Archive for the ‘Theatre’ Category

The new production of “Billy Bishop Goes to War,” directed by John Rensenhouse, is the second collaboration among the National World War I Museum, the Kansas City Actors Theatre and the UMKC Theatre Department. It starts Friday and runs through Feb. 26 in the museum’s J.C. Nichols Auditorium.

As part of the Royal Court Theatre’s Young Writers Festival, the much-lauded venue is holding a free playwriting workshop for children next month.

Youth Music Theatre is searching for 250 of the most talented, vibrant and energetic young performers, musicians and stage managers to join the 2012 company.

As the world celebrates the 200th anniversary of Charles Dickens’s birthday, a new musical version of A Tale Of Two Cities is to open at London’s Charing Cross theatre.

David Schwimmer will make his UK directing debut with Sabrina Mahfouz’s Dry Ice as part of New Writing, New Artists, Madani Younis’s inaugural season as Artistic Director at the Bush theatre.

Tyne Daly gives a tour de force performance as the utterly dominating Maria Callas.

Young theatregoers with literary aspirations can once again take part in Wicked’s Young Writers’ Award as it returns for its third year with the competition now open for applications.

Collectors, stockpilers, scavengers and archivists all have their limits, but there was nothing to stop the wealthy and privileged Collyer brothers from saving everything, and so they did—living in a house with rooms filled floor-to-ceiling with miscellany acquired over fifty-plus years. Mark Saltzman is the most recent of many writers to find in this eccentric compulsion a lesson for our own society, reflected in the play titled, Clutter: The True Story of the Collyer Brothers Who Never Threw Anything Out.

To create a mountain of debris for Richard Greenberg’s The Dazzle, Steppenwolf Theatre merely strapped a portion of their extensive prop warehouse to a wagon and wheeled it into view. Compare this with MadKap Productions’ performance space, which must crowd the Collyer mansion into an alcove fronted by a semi-transparent scrim on a shallow stage flanked by minimal wing space. Further complicating matters is the necessity of the various gewgaws being carried in during the course of the play’s action, gradually accumulating onstage while still allowing actors to move about without touching their invisible “wall.”

This task is right up Mary O’Dowd’s alley—almost literally. “I live in the Western suburbs,” says the property designer whose intricately-detailed decor has enhanced such Ivan Albright-styled environs as Signal Ensemble’s Real Inspector Hound, “so I drive around villages on garbage nights looking for free curbside finds. There are also some great thrift shops in the area, and dumpsters by shopping malls for things like boxes or newspapers. Oh, and I also borrow from my mother sometimes, or barter from other theaters.”

Do you ever have to build from scratch? “Some things I make—the Model T front seat in Clutter, I pieced together from a curbside wicker table, along with lumber scraps, foam pillows, floral wire, and several yards of vinyl. For the horse’s skull, I opted for paper-mâché over the retail price of $3000. My husband, let me add, is a skilled handyman who often helps me construct special items like the double-barreled sawed-off shotgun for Columbinus. He’s also very understanding about letting me store stuff at home.” She winks conspiratorially, “The secret to a successful marriage is separate garages!”

Did the furnishings all arrive at the theater at once? “Since I drive a small car, I usually bring stuff in increments and keep it at the theater, but this [production] was a rental, which meant nothing could be moved in ahead of time. I stored the props in our rehearsal space, then on the load-in date, I transported it to the Greenhouse in a rented truck, with the help of our stage manager, Cate [Anderson]—bless her heart!”

How does the assemblage fit backstage? “No square inch is wasted! The actors and the crew are wonderful at adapting to the changing offstage landscape. I’m buying two more canoe paddles tonight and I’ve prepared some extra items against the possibility of something breaking—not the horse’s skull, I hope, which took a long time to make.”

Does it ever bother you that the contributions of prop designers usually go unrecognized? “I love my job—even if the Jeffs and Tonys don’t acknowledge the existence of props people. Despite this production’s many challenges, it was worth every bit of the effort!”

Clutter runs through March 11 at the Greenhouse

Mary Shen Barnidge
Contributing Writer

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner but, at last night’s opening of Stefan Golaszewski’s Sex With A Stranger, romance certainly wasn’t in the air.

Signal Ensemble has become a watershed company here in Chicago. Since 2003, they have established themselves as the go-to place for new and exciting works – whether they were beautiful Midwest premieres of published properties or original works like the smash hit “Aftermath”, a jukebox Rolling Stones extravaganza with more on its mind than just amazing rock and roll. “Motion“, their new play about the NFL lockout and the power plays off the field, is getting fab reviews. We invited author and Founding Member of Signal Ronan Marra and director Aaron Snook to St. Mary of the Infinite Suffering’s parking lot to chat about the show, football, and the best mustard on your hot dog!

Ronan! Aaron! Thanks for meeting us over here at this tailgating party in this church parking lot!

Ronan — Thanks for having us!

Aaron — Our pleasure! Looking forward to the game!

You know, church basketball tailgating is supremely underrated. We are just looking for a reason to party, you know what I mean, brahs?!

Ronan — I agree I’ve always felt people are really missing out it.

Aaron — I hear ya. The wine and the snacks are the best at these.

Ok, so let’s talk for a second about your theatre company called “Signal Ensemble”. You guys, as I understand it, have some of the largest wings of any theatre company in town. Meaning your group of artists works all around the city.

Ronan — They do, everyone works for a lot of different companies. We heavily encourage it.

Aaron — We take pride in that — it just makes the ensemble that much better.

A lot of people don’t seem to understand that staying insular can lead to stagnation and death, so we applaud you, gentlemen. Now, tell us a little bit about what you guys do? All theatre companies are the same to us.

Ronan — These days we have a specific goal to do work that has never been seen in Chicago. We’re always looking for some level of premiere, whether it be world or Chicago.

Aaron — I’d also add that our uniqueness is based on the people that we have in the room during the creative process. In other words, our ensemble makes us who we are.

Well, whatever makes you happy I guess. So, one of the reasons we asked you out here before the Super Bowl, is because you guys are doing an original play written by Ronan, and directed by Aaron about the football lockout from earlier this year, yes?

Ronan — Yes sir.

Aaron — Football!

Why football? Do a lot of theatre people like football?

Ronan — Many seem to. I’ve been asked this before and I always say that most of my Facebook feed are theatre people and anytime there’s a game on, they’re posting about it. Most of my friends like it.

Aaron – I like football.

Thanks Aaron. I love straight forward answers. Tell me briefly what Motion is about.

Ronan — The league is on the verge of a labor lockout like the one the NFL experienced over the spring and summer. The fictional Cleveland Rams have the first pick in the draft, and their new general manager, Diane, has to decide what to do with the first pick. She is greatly interfered with by the owner’s son and her ex-husband, Drew, who is an agent that represents the top quarterback in the draft.

I love it. You guys have a couple of very special guests as the “Greek Chorus Morning Zoo Radio Sports Commentators” don’t you?

Ronan — We do.

Aaron — Very special indeed.

Who are they, and why did you choose them?

Aaron — You two, silly! Ronan, why did we choose them?

Ronan — When they left ESPN, we moved swiftly.

We were honored to be a part of it. When you look forward, into the rest of your season, and into future seasons do you foresee doing more plays about sports? The reason I am asking is, you recently did a show about The Rolling Stones called “Aftermath” that was a big hit for you. Do you think there is something about taking popular cultural institutions like rock music or football and basing theatre performances on them? Are you looking for an audience where there wasn’t one before?

Ronan — I don’t think we specifically thought about it that way. We honestly had no idea the demo we were tapping into with Aftermath. I think I just love both subjects and wanted to write about them. It’s certainly possible I’ll take on rock or sports again.

Aaron — Yeah, we’re just looking to tell good stories and these were a couple of them. I love the link, but we never think about it until it’s brought up. I’m thinking roller derby next.

Do you think, in your personal opinion, that the lockout was a good move? Who won? Would you like another hot dog?

Ronan — I would love another hot dog. In general, I think they put a good deal together, and it’s good it didn’t last into the regular season. As we cover in Motion, a lot of other jobs were at stake — staffers, stadium workers, etc. It wasn’t just the players and owners at risk. It seems like they put a good deal together, I’m not sure there was a clear winner.

Aaron — I think it worked out better than the NBA, anyway. Hey, no freakin mustard on mine!

Well, we have many mustard selections…try the Gulden’s! Over at Signal, you guys seem to go back and forth between published pieces and original work. Was this a conscious decision or something that developed organically?

Ronan — it was conscious. Especially when we started, the idea was to do everything from classics to new works. Now that we’re focused a little more on new work or Chicago premieres, we deal more with agents and the like.

Aaron — I think we really cut our teeth on classics for a while and we’re now at the point where we want to start telling newer stories. And I will NOT try the Gulden’s.

Your loss, brah. Well, we would like to thank you both for coming. You know who you never see at church basketball tailgating parties? Ladies.

Aaron — An absolute pleasure.

Ronan — Thank you!

Let me ask you before you go…what is your favorite Super Bowl party food and who do you pick to win?

Ronan — I like wings and I’m going Pats 24-21.

Aaron — Nachos all the time. I’m sticking to my guns from a while ago with Pats 20-17.

Ronan — Let it be noted that is the first time Aaron has ever agreed with me.

Aaron — Noted.

Motion runs at Signal Ensemble Theatre until Match 3.

Eric Roach, Anderson Lawfer

Alan Ayckbourn’s comedy about six friends and a tea party that goes horribly, and hilariously, wrong opens at the Harold Pinter theatre this week, so Official London Theatre decided to find out whether any of the star-studded cast have had to endure an evening of torture at a disastrous party.

Tom Bateman, Mark Bonnar, Harry Lloyd and Finbar Lynch have joined the cast of Jamie Lloyd’s forthcoming production of The Duchess Of Malfi.

“Pump Boys and Dinettes” was a unique show when it opened on Broadway just over 30 years ago and it still is – an amiable, slap-happy revue that pokes fun at our rural roots and country cousins without ever seeming mean-spirited. The lively production now running at the New Theatre does it up right.

Full casting has been announced for the Donmar Warehouse’s forthcoming triptych Making Noise Quietly, with previous Donmar performers Susan Brown and Sara Kestleman joined by John Hollingworth, Matthew Tennyson, Jordan Dawes and Ben Batt.

Olivier Award-winning actress Samantha Spiro will star in Shakespeare’s Globe’s production of the Bard’s controversial comedy The Taming Of The Shrew this summer.

A host of West End stars will be behind some of the many voices participating in this year’s The Night Of 1000 Voices at the Royal Albert Hall, which will take place in May.

Michael Frayn’s Noises Off will transfer to the West End following its overwhelming success at the Old Vic theatre.

Thomas Middleton’s asylum sub-plot in The Changeling is a somewhat confusing addition to his dark revenge tragedy. To counteract this problem, director Joe Hill-Gibbins has chosen to transform his Young Vic production into a mental, anarchic experience…

Russell Tovey talks to Charlotte Marshall about snogging, being suspended from school for eating cakes, going stir-crazy on The History Boys and His & Her writer Stefan Golaszewski’s Sex With A Stranger.

Anna Chancellor and Nicholas Farrell will reprise their roles in Chichester Festival Theatre’s critically acclaimed double bill South Downs and The Browning Version when it transfers to the Harold Pinter theatre this spring.

Natalie Dormer, Kieran Bew and Polly Frame will star in the Young Vic’s revival of Patrick Marber’s play After Miss Julie, which has extended its run by an additional week due to popular demand.

“Pump Boys and Dinettes” was a unique show when it opened on Broadway just over 30 years ago and it still is – an amiable, slap-happy revue that pokes fun at our rural roots and country cousins without ever seeming mean-spirited.

The Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) has announced forthcoming workshops for budding young dancers taking place this summer.

Claire Sweeney and Matthew Kelly will star in a revival of Educating Rita this spring, with the production playing a three week run at the Menier Chocolate Factory before embarking on a UK tour.