OPENING: Rolling World Premiere of In Every Generation April 2 – May 1, 2022 at Victory Gardens Theater

 

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Victory Gardens Theater Presents

the National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere of

In Every Generation

By Ali Viterbi

Directed by Devon de Mayo

April 2 – May 1, 2022

Victory Gardens Theater continues its 2021/22 Mainstage Season with the world premiere of In Every Generation, written by Ali Viterbi and directed by Devon de Mayo. This is a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere by Victory Gardens, the Olney Theatre Center (MD), and San Diego Repertory Theatre (CA). In Every Generation runs April 2 – May 1, 2022 at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue. I'll be out for the press opening April 8th so check back soon for my full review. Tickets are on sale now and available by phone at 773.871.3000 or online at www.victorygardens.org.

Each Passover, for four millennia, we ask: why is this night different from all other nights? And each year, the Levi-Katz clan has answered, while struggling with questions of race and religion that never seem to get resolved. The family finds strength in tradition (vegan brisket or no); but each year of celebration brings more pressing questions about the future: if trauma is generational, then must we be defined by it? Will we ever be free? Written by Ali Viterbi, In Every Generation was the 2019 winner of the National Jewish Playwriting Contest, and will have its world premiere at Victory Gardens, staged by Devon de Mayo (If I Forget, Victory Gardens).

The In Every Generation cast includes Eli Katz (Valeria), Sara Lo (Dev), Esther Fishbein (Yael), Paul Dillon (Davide), and Carmen Roman (Paola), with casting by The Chicago Inclusion Project.

The In Every Generation creative team includes Andrew Boyce and Lauren Nichols (Scenic Design), kClare McKellaston (Costume Design), Heather Sparling (Lighting Design), Jeffrey Levin (Sound Design), Yeaji Kim (Projections Design), Caitlin McCarthy (Props Design), Courtney Abbott (Intimacy Design) and Adam Goldstein (Language and Dialect). The creative team also includes Kat Zukaitis (dramaturg), Adelina Feldman Schultz (Assistant Director), Casie Morell (Stage Manager) and Shandee Vaughan (Production Manager). Additional creatives to be announced.

About the Artists

ALI VITERBI (Playwright; she/her) is a playwright, television writer, and educator from San Diego. Her plays have been developed, produced, or commissioned by Geffen Playhouse, The Kennedy Center/National New Play Network, La Jolla Playhouse, Round House Theatre, San Diego Repertory Theatre, HERE Arts Center, The Barrow Group, and North Coast Repertory Theatre, among others. Her play In Every Generation won the 2019 National Jewish Playwriting Contest, and she has been a finalist for the O’Neill National Playwrights Conference and the Bay Area Playwrights Festival. Ali has developed TV projects with AMC and Anonymous Content. She was a member of the 2020/2021 Geffen Playhouse Writers’ Room, and she is the associate artistic director of the annual Lipinsky San Diego Jewish Arts Festival. Ali received her B.A. from Yale University and her M.F.A. in Playwriting from UC San Diego.

DEVON de MAYO (Director; she/her) Victory Gardens: If I Forget and Ignition Festival in 2016, 2017 and 2019. Chicago Credits: First Love is the Revolution (Steep Theatre); The Tasters, Laura and the Sea & The Scientific Method (Rivendell Theatre); Women Laughing Alone With Salad (Theatre Wit); The Burn (Steppenwolf Theatre); Harvey (Court Theatre); Sycamore (Raven Theatre); You on the Moors Now (The Hypocrites); Animals Out of Paper (Shattered Globe Theatre); You Can’t Take it With You and Lost in Yonkers (Northlight Theatre); Everything is Illuminated (Next); Roadkill Confidential, The Whole World is Watching, As Told by the Vivian Girls and The Twins Would Like to Say (Dog & Pony). Broadway: Resident Director under Stephen Daldry on The Audience. International: Guerra: A Clown Play (La Piara, Mexico). Devon received her MFA from Middlesex University in London and did further studies at the Russian Academy of Dramatic Arts in Moscow and the Indonesian Institute for the Arts in Bali.

Creative Team: Andrew Boyce and Lauren Nichols (Scenic Design), kClare McKellaston (Costume Design), Heather Sparling (Lighting Design), Jeffrey Levin (Sound Design), Yeaji Kim (Projections Design), Caitlin McCarthy (Props Design), Courtney Abbott (Intimacy Design) and Adam Goldstein (Language and Dialect). The creative team also includes Kat Zukaitis (dramaturg), Adelina Feldman Schultz (Assistant Director), Casie Morell (Stage Manager) and Shandee Vaughan (Production Manager).

Previews: April 2 – 7, 2022 

Press Performances:  Friday, April 8, 2022 at 7:30pm

Regular run:  April 9 – May 1, 2022 

 

Schedule:                   

Tuesday-Saturday 7:30pm (except April 2, April 12, April 16, April 19)

Wednesday: 2:00pm (April 20 only)

Saturday: 3:00pm (April 16 only)

Sunday: 3:00pm & 7:30pm (April 3 only)

 

Accessible Performances:            

Word for Word (open captioning): Wednesday, April 20, 2022 at 2:00pm; Friday, April 22, 2022 at 7:30pm; Saturday, April 23, 2022 at 7:30pm

ASL Interpretation: Friday, April 22, 2022 at 7:30pm

Audio Description/Touch Tour: Friday, April 22, 2022 at 7:30pm; Sunday, May 1, 2022 at 3:00pm (Touch Tour begins 90 minutes prior to showtime)

Location:   Victory Gardens Theater is located at 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue 

Tickets: $29 - $62

Box Office: The Box Office is located at 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago.  773.871.3000; www.victorygardens.org. 

Victory Gardens Theater 2021/22 Mainstage Season

The Victory Gardens Theater 2021/22 Mainstage Season includes Queen of the Night by travis tate, directed by Ken-Matt Martin, January 29 - March 13, 2022; the National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere of In Every Generation by Ali Viterbi, directed by Devon de Mayo, April 2 - May 1, 2022; and the regional premiere of cullud wattah by Erika Dickerson-Despenza, directed by Lili-Anne Brown, June 11 - July 17, 2022.

Flex Passes to the 2021/22 Season are currently on sale at victorygardens.org or by phone at 773.871.3000, and offer 20% savings over single ticket prices. Single tickets for all three shows are on sale now at victorygardens.org and range from $29 to $62.

The Ignition New Play Program 

The Ignition New Play Program (formerly the Ignition Festival of New Plays) consists of two events for the 2021/22 season: the Ignite Chicago reading series, offering six free readings of new works between October 2021 and July 2022, and the 20/50 Festival in June 2022, featuring three new works by playwrights over 50, staged by VG Directors Inclusion Initiative Fellows. Ignite Chicago readings will take place not only at Victory Gardens’ home in Lincoln Park, the Biograph Theater, but at partner locations throughout the city, to bring new plays into Chicago’s many communities. 

 Upcoming Ignite Chicago readings include: 

●      April 2022: Primary Trust by Eboni Booth  

●      July 2022: Nancy by Rhiana Yazzie 

All readings are free to attend, but RSVPs will be required, as capacity for each reading is limited. Registration will be available at victorygardens.org approximately one month before each event. 

For complete details on the 2021/2022 Season and artists, Flex Passes, and the Ignition New Play Program, please visit www.victorygardens.org  

Victory Gardens Theater receives major funding from Bradshaw Family Foundation, Exelon Corporation, Illinois Arts Council, Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, Prince Charitable Trusts, Pritzker Foundation, The Small Business Administration, and The Joyce Foundation.

Victory Gardens also receives support from the Alphawood Foundation, Charles and M.R. Shapiro Foundation, John R. Halligan Charitable Fund,Mayer Brown LLP, TheNational Endowment for the Arts, thePritzker Pucker Family Foundation, the Pritzker Traubert Foundation, The Charles H. and Bertha L. Boothroyd Foundation, The Seabury Foundation, and The Venturous Theater Fund of Tides Foundation.

 

Victory Gardens Theater COVID-19 Attendance Policy

To protect the health of all who attend Victory Gardens productions, the following policies are in place for the 2021/22 Season: All audience members must be masked for the duration of their visit. Masks are available onsite if needed. All audience members ages 5+ must show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination; audience members ages 16+ must also show a valid photo ID at the door to be admitted to the theater. These policies follow state and local guidelines for safe operation during the COVID-19 pandemic, and are subject to change based on the current recommendations.

About Victory Gardens Theater

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Ken-Matt Martin and Acting Managing Director Roxanna Conner, 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, which 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, and continued by former Artistic Director Chay Yew.

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.

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

JOFFREY ACADEMY’S WINNING WORKS RETURNS TO MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART March 18-20, 2022

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar  

JOFFREY ACADEMY’S WINNING WORKS 

RETURNS TO MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART, FEATURES FOUR WORLD PREMIERES

March 18-20, 2022 at the MCA’s Edlis Neeson Theater

The Joffrey Academy of Dance, Official School of The Joffrey Ballet, presents four world premieres in the culmination of Joffrey’s national call for ALAANA (African, Latinx, Asian, Arab and Native American) artists to submit applications for the Joffrey Academy’s Winning Works Choreographic Competition. This year’s Competition winners—Audrey Baran, Joffrey Company Artist Edson Barbosa, Taylor Carrasco, and Derick McKoy, Jr.—each have choreographed an original work created on the Joffrey Academy Trainees and Studio Company. 

Winning Works returns to in- person performances for the first time since 2019 at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago Edlis Neeson Theater (220 E. Chicago Avenue) Friday, March 18 at 7:30 pm, Saturday, March 19 at 2:00 PM and 7:30 pm, Sunday, March 20 at 2:00 pm. Tickets for Winning Works are $30 and available for purchase at joffrey.org/winningworks.

“After the COVID-related cancellation in 2020 and a virtual presentation in 2021, it is especially meaningful that Winning Works will return in all its glory to the Museum of Contemporary Art in 2022,” said Ashley Wheater MBE, The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director of The Joffrey Ballet. “These young, emerging choreographers prove that there is no limit to the level of artistic expression one can possess.”

“It has been over a decade of exceptional work and brilliant artistry for Winning Works,” said Greg Cameron, President & CEO of The Joffrey Ballet. “I am in awe of the creativity presented during the past two difficult years has demonstrated an admirable tenacity among artists. May we celebrate this homecoming to the MCA as a new beginning.”

Joffrey’s Abbott Academy Director Raymond Rodriguez added: “There is nothing more gratifying than seeing the works of rising stars danced by our incredible Joffrey Academy Trainees and Studio Company. Much like our beautiful city of Chicago, the backgrounds of these choreographers and the works they’ll be premiering on stage are diverse, rich, and dynamic.”

About the Program

 Audrey Baran

Audrey Baran’s world premiere Porcelain is a contemporary piece that explores the stigmatization of Asian Americans as well as the objectification and fetishization of Asian American women.

Baran is a Filipino-American dance performer, maker, and educator based in Charlotte, North Carolina. She holds an MFA in Dance from Hollins University and a BA in Dance from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where she is the Visiting Assistant Professor of Dance. She is the founder/artistic director of

Baran Dance and apprentice company BD2 and on the faculty of Charlotte Ballet Academy. Baran has presented work through Sites in the City, FEMMEfest, the National Dance Educators Organization Conference, Bill Evans Somatic Dance Conference, the North Carolina Dance Festival, Tobacco Road Dance Productions, Triangle Dance Project, Ladyfest CLT, Charlotte Dance Festival and numerous self- produced productions. She was the 2019 UNCC Department of Dance Distinguished Alum, an inaugural recipient of the Creative Renewal Fellowship from the Arts and Science Council, a selected choreographer for Charlotte Ballet’s Innovative: Direct from the LAB 2021 and has received recognition for her work from the Movies by Movers Festival, Charlotte Emerging Dance Awards, and Carolina Arts & Theatre Awards. Baran is also a 500-hour Registered Yoga Teacher and thrives on sharing her love of movement and mindfulness throughout the Queen City and beyond.

Edson Barbosa, Recipient of the Zach Lazar Winning Works Fellowship

Edson Barbosa’s world premiere On the Same Boat is a neo-classical piece inspired by the observations he has made of the relationships surrounding him, danced by seven women and seven men.

Barbosa has been a company artist with The Joffrey Ballet since 2014. He was raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and began his training in ballet, jazz, and tap at age 10 at Grupo Cultural de Dança, Ilha, with Patricia Marques. He was voted Best Male Dancer at the Festival de Danca de Joinville in 2012 — the largest dance competition by number of dancers, as documented by Guinness World Records. He received a full scholarship to study at the Miami City Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, Washington Ballet, The Harid Conservatory, and Princess Grace Academy. He was also a Top 12 finalist at the Youth America Grand Prix in New York in 2010 and 2012, Top 6 finalist at the Beijing International Ballet Invitational for Dance Schools in China, and performed at the Opening Ceremony as a guest artist at the Danzamerica in Argentina.

Barbosa was a prize winner at the prestigious Prix de Lausanne in Switzerland, where he was voted the best male dancer of the 40th edition in 2012, receiving a scholarship to be a trainee at the San Francisco Ballet School under the direction of Patrick Armand. While in the school he worked in contemporary workshops with Antoine Vereecken and Wayne McGregor. Throughout his career, he has had the opportunity to perform lead roles in ballets choreographed by renowned artists in the dance world, such as Gerald Arpino, Val Caniparoli, Alexander Ekman, Jiří Kylián, Parrish Maynard, John Neumeier, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Justin Peck, Myles Thatcher, Helgi Tomasson, Stanton Welch and Christopher Wheeldon.

Taylor Carrasco

Taylor Carrasco’s contemporary piece Not Now, But Now explores the feelings of anxiety people have become accustomed to during this unprecedented time, and how running from and running toward, can often be one in the same.

“When I was three, my sister was six and in ballet like every other little girl,” said Carrasco. “My parents would bring me to her classes and I would try to dance with them from the hallway. They assumed I’d like it, enrolled me in class and I never stopped.” Carrasco trained with the School of American Ballet and New Mexico Ballet Company and has taken summer intensives with Boston Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and Ballet Chicago. He joined Cincinnati Ballet Second Company – CB2 in the 2014-2015 Season and was promoted to Apprentice for the 2015-2016 Season. Carrasco was then promoted to Corps de Ballet for the 2017-2018 Season. He has had three of his ballets performed by the main company of Cincinnati Ballet, with two of them being created for the The Kaplan New Works Series in 2018 and 2019. Carrasco’s favorite dancing memories thus far are tied to dancing with his sister. He says that “sharing the stage with family is the best experience.”

Derick McKoy Jr.

Derick McKoy Jr.’s world premiere Road of Flames mixes ballet and contemporary movement to create a piece about pushing towards one’s north star, and the flame that builds when people pursue their passions in love, careers, and families.

McKoy (he/him) originally from Miami, Florida, is a graduate Glorya Kaufman BFA Scholar of the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program in Dance. McKoy started his official training under Luctricia Welters and after a year, joined her dance company, Jubilee Dance Theater, as an apprentice. He furthered his training at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Arts Umbrella, BalletX, Ballet Hispanico, Springboard Danse Montreal, under scholarships, as well as NW Dance Project’s LAUNCH.

McKoy has performed with Nimbus Dance, directed by Samuel Pott, Jeremy McQueen’s The Black Iris Project, and on seasons 1 and 2 of the hit tv-show POSE on FX.

His choreographic work has been described as “authentic,” “dramatic,” and “important.” His developing collection of works have been performed at the Ailey Citigroup Theater, Ailey Studio Theater, Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance, Ades Performance Space, Youth American Grand Prix, the Nimbus Arts Festival, and the Jamaica Dance Festival.

He has performed works by Alvin Ailey, Matthew Rushing, Crystal Pite, Jiri Kylian, Nacho Duato, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Dawn Marie Bazemore, Sharon Eyal, Alejandro Cerrudo, Marco Goecke, Adam Barruch and others.

He was also a part of a dance feature of The Ailey School on the talk show Conan. He has also had the opportunity to perform in Ailey’s 2017 Spirit Gala at Lincoln Center at the David Koch Theater and for the groundbreaking ceremony of the Vessel at Hudson Yards. 

He started McKoy Dance Project as a way to add his own contributions to the dance. MDP aims to be a strong, but sensitive new voice in the contemporary dance world. The company was founded with five pillars in mind: to create jobs, to inspire and touch, to give purpose, to create leaders, and to heal.

To date, the Joffrey has raised more than $150,000 to support ALAANA choreographers and the presentation of their work for the 2022 Winning Works competition. That number continues to grow, emphasizing the Joffrey’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the field of dance. The Joffrey is proud of the fact that Winning Works provides complete financial assistance—housing, travel, and work stipend—to all winners. Additionally, the Joffrey does not require an application fee for those interested in applying for the Winning Works competition.

Former winners of the Winning Works competition include Jeffrey Cirio (2016), current Lead Principal Dancer with the English National Ballet, Chanel DaSilva (2020), featured choreographer on the Joffrey’s fall 2021 program Home: a Celebration, Amy Hall Garner (2011), internationally known choreographer based in New York City, Stephanie Martinez (2015), a featured choreographer on the Joffrey’s winter program The Times Are Racing, and Claudia Schreier (2018), Ballet Master to Juilliard President Damian Woetzel.

Ticket Information

Tickets for Winning Works at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago’s Edlis Neeson Theater are $30 and can be purchased at joffrey.org/winningworks. Performances take place on Friday, March 18 at 7:30 PM, Saturday, March 19 at 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM, Sunday, March 20 at 2:00 PM.

About the Joffrey Studio Company

The Joffrey Studio Company consists of dancers who show exceptional promise and a desire to join the Joffrey or another organization’s main company. The individualized training and performance opportunities allow students to expand their technique and artistry while offering a unique insight into the life of a professional dancer, including performing on some of the most prestigious stages around the country. Academy alumni have gone on to dance with companies around the world, including The Joffrey Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, English National Ballet, Dresden Semperoper, Atlanta Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Kansas City Ballet and more.

About the Joffrey Academy Trainees

The Joffrey Academy Trainee Program is a full-time, one-to-two-year program for students preparing for a professional dance career. Through meticulous training, Trainees focus on artistic excellence, rehearsing, and performing classical and contemporary works from The Joffrey Ballet’s extensive repertoire, as well as works by world-renowned choreographers.

The Joffrey Ballet gratefully acknowledges the generous support of Winning Works Sponsors Pritzker Foundation, Wilson Garling Foundation, William Blair with Joffrey Board Member Rita Spitz, and BMO Harris Bank. William Blair is the premier global boutique with expertise in investment banking, investment management, and private wealth management.

For more information on the Joffrey Academy of Dance, Official School of The Joffrey Ballet and its programs please visit joffrey.org/academy. Connect with the Joffrey on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

OPENING: Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre’s ONCE UPON A MATTRESS March 11 – May 1, 2022

 ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 

ONCE UPON A MATTRESS

Directed by Landree Fleming

Music Direction by Jeremy Ramey

Choreography by Jenna Schoppe

Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre’s third show of the 2021-’22 season will be the hilarious musical comedy ONCE UPON A MATTRESS – a rowdy and mildly adult twist on Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Princess and the Pea.” This “fractured fairy tale” will be directed by one of Chicago’s funniest ladies, Landree Fleming. Joining Fleming on the creative team will be Jeff Award winners Jenna Schoppe as Choreographer and Theo Ubique Resident Music Director Jeremy Ramey. ONCE UPON A MATTRESS will be performed March 11 – May 1, 2022. 

I'll be out for the press opening March 20, so check back shortly after for my full review at ChiILLiveShows.com.

In this offbeat version of Andersen’s fairy tale, the domineering Queen Aggravain has created impossible tests of any princess who might seek to marry her son, Prince Dauntless. This is a problem for the people of the kingdom, as the Queen has decreed no one shall marry until Prince Dauntless is wed. It’s a particular problem for the leading knight of the realm, Sir Harry, who discovers that his girlfriend, Lady Larken, is expecting. When Winnifred the Woebegone arrives, this brash and unrefined princess from the marshlands becomes the last best hope of the Kingdom to end Queen Aggravain’s virtual ban on marriage.

Director, Landree Fleming has played such classically comic musical theater roles as Penny in HAIRSPRAY (at Paramount Theatre), Frenchy in GREASE, and Kira in XANADU (the latter two at American Theater Company). Fleming does stand-up comedy, performs with her musical sketch comedy group Off Off Broadzway, and appears on her podcast Deep Dish. She was Assistant Director for BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Paramount), NOISES OFF (Windy City Playhouse), and FIRST LADY SUITE (Circle Theatre). 

Leading the cast as Winnifred is Sonia Goldberg (she/they), an actress, writer, musician, and teaching artist who last fall was the understudy for Bethany Thomas in Northlight Theatre’s acclaimed one-woman musical SONGS FOR NOBODIES. Goldberg followed that assignment as the easily fooled Malvolio in Midsommer Flight’s TWELFTH NIGHT. Queen Aggravain will be played by Anne Sheridan Smith (she/her), whose many credits include SOUTHERN GOTHIC with Windy City Playhouse and FUN HOME with Victory Gardens. Prince Dauntless, the son against whom Queen Aggravain plots to keep him an ineligible bachelor, will be played by August Forman (they/them), winner of a Jeff Award for supporting actor in GIRL IN THE RED CORNER for Broken Nose Theatre, where they are an ensemble member.

The anxious couple Sir Harry and Lady Larkin will be AMDA graduate Michael Metcalf (he/him) and Parker Guidry (they/them). Guidry was seen pre-pandemic in Kokandy Productions’ HEAD OVER HEELS. The cast also will include Andrew Fortman (he/him, King Sextimus the Silent), Michael M. Ashford (he/him, Jester), Jasmine Lacy Young (she/her, Poet), J Alan (J/her, Wizard/Dance Captain), Sarah J. Patin (they/she, ensemble, U/S Winnifred and Poet), Nathe Rowebotham (they/them, ensemble, U/S Jester, Wizard), Peter Ruger (he/him, ensemble, U/S Harry, Dauntless, King), and Laura Sportiello (she/her, ensemble, U/S Lady Larkin, Queen Aggravain).

The production team will include Mara Ishihara Zinky (she/her, Scenic Designer), Uriel Gómez (he/him, Costume Designer), Piper Kirchhofer (she/her, Lighting Designer), Rick Sims (he/him, Sound Designer), Rowan Doe (they/he, Props Designer), Evan Tyrone Martin (he/him, Asst. Director), J Alan (J/her, Asst. Choreographer), Nicholas Reinhart (he/him, Production Manager), Jayce Lewis (they/them, Stage Manager), Amy Rappa (Asst. Stage Manager), Macy Kloville (she/her, Audio Engineer), Christopher Pazdernik (any, Managing Director/Casting Director), and Fred Anzevino (he/him, Artistic Director).

A three-course dinner catered by Cross-Rhodes Catering of Evanston is available for $29 per person. Reservations and payment for dinner must be made by Saturday, March 12. Please call the box office at 773-939-4101, Wednesdays through Sundays from Noon to 5 pm, to reserve dinners and make payment.

Theo Ubique is requiring all audience members to be fully vaccinated from COVID-19 this season. Photo ID and proof of vaccination (photos or photocopies are acceptable) will be required at the door. Masks must be worn at all times except while actively eating and drinking.

Single tickets for ONCE UPON A MATTRESS are on sale now at www.theo-u.com. Prices are $35.00 for previews March 11-20, and $42.00- $54.00 for regular performances March 24-May 1. Optional three course prix fixe dinners are available for $29.00 per person, per show. Dinner reservations must be placed one week in advance of the desired performance date. 

Howard Street Theatre, 721 Howard St., Evanston

INCOMING: Circle Jerks Tour Dates and Zander Schloss of Circle Jerks Releases Debut Solo Album Song About Songs

  ChiIL Live Shows and New Release On Our Radar

Zander Schloss of Circle Jerks Shares “Dead Friend Letter” Music Video

On 40th Anniversary Tour with Circle Jerks

Here at ChiIL Live Shows we've dug the Circle Jerks for decades and were happy to see them playing Riot Fest in Chicago last fall. They're back out on tour again and shows are selling out fast. Still, even punks have a mellow side and we're thoroughly enjoying Zander Schloss's melodic new release too. Check it out!

Zander Schloss has released his long-awaited debut solo album Song About Songs via Blind Owl Records. The album marks the beginning of a new chapter for the longtime Circle Jerks bassist and known Joe Strummer collaborator, who calls the album his “polar opposite version of punk rock.”

Schloss has also shared the music video for the recent single “Dead Friend Letter” with Under The Radar saying, “‘Dead Letter Friend’ initially appears as one of the record’s sunnier arrangements, tinged with warm melodicism, pastoral harmonies, and a stark, intimate vocal style from Schloss. Yet, beneath the welcoming fingerpicking and gentle melodic lull, Schloss explores dark lyrical territory, tracing the outline of a man’s suicide letter and his final goodbyes. The resulting track is stark and simple, but hits like a startling gut-punch, painting a sincere and heart-rending character portrait.”

Stream/purchase Song About Songs HERE

Watch “Dead Friend Letter” Music Video HERE

The singles leading up to Song About Songs have been praised by many including BrooklynVegan who called “Dead Friend Letter,” “a lovely dose of early '70s style folk rock,” and Atwood Magazine who did a deep dive into “I Have Loved The Story Of My Life,” (which singer-songwriter Bedouine makes an appearance on) saying, “The song touches on themes of gratitude, on sentimentality, on magic, and on memories and paints such a vivid tale in both its lyrics and its video presentation. It details the life of one who’s lived so widely and experienced such a great deal.”

There was also plenty of excitement around the release of the title track which Northern Transmissions dubbed Song of the Day, and was further praised by Punktuation!, antiMusic, Ghettoblaster, and Blabbermouth among others. Schloss also recently appeared on Damian Abraham’s (of Fucked Up) podcast Turned Out A Punk.

The “I Have Loved The Story Of My Life” music video features uncanny marionettes of Schloss from the many different phases of his life, including his acting roles in numerous Alex Cox films, his time working with Joe Strummer, playing bass with the Circle Jerks and Weirdos, all leading up to present-day Zander Schloss. WATCH HERE

Schloss has an impressive résumé that includes his featured acting performance alongside Harry Dean Stanton and Emilio Estevez in Alex Cox’s 1984 cult classic feature Repo Man; work on the soundtracks for Cox’s later films Sid & Nancy, Straight to Hell, Walker; and Highway Patrolman. He is well known as touring musical director and guitarist for Joe Strummer of the Clash, with performances on Strummer’s first solo single “Trash City” and album Earthquake Weather. He also has appearances on record with Low & Sweet Orchestra, Magnificent Bastards, Thelonious Monster and in concert with the Weirdos. In 2021-22, he will be seen on stage during the Circle Jerks’ pandemic-delayed 40th anniversary tour.

But Song About Songs, which features the Los Angeles-based performer as singer, guitarist, and writer of nine striking original compositions, displays a revelatory new aspect of his work. It will surprise listeners accustomed to hearing Schloss in an aggressive hardcore format, but the St. Louis-born musician notes that his early musical inspirations came from a distinctly different realm.

As Veteran Los Angeles music journalist and critic Chris Morris writes in the album’s liner notes, “Played tenderly, with a striking intimacy, the subtle and affecting material on Song About Songs may well come as a surprise to listeners who know Zander Schloss only from three decades of bash-it-out work with the Circle Jerks and other punk units….Here, we get a long overdue look at a hitherto unheard side of his musical personality. It bears the thrill of discovery.”

Schloss is currently on the road with the Circle Jerks for their pandemic-delayed 40th anniversary tour. See full list of dates here: https://www.circlejerks.net/tour

 

Song About Songs tracklist

1. My Dear Blue

2. Not So Long Ago

3. Sin Of Wasting Time

4. Old Cliches & Diamond Rings

5. Dead Friend Letter

6. I Have Loved The Story Of My Life (featuring Bedouine)

7. The Road

8. Married To Sadness

9. Song About Songs 

Follow Zander Schloss: Facebook - Twitter - Instagram

credit: Geoff Moore

JERSEY BOYS will play Broadway In Chicago’s Cadillac Palace Theatre for a Limited Engagement May 3-8, 2022

 ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 

TONY, GRAMMY AND OLIVIER

AWARD-WINNING BEST MUSICAL 

JERSEY BOYS TICKETS NOW ON SALE

BROADWAY IN CHICAGO’S

CADILLAC PALACE THEATRE

MAY 3-8, 2022

ONE WEEK ONLY! 

I've reviewed JERSEY BOYS in 2012, 2015, and 2019 for Broadway in Chicago and it's always a fun show, packed with iconic hits. This is a good pick for multigenerational fun, appealing to and connecting grand and even great grand kids, and the generations in between with the tunes of their grandparents' youth. Oh what a night, indeed! Make some memories. 

JERSEY BOYS is the behind-the-music story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons.  They were just four guys from Jersey, until they sang their very first note. They had a sound nobody had ever heard… and the radio just couldn’t get enough of. But while their harmonies were perfect on stage, off stage it was a very different story – a story that has made them an international sensation all over again. The show features all their hits including “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Oh What A Night,” “Walk Like A Man,” “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” “Beggin’”and “Working My Way Back To You.”

Recipient of Broadway’s Tony, London’s Olivier and Australia’s Helpmann Awards for Best New Musical, JERSEY BOYS is the winner of 65 major awards and has been seen by over 27 million people worldwide (as of July 2021).

JERSEY BOYS opened in New York on November 6, 2005 and by the time it closed over 11 years later on January 15, 2017, it was the 12th longest running show in Broadway history, passing such original Broadway productions as 42nd Street, Grease, Fiddler on the Roof, and The Producers. JERSEY BOYS also ran a record-breaking nine years in London before closing in March 2017 as the sixth longest running musical in the West End.

JERSEY BOYS returned to New York with a new production in November 2017. JERSEY BOYS also returned to London with a new production in July 2021 at the newly renovated Trafalgar Theatre. JERSEY BOYS can also be seen on board the Norwegian Bliss. 

Directed by two-time Tony® Award winner Des McAnuff, JERSEY BOYS is written by Academy Award® winner Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, with music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe and choreography by Tony® Award winner Sergio Trujillo.

The JERSEY BOYS design and production team comprises Klara Zieglerova (Scenic Design), Jess Goldstein (Costume Design), Howell Binkley (winner of the 2006 Tony® Award for his Lighting Design of JERSEY BOYS), Steve Canyon Kennedy (Sound Design), Michael Clark (Projections Design), Charles LaPointe (Wig and Hair Design), Steve Orich (Orchestrations) and Ron Melrose (Music Supervision, Vocal/Dance Arrangements & Incidental Music).

JERSEY BOYS is produced by Dodger Theatricals, Joseph J. Grano, Tamara and Kevin Kinsella, Pelican Group, with Latitude Link, Rick Steiner, and NETworks Presentations.

The Original Broadway Cast Recording of JERSEY BOYS, produced by Bob Gaudio, was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. The cast recording is available on Rhino Records. JERSEY BOYS: The Story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons (Broadway Books) is the official handbook to the smash Broadway hit. Seasons Greetings: A JERSEY BOYS Christmas, a holiday CD featuring international cast members of JERSEY BOYS, produced by Bob Gaudio, is available on Rhino Records.

Visit the JERSEY BOYS website at www.JerseyBoysInfo.com.

 

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Tuesday, May 3 at 7:30PM

Wednesday, May 4 at 2:00PM & 7:30PM

Thursday, May 5 at 7:30PM

Friday, May 6 at 7:30PM

Saturday, May 7 at 2:00PM & 8:00PM

Sunday, May 8 at 2:00PM

TICKET INFORMATION

Individual tickets for JERSEY BOYS will go on-sale to the public on Friday, March 4, 2022 and range from $31.00 - $111.00 with a select number of premium tickets available. Tickets are available now for groups of 10 or more by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710 or emailing GroupSales@BroadwayInChicago.com. For more  information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO

Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 21 years has grown to be one of the largest commercial touring homes in the country. A Nederlander Presentation, Broadway In Chicago lights up the Chicago Theater District entertaining more than 1.7 million people annually in five theatres. Broadway In Chicago presents a full range of entertainment, including musicals and plays, on the stages of five of the finest theatres in Chicago’s Loop including the  Cadillac Palace Theatre, CIBC Theatre, James M. Nederlander Theatre, Auditorium Theatre, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway  Playhouse at Water Tower Place.

 

COVID-19  PROTOCOL

Our audiences are required to wear masks and show proof of vaccination. For details or further requirements visit broadwayinchicago.com/covid19.

 

For more information and tickets, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

Facebook @BroadwayInChicago ● Twitter @broadwaychicago ● Instagram @broadwayinchicago ● #broadwayinchicago

Barbara Gaines announces plans to step down as Artistic Director of Chicago Shakespeare Theater in 2023

Since founding the company in 1986, prolific director Gaines has paved the way for the Theater to become a world-class cultural institution with its three-theater campus on Navy Pier and wide-reaching artistic, educational, and community impact

Chicago Shakespeare Theater Artistic Director Barbara Gaines. Photo by Steve Leonard.

Thirty-six years after founding Chicago Shakespeare Theater and paving the way for the Tony Award-winning company to become one of the nation’s leading theaters, Barbara Gaines has announced her plan to step down as Artistic Director in 2023. The Theater’s Board of Directors will commence a comprehensive search process for new artistic leadership to carry Chicago Shakespeare into the future.

"Barbara Gaines has had an indelible impact on the global cultural landscape as the founder and Artistic Director of Chicago Shakespeare—her vision, passion, and tenacious spirit are unequaled," said Chicago Shakespeare Board of Directors Chair Mark S. Ouweleen. "Her audacious impulse to build a Shakespeare theater for Chicago has blossomed into a world-class theater that continues to raise the bar for artistry and service."

Barbara Gaines shared in a statement today: "As I write this note, it is with unending gratitude to all of you who have joined me in creating a theater that is—I believe—like no other and (as Ben Jonson said of Shakespeare) ‘not of an age, but for all time.’ 

Barbara Gaines with Executive Director Criss Henderson in Chicago Shakespeare’s Courtyard Theater. Photo by Steve Leonard.

After thirty-six joyous years, I’ve decided to step down as Artistic Director of Chicago Shakespeare in 2023. I feel it’s time now for the Theater to welcome new artistic leadership. Change can infuse a new and bold creative energy, as our work to imaginatively explore Shakespeare alongside other playwrights continues and evolves in new ways to meet our changing world.

When I founded the Theater in 1986, I hoped it would be a gift to the city of Chicago. Nineteen artists gathered on the rooftop of the Red Lion Pub in Lincoln Park in what would become the company’s inaugural production and spoke aloud the first words of Henry V: ‘O for a Muse of fire, that would ascend the brightest heaven of invention.’

Barbara Gaines in rehearsal for Troilus and Cressida in 1987. Pictured from left to right: Bruce A. Young, Jeanette Schwaba, Tim Gregory, and Kevin Gudahl. Photo courtesy of Chicago Shakespeare Theater.

It was that invention—that idea of what Chicago Shakespeare could become—which ignited incomparable creativity over the years and grew into an organization that is and will continue to be a beacon of light shining throughout our city. It’s a torch that brings together the talents of artists from Chicago and across the globe to our home on Navy Pier. My mission over these many years has been to fill the world with the humanity of Shakespeare—a writer who understands the immediacy of being human and gives us all the chance to delve into the mysteries of life. And that’s exactly what I believe we’ve been able to do together. I am immensely proud of all that we’ve done and deeply inspired by the thrilling possibilities ahead for Chicago Shakespeare in the decades to come. 

To be clear, this is far from goodbye…we still have much to accomplish together this year. Artistry will be filling our stages this spring, and we’ll be sharing our plans for the upcoming season soon. More than ever, our city needs art to fill people’s lives with hope, beauty, courage—and with radiant light. That has always been the personal human connection that feeds my soul. Here’s to the brightest future."

–Barbara Gaines, Artistic Director, Carl and Marilynn Thoma Chair

Barbara Gaines at the 1986 performance of Henry V on the rooftop of the Red Lion Pub, which would become Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s inaugural production. Photo courtesy of Chicago Shakespeare Theater.

With Gaines’ first production on the rooftop in 1986, Chicago Shakespeare was born. The fledging company took up residence at the Ruth Page Dance Center in 1987, and entered a period of rapid, exponential growth as Gaines joined forces with Executive Director Criss Henderson. With the Theater’s move to its flagship campus on Navy Pier in 1999, the company was established as the premier theater it is known as today. In addition to producing a year-round season, Chicago Shakespeare has served more than two million students and teachers through its nationally recognized arts-in-education programs and has engaged with Chicagoans citywide through creative community programs like the free Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks tour. 

Executive Director Criss Henderson said, "Barbara’s relentless enthusiasm for Shakespeare’s storytelling galvanized the city into rallying around this vision and this company in a way that is simply unprecedented. The opportunity to nurture and grow this organization together over the past three decades has been an honor—and I will be forever grateful for her partnership."

Hailed as a leading director of Shakespeare, Barbara Gaines, 75, is known for her distinctly populist approach to classic texts and for imbuing her work with clarity and depth of feeling for the human condition. Over three decades with Chicago Shakespeare, Gaines has directed sixty productions, including thirty-three Shakespeare titles and six world premieres. She is widely recognized for her ability to reexamine and reimagine the playwright’s lesser staged plays, including notable interpretations of Troilus and Cressida, Cymbeline, and King John, among others. As the cornerstone production of Shakespeare 400 Chicago, the 2016 international celebration of Shakespeare’s legacy, she created a world premiere history cycle, Tug of War—which featured six plays performed in two parts. The Guardian’s Michael Billington called it "a bold and magnificent venture…this is Shakespeare staged with a purpose, and further proof that his history plays speak to us more urgently than ever." Gaines has also prominently directed at the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-on-Avon (UK), Lyric Opera of Chicago, and The Old Globe in San Diego. 

The late Terry Teachout, esteemed The Wall Street Journal critic, wrote, "Barbara Gaines is, in the very best sense of the word, a populist, a true believer in the power of the classics to speak directly to contemporary audiences when staged with sharp immediacy and infectious gusto… She is also sure enough of her own talents to make room for equally talented colleagues, and it says much about her generous, enlightened artistic leadership. She is a great teacher whose classroom is the stage. Yet of all the lessons I’ve learned in the house that Barbara Gaines built, the one I treasure most was the very first one she taught me, which is that the great American theater doesn’t stop on the banks of the Hudson River. More and more, that’s where it starts."

Among her many honors and achievements are the 2008 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre; the prestigious Honorary OBE (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) in recognition of her contributions strengthening British-American cultural relations; the Chicago History Museum’s Making History Award recognizing extraordinary contributions to Chicago; and Joseph Jefferson Awards for Best Production (Hamlet, Cymbeline, King Lear, and The Comedy of Errors), and for Best Director (Cymbeline, King Lear, and The Comedy of Errors). She is prominently featured as one of twenty women in renowned artist Kerry James Marshall’s mural Rushmore at the Chicago Cultural Center. Gaines has also received an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of Birmingham (UK), the University Club of Chicago’s Cultural Award, and the Public Humanities Award from the Illinois Humanities Council. 

Board of Directors Chair Mark S. Ouweleen added, "Barbara’s legacy will live on as we bring in new artistic leadership to take us into the next act of the extraordinary story of Chicago Shakespeare."

Barbara Gaines Directing History at Chicago Shakespeare Theater:

Henry V (1986)

Troilus and Cressida (1987)

Antony and Cleopatra (1988)

The Tale of Cymbeline (1989)

Shakespeare's Greatest Hits (1989)

Shakespeare's Greatest Hits II (1991)

King John (1991)

Much Ado About Nothing (1991)

Pericles (1992)

King Lear (1993)

The Tale of Cymbeline (1993)

The Taming of the Shrew (1993)

Measure for Measure (1994)

The Winter's Tale (1994)

Troilus and Cressida (1995)

Othello (1995)

Richard III (1996)

Hamlet (1996)

The Merry Wives of Windsor (1997)

The Merchant of Venice (1997)

Henry V (1998)

Shakespeare's Greatest Hits (1998)

Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2 (1999)

Antony and Cleopatra (1999)

All's Well That Ends Well (2000)

King Lear (2001)

Richard II (2001)

The Tempest (2002)

Julius Caesar (2002)

King John (2004)

The Merry Wives of Windsor (2004)

Measure for Measure (2005)

The Merchant of Venice (2005)

Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2 (2005/2006)

at Chicago Shakespeare Theater and the Royal Shakespeare Company (UK)

Troilus and Cressida (2007)

The Tale of Cymbeline (2007)

The Comedy of Errors (2008)

Macbeth (2009)

Richard III (2009)

Elizabeth Rex (2011)

Timon of Athens (2012)

The School for Lies (2012)

Henry VIII (2013)

The Merry Wives of Windsor (2013)

King Lear (2014)

Sense and Sensibility (2015

at Chicago Shakespeare Theater and The Old Globe

Tug of War: Foreign Fire (2016

Edward III, Henry V, and Henry VI, Part 1

Tug of War: Civil Strife (2016)

Henry VI, Parts 2 and 3, and Richard III

The Book of Joseph (2017)

The Taming of the Shrew (2017)

Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks: 

A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2018)

Hamlet (2019)

Romeo and Juliet (2019)

Emma (2020)

Twelfth Night (2021)

Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Courtyard Theater. Photo by James Steinkamp.

ABOUT CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER

The Regional Tony Award-winning theater produces a bold and innovative year-round season—featuring plays, musicals, world premieres, family productions, and theatrical presentations from around the globe—alongside education programming for students, teachers, and lifelong learners, and creative community engagement with artists and neighbors across the city.

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Barbara Gaines and Executive Director Criss Henderson, the Theater has evolved and expanded to present as many as twenty productions and 650 performances annually and has been honored with numerous national and international awards. Chicago Shakespeare is the city’s leading presenter of international work and has toured its own productions to five continents. It is dedicated to welcoming the next generation of theatergoers; one in four audience members is under the age of eighteen.

Recognized as a national leader by First Lady Michelle Obama in a 2014 White House ceremony, the Theater’s arts-in-literacy programs support the work in classrooms across the region by bringing words to life onstage for tens of thousands of students each year and through a variety of professional learning opportunities for teachers. The Theater’s free Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks program has fostered creative community engagement with artists across the city for more than a decade.

Located on Chicago’s iconic Navy Pier, Chicago Shakespeare’s campus features the Jentes Family Courtyard Theater, The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare, and the Thoma Theater Upstairs. Onstage, in classrooms and neighborhoods across the city, and in venues around the world, Chicago Shakespeare is a multifaceted cultural hub—inviting audiences, artists, and community members to share powerful stories that connect and inspire us.

Learn more about the Theater’s productions and programming at www.chicagoshakes.com. 

Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier. Photo by Abel Arciniega.

REVIEW: North American Premiere of SOLARIS Via Griffin Theatre Company Through March 27, 2022 at Raven Theatre

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar  

North American Premiere!

Griffin Theatre Company Announces

SOLARIS

By David Greig

Adapted from the novel by Stanisław Lem

Directed by Scott Weinstein

February 19 – March 27, 2022 at Raven Theatre

REVIEW:

By Bonnie Kenaz-Mara

Imagine an austere space station on a remote outpost, with clever sliding doors and airlocks, a small crew, and a huge problem with uninvited entities. Outside the ship, psychedelic swirls and intricate illusions form on a vast ocean. Inside, the scientists struggle with dueling desires to study the alien phenomenon and protect themselves from a potential malevolent threat. Video journals from a dead team member and an unspeaking, unsmiling child that manifests out of thin air add to the mystery. These intrepid travelers bring the audience along on quite the psychological trip with the North American premiere of SOLARIS. 

(left to right) Alexandrya Salazar, Isa Arciniegas and Larry Baldacci in Griffin Theatre Company’s North American premiere of Solaris. All photos by Michael Brosilow.

When I first read the description I was a bit leery that it would be the old space trope of man versus life threatening challenges and human stupidity.  My husband and I call these the "Lack of Oxygen Channel" movies and I detest the genre. Solaris is not that show. It's something much darker and more disturbing, as the women on board battle longing and loss, and some are willing to pay the ultimate price to inhabit a blissful illusion just a bit longer. 

The Solaris cast is superb, with strong performances across the board, and compelling rapport that's a joy to see. All the elements combine to make this stellar production unique and fascinating. Special shout out to Joe Schermoly*(scenic design) and Izumi Inaba (costume design) for going above and beyond.  

(left to right) Isa Arciniegas and John Drea

As the real world is still reeling from over 2 years of pandemic losses and lockdowns, this play's themes of isolation, interconnection, memory, and codependency really resonate. Solaris is recommended. 

Bonnie is a Chicago based writer, theater critic, photographer, videographer, actress, artist and Mama. She owns two websites where she publishes frequently: ChiILLiveShows.com (adult) & ChiILMama.com (family friendly). 

(left to right) John Drea and Larry Baldacci

Griffin Theatre Company is pleased to welcome back live audiences this winter with the North American premiere of David Greig’s sci-fi thriller Solaris, adapted from the novel by Stanisław Lem and directed by Scott Weinstein*, playing February 19 – March 27, 2022 on Raven Theatre’s Schwartz Stage, 6157 N. Clark St. in Chicago. Tickets on sale  at www.griffintheatre.com or by calling (773) 338-2177. 

Please note: Raven Theatre currently requires proof of vaccination and masking at all performances. Protocols are subject to change closer to the date of the event. For all of Raven’s current COVID-19 and vaccination information, visit raventheatre.com/covid-19.

 

The cast includes Isa Arciniegas*, Larry Baldacci*, John Drea, Nicole Laurenzi* and TJ Thomas.

On a space station in the far reaches of the galaxy, a small group of scientists study the isolated ocean planet of Solaris. Sent from earth to investigate reports of abnormal activity on-board, a new scientist arrives to find one crew member dead and two who are seeing things that cannot be explained. Has the prolonged isolation in space caused those on board to hallucinate? Or is it something else? A vivid exploration of loneliness, isolation and how we deal with loss, this science fiction thriller asks if we can truly understand the universe without first understanding what lies within our hearts. 

Lem’s novel has been adapted numerous times for film, radio and theater. Prominent film adaptations include Andrei Tarkovsky's 1972 version and Steven Soderbergh's 2002 version.

Solaris received its world premiere in 2019 at the Malthouse Theatre, in Melbourne, Australia in a co-production with the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh. Following the run at the Malthouse Theatre the play was transferred to the Royal Lyceum Theatre and then to the Lyric Hammersmith in London, England. 

The production team includes Joe Schermoly* (scenic design), Izumi Inaba (costume design), Brandon Wardell+ (lighting design), Eric Backus (sound design), Ivy Treccani (properties design), Yeaji Kim (projection/video design), Courtney Abbott (intimacy director), Jonathan Mayo (production manager), Evan Sposato (technical director) and Sara Beaman (stage manager).

*Denotes Griffin Theatre ensemble member   +Denotes Griffin Theatre artistic associate

(left to right) Isa Arciniegas and John Drea 

PRODUCTION DETAILS:

Cast (in alphabetical order): The cast includes Isa Arciniegas* (Kelvin), Larry Baldacci* (Gibarian), John Drea (Ray), Nicole Laurenzi* (Sartorius) and TJ Thomas (Snow).

Location: Raven Theatre’s Schwartz Stage, 6157 N. Clark St., Chicago

Dates: Previews: Saturday, February 19 at 7:30 pm, Sunday, February 20 at 3 pm, Thursday, February 24 at 7:30 pm, Friday, February 25 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, February 26 at 7:30 pm.

Regular run: Thursday, March 3 – Saturday, March 27, 2022

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

Tickets: Previews $30. Regular run $40. Students/active military and veterans $15. Group discounts are available for groups of ten or more. Tickets go on Thursday, January 27 at www.griffintheatre.com or by calling (773) 338-2177.

(left to right) TJ Thomas and John Drea

(left to right) Nicole Laurenzi, TJ Thomas and Isa Arciniegas

David Greig (Playwright, Adapter) is a multi-award-winning playwright who became the Artistic Director of the Royal Lyceum Edinburgh in 2015. David’s most notable plays include The Events, The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart, Midsummer, Dunsinane and Europe. More recently, David’s new stage adaptation of Solaris, based on Stanislaw Lem’s 1961 soviet science fiction novel, was co-produced by The Lyceum, Malthouse Theatre in Melbourne Australia and The Lyric Hammersmith. In 2019, David teamed up with original creators Bill Forsyth and Mark Knopfler to adapt the international hit film Local Hero for the stage, which premiered in Edinburgh. David’s new stage adaptation of Joe Simpson's best-selling 1988 memoir Touching the Void, which was co-produced by The Lyceum and Bristol Old Vic, enjoyed a run at The Duke of York in London’s West End in 2019/20. His other adaptations include Strindberg’s Creditors (2018) and Aeschylus’ The Suppliant Women (2016) and The Lorax (2015). David wrote the book for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which opened in the West End in 2013 and then transferred to Broadway in 2017. 

Stanisław Lem (Author, 1921-2006) was a Polish writer of speculative fiction and essays on various subjects, including philosophy, futurology and literary criticism. Many of his science fiction stories are of satirical and humorous character. Lem's books have been translated into over 50 languages and have sold over 45 million copies. His best-known novel “Solaris” (1961) has been made into a feature film three times. Lem's works explore philosophical themes through speculations on technology, the nature of intelligence, the impossibility of communication with and understanding of alien intelligence, despair about human limitations and humanity's place in the Universe. His essays and philosophical books cover these and many other topics and his works such as “The Cyberiad,” “His Master’s Voice” and “The Star Diaries” have entered the canon of world literature. Translating his works is difficult due to Lem's elaborate neologisms and idiomatic wordplay. The Polish Parliament declared 2021 Stanisław Lem Year.

Scott Weinstein (Director) is an award-winning director and writer based in New York City. His work as a director has been seen at major regional theaters around the country and he recently won the Joseph Jefferson award for his actor-musician, chamber style re-conception of Ragtime with Griffin Theatre, where he is an ensemble member. Other favorite credits include Titanic (Griffin); Something Rotten, Murder For Two (Marriott Theatre), South Pacific (The Rev Theatre), She Kills Monsters (Steppenwolf/Buzz22 Chicago), Sex With Strangers (Cardinal Stage) and Rock of Ages (Pittsburgh CLO). Scott was the Associate and Resident Director for the Broadway National Tour, Las Vegas and Chicago productions of the hit musical Million Dollar Quartet and recently developed and directed the world premiere/first national tour of Million Dollar Quartet Christmas. He has developed new work at the Rhinebeck Writers Retreat, Pittsburgh CLO, The American Music Theatre Project, The Marriott Theatre, Route 66 Theatre, The Rev, Norwegian Creative Studios and others. Graduate of Northwestern University and proud member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. He is represented by William Morris Endeavor. www.ScottGWeinstein.com

The Griffin Theatre Company is a Blue Star Theater and is proud to support our military enlisted and veterans. 

 

About Griffin Theatre Company 

Established in 1988. the mission of the Griffin Theatre Company is to create extraordinary and meaningful theatrical experiences for both children and adults by building bridges of understanding between generations that instill in its audience an appreciation of the performing arts. Through artistic collaboration the Griffin Theatre Company produces literary adaptations, original work and classic plays that challenge and inspire, with wit, style and compassion for the audience.

The Griffin Theatre Company is the recipient of 125 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations for theater excellence in Chicago. The Griffin was honored with four 2018 Jeff awards for Ragtime including Best Ensemble, Best Musical, Best Director-Musical and Best Performer in a Supporting Role-Musical. Additionally, the company was the repeat winner of the 2016 Jeff Award for Best Production of a Play for London Wall having won the same award in 2015 for its production of Men Should Weep.

The Griffin Theatre Company is partially supported by the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, The Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, The MacArthur Funds for Culture, Equity, and the Arts at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation and the American Rescue Plan.

For additional information, visit www.griffintheatre.com.

(left to right) Nicole Laurenzi, Isa Arciniegas and TJ Thomas in Griffin Theatre Company’s North American premiere of Solaris. Photo by Michael Brosilow.