Category: Think Fast
Chicago Theater tidbits: Batsheva Dance Company, Village Players, "Don’t Dress for Dinner"
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A post-performance chat with Batsheva Dance Company Artistic Director Ohad Naharin will be held immediately following the Feb. 7 (opening night) performance at the Auditorium Theatre. Dance critic Lucia Mauro will moderate. Returning to Chicago for the first time in 15 years, Batsheva Dance Company of Israel will present Naharin’s signature work “Deca Dance”. The renowned company will perform for 2 evenings only, Feb 7th and 8th. Tickets: thru Ticketmaster or calling 312.902.1500. (See pics above) |
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Don’t worry, although I have my YouTube series “Sunday Night Sondheim”, I won’t add “Monday Morning Pope“. |
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The world-premier musical “Far From Freud”, presented by Oak Park’s Village Players, has added one final performance – Friday, January 30th at 8pm. “Far From Freud” is written by Phil Riegle and directed by Christopher Pazdernik. [Listen to one of the show's songs "How It's Gonna Be" by clicking here.] |
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On this day in history (January 27th): In 1885 stage and screen composer Jerome Kern was born in New York. And it just so happens that another composer was also born on the 27th: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, born in Salzburg in 1756. |
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Darren Pettie will join the cast of British Stage Company’s screwball comedy “Don’t Dress for Dinner“, by Marc Camoletti and directed by John Tilling. Other members of the ensemble include Mark Harelik (Light In The Piazza) and Patricia Kalember of “thirtysomething” and “Sisters“. Running through February at The Royal George, more info can be found at the show’s website. |
Video Clip from ‘Don’t Dress for Dinner’
Chicago theater tidbits: Tom O’Horgan, Tuta Theatre, Rachel Rockwell, Oleg Bogaev
Sheldon Patinkin, chair and collegue at the Columbia College Theater Department reminisces about about the late Tom O’Horgan, director of the original Broadway production of Hair. Sheldon Patinkin, worked with O’Horgan in the Playwrights Theatre Club in Chicago. Read the article at the Chicago Reader’s Onstage blog.
Picture: Tom O’Horgan
Extended: Marriott‘s “Theatre for Young People” has extended their present production, Aladdin, through August 19th. Directed and choreographed by Rachel Rockwell, Aladdin features music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, with the book adapted by Jim Luigs. For show dates/times, go to Marriott’s website.
Tuta Theatre hosts Reading of Oleg Bogav’s “Russian National Postal Service”
At 12 noon, Saturday, January 24th, TUTA headquarters are getting a whole lot more interesting. To help celebrate TUTA’s Chicago premier of Maria’s Field, in association with Chicago DCA Theater, playwright Oleg Bogaev will be coming all the way in from Russia. As an added bonus, TUTA is presenting a staged reading of Bogaev’s internationally acclaimed one act play: Russian National Postal Service, a rollicking and heartbreaking story of a lonely pensioner and the historical, popular, and other worldly figures of his imaginary correspondences. The reading, featuring actor Gary Houston, will be followed by a discussion with Oleg Bogaev about his work, his experiences, and the state of the art. Coffee and treats will be served up with this delightful event, and admission is FREE.
What: The Russian National Postal Service
Staged reading and discussion with playwright, Oleg Bogaev
When: Saturday, January 24th, 12pm
Where: The TUTA Loft, 2032 W. Fulton, Chicago, IL 60612
(3 blocks south of Grand, Just west of Damen)
How Much: FREE
Chicago theater tidbits: New Leaf Theatre, Masha Obolensky, Goodman
Centerstage Chicago: Sarah Terez Rosenblum reviews “Touch” at New Leaf Theatre. (runs Jan 7 thru Feb 14)
TheatreinChicago.com reports on the upcoming world premier of playwright Masha Obolensky’s “Not Enough Air”, directed by Nick Bowling; produced by Timeline Theatre. More at BroadwayWorld.com. (runs Jan 24 thru March 22)
Chris Jones reviews “The Emperor Jones”, by Eugene O’Neill, now playing at The Goodman Theatre (awarding it 3.5 stars). Jones interjects an interesting sideline regarding O’Neill’s underlying racism through his use of exaggerated stereotypes:
Eugene O’Neill wasn’t the only 20th Century American playwright to be afflicted by the scourge of racism. He was just the best of them.
Chicago Theater tidbits: Sam Shepard and free dinner with Screwtape Letters
Playwright and actor Sam Shepard was arrested early on Saturday morning in central Illinois, and charged with speeding and drunken driving. Shepard told police he had been at a tavern in nearby Bloomington and was heading to a hotel. He said he was on his way to his home in Kentucky from Minnesota.
Shepard, 65, won the 1979 Pulitzer Prize for drama for his play “Buried Child.” His other notable plays include “True West” and “A Lie of the Mind”. Shepard is long-time partners with Jessica Lange.
Aside: Okay, I know that this is something that the National Enquirer might cover, but being that he was arrested in Illinois, I couldn’t resist…
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Free Dinner Thursdays and Talk-Back Fridays
THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS, adapted from writings by C.S. Lewis, will feature Free Dinner Thursdays and Talk-Back Fridays through February 12.
Theatergoers who buy four tickets to the show on Thursday evenings will receive a free dinner for four at Cullen’s Bar & Grill, the restaurant connected to the theater. Cullen’s pub-style menu features the hearty British-inspired cuisine that C.S. Lewis loved, including meatloaf, chicken pot pie or mac & cheese..
Friday night post-show talk-backs will feature Max McLean (co-creator and star) and Jeffrey Fiske (co-creator and director.) During the talk-backs, McLean and Fiske will foster audience discussions about the show’s provocative themes and answer questions about how they adapted C.S. Lewis’ classic novel into a hit stage production. More information here.
Theater tidbits….Freud, Reinventing Seattle, and an Evening of Holiday Mime
Village Players of Oak Park will present the new musical Far From Freud, by Phil Riegle and directed by Christopher Pazdernik. Running for 2 weekends, January 17th – January 25th, Far From Freud will feature Stephanie Foster, James Gavin, Sydney Genco, Michael Jeija, Jennifer Noble, Laura MacGregor, Erin Marie O’She, Andrew Toniolo, and Joe Zordan. Production team includes Dominic Clemente and pianist Kimberly Widmer. More info here.
Reflect. Reinvent. React. Reconnect: Join more than 1600 arts professionals to learn and reflect in 50 educational sessions, reinvent with eight Innovators, react to one of 17 ARTventures, and reconnect with colleagues across the country for three days in Seattle, all part of Americans for the Arts 2009 Annual Convention. All info can be found here.
The Mime Company is extending their “A Holiday Evening of Mime” at the Raven Theatre studio space. Receiving glowing reviews, the show will now continue through December 28th. More info here.
Think Fast….
Karin McKie of Tree Falls Productions has written an informative article in CAR (ChicagoArtistResource.org) regarding the best ways for a theatre company to get the word out about their production. You can read it here.
October is National Arts & Humanities Month. Get involved!
Chicago Theater News – think fast…
- The Jeff Awards Committee (Chicago’s version of Broadway’s Tony Awards) has made changes for the next awards cycle, and will now only give out one award for each Non-Equity Jeff Award category (save for “New Work” and “New Adaptation”).
- As of August 1st, Chicago Dramatists is officially 30-years old! Happy Anniversary! That’s 30 years of helping playwrights, holding staged readings, and developing plays to shape and contribute to the world of American repertory. Check out their website (www.chicagodramatists.org) to see what’s happening during the upcoming momentous year.
- Due to high ticket demands, the critically-acclaimed Mark of Zorro, which just closed at Lifeline Theatre on July 20th, will be remounted at the Theatre Building on Belmont Avenue (see our review here). Zorro will re-open on September 27th.
Picture courtesy of Lifeline Theatre’s website. Entries from PerformInk Online.
High gas prices negatively affect Shakespeare festival
Looks like the high gas prices are (not unexpectedly) affecting theatre ticket sales. Case in point: Ontario’s Stratford Shakespeare Festival’s box-office receipts are down 10%, with a possible $5-million dollar loss in revenue this year, the assumed reason being that Americans are thinking twice before filling up their tanks to cross the border into Canada. Whole story here.
Main theatre at Ontario's Stratford Shakespeare Festival
Goodman Theatre announces “Talking Pictures” cast
Goodman Theatre has announced their cast for the upcoming Horton Foote play Talking Pictures, which will play in rotation with two other Foote plays – Blind Date and The Actor. The play will be directed by Henry Wishcamper, and will run from January 29th through March 2nd.
