Archive for August, 2009
Wednesday wordplay
Quotations I Like
Use what talents you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best.
— Henry Van Dyke
When love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece.
— John Ruskin
Those who don’t know how to weep with their whole heart, don’t know how to laugh either.
— Golda Meir
A little drama wins more friends than boring.
— Scott Westerfeld, Midnighters: The Secret Hour, 2004
“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” – museum scene. (R.I.P. John Hughes)
In loving memory of John Hughes (1950-2009): your movies were an important part of my teen years (whether for good or bad). In loving memory, here’s:
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off – Art Institute Museum Scene – Dream Academy. the music is entitled "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want"
Provision Theater announces new home and new season
It’s always great news when you hear that a theatre company has found a place of their own: a home, which in turn creates a place which better nurtures a company’s creative process. So it’s wonderful to hear that Provision Theater Company will produce their 2009-10 season in their brand new home, located at 1001 W. Roosevelt Road.
To celebrate the space, the theater company will host a gala reception on Saturday, September 12; a date that also marks the official opening of their season with a bigger and bolder version of one of Provision’s all time smash hit productions, Harry Chapin’s Cotton Patch Gospel, running September 10 through November 8. Following will be a new take on William Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew from January 27 through March 7, starring Tim Gregory and Susan Moniz.
Rounding out the season will be a World Premiere production of The Hiding Place, based on the autobiography of Corrie ten Boom and written by Artistic Director Tim Gregory. The show will run from April 7 through May 23. The story tells the inspiring tale of Holocaust survivor Corrie ten Boom. With the World War II invasion of Holland , the ten Boom family joined the underground resistance to help save Jewish families. Their lives were turned upside down when they were arrested and imprisoned in concentration camps themselves. The play tells the dramatic tale of survival and hope as the ten Boom family is left with nothing to cling to but their faith.
The performance schedule for the season is as follows: Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. ($28) and Sundays at 3 p.m. ($25). Select Wednesday and Thursday preview performances will be held at 8 p.m. ($22). Ticket prices include free parking. Groups of 10 or more are 10% off. For reservations, phone 866.811.4111. You may also visit www.provisiontheater.org.
Provision Theater Company is devoted to producing works of hope, reconciliation and redemption; works that challenge us to explore a life of meaning and purpose.
Sunday Night Sondheim: Cleo Laine sings “I Remember”
Okay, this is a very, VERY odd set – can’t even fathom what it’s supposed to represent. But nonetheless, I do really love this song: “I Remember Sky” from Stephen Sondheim’s Evening Primrose. And it’s always wonderful to see/hear Cleo Laine perform.
“Sodomites” extended thru September 11th
Fridays at 8:00, $15
"Sodomites! A Musical of Biblical Proportions,"
currently playing on Fridays has been extended through September 11.
Recommended by The Reader and Newcity and this blog (3.5 stars!), From Paige Listerud’s rave review:
The final act wherein Lot has sex with his daughters returns us to the ribaldry for which Annoyance is famous. It’s a telling moment when the angel Michael reassures Lot that, not to worry, the whole incident will be left out of the Koran. Nice to know that someone will do damage control, once the damage is all well and done.
Much praise goes to the well-coordinated cast, whose enthusiasm and energy are unflagging. Biblical madness should be paired sardonic revelry and earnest mania. It may be the only way for the human race to survive.
2009-2010 Season: TUTA Theatre Chicago
TUTA Theatre’s 2009-2010 Theatre Season
In this, their eighth season in the city of Chicago, TUTA Theatre will be presenting two rarely seen and early works of German playwright Bertolt Brecht, the comedic play The Wedding, and a world premiere adaptation, developed by TUTA, based on the play Baal.
The Wedding, by Bertolt Brecht
(January 14 – February 14, 2010)
| TUTA opens the season with Brecht’s 1919 Bavarian folk comedy The Wedding, directed by Artistic Director Zeljko Djukic and featuring original music by Jesse Terrill. When nine middle class self-important guests converge on a young bride and groom’s apartment, each one slowly unravels the horrors of living a pretentious life. As the guests’ uptight facades collapse, a slapstick adventure full of extremely truthful physical and verbal humor is unleashed. Featuring live original music performed by the cast, The Wedding takes you through early Germany just after the fall of the Hapsburg Empire and in the face of rising Nazism on their borders. |
The Wedding will run January 14 – February 14, 2010, at Chopin Theatre Studio, 1543 W. Division. For Tickets: 847-217-0691 or http://www.facebook.com/l/;www.tutato.com.
(Adaption based on) Baal, by Bertolt Brecht
(May 20 – June 20, 2010)
In May, TUTA will present the World premiere of a new adaptation loosely based on Brecht’s Baal, directed by Zeljko Djukic, with music by Josh Schmidt (Adding Machine – A Musical) and libretto/book by Ugljesa Sajtinac (author of the critically acclaimed play Huddersfield).
| With this production, TUTA strives to musically enlighten the play of young Brecht known for its inaugural form and risky themes of stardom and power. A fusion of serious drama and music, this premiere will have a strong emphasis on the musicality of the words, saturating them with rhythm, harmony, sound and structures. Developed through company workshops, this collaboration brings forward an original score, full of surprises and frequent shifts in perspective that explore the value of the politically charged subject of arts in times of economic crisis. |
Baal will run May 20 – June 20, 2010 at Chopin Theatre Studio. (Tickets here.)
When speaking about the season, Artistic Director Zeljko Djukic says,
“In Near Eastern mythology, Baal is a God of rainfall and fertility. In Weimar Germany, Baal was a subversive announcement of the approaching gallop of Nazism. For us today, he is a trickier figure. Like anything that has had social subversive appeal, the character of a drunken, nihilistic poet-musician, has repeatedly been sterilized with the commercialism of popular culture: the Vietnam War protests and Jim Morrison; the Civil rights movement and Bob Dylan. Most aesthetic monstrosities end up in safe hands. They sell. Perhaps theatre can bring a glimpse of the original danger?”
Strawdog Theatre announces new artistic staff and ensemble members
As part of their ongoing celebration of 22 years(!) in Chicago theatre, Strawdog Theatre Company proudly announces the hiring of new Managing Director Hank Boland, new General Manager Cortney Hurley, the addition of four new ensemble members: Amy Dunlap, Paul Fagen, Mike Przygoda and Justine C. Turner and the appointment of Matt Hawkins as Strawdog Artistic Associate and Resident Director.
Hank Boland replaces Alex J. Goodman as Managing Director of Strawdog Theatre Company. Boland’s work with Strawdog Theatre Company includes writing Season Seventeen’s epic musical The True Ballad of Fall’s Blessings, directed by Strawdog’s Artistic Director Nic Dimond and written in collaboration with Strawdog Theatre Company. In 2006, Dimond asked Boland to develop a writing initiative for Strawdog Ensemble Members. Billed the The Hit Factory, this program regularly schedules late night events and graduations to showcase new work. The Hit Factory now also offers tuition based classes to the public, please see our website for more information. The Hit Factory is committed to creating new works, and strengthening the working relationships between Strawdog Theatre Company and other members of the Chicago theatre community. Boland holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Film from Columbia College in Chicago where he is an adjunct faculty member in the screenwriting department.
Cortney Hurley, Strawdog’s Production Manager since 2006, has been promoted to General Manager, overseeing Strawdog’s growing theatrical complex located at
Strawdog Theatre Company is now home to a 70-seat mainstage theatre, 40-seat Hugen Hall cabaret space complete with bar and liquor license and 400 square foot rehearsal space called Nowhere Mountain.
Strawdog Theatre Company is also pleased to announce the addition of four new ensemble members: Amy Dunlap has appeared on the Strawdog stage in Cherry Orchard, Marathon ‘33 and the Strawdog Radio Theatre Series. Dunlap graduated from Boston University’s College of Fine Arts and has been seen in productions at several Chicago theatres including 16th Street Theater, Lifeline Theatre, Factory Theatre, Chicago Dramatists, Adventure Stage Chicago and Estrogen Fest.
Paul Fagen was last seen as Father Toulon in Strawdog’s critically-acclaimed production of Red Noses. Originally from Annapolis, MD, Fagen has also acted in productions at The House Theatre of Chicago, Speaking Ring Theater and Quest Theatre Ensemble.
Mike Przygoda was most recently the Musical Director and Arranger for Strawdog’s Red Noses. Przygoda holds a BFA in music composition from Columbia College Chicago. He has worked on numerous shows in Chicago both as a composer and as a performing musician for companies such as The House Theatre of Chicago (Valentine Victorious, Ellen Under Glass, The Boy Detective Fails, Hatfield & McCoy, The Sparrow, The Magnificents, The Nutcracker, The Rose & Rime), American Theatre Company (Oklahoma!), The Hypocrites (Camille/La Traviata), Trapdoor (AmeriKafka), Next Theatre (The Busy World Is Hushed, 365 Days/Plays), The Neo-Futurists (Beer) and has written music for Serendipity Theatre Collective‘s Second Story. He served as a musical director for the Second City Touring Company.
Justine C. Turner joins the Strawdog Ensemble after appearing in Red Noses. Originally from Oak Park, IL and a graduate of Columbia College, Turner was most recently seen in the remount of Rivendell Theatre’s These Shining Lives at Theatre on the Lake and appeared in Ren Faire last summer at The Factory Theatre.
Director of Strawdog’s smash, sold-out production of Red Noses Matt Hawkins joins Artistic Associates Kimberly Senior and Shade Murray in their growing ensemble of Resident Directors. Hawkins previously directed Hatfield & McCoy for The House Theatre of Chicago, On My Parents Hundredth Wedding Anniversary for the side project and will direct Cabaret for The Hypocrites next spring.
Strawdog’s staff includes Artistic Director Nic Dimond, Managing Director Hank Boland and General Manager Cortney Hurley. The complete Strawdog ensemble includes Jennifer Avery, Hank Boland, Abigail Boucher, Don Cardiff, Erin Carlson, Michael Dailey, Anita Deely, Amy Dunlap, Paul Fagen, John Ferrick, Mikhail Fiksel, Aly Renee Greaves, Carmine Grisolia, Christopher Hainsworth, Kyle Hamman, Erik Hellman, Tom Hickey, Shannon Hoag, Anderson Lawfer, Sean Mallary, Kat McDonnell, Gregor Mortis, Stacy Parker Hirsch, Michaela Petro, Mike Przygoda, John Henry Roberts, Justine C. Turner, Jamie Vann and James Anthony Zoccoli.
Map to Strawdog Theatre:
Emerald City offers an encore run of “If You Take A Mouse To School”
Emerald City Theatre Presents
An Encore Presentation of
August 6 – September 27
Emerald City Theatre is celebrating the "Back to School" season with an encore presentation of If You Take a Mouse to School, last season’s wildly popular world premiere adaptation based on Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond‘s national bestseller.
INFO: Performing August 6 – September 27 at the Apollo Theater, 2540 N. Lincoln Avenue, this play is best suited for families with children ages 3 to 6.
Tickets are $15 (adults), and $12 (kids). For tickets and further information, call the Apollo Theater box office at (773) 935-6100 or visit emeraldcitytheatre.com.
SYNOPSIS: In a rollicking romp, Numeroff and Bond send the energetic, exuberant star of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and If You Take a Mouse to the Movies (and his boy sidekick) into the classroom. Once at school, the mercurial mouse happily bounds from one activity to the next: he spells "a word or two" on the blackboard, conducts a science experiment, builds "a little mouse house" out of blocks, and fashions furniture for it with clay. Realizing he needs something on his new bookshelf, the ambitious critter collects paper and pencils and creates his own book, which he then wants to take home, in "your" lunch box. As animated as the whiskered student it depicts, Bond’s art lives up to expectation, featuring her customary crisp colors and kid-pleasing details. Its school setting, tried-and-true tone and popular protagonist mark this title as a winner."
PERSONNEL: If You Take a Mouse to School is directed by Ernie Nolan (Associate Artistic Director). Cast members include Matt Olson (Boy), Joe Goldammer (Mouse), and Sam Nicodemus (Various Women). Designers are Katie Schweiger (Scenic), Nathan Rohrer (Costumes), Patrick King (Lighting), Joe Court (Sound), Tara Morton (Puppets/Props), Joshua Lansing (Technical Director) and Scott Deter (Stage Manager).
Senate confirms Broadway producer as next NEA chair
This afternoon, the U.S. Senate confirmed Broadway producer Rocco Landesman to serve as the next National Endowment for the Arts chair and former Congressman Jim Leach to serve as National Endowment for the Humanities chair. Both are expected to begin work next week. Americans for the Arts President and CEO Robert L. Lynch issued the following statement:
"Today’s Senate confirmation of Rocco Landesman and Congressman Jim Leach marks a moment of great opportunity for our nation’s cultural agencies. Landesman embarks as Chair of the nation’s arts agency with a robust agenda, an upward trajectory of funding, broad Congressional approval, and a White House committed to attracting national attention to the value of the arts and integrating them into broader domestic policies."
Upon his nomination, Mr. Landesman said, "I am honored to receive the Senate’s vote of confirmation. I look forward to serving the nation as Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. I believe this is an auspicious time for the NEA and the country. Art is essential to the civic, economic, and cultural vitality of our nation. It reflects who we are and what we stand for — freedom of expression, imagination, and vision. I am eager to work with our many partners to bring quality arts programs to neighborhoods and communities across the country."
Congress has now recessed for August. When they return after Labor Day, the House and Senate will resume work on finishing the appropriations process for FY 2010. Currently, the House has approved NEA funding at $170 million but must await the Senate’s completion of their bill, which the Appropriations Committee set at only $161.3 million. While both of these funding levels represent increases above its current budget, these bills will need to be reconciled and a final compromise bill signed into law by President Obama this fall.
Interesting Chicago-related comments in Robin Pogrebin’s NY times interview with Landesman:
While Dana Gioia, his immediate predecessor, made a point of spreading endowment funds to every Congressional district, for example, Mr. Landesman said he expected to focus on financing the best art, regardless of location.
“I don’t know if there’s a theater in Peoria, but I would bet that it’s not as good as Steppenwolf or the Goodman,” he said, referring to two of Chicago’s most prominent theater companies. “There is going to be some push-back from me about democratizing arts grants to the point where you really have to answer some questions about artistic merit.”
“And frankly,” he added, “there are some institutions on the precipice that should go over it. We might be overbuilt in some cases.”
And regarding the Arts role in the country’s economics health:
Mr. Landesman said that as chairman he will focus on the potential of the arts to help in the country’s economic recovery.
“I wouldn’t have come to the N.E.A. if it was just about padding around in the agency,” he said, and worrying about which nonprofits deserve more funds. “We need to have a seat at the big table with the grown-ups. Art should be part of the plans to come out of this recession.”
………“When you bring artists into a town, it changes the character, attracts economic development, makes it more attractive to live in and renews the economics of that town,” he said. “There are ways to draw artists into the center of things that will attract other people.”
Read the entire NY Times interview here.
‘Cavalia” extends thru August 23rd
Last Chance to see Cavalia in Chicago
The summer equestrian smash, Cavalia, will now conclude its Chicago engagement on August 23.
With more than 45,000 tickets sold to date, the next few week are the last chance Chicagoans will have to spend an evening or afternoon with the two-and four-legged stars of Cavalia. The equestrian odyssey has extended its run in Chicago ’s West Loop for the final time through Sunday, August 23. The production, which made its Chicago debut Tuesday, July 14, is presented under its towering White Big Top, which is pitched at Racine and Jackson in Chicago’s West Loop. After Chicago, Cavalia and its village will be returning to the Washington DC area where the show will open in September.
About Cavalia
This multimedia extravaganza brings together more than 100 two-and four-legged artists in a visually exquisite, inspiring and poetic multi-disciplinary spectacular that pushes the boundaries of what is possible between humans and horses. The mix of horses, acrobats, aerialists, dancers, riders and musicians transports spectators to dream-like settings while celebrating the timeless bond between horses and humans.
Normand Latourelle, founder and artistic director of Cavalia, is the visionary behind the show. Through Latourelle’s passionate vision, Cavalia revolutionizes equestrian and performing arts. Latourelle has become renowned for adventurous, mammoth and innovative productions that transport spectators to new realms of imagination.
Cavalia is a show unlike any other, a lavish orchestration blending multimedia theatrical spectacle with equestrian and performing arts. Acrobats, aerialists, dancers, musicians and riders are showcased on an enormous, 160-foot-wide stage; a space so expansive that it allows the horses sufficient space to gallop and cavort, at times completely unbridled. Recognized for their expertise in the realm of multimedia, Cavalia’s creators have used cutting-edge technology to create dream-like fantasy world. Large, panoramic images are projected on to a 210-foot-wide curved screen, while stunning special and lighting effects illuminate the action on the stage and in the air. Original live music and vocals accompany this feast for the senses.
Cavalia is presented under North America ’s largest touring tent, a pristine white structure rising some 100 feet above the ground and spanning more than 26,264 square feet. The stage alone is the equivalent to the width of a regulation NFL football field.
Juxtaposed with the vibrancy of the lavish production is a subtle thematic line that tells the story of the evolution of horses and their bond with human beings, beginning with their unbridled life in the wilderness, to early domestication and ultimately to a rapport with people based on mutual respect.
Featured in Cavalia are 13 different breeds of horses, including Arabians, Spanish Pure Breeds, Lusitanos, Quarter Horses, Appaloosas and Paint horses from France, Canada, Spain and the United States. The featured artists represent talented individuals from such nations as the United States Australia, Belgium , Canada , France , Kyrgyzstan , Mexico , Morocco , Portugal , and Russia .
TICKETS
Tickets are priced from $50.50 – $108.50. Special pricing is available for children and seniors. In addition, special packages including an exclusive visit to the Cavalia stables and other amenities are also available. Prices do not include service fees. For more information, a detailed list of show dates and reservations, call 1-866-999-8111 or visit www.cavalia.net.
Performance schedule after the fold:
Review: Point of Contention’s “The Wonder: A Woman Keeps a Secret”
Hilarity Truly Ensues in Point of Contention’s
“The Wonder: a Woman Keeps a Secret”
Point of Contention Theatre presents:
The Wonder: A Woman Keeps A Secret
by Susanna Centlivre
Directed by Margo Gray
Running thru August 26th (buy tickets)
Location: BoHo Theatre at Heartland Studio (map)
Review by Paige Listerud
This is what Chicago’s theater scene is all about: around a corner, in a little space one could easily pass by, a small theater company is doing great things. Director Margo Gray has assembled a lively and gifted cast for Point of Contention’s production of The Wonder: a Woman Keeps a Secret. This 18th century play by Susanna Centlivre, considered second only to Aphra Behn in her time, receives light and fast modern flare, while staying true to its ribald, audacious, and feminist origins. Step into that little black box–an evening of 295 year-old fun awaits you.
Set in colonial Brazil, the clever and virtuous Violante (Megan Faye Schutt) hides the daring Isabella (Lisa Siciliano) who has escaped from her father, Don Lopez (Jeff McLane), to keep from being married against her will for money and station. Trouble is, Violante is also in love with Isabella’s brother, Don Felix (Jason Nykiel). Every attempt to keep Isabella’s secret and help her on to true love puts Violante’s relationship with Don Felix in jeopardy. Her intrigues on Isabella’s behalf spark Don Felix’s suspicions, manly pride, and jealousy, and could ruin her own chances at happiness.
Of course, even given all the intrigues and mishaps between principle players, the bawdiest comedy comes from the servants; each player cast in these roles invests them with vigor, relish, and imagination. Ready for a three-way? Don Felix’s servant Lissardo (Justin Warren) certainly is–and attempts to negotiate between his dalliances with Isabella’s maid, Inis (Morgan Manasa) and Voilante’s maid, Flora (Hayley L. Rice). Warren skillfully wrings laughs out of every situation. Of course, he’s lucky; he has lines like, “Methinks I have a hankering kindness after the slut.” Drunken carousing with the Scotsman Gibby (Eric S. Prahl), servant to smooth Colonel Britton (Sean Patrick Ward), is a surefire way to pass the time while the girls’ tempers cool down.
Jeff McLane’s anxiety-ridden and compulsive Don Lopez is nothing short of hilarious. Point of Contention may want to put a ball and chain on him to keep him from getting away. Morgan Manasa does quadruple duty bringing bright, distinctive comic turns to each role she plays. Rice’s Flora is the perfect hearty, buxom foil to Schutt’s vivacious, intelligent Violante. The feminist moments of the play are enjoyable because the expressions of loyalty and boldness between women occur naturally within the context of the women’s choices.
As for the guys, where did POC find these smart, good-looking men—I mean, actors? Seriously, it’s impressive to see a work like this taken on and cast so evenly. Brett Lee’s Frederick is such a solidly good guy that one’s heart breaks in the end when he’s the only character who isn’t hooked up with anyone. Is it too late for a rewrite?
One soft spot remains, which could be worked out in the course of the run. In the second act, a relatively long scene between the two principle lovers, Don Lopez and Violante, shifts from romantic quarrel to reconciliation to comedic free-for-all over Felix’s reawakened suspicions. Schutt and Nykiel have not quite mastered the transitions between romantic moment and farce, which would be an essential skill for any 18th-century leading comic actor.
Special nods go to set design (Amanda Bobbitt and Allyson Baisden), lighting design (Brandon Boler), and costumes (Carrie Harden). This company follows the principle of doing a lot with a little. The ability to suggest colonial Brazil with precise touches and avoid drowning the cast in stuffy frippery must be commended.
