chicago home
classifieds
newsletter signup
events calendar
bars & clubs
restaurants
specials
best of chicago
food and drink
film and video
music and clubs
stage
sports
words
art
features
|
|
|

Click for stage events
The Players 2004
Chicago theater's fifty leading characters
Written by John Beer and Nina Metz, with additional contributions by
Tom Lynch and Jamie Murnane
We've always known we were a town for theater. But this year
perhaps
we needed outsiders to remind us of just how great Chicago's theater
community is compared not only with New York, but with the rest of the
world. Venerable London theater critic Michael Billington went so far
as
to herald our city as the "current theatre capital of America" after
a
recent visit, citing not only the three big S's (Chicago Shakespeare,
Second City and Steppenwolf), but also Victory Gardens and the Goodman.
Other critics from New York and Toronto sent similar, although not
quite
as superlative, love letters this year. So it seems fitting this year
that our Players issue, in the past reserved for members of the
theater
community who wield the most power, focus on the artists--those both on
stage and behind-the-scenes who make out-of-towners go home and drool.
1
Bob Falls
Artistic director, Goodman Theatre
The Tony Award-winning director continues to woo major talents, from
Stephen Sondheim to Arthur Miller, boosting the Goodman's national rep
and making it the undisputable king of the hill in Chicago theater.
High-profile productions include last fall's ode to Edward Albee and
the
Latino Theater Fest. This year's crop includes Matthew Modine and
Scott
Glenn in the world premiere of "Finishing the Picture" (Miller's
newest
play) and the return of our town's adopted son, Brian Dennehy, in
Eugene
O'Neill's "Hughie"--both directed by Falls himself.
2
Tracy Letts
Playwright, actor, director, Steppenwolf ensemble member
2004 was the year of Tracy Letts, who can now put the words
"Pulitzer finalist" by his name for "Man From Nebraska." The
still-running New York production of "Bug" has generated so much buzz
that Letts is writing a screen adaptation of his play for movie
director
William Friedkin. As an actor, he gave a superb, treacle-free
performance in Northlight's "Tuesdays with Morrie" opposite Mike
Nussbaum. His directorial debut with Lookingglass' "Great Men of
Science" was less impressive, but hard to discount altogether. Coming
up, starring roles in "The Dresser" and "The Pain and the Itch"
(both
for Steppenwolf), and he'll direct a show for Trapdoor Theatre this
winter.
3
Dennis Zacek and Marcelle McVay
Artistic director and Managing director, Victory Gardens Theater
While other theater companies are cutting costs, Victory Gardens is
barreling ahead with an ambitious plan to rehab the old Biograph movie
theater into a $9 million state-of-the-art facility scheduled to open a
year from now. Other achievements of note: The off-Broadway transfer of
"Trying," a solid hit from last season, and a tentatively scheduled
appearance by John Mahoney in a June production of "Symmetry," with
Zacek at the helm.
4
John Mahoney
Actor, Steppenwolf ensemble member
After signing off from his eleven-year gig on NBC's "Frasier,"
Mahoney vowed to spend more time working in Chicago theater--and the
Oak
Park resident has kept his word. Ticket sales hit record levels thanks
to his performance in the Steppenwolf's "I Never Sang For My Father"
and
he returns to the stage with fellow ensemble member Tracy Letts in
"The
Dresser" next month. Plans are in the works for a Broadway production
of
"The Drawer Boy" with Mahoney in the cast (reprising his role from
the
'01 Steppenwolf production), and schedule permitting, he will also
star
in "Symmetry" at Victory Gardens.
5
Eric Rosen
Playwright and Artistic director, About Face Theatre
About Face continues to focus on works about gay, lesbian and
bisexual communities, from the hilariously camp, 1950s-era girl-on-girl
action in "Pulp," to the homier vibe of Rosen's "Winesburg, Ohio."
The
company has been homeless for two seasons but seems to have found a
comfy berth at the Steppenwolf, where it will stage a new play by
Moises
Kaufman (director of this year's Tony and Pulitzer winner, "I Am My
Own
Wife"). Rosen, who joined Kaufman at the Sundance Theatre Lab this
summer, will also direct Richard Greenberg's '03 Tony winner, "Take
Me
Out," at the Steppenwolf in March.
6
Sean Graney
Playwright and Artistic director, The Hypocrites
Graney's work with his theater company is swiftly establishing him
as Chicago's answer to Joanne Akalaitis or Peter Sellars: a director
equally at home with the idioms of classical theatre, the modern
avant-garde, and pop-culture shtick. Productions like this year's
"Leonce und Lena" and the upcoming "Equus" have won him plaudits
and a
NEA Career Development Grant for directors. And he's a prolific
writer,
too: his company's premiere of his play "The 4th Graders Present an
Unnamed Love-Suicide," with its nod to "Marat/Sade," deserves a
look.
7
Peter Taub
Director of performances, Museum of Contemporary Art
Under Taub's stewardship, the performance series at the MCA has
become a must-go destination for adventurous theater and dance. Taub
intermingles internationally renowned performers like Mark Morris and
the British performance collective Forced Entertainment with local
heroes, as in this summer's Redmoon/Court Theatre collaboration on
"Cyrano." Next season promises to add several feathers to Taub's
prodigious cap: watch particularly for "Rebirth of a Nation," DJ
Spooky's remix of the infamous D. W. Griffith film.
8
Barbara Gaines
Artistic director, Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Traditional favorites like "Romeo and Juliet" may bring crowds to
Navy Pier, but Chicago Shakespeare founder and artistic director Gaines
has been sponsoring some highly significant international productions,
like the Broadway-bound cycle "Rose Rage" (managing, mirabile
dictu, to make the Henry VI plays watchable) and the Globe's
all-male "Twelfth Night." Gaines herself will soon be directing two
of
the Bard's tougher chestnuts: this fall's "Merry Wives of Windsor,"
and
next winter's "Measure for Measure."
9
Kelly Leonard
President, Second City Theatricals
Leonard saw his job title change this year as he assumed the
presidency of Second City Theatricals, the "legitimate" wing of
Chicago's comedy juggernaut. Thankfully, not too legitimate.
Leonard's
production of "The People vs. Friar Lawrence," a joint venture with
Chicago Shakespeare, won critical and popular raves for its screwball
approach to Romeo and Juliet. Leonard hasn't abandoned Second City's
mainstage, either: as producer of "Doors Open on the Right," he's
keeping up the group's longstanding commitment to topical, political
comedy.
10
David Zak
Artistic director, Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
Zak's Bailiwick Theatre continued its solid tradition of
independent
theatre last year, with socially relevant plays like "Sin" and
"Parade"
complementing the commercial draw of those darned singing boys. The
summer's Pride Series underscored the theatre's commitment to the gay
and lesbian community. Zak himself was recognized once again by the
Jeff
committee for directing "Dr. Sex," though the drama "Anatomy of
Revenge"
was less well received. Up next: the new season's revival of "Animal
Farm."
11
William Mason
General director, Lyric Opera of Chicago
The general director for the Lyric has been associated with the
house for almost fifty years, and although financial backing keeps
finding its way outside of the opera world, Mason found success last
year with notable productions of fan-favorites "Faust" and "The
Pirates
of Penzance." This season, the Lyric's fiftieth anniversary, the
director trudges onward with Mozart's "Don Giovanni."
12
Dexter Bullard
Artistic director, Plasticene
Any question that Dexter Bullard is on the threshold of becoming a
very big thing was settled by the Tribune Magazine's recent cover
piece.
Bullard's performance troupe Plasticene embodies the intensely
physical
and improvisational approach that is becoming something of a Chicago
hallmark, echoed in the work of groups like 500 Clown. And his current
staging of "Bug" in New York has earned him not only award
nominations
but the attention of such luminaries as William Friedkin.
13
The Neo-Futurists
Like the College of Pataphysics or the Church of the Sub-Genius,
Neo-Futurism is looking like an institution that will transcend the
wildest dreams of its founders. The Neo-Futurists supplements its
signature weekly potpourri, "Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind"
with a solid schedule of solo performance and scripted drama. So far in
2004, co-founder Greg Allen brought Neo-Futurism to Brooklyn; Sean
Benjamin, Chloe Johnston, and Steve Mosqueda revived the bibulous
"Drinking and Writing"; and Connor Kalista created tours for
PAC/edge.
The fall brings Noelle Krimm's Andersonville walking-tour "Alice";
and
Sharon Greene and Allen have conceived shows taking on "Don Quixote"
and
Ibsen, respectively, to round out the season.
14
Tina Landau
Playwright & director, Steppenwolf Theatre ensemble member
If her direction of Saroyan's "The Time of Your Life" had already
attracted national attention for her ability to breathe new life into a
tattered classic, Landau's own "Theatrical Essays" demonstrated this
past spring that she's also able to concoct theater out of minimal
resources--using conceptual connections rather than linear plot to
structure some breathtaking visual moments. This fall, she's grappling
with a certified monument: Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard."
15
Susan Lipman
Executive director, Performing Arts Chicago
Lipman's PAC/edge festival focused tightly on Chicago's
avant-garde
theatrical and performance scene this year for six weeks. Performances
in the cloakroom and sound sculptures in the bathrooms transformed the
Athenaeum into a kind of experimental carnival. Spotlighting groups
like
Plasticene, 500 Clown, Curious Theatre Branch, Local Infinities, and
Lucky Pierre, PAC/edge demonstrated the diversity and vitality of the
edgier regions of Chicago's performance spectrum.
16
Chuck Smith
Resident director, Goodman Theatre
His easygoing demeanor is deceptive because Smith is one of
Chicago's most exacting directors. He is a founding member of the
Chicago Theatre Company and an artist-in-residence at Columbia College,
but for the past several years Smith has been the Goodman's number one
go-to guy. Last spring, he staged an all-African-American version of
"Proof" for the theater company. Earlier in the year, he ventured up
to
Highland Park for a rollicking production of "Jammin' with Pops" at
Apple Tree. In March, Smith directs "The Story," a drama about bad
journalism and racial politics at a newspaper.
17
William Brown
Actor & director
Back in December, the Trib named Brown Chicagoan of the Year and
it's easy to see why. With his pitch-perfect stagings of "Our Town"
at
Writers' Theatre and "Lady Windermere's Fan" at Northlight (plus a
production of "Paragon Springs" at TimeLine), Brown has been among
the
busier directors in town. For a third year in a row, he will play
Scrooge in the Goodman's upcoming production of "A Christmas Carol,"
and
next spring, he directs George Bernard Shaw's "Arms and the Man" for
Writers' Theatre.
18
Charles Newell
Artistic director, Court Theatre
Newell's run at the Court Theatre has established it as a reliable
forum for smart productions of literate plays. Last spring, in addition
to overseeing the striking "Fraulein Else," Newell left his Hyde Park
perch to bring "Cyrano" to the MCA. The Court's fiftieth-anniversary
season begins this fall, and it's an ambitious one: Newell will direct
back-to-back two classics that demand impeccable timing, "Who's
Afraid
of Virginia Woolf?" and "The Importance of Being Earnest."
19
Mary Zimmerman
Director, writer, teacher, Lookingglass Theatre ensemble member
Tony-award-winning Mary Zimmerman is a staple in the Chicago theater
scene. Last winter, she kicked off the season with "The Secret in the
Wings" in the Lookingglass' brand-spanking new theater in Chicago's
Historic Pumping Station. Next spring, "Silk," her adaptation of the
popular Alessandro Barico novel, will run at the Goodman Theatre.
Though
Chicago's her home, Zimmerman's genius is much too big for one city.
This November, she'll direct Shakespeare's "Pericles" at The
Shakespeare
Theatre in D.C.
20
Willy Shives
Dancer, Joffrey Ballet of Chicago
One of the most recognizable members of the Joffrey corps, Shives
performed principal roles in everything from the highly praised "Romeo
and Juliet" (as Romeo), to Gerald Arpino's world-premiere ballet
"Ruth,
Ricordi per Due," to that perennial staple, "The Nutcracker."
Shives,
recently named assistant ballet master, will perform in the troupe's
Nureyev tribute in October.
21
Andrew White
Actor, writer, director & founding member, Lookingglass Theatre
Company
As The Writer in About Face's musical version of "Winesburg,
Ohio,"
this summer, White ably guided the action of the play from one scene to
the next. He'll do the same thing behind the scenes this fall, when he
directs his own adaptation of George Orwell's "1984" for
Lookingglass.
One of the more highly anticipated productions of the new season,
"1984"
arrives just in time for the November elections.
22
T. J. Jagodowski
Director & performer
Improv is to Chicago what screenwriting is to L. A. (what your
waiter, your accountant, and your significant other have in common),
and
Jagodowski's our Charlie Kaufman. With a perfect sense of the zany and
the humane and an encyclopedic range of reference, Jagodowski, along
with Dave Pasquesi, has turned Wednesday evenings at ImprovOlympic into
an extended seminar on the possibilities of the form.
23
Mike Nussbaum
Actor
Sure, Mike Nussbaum is a star of screens both big and small, but
what Chicagoans know him for best is his captivating theater
performances. Most recently, Nussbaum played the prince as an old man
in
The Utopian Theatre Asylum's "The Sweet Little Prince" at Victory
Gardens Theater. Only Nussbaum can so effortlessly pull off playing an
old man while remaining so ageless. No wonder he was awarded the
Illinois Arts Alliance Foundation's Annual Arts Legend Award last
year.
24
Michael Halberstam
Artistic director & co-founder, Writers' Theatre
2003 proved to be Halberstam's year as director, helming notable
productions of "Crime and Punishment" and "Rough Crossing." This
season
may be even bigger for the Artistic director and co-founder of
Writers'
Theatre, as he directs Curt Columbus' adaptation of Chekhov's
masterpiece, "The Seagull." Also on Writers' schedule: George
Bernard
Shaw's romance "Arms and the Man" and Nick Whitby's "To The Green
Fields
Beyond."
25
Amy Morton
Actor & director, Steppenwolf Theatre ensemble member
Steppenwolf's utility artist has had much success both on-stage and
off, with an impressive turn in Kushner's "Homebody/Kabul" last
summer
and a directing gig on the Pulitzer-winning "Topdog/Underdog" shortly
after. This season, the Oak Park resident directs another Oak Park
local, John Mahoney, in Ronald Harwood's "The Dresser," set in 1942
England.
26
Russ Tutterow
Artistic director, Chicago Dramatists
Tutterow's efforts to open doors for emerging local writers and
performers ranks as one the most notable aspects of Chicago theater, as
Chicago Dramatists provide workshop programs and groom new plays from
infancy to adulthood. Last fall's "Soft Target" proved that talent
lies
within the theater, and this season's premiere, "The Age of Cynicism
or
Karaoke Night at the Hog," begins this month. In March, Tutterow is
set
to direct the full-length drama "South Africa."
27
Brian Sidney Bembridge
Scenic designer
Most theater productions would be terribly lacking if it weren't
for
a great scene and lighting that's just right. That's why Brian Sidney
Bembridge's job is so important. Chicago's most renowned scenic
designer, the thirtysomething just racked up a Jeff Award for his
lighting of TimeLine's production of "Hannah and Martin," which he
also
designed the set for. Most recently, the visionary mastermind designed
the sets of Lookingglass' "The Shaggs: Philosophy of the World" and
Live
Bait Theater's "Camp Nimrod for Girls."
28
Henry Godinez
Director & Goodman Theatre artistic associate
Havana's claim in the Chicago theater scene has proved himself the
head honcho in Latino theater, after programming the second Latino
Theater Festival at Goodman and directing Nilo Cruz's "Anna in the
Tropics" at Victory Gardens last year. The Goodman artistic associate
just wrapped up a gig directing Luis Alfraro's "Electricidad," which
was
the centerpiece of the festival this year.
29
Marta Juaniza
Public relations manager, Department of Cultural Affairs
Whether it's putting together an audio walking tour for Millennium
Park or programming plays, Marta Juaniza is doing it all. She's been
highly instrumental in booking theater companies rent-free in spaces
like Gallery 37 Center for the Arts' Storefront Theater and the
Cultural
Center's Studio Theater--making cutting-edge theatrics accessible.
When
space became an issue, Juaniza began booking companies at the vacant
Loop Theater, which was slated for demolition this past June. But,
thanks to its success, the program has been extended through December,
featuring such productions as greasy joan & company's production of
"Antigone," 500 Clown's"500 Clown Frankenstein," and Hell In A
Handbag
Productions' "Rudolph the Red Hosed Reindeer."
30
Jim Vincent
Artistic director, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago
The artistic director for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago took the
reigns from the great founder Lou Conte just over four years ago, and
in
that short time he's certainly made a name for himself. He
choreographs
HSDC's twenty-one dancers, and last year proved memorable, as HSDC
turned 25. Earlier this year, Vincent made history when his company
appeared on stage with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for the first
time.
31
Gary Griffin
Director
This guy's got Tony written all over him. The director helped build
the Chicago Shakespeare Theater into an admirable Chicago institution,
and international fame seems destined. This fall, he directs the
musical
version of "The Color Purple" for Alliance Theatre at the Woodruff in
Atlanta, while still allegedly finding time to direct a to-be-announced
musical production at Chicago Shakespeare this spring.
32
Anna D. Shapiro
Director, Steppenwolf Theatre associate artist
With her mood-infused production of "Man From Nebraska," Shapiro
transformed Tracy Letts' spare, cinematic script into something
unforgettable. Her direction of Robert Anderson's 1968 sap-fest, "I
Never Sang For My Father," was remarkably entertaining. With Shapiro
at
the helm, you know you're getting the good stuff. This spring, she
directs Letts in "The Pain and the Itch" at Steppenwolf.
33
Anthony Fleming III
Actor, Lookingglass artistic associate
Fleming could recite municipal code and make it sound interesting.
And he's graced with an indefinable X-factor that invariably makes him
the most interesting person on stage. Last winter, critics sat up and
took notice of his performance in "Free Man of Color" at Victory
Gardens. The sky's the limit for this extremely talented actor who is
equally at home with comedic and dramatic roles. Coming up, he stars as
the double agent O'Brien in "1984" at Lookingglass.
34
B.J. Jones
Actor, Artistic director, Northlight Theatre
It's not easy balancing risky artistic goals with the demands of an
aging north suburban audience, but Jones has done a hell of a job of
it.
Last season included stellar productions of "Lady Windermere's Fan"
and
"Tuesdays with Morrie." Thankfully, Jones also sneaks in more
compelling
works like "Blue/Orange," in which he starred, as well. (Most of his
time is spent behind the scenes, though Jones remains a very, very good
actor.) This year, he presides over Northlight's thirtieth-anniversary
season.
35
Brett Neveu
Playwright, A Red Orchid Theatre ensemble member
The success of Neveu's "American Dead" at American Theater
Company
only reaffirmed his place as one of Chicago's most significant
playwrights. And his reputation is spreading beyond local borders; a
small New York theater company recently staged something called
"Brettfest 2004." Bigger opportunities could be on the
horizon--"Lord of
the Rings" star Sean Astin contacted Neveu after reading a profile of
the writer in Chicago magazine. In the spring, Neveu's latest play,
"4
Murders," will debut at A Red Orchid, where he recently became a
company
member.
36
Mickle Maher
Playwright & co-founder, Theater Oobleck
Maher's mashups of high and low culture have been providing
postmodern tutelage to Chicago audiences for some time now. His
hilariously moving "Spirits to Enforce," up last winter at Curious
Theatre, features telemarketing superheroes eager to produce their own
version of Shakespeare's "Tempest." Maher's poignant gifts with
language
got wider distribution in the spring when Redmoon and the Court Theatre
presented his rhymed translation of Cyrano at the MCA.
37
Matthew Goulish
Co-founder, Goat Island
Goat Island, the performance group Goulish co-founded with Lin
Hixson in 1987, remains a linchpin of the experimental performance
scene
in Chicago. This year the group presented segments of a yearlong
writing
project at Performing Arts Chicago; in the fall, they take their new
full-length performance to Europe. With British artist Tim Etchells,
Goulish also runs a side project, the Institute of Failure; the
Institute failed beautifully on the MCA's stage when Etchells visited
last spring.
38
David Kodeski
Writer, performer
Live Bait's annual Fillet of Solo showcase for quirky and
adventurous solo performance provides a forum for the next generation
of
Spalding Grays and has spotlighted unique talents like Stephanie Shaw
and Edward Thomas-Herrera. But perhaps the most visible soloist lately
has been Neo-futurist alum Kodeski; with his "True Life Tales," based
on
found diaries and other personal mementos, he's invented his own
sub-genre, revealing ghost worlds with strangeness, pathos, and humor.
39
Nathan Allen
Artistic director, The House Theatre
After a season of feverish praise, the House Theatre reemerged this
summer with the energetic take on the birth of language, "Cave With
Man." Allen directed this physically and sonically immersive piece by
troupe member Stephen Taylor. It's not all "Quest for Fire" this
year at
the House, though; they return to their tradition of revisionist
biography with this winter's "Dave DaVinci Saves the Universe."
40
Curt Columbus
Director, writer & translator
Columbus, trained in Russian literature at Yale, has made a career
of putting that knowledge to use. The upcoming season will see two of
his Chekhov translations take the stage in Chicago: Steppenwolf does
"The Cherry Orchard" this fall, followed by his "Seagull" at the
Lookingglass. When not mulling over lost youth and the intricacies of
verbs of motion, Columbus finds time to oversee Theatre on the Lake and
serve as artistic associate for Steppenwolf and Victory Gardens.
41
Charna Halpern
Producer & co-founder, ImprovOlympic
Halpern vigorously tends to the legacy of Del Close from her
Wrigleyville theater. Offering a formidable array of pure improvisation
and scripted shows, the ImprovOlympic hosts the manically entertaining
Baby Wants Candy, who improvise a one-act musical from audience
suggestions, as well as the sublime Jagodowski and Pasquesi. The
less-experienced groups that fill out the bills can be wildly uneven,
but offer the prospect of seeing the next yet-to-be-discovered Mike
Myers.
42
Tim Evans
Producer, Steppenwolf Theatre's Traffic series
Evans has turned Mondays--typically a dark night in theater--into a
prime opportunity to showcase talents not usually seen at the
Steppenwolf. Over the past year, the Traffic series featured the
clowning of Bill Irwin, the droll humor of Garrison Keillor and a
sold-out, weeklong appearance by the master of deadpan himself, David
Sedaris. Coming up, a performance by public radio's Terry Gross and a
staged reading of Studs Terkel's "Will the Circle Be Unbroken."
43
Jonathan Pitts
Executive producer, Chicago Improv Festival
Pitts has built the Chicago Improv Festival into the biggest improv
and sketch festival on Earth, or so they claim. What is big is
that this year, the festival's seventh, Pitt's expanded it from eight
days to ten, making room for more troupes and more laughs, and
bringing,
again, a huge amount of attention to Chicago comedy's drug of choice.
44
PJ Powers
Artistic director & co-founder, TimeLine Theatre Company
The artistic director and co-founder of the off-Loop TimeLine
Theatre Company does impressive things with a limited budget, mostly by
surrounding himself with all the right people. Last year, the actor
grabbed a Jeff award for his performance in "Hauptmann," and this
year's
"Hannah and Martin" went nuts with six Jeff's. This season at
TimeLine
showcases the Chicago premiere of "Pravda" and the world premiere of
"Martin Furey's Shot."
45
Karen Aldridge
Actor
Ever since her breakthrough performance in "Le Costume" two years
ago, Aldridge has been an actor in demand. She has yet to be cast in a
role that reveals what she's truly capable of, but it's only a matter
of
time. This past season, she was a jaded bartender in Tracy Letts'
Pulitzer-nominated "Man From Nebraska," an introverted math genius in
the Goodman's all-African-American version of "Proof," and a
bewildered
hat designer in the post-apocalyptic fable, "Far Away," at Next
Theatre.
This fall, she stars as Nina in "The Seagull" at Writers' Theatre.
46
Jason Loewith
Artistic director, The Next Theatre Company
Loewith became Next Theatre's Artistic director fairly recently,
but
he's already established a strong record. Reflecting his prior work
with
the Court, Loewith's brought a mixture of classic and intellectually
savvy contemporary work to Evanston. Last season featured a new version
of Moliere's "Misanthrope" (directed by Loewith) and Carol
Churchill's
"Far Away"; in the fall, he premieres the Pulitzer-nominated comedy
"Omnium Gatherum."
47
Tatjana Radisic
Costume designer
A true artiste, Radisic's high-concept costume designs are
impossible to miss, whether you're talking about her
molting-bird-inspired frocks for the Court-Redmoon collaboration
"Cyrano," her zany getups for 500 Clown or her horse-themed work for
Live Bait's "Camp Nimrod for Girls." Check your programs--more often
than not, Radisic's name is there. She had no fewer than five shows to
her credit this past year and shows no sign of stopping.
48
Molly Brennan
Actor, 500 Clown ensemble member
Even during her Factory Theater days, Brennan was a standout--and
we're not just referring to her fuchsia hair. Equal parts mischievous
little sister, dancing nerd and loudmouthed provocateur, Brennan's
comedic talents and acts of physical daring-do have taken on new
meaning
since she hooked up with 500 Clown--and directors agree. Shade Murray
cast her as a vaudevillian clown in "Fatty Arbuckle's Spectacular
Musical Revue," and she was handpicked by no less than Tina Landau for
the director's experimental Steppenwolf Garage work, "Theatrical
Essays." In October, Brennan and 500 Clown revive their deconstruction
of Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein."
49
Jenny Magnus & Beau O'Reilly
Playwrights, actors & founders, Curious Theatre Branch
When O'Reilly's not monitoring the "gooning" situation in Rogers
Park for NPR, he and Magnus present some of Chicago's freshest work at
their Curious Theatre Branch. This past season, Curious Theatre hosted
Mickle Maher's "Spirits to Enforce" and the Civil War-themed "My
Name is
Mudd." But the season's highlight may have been O'Reilly's triple
Beckett bill; an impeccable cast, including Guy Massey along with
O'Reilly and Magnus, staged three seldom-performed one-acts. Curious
Theatre Branch once again hosts the experimental Rhinoceros Festival
this fall.
50
Stephan Mazurek
Writer & director, ensemble member, Walkabout Theater Company
Who would've thought a small script that takes place in a random
crapper could be such an underground hit? "Downsize" took charge
while
produced in the bathroom at Piper's Alley, and director Mazurek, a
videographer and director of photography for commercials and episodes
of
VH1's "Behind the Music," is who we have to thank.
(2004-09-08)
|
 |
 |
|
 |
|
Copyright
Newcity Communications, Inc.
|
|