Remember Me?

So funny story. You know what's even harder than maintaining a blog while looking for work? Maintaining a blog while working. So the good news is that I have a job (temp for now, possibility of permanent in future, reasonably enjoyable work and quite pleasing pay), recently dramaturged a play I'm really proud of, and am acting in another play I'm really proud of. The bad news is that leaving the house every morning at 7:30 and not getting back until after 11 rather takes away the time and desire to write. (I had a few ideas that fell by the wayside--a post on the Jeffs, a piece on literary adaptations that I started and never finished. Ah well.) But I've returned to plug, and plug I shall. And hopefully then I will get back to the work of chronicling theatre in Chicago and beyond.

I was privileged to serve as the dramaturg for Kingsville, by Andrew Hinderaker, at Stage Left. It's a really stunning show. The plot imagines an America where, in the wake of a string of school shootings, children are allowed to carry guns into the classrooms. But the play's not really about gun policy--it's a more complex moral inquiry into what strength and masculinity really mean, and how to live in a dangerous world. But the structure and pace are that of a thriller, and it definitely succeeds--every time I've seen it or house managed, there have been gasps of shock from the audience. It's a show that gets people incredibly excited, and the production is really excellent--Vance Smith cast a really exceptional ensemble (and the two teens in this will be seen a lot in coming years, I promise you) and helped them to do excellent work, while creating a compelling production. It's also Stage Left's first show at Theatre Wit, and fits the space beautifully--the set is fantastic, the staging fits the larger stage beautifully, and the more comfortable seats and ample bathrooms make everyone happy. The responses from the audience have been hugely enthusiastic, and I hope you'll be able to see it between now and November 21st, when it closes. As and extra bonus, three of the upcoming performances will be part of our Symposium Series, featuring conversations with experts on elements of the play, including a professor whose work on masculinity influenced the show, a lawyer for the plaintiff in the Supreme Court case that overturned Chicago's handgun ban, and a survivor of the Virginia Tech massacre who now is a gun control and campus safety advocate. The show runs Thursday-Saturday at 8 PM and Sunday at 3 PM through November 21st, at Theatre Wit, 1229 West Belmont. You can get tickets and more information here.

Meanwhile, on the acting front, tonight's the press opening for Halfshut, by Randall Colburn, at The Right Brain Project. I'm hugely excited about this. I've mentioned that I'm a fan of Randall's work a few times now, so you can imagine how thrilling it is to get the chance to act in one of his plays (one of his full-length plays, that is, though I did have the time of my life in Town Our at this year's DrekFest). What makes it particularly exciting is the process we've all been a part of: Randall took stories from the cast, the crew, and himself, and combined them with a fictional narrative thread to create a gorgeous play that blurs the lines between actor and character (and cast and audience) to exciting and moving effect. We're all playing characters based at least somewhat on ourselves, with relationships at least somewhat like our own. It's risky but incredibly exciting for me as an actor, and I think it makes for a show that's uncommonly involving and funny. I am incredibly proud of this play. We run Thursdays-Saturdays at 8 PM, Sundays at 7 PM, tonight through November 4th at the Right Brain Project, 4001 N Ravenswood, Suite 405. That's just east of the Irving Park Brown Line stop or right off the 80 Irving Park bus. Our capacity is tiny (I think 28 if we squeeze), so I highly recommend that you make reservations soon by emailing tickets@therbp.org or calling 773-750-2033.

Thanks for listening to my plugs, and I hope to see you at the shows soon. Soon, hopefully, it will be back to my regular blogging!

Transitions

You could also call this post "Ch-ch-ch-changes" if you were someone who liked that kind of thing. And if you are, kudos, it's an awesome damn song.


I've been rather neglectful of this blog recently. It's a damn shame, especially since I seem to have a decent number of readers who follow the site even when I don't write anything. Which is pretty cool. I appreciate it. But there have been some changes in my life, which will lead to some changes in this site, that I thought I should discuss with y'all.

The most important change is this: on September 1st, I left theatre criticism. It was a tough decision to make: I think I was pretty good at it, I enjoyed getting my take on things out there, and I loved the free tickets. It felt cool to be at opening nights, and it helped me to see a huge amount of theatre, which has introduced me to the awesome stuff being done in the city and helped me think and talk more intelligently about how theatre is made and how it affects the audience. I loved doing it, and I'd love to keep doing it.

However, criticism was never the only thing I did. I've been working steadily to get into dramaturgy and literary management, and recently restarted an acting career that I'd left behind. And in addition to my decent success in criticism, I've been fortunate to do well in these areas. My dramaturgy got me into the ensemble of Stage Left Theatre, which has been an incredible, sustaining artistic home for me over the past year and a half. I've worked with a number of other great groups, including Theatre Mir and Marriott Theatre, not to mention a hugely educational internship with the literary department at Northlight Theatre.

A few months ago, I stepped in to the position of Co-Literary Manager at Stage Left. It's an incredibly exciting job, but also a huge commitment. And the most crucial part of the job is building relationships with playwrights. Doing this while there's always the possibility I could turn around and criticize one of their shows in public would be a significant problem. This isn't to mention sheer time commitment issues, which are significant.

And just when I was getting used to my new work at Stage Left (not to mention the new apartment, which I discussed a few posts ago), I got let go from my temp job. I'd been working as a temp at one place for 11 months, and they'd kept put off hiring me due to budgetary constraints. Two weeks ago on Friday, I got a call from my agency, telling me that the company had decided to go another direction and I wasn't to return on Monday. I never heard any complaints about my performance on the job--and apparently that wasn't the issue. Someone who had previously worked the position contacted them with an interest in returning, and they took up that offer. (I'm guessing it was cheaper for them, though I don't know for sure.) Luckily I've gotten a decent amount of shorter-term temp work since (I worked two days last week and have four this coming week), and am slowly starting to look for full-time jobs (I wish I were more self-motivated.)

And I'm keeping myself busy with plenty of theatre work--I'm dramaturging Kingsville at Stage Left (which is completely bloody brilliant and I will keep promoting as the time comes closer), acting in Randall Colburn's new play Halfshut at the Right Brain Project (which is really exciting), and in process of finding scripts for next spring's LeapFest. If only some of it paid.

And what of this blog? I'm determined it will continue. There won't be any more straight-up criticism, but I'm going to continue discussing news, analysis, and commentary. I love writing, and have no plans to stop. So thanks to all of you for reading, and let me know if there's anything you want to see on the blog some time soon!

DrekFest Starts Tonight!

As you should know, tonight marks the first evening of DrekFest 4 at Stage Left. You really need to come. 7:30, ComedySportz at 929 W Belmont, tickets available at the door, you can bring your drinks into the theatre. And four hilariously bad new plays, not to mention the reprise of the winner from 2008. Here's tonight's program:

You Didn’t See This Coming: The play with a twist ending you won’t see coming,  by Kate Black
Untitled Brilliant Play (The Title Should Sound Very Artistic if You Have any Ideas): A True Opus Worthy of All the Greats, by James Thomson
Town Our: A Post-Structuralist Deconstruction of Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town”, by Drekfest 2009 winner Randall Colburn
Women & Men & Women: Or, I am Totally not a Misogynist, by Robert Karol.

While the votes are tabulated, an encore reading of The Worst Play from 2008 The Frenzied Beating of the Jungle Tom-Toms Once More, Once More, by Rob Kozlowski.

Next week sees four more hilarious plays and the return of the 2009 winner, and the following sees the top two shows from each night (by popular vote), with the grand loser winning a cash prize!

Oh, and if you want to see me act, this would be a very good chance. Especially if you want to see me as a supremely egotistical and insecure playwright attempting to win his ex-girlfriend back through pretentious theatrical deconstruction. Just saying.

DrekFest Dealine Approaching! And Please Help Stage Left Win Money!

Hey all you budding bad-play writers,

The deadline for DrekFest, Stage Left's nationally recognized search for the worst 10-minute play, is nearly here! You don't want to miss the chance to be performed, winning fame and (a little bit of) fortune! All of the details are here.

And speaking of Stage Left (and when am I not?), don't you want to help us win $20,000, at no cost to yourself? Well you can! If you are on Facebook, you can vote for us at Chase Community Giving. The 200 nonprofits with the most votes at the end of voting on July 12th are guaranteed the money! As of this morning, we are ranked #24, and we currently have 484 votes. But we have to keep up the momentum to win the cash. Click here to get all the instructions and do a wonderful thing!

A Big Post About Stage Left

So as most of you really should know by now, I'm an ensemble member of Stage Left Theatre here in Chicago. My particular focus is on dramaturgy and literary work, and I've been working as a Literary Associate for several months to help in the office. Well, to reflect the amount of work I've been doing and allow me to pursue some of my ideas, I've officially been named Co-Literary Manager, along with Kevin Heckman, who has been Literary Manager. He's also brilliant and insanely knowledgeable about how to find and cultivate new scripts, so it's also awesome on the job training.

The two of us working together will be able to wrestle the giant piles of scripts down to manageable size, not to mention getting scripts read and responded to with a briefer lag time. We'll also be more selective about the scripts we call in, so that everyone's limited time is used as well as possible. We're also going to be more proactive about going after the great scripts that are out there and developing the ones that interest us, not to mention creating and maintaining relationships with playwrights worth knowing in Chicago and outside.

I'm incredibly excited to be working with Kevin and Artistic Director Vance Smith on this wonderful work, and personally thrilled that I actually get to put this title after my name. I can't wait.

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And now for the part plugging the whole theatre, not just me:

Tomorrow night sees the opening of LeapFest 7, Stage Left's annual festival of workshops of brand new scripts. This year has a really wonderful lineup of plays, and I can't wait to see them all. I recommend you get to as many as possible, but I have to put in a particular plug for The Face of a Ruined Woman by Mia McCullough. She's a brilliant writer, and an emeritus ensemble member at Stage Left, and she's written a play that really stretches her and the audience, exploring the relationship women have with their bodies in a way that's smart, moving, and very funny. Also, I'm performing in it--my first acting gig in 18 months--and I'm unbelievably proud that this is my return to performing. There are performances this Friday, 6/18, at 7:30, next Sunday, 6/27, at 7:30, and Saturday, 7/3, at 2:00 PM.  Make sure to get tickets (only $12!) or Leap Passes, letting you into all five shows as many times as you like (only $25!) soon: performances frequently do sell out. Here's the official press release:

LeapFest is an annual series of emerging plays with socio-political themes, presented as workshop productions in rotating repertory. The festival is the culmination of Downstage Left, a multi-tiered development program with the goal to cultivate and support new and emerging voices and inspire playwrights to address the political and social issues of our day. Join us again this year to see what's next in Chicago theatre!


All performances are at Stage Left Theatre, 3408 North Sheffield Avenue in Chicago. Single tickets are $12. A LeapPass, allowing entry to all five show, is $25. For tickets, call 773-883-8830 or visit www.stagelefttheatre.com.


THE PLAYS


BEATEN
by Scott Woldman
directed by Drew Martin*
assistant directed by Jake Lindquist
starring Kate Black*, Cat Dean*, Ian Maxwell*, Morgan McCabe, and Kelsey McClarnon
Saturday, 6/19 @7:30pm
Sunday, 6/27 @ 2:00pm
Thursday, 7/1 @ 7:30pm
What do you do when your nerdy best friend wants benefits and more, your grandma intends to party until she drops (literally), and your mom is determined to see you succeed even if it kills you? Poignant, disturbing and shockingly funny, BEATEN tells the story of a young woman’s efforts to survive the best intentions of a family who has gone off the rails.


THE FACE OF A RUINED WOMAN
by Mia McCullough †
directed by Greg Werstler*
assistant directed by Gretchen Wright
starring Emi Clark, Melanie Derleth*, Kamal Hans, Jenn Pompa, Allison Torf, and Zev Valancy*
Friday, 6/18 @ 7:30pm
Sunday, 6/27 @ 7:30pm
Saturday, 7/3 @ 2:00pm
In well-to-do Northshore suburb, a local spa causes controversy with a billboard ad featuring a picture of a gorgeous woman in a bikini, superimposed with arrows suggesting how she could be cosmetically enhanced. Some of the key players discuss their involvement in the image being protested, vandalized and ultimately taken down.


THE MEANING OF LUNCH
by Dan Aibel
directed by Jason Fleece*
assistant directed by Lorenzo Blackett
starring Melissa DiLeonardo, Sandy Elias, Gabe Estrada, and Mark Pracht*
Sunday, 6/20 @ 7:30pm
Saturday, 6/26 @ 7:30pm
Wednesday, 6/30 @ 7:30pm
As their family business hits a dry spell, a father and son receive an intriguing offer that forces them to grapple with globalization and each other.


MOTHER BEAR
by Jayme McGhan
directed by Artistic Director Vance Smith
assistant directed by Katie Horwitz
starring Christopher Marcum, Tim Musachi, Brian Plocharczyk*, Rinska Michelle Prestinary, and Margaret Scott.
Sunday, 6/20 @ 2:00pm
Friday, 6/25 @ 7:30pm
Friday, 7/2 @ 7:30pm
A union organizer attempts to recruit a gang of truckers and their notorious leader in the Utah Desert. Mother Bear is a hard-hitting, plot-twisting, pedal-to-the-floor haul down the darkest parts of America's highways.


OUR KIND OF VIOLENCE
by Steve Spencer
directed by Rachel Edwards Harvith
assistant directed by Rachael A. Schaefer
starring Justin Cagney, Tom Lally, John Luzar, Eric Smies, and Helen Young
Thursday, 6/17 @ 7:30pm
Thursday, 6/24 @ 7:30pm
Saturday, 7/3 @ 7:30pm
Some people get to limp through life. No amount of therapy or Paxil can reach them. If you're one of these unlucky souls, sometimes you just have to kill somebody.


Production Staff:
Production Manager -- Caitlin Parrish
Production Stage Manager -- Christopher Thompson*
Set and Props Designer -- Heather Ho
Lighting Designer -- John Kohn III*
Costume Designer -- Erin Gallagher
Sound Designer -- Justin Glombicki
Fight Choreographer: Brian Plocharczyk*


* Stage Left Ensemble Member
†Stage Left Emeritus Ensemble Member

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And finally, as announced on our website, we have chosen our 29th season, the first in our beautiful new home at Theatre Wit, 1229 West Belmont in Chicago. You can read the official press release there, but here's my take on why you really want to subscribe.

Running from October 19-November 21 of this year is Kingsville by Andrew Hinderaker, whose play Suicide Incorporated just opened to great acclaim at the Gift Theatre, and directed by Artistic Director Vance Smith. It starts from the terrifying premise of a United States that, in the wake of a string of school shootings, passed a constitutional amendment allowing children to carry guns. But it's hardly a simple anti-gun tract: it searches deep into questions of what manliness, strength and morality are, and doesn't give any easy answers, all while being a superbly told story that will put a knot in your stomach and send a shiver down your spine. I couldn't be prouder to be the dramaturg.

Our spring show, running March 1-April 3 of 2011 is Henrik Ibsen's An Enemy of the People, adapted by Arthur Miller, and directed by ensemble member Jason Fleece. It's a classic play, something we haven't done since 2002, and we are thrilled to expand our mission to allow in older scripts that still speak to contemporary audiences. And this one is just smashing. Miller respects Ibsen's brilliant play while making the stakes and motivations crystal clear for a contemporary audience. It's a big show, with a large cast of vibrant characters (many of whom will be played by our fabulous ensemble members), and a gripping story. It's going to be awesome--and I'm again thrilled to be dramaturging it.

June will see LeapFest 8. Of course we have no idea what the plays will be yet, but work on finding and selecting them will probably start shortly after LeapFest 7 ends. And it will be wonderful.

Don't you want to come see our bold jump into the future? It will be thrilling, I assure you!

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And after all that, don't you want a chance to support Stage Left, without any cost to yourself? Just log into facebook, become a fan of Chase Community Giving, and vote for Stage Left to get $20,000 in funding from Chase Bank. You can click here to be taken directly to our page. And if you're with a group that is also involved, post on our wall that you support us and we'll make sure to visit and support you as well! Thanks in advance for your help, and I can't wait to see you at Stage Left!

DrekFest! Call For Entries!

Hey there playwrights, theatre folk, and people who like to laugh,

So Stage Left Theatre, where I'm in the ensemble, decides each year to take a break from all of the good plays we do on a regular basis and produce some total crap. But since we're nice people, we produce plays that are intentionally bad. Thus: DrekFest, the national competition for the most intentionally awful 10-minute play.

But we need playwrights to do it! And you, yes you, could be our winner. Here's a full description of the festival and the entry requirements. (By the way, if you do write something, don't tell me anything about it--I'm probably going to be on the selection committee.) Happy writing!

Don't miss your chance to be part of Stage Left Theatre's annual laugh riot!

Presented in association with
The ComedySportz Theatre.

Stage Left's Forth Annual National Contest for the WORST Ten-Minute Play. This year, it’s not just a one-night engagement, it’s a

WORSTAMENT!!!!

That’s right, there’s just so much crap out there that we’ve decided to make it a bigger competition.

There will be 2 rounds of Semi-Finals one on 8/2 and one on 8/9.

Four plays will be read each night and the worst 2 from each night will go on to the Finals on 8/16!!!

The submission deadline for

DrekFest: Worstament 2010

entries is
Friday, June 25th, 2010.

All entries must be RECEIVED (not postmarked) by the entry deadline.

For clarity's sake, we are not out to make fun of writers or those who love them! What we are doing is asking good writers to intentionally write awful plays that make us laugh on the inside (especially if that's noted in the stage directions) - and out loud.

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Submission Guidelines



If it's not already painfully clear, we want the funny! Preference will be given to scripts that make us laugh. Here are the submission guidelines:

DEADLINE: Submissions must be received by Friday, June 25th, 2010 (note, this is not postmark date, it is a "received by" date).

Plays must perform at ten minutes or less (remember that stage directions will be read aloud). Maximum of 5 actors per script (however, write as many characters as you please). There are no limitations on genre or subject matter.

Even though we're spoofing the development process, plays do NOT need to about play development. And...even though Stage Left's mission is about political and social debate, we know that bad writing knows no genre, so don't worry about adhering to the mission for this contest.

We will be using a Blind Submission process. Please include the following materials with your submission:

--A cover letter on a separate sheet of paper, included in the envelope with your play (or as a separate attachment, if emailing). Envelopes and emails will not be opened by judges, only by non-judge staff members. List your contact info, including name, phone, email & street address on your cover letter.

Cover letter should include your availability to be in Chicago on August 2, 9, and 16, 2010. Given this year's economy and the state of arts funding, Stage Left cannot provide travel support. You do not need to be able to travel to Chicago in order to send a submission to DrekFest; however, most of the fun is in being there!

--Your resume.

--Your play(s). Do NOT include your name, by-line or contact info on the play itself. If mailed, plays must be clipped or bound in such a way that the pages can be easily separated for copying - no spiral bindings.

--Your submission fee of $10.00 per play (e.g., $20.00 if you submit two plays). All submission fees will go towards the cash prizes awarded to the winners - we won't make a dime off your dimes.If mailing, include a check made out to "Stage Left Theatre." If emailing, call us at 773-883-8830 by Friday, June 25th to charge your fee to a Visa or MasterCard.

A Note About Cash Prizes:
One hundred percent of the submission fees received are paid out as cash prizes. Therefore, the amount of the prizes will depend on the number of submissions we get. All 8 of the plays chosen will receive something, the 4 finalists will receive a bit more and the winner will receive the BIG check. In past years, the Grand Prize has ranged from $300.00 to $400.00, and may be less or more as submissions warrant.

Please mail your submissions to:
Stage Left Theatre
Attn: DrekFest
3408 N. Sheffield Ave.
Chicago, IL 60657

-- OR --

Email your submissions to:
drekfest@stagelefttheatre.com

Things To See

Alright, shameless plug time. I've been dramaturging two shows, and am incredibly proud of both of them. They're in previews now, and definitely worth a trip.

First off is Here Where It's Safe, at Stage Left, 3408 N Sheffield. It's a world premiere by Jeff winner M. E. H. Lewis, a moving story about an American couple, desperate to have a child, and the Indian surrogate they hire to help them. It's a gorgeous, involving play, and I couldn't be prouder of everyone involved. (The design is really stunning, too.) Previews are only $10, and they are tonight, tomorrow, Saturday, and Monday, all at 8 PM. We open Tuesday at 7:30, and the regular run is Thursday-Saturday at 8 PM and Sunday at 3 PM through April 3rd, with every Thursday being a "Pay What You Can" show. More info and tickets can be found at (216) 337-5281 or here.

Meanwhile, Fiddler on the Roof started previews last night at the Marriott Lincolnshire, 10 Marriott Drive in Lincolnshire, IL. You all know the story, but this is a particularly excellent production. Director David H. Bell has really led the cast to its very best work, and it's just sensational. The official opening is Wednesday the 24th, and it runs through April 25th. Tickets and info by phone at (847) 634-0200 or here.

So see these wonderful shows, with my recommendation, and let us know what you thought here.

(And I hope the lack of comments on the previous entry doesn't mean that nobody can think of a good theatre experience. That would just be too depressing.)

"Theatre Is Life, Television Is Furniture"

Last night was the annual benefit for Stage Left, and what a night it was! It was at the Theatre Building, and there was delicious food and drink, a large group of people, and a wonderful roast of our own Kevin Heckman. He was our Producing Artistic Director from 2004-2008, so there was plenty of material, as well as brief parodies of the plays he directed at Stage Left. It was hilarious--especially the surprise roast from his parents. At the end, Kevin got to deliver his rebuttal, but he mostly stayed away from the chance to get back at everyone (though they all certainly deserved it) in exchange for some ruminating on why he loves theatre and how to give a live, immediate experience to more people. It included the quote from the title of this post. I found out this morning that it's apparently also on a t-shirt, but that doesn't make it less true.

So thanks to everyone at Stage Left who helped to plan and execute this fantastic evening, and I hope all of you in the blogosphere will come see our final show in the old space on Sheffield, M.E.H. Lewis' Here Where It's Safe, February 13-April 3, 2010.

(See M. E. H.? I told you I'd put you in my blog!)

DrekFest is tonight!

To those of you checking this in the next few hours--please come by ComedySportz Theatre, 929 W Belmont, tonight, to see DrekFest. Stage Left and ComedySportz have sent out a call for the most intentionally terrible 10-minute plays that the playwrights can manage. We've picked 4 finalists, which will be seen tonight. One grand winner will be chosen, to win fabulous prizes! It'll be a whole lot of fun, and you just may get to see me in a show...in a dress.

Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at the door or by calling (773) 883-8830 before 6 or so. I can't wait to see you there!

First Night is TONIGHT!!! (That is, Tuesday, May 12)

Tonight, Tuesday May 12th, Stage Left Theatre is celebrating First Night for LeapFest 6! At 7:30 PM at T's Bar, 5025 North Clark Street in Chicago, come join the people of Stage Left for food drinks, games, and all kinds of merriment, along with scenes from all of this year's plays. It will be a fantastic time, and a portion of your food and drink orders will go to Stage Left! You can find more information at our website.

Also, here is the amazing video trailer for the show that I'm assisstant directing, M. E. H. Lewis'  Hungry Ghosts.  LeapFest has shows March 14-30, and Hungry Ghosts  performs Sunday, May 17 at 2:00 PM, Saturday, May 23 at 7:30 PM, and Friday, May 19 at 7:30 PM. Tickets and information by calling 773-883-8830 or visiting www.stagelefttheatre.com

See you at the theatre!

Things I Have Yet To Comment On

I've been lax about writing, but a flurry of posts are coming in the next few days (hopefully). Here are a few things I have failed to mention recently:

The nominations for Chicago's Non-Equity Jeff Awards have been announced. You can see the full list of nominations here, but here are a few thoughts:

--Congratulations to Brian Plocharczyk, nominated for Lead Actor for his work in Stage Left's fall show, After Ashley. He was exceptional. I'm disappointed that The Day of Knowledge didn't get any nominations, but we knew that was coming when the committee failed to recommend us. Ah well, you can't please all of the people all of the time.

--David Cromer's hugely popular production of Our Town (which I never got to see) was nominated for Production and Director, but had no acting or design nominations. Given that the praise was spread pretty widely for that show, I find that pretty shocking. (Cromer now has a version of Our Town running Off-Broadway which opened to similarly rave reviews, and similarly sold-out houses, and just won the Lucille Lortel for Best Revival and Best Director.)

--An advance congratulations to Amanda Hartley of The Robber Bridegroom, the only nominee for Supporting Actress in a Musical. Work on that speech.

--Have The Hypocrites gone equity since Our Town? I'm shocked at no nominations for The Threepenny Opera, which was one of my favorites of last season.

--Congratulations to Joanie Schultz! She directed me in Saint Joan when I was an undergrad and she was getting her MFA at Northwestern, and her production of In Arabia We'd All Be Kings got nominations for Production, Director, Ensemble, Leading Actor, and Supporting Actress.

--I'm not sure what was going on in the "New Adaptation" category, but neither of the shows in that category that I saw were successful adaptations. The Picture of Dorian Gray at Lifeline was not terribly scary (though Supporting Actor nominee Paul S. Holmquist did do strong work) and generally confused. And Scoundrel Time at City Lit somehow managed to take all of the drama out of the story of Lillian Hellman and the blacklist--quite a feat, but not quite nomination-worthy.

--Overall, it reminded me of how much theatre I don't see. I don't think I made it to more than six or eight of the nominated shows. Need to get on that in the future.

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There has been shockingly little mention in the press of the death of Augusto Boal on Saturday. Boal was the legendary Brazilian director and educator who pioneered the "Theatre of the Oppressed," which used performance to engage people with their lives and political situations. Anybody who works in theatre education and creative drama has made use of his work, even if they haven't read his works. He  has left an exceptional legacy.

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The Tony nominations are tomorrow, and today the committee announced the special awards. The winners include composer Jerry Herman, who won a Lifetime Achievement Award, and Washington DC's Signature Theatre, which won the Outstanding Regional Theatre award. Full details on Playbill.

The Day of Knowledge Opens Tonight!

After six previews, with plenty of work and revisions, tonight at 7:30 marks the official press opening of David Alan Moore's The Day of Knowledge at Stage Left Theatre, 3408 N Sheffield in Chicago. I'm extremely proud of the work everyone has done on the production, and I'm thrilled to be associated with such a powerful, beautiful play.

We run through March 28th, with performances Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 PM and Sunday at 3 PM. You can get tickets by calling (773) 883-8830 or visiting our website at www.stagelefttheatre.com. See you at the theatre!

The Day of Knowledge

As you may know, I am currently dramaturging The Day of Knowledge by David Alan Moore at Stage Left Theatre, my first show there as ensemble member. It's a beautiful, moving show of which I'm incredibly proud, and I would love if you could make it.

There are four previews left: tonight, 2/19, Friday 2/20, Saturday 2/21, and Monday 2/23, all at 8:00 PM and they are all only $10. Once we open, tickets are only $20-25, and the schedule is Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8:00 PM and Sunday at 3:00 PM. Seats are limited, so get your tickets now! You can get them online here or by calling (773) 883-8830.

I look forward to seeing you at the show!

A Personal Announcement

I just wanted to let you all know that I have been invited to join the ensemble of Stage Left Theatre in Chicago. I am already dramaturging their upcoming production, the world premiere of David Alan Moore's The Day of Knowledge, and I will continue to work in a mostly literary/dramaturgy capacity, along with the usual duties of load-in, box office, and more. I'm incredibly excited to get the chance to work more with the people at Stage Left, who I think are pretty wonderful. It's also amazing to be in an ensemble 18 months out of college--especially of a company that has been around for so long--since 1982, which is an eternity in Chicago. We've produced some exceptional work over the years, and I am sure we will do more in the future.

And those of you who act or write political plays: Submit your material! I promise nothing, but I'd love for some of you to come along for the ride--and we do a few full productions and plenty of workshops and readings over the course of the season.

I can't wait to see you all at 3408 N Sheffield!