Russ Tutterow Artistic Director
Brian Loevner Managing Director
34 years developing playwrights and new plays
presents the World Premiere of
I am Going to Change the World By Andrew Hinderaker Directed by Jonathan Berry Scenic Design Collette Pollard
Lighting Design Heather Gilbert
Costume Design Alison Siple
Sound Design Chris Kriz
Projections Design Mike Tutaj
Props Design Emily Guthrie
Stage Management Jenniffer J. Thusing June 1, 2012 – July 1, 2012 I am Going to Change the World was developed in part through the readings and workshops at Chicago Dramatists. I am Going to Change the World 1
Chicago Dramatists Present A World Premiere Production
T H E P L A Y W R I G H T S ’ T H E AT R E
I am Going to Change the World by Resident Playwright Andrew Hinderaker Directed by Jonathan Berry
CAST John...................................................................................................................... Nicholas Harazin Frank............................................................................................................................Norm Woodel Marla...........................................................................................................................Meg Thalken* Dr. Jensen.......................................................................................................................Judy Blue*+ Troy........................................................................................................................................Ed Flynn Geoffrey..................................................................................................................Gabriel Franken Tom................................................................................................................................ Robert Koon “I am Going to Change the World” runs approximately two hours including a fifteen minute intermission. Please turn off all cell phones and electronic pagers. The use of cameras, video recorders, and audio recorders is forbidden. P R O D U C T I O N S TA F F Stage Manager...................................................................................... Jenniffer J. Thusing*+ Production Manager................................................................................................ Becky Mock Assistant Stage Manager....................................................................................Aaron Pfeiffer Technical Director.......................................................................................................Joe Dybdal Master Electrician.............................................................................................Andrew Iverson Graphic Design and Photographer..................................Paul Grignois and Austin Oie House/Bar Manager............................................................................................. Collin Seaman Public Relations................................................................................................Shout Marketing Interns..................................................................................................Lucy Moser, Stanley Shi, Shelly Horwitz, Maha Chishty, Mike Myers, and Alexandra Rosenberg * Member of Actor’s Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States. + Denotes Chicago Dramatists Associate Artist T H A N K YO U To Robert Salinger, for his expertise on psychiatric disorders; to Sherry Kramer, Steven Dietz, Suzan Zeder, Rob Koon, Gabriel Jason Dean and Stephen Karam, for their careful readings of the play; to Chicago Dramatists, the Gift Theatre Company, Roundabout Theatre, and UT-Austin, for giving me a home; to Jonathan Berry, Caroline Neff, Bill Rowe and Mary Ann Zgalijic, for putting a roof over my head in Chicago; to JB, the cast, and the designers, for their artistry; to Corinne Hayoun, for her advocacy, and above all, to Kathy and Paul Hinderaker, for their support. This play is for them. And for you. -Andrew Hinderaker 2 Chicago Dramatists
Welcome to Chicago Dramatists. Since 1979, our mission has stayed true and fast: to discover and nurture the playwrights of the future. The productions in the 2011-2012 Season are some of the best new plays by our Resident and Network Playwrights, and represent the wide spectrum of material that Chicago Dramatists fosters. Working with over 500 playwrights annually, Chicago Dramatists’ most important sign of achievement is its nurturing of compelling, challenging and diverse plays that move on to productions, earn awards, and define the American theatre. Playing on Broadway this season is another Chicago Dramatists play,“Stick Fly” by Resident Playwright Lydia R. Diamond. Moreover, in the past year, our plays have seen over 800 productions, awards, readings or festival presentations, helping enrich the lives of thousands of theatre patrons across the country, exporting Chicago voices to the nation, and enhancing Chicago Dramatists’ status as one of the nation’s foremost new play development theatres. Chicago Dramatists boasts 37 Chicago Resident Playwrights, while our associate membership – The Playwrights Network – serves nearly 200 writers, nationwide. Chicago Dramatists also encourages playwrights and new plays through our Playwrights Studio Classes, the popular 10-Minute Workshop, educational programs at underprivileged high schools, and The Saturday Series. The Saturday Series is our foremost development program. Since 1979, over 1,500 plays have been presented in this weekly staged reading series. Saturdays at 2:00 pm, yearround, audiences can see and discuss some of the best new work in development in Chicago. Please join us! For more information on our many programs, please visit our web site at www.chicagodramatists.org. Chicago Dramatists is a professional theatre producing in accordance with Actor’s Equity Association, Chicago Area Theatres Contract, and is a member of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the League of Chicago Theatres, the Producers Association of Chicago Theater (PACT), Bucktown/Wicker Park Chamber of Commerce, Oak Park Chamber of Commerce and the West Town Chamber of Commerce.
BIOGR APHIES Jonathan Berry (Director): is a director and teacher in Chicago. His prior work with Andrew Hinderaker includes productions of Suicide, Incorporated at the Gift and at Roundabout Theatre in NY. Prior work includes: Steep Theatre: Festen, The Resistible Rise of Arturo, and the mid-west premier of The Hollow Lands, As a Griffin Company artistic associate, productions include: The North American premiers of Simon Stephens Punk Rock, Port, and On the Shore of the Wide World, Spring Awakening, Company, Picnic, Time and
the Conways (Jeff nom – director/ ensemble), Dead End, Be More Chill, Brendan Behan’s The Hostage and the critically acclaimed Journey’s End. Other works include: A Separate Peace for Steppenwolf’s SYA and Melinda Lopez’s Gary for First Look. Remy Bumppo, The Marriage of Figaro, Lifeline Theater: The Piano Tuner (Afterdark award – Best Production): Theater Mir: The Sea and Brecht’s Caucasian Chalk Circle. Berry pursued his MFA in directing from Northwestern University. Upcoming projects include Moment by Deirdre Kinahan for Steep, premiering Andrew Hinderacker’s Dirty at The Gift and The Burnt Part Boys for Griffin. I am Going to Change the World 3
B I O G R A P H I E S ( c o n t .) Judy Blue (“Dr. Jensen”) is thrilled to be at Chicago Dramatists with this wonderful cast and to be working with Jon Berry and Andrew Hinderaker again. Outside of many new script readings, her productions at CD have included Grande Hysterie by Roger Rueff and Liquid Moon by John Green. Other new plays include: Todd Logan’s Tops or Bottoms and Gary Slezak’s Slaphappy. Chicago credits include: Romeo and Juliet, Richard III, and The Winter’s Tale (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); Talking Pictures, Blind Date, House and Garden, A Little Night Music, Frank’s Home (Goodman Theatre); Gary (Steppenwolf Theatre Company); The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow, To Kill a Mockingbird (Collaboraction); The Pull of the Moon (16th Street Theater); The Man Who Came to Dinner (Drury Lane Oakbrook); An American Daughter (Organic/Touchstone). Regional credits include: Fool for Love (B Street Theatre); As You Like It (Dallas Theater Center); The Merchant of Venice, Piaf, She Loves Me (Stage West); Twelfth Night (Shakespeare Dallas); Tender (Syzygy Theatre Group, LA); and Evita, Lips Together, Teeth Apart, Home Fires (Arkansas Repertory Theatre). Other credits include productions with: Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Writers’ Theatre, Henry Street New Federal Theatre, Apple Tree Theatre, Theatre Three, and Movement Theatre International. Ms. Blue is a company member of Syzygy Theatre Group L.A., The Shakespeare Project of Chicago and an associate artist at Chicago Dramatists. Joe Dybdal (Technical Director): is excited to be a apart of I am Going To Change The World. He also worked with Chicago Dramatists on Blizzard ‘67. Joe has also been the Technical Director for Provision Theater, City Lit Theater, and Theater Seven. He was also on the Set Construction Crew for Writers Theater, First Foliio, About Face Theater, Stage 4 Chicago Dramatists
B I O G R A P H I E S ( c o n t .) Left, WildClaw Theatre, North Central College, and Judson College. He hopes you sit back, relax and enjoy the show! Ed Flynn (“Troy”) notable credits include Scott in Mr. Hinderaker’s Suicide, Incorporated and Mitch (as a performing understudy) in David Cromer’s A Streetcar Named Desire. Ed is a member of the Gift Theatre Company, where he is Artistic Director of Late Night Programming and a member of NATURAL GAS, the Gift’s house improv team. Ed is a graduate of Steppenwolf, The Second City and iO. He is not a graduate of Ohio State. Special thanks go to Mr. Berry and Mr. Hinderaker for twice giving him the incredible gift of their talent, insight and friendship. Heather Gilbert (Lighting Design): is an award-winning lighting designer, based in Chicago. Most recently, her work could be seen in the recordbreaking Off-Broadway run of OUR TOWN at the Barrow Street Theatre. Regionally, Heather’s designs have been at Williamstown Theatre Festival, the Alley Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Court Theatre, Lookinglass Theatre, Writers Theatre, Chicago Children’s Theatre, and many more. International credits include A Perfect Ganesh at Singapore Repertory Theatre. Heather works frequently with acclaimed directors such as David Cromer, Sean Graney, Wilson Milam, Ron OJ Parson and many others. She was a recipient of the prestigious NEA/ TCG Career Development Grant for Designers from TCG. Heather received her B.A. from Trinity University in San Antonio and her M.F.A. from The Theatre School at Depaul University in Chicago. Since 2006, she has served as the head of the lighting program at Columbia College Chicago, and also frequently creates architectural lighting design around Chicago.
Emily Guthrie (Props Design): This is Emily’s second show with Chicago Dramatists, after working on Blizzard ‘67. She is a graduate Properties Apprentice and current overhire at Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Emily’s credits include Steppenwolf, Red Tape Theatre, A Red Orchid Theatre, Redtwist Theatre, TimeLine, The Music School at DePaul University and Highland Park Players. She is an ensemble member and Company Manager at Red Tape Theatre. Emily earned a B.F.A./Scene Design from The Theatre School at DePaul University. Gabriel Franken (“Geoffery”) was last seen in Absolute Hell (The Gift Theatre) where he is a proud ensemble member. He has also enjoyed working in Chicago with Griffin, Pavement Group, Ex-Pats, Point of Contention and New Leaf. Gabe moved from Seattle in June of 2010 to attend The School at Steppenwolf. See him next in Idomeneus (Sideshow Theatre Company) at the DCA Storefront Theatre. Nicholas Harazin (“John”): I am Going to Change the World marks Nicholas Harazin’s debut with Chicago Dramatists. A recent transplant to the Chicago area, his credits include, Short Shakes! Taming of the Shrew!, Short Shakes! MacBeth! (Chicago Shakespeare), Look Back in Anger (Verge Theater) & Much Ado About Nothing, Love’s Labor’s Lost, Twelfth Night, and R & J (Back Room Shakespeare Project) Regional credits include work with Milwaukee Rep, American Players Theater, Milwaukee Chamber Theater, Renaissance Theaterworks, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Theatre de la Jeune Lune,
among many others. Many thanks to Mr. Hinderaker, Mr. Berry & Mr. Dean for this wonderful opportunity. Chris Kriz (Sound Design): works nationally as a composer and sound designer and is pleased to be working with Chicago Dramatists again, having recently designed The Invasion Of Skokie. In Chicago, Chris has designed for companies including Northlight, Steppenwolf, Goodman, Victory Gardens and TimeLine. Recent Chicago credits include The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter (Steppenwolf Theatre), Black Pearl Sings (Northlight Theatre), Pride and Prejudice (Lifeline Theatre), After The Revolution (Next Theatre), Turn Of The Screw (First Folio), The Word Progress... (Trap Door Theatre), Opus (Redtwist), Festen (Steep Theatre) and The Count Of Monte Cristo (Lifeline Theatre). Regional credits include Fall Of The House (Theatre Squared), The Nerd (Peninsula Players) and the national tour of America Amerique (Jena Company). Upcoming productions include The Letters (Writers Theatre), The Whipping Man (Northlight Theatre) and Creditors (Remy Bumppo). To hear more of his work, please visit www.christopherkriz.com Andrew Hinderaker is a Resident Playwright at Chicago Dramatists. His play Suicide, Incorporated was produced OffBroadway at the Roundabout Theatre Company last fall, following a critically acclaimed premiere at the Gift Theatre in2010 (Jeff Nomination, Best New Work). Additional plays include Kingsville (Stage Left Theatre, 2010) Dirty (Gift, September 2012) and Colossal (UT-Austin, March 2013). Hinderaker holds commissions from the Roundabout Theatre Company I am Going to Change the World 5
B I O G R A P H I E S ( c o n t .) and Marc Platt Productions, and his plays have been produced/developed by the Araca Group, Steppenwolf, the Kennedy Center, Rattlestick Theatre, Victory Gardens, Chicago Dramatists, American Theater Company, and the side project. Hinderaker is a proud ensemble of the Gift Theatre Company and is currentlypursuing his M.F.A in Playwriting at the University of Texas at Austin.
Diary of a Worm, a Spider and a Fly (First Stage, Milwaukee), Our Town (The Broad Stage, Off Broadway and Hypocrites), Mr. Rickey Calls a Meeting (Lookingglass), The Pirates of Penzance (Hypocrites),The Great Fire (Lookingglass) and Sophocles Seven Sicknesses (Hypocrites). Alison won the 2010 Equity Jeff Award for The Mystery of Irma Vep (Court Theatre) and the 2011 Non-Equity Jeff Award for Cabaret (Hypocrites). She also won Non-Equity Robert Koon Jeff Awards for Time and the Conways (Company (Griffin Theatre) in 2006 and for Leonce Dramaturg, und Lena (Hypocrites) in 2005. She was “Tom”): Robert recently named one of 12 artists to Koon is a longtime receive a 2011 3 Arts Artist Grant. She Resident Playwright, is an Associate company member of making his first The Hypocrites, an Artistic Associate on-stage appearance in a Chicago with Lookingglass and a graduate of Dramatists production. His last Northwestern University. Check out her appearance was also as an on-stage other work at alisonsiple.com. playwright, as Henrik Ibsen in Sideshow Theatre’s Heddatron, and he was also Collette Pollard (Set Designer): seen in Robert Tenges’s Jeff-nominated Chicago credits: RENT, (Co Production People We Know at the side project American Theatre Company and About and in Stage Left Theatre’s LeapFest Face Theatre) Fish Men, (Teatro Vista presentation of Andrew Hinderaker’s presented by Goodman Theatre). Death Kingsville. Regional credits include And Harry Houdini, The Nutcracker and work at Steppenwolf and Long Wharf Cyrano, (The House Theatre of Chicago). theatres, and also at the late lamented The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter, and To Kill Illinois Theatre Center. His plays include A Mockingbird, (Steppenwolf Theatre). Vintage Red and the Dust of the Road The Real Thing and A Streetcar Named (New Work Jeff Award), Odin’s Horse Desire, (Writers’ Theatre). Broadway (Jeff nomination), Menorca, St. Colm’s Bound, (Drury Lane Theatre, best large Inch, and the upcoming Homecoming scenic design, Jeff Nomination). The 1972 in the 2012-2013 season here at Front Page, (best midsize design, Jeff Chicago Dramatists. Thanks to Andrew, Award). Regional credits: Death And Jonathan, and Chicago Dramatists. Harry Houdini, (Adrienne Arsht Center Love to Jean Marie. For The Performing Arts, Miami), The Fairytale Lives Of Russian Girls, (Alliance Aaron Pfeiffer (Assistant Stage Theatre, Atlanta), Don’t Tell Me I Can’t Manager) is elated to be a part of I Fly, (First Stage Theatre, Milwaukee), A am Going to Change the World. He was Streetcar Named Desire, (Williamstown last a part of Dramatist’s Blizard ‘67. He Theatre Festival), Harriet Jacobs and assistant stage-managed the play. I The Glass Menagerie, (Kansas City would like to thank Chicago Dramatist Repertory Theatre). International for giving me this great outlet for credits: Joan D’arc, (Co-production expressions. Goodman Theatre and Linz, Austria). Maria Stewart, (Linz, Austria). Collette Alison Siple (Costume Designer): received the Michael Merritt Maggio Alison’s most recent work includes Emerging Designer Award in 2010, and 6 Chicago Dramatists
B I O G R A P H I E S ( c o n t .) is currently the Scenic Design Lecturer faculty member at Columbia College and company member at The House Theatre of Chicago. Meg Thalken (Marla) has been making her living as an actress here in Chicago for over 30 years. Past work includes: A Guide for the Perplexed, Four Places, Symmetry, Hanging Fire, Cahoots (with Sharon Gless), Winter (with Julie Harris), Voice of Good Hope, A View of the Dome, Working Magic, Still Waters, and The Long Awaited (Victory Gardens). The Metal Children (Next Theatre Co.), Don Juan In Hell (Northlight), The Heidi Chronicles (National Jewish Theatre) (HalsedTheatre Center), Solomon’s Choice (NJT), My Fat Friend (Pheasant Run), Life With Father (Playhouse), A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Laundry & Bourbon (Travel Light), and Bagtime (Wisdom Bridge). TV credits: Detroit 187, ER, What About Joan?, Turks, Chicago Hope, Early Edition, EZ Streets, The Untouchables, Chicago Story, Jack & Mike, Justice: Greylord Style, The Richard Speck Case and Through Naked Eyes. Filmwork: Hannah Free, Check Please, The Company, U.S. Marshals, Poltergeist III, A Family Thing, The Babe and Class. As with most actors in Chicago, a good deal of her day to day work is done in tv and radio commercials, both on-camera and as a voice-over. Meg can be heard regularly in a variety of roles on The Twilight Zone on radio stations across the country and teaches Acting and Scene Study at Columbia College Chicago. She is married to film and TV production designer Gary Baugh, and they have two daughters, Molly and Riley. Proud member of Actors Equity since 1980. Jenniffer J. Thusing (Stage Manager) is happy to work on another great production at Dramatists. She spends a great deal of her time at Chicago Dramatists serving as their
Stage Manager since 2009 and this year becoming an artistic associate. Jenniffer also works with her partner Robert Groth as a scenic design team. Their design work was nominated for a 2011 Equity Wing Jeff Award for Seanachi’s The Weir. Their work will next be seen on Pine Box’s The Jammer. Jenniffer is also a teaching artist, working mostly through the Beverly Art Center Outreach program. Jenniffer is a proud member of Actors Equity. www. jennifferjthusing.com Mike Tutaj (Projections Design): his designs have been seen and heard on the stages of TimeLine Theatre, The Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Victory Gardens Theatre, The Court Theatre, American Theater Company, Teatro Vista, The Hypocrites, Silk Road Theatre Project and many more. OffBroadway and Regional credits include The York Theatre, Madison Repertory Theatre Company, and Theatre Squared. Norm Woodel (“Frank”): “There’s nothing as rewarding as being invited to play in a new work.” Norm says, “I love the rhythm and powerful simplicity of writer, Andrew Hinderaker’s language in this play.” While this is his first performance at Chicago Dramatist, it’s his third adventure with Jonathan Berry having been Directed by Berry in On The Shore’s Of The Wide World and, most recently, Steep Theatre’s highly acclaimed production of Festen. Festen having been noted as one of Chicago’s “Top Ten Plays of 2011” by TimeOut Chicago and several others. Woodel’s Chicago theater credits include: The Best Man, Barefoot In The Park and, Tony Winner, Joe Dipietro’s - F**king Men. Norm’s TV and Film Credits include: The Client, Radio Land Murders, Matlock, The Untouchables, and Early Edition. And, he’s still one of Chicago’s top Voice I am Going to Change the World 7
B I O G R A P H I E S ( c o n t .) Artists having Narrated When Weather Changed History for the Weather Channel and Inside The Box for MSNBC, as well as, commercials for Busch Beer, Subway and, 2012 Obama For America Campaign spots. Russ Tutterow (Artistic Director): has nurtured the art and careers of countless playwrights at Chicago Dramatists, where he has been Artistic Director since 1986. In 2005, he received the Artistic Leadership Award from the League of Chicago Theatres for his “outstanding achievement in developing new plays and his long time contribution to Chicago theatre.” Most recently, he directed Chicago Dramatists’ productions of Blizzard ‘67 by John Stenhagen, Hickorydickory by Marisa Wegrzyn, Jade Heart by Will Cooper, A Steady Rain by Keith Huff (Jeff Award for Production and New Work, Jeff Award nomination for Direction), How I Became an Interesting Person by Will Dunne, 10 Virgins by Laura Jacqmin, Water by Alice Austen (Jeff Award nomination for New Work), and Voyeurs de Venus by Lydia R. Diamond (Jeff Award for New Work). Mr. Tutterow has been involved in notfor-profit, commercial and educational theatre for over thirty-five years. He has directed, managed or taught for such Chicago theatres as Goodman, Victory Gardens, Royal George, Mercury, Briar Street, Prop, Zebra Crossing, Igloo, and Cullen, Henaghan & Platt Productions, as well as Café LaMama Hollywood, and served on the
C H I C AG O D R A M AT I S T S ( c o n t .) 2005 First Look Council at Steppenwolf Theatre. Mr. Tutterow holds an M.A. in Theatre from Northwestern University and a B.A. in Theatre from Ball State University. He was recently honored with the 2010 Spirit Award by the Equal Employment Committee of The Actors Equity Association. Brian Loevner (Managing Director): is a theatre manager, producer, production manager, and arts educator. He was a founder and the Managing Director of Theatre Conspiracy in Washington D.C. In 1998, he cofounded TriArts, Inc., where he created programming partnerships with the Chicago Park District, Gallery 37, and the Department of Aging. Over five years ago, Mr. Loevner grew TriArts into a Jeff nominated theatre with strong support from the theatre community.Brian Loevner has also produced and production managed over 80 shows with companies such as Famous Door Theatre, Timeline Theatre, Collaboraction, and The Actor’s Gymnasium. Further, he has worked as a consultant, helping non profits grow strong and live long. His current project is with Chicago Fringe Festival. He attended Virginia Tech and George Mason University where he majored in Theatre Arts with a focus on Arts Management. As an arts educator, he taught circus arts, clowning, and general theatre for three years at Louisa Mae Alcott School in Lincoln Park. He lives in Humboldt Park with his two daughters, Carlisle and Lucy.
C H I C AG O D R A M AT I S T S RUSS TUTTEROW • Artistic Director BRIAN LOEVNER • Managing Director VIRGINIA NUGENT • Development Director MEGHAN BEALS McCARTHY • Associate Artistic Director ILESA DUNCAN • Schools Coordinator ROBERT KOON • Dramaturg
8 Chicago Dramatists
RESIDENT PLAYWRIGHTS Alice Austen, David Barr III, Scott Barsotti, Derrell Capes, Mary Ruth Clarke, Randall Colburn, Cheryl Coons, Lydia R. Diamond, Will Dunne, Reginald Edmund, Marsha Estell, Dana Lynn Formby, John Green, Sarah Gubbins, Jim Henry, Andrew Hinderaker, Ron Hirsen, Laura Jacqmin, Nambi E. Kelley, Robert Koon, Aline Lathrop, M.E.H. Lewis, Susan Lieberman, Rohina Malik, Arlene Malinowski, Ruth Margraff, Mia McCullough, Jayme McGhan, Carlos Murillo, Tania Richard, Roger Rueff, Emily Schwartz, Steve Simoncic, Jon Steinhagen, Marisa Wegrzyn, Mark Young, and Martin Zimmerman RESIDENT PLAYWRIGHTS EMERITI Carson Grace Becker, Rebecca Gilman, Evan Guilford-Blake, Keith Huff, Joel Drake Johnson, Brett Neveu, and Tanya Saracho BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Neill Shanahan, Vice President Patrice Fletcher, Treasurer Clifford Shapiro, Secretary Carla Salvo, Maaike Almeida, Cheryl Coons, Barbara Garrow, Brian Loevner, Roger Rueff, Arthur Sussman, Russ Tutterow, and Therese Weber DISTINGUISHED EMERITUS BOARD Sandra Blau, Michael J. Keating, Ellen Krasnow, and Dianne S. Rossell ADVISORY BOARD Susan V. Booth, Dean Corrin, Michael Cullen, Steven Dietz, Ann Filmer, Gary Garrison, Arthur Kopit, Rondi Reed, Bruce Sagan, Steve Scott, Dana Singer, Chuck Smith, Edward Sobel, and Michele Volansky ASSOCIATE ARTISTS Roslyn Alexander, Abu Ansari, Anna C. Bahow, Lance Baker, Barry Bennett, Kristie Berger, Judy Blue, Daniel Bryant, Suellen Burton, Anna Carini, Justin Cholewa, Aaron Christensen, Wendye Clarendon, Victor Cole, Michelle Courvais, Kirsten D’Aurelio, Cat Dean, Peter DeFaria, Sandra Delgado, Diane Dorsey, Ilesa Duncan, Cameron Feagin, Ann Filmer, Christine Gatto, Gregory Gerhard, Danny Goldring, Cheryl Graeff, Marguerite Hammersley, Rachel Edwards Harvith, Kevin Heckman, Richard Henzel, Michael Kessler, Doug MacKechnie, Richard Marlatt, Morgan McCabe, Meghan Beals McCarthy, Walt McGough, Michael Joseph Mitchell, Anthony Moseley, Ron O. J. Parson, Coya Paz, Richard Perez, Jeff Pines, Joe Plummer, Tania Richard, John Sanders, Steve Scott, Kimberly Senior, Richard Shavzin, Aaron Snook, Edward Sobel, Stephen Spencer, Craig Spidle, Randy Steinmeyer, Don Stroup, Jenniffer J. Thusing, Mark Ulrich, Penelope Walker, Andrea Washburn, Wendi Weber, Alice Wedoff, Ron Wells, and Kerith Wolf
FOR INFORMATION ON CHICAGO DRAMATISTS’ PLAYWRITING PROGRAMS CALL OR WRITE Chicago Dramatists • 1105 W. Chicago Avenue • Chicago, IL 60642 Office & Box Office: (312) 633-0630 E-mail: newplays@chicagodramatists.org Or visit our web site at www.chicagodramatists.org I am Going to Change the World 9
CHICAGO DR AMATISTS RESIDENT PLAY WRIGHT NEWS –SPRING 2012 Alice Austen’s world premiere translation of La Musica by Marguerite Duras received a critically acclaimed production by Salome Speelt in Chicago this spring. Best of all Possible Worlds will be seen at Steep Theatre Company this summer. Blue Eyes will premiere at Route 66 later this year. Alice is collaborating with Noemi Schlosser on a world premiere production of their play Zivago. Alice has recently written two novels, The Geometry of Chance and 41, and is currently finishing her new film, Don’t Let Go. Scott T. Barsotti’s adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Body Snatcher will premiere this summer at Brisbane Arts Theatre in Queensland, Australia. His play Brewed will receive a co-production in 2013 by The Ruckus and Tympanic Theatre companies in Chicago. Scott is on commission for Lifeline Theatre, currently adapting Geoffrey Hayes’ children’s book The Mystery of the Pirate Ghost for their 2012/13 KidSeries season. Mary Ruth Clarke’s play Bonhoeffer’s Cost had a very successful run this past fall at Provision Theater. She’s working on a commissioned TV pilot about the marvelous characters who inhabit the world of community theater. She’s the curriculum guru for new Chicago Dramatists Corporate Story Studio initiative, and she’s teaching Writing the American Screenplay at CD. Will Dunne’s new play The Roper, an historical look at a dark side of the Abraham Lincoln legacy, will receive a staged reading at the Phoenix Theatre in San Francisco in June. His near-death drama Love and Drowning, developed originally at the O’Neill, will be produced in September at the 16th Street Theatre. His book The Dramatic Writer’s Companion: Tools to Develop Characters, Cause Scenes, and Build Stories (University of Chicago Press) continues in its second edition to top the amazon bestseller list in Playwriting. 10 Chicago Dramatists
Meanwhile his popular Scene Shop playwriting workshop is now in its fifth year at Chicago Dramatists. Marsha Estell’s Before I Wake was selected for Karamu’s 2012 Arena Fest! It received a reading on 4/16 and 4/19. Heat will receive two productions this summer; 5/31- 6/16 at the Etta Grace Theatre, Salt Lake City, Utah and 6/9- 6/24, Fleetwood Jourdain Theatre, Evanston Illinois. In the works; “In search of a Love Supreme” a mid-life romantic comedy. A scene from the play will be featured in the Scene Shop Showcase, 6/11/2012 at Chicago Dramatists. John Green’s one act, Integrity, was recently performed as part of Cut To The Chase at Artistic Home Theatre. He performed his original stories/ songs as part of the Ceyx Series at Halcyon Theatre in April. His play, Still Point, will be part of The Dionysus Cup at Polarity Theatre Company. He will be acting with the Creede Repertory Theatre in Colorado where his play, Remember Me, will receive a workshop. Sarah Gubbins is a Chicago playwright. Her plays include Fair Use, In Loco Parentis, The Water Play, The Kid Thing (Edgarton Foundation New American Play Award), fml: how Carson McCullers saved my life and I am Bradley Manning. Her plays have been produced at the Steppenwolf Theatre, Actor’s Express, Next Theater, About Face Theater and Chicago Dramatists. Her plays have been developed at the Public Theater, New York Theater Workshop, The Goodman Theatre, and The Plawrights’ Center of Minneapolis among others. Sarah is a Resident Playwright at Chicago Dramatists, an Artistic Associate at About Face Theatre, the 2010-2011 Carl J. Djerassi Playwriting Fellow at the University of WisconsinMadison and a 2011-2012 Jerome Fellow. She holds a M.F.A. in Writing for the Screen + Stage from Northwestern University.
CHICAGO DR AMATISTS RESIDENT PLAY WRIGHT NEWS –SPRING 2012 Evan Guilford-Blake’s newest play, The Bluebird Prince, won the East Valley Children’s Theatre Competition and will be staged there in 2013. Friends & Relations was issued by HaveScripts.com, and his stories Animation and A Box of Beautifuls will published this summer in Labello Press’ Gem Street anthology and by GringoLandiaSantiago, respectively. Jim Henry’s award winning plays have been produced throughout the US and in Australia. His first play, The Angels of Lemnos, had its world premier at Chicago Dramatists and won a Jeff Award for Best New Work. Angels will be produced by Innovations Theatre Works in Feb 2012. Mr. Henry’s play The Seventh Monarch will be produced OffBroadway in NYC at the Acorn Theatre in June 2012. Jim’s newest play Brother of All will be produced by Chicago Street Theatre in May 2012. Ron Hirsen’s activities in 2011-2012 have included a staged reading of his play, The Well-Tempered Clavier, at the Abingdon Theatre in New York, where it was also chosen as a finalist for the Brian Christopher Wolk Award. Land Where My Fathers Died was one of four plays included in the Dionysos Cup Festival of New Plays at Polarity Ensemble Theatre here in Chicago. Both these plays were developed at Chicago Dramatists. The Frugal Repast is being produced at the Greenbrier Valley Theatre in West Virginia in July/August, 2012, and his Elegy was presented in a staged reading at the Anshe Emet Synagogue last fall as part of the synagogue’s commemoration of Kristallnacht. The reading was directed by Associate Artist Richard Shavzin, who is slated to direct a Chicago production of the play in 2013 as a benefit for the Illinois Holocaust Museum in Skokie. Laura Jacqmin’s play January Joiner will receive its world premiere at Long Wharf Theatre, Eric Ting, in the 20122013 season. Her play Two Lakes, Two Rivers has been selected for inclusion
in the 2012 O’Neill Playwrights Conference. She will be the Faith Broome playwright-in-residence at University of Oklahoma in Fall 2012. Aline Lathrop’s And Eat It Too was a finalist for American Blues Theater’s 2012 Blue Ink Playwriting Award. Previously, the play, which was developed at Chicago Dramatists and Stage Left Theatre Company, had also been a finalist or semi-finalist for the Finding Voice Award, Playwrights First Award, the Lark Theatre Company’s Playwrights’ Week, the Princess Grace Award, the Ashland New Plays Festival, and the First Flight Festival. Susan Lieberman’s Cars and Quinceaneras was presented at Northwestern’s Purple Crayon Players’ PLAYground Festival and will be produced by Clockwise Theatre. She was part of American Theatre Company’s playwriting team for its Chicago Chronicles docudrama, performed in May at ATC. Who They Were from a musical-in-progress was presented at Chicago Dramatists/ ASCAP’s Cabaret Showcase. Her play, Steamship Quanza, is featured in the newly published Staging Holocaust Resistance by Gene Plunka. Arlene Malinowski’s solo play All Kinds of Crazy has been commissioned and will be produced by 16th Street Theater in August 2012. Her play Anonymous Donor had a reading this spring at CD and she wrote 2 “one-minute plays” for Victory Gardens. (They are harder than they sound :)) She’s been zipping around the states touring with her 2 other shows along with teaching and preaching the gospel of “Solo”. Arlenemalinowski.com. Ruth Margraff has toured with her Café Antarsia Ensemble and other plays throughout the UK, Canada, Western and Eastern Europe, Russia, India, Japan, Azerbaijan and Egypt. She has received awards from the Rockefeller, McKnight, Jerome, Fulbright foundations, Arts International, TMUNY, NEA/TCG, NYSCA, I am Going to Change the World 11
CHICAGO DR AMATISTS RESIDENT PLAY WRIGHT NEWS –SPRING 2012 Illinois Arts Council, and her work is published by Dramatists Play Service, Kendall/Hunt, Backstage Books, TDR, Performing Arts Journal, American Theatre, Theater Forum, Playscripts, Inc., Applause Books, Autonomedia, Innova Records, No Passport Press, etc. Ruth is an alumnae of New Dramatists, member of League of Professional Theater Women, Theatre Without Borders and is Associate Professor at the Art Institute of Chicago. www.RuthMargraff.com. Mia McCullough had a reading of Since Africa this past spring, at DirectArts in New York, a benefit reading of Spare Change at the Geva Theatre’s Hornet’s Nest series (Rochester, NY), and a reading of The Anatomy of Pain at Mirror Stage in Seattle. Her play Household Spirits has been selected for the 2012 PlayPenn Conference. Mia has also been performing stand-up comedy around Chicago.
Tania Richard will perform her solo play Truth Be Told at the Noyes Cultural Arts Center for Fleetwood Jourdain Theatre in July and August. Steven Simoncic’s past productions include Heat Wave, Water Fight, Say Care, Words with C, Maraschino Red, and Something Blue. His plays have received productions, readings and workshops at The Goodman Theatre, Stage Left, Victory Gardens, American Blues Theatre, Pegasus Players, and The Soho Theatre in London. His play, Broken Fences, is being currently workshopped in New York. Steven has been nominated for a Pushcart prize, won an Emmy, and his plat, Toxic Doughnut, was a winner at the 2010 NAAA Playwriting Festival in London.
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12 Chicago Dramatists