OPENING: The Belle of Amherst at Court Theatre Through December 3, 2017

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Court Theatre continues its 63rd Season with

The Belle of Amherst

By William Luce

Directed by Sean Graney

Featuring Kate Fry as Emily Dickinson 

November 2 – December 3, 2017

This Saturday, ChiIL Live Shows will be ChiILin' at a Court Theatre, a long time pillar of Chicago's theatre scene that's been around for an impressive 63 seasons! We looking forward to catching Court Theatre's next production, The Belle of Amherst, directed by one of our long time favorites, Sean Graney. Check back soon for our full review.

Under the continuing leadership of Charles Newell, Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director, and Stephen J. Albert, Executive Director, presents The Belle of Amherst by William Luce, directed by Sean Graney and featuring Kate Fry as Emily Dickinson. The Belle of Amherst runs November 2 - December 3, 2017 at Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. 

Emily Dickinson's own original poems, diary entries, and letters welcome us into her Massachusetts home, where she shares snippets of joy and creation amongst the heartache of an isolated and misunderstood life. 

This 1976 play by William Luce offers a glance into the complex life of one of the most prolific poets of our time. Playwright and director Sean Graney returns to Court for the fourth time to direct The Belle of Amherst, with Kate Fry (Electra; Caroline, or Change) starring as Emily Dickinson.

"Sean Graney and I have been working on finding the perfect project to bring one of Chicago's most creative directors back to Court," notes Charles Newell, Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director. "The Belle of Amherst was a perfect combination of Sean's passion and our theatre's strengths, and we can't wait to see how the talented Kate Fry brings Emily Dickinson to life for our audiences this fall."

The creative team includes Arnel Sancianco (scenic design), Samantha C. Jones (costume design), Mike Durst (lighting design), and Christopher M. LaPorte and Andre Pluess (sound design). The production stage manager is Amanda Weener-Frederick. 



About the Aritsts
WILLIAM LUCE (Playwright) wrote his Broadway and London success The Belle of Amherst for Julie Harris, who won her fifth Tony Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Emily Dickinson. For American soprano Renée Fleming, Luce wrote My Business Is To Love, which Fleming premiered in Lincoln Center and London’s Barbican Centre, with Harris and Bloom co-starring. Luce’s Broadway hit Barrymore starred Christopher Plummer as legendary John Barrymore. Plummer won a Tony Award for Best Actor. Barrymore’s UK production, titled One Helluva Life, starred Tony Award winner Tom Conti. For her portrayal of Isak Dinesen in Luce’s play Lucifer’s Child, Julie Harris received a Tony nomination. Harris also starred in Luce’s play Brontë, written for WGBH and Irish Television. The WGBH production won the Peabody Award and Columbia University’s Armstrong Award. Lillian, Luce’s Broadway play on Lillian Hellman, starred Tony Award actress Zoe Caldwell, with productions again in London and the Sydney Opera House. Luce’s play Bravo, Caruso! celebrated The Cleveland Play House’s 75th anniversary. Luce’s play Zelda starred Olga Bellin off-Broadway; later as The Last Flapper, the play starred Piper Laurie. Luce’s two plays, Chanel and Nijinsky, premiered at Parco Theatre in Tokyo. Luce’s Sound Portrait of William Shakespeare for NPR starred David Warner, David Dukes, Peter Donat, Arthur Hill, Julie Harris, Joan Hackett and Marian Mercer. Baptiste, Luce’s comedy about Moliére, premiered at Hartford Stage. Luce is twice a Writers’ Guild Award nominee for his CBS movies The Last Days of Patton and The Woman He Loved. To composer Henry Mollicone’s music, Luce wrote the libretti for two works: their new opera Gabriel’s Daughter, which premiered in Colorado; and A Rat’s Tale for orchestra, chorus and narrator, with its premiere in California. Their latest work for orchestra, chorus and soloists is Beatitude Mass.

SEAN GRANEY (Director) is the Artistic Director of The Hypocrites, a company he started in 1997. New York: Sophocles: Seven Sicknesses (The Flea; adapted and directed). Court Theatre: The Mystery of Irma Vep, The Comedy of Errors, and What the Butler Saw.  Chicago: The Pirates of Penzance, The Mikado, H.M.S. Pinafore with The Hypocrites; American Repertory Theater, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Goodman Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Steppenwolf for Young Audiences, Chicago Children’s Theatre. Regional:  Utah Shakespeare Festival, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis, and Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis. Awards: A year-long fellowship at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University, where he completed All Our Tragic, his 12-hour adaptation combining all 32 surviving Greek tragedies; participated in the NEA/TCG Career Development Program for Directors, won four Joseph Jefferson Awards.

KATE FRY (Emily Dickinson) has performed in over a dozen productions at Court, most recently Electra and The Hard Problem. Other Chicago credits: Goodman Theatre, Writers Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Northlight Theatre, Victory Gardens, Theatre at the Center, Marriott Theatre, Apple Tree Theatre, and Candlelight Playhouse. Regional credits: McCarter Theatre Center in Princeton, NJ, Center Theatre Group in LA, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, and Lincoln Center. TV credits: Boss (Starz), Empire (Fox), and Chicago PD (NBC).  She received three Joseph Jefferson Awards, an After Dark Award, Chicago Magazine’s Actress of the Year, and the Sarah Siddons Award for Chicago’s Leading Lady. Fry is married to actor/teacher Timothy Edward Kane. They have two sons.


Regular Run: November 12 – December 3, 2017



Schedule: Wed & Thurs: 7:30 p.m.

Fridays: 8:00 p.m.
Saturdays: 3:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m.
Sundays: 2:30 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Location: Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave.

Tickets:
Regular Run: $50-$68
*Student, military, and senior discounts available.

Box Office: Located at 5535 S. Ellis Avenue, Chicago; (773) 753-4472 or www.CourtTheatre.org.

Subscription Information
Five, four, and three play subscriptions to Court’s 2017/18 season range from $96 to $300 and are on sale now. To purchase a subscription or to receive more information, call the Court Theatre Box Office at (773) 753-4472, or visit Court’s website at www.CourtTheatre.org. Individual tickets for all shows will be available on August 1st. 



Court Theatre is guided by its mission to discover the power of classic theatre. Court endeavors to make a lasting contribution to American theatre by expanding the canon of translations, adaptations, and classic texts. Court revives lost masterpieces, illuminates familiar texts, and distinguishes fresh, modern classics. Court engages and inspires its audience by providing artistically distinguished productions, audience enrichment activities, and student educational experiences.

FEST ALERT: Chicago Comedy Film Fest This Weekend

It's a big weekend for indy film in Chicago. Come in from the cold and enjoy a few laughs with these highlights of the Chicago Comedy Film Festival.

The Manny (29 Min) (USA) Pilot Saturday 12pm The New 400 Theater

Starring: Monty Franklin, Buddy Lewis, Pippa Black, Rob Schneider. A laissez faire Aussie surfer finds himself answering to Malibu's most desperate housewife after marrying her for a green card during a drunken night out.

For fans of Miranda, Outsourced


Something Out of Nothing (51 min) (Chicago) Saturday 1pm The New 400 Theater



Starring: Young talent at Chicago Public Schools, Deonna Griffin (The Second City Outreach Program) and Susan Messing (Messing with a Friend)

Art is as incredibly important aspect of society. However, not everyone has access to art programs or the means to express themselves through art. This film takes a look at an afterschool program that provides kids an opportunity to explore their talents in improv – and pays them a stipend upon completion.

For fans of Hoop Dreams and Waiting for Superman.


For the Love of George (89 Min) Saturday 8:30pm The New 400 Theater




Starring: Nadia Jordan , Rosanna Arquette, Rex Lee, Kristen Johnston

After moving to Los Angeles to get away from a cheating husband, Poppy attempts to have an encounter with George Clooney, the man of her dreams. After many failed attempts to meet him, she realizes that it isn't a new location or a handsome man she needs to make her happy, it's herself.
For fans of George Clooney, Serendipity, and Bridget Jones's Diary.

Love in Moreno Valley (80 Min) (United States) Saturday 3:30 pm The New 400 Theater


Starring: John Ennis.

James Watson is a high schooler who struggles with his self-image and budding sexuality in a Christian school that doesn't make things any easier for him. As he attempts find humor in his life and pursue his passions, he's constantly met with doubt and the hand of authority putting him down.

For fans of Super Bad and angsty teen movies where boys struggle to get girls.

Room for Rent (89 Min) (Canada) Friday 7pm The New 400 Theater



Starring: Bret Gelman, Mark Little, Stephanie Weir, and Carla Gallo.

After blowing through three and a half million dollars won in the lottery, a dead-ended Mitch devises a plan to rent a room from his parent's house to afford living expenses after his father takes an early retirement. hings start off great, but the new roommate proves to be weirder and weirder, landing Mitch in situations that spiral out of his control. In the end, Mitch has to confront more than just a bad living situation.

For fans of Step Brothers.
Bernard and Huey (90 Min) (United States) Friday 8pm The New 400 Theater



With a screenplay by legendary Oscar®- and Pulitzer-winning author and cartoonist Jules Feiffer (Mike Nichols’ “Carnal Knowledge,” Robert Altman’s “Popeye”), “Bernard and Huey” is a comedy about two old friends who reconnect after 30 years apart. The film features Feiffer's recurring characters Bernard and Huey, who first surfaced in the Village Voice in 1957 and made frequent appearances over the years in Voice and Playboy cartoons, a play, and a novel. Middle-age men behaving badly, former nebbish Bernard (Oscar®-winning screenwriter and actor Jim Rash of “Community”) and lothario Huey (David Koechner of “Anchorman”) still view women from the immature perspective of their undergrad selves (played in flashback by Jay Renshaw and Jake O’Connor). Those retrograde attitudes lead to complicated relationships with the women in their lives, who include Zelda (Mae Whitman of “Parenthood”) and Mona (Nancy Travis). “Bernard and Huey” is directed by award-winning filmmaker and Slamdance Film Festival co-founder Dan Mirvish, a Washington U. grad and SLIFF alum (his debut film “Omaha” and 2012’s “Between Us”).

Passes and tickets are now onsale at www.chicagocomedyfilmfestival.com

OPENING: Teatro Vista's FADE at Victory Gardens Through 12/23/17

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Victory Gardens Theater Presents

Fade

By Victory Gardens Theatre Ensemble Playwright Tanya Saracho

Directed by Teatro Vista Ensemble Member Sandra Marquez

A Co-Production with Teatro Vista

In Association with CLATA

Fade features Teatro Vista Ensemble Member Eddie Martinez (Abel) and Sari Sanchez (Lucia).

November 4 – December 23, 2017

Tonight, ChiIL Live Shows will be ChiILin' at Chi, IL's Victory Gardens Theater for the press opening of Fade, a co – production with Teatro Vista, written by Tanya Saracho and directed by Sandra Marquez. We love it when our favorites play well together and we've enjoyed Victory Gardens and Teatro Vista's thought provoking productions for years. Can't wait to catch this collaboration. Check back soon for our full review.

Victory Gardens Theater continues its 43rd season with Fade runs November 4 – December 23, 2017 at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue.

In this witty behind-the-scenes drama, Mexican-born Lucia is hired to write for a ruthless Hollywood TV series. She soon discovers that the Mexican American custodian, Abel, has a windfall of plot ideas. As their friendship grows, his stories start to blur with hers with unexpected consequences. Fade, directed by Sandra Marquez, is an acclaimed new play from Tanya Saracho (How to Get Away with Murder, Looking, Girls) whose writing “lands in that sweet spot between comedy and drama” (Chicago Tribune).

The creative team includes Regina Garcia (scenic design), Christine Pascual (costume design), Jesse Klug (lighting design), Victorio Delorio (sound design), and Mealah Heidenreich (properties). The dramaturg is Isaac Gomez and the stage manager is Tina M. Jach.

About the Artists
Tanya Saracho (Playwright) was born in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, México. She is a playwright and Television writer who’s worked on How To Get Away With Murder, HBO’s Looking, Girls, and Devious Maids. Named “Best New Playwright” by Chicago Magazine in 2010, Saracho has had plays produced at: Primary Stages in NYC, 2nd Stage in NYC, Denver Theatre Center, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, The Goodman Theater, Steppenwolf Theater, Teatro Vista, Teatro Luna, Fountain Theater, Clubbed Thumb, NEXT Theater and 16th Street Theater. Saracho was named one of nine national Latino “Luminarios” by Café magazine and given the first “Revolucionario” Award in Theater by the National Museum of Mexican Art. She is the founder of Teatro Luna (the first all-Latina Theatre Company in the nation) as well as the founder of ALTA (Alliance of Latino Theatre Artists). She is currently in development STARZ and Big Beach Films and under commission with:  South Coast Repertory Theatre and Two Rivers Theatre. Tanya is proud SAG/AFTRA actor.

Sandra Marquez (Director) is an educator, actor and director who has worked at many theaters in Chicago and beyond including The Goodman Theater, Steppenwolf Theater, Victory Gardens, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Madison Repertory, Second Stage Theater in New York and the Getty Villa in CA. She is a longtime and proud member of Teatro Vista where she received a Jeff Award for her performance in A View from the Bridge by Arthur Miller, and in 2016 she was thrilled to join the esteemed Steppenwolf Theater Company ensemble. Her film and TV credits include Chicago Med, Chicago Justice and Boss. She enjoys teaching and mentoring young people at Northwestern University where she is on the acting faculty.

Eddie Martinez (Abel) is an ensemble member of Teatro Vista in Chicago where he has been seen in Parachute Man and In the Time of the Butterflies among others. Select credits include: Fade (Denver Center, Cherry Lane, and TheaterWorks), Big Lake Big City, Cascabel (Lookinglass Theater); Our Lady of 121st Street(Steppenwolf); and Romeo y Julieta (Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Film/TV credits include: Sense8 (Netflix), Sirens (USA Network), Chicago Fire (NBC) and The Dilemma (Ron Howard). Eddie studied at Columbia College in Chicago.

Sari Sanchez (Lucia) is making her Victory Gardens debut.  Recent credits include In The Time Of The Butterflies (Teatro Vista), End Days (Windy City Playhouse), Tamer of Horses (Teatro Vista). Film & TV credits include: Signature Move, The Importance of Doubting Tom, Kill Game, “The Exorcist,” “Empire,” “Sirens,” and “Chicago Fire.”

Performance Schedule
Regular performances run November 11 – December 23, 2017: Tuesday — Friday at 7:30pm; Saturday at 3pm and 7:30pm; Sunday at 3pm.  Regular performances are $15-$56.

Victory Gardens has partnered with mobile theater ticketing app TodayTix to offer free tickets for the first preview of Fade. Free Tickets will be available via TodayTix mobile lottery, launching one week before the first preview on Friday, October 27, 2017. Winners will be notified by email and push notification between 12:00pm and 3:00pm on the day of the first preview, Saturday, November 4, 2017. 

Performances are at the Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N Lincoln Avenue, in the heart of Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood. 

For tickets and information, call the Victory Gardens Box Office, 773.871.3000, email tickets@victorygardens.org, or visit www.victorygardens.org. Ask the Box Office about student tickets ($15), senior, and Access. For group discounts, call 872.817.9087.

Public Programs
Public Programs is an event series designed to enhance your experience by exploring themes and issues within Victory Gardens Theater’s productions. Connecting our theater to the world beyond the stage and rehearsal room, Public Programs bridge ideas, provoke dialogue, and deepen the relationship between our audiences and our productions.

A full and updated schedule of special events, post-show discussions, and presentations centered on performances of Fade is available at www.victorygardens.org . All events are free unless otherwise noted. For more information, call 773.871.3000 or visit the Victory Gardens website.

PASS/FAIL?
Post-Show Town Hall
November 7 | Tuesday | 9:30 p.m.
In Fade, Lucia is white-passing: she is Mexican, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at her. Many people hold identities that lie underneath the surface in race, ethnicity, sexuality, ability. Still others wear their identities conspicuously on the outside. Join us after tonight’s performance of Fade for a town hall conversation challenging assumptions and breaking open the concept of passing.

A CONVERSATION WITH TANYA Y SANDRA
Post-Show Conversation 
November 11 | Thursday | 9:30 p.m.
For decades, playwright Tanya Saracho and director Sandra Marquez have developed trust and friendship through their work together, collaborating as playwright-director and as playwright-actor. Join Tanya and Sandra as they give you an exclusive look into their collaboration over the years.

COLLEGE NIGHT: YES SHE CAN
Free Post-Show Performance
November 16 | Thursday | 9:30 p.m.
Women made up just 29% of TV’s screenwriters and just 20% of Broadway’s playwrights last year. Latina writers are scarcely recognized in this field and as successful screenwriter and Fade playwright Tanya Saracho proves, it’s not for lack of skill. Join us for a pre-show celebration in the lobby with free drinks and pizza. Then, stick around after tonight’s performance of Fade for free post-show scenes written by collegiate Latinas and directed and performed by their peers from DePaul University, Loyola University, Northwestern University, and Columbia College.

SHADES OF FADE
Free Pre-Show Performance
December 1 | Friday | 5:30 p.m.
For a hilarious play about a woman screenwriter, Fade as a title holds a myriad of literal and symbolic meanings. What lies beneath the surface? Join dynamic Latinx spoken word poets from across Chicago for a free pre-show performance as they respond to the word FADE and what it means for them in their lives and in their work. 

ENTER THE WRITERS’ ROOM 
Off-Night Conversation
December 4 | Monday | 6:30 p.m.
More and more, television showrunners and producers are looking for a playwrights’ touch in creating new shows. Programs like House of Cards, How to Get Away with Murder, The Exorcist, American Crime, and many more have working playwrights at the helm. What is the relationship between plays and the screen? How do writers navigate these worlds? Join Chicago-based playwrights and television writers in this off-night conversation event breaking down the realities of writing for the stage vs writing for the screen. 

NOCHE VICTORIA  
Post-Show Performance & Celebration
December 8 | Friday | 9:30 p.m.
Join us for an epic evening of performances showcasing the breadth of Chicago’s Latinx performance and storytelling talent. This late-night celebration and party will have free food, compliments of Fiesta Mexicana, and delicious discounted beverages. Cabaret-style performance includes stand-up, performance art, music, dancing, theater, and more!

Accessible Performances: 
Word for Word (open captioning): Friday, November 17 at 7:30pm, Saturday, November 18 at 3pm, and Wednesday, November 22 at 2pm

ASL Interpreted: Friday, November 17 at 7:30pm

Audio Description/Touch Tour: Friday, November 17 at 7:30pm 
(Touch tour at 6pm), Sunday, November 26 at 3pm (Touch tour at 1:30pm)


Victory Garden Major Season Support: Allstate, Alphawood Foundation, Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, Doris Duke Charitable Trust, Exelon, Harold & Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, Ihe Joyce Foundation, The Mellon Foundation, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The Prince Charitable Trust, The REAM Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, The Wallace Foundation, and Illinois Arts Council, a state agency

Playwright’s Society Sponsors: Karena Fiorenza Ingersoll and Emrys Ingersoll

17/18 Women’s Series Major Production Sponsors: Janice Miller

17/18 Women’s Series Production Sponsors: Doris Conant, Marcelle McVay and Dennis Zacek, Jeffrey Rappin and Penny Bron, Bill and Orli Staley Foundation

Travel Sponsor: Southwest Airlines



About Victory Gardens Theater
Under the leadership of Artistic Director Chay Yew and Managing Director Erica Daniels, Victory Gardens is dedicated to artistic excellence while creating a vital, contemporary American Theater that is accessible and relevant to all people through productions of challenging new plays and musicals.  Victory Gardens Theater is committed to the development, production and support of new plays that has been the mission of the theater since its founding, set forth by Dennis Začek, Marcelle McVay, and the original founders of Victory Gardens Theater.

Victory Gardens Theater is a leader in developing and producing new theater work and cultivating an inclusive Chicago theater community. Victory Gardens’ core strengths are nurturing and producing dynamic and inspiring new plays, reflecting the diversity of our city’s and nation’s culture through engaging diverse communities, and in partnership with Chicago Public Schools, bringing art and culture to our city’s active student population.  

Since its founding in 1974, the company has produced more world premieres than any other Chicago theater, a commitment recognized nationally when Victory Gardens received the 2001 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre. Located in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, Victory Gardens Biograph Theater includes the Začek-McVay Theater, a state-of-the-art 259-seat mainstage and the 109-seat studio theater on the second floor, named the Richard Christiansen Theater.

Victory Gardens Ensemble Playwrights include Luis Alfaro, Philip Dawkins, Marcus Gardley, Ike Holter, Samuel D. Hunter, Naomi Iizuka, Tanya Saracho and Laura Schellhardt. Each playwright has a seven-year residency at Victory Gardens Theater. 

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

Victory Gardens Theater receives major funding from the Wallace Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Joyce Foundation, Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation, Shubert Foundation, The REAM Foundation, Alphawood Foundation, Allstate Insurance, Exelon, Polk Bros. Foundation, Crown Family Philanthropies, Edgerton Foundation, Bill and Orli Staley Foundation, and Illinois Arts Council Agency. Additional funding is provided by: Lloyd A. Fry Foundation,The McVay Foundation, Field Foundation of Illinois, Prince Charitable Trusts, Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Susan Payne/Metropolitan Capital Bank & Trust, Charles & M.R. Shapiro Foundation, Wrightwood Neighbors Association, Alliance Bernstein, Charles H. and Bertha L. Boothroyd Foundation, Golden Country Oriental Foods, John R. Halligan Charitable Fund, Mayer Brown LLP,  Roberta Olshansky Charitable Fund, Origin Ventures, Seabury Foundation, Southwest Airlines, Italian Village Restaurants, and Whole Foods Market.



About Teatro Vista
Teatro Vista produces, develops and commissions plays that explore the wealth and variety of the human experience from a Latinx perspective. The company provides work and professional advancement opportunities for Latinx theater artists, with special emphasis on the company’s ensemble members, and seeks to enhance the curricular goals of Chicago students through theatre. Teatro Vista was recently celebrated as one of “Chicago’s Cultural Leaders” by the Arts & Business Council of Chicago and received the League of Chicago Theatre’s Artistic Leadership Award.

Teatro Vista is supported by The Joyce Foundation, the Chicago Community Trust, Alphawood Foundation, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, The MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events of the City of Chicago, The Shubert Foundation, The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelly Foundation, the Chicago Latino Theater Alliance and The Saints.

For more information, visit TeatroVista.org, on Twitter (@TeatroVista), Facebook and Instagram.

REVIEW: Significant Brilliance at AFT and Theater WIT's Significant Other

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Midwest Premiere!

About Face Theatre and Theater Wit Present

SIGNIFICANT OTHER

By Joshua Harmon

Directed by AFT Artistic Associate Keira Fromm

November 3 – December 9, 2017 at Theater Wit



(left to right) Alex Weisman, Cassidy Slaughter-Mason, Amanda Drinkall and Tiffany Oglesby in About Face Theatre and Theater Wit’s Midwest premiere of SIGNIFICANT OTHER. Photo by Michael Brosilow.

Review:

With a brand new Jeff Award in hand, for Best Actor in Victory Garden's smash hit, Hand to God, and a Broadway role secured for spring, Alex Weisman seems like the last guy in town to convincingly play a down on his luck, angry, depressed guy who's jealous of his friends. Yet, he hits the mark in spectacular fashion in Significant Other. Alex and the entire cast more than do justice to this witty script by Joshua Harmon. We enjoyed Theater Wit's production of playwright Joshua Harmon's acclaimed comedy, Bad Jews, and caught it several times, so we are excited to see more of his work hit Theater Wit this season. 

(left to right) Amanda Drinkall, Alex Weisman and Tiffany Oglesby 
Photo by Michael Brosilow.

The energy on stage is palpable, and the rapport between all four friends and between Alex and his grandma is quite believable and a joy to see. The characters are quirky and interesting, with a bond to each other forged from long term friendships full of shared past adventures, inside jokes, traditions, and often recounted stories. This makes the growing pains of aging and changing relationships all the more wrenching. I particularly loved the parallels of a young, gay man longing for a lifelong partner and a family, striking out in the relationship department, and his grandmother's loneliness as a widow, on the other end of the romance spectrum, a rarely examined theme.

Significant Other hit hilarious high notes of friendship, adventure, and love counterweighted with universal lows of rejection, fear, loneliness, jealousy and self hatred. Even the grey areas where multiple emotions coexist and collide, are explored with humor and heartfelt bravery. Alex Weisman is a standout as Jordan Berman, as is his trio of girlfriends, and his grandmother, Ann Whitney. There's also a sweet dose of eye candy in the shape of lust interests, Benjamin Sprunger and Ninos Baba.

 (left to right) Alex Weisman and Benjamin Sprunger 

Photo by Michael Brosilow

SignificantOther-4 (left to right) Alex Weisman, Tiffany Oglesby and Ninos Baba 

Photo by Michael Brosilow

For anyone who's ever longed for love, laughed with friends, or felt conflicted/angry/lonely at others' happy events, this is a must see. We highly recommend Significant Other, now playing through December 9th at Theater WIT.

(left to right) Alex Weisman and Amanda Drinkall

Photo by Michael Brosilow

About Face Theatre and Theater Wit are pleased to present the Midwest premiere of the romantic comedy 

SIGNIFICANT OTHER 

by Joshua Harmon, 

playwright of the hit comedy Bad Jews. 

Directed by AFT Artistic Associate Keira Fromm, SIGNIFICANT OTHER will play November 3 – December 9, 2017 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. Tickets are currently on sale at aboutfacetheatre.com or theaterwit.org, by calling (773) 975-8150 or in person at the Theater Wit Box Office. 

Significant Other is the last chance for Chicago audiences to see Alex Weisman as a local, albeit playing a New Yorker, before he actually heads out to New York and dons Hogwarts Robes for his new gig on Broadway! Get your tickets ASAP, before the run is sold out. This is sure to be a hot ticket.   

The cast of About Face Theatre and Theater Wit’s Chicago premiere of SIGNIFICANT OTHER (top, l to r) AFT Artistic Associates Benjamin Sprunger and Alex Weisman with Ninos Baba (bottom, l to r) Amanda Drinkall, Tiffany Oglesby, Cassidy Slaughter-Mason and Ann Whitney.

SIGNIFICANT OTHER features AFT Artistic Associates Benjamin Sprunger and Alex Weisman with Ninos Baba, Amanda Drinkall, Tiffany Oglesby, Cassidy Slaughter-Mason and Ann Whitney.

Jordan Berman is a single gay man in New York City. Mr. Right is nowhere on his horizons. As he's nearing his 30s, his close group of girlfriends begin getting married en masse. What happens when you feel like life is leaving you behind but you're still expected to be at the forefront cheering on your friends on their perfect wedding day? Significant Other is a bittersweet comedy about friendship, single-hood and hoping you're not the one choking on car exhaust as the "Just Married" sign disappears from view. 

(left to right) Alex Weisman, Benjamin Sprunger and Amanda Drinkall 

Photo by Michael Brosilow.

In 2015, Joshua Harmon's play Bad Jews hit Theater Wit and performed to capacity crowds for eight months. A breakaway playwright of his generation, Harmon's work offered a unique and searingly funny look at a new generation of American Jews. Now, with Significant Other he turns his compassion and considerable wit to marriage.

"This feels like the perfect moment to be bringing Significant Other to the stage," comments Director Keira Fromm. "On the surface, Significant Other is a very funny play about single-hood and friendship. On a deeper level, our protagonist, Jordan, is enduring an existential crisis. On the brink of turning 30 and recognizing that being gay today no longer means you're immune to expectations of marriage, Jordan is failing at the task of finding his soulmate. He begins to feel that life is passing him by and finding his way in the world starts to feel like a gargantuan undertaking. In our increasingly alienating world, I find that quest intensely moving and relatable.” 

"I am very excited to join About Face Theatre in presenting the Midwest premiere of Joshua Harmon’s newest work,” comments Theater Wit Artistic Director Jeremy Wechsler. “I think Josh is a remarkably original writer with a gift for showing us the utterly real and utterly unexpected. His plays are always about deeply human characters with a writerly perspective we've not seen previously dramatized, and Significant Other is no exception. Bad Jews was a legitimate theatrical event of 2015 – and Significant Other promises, in its writing and casting, to be another for 2017."

(left to right) Cassidy Slaughter-Mason, Benjamin Sprunger, Alex Weisman, Ninos Baba and Tiffany Oglesby

Photo by Michael Brosilow

The production team for SIGNIFICANT OTHER includes Jeff Kmiec (scenic design), Noël Huntzinger (costume design), John Kelly (lighting design), Christopher Kriz (sound design), Pauline Oleksy (props design), Catherine Allen (production manager) and Helen Lattyak (stage manager).

Location: Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago
Dates: Previews: Friday, November 3 at 7:30 pm, Saturday, November 4 at 7:30 pm, Sunday, November 5 at 7 pm and Tuesday, November 7 at 7 pm.
Press opening: Wednesday, November at 8 at 7 pm
Regular run: Friday, November 10 – Saturday, December 9, 2017
Curtain Times: Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 3 pm. Please note: there will not be a performance on Thursday, November 9 or Thursday, November 23 (Thanksgiving); there are added performances on Wednesday, November 15 at 7:30 pm, Sunday, Saturday, November 25 at 3 pm and Sunday, November 26 at 7 pm and Saturday, December 9 at 3 pm.

Tickets: Previews: $15. Regular run: $20-$38. Discounts available for groups of 10 or more. Tickets are currently on sale at aboutfacetheatre.com or theaterwit.org, by calling (773) 975-8150 or in person at Theater Wit Box Office.

Artist Biographies
Joshua Harmon’s (Playwright) play Bad Jews received its world premiere at Roundabout Underground and was the first production to transfer to the Roundabout's Laura Pels Theatre (Outer Critics Circle and Lucille Lortel Award nominations, Best Play). It became the third most-produced play in the U.S. during the 2014-15 season and transferred to London’s West End after sell-out runs at Theatre Royal Bath and the St. James Theatre. His newest play, Significant Other, opened at Roundabout this summer. His work has been produced and developed by Manhattan Theatre Club, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Hangar Theatre, Ars Nova, and Actor's Express, where he was the 2010-2011 National New Play Network Playwright-in-Residence. He has received fellowships from MacDowell, Atlantic Center for the Arts, SPACE at Ryder Farm, and the Eudora Welty Foundation. Joshua is a recent graduate of Juilliard and at work on commissions for Roundabout Theatre Company and Lincoln Center Theater.

Keira Fromm (Director) is a Jeff Award nominated director, a casting director and a teacher based out of Chicago. Favorite recent directing credits include: Bright Half Life (About Face Theatre), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Gynecologic Oncology Unit at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Hospital of New York City (Route 66 Theatre Company) The Columnist (American Blues Theater), How the World Began (Rivendell Theatre Ensemble), A Kid Like Jake (About Face Theatre), Luce (Next Theatre), Charles Ives Take Me Home (Strawdog), The How and the Why (TimeLine Theatre), Broadsword (Gift Theatre) and Fallow (Steep Theatre). Keira is a proud Artistic Associate with About Face Theatre. She received her MFA from DePaul University and her BFA from Boston University. She is a member of SDC, as well as the Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab. Keira is a frequent guest director at DePaul, as well as Roosevelt University. 

SIGNIFICANT OTHER was developed during a residency the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center's National Playwrights Conference in 2013. Preston Whiteway, Executive Director; Wendy C. Goldberg, Artistic Director.

About The Theatres 
About Face Theatre creates exceptional, innovative, and adventurous theatre and educational programming that advances the national dialogue on sexual and gender identity, and challenges and entertains audiences in Chicago and beyond.

Theater Wit, Chicago’s “smart art” theater, is a major hub of the Chicago neighborhood theater scene, where audiences enjoy a smorgasbord of excellent productions in three, 99-seat spaces, see a parade of talented artists and mingle with audiences from all over Chicago. 

“A thrilling addition to Chicago’s roster of theaters” (Chicago Tribune) and “a terrific place to see a show” (New City), Theater Wit is now in its seventh season at its home at 1229 N. Belmont, in the heart of the new Belmont Theatre District in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. The company’s most recent hits include 10 Out of 12 and Mr. Burns, a post-electric play by Anne Washburn, Naperville by Mat Smart, The New Sincerity by Alena Smith, Bad Jews by Joshua Harmon, The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence and Seven Homeless Mammoths Wander New England by Madeleine George, and Completeness and The Four of Us by Itamar Moses. 

In 2014, Theater Wit was awarded the National Theatre Award by the American Theatre Wing for strengthening the quality, diversity and dynamism of American theater. Theater Wit also brings together Chicago’s best storefront companies at its Lakeview home, including 2017-18 resident companies About Face, Kokandy Productions and Shattered Globe. 

(left to right) Amanda Drinkall, Alex Weisman, Tiffany Oglesby and Cassidy Slaughter-Mason in About Face Theatre and Theater Wit’s Midwest premiere of SIGNIFICANT OTHER. Photo by Michael Brosilow.

Bluebird Theatre's Clever Little Lies at Athenaeum Theatre Through 12/16/17

Chi IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

Bluebird Arts is proud to open its 2017-18 Season with Midwest Premiere of

"CLEVER LITTLE LIES"

by “Tony Award”® Winner Joe DiPietro.

Bluebird Arts brings the Smash Off-Broadway hit to the Athenaeum Theatre with direction by Luda Lopatina Solomon.

Bluebird Arts – Chicago's only English–Russian Theatre – proudly announces "Clever Little Lies," by Joe DiPietro, will open the theatre's Fourth Season. The Midwest Premiere begins its month-long run at the Athenaeum Theatre, Studio Two, on Thursday, November 16, 2017. We'll be out to review on the 30th so check back soon after.

Performances are Thursday – Saturday at 7:30pm, and Sundays at 2pm from November 16 - December 16, 2017. Artistic Director Luda Lopatina Solomon will direct a cast including Lawrence Garner (Bill Sr.), Kathleen Burke (Alice), Andrew Garcia (Billy), and Alyssa Ratkovich (Jane). The production team includes Caroline Grebner (Set Design), Michael Rathbun (Lighting Design), Brandon Reed (Sound Design), Bisa (Costume Design), Michael Zimmer (Set Design and Technical Direction), Rick Frederick (Marketing and Media), Karly Hanna (Stage Management), and Jaimelyn Gray (Production Manager, and Marketing and Media).

Shattering and hilarious, "Clever Little Lies" is a comedy of long-term love and marriage… for better… and for worse.

About the Playwright: Joe DiPietro has won two Tony Awards, a Drama Desk Award and two Outer Critics Circle Awards. His historical drama "The Second Mrs. Wilson", recently debuted at Long Wharf Theatre and plays George Street Playhouse this fall. Broadway: "Nice Work if You Can Get It"  (Tony nom., Best Musical); "Memphis"  (Tony winner, Best Musical); "All Shook Up"; "Living on Love". Off-Broadway: "The Toxic Avenger"; "The Thing About Men"; "Over the River and Through the Woods"; and "I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change" (Westside Theatre). Recent regional credits include "Chasing the Song" (La Jolla Playhouse); "Ernest Shackleton Loves Me" (Arts Emerson); "The Last Romance"  (Old Globe); and "Creating Claire" (George Street Playhouse). He sits on the board of Only Make Believe, a charity dedicated to bringing interactive, therapeutic theatre to chronically ill children.

About the Director: Luda Lopatina Solomon studied acting and directing in Russia at the Leningrad Institute of Music, Theatre and Film and earned her Ph.D (WD) in teaching acting at the St. Petersburg State Academy of Dramatic Arts. She worked as an actress at Leningrad Studio Theatre. As a member of European Repertory Company, Luda directed Chekhov's "Ivanov" (Jeff Nominated); Bulgakov's "Zoyka's Apartment"; Chekhov's "The Duel", adapted by Frank Galati; Carlo Gozzi's "Princess Turandot"; and Vasili Sigarev's "Black Milk". Also with European Repertory Company Luda co-directed, with Yasen Peyankov, Galin's "Stars in the Morning Sky" and Nikolay Kolyada's "Go Away, Go Away "(Jeff Nominated). Other directing credits include Stephen Schwartz's "The Baker's Wife" with One Theatre Company, Galin's "The House that Swift Built" co-directed with Dale Goulding for Red Square Theatre Company, and "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf: at Theatre Volhonka, Ekatirenburg, Russia (Translated to Russian; Bravo award). She has taught acting at the School at Steppenwolf, Act One, and the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Bluebird Arts was founded in 2014 and is a 501(C)3 nonprofit organization whose purpose is to enrich, educate and entertain our community by sharing intimate stories of the human condition, focusing on the genuine problems of real people. They showcase Chicago's talent by promoting a cross-cultural exchange, taking Chicago theatre and artists to Europe and bringing European theatre to the Chicago community. Uniquely they serve both the English and Russian speaking populations by producing plays in both English and Russian.
Bluebird Arts has a sister theatre in Volhnka, Ekatirenburg, Russia.   

OPENING: Agency Theatre's Hellcab at The Den

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

BACK FOR THE HOLIDAYS! 

AGENCY THEATER COLLECTIVE PRESENTS THE RETURN OF THE CHICAGO CLASSIC WILL KERN’S HELLCAB STARRING 

RUSTY SCHWIMMER AND PLAYING AT THE DEN THEATRE, 

NOVEMBER 11 – DECEMBER 17

Sommer Austin directs the Storied Chicago Production Inspired by Playwright Kern’s Experiences as a Cab Driver During Chicago’s Holiday Season

**Run Time: 90min/no intermission**

Here at ChiIL Live Shows we've seen many iterations of Hellcab from the initial production to frequent recent holiday remounts. We'll be out for the press opening November 16th to check out Agency Theater Collective's take on this hilarious, edgy, Chicago holiday classic. Check back soon for our full review.



The Agency Theater Collective announces Hellcab, starring Rusty Schwimmer, written by Will Kern and directed by The Agency’s Managing Director Sommer Austin playing at the Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave., November 11 – December 17. Previews are Saturday, Nov. 11 at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 12 at 3 p.m., Monday, Nov. 13 and Thursday, Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m. Opening night is Friday, Nov. 17 at 7:30 p.m. The performance schedule is Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Tickets are pay-what-you-can for all performances. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.wearetheagency.org or call the Den Theatre Box Office at 773.697.3830.

A Chicago classic returning to the stage, Hellcab is the story of a day in the life of a Chicago cab driver who experiences a drawn out, nightmarish night of fares from some of the city’s oddest collection of customers on a cold, snowy day just days before Christmas. Drawn from real experiences from playwright Will Kern’s days as a cab driver, the list of characters the cabbie encounters include: a dangerous trio of druggies, a piggish mini-capitalist, a benumbed rape victim, an argumentative pair of fellow cabbies, a drunken woman on welfare, a smug lawyer, a randy couple on the way to a motel, and two boisterous New Yorkers out on the town. With every encounter, we see through the cab driver’s eyes humor, terror, longing and more as she navigates all areas of the Windy City.

In addition to Rusty Schwimmer* as “Cab Driver,” Molly Lyons will perform the role at select performances**, the Hellcab cast includes George Ellzey Jr., Harsh Gagoomal, Gabrielle Gulledge, Sean Higgins, Kate Jacobsen*, Diana Lee, Manuela Rentea, Delysa Richards, Sara Richmond*, Reginald Robinson, Jack Schultz*, Tim Touhy*, Ethan Walles* and Marie Weigle. Understudy cast: Teresa Champion, Mark Mocarski, PJ Walker, Hannah Tarr, Anna Yee and Joseph Zaki.

*The Actor appears through the courtesy of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

**Molly Lyons' performances as “Cab Driver:” Friday, Nov. 25 and Saturday, Nov. 26 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 27 at 3 p.m.

The production team for Hellcab includes: Will Kern, playwright; Sommer Austin+, director; Cait Manning, production manager, Colleen Schuldeis, stage manager; Alex Meyer, assistant stage manager; Alex Molnar and Cordie Nelson, assistant directors;  Jamie Macpherson, fight and intimacy director; Elyse Balogh, scenic designer;  Ellie Humphrys+, lighting designer; Hailey Rakowiecki, costume designer;  Shea Messinger, properties designer; Brian Foster+, technical director; Cody Lucas+, Indiegogo campaign manager and graphic designer, Andrew Gallant+, artistic director and Tim Touhy+, company manager.

+Denotes company member of The Agency

ABOUT WILL KERN, playwright

Will Kern’s writing credits, in addition to Hellcab, include Kid Sister and Mothers and Tigers: True Stories of Korean Women. As a screenwriter, Kern wrote the film adaptation of “Hellcab,” the award-winning short films “Pain Chain,” and “Lost in Rome.” His travel writing and essays have been published in numerous magazines and newspapers around the world. His first novel “Ballet for Guys” is built around Billy Jim Hauck, a political conservative and self-described “fat ass with brown teeth and a scraggly Yosemite Sam mustache.”

ABOUT SOMMER AUSTIN, director

Co-founder and Managing Director of The Agency Theater Collective, Sommer Austin also directs and acts with them. She is a certified instructor of the Meisner Approach to Acting and co-founder/owner of Green Shirt Studio. Austin has made her mark in the improv/comedy, theatre and production worlds and has worked with theatre superstars including Mary Overlie, Ping Chong and Dr. Jonathan Miller. She was assistant director to Michael Patrick Thornton on the world premiere of David Rabe’s Good for Otto at The Gift Theatre and to Dexter Bullard on Annie Baker’s The Flick at Steppenwolf Theatre. For The Agency she has directed Chagrin Falls, co-directed Nautilina and acted in Paradise Lost, Out of Tune Confessional (which she also co-wrote) and At The Center. She received her Bachelor’s in Theatre Arts from the University of Iowa and has a Master’s of Fine Arts degree in Acting from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

ABOUT RUSTY SCHWIMMER, “Cab Driver”

Rusty Schwimmer is thrilled to be back in her hometown of Chicago where the weather is perfect, the sausages are plentiful and the Cubs win. Schwimmer is best known for her roles in the feature films A Little Princess, Twister, EdTV, The Perfect Storm, Runaway Jury and North Country. She has also enjoyed working on the television series, “Louie,” “The Guardian,” “Gilmore Girls,” “Picket Fences” and “Six Feet Under.” On stage, Schwimmer was last seen in Los Angeles at the Mark Taper Forum in their production of House of Blue Leaves and in Chicago in Race at Lookingglass Theatre. Upcoming Film projects include Blood Stripe and Wild Honey.

ABOUT AGENCY THEATER COLLECTIVE

Founded in 2010, The Agency Theater Collective creates relevant, authentic work with a focus on new or rarely produced plays. Past productions include Copi’s Four Twins, Clifford Odets’ Paradise Lost, Out of Tune Confessional, I Wish to Apologize to the People of Illinois, At the Center, Truth in Context (Non-Equity Jeff Award nominee for Best New Work in 2015/2016), The Spirit of ’76, and Chagrin Falls (Non-Equity Jeff Award nominee for Best Supporting Actor in 2016/2017). The Agency also hosts “No Shame Theatre,” a weekly theatrical open mic, every Saturday night at The Lincoln Loft. The Agency Theater Collective holds these principles sacred: revelation, paradox, humor, mischief and collaboration.

The Agency Theater Collective announces the Chicago holiday classic Hellcab, starring Rusty Schwimmer, written by Will Kern and directed by The Agency’s Managing Director Sommer Austin playing at the Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave., November 11 – December 17. Previews are Saturday, Nov. 11 at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 12 at 3 p.m., Monday, Nov. 13 and Thursday, Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m. Opening night is Friday, Nov. 17 at 7:30 p.m. The performance schedule is Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Tickets are pay-what-you-can for all performances. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.wearetheagency.org or call the Den Theatre Box Office at 773.697.3830. 

OPENING: Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Ernest at Writers Theatre 11/8-12/23/17

Chi IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST 

Written by Oscar Wilde

Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam

November 8 – December 23, 2017

Press Opening: Wednesday, November 15 at 7:30 pm

Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre | 325 Tudor Court, Glenco

November 8 – December 23, 2017
**Run Time: 2 hours 30 minutes/ 2 intermissions**

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we can't wait to catch this Oscar Wilde classic. I first read it way back in the day, in high school, and adored the witty wordplay, but I've never caught it on stage. We'll be out November 21st, so check back soon for my full review.


The cast includes: Anita Chandwaney (Miss Prism), Shannon Cochran (Lady Bracknell), Aaron Todd Douglas (Rev. Canon Chasuble), Alex Goodrich (Jack Worthing), Steve Haggard (Algernon Moncreif), Rebecca Hurd (Cecily Cardew), Jennifer Latimore (Gwendolyn Fairfax) and Ross Lehman (Lane/Merriman).

One of the cleverest comedies by one of the greatest writers in the English language, The Importance of Being Earnest introduces us to Jack and Algernon, two charming bachelors who are each living a double life, aided by a fictional alter ego called “Ernest.” But when they fall truly in love with a pair of proper young women, will they be able to bring an end to the charade and convince the formidable Lady Bracknell that they are suitable candidates for marriage? After all, “the one charm about marriage is that it makes a life of deception absolutely necessary for both parties.”

Oscar Wilde (Writer) 
Michael Halberstam (Director)
Pedro Castillo Garcia (Dramaturg) 
Mara Blumenfeld  (Costume Designer)
John Culbert (Lighting Designer)
Josh Schmidt (Sound Designer)
Scott Dickens  (Properties Master)
David Castellanos (Production Stage Manager)
Peter Andersen (Assistant Director)
Janelle Boudreau (Assistant Stage Manager) 

Artistic Director Michael Halberstam brings his talent for refreshing the classics to this effervescent comedy of manners. Filled with Wilde’s sparkling wit, piercing social satire and trademark wordplay, this well-loved classic is certain to delight this holiday season!

Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre | 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe
Tickets: $35 - $80
(847) 242-6000
http://www.writerstheatre.org/