Russ Tutterow Artistic Director
Brian Loevner Managing Director
33 years developing playwrights and new plays
presents the World Premiere of
Blizzard ‘67 by Jon Steinhagen Directed by Russ Tutterow Scenic Design Grant Sabin
Lighting Design Jeff Pines+
Costume Design Samantha C. Jones
Sound Design Joseph Fosco
Projections Design Anna Henson
Props Design Emily Guthrie
Stage Management Jenniffer J. Thusing*
January 5, 2012 – February 12, 2012 Blizzard ‘67 was developed in part through the readings and workshops at Chicago Dramatists.
Chicago Dramatists Presents A World Premiere Production
Blizzard ‘67 by Resident Playwright Jon Steinhagen Directed by Artistic Director Russ Tutterow CAST Henkin............................................................................................................. Stephen Spencer*+ Landfield.................................................................................................................... John Gawlik* Bell.................................................................................................................................. Andy Hager Emery.................................................................................................................................Andy Lutz U/S Landfield & Bell ----Robert Koon U/S Henkin & Emery ---- Michael Moran “Blizzard 67” 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 Director................................................................................ Rachel Edwards Harvith Assistant Stage Manager................................... Fernando Alvarez, Jr. and Aaron Pfeiffer Technical Director........................................................................................................ Joe Dybdal Master Electrician................................................................................................ Andrew Iverson Graphic Design and Photographer.................................................................... Paul Grigonis House/Bar Manager................................................................................................... Hanah Fazio Public Relations..............................................................................Noreen Heron & Associates Interns..........................................................................................Aoife Carolan, Rosie Chevalier, Max Gosman, Tom Schutt, Cassidy Slaughter-Mason, Claire Redfield, Matt Wills * Member of Actor’s Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States. + Denotes Chicago Dramatists Associate Artist 2 Chicago Dramatists
T H E P L A Y W R I G H T S ’ T H E AT R E 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 38 Chicago Resident Playwrights, while our associate membership – The Playwrights Network – serves nearly 200 writers, nationwide. Chicago Dramatists also nurtures playwrights and new plays through our Playwrights Studio Classes, the popular 10-Minute Workshop, educational programs at challenged 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, year-round, 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.
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BIOGR APHIES Fernando Alvarez, Jr. (Assistant Stage Manager) - is a transplant to Chicago. He graduated with his Bachelors in Theatre Education from University of Texas at El Paso. So far in Chicago, he completed a stage management internship on Chinglish (Goodman), stage managed Family Devotions (Halceyon), Assistant Living (Profiles) and assistant stage managed Be A Good Little Widdow (Collaboractions). He has worked with many theatres in Texas. Other credits include producing The Laramie Project, Directing Some Girl(s), The Vagina Monologues, and Lighting Design for Collected Stories. He was the Assistant Warehouse Manager for three years at The Marriot Lincolnshire Theater and also worked at the Christian Youth Theater. Joe Dybdal (Technical Director) is very excited to work with Chicago Dramatists. Joe has also worked with Provision Theater. There he has been the Prop Designer and Assistant Technical Director for two years. Joe is also the Resident Technical Director for City Lit Theater. He was also on the Set Construction Crew for The Homosexuals About Face Theater, Kingsville with Stage Left, CARMILLA with WildClaw Theatre, Phantom Of The Opera with North Central College. He was the Assistant Warehouse Manger for three years the Marriott Lincolnshire Theater, and Christian Youth Theater where he was. Joseph Fosco (Sound Design) Joseph is a composer and sound designer. He has been nominated for a New York Drama Desk award and 9 Jeff awards. He has received 3 Jeff Awards, 2 After Dark awards and an Orgie Theatre Award. He is a company member of A Red Orchid Theatre in Chicago, and has designed shows at The Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Victory Gardens Theatre, The Museum Of Contemporary Art and many others. Regionally he has composed music 4 Chicago Dramatists
and designed sound at Barrow Street Theatre (NY), 29th Street Rep. (NY) and theatres in Seattle, Madison, and Milwaukee. Visit www.josephfosco.com for more information. John Gawlik (Landfield) -An AEA actor and director, John has appeared with or helmed productions for many Chicagoland companies. Recently he performed in The Lonesome West with The Gift Theatre, where he is an ensemble member. Some of John’s favorite productions include: Beauty Queen of Lennane with the Gift Theatre, A Skull in Connemara at Northlight (After Dark Award, Ensemble), The Great Society with Famous Door, The Life and Times of Tulsa Lovechild with Collaboraction (Jeff Award for Ensemble), and the world premiere of Rosemary with Prop Theater. Recent directing credits include A Number as part of the ETOPiA project at Northwestern University’s Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering, Around The World in 80 Days, Over the Tavern and Red Herring for Fox Valley Rep. Additional directing credits include The Ruby Sunrise for The Gift Theatre Company, which was named one of the Top Ten shows of 2009 by TimeOut Chicago Magazine and was remounted at Theater on the Lake. A Christmas Story for Noble Fool Theatricals, the Jeff Nominated production of W;t for The Gift Theatre and Dated: A Cautionary Tale for Facebook Users for Collaboraction’s Sketchbook Festival (Festival Best Director). John is the Artistic Director of Fox Valley Rep. Television/Commercials/ Voiceovers include Officer Collins on ER, Dennis Carr for Planters Peanuts, Casio, Navy Pier, Sears, Chicago Sun-Times, Caterpillar and the voice of Bruno Bataglia for Midway Games’ “Blitz The League” video game.
B I O G R A P H I E S ( c o n t .) Emily Guthrie (Props Design) Emily is excited to be working on her first production with Chicago Dramatists. She is an ensemble member and Company Manager of Red Tape Theatre. Emily was the 2009-2010 Properties Apprentice and current properties overhire at Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Her recent Properties credits include Oblivion, Etiquette of Vigilance, A Separate Peace (Steppenwolf ); Brand, Obscura, The Love of the Nightingale (Red Tape Theatre); Becky Shaw (A Red Orchid); Man From Nebraska (Jeff for Best Production), Shining City (Redtwist Theatre), The Farnsworth Invention (Jeff for Best ProductionMidsize Theatre, TimeLine). Emily earned a BFA/Scene Design from The Theatre School at DePaul University. Andy Hager (Bell) - Andy Hager is making his Chicago Dramatists debut. He recently closed the extended run of OVERWEIGHT, Unimportant: MISSHAPE at Trap Door. Other appearances include productions with Next, City Lit, Goodman, European Rep, Mary-Arrchie, Thunder & Lightning (After Dark Award for performance in Red Light Winter), Famous Door, ATC, side project, and Piven Theatre. Andy also enjoys the privilege of making TUTA Theatre his artistic home. Rachel Edwards Harvith (Assistant Director) - Rachel is a director, actor, and dramaturg with a passion for new play development. Representative Chicago-area directing credits include I Am Montana and Under America (Mortar Theatre Company - company member), Our Kind of Violence (Stage Left, LeapFest), The Body Snatcher and The Blue Hotel (City Lit), Moonlight and Magnolias (Riverfront Theatre),
and numerous staged readings at venues including Chicago Dramatists, American Blues Theatre, American Theatre Company, and Teatro Luna. Outside Chicago, Rachel has directed for Iowa Summer Rep, Syracuse Stage, Hedgerow Theatre, and Dreamwell Theatre; she has also served as an interim literary manager for Long Wharf Theatre and Syracuse Stage. She received her BA, from Grinnell College and her MFA from University of Iowa. Anna Henson (Projection Designer) - Anna Henson is an artist working in projection design, video installation, and filmmaking. A recent ex-nomad and Chicago transplant, her work has been seen in various states across the USA, England, Germany, Denmark, and Scotland, where she received her MFA in video and live performance from the Glasgow School of Art. This is her first show for Chicago Dramatists. Previous shows include, Cornell College Iowa’s production of Sophocles’ Electra, TheMASSIVE’s Faust, and Copenhagen theatre company Cantabile2’s installation-performance Venus Labyrinth. She would like to dedicate this show to her late theatre professor and mentor, Mark Hunter. Samantha C. Jones (Costume Designer) - is delighted to be working with Chicago Dramatists where she previously designed costumes for Jade Heart and HickoryDickory. In Chicago her work has recently been seen at American Blues Theatre (Waiting for Lefty, Rantoul and Die, It’s a Wonderful Life: Live at the Biograph!), Congo Square Theatre (Brothers of the Dust, A Colored Museum), 16th Street Theatre (Menorca, Fires in the Mirror, Unveiled, and The End of the Tour). Elsewhere she has designed for Peninsula Players Theatre (A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine, Wait Until Dark, Around the World in 80 Days, Heroes, Over the Tavern), and Florida Studio Theatre (Playmakers). Samantha is a proud ensemble Chicago Dramatists 5
B I O G R A P H I E S ( c o n t .) member of American Blues Theatre. Andy Lutz (Emery) - is making his Chicago Dramatists debut with Blizzard ’67. Previous credits include: Broadway – A Man For All Seasons (Roundabout Theatre Company/American Airlines Theatre), Off Broadway – Two Man Kidnapping Rule (The New Ohio Theatre), Chicago – Dead Pile (XIII Pocket), Dental Society: Midwinter Meeting (Theatre on the Lake 2011), Regional – This Beautiful City and Extremely (Actors Theatre of Louisville Humana Festival of New American Plays), A Christmas Carol (Actors Theatre of Louisville), The History Boys (Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre), The Man Who Came to Dinner and The Long Christmas Dinner (Peterborough Players). Becky Mock (Production Manager) - Becky is delighted to be working with Chicago Dramatists. She is a proud member of Red Tape Theatre and has served as their Production Manager since the fall of 2009. She has worked at Steppenwolf Theatre Company as the the Production Management Apprentice (09-10) and also assisted on their Garage Rep Series for the 2010-2011 season. Previously, Becky has served as the Assistant Production Manager at Emerald City Theatre and is currently freelancing in the Chicago area. Aaron Pfeiffer (Assistant Stage Manager) is elated to be a part of Blizzard ‘67. He was last a part of Dramatists’ collaboration with About Face on The Kid Ting. He assistant directed and assistant stage managed the play. He would like to thank Chicago Dramatists for giving him this great experience, especially Jenniffer.
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Jeff Pines (Lighting Designer) - is an Associate Artist and the resident lighting designer at Chicago Dramatists, as well as resident lighting designer for Loop Players at Harold Washington College. He has designed a wide range of shows for Chicago Dramatists from the Playwrights for the 90’s through more recent productions including A Steady Rain, Bordello, and Hickorydickory. Jeff has worked with a variety of other Chicago theatre companies in the past including Famous Door, Noble Fool, Victory Gardens, City Lit, Rivendell, Powertap, and Prop Theatre. Grant Sabin (Set Designer) - is pleased to be working with the creative team at Chicago Dramatists. He primarily works as a set designer but has had the great opportunity to teach scenic painting for Northwestern University’s Cherubs Program. He’s a company member and resident set designer for Dog and Pony Theatre, where he designed their past productions of God’s Ear, Ape, Mr. Marmalade (Jeff Award Nominee), Dead City, Osama the Hero, and Crumble. Grant is a graduate of Columbia College with a BFA in theatre design, where he was awarded the 2005 Michael Merritt scholarship for collaboration in theatre design. Recent set design credits include: Circle Mirror Transformation. (Victory Gardens), The Invasion of Skokie (Chicago Dramatists), Sweet Tea (About Face Theatre), Garage Rep (Steppenwolf Theatre), It’s A Wonderful Life (American Blues Theatre), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Chicago Shakespeare), Whiff of Anarchy (TheSeldoms), The U.N. Inspector (Next Theatre), Forbidden Broadway, (Royal George Theatre), Dashiell Hamlet, Hound of the Baskervilles, The Juniper Tree (City Lit Theatre), Augusta, (American Theatre Company), Crossing California (Lifeline Theatre),The Sea Horse (Jeff Award Nominee), (A Red Orchid Theatre), Leaving Iowa, (Royal George Theatre and The Overture Center, WI), and The Gift (Chicago Ballet). Please visit www.grantsabindesign.com
B I O G R A P H I E S ( c o n t .) Stephen Spencer (Henkin) - considers Chicago Dramatists his theatrical home in Chicago, where for almost 20 years he’s performed in countless new play readings as well as John Green’s Jeff Award-winning The Liquid Moon. As a Founding Member of The Shakespeare Project, he’s done over 30 plays including Othello (Iago); Macbeth (Macbeth); Antony and Cleopatra (Antony), and Henry VIII (Henry), and this winter directs Webster’s The Duchess of Malfi. Recent stage includes: Romeo & Juliet and The Winter’s Tale (Illinois Shakespeare Festival); Night and Day (Remy Bumppo Theatre); Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Wait Until Dark (Court Theatre); Joe Turner’s Come and Gone (Goodman/ Congo Square) and Love’s Labour’s Lost (OPFT). Steve does voiceovers, commercials and industrials and has appeared in over a dozen independent features and shorts in the Chicago market. Recent film: Public Enemies; Harvest; Son of America; Greg’s Leg; and Morning Due (Cannes 2008). For Brenda & Keely: bundle up! Jon Steinhagen is a Resident Playwright at Chicago Dramatists whose work is enjoying three Chicago premieres this season: Aces (Signal Ensemble Theatre) and Dating Walter Dante (Raven Theatre) in addition to Blizzard ’67 at Chicago Dramatists. In 2009, his play The Analytical Engine took first prize in the Julie Harris Playwriting Awards. His musical, The Teapot Scandals (for which he wrote book, music and lyrics) was produced by Porchlight Music Theatre and was nominated for a Jeff Award in 2007 in the Best New Work category. He received a producer-author initiative grant from NAMT in 2005 and received
an After Dark Award for Best New Work for The Teapot Scandals. His plays have been produced nationally, and include The Applewood Pistols (an “original Chekhov comedy” based on Chekhov’s notebooks), Vexations (2010 New York International Fringe Festival), Something More Comfortable (Syracuse University), Ponzi on Sunday (Chameleon Theatre Circle), and Boats Against the Current (a “prequel” to The Great Gatsby). A collection of his shorter plays, Typical Abnormal Behavior, premiered at the Midtown International Theatre Festival in 2009. Plays in development include Running with the Pack, Deb and Debra, and The Hundred Acres. His collection of short plays, Perfectly Natural, was produced at the Midtown International Theatre Festival in NYC the summer of 2009. Mr. Steinhagen has received four Jeff Awards and six After Dark Awards for musical direction, writing or acting. Jenniffer J. Thusing (Stage Manager) - is delighted to be home again at Chicago Dramatists. Since 2009’s Lucinda’s Bed, she has served as Dramatists’ stage manger. She previously also served as props designer starting with Ten Cent Nights in 2008 through the 2010-2011 season. In addition, Jenniffer and her partner Robert Groth designed the set for Dramatists’ Aiming for Sainthood at Pritzger Pavillion. Their design work was also seen on Seanachai Theatre’s The Wier, which was nominated for a Jeff Award for Best Scenic Design. Their work will next be seen on Mary Archie’s Superior Donuts in February. Jenniffer also works as a teaching artist through the Beverly Arts Center. Jenniffer is a proud member of Actors Equity. Please visit www.jennifferjthusing.com
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B I O G R A P H I E S ( c o n t .) Russ Tutterow (Director & 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 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 not-for-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 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 8 Chicago Dramatists
five years, 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. Robert Koon (Company Dramaturg) is a Resident Playwright, and for the past two years has been serving as the Company Dramaturg. Chicago Dramatists produced his play St. Colm’s Inch, and published his play Vintage Red and the Dust of the Road (Jeff Award for New Work) in the anthology, New Plays From Chicago. His play, Odin’s Horse (Jeff nomination) will be produced this spring by Mirror Stage in Seattle. Robert is also an Artistic Associate at 16th Street Theatre. He is a member of The Dramatists Guild of America.
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Alice Austen’s Best of All Possible Worlds will be directed by Robin Witt this spring for Steep Theatre Company’s Backyard Reading Series. Plaza Hotel Ballroom received a staged reading at Pine Box and has a forthcoming staged reading at Chicago Dramatists. As a member of Steve Pickering’s Shanghai Low Theatricals, Alice participated in the holiday production of Conor Macpherson’s St. Nicholas. Alice has recently completed two novels, The Geometry of Chance and 41. She is currently working with Salome Speelt’s Noemi Schlosser on a translation of Marguerite Duras’ La Musica for a production in Chicago this spring. David Barr His latest play The Marker (Based on the life of Civil Rights martyr Viola Gregg Liuzzo) will premiere at Wiley College (Marshall, Texas. Made famous in the Denzel Washington film ‘The Great Debaters’) and later the Scottish Rite Theater in Shreveport, LA in February 2012. Scott T. Barsotti’s newest play Kill Me will be produced in Chicago by WildClaw Theatre this February. His play The Body Snatcher, which was partly developed at Chicago Dramatists, will premiere at the Brisbane Arts Theatre in Queensland, Australia next fall. Derrell Capes. In 2011, Mr. Capes was pleased to accept a commission from the Acting Conservatory at Act One Studios to provide an original work for the fall of 2011. The resulting play, Mud Season, received its premiere at Act One’s Studio Theatre in November of that year. In June, his play Empty Pages received a reading at Chicago Street Theatre’s New Play series in Valparaiso, Indiana. 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. Randall Colburn’s play Verse Chorus just closed Off-Broadway with Barefoot Theatre Company. He will open his play Hesperia at Writers’ Theatre this February after a successful run last summer with The Right Brain Project. He is currently at work on The
Improv Play, a dark comedy that will open with InFusion Theatre in April as part of the Department of Cultural Affairs’ 2011-2012 season. Cheryl Coons won an ASCAP Plus Award for the 6th straight year, recognizing her achievements in songwriting for the musical theatre. Her musical River’s End, received a Broadway Spirit Awards Best New Work nomination for its production in 2011. Her original songs were performed by Edie Falco and Stephen Wallem in their NYC show, Another Steve and Edie. She was the host and featured performer of the New Year’s Eve show at Davenport’s for the second year, and produced and hosted Chicago Dramatists’ second Cabaret of New Musical Theatre Work in November. Lydia R. Diamond’s play Stick Fly, developed at Chicago Dramatists, premiered on Broadway this fall. Now Lydia is writing her next play. Will Dunne recently completed his new play The Roper, a fact-based drama set in Chicago in 1876 that explores a little-known dark side of the legacy of Abraham Lincoln. His book The Dramatic Writer’s Companion: Tools to Develop Characters, Cause Scenes, and Build Stories (University of Chicago Press) is now in its second printing and continues to top the amazon bestseller list in Playwriting and Scriptwriting. His near-death drama Love and Drowning will be produced in 2012 at the 16th Street Theatre. Marsha Estell was a 2010 3 Arts fellow. In 2012, her play Heat will receive two productions– Fleetwood Jourdain Theatre, Evanston, Illinois and the Etta Grace Theatre, Salt Lake City Utah. She is currently writing a romantic comedy for the middle aged! Dana Lynn Formby’s play Corazón de Manzana was recently produced by Mortar Theatre Company at the DCA Storefront Theatre. Next, Steep Theatre Company is presenting a reading of her new play American Beauty Shop. In 2011 she was named a P73 Semi-Finalist. John Green’s one act, Integrity, will be performed as part of Cut To The Chase at Artistic Home Theatre in January. His fulllength play, Still Point, will have a reading there in April. He will be performing his original stories/songs as part of the Ceyx Series at Halcyon Theatre in March. Chicago Dramatists 9
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Evan Guilford-Blake’s Dreidel was staged in Atlanta during the holiday season, and An Uncommon Language received a reading by Houston’s Wordsmyth Theatre. His miniplay Creatures of Dreams will be published in December by Word Gumbo; and his children’s story Aimee’s Birthday Present won the 2011 Violence-Free Writing Competition from D.G. Flamand. 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 The Well-Tempered Clavier had a reading at the Abingdon Theatre in New York in August, 2011, and was a finalist for the Christopher Brian Wolk Award. His Elegy was presented in a staged reading as part of the Kristallnacht commemoration at the Anshe Emet Synagogue in Chicago in November. Chicago Dramatsts Associate Artist Richard Shavzin directed. Laura Jacqmin is currently working on commissions for South Coast Rep, Goodman Theatre, Victory Gardens/NNPN, InterAct Theatre, EST/Sloan Project and Arden Theatre Company. Her play GHOST BIKE will premiere at Carthage College in early 2012; her short play Hero Dad will be produced at Actors Theatre of Louisville in 2012. Aline Lathrop’s Purity Ball was produced as part of Artistic Home’s Cut to the Chase Festival over the summer. Susan Lieberman is working on the “Chicago Chronicles” outreach program with American Theatre Company. Her play Cars and Quinceaneras will be produced by Clockwise Theatre for its 2012-13 season. Arlene Malinowski’s third play in her solo autobiographical trilogy, All Kinds of Crazy will be produced at 16th Street Theater, August 2012. Her play Anonymous Donor will have a reading at CD in late February and she will be doing a Ragdale residency this year. Check it out at www.arlenemalinowski.com 10 Chicago Dramatists
Ruth Margraff’s Balcony of Two from her gypsy opera Wellspring will be performed at the Penelope Coffeehouse with Caffeine Theater at the Steppenwolf Garage and at the Art Institute Ballroom for AWP. She is heading south to Dallas for an artist residency with UTDallas/Centraltrak where she will workshop her Greek/Ottoman opera Three Graces with director Raphael Perry of Shakespeare Dallas and will give a couple of concerts with her Cafe Antarsia Ensemble. She is writing a new play Anger/ Fly inspired by an Ionesco film with Trap Door Theater for their Spring Season. Please visit www.RuthMargraff.com Mia McCullough’s play Impenetrable was a finalist for the 2011 Jane Chambers Playwriting Competition. Impenetrable will premiere next season...but she can’t say where yet. Most recently Mia has been trying her hand at stand-up comedy at various venues around Chicago. Carlos Murillo is currently staging Sam shephard’s A Lie of the Mind at The Theatre School of DePaul. Dark Play or Stories for Boys will have its Chicago premiere in January at Collaboraction. In February his new play Mayday Mayday Tuesday will be workshopped at Playwrights Horizons in NYC. Brett Neveu’s Megacosm is to be presented at A Red Orchid Theatre in January. Brett was also selected as one of Sundance Institute’s Ucross Fellowship recipients for February. Steven Simoncic’s play, Once Upon A Time In Detroit, has recently received a staged reading at Victory Gardens Theatre and his play, BROKEN FENCES, will be produced in September 2012 by Stageplays Theatre Company in New York. Steven has recently won an Emmy and the NAAA Playwriting Festival in which his play, Toxic Donut, received a staged reading at the Central School for Dramatics in London. Marisa Wegrzyn’s play Hickorydickory was produced by Chicago Dramatists in Spring 2011. Her play The Butcher of Baraboo will be produced by A Red Orchid Theatre opening April 2012.
DONORS Chicago Dramatists thanks the following foundations for their generous support of our mission in developing new plays and playwrights for the American theatre. $50,000 + Chicago Community Trust $25,000 - $30,000 Lloyd A. Fry Foundation Polk Bros. Foundation $15,000 - $20,000 The MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation National Endowment for the Arts The Shubert Foundation $10,000 - $14,999 Alphawood Foundation The Arts Work Fund The Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation James S. Kemper Foundation Northern Trust Charitable Trust Prince Charitable Trust Seabury Foundation $2,500 - $9,999 The ASCAP Foundation Chicago Community Trust, Arts Engagement Exchange City Arts Program 3 Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation The Dramatists Guild The Illinois Arts Council, A State Agency INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT MAKES OUR WORK POSSIBLE! You allow us to be the national leader in new play development! The following are gifts over $250 made between December 1, 2010 and December 1, 2011. THE GREEN ROOM CLUB Donors of $250 or more annually are welcomed to the Green Room Club and take part in its exclusive events with the theatre artists whose work they make possible. We would be honored to welcome you to the Club! ANGELS $15,000 Jimmy John & Leslie Liaiutaud
PRODUCERS $2,500 - $10,000 Gene and Jianhua Cordon Daniel R. & Carol K. Cyganowski Patrice Fletcher Cynthia & Tracy Gessele Steven & Betsy Peterson Jan & Bruce Tranen Neill & Janet Shananhan Lisa Shives & Shane Meegan Roger and Jennifer Rueff Art & Rita Sussman SHOW STOPPERS $1,500 - $2,499 Anonymous Michael Keating Janice V. Nowak Eva & T. Powell Carla Salvo Thomas D. Patton PRINICAL PLAYER $1,000 - $1,499 Maaike and David Almeida Anonymous Antonio Baeza Derrell Capes Paul & Mary Lillios John Mahoney David Mair & Matt McGrane Steven & Frances Shapiro TROUPERS $500 - $999 Anonymous Mia & Scott Bass Dr. Marvin & Joyce Berman Janet Burroway & Peter Ruppert Daniel Castellaneta & Debora Lacusta Steven Cohen & Mary Mikva Cheryl Coons Will & Lynn Cooper Pat Curtis Dale Danner Louis & Harriet DiCerbo Will Dunne Rebecca Gilman Rob & Jean Marie Koon Paul & Nancy Knapp James LaForce & Stephen Henderson Susan Lieberman & Jim Stoller Michael Loevner & Elizabeth Sharp Douglas MacKechnie Arlene Malinowski & Dan Clark Tom & Becky McGough Michael & Christine Pope Dianne Rossell Mary Rownd
Ken & Andrea Saffir Walter Sterns Beth Urech & Mark Gillingham SCENE-MAKERS $250 - $499 Anonymous (4) Roslyn Alexander & Sam Grozdin Alice Austen & Daniel Lawton Diane Baia Sandra Blau & Norton H. Kay Richard & Barbara Bull Kathryn Burkhardt & Steve Phelps Pamela & Scott Daly Marti DeGraaf & Toby Mack Susan & Marvin Dickman Deborah D. Dodge Neel French Ray & Bridgit Gaspard Rachel Goodstein Victoria Granacki & Lee Wesley Roxanna & Evan Guilford-Blake Jane Harmon Associates Patricia Heimann Jim & Dona Henry John Hern & Ed Jeske Beverly Ann Holmes Corinne Kawecki & Maureen Sweeney Mike Kierpec & Donn Mielke Bernard Kramer & Jill Weinberg Robert & Jean Marie Koon Diana Lampsa Susan & Philip Larson Jonna Mogab George & Laura Nelson Janice Nowak Mary Parisoe Martha Reeves Robert & Barbara Richards Bill & Sandy Rumbler Richard & Martha Sabol James M. Schipp Roy Schreiber & Linda Chen James Schipp Anthony Seed Roche Schulfer Steven & Karen Simoncic Patrick & Rebecca Spence Avy & Marcie Stein Heather & Randy Steinmeyer Catherine & Robert Wegrzyn John Westby Ann & Bill Whitney Mary Williams John Williams Mark & Jean Young
For a full list of supporters, please visit www.chicagodramatists.org. For more information, or to donate to Chicago Dramatists, please contact Virginia Nugent, Development Director at 312-633-0630 x16 or at vnugent@chicagodramatists.org. Chicago Dramatists 11
FOR INFORMATION ON CHICAGO DRAMATISTS’ PLAYWRITING PROGRAMS CONTACT 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
33 Years Developing Playwrights and New Plays RUSS TUTTEROW • Artistic Director BRIAN LOEVNER • Managing Director VIRGINIA NUGENT • Development Director MEGHAN BEALS McCARTHY • Associate Artistic Director SUELLEN BURTON • Director of Corporate and Community Relations ILESA DUNCAN • Schools Coordinator ROBERT KOON • Dramaturg HANAH FAZIO • Bar Manager RESIDENT PLAYWRIGHTS: Alice Austen, David Barr III, Scott Barsotti, Carson Grace Becker, 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, Martin Zimmerman RESIDENT PLAYWRIGHTS EMERITI: Rebecca Gilman, Evan Guilford-Blake, Keith Huff, Joel Drake Johnson, Brett Neveu, Tanya Saracho BOARD OF DIRECTORS: President Neill Shanahan, Vice President Patrice Fletcher, Treasurer Clifford Shapiro, Secretary Carla Salvo, Maaike Almeida, Cheryl Coons, Brian Loevner, Mary Rownd, Roger Rueff, Steven Shapiro, Lisa Shives, 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 12 Chicago Dramatists