Chicago. Most recently she directed Down Range by Jeffrey Skinner at Genesis Productions and A Skull in Connemara By Martin McDonagh at Northern Illinois University, where she is an Assistant Professor in Acting. Last year she directed Winsor McCay by Laura Marks (TEN Festival) at The Gift Theater and Anything of Value by Brett Neveu (RIPPED Festival) at American Blues. As Associate Artistic Director of Irish Repertory of Chicago (1999-2006), she directed the American premieres of Marina Carr’s By the Bog of Cats… and Brian Friel’s The Yalta Game, among others. She is a proud member of The Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers (SDC).

Stage Manager Allison Goetzman / Set Designer Carolyn Voss / Lighting Designer Richard Norwood /Costume Designer Rachel Sypniewski / Sound Designer Steve Labedz / Movement Kendra Holton/Dramaturg Milan Pribisic / Graphic Designer Michal Janicki /

To help celebrate Trap Door Theatre’s 21st Anniversary, Jane’s Restaurant is offering a complimentary glass of wine with purchase of your entree! Just show your ticket to your server and enjoy! Jane’s is located in the front of the Trap Door building at 1655 W. Cortland Ave. www.janesrestaurant.com

OPENING: STRANGE BEDFELLOWS THEATRE PRESENTS THE PROFESSIONAL WORLD PREMIERE OF BADFIC LOVE AT THE DEN THEATRE #BadFicLove

STRANGE BEDFELLOWS THEATRE

PRESENTS THE PROFESSIONAL WORLD PREMIERE OF

BADFIC LOVE

WRITTEN BY ADAM PASEN, DIRECTED BY AARON HENRICKSON

AT THE DEN THEATRE, APRIL 3 – MAY 2, 2015

INTEGRATED PROJECTS FOR BADFIC LOVE INCLUDE:

A COMIC BOOK ADAPTATION BY DON EDWARDS,

PRE-SHOW “WIZARD ROCK,” AND CUSTOM BEER FROM DARK SAGE BREWERY

Here at ChiIL Live Shows we're looking forward to this one. Who's in?! Strange Bedfellows Theatre + The Den. And the synopses...  Save the dates, grab your friends, get your tixs, and check back with us the first week of April for our full review. You had me at Badfic and Dark Sage!

Strange Bedfellows Theatre, known for its integrated, experiential approach to producing theatre, proudly announces the Professional World Premiere of Badfic Love by Adam Pasen and directed by Aaron Henrickson. Badfic Love will be presented at The Den Theatre, 1333 N Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago, for 15 performances, April 3 – May 2, 2015. Tickets, priced at $20, are on sale at strangebedfellowstheatre.com.

Dates: April 3 – May 2, 2015

Schedule: Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 pm

Location:The Den Theatre, 1333 N Milwaukee Ave., Chicago

773-697-3830, thedentheatre.com

Tickets: $20 (general admission)

Website: www.strangebedfellowstheatre.com

            

By day Kyle is a lowly sales associate at Staples, but by night he is part of an elite organization that scours the internet to keep it safe from the writers of bad fanfiction. When he becomes obsessed with a Harry Potter badfic and falls for the group's public enemy #1, his love life and the fate of the entire plot continuum are at stake. Meanwhile, inside the badfic, the characters formerly known as Harry and Draco race to understand who they are as their narrative goes increasingly off the rails. Part Pirandello and part Joss Whedon, Badfic Love asks the question: "what if the writer telling your story never disappeared, but is just really, really, REALLY terrible?"

In 2012 playwright Adam Pasen was awarded the WordBRIDGE Playwrights Laboratory Fellowship by the Kennedy Center to develop Badfic Love at Center Stage in Baltimore with dramaturg George Brant (Grounded).  Badfic Love was also a finalist for the 2015 Steppenwolf Garage Rep, as well as a semifinalist for the Seven Devils Playwrights Conference and The Dionysos Cup Festival of New Plays.

The Strange Bedfellows are proud to have a number of talented partners for the Integration Projects on Badfic Love, bringing together musicians, visual artists and local businesses in creating an integrated environment surrounding the performance.

• A comic book adaptation of the Badfic Love script has been put to page by artist Don Edwards (creator of Unemployed Duck, Ultrakyle, and STIK comics).  More information about Don can be found at www.donedwardsart.blogspot.com. The comic will also feature the art of several guest artists, such as Jay Taylor, Chris Merkley, and J Tinman, among others.
• Local “Wizard Rock” bands will perform Harry Potter-inspired rock music before all performances of Badfic Love (doors open at 7:00 pm). Bands scheduled to appear include Tonks and the Aurors, Hawthorn & Holly, Diagon Alley and more.
• Dark Sage Brewery has created two custom craft beers for Badfic Love - Diagon Delight, a butterscotch ESB, and Amurican Red, a Locavore American Red Ale. The beer was sold exclusively at Strange Bedfellows Theatre’s fundraising event, One Night Stand: A Celebration of the Arts (And Bite-Sized Convention), at The HQ (1914 N Milwaukee Ave) on Saturday, February 28.

The cast of Badfic Love includes Cristiana Barbatelli (Michelle), David Flora (Benny), Chris Fowler (Kyle), Katie Hunter (Cynthia), Jovan King (Jared), Connor Konz (Harry), Stephanie Shum (Dale), and Jake Szczepaniak (Draco).

The creative team includes: Jeff Chaney (Scenic), Barbara Little (Costumes), Zoe Mikel-Stites (Lighting), Petra Cantzler (Production Manager), Danielle Moore (Stage Manager), Eric Backus (Sound / Composer), Paul Deziel (Projections), Jeremiah Barr (Props), Alex Farrington (Fight Choreographer), and Kyle Encinas (Asst. Fight Choreographer).  

Badfic Love will be presented at The Den Theatre, 1333 N Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago, for 15 performances, April 3 – May 2, 2015. Performances will be held Thursdays thru Saturdays at 7:30 pm. Tickets, priced at $20, are now on sale at strangebedfellowstheatre.com or dime.io/events/badfic-love.

For more information about Badfic Love or Strange Bedfellows Theatre visit strangebedfellowstheatre.com.

ABOUT STRANGE BEDFELLOWS THEATRE

Strange Bedfellows Theatre is dedicated to finding unlikely companions to theatre and art, while focusing on engaging audiences in experiential storytelling. We seek to bring dynamic insight to the re-telling of familiar stories and characters through both existing and newly developed text. We collaborate with other artists in interactive, mixed media and mystically charged performances to augment the Chicago community. Strange Bedfellows Theatre earnestly works at inspiring audiences to discover beauty in the everyday strange.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

ADAM PASEN (Playwright) is a North Shore-native and holds a PhD in Playwriting from Western Michigan University, as well as a MA and BA in Creative Writing from Northwestern and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, respectively. His plays include Tea with Edie and Fitz, Board Fold: a tale of retail, Badfic Love, Vanity Fair, "Spats," and "Starf*cker," and have been awarded a BroadwayWorld Award for Best New Work, a WordBRIDGE fellowship, and the KCACTF National Ten-Minute Play Award.  Pasen's plays have also been produced or workshopped by Theatre Oxford, American Theater Company, Remy Bumppo, the Samuel French Off-Off Broadway Festival, and Tectonic Theater Project and have been published in Best American Short Plays from Applause Books and Best Women's Stage Monologues and Scenes from Smith & Kraus.

AARON HENRICKSON (Director) earned a BA in Theatre Directing from Columbia College Chicago.  After graduating, he entered the Chicago theatre scene, directing for such theatres as Tympanic Theatre Company, New Suit Theatre Company, Fairlane Theatre Company, Fox Valley Rep, and Cold Basement Dramatics. He has also worked as an assistant director, teaching artist, and dramaturg with such companies as Writers' Theatre, Redtwist Theatre Company, American Theatre Company, CityLit, and Dead Writers Theatre Company.  Henrickson has also directed for The Side Project, Brightside Theatre, and Adapt Theatre Productions (where he will be directing Scissortail in May in association with Redtwist Theatre).

CRISTIANA BARBATELLI (Michelle) has appeared in The Bully Show with AlphaBet Soup Productions (currently running), Wyrd Sisters with MorBacon Theatre Co. and Crimes of the Heart with Oil Lamp Theatre. She is also a singer and a writer; more production info is available on cristianabarbatelli.com.

DAVID FLORA (Benny) is originally from Carlisle, KY and a resident of Chicago for the last ten years. A graduate of the Second City Conservatory, iO Chicago Training Center, Annoyance Training Center, and ComedySportz Chicago Training Center, he has directed, produced, and performed in numerous sketch and improv shows across the city. Recent theatrical credits include Fairlane Theatre’s Autobahn and CAN’s Industry Night. He also does a podcast about weird stuff called Blurry Photos. David holds a B.A. in Dramatic Arts and Music from Centre College, Danville, KY.

CHRIS FOWLER (Kyle) studied Journalism at Creighton University before moving to Chicago in 2012. Chris serves as the Social Media Manager for The New Colony where he will appear in their production of The Terrible at The Den Theater this fall.

KATIE HUNTER (Cynthia) is originally from Kansas City and has had the pleasure of performing regionally at The New Theatre, American Heartland, Starlight, and The Coterie. Favorite Chicago credits include Sarah in The Terrible Magic of Gertie Lazarus (New Colony), Janet Van De Graaf in The Drowsy Chaperone (University of Chicago), and The Andrews Sisters (Theo Ubique). Katie is a UChicago grad and a proud member of the 25th generation of Off Off Campus.

JOVAN KING (Jared) hails from Yellow Springs, Ohio and received his BFA in Acting from Wright State University.  He has been acting in the Chicago theatre scene for five years now and has appeared in such plays as Bard Fiction and Klingon Christmas Carol with Comedia Beaurgard, Macbeth with Polarity, and My First Time with Broken Nose.  This is his first time working with Strange Bedfellows.

CONNOR KONZ (Harry) is a native Texan and received his BFA from the University of Oklahoma in Performance and Dramaturgy. Recent productions credits include: Dancing in the Storm  (Adapt Theatre Productions), Mercury is Perpetually in Retrograde (Williamstown Theatre Festival), and The Cherry Orchard (University of Oklahoma).

STEPHANIE SHUM (Dale) has appeared in Circle-Machine (Oracle Productions), reWILDing Genius (The New Colony/Steppenwolf Garage Rep 2014), Kate and Sam Are Not Breaking Up (The New Colony), Alice (Nothing Without a Company), Mnemonic (Red Tape Theatre), The Hundred Flowers Project u/s (Silk Road Rising), and Equivocation u/s (Victory Gardens). She is an Ensemble Member and the Managing Director of The New Colony and a Company Member with Nothing Without a Company where she will next appear in Punk Punk this summer.

JAKE SZCZEPANIAK (Draco) was last seen in Red Tape Theatre's Mnemonic downtown. He was also a part of the long running Midwest premier of Cock at Profiles Theatre. Jake has also proudly worked with Shattered Globe Theatre (Burn This), Remy Bumppo (Changes of Heart), Pavement Group, Pride Films and Plays, Theater Seven of Chicago, (Re)Discover Theatre, Circle Theatre, and Project 891. Jake is a graduate of U of I Champaign-Urbana's Acting program.

OPENING: World Premiere of Genius by Kate Walbert at Profiles Opening This Thursday

Profiles Theatre continues 26^th Season

with the World Premiere of

Genius by Kate Walbert

Directed by Artistic Director Darrell W. Cox

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we're excited to see Profiles Theatre continue its 26^th Season with the World premiere of Genius by Kate Walbert, directed by Artistic Director Darrell W. Cox. With a fairly misogynistic streak in their past, it's a welcome change to see Profiles giving strong female characters and award winning women authors a voice! The production runs March 13 – May 3, 2015 at Profiles Theatre’s The Alley Stage, 4147 N. Broadway.  

Genius examines the secrets and alliances of two creative couples from different generations who find their lives changed forever after an uneasy dinner party. Joel, a once highly regarded painter turned museum director caught in the midst of a very public indiscretion and his wife Sara, a formally famous journalist, venture to Brooklyn for dinner with their new friends Peter and Chelsea, a young filmmaking couple with rising careers and a baby on the way. After an evening riddled with illuminating discoveries, deceptions and perhaps too much wine, each couple deconstructs the evening’s events as they grapple with their own uncertain futures. Using a constantly shifting timeline, playwright Kate Walbert turns her kaleidoscopic lens on two marriages battered by urgent ambitions.

Kate Walbert, an award-winning novelist and playwright, is the author of A Short History of Women, chosen by The New York Times Book Review as one of the ten best books of 2009 and a finalist for the LA Times Book Prize. Other works include Our Kind, a finalist for the National Book Award in fiction in 2004, The Gardens of Kyoto, winner of the 2002 Connecticut Book Award in Fiction, and Where She Went, a collection of linked stories and a New York Times notable book. Her plays include an adapted version of A Short History of Women with readings at the Powerhouse Theater and the Roundabout Theater, Elsewhere, featured in readings at Playwrights Horizons and Ars Nova in New York as well as Year of the Woman, produced at the Yale Cabaret and the Lantern Theater in Philadelphia.

Directed by Profiles Artistic Director Darrell W. Cox, the cast of Genius features guest artist Robert Breuler as Joel. Robert, most recently seen in Airline Highway at Steppenwolf, previously appeared at Profiles in their Midwest premiere of Sweet and Sad. Also featured are guest artists Stephanie Chavara, Cale Haupert and Liz Zweifler.

“Taking classes with the great Frank Galati as an undergraduate at Northwestern, I fell in love with Chicago theatre,” say playwright Kate Walbert. “At the time, every other dusty storefront seemed to be masking a production of something, each one more creative, more inventive, more thrilling than the next. I remember rickety backstairs leading to a makeshift stage where I watched, transfixed, Krapp’s Last Tape performed in candlelight, then stumbled out afterward to a snowy, Chicago night. So what a thrill to collaborate with the venerable Chicago company Profiles on Genius — and to be the beneficiary of the group’s amazing talent, risk-taking, and commitment to keeping that Chicago theatrical spirit alive and supporting new playwrights. I am so thankful for their belief in the play, and for their inspiration.”

The designers for Genuis are Michelle Lilly (set), Mike Durst (lights), Jeffrey Levin (sound and original music), Raquel Adorno (costumes). The stage manger is Jennifer Kiehl.

Profiles’ sixth and final show of the season, Our New Girl by Nancy Harris, opens at Profiles’ Main Stage on May 14, 2015. The titles for Profiles’ 2015-16 season will be announced soon.

Tickets for Genius are $35 for Thursdays, $40 for Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets are available by phone, (773) 549-1815, or online, www.profilestheatre.org. Performances are Thursdays and Fridays at 8:00 p.m., Saturdays at 5:00 and 8:00 pm, Sundays at 7:00 p.m.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

KATE WALBERT (Playwright) is an award-winning novelist and playwright and the author of A Short History of Women, chosen by The New York Times Book Review as one of the ten best books of 2009 and a finalist for the LA Times Book Prize. Other works include Our Kind, a finalist for the National Book Award in fiction in 2004, The Gardens of Kyoto, winner of the 2002 Connecticut Book Award in Fiction, and Where She Went, a collection of linked stories and a New York Times notable book. Her plays include an adapted version of A Short History of Women with readings at the Powerhouse Theater and the Roundabout Theater, Elsewhere, featured in readings at Playwrights Horizons and Ars Nova in New York as well as Year of the Woman, produced at the Yale Cabaret and the Lantern Theater in Philadelphia.

DARRELL W. COX (Director) is an Artistic Director of Profiles Theatre and most recently directed the Midwest premieres of Reasons to Be Happy by Neil LaBute and Cock by Mike Barlett as well as both the 2013 holiday season revival and 20^th Anniversary production of Hellcab by Will Kern. Prior to that, he directed the Midwest premiere of Bachelorette by Leslye Headland, the American premiere of The Wonderful World of Dissocia by Anthony Neilson, Profiles’ Midwest premieres of This is How it Goes, “Coax” and the titular piece from Things We Said Today and Profiles’ long running hit, Autobahn, all by Neil LaBute. Mr. Cox has directed numerous productions for Profiles over the years including the Midwest premieres of The Radiant Abyss by Angus MacLachlan and Wonder of the World by David Lindsay-Abaire. Other directorial credits for Profiles include The Water Engine, How the Other Half Loves and The Twilight Zone: The Series.

ROBERT BREULER (Joel) was last seen at Profiles in their Midwest premiere of Sweet and Sad. He is celebrating his 44^th year as a member of Actors Equity Association. From his first role at Joe Papp’s New York Public Theatre where he played Kress in David Rabe’s The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel to Airline Highway at Steppenwolf, he has played over one hundred roles, including Big Daddy in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof twice (at Steppenwolf and The Apple Tree), Moe in Riverview and Dean Strauss in Spinning Into Butter at Goodman. Bob is a member of the Steppenwolf acting ensemble where he performed in some 40 roles over 28 years. Some favorites include Botwinnic in A Walk in the Woods, Father Lux in Our Lady of 121^st Street, Pa Joad in The Grapes of Wrath, Charlie “Blackie” Blackwell in Killers, The Wheel, The Cherry Orchard, A Lesson Before Dying, The Time of Your Life, Mother Courage and Her Children, Uncle Vanya, The Infidel and Molly Sweeney. On Broadway, he appeared in The Grapes of Wrath, The Song of Jacob Zulu, Carousel and Death of a Salesman. One of his favorite roles was The Devil in the live broadcast of Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du Soldat with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra on public radio. His television credits include Chicago Fire, Prison Break, Early Edition, NYPD Blue, Angel Street and The Untouchables. Robert’s film credits include The Crucible, Trial By Jury, The Company, Love and Action in Chicago, Miles From Home, A Piece of Eden, Ray Bradbury’s Small Assassin and Lac de Flambeau. He is a recipient of the William and Eva Fox Fellowship Grant. Bob and his wife Suzanne Petri have formed a not-for-profit organization called Suzbo Entertainment where they produced the original musical DUO at Steppenwolf and other locales as well as A Little Touch of Coward in the Night at the Metropolitan Room in NYC.

STEPHANIE CHAVARA (Charlotte) is making her Profiles Theatre debut. Her Chicago credits include Charles Ives Take Me Home at Strawdog Theatre Company, Brighton Beach Memoirs at Fox Valley Rep, If You Split a Second at Pegasus Players, Motion at Signal Ensemble, Mourning Becomes Electra at Remy Bumppo, And a Child Shall Lead at Adventure Stage, as well as work at The Goodman, TimeLine, Dog + Pony and Collaboraction. Stephanie is a company member with 2nd Story where she writes, directs, and teaches. She has worked abroad with the Rhodopi International Theatre Laboratory in Bulgaria. Stephanie holds an MFA from The Theatre School at DePaul. 

CALE HAUPERT (Peter) Cale Haupert returns to Profiles Theatre for the World premiere of Genius after understudying the role of Greg in their production of reasons to be pretty. He most recently appeared in A Streetcar Named Desire with Pulse Theatre Company. Cale’s other regional credits include Frank Galati’s Philadelphia Here I Come and The Grapes of Wrath, both with the Asolo Rep, Twelfth Night and Stop Kiss at the FSU/Asolo Conservatory, Hamlet, Richard III and Merry Wives of Windsor with Shakespeare Festival St. Louis aa well as Amadeus and Diary of Anne Frank with the St. Louis Rep. He is a recent graduate of the FSU/Asolo Conservatory where he earned is MFA last spring.

LIZ ZWEIFLER (Sara) is making her Profiles Theatre debut. She most recently appeared in The Quality Of Life at The Den Theatre (Jeff Nomination for Best Actress). Her other Chicago credits include Sirens at Fox Valley Rep, Bus Stop at The Den Theatre, Little Women at The Bog Theatre and Fool for Love at Aspect Theatre. She has voiced many national and regional commercials and is an ensemble member of The Den Theatre. Liz is represented by Stewart Talent.

Dates:          

            Regular Run: March 19 – May 3, 2015

Schedule: Thurs., Fri.: 8:00 p.m. 

Saturday: 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 pm

Sunday: 7:00 p.m.

Location: Profiles Theatre, The Alley Stage, 4147 N. Broadway

Parking is available for $14 - $16 at 4100 N. Clarendon

(One block east of the theatre at the corner of Clarendon and Belle Plaine)

Ticket prices: Previews: $20

Regular Run: Thursdays are $35, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays are $40; Students and Senior Citizens receive a $5 discount on all performances; Group rates are available.

Box Office: Buy online at www.profilestheatre.org

or call (773) 549-1815

ABOUT PROFILES THEATRE

Profiles Theatre, founded in 1988 by Artistic Director Joe Jahraus, joined shortly thereafter by Artistic Director Darrell W. Cox, was formed as an actor-driven theatre ensemble dedicated to creating provocative and emotionally truthful productions. Passionate about shaping an original vision for new works, they focused on performing World, American and Midwest premieres as well as rarely performed plays. Critically acclaimed hits, such as BLACKBIRD, FAT PIG, GRACELAND and the multiple Jeff Award-winning KILLER JOE, established Profiles as a destination for challenging and edgy theatre. Their unique collaboration with playwright Neil LaBute led the ensemble to perform an entire season of his plays in 2007-2008. Now a Resident Artist at Profiles, LaBute remains an unequivocal artistic influence on the ensemble.

After performing at 4147 North Broadway for more than two decades, Profiles acquired an adjacent theatre at 4139 North Broadway in 2012. Profiles’ new theatre, The Main Stage, with its larger seating capacity, increased performance space and higher ceilings, accommodates more ambitious and technically demanding productions. Their long-time venue, renamed The Alley Stage, continues as the home for plays strengthened by a more intimate staging. Driven by an undiminished appetite for creating honest and resonant theatre, Profiles still seeks to present work that illuminates the determination and resiliency of the human spirit.

Also Playing Profiles: The Other Place

ChiIL Live Shows #ChiILPicksList 

Highly Recommended

Profiles Theatre continues its 26th Season with the Chicago premiere of The Other Place by Sharr White, directed by Artistic Director Joe Jahraus. The production runs through April 5, 2015 at Profiles Theatre’s The Main Stage, 4139 N. Broadway.  

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we had the pleasure of catching opening night of The Other Place. Despite a similar feel to Still Alice, The Other Place is a unique and compelling piece. Lia D. Mortensen was nothing short of astonishing in her transformation, as Julianna both dissolves and evolves throughout the piece. The plot twists will blindside the audience and the entire cast does an excellent job of bringing the story to fruition and evoking compassion for these archetypes.

In Sharr White’s acclaimed new drama The Other Place, Juliana Smithton, a successful neurologist, finds her life coming apart at the seams. Her husband filed for divorce, her daughter eloped with a much older man and her own health hangs in jeopardy. But in this brilliantly crafted work, nothing is as it seems. Piece by piece, a mystery unfolds as fact blurs with fiction, past collides with present and the elusive truth about Juliana boils to the surface.

The Other Place received its world premiere Off-Broadway at MCC Theater in 2011. The production, starring Laurie Metcalf, was nominated for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play from the Outer Critics Circle Awards. It later premiered on Broadway in a production by Manhattan Theatre Club in 2013, also starring Metcalf, who received a Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role. The Other Place won the 2010 Playwrights First Award and the 2011 Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation’s Theatre Visions Fund Award. White’s plays have been developed or produced at theatres across the country, including South Coast Repertory, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Marin Theatre Company, Lincoln Center Theater’s Directors Lab and Key West Theatre Festival.

"I'm thrilled to have my play The Other Place in Chicago, and with Profiles Theatre,” says playwrightSharr White. “The Other Place is about the smartest woman in the world who discovers nothing she knows is true. It takes both technical skill and emotional depth to pull off and I'm excited the artists at Profiles are taking it on just one season after producing my play Annapurna.”

Directed by Profiles Artistic Director Joe Jahraus, the cast of The Other Place features guest artist Lia D. Mortensen as Julianna. Lia was most recently seen in Pericles with Chicago Shakespeare Theatre and was seen last season at Profiles in their Midwest premiere of Annapurna. Also featured are guest artists George Infantado, Matt Maxwell, Nina O’Keefe, Steve Silver and Autumn Teague.  

 For more information about Profiles Theatre, visit www.profilestheatre.org.

OPENING: LOOKINGGLASS THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS THE MIDWEST PREMIERE OF TITLE AND DEED

Chi, IL Live Shows On Our Radar 

This Week:

TITLE AND DEED

BY WILL ENO

FEATURING MICHAEL PATRICK THORNTON

ChiIL Live Shows will be there for the press opening this Saturday, so check back soon for our full review. Continuing its 27^th Season, Lookingglass Theatre Company presents the Midwest Premiere of Title and Deed, by Will Eno and directed by Marti Lyons. Title and Deed runs March 18 – May 3, 2015 at Lookingglass Theatre Company, located inside Chicago's historic Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave. at Pearson.Tickets can be purchased through the box office at (312) 337-0665 or www.lookingglasstheatre.org.  

One man’s circuitous journey finds universal resonance in this compelling new travelogue by Pulitzer finalist Will Eno (Broadway’s The Realistic Joneses). Eno – hailed as the Samuel Beckett of the Jon Stewart generation – crafts a solo work that is both whimsical and lyrical, speaking directly to each of us. Title and Deed is a meditation on life, language, endless hope and our perennial search for home.

Chicago’s own Jeff Award winner Michael Patrick Thornton takes center stage, engaging us and posing soul-baring questions in what promises to be a most illuminating dialogue.

Title and Deed features Michael Patrick Thornton. The creative team for Title and Deed includes Ensemble Members Dan Ostling (scenic and lighting design) and Mara Blumenfeld (costume design), Production Affiliate Andre Pluess (sound design), Mieka van der Ploeg (props), John Tovar (movement consultant) and Sara Gammage (stage manager).

About the Artists

Will Eno (Playwright) is a Residency Five Fellow at the Signature Theatre in New York, which presented Title and Deed in 2012, and The Open House, in 2014. His play The Realistic Joneses was on Broadway in 2014 and was named “Best Play on Broadway,” topped the The Guardian’s 2014 list of American plays, and was included in The N.Y. Times’ “Best Theatre of 2014.” Title and Deed was on The N.Y. Times and The New Yorker magazine’s Top Ten Plays of 2012. The Open House won the 2014 Obie Award, the Lortel Award, and a Drama Desk Award, and was included in both the Time Out New York and Time Magazine Top 10 Plays of the Year. His play Gnit, a loving but aggressive adaptation of Peer Gynt, premiered at the Actor’s Theatre of Louisville in 2013. Middletown, winner of the Horton Foote Award, premiered at the Vineyard Theatre and subsequently at Steppenwolf Theater and many other American Theaters. His play Thom Pain (based on nothing) was a finalist for the 2005 Pulitzer Prize and has been translated into a dozen languages. He was recently awarded the PEN/Laura Pels International Foundation Award.

Marti Lyons (Director) recently directed a reading of Dana Lynn Formby’s American Beauty Shop at Steppenwolf and a reading of Ike Holter’s Prowess at the Goodman Theatre where she received the 2015 Maggio directing fellowship. She also recently directed Laura Marks’ Bethany and Mine for The Gift Theatre, Catherine Trieschmann’s Hot Georgia Sunday and Theresa Rebeck’s Seminar for Haven Theatre, 9 Circles by Bill Cain, Maria/Stuart by Jason Grote, and co-directed The Golden Dragon for Sideshow Theatre, and The Peacock by Calamity West and The Last Duck by Lucas Neff for Jackalope Theatre. Next she will direct Will Nedved’s Body and Blood at the Gift Theatre.

Michael Patrick Thornton (Traveler) Co-founding Artistic Director of The Gift Theatre, Michael was recently seen in Colossal (Olney Theatre), Othello (The Gift), and in Our Town (Actors Theatre of Louisville) directed by Les Waters who directed Mike in Will Eno’s Middletown (Steppenwolf) which featured Molly Glynn, who is no longer with us. At The Gift, Michael directed Will’s Oh, the Humanity & appeared in Will’s Brief Study of An Endless Thing. Years ago, Michael won the Jeff Award for Solo Performance and gave it to his mom and dad.

Dates:              Previews:                    March 18 – 27, 2015

                        Press opening:            Saturday, March 28, 2015 at 7:30 PM

                        Regular run:                March 29 – May 3, 2015

Times: Wednesdays: 7:30 p.m.

Thursdays: 3:00 p.m. (except March 19 and 26; April 2 and 16)

7:30 p.m.

Fridays: 7:30 p.m.

Saturdays: 3:00 p.m. (except March 21 and 28)

7:30 p.m. (except March 28)

Sundays: 3:00 p.m. (except March 29)

7:30 p.m. (except March 22 and 29; April 12 and 26)

Accessible

Performances: Touch tour/Audio described performance, April 26, 2015 at 3pm;

Open captioned performance, April 19, 2015 at 3pm. Partial support for open captioning provided by Theatre Development Fund.

Location: Lookingglass Theatre Company, located inside Chicago's historic

Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave. at Pearson.  

Prices: Previews are $25 - $40

Regular Run is $40 - $60

                                   

A limited number of student tickets are available the day of the show for $20 with valid student ID.

Groups of 10 or more patrons save up to 20%. Call the box office for details.

Box Office: Buy online at www.lookingglasstheatre.org

or by phone at (312) 337-0665

The Lookingglass box office is located at Water Tower Water Works,

821 N. Michigan Ave.

About Lookingglass Theatre Company

Inventive.  Collaborative.  Transformative.  Lookingglass Theatre Company, recipient of the 2011 Regional Theatre Tony Award, was founded in 1988 by eight Northwestern University students.  Now in its 27^th season, Lookingglass is home to a multi-disciplined ensemble of artists who create story-centered theatrical work that is physical, aurally rich and visually metaphoric. The Company has staged 62 world premieres, received 101 Joseph Jefferson awards and nominations, and work premiered at Lookingglass has been produced in New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle, Berkeley, Philadelphia, Princeton, Hartford, Kansas City, Washington D.C., and St. Louis.  Lookingglass original scripts have been produced across the United States.

The Lookingglass Theatre in Chicago's landmark Water Tower Water Works opened in June 2003.  In addition to developing and presenting ensemble work, Lookingglass Education and Community programs encourage creativity, teamwork and confidence with thousands of community members each year.

Lookingglass Theatre Company continues to expand its artistic, financial and institutional boundaries under the guidance of Artistic Director Andrew White, Executive Director Rachel Kraft, Producing Artistic Director Philip R. Smith, Artistic Director of New Work Heidi Stillman, a 24-member artistic ensemble, 15 artistic associates, 11 production affiliates, an administrative staff and a dedicated board of directors led by Chairman Joe Brady of Jones Lang LaSalle and President John McGowan of CTC | myCFO (a part of BMO Financial Group). For more information, visit lookingglasstheatre.org.

JUST ANNOUNCED! Lookingglass begins its 2015-2016 Season with Mary Zimmerman's Treasure Island

Here at ChiIL Mama/ ChiIL Live Shows, we are long time admirers of Mary Zimmerman's work and can't wait to see her new collaboration with another top favorite of ours, Lookingglass Theatre. Save the dates! We've got this one on the October calendar already. Book your tickets as soon as possible.This classic is sure to be in demand! We can't wait to see this one come to fruition.

LOOKINGGLASS THEATRE COMPANY WILL OPEN

2015-2016 SEASON WITH THE WORLD PREMIERE ADAPTATION OF

TREASURE ISLAND

ADAPTED AND DIRECTED BY MARY ZIMMERMAN

FROM THE NOVEL BY ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON

A CO-PRODUCTION WITH BERKELEY REPERTORY THEATRE

Adventure beckons when a mysterious blind man delivers a dreaded Black Spot to an aging sea captain, plunging an innkeeper’s son into a desperate race for buried treasure armed with only his wits against a dastardly crew of cutthroat pirates.

Set sail with young Jim Hawkins, the larger-than-life Long John Silver and a crew of swashbuckling rogues, as Treasure Island explodes like a cannon ball onto the stage regaling thrill-seekers of all ages with a story both epic and intimate, hilarious and harrowing.

Tony Award-winning Mary Zimmerman (Metamorphoses) returns to helm this glorious adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s most beloved work.

Lookingglass Theatre Company will open its 2015-2016 season with the World Premiere adaptation of Treasure Island, adapted and directed by Mary Zimmerman from the novel by Robert Louis Stevenson in a co-production with Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Treasure Island runs October 10, 2015 – January 17, 2016 at Lookingglass Theatre Company, located inside Chicago's historic Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave. at Pearson. The production will premiere at Berkeley Repertory Theatre in spring 2016. Tickets for Treasure Island are available as part of a Lookingglass 2015-2016 season subscription package. Subscriptions go on sale Wednesday, March 11, 2015 at 12:00 pm, and may be purchased through the box office at (312) 337-0665 or www.lookingglasstheatre.org. Single tickets to Treasure Island go on sale to the general public on August 12, 2015. The remaining productions in Lookingglass’ 2015-2016 season will be announced at a later date.

““The prospect of getting back into the rehearsal room with Mary as she creates a brand new piece of theater is just so exciting for all of us at Lookingglass," notes Artistic Director Andrew White, "We couldn't be more thrilled to bring her next world premiere to life, and we know she will cut a glorious swath through Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic tale of terrifying pirates, hilarious seafarers, and one incredibly brave young man. This play will be a great, swashbuckling excursion for our audiences who have come to love going on a new adventure every time they enter our doors.”

Adventure beckons when a mysterious blind man delivers a dreaded Black Spot to an aging sea captain, plunging an innkeeper’s son into a desperate race for buried treasure armed with only his wits against a dastardly crew of cutthroat pirates.

Set sail with young Jim Hawkins, Long John Silver and a crew of swashbuckling rogues, as Treasure Island explodes like a cannon ball onto the stage regaling thrill-seekers of all ages with a story both epic and intimate, hilarious and harrowing.

Tony Award-winning Mary Zimmerman (Metamorphoses, Arabian Nights) returns to Lookingglass to helm this glorious adaptation.

*This swashbuckling adventure is recommended for pirates and seafarers age 10 and up.*

Dates: Previews: October 7 – October 16, 2015

Regular run: October 18, 2015 – January 17, 2016

Times: Wednesdays: 7:30 p.m.

Thursdays: 3:00 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

Fridays: 7:30 p.m.

Saturdays: 3:00 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

Sundays: 3:00 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

Location: Lookingglass Theatre Company, located inside Chicago's historic

Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave. at Pearson.  

Prices: Previews are $35 - $45

Regular Run is $55 - $85

                                   

A limited number of student tickets are available the day of the show for $20 with valid student ID.

Groups of 10 or more patrons save up to 20%. Call the box office for details.

Box Office: Buy online at www.lookingglasstheatre.org

or by phone at (312) 337-0665

The Lookingglass box office is located at Water Tower Water Works,

821 N. Michigan Ave.

About Lookingglass Theatre Company

Inventive.  Collaborative.  Transformative.  Lookingglass Theatre Company, recipient of the 2011 Regional Theatre Tony Award, was founded in 1988 by eight Northwestern University students.  Now in its 27^th season, Lookingglass is home to a multi-disciplined ensemble of artists who create story-centered theatrical work that is physical, aurally rich and visually metaphoric. The Company has staged 62 world premieres, received 101 Joseph Jefferson awards and nominations, and work premiered at Lookingglass has been produced in New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle, Berkeley, Philadelphia, Princeton, Hartford, Kansas City, Washington D.C., and St. Louis.  Lookingglass original scripts have been produced across the United States.

The Lookingglass Theatre in Chicago's landmark Water Tower Water Works opened in June 2003.  In addition to developing and presenting ensemble work, Lookingglass Education and Community programs encourage creativity, teamwork and confidence with thousands of community members each year.

Lookingglass Theatre Company continues to expand its artistic, financial and institutional boundaries under the guidance of Artistic Director Andrew White, Executive Director Rachel Kraft, Producing Artistic Director Philip R. Smith, Artistic Director of New Work Heidi Stillman, a 24-member artistic ensemble, 15 artistic associates, 11 production affiliates, an administrative staff and a dedicated board of directors led by Chairman Joe Brady of Jones Lang LaSalle and President John McGowan of CTC | myCFO (a part of BMO Financial Group). For more information, visit lookingglasstheatre.org.

SAVE THE DATES: Dead Writers Theatre Collective Gets WILDE With “LADY WINDERMERE’S FAN” At STAGE 773 April 17-June 7

Dead Writers Theatre Collective OPENS 2015 SEASON DEDICATED TO LEGENDARY PLAYWRIGHT OSCAR WILDE WITH “LADY WINDERMERE’S FAN” AT STAGE 773 

APRIL 17-JUNE 7

Wild about Oscar Wilde? Don't despair now that Chicago Children's Theatre's incredible rendition based on Wilde's Selfish Giant and Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest: Concert Reading at Ruth Page have closed. Fans, there's more Wilde about to light up Chicago's Stage 773 via Dead Writers Theatre Collective! Save the dates. Previews begin 4/17-21.

Dead Writers Theatre Collective opens their season with Oscar Wilde’s four-act comedy of morals “Lady Windermere’s Fan,” directed by Dead Writers Artistic Director Jim Schneider at Stage 773 located at 1225 W. Belmont Ave., April 17-June 7. Previews are April 17-21.

“Lady Windermere's Fan” subtitled “A Play About a Good Woman” was first produced in 1892 at London’s St James's Theatre in London. Married into the peak of London high society, rich, titled, beautiful and proper Lady Margaret Windermere is 21 years old and without a care in the world. Before the next sunrise, malicious gossip, a glamorous woman with a dangerous past, a charming gentleman with a wicked reputation, and a misplaced fan will threaten to destroy everything she holds dear and change her forever.

“This play has always been near and dear to my heart,” says Schneider. “We did three performances of the play in our 2013 Chamber Series and it was so successful that many of our patrons asked if we would do a full production of it. The Collective is extremely pleased to include it in our 2015 season because it gives us the opportunity to fulfill the request from our fans and it is the perfect vehicle to show off what Dead Writers Theatre Collective has come to be known for: presenting theater with premier production values, fine acting and the highest caliber of period authenticity. Add in our wonderful cast and a treasure trove of designer talent and you get a deliciously rich, must-see theater experience, guaranteed to be a highlight of the spring theater season.”

The cast includes Megan Delay* (Lady Windermere), Edward Fraim (Lord Windermere), Joanna Riopelle* (Mrs. Erlynne), Doug Reed (Lord Darlington), Michael Graham* (Lord Augustus Lorton), Linda Roberts* (The Duchess of Berwick), Travis Barnhart* (Mr. Cecil Graham), Rob Cramer* (Mr. Dumby), Shawn Hansen (Mr. Hopper), Christina Rene Jones (Lady Agatha), Mindy Barber (Lady Plymdale), Joyce Saxon*  and Julie Mitre (Lady Jedburgh), Elliott Fredland (Parker), Sara Minton* (Mrs. Cowper-Cowper), Maggie Speer (Lady Stutfield), Bev Coscarelli (Miss graham), Melanie Vitaterna (Rosalie). Understudies are Mary Anne Bowman and Ben Muller*.

The design team includes Jim Schneider* (director), Moon Jung Kim (set designer), Patti Roeder* (costume designer), Erik Barry (lighting designer), Jeffrey Levin (sound designer)  and Sarah Jo White (hair and makeup designer). Stage manager is Shannon Desmond; assistant stage managers are Matthew Bonaccorso* and Alison Ennis. Assistant director is Brenda Kilianski*.

Oscar Wilde (1854 -1900) was a successful poet and journalist, though his greatest talent was for writing plays. His first successful play, “Lady Windermere's Fan,” opened in February 1892, followed by a string of extremely popular comedies including “A Woman of No Importance” (1893), “An Ideal Husband” (1895), and “The Importance of Being Earnest” (1895). In 1891, at the peak of his career, Wilde began an ill-fated affair with Lord Alfred Douglas, nicknamed “Bosie.” When Bosie’s disapproving father insulted Wilde, Wilde sued for defamation of character. Bosie’s father’s counter suit for “depravity” resulted in Wilde’s conviction for sodomy and Wilde’s two-year jail sentence. After serving his sentence, Wilde emerged from jail bankrupt and spiritually broken. He died of cerebral meningitis on Nov. 30, 1900. Wilde’s story is at the heart of David Hare’s “The Judas Kiss” which will have a chamber production by Dead Writers Theatre Collective at the Stage 773 Cabaret Aug. 8-10.

Jim Schneider* (Director/Dead Writers Theatre Collective Artistic Director) directed last season’s staging of the Chicago premiere of Michael Bloom’s adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Emma,” at Stage 773. Other Collective directing credits include the professional world premiere of Adam Pasen's “Tea with Edie & Fitz” and Noel Coward's “The Vortex.” Additional Chicago directing credits include the critically acclaimed, Jeff Recommended productions of Clare Booth Luce’s “The Women,” Philip Barry’s “The Philadelphia Story,” Tennessee Williams’ “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” and Noel Coward’s “Hay Fever,”  “Design for Living” and “An Ideal Husband,” all at Circle Theatre. To date Schneider’s productions have garnered a total of five Jeff Recommendations and 11 Jeff Nominations, winning two for Best Costume Design. His 2010 production of “The Philadelphia Story” won three Broadway World Awards (Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Revival of a Classic) and “Tea with Eddie & Fitz” recently won the Broadway World Award for Best New Play of 2013. Originally from Houston, Texas, Schneider founded Houston’s Horizon’s Showcase Theatre where he premiered Horton Foote’s “Courtship” with the assistance of Foote, produced and directed Edward Albee’s “The Zoo Story” and “The American Dream” (with the assistance of Albee) among others. Schneider holds an M.F.A. from University of Houston.

Dead Writers Theatre Collective presents Oscar Wilde’s “Lady Windermere’s Fan” April 17 – June 7 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. Previews are Friday, April 17, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, April 18, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, April 19 2:30 p.m. and Tuesday, April 21 at 7:30 p.m. Press opening is Wednesday, April 22 at 7:30 p.m. Post-opening performances are Thursdays-Saturday at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday Matinee at 2:30 p.m.  Tickets are $20 for previews; $40 for all other performances. Group, senior and student discounts are available. For tickets call 773.327.5252 or visit deadwriters.net.

* Denotes Dead Writers Theatre Collective Member

Dead Writers Theatre Collective seeks to transport audiences into the original world of the play through extensively studied period appropriate settings, props and costumes.  This strict attention to detail and high level of aesthetics is a hallmark of the Collective.

The Collective, under the leadership of Artistic Director Jim Schneider and Managing Director Bob Douglas, is a Chicago-based 501 (c ) 3 non-profit arts collective comprised of directors, designers, actors and playwrights and educators with a mission is to produce works either by or about dead writers. Past productions have included Jane Austen’s “Emma,” Noel Coward’s “The Vortex,” Brenda Kilianski’s “Loos Ends: A Hollywood Memoir,” Adam Pasen “Tea with Eddie and Fitz,” (winner of the Broadway World Award for Best New Play of 2013) and Chamber productions of Oscar Wilde’s “Lady Windermere’s Fan” and Pierre de  Marivaux’s “The Game of Love and Chance.”

The Collective’s 2015 season, “A Wilde Affair” features three works: ‘Lady Windermere’s Fan” (April 17-June 7), David Hare’s “The Judas Kiss” (Aug. 8-10) and David Grimm’s “The Learned Ladies of Park Avenue” translated and freely adapted from Moliere’s “Les Femmes Savantes” (Oct. 8-10). Three-show subscriptions are still available for Dead Writers Theatre Collective’s 2015 three-play season for $90 per person. For more information visit deadwriters.net.

Dead Writers Theatre Collective 2015 productions are supported in part by The Service Club of Chicago, Lois Siegel, Dr. and Mrs. James Hannigan and Joyce Saxon.