Opening: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow opens this weekend at City Lit Theatre. This unique adaptation uses the imaginations of actors and audience alike to create the story out of a mountain of props on stage. Coupled with original music and creepy lighting, this holiday favorite is a must see for both theater lovers and families.


Happy Birthday:
October 16: Eugene O'Neill (1888-1953), Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), and Angela Lansbury (b. 1925)
October 17: Arthur Miller (1915-2005), Georg Buchner (1813-1837), and Cameron Mackintosh (b. 1946)

Only Two Weeks Away

Rehearsals continue for The Legend of Sleepy Hollow at City Lit Theatre. One of the unique aspects of this production will be the original music of Matthew Bivins. He has worked with the co-adapters to set a series of quotations - mostly from old poems and ghost stores - to music to help underscore the action and really set the mood of the piece.

Bivins will show off his musical skills as he performs his tunes on stage. He plays tin whistle, accordion, keyboards, and mandolin. His musical diversity will be complimented by the violin of Bethany Schader and the drumming of Shawn Goudie - also serving as the stage manager and foley artists respectively.

This won't, however, be your usual music accompaning theater. The three pop in and out of the action really supporting and integrating into the story rather than just underscoring it - which they do as well. Bivin's Irish-Tom Waits-like score is perfectly suited to create a spooky environment and the sense that all is not as it seems in the small town of Sleepy Hollow.


Happy Birthday:
Julie Andrews (b. 1935)

October 2:
Avery Brooks (b. 1948)

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

City Lit Theatre's production of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow started rehearsal last night. This unique production uses the text of Washington Irving with a twist. Coupling research into Irwin's source material with the original story, this script seeks to poke holes in Irving's version as a cover up to a spookier, more super-natural story.

Originally conceived as a one-man show, the vision has expanded to include two live musicians and a foley artist who come together to build a world out of found objects and tell us a story that, while familiar, might be a little different than the on Disney, Johnny Depp, or Washington Irving told us.

This unique story-telling experience will be playing at City Lit Theatre this October and just in time for Halloween.

Michigan Prison performs "A Day in the Life of Junebug Jenkins"

A Day in the Life of Junebug Jenkins
Commentary by guest writer Dave Murray

A man, Junebug, thinks of himself as a victim. The "powers and principalities" (in the form of a movie director and cast) converge to help him live out his role. They bring him dirty sinks first thing in the morning; no hot water for coffeee; a stolen shower bag and shower line jumper. When he's ready to blow his stack, the director and cast show themselves for the first time. A "Twilight Zone" moment occurs and the man demands to know who the people are. The director tells him that by our thoughts we choose our role in the play of lilfe each day. If we don't like that role, we can change any time we want.

Junebug finds this exciting and begins to think about what role he wants to play. After reviewing several possibilities--healer, tough guy, teacher, dreamer, villain--he ultimately chooses to be a victim.

Following the play, the actors engage the audience to discuss what they saw and what it means. Keep in mind, the actors and audience members are all real prisoners.

Troy Chapman, who authors the play, works with three other inmates with their Ethics Project, an eight to 10 week seminar on ethical living. They wrote the course and train others within the facility. The course itself has been approved by the Michigan Department of Corrections as an approved program to be used within the prisons. Troy is serving a life sentence, and has been in prison for almost 27 years.

Check out these two sites:

http://friendsoftroychapman.blogspot.com

http://sacredmatters.blogspot.com

Director's Note

Here is a preview of the director's note for Spring Awakening:

Let your mind and emotions take you back to a time when you were young; when anything seemed possible. Every moment was crucial and if you didn’t get the one thing you needed, you felt like you would die. A time before experience taught you to protect yourself from vulnerability. How can we grow from adolescence to adults if our parents have not prepared us for the change? Adults look and sound different to children. And while we think our experiences gives us perspective, teens live in an immediacy many of us have forgotten and patience does not apply.

Spring Awakening is one of the first plays to look at children as people and explore the challenge of growing up. Written in 1891, many of the volatile issues explored in the play are issues we still struggle with today. As our story unfolds tonight, remember the times when you needed a guiding hand or how a guiding hand helped shape your life.

It was on this day that the first American play opened.

Preview: Spring Awakening

On to costumes.

Our costume designer has done a wonderful job of creating a mixed look of quasi-Victorian with modern hints. Not quite at the level of a Baz Luhrman production as was discussed at one point in the process, but that wouldn't fit the world that we're inhabiting. Nevertheless there is still lots of color and texture.

*Thanks to Emma Weber for the beautiful renderings.

Preview: Spring Awakening

Today we take on the Masks.

The masks serve several different functions in this production. First, to separate the adult characters from the adolescents. But also it allows us the audience to see the world through the eyes of the children. Adults look very different to children than they do to adults. And certain people, depending on their situation, can look more intimidating than others. Familiar people such as parents and relatives have a softer look while teachers and clergy tend to the more grotesque side.

The masks also signify what we acquire as we grow older. The older we become the more experience, perspective, prejudice, fear, mistrust and many other layers we obtain. Some of them are good and some of them are bad. It's how they affect our live and how we choose to act on them that determines how others will view us. In this play the masks represent the choices the adults have made over the years.

*Thank you to Crystal Jovae Mazur for the mask design.

Preview: Spring Awakening

Today we focus on the Scenic Design.

In order to accommodate 18 different settings that the army of characters have to move in and out of, the set has to function on a very minimalist scale. The design relies on imagination to be flexible. It sketches in the lines and the acting fills in the rest. A handful of benches, tables and desks, are moved and assembled to make parlors, bedrooms, school hallways, haylofts and other locals.



And because there are so many scene changes, they become choreographed as part of the play. When we are watching the set pieces move, we are not hurrying through something that interrupts the verisimilitude of the piece, but is actually a device that is part of the storytelling. At the end of each sequence the action breaks and takes the time it needs to reset before an actor steps our and announces the new scene we are about to witness.

*Thank you to Aaron Menninga for the research model.


Happy Birthday: Samuel Beckett (1906-1989) & Sir John Geilgud (1904-2000)

Preview: Spring Awakening

Promethean Theatre Ensemble's Spring Awakening is opening this week at the Artistic Home here in Chicago. All this week, Ghostlight is going to preview this production as we do have a special interest in this production. Each day we will take the time to spotlight a different aspect of this particular production.

This is a new adaptation, cut down to eliminate some of the dense German dialog and streamlined to be more suited to a modern audience. And different from the musical, this production retains the teeth of the debate and themes of the original.

Nine actors play all 32 characters splitting their time between the adult and adolescent roles. The ensemble vibe forces us to follow the whole play instead of one actor's arc as one character. The alienating effect helps add to the investment in both the story and the emotion of the performance. This is aided by the addition of masks, but that element is going to be discussed further in the week.

Check back for more information and more of the inside scoop.



*Special thanks to Trent J. Koland for the brilliant postcard/poster design.
*Special thanks to Cole Simon and John Klein for the trailer.


Happy Birthday: Alan Ayckbourn (b. 1939)

Dramatic Twerp is back

Sean Ewert's one man show Dramatic Twerp is playing this weekend in a limited engagement at Oracle. Ewert's initial performances at Links Hall in the beginning of October left his audiences wanting more. Ewert has fine tuned the script and added some new stories to his tale of becoming comfortable in one's own skin and the security and power to which that leads.

While it may not be your traditional holiday fare, this show will warm your heart. Don't miss you opportunity to see this truly talented writer and performance artist. December 4-6 at Oracle Theatre.

In Dramatic Twerp, Sean Ewert's exploration into high school in the 1980s without the internet, cell phones or a gay social club on campus, he borrows from the forensic dramatic interpretation model to create a queer memory journey. It is indeed easier and safer to perform in someone else's story or text - at some point you must stop editing your life, blow open your closet and speak your own words.

Happy Birthday: Mary Martin (1913-1990)

The Phantom of Coney Island

It took over twenty years, but Andrew Lloyd Weber has finished his sequel to the longest running musical in Broadway history: The Phantom of the Opera. Love Never Dies marks the first time that a West End musical has sparked a sequel. The production will open in London in spring of 2010 and will begin it's New York run later that year.

The continuation of the story does not originate from any source material as the original musical did. Lloyd Weber has left the text of Gaston Leroux's novel behind and turned to original material for the new piece. Set ten years after the mysterious disappearance of the Phantom at the end of the first musical, this new story takes place in Coney Island and the calliope of freaks. Christine Daae, the Phantom's love interest, shows up and the story begins again.

Press Releases:
NPR
London Daily Mail

Preview: Direct-Off

On Saturday night Strawdog Theatre Company once again hosts it's Direct-Off pitting six directors' five-minute scenes against each other in late night entertainment. The competition will be judged by leaders in theatre community on scene selection, audience response, casting, directorial innovation, and the creative use of the maximum allotted two props.

Two scenes will be chosen by the judges to compete in the final round where the director will be assigned a new scene, given two new actors, two props, and twenty minutes to rehearse. The winner will be chosen by the audience and given the glory to return to direct for Strawdog's Director's Showcase in April 2010. The event will be hosted by Gregor Mortis in Hugen Hall and will feature last returning champion Marissa McKown.

Preview: The Last Unicorn

For those of you who aren't fans of the fantasy classic, The Last Unicorn, Promethean Theatre Ensemble has a great story for you. For those of you who are fans, you'll know exactly what I mean.

In their first full-length original play, Promethean turns to the loving care of adaptor/director Edward Rutherford. this project has been a labor of love for the ensemble member. Since the company's inception four years ago, Rutherford has been lobbying for the company to adapt his childhood favorite. But it wasn't until he produced a script that the project began to go anywhere. But once he did...

This production is a masterpiece in storytelling-theatre. Rutherford uses the stage as a blank canvas and splashes the colors of dozens of characters across the set. Multiple actors playing multiple roles, popping in and out of the story and narrative, donning masks and different costumes makes for a truly imaginative journey. And for a special treat act now and book tickets for opening weekend for a chance to meet the novel's author, Peter S. Beagle.

You can follow the progress of the project at The Last Uniblog.


Happy Birthday: Vaclav Havel (October 5, 1936)

Preview: Dramatic Twerp

In Dramatic Twerp, Sean Ewert's exploration into high school in the 1980s without the internet, cell phones or a gay social club on campus, he borrows from the forensic dramatic interpretation model to create a queer memory journey. It is indeed easier and safer to perform in someone else's story or text - at some point you must stop editing your life, blow open your closet and speak your own words.

Join Sean Ewert in his journey through self identity as he takes an non-nostalgic look at growing up and becoming confident with who you are both past and present. Borrowing pieces from great literature and theatre, Ewert masterfully weaves himself into the patchwork quilt background he has created without letting his own unique voice be drowned out.

October 9-11 at Links Hall.


Happy Birthday: Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616)

Preview: A Month of Development

This August Promethean Theatre Ensemble has been in residency at the Department of Cultural Affairs work shopping three new pieces. They will be showcasing their materials Monday, August 31 in a free performance.

-A new stage adaptation of the original full-length detective novel, The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins.

-A concert reading of a creepy, campy retelling of The Wizard of Oz as an H.P. Lovecraft story, The Peculiar Case of Dorothy Gale.

-A fully staged adaptation of one of author John Collier's short stories, Over Insurance.

Preview: Spring Awakening

Spring Awakening: the Musical opens next week for a limited run at the Oriental Theatre. The musical is based in the 1891 Frank Wedekind play that explores teen growth, sexuality, suicide, violence, masturbation and all those other dark topics that our society even now tries to keep quiet. While the musical focuses a little more on the sex, drugs, and rock and roll aspect of the plot rather than the issues, it is still an excellent piece of theatre that will give you a lot to think about after the final curtain has come down.

The musical won eight Tony Awards during the 2007 season including Best Musical. This is a production not to be missed in its limited engagement in Chicago.

Broadway in Chicago press release:

SPRING AWAKENING swept the 2007 Tony Awards, winning eight out of its 11 nominations. Hailed as the “Best Musical of the Year” by the NY Drama Critics Circle, the Drama Desk, the Outer Critics Circle and the Tony Awards, SPRING AWAKENING has emerged as the most talked about new musical on Broadway.

Set against the backdrop of a repressive and provincial late 19th-century Germany, SPRING AWAKENING tells the timeless story of teenage self-discovery and budding sexuality as seen through the eyes of three teenagers. Haunting and provocative, SPRING AWAKENING celebrates an unforgettable journey from youth to adulthood with a power, a poignancy and a passion you will never forget.

Preview: Seven Plays in Seven Days

On Monday, N.U.F.A.N. Ensemble will be producing its annual Seven Plays in Seven Days festival. The seven 10 minute plays were cast last night and the directors go into rehearsal to complete their productions within one week. Below is a list of the original pieces featured in this year's festival:

Buzzing All Around by Erik Germand
Triple Salami To Go by David Kravitz
Jitters by Jessie Stegner
Paige Break by Michael Van Ness
The Essentials by Darren Callahan
Wet Work by Jenny Siedelman
Stop With the Kicking by Paul Barile


Happy Birthday: Arthur Laurents (b. 1918), Irving Stone (1903-1989), and Ingmar Bergman (1918-2007)

Preview: Measure for Measure

Measure for Measure
Promethean Theatre Ensemble at City Lit Theatre

Measure for Measure is one of Shakespeare's less know and less performed plays. It's considered a "problem play:" it's resolution doesn't quite fit the guide that helps determine tragedy from comedy. It's clearly a comedy (i.e. everyone doesn't end up dead) but the normal lighthearted storyline doesn't always keep up giggling in our seats. There are plenty of laughs to be had, but the over all tone and theme of the play is a little weightier.

In this more saucy and salacious take on the classic Shakespeare play, Measure for Measure is set in the debauched and depraved city of Vienna. In order to curb the city’s reckless ways, the Duke places the seemingly morally upright Angelo in power in his absence. When Angelo gives in to the temptation to abuse his power, the virginal nun Isabella must choose between accepting his advances and sacrificing her brother’s life.

Promethean Theatre's production really gets to the heart of balance between conservative and liberal ideas about sex and love and leads up to a more understanding and accepting place. Just like the play, however, no firm answers are given, so it's up to you to determine right from wrong and in doing so find the meaning of the play.

Measure for Measure opens Saturday, May 16 and runs through June 13 at City Lit Theatre.

Preview: The Tempest

Tina Landau takes the director's seat in Steppenwolf's new production of The Tempest. Perhaps the most exciting aspect of this production will be Frank Galati in the taking the role of the sorcerer Prospero.

One of Shakespeare's latter play, this romance explores themes from colonialism to the relationship of father and daughter. The play also contains what many consider to be Shakespeare's farwell to the Globe and to theatre itself:

Our revels now are ended. These our actors,
As I foretold you, were all spirits and
Are melted into air, into thin air:
And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,
The cloud-capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Ye all which it inherit, shall dissolve
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff
As dreams are made on, and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep.

This will be a production that is not to be missed. If you have the time this spring, as the April rains beat down on our fair city, make sure you head on over to the Steppenwolf for this classic.


Happy Birthday: Edmond Rostand (1868-1918)

Preview: Rod Blagojevich Superstar

Theatre sometimes has a hard time staying topical. It takes time to write a script, find production support, rent a venue, and rehearse a play. Once you are ready to put up your play, a once relevant topic can sometimes not longer be the hot item especially in today's era where our national media attention span is so short. Most of the relevant commentary on current events is done by the newscasters and the late night hosts. Thank goodness for disgraced, former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich; he just won't go away that easily. Chicago's premier sketch comedy, troupe The Second City, has seized the moment and created a short musical for the ages: Rod Blagojevich Superstar.

The off-night show combines the over-the-top religious rock operas of the 1970's (namely Jesus Christ Superstar and Godspell) with the over-the-top political news that has rocked Illinois over the past few weeks. All the melodrama and conniving seems well framed within the frame of the rock-musical genre. You can hear a preview of some of the music in a story done on NPR. Huge applause to The Second City for taking on something so topical and having the resolve to make sure that it was written and produced in two weeks.


Happy Birthday: Julia McKenzie (b. 1941)