Next Theatre Ends Season With WAR WITH THE NEWTS, Previews 5/21

Next Theatre Company concludes it's 29th season in May with the world premiere of War with the Newts, an adaptation of Karel ?apek's 1936 satirical novel. The story is adapted and directed by former Next Artistic Director Jason Loewith, who penned the highly successful Adding Machine: A Musical, which won a host of awards in Chicago and then off-Broadway where it ran for eight months. Mr. Loewith will collaborate with Next Artistic Associate Justin D.M. Palmer on the script and with puppetmaker and Jeff Award winner Michael Montenegro (The Puppetmaster of Lodz, The Long Christmas Ride Home, Argonautika). Newts is being presented in association with the Department of Theater at Loyola University Chicago and will be performed at the Mullady Theatre on the lakeshore campus in Rogers Park beginning May 21, 2010.

War with the Newts tells the story of the discovery in the Pacific of a sea-dwelling race, the Newts, who are initially enslaved and exploited by a wealthy Czech industrialist (Mr. Bondy). They acquire human knowledge and rebel, leading to a global war for supremacy. The story is told from the point of view of Bondy's butler, Mr. Povondra and deals with the discovery of the Newts, their exploitation and evolution, and growing tensions between humans and the Newts in the lead-up to all out war. It's set against the backdrop of the approach of World War II.

"As we close out our 29th season, I'm thrilled to present this epic story that pokes fun at mid-20th century European politics, including colonialism, fascism and Nazism, segregation in America, and the arms race," stated Southerland. "It's also a timely play as we re-examine the merits and pitfalls of capitalism and as part of Next's continued fascination with our role as global citizens."

The production features a showcase of Chicagoland talent including artistic associates Joseph Wycoff as Mr. Povandra, Jennifer Avery as Mrs. Povandra, Keith Parham on lights, Collette Pollard on sets and Michael Tutaj designing projections. The cast is rounded out with the talents of Eddie Bennet, Joel Ewing, Mildred Langford, Former Next Artistic Director Steve Pickering, Will Zahrn and James Zoccoli. The design team also includes Kristine Knanishu-Engel on costumes and Misha Fiskel designing sound.

Tickets range from $25 (previews) to $40 (Fri/Sat nights). A limited number of $20 tickets are available for every performance on a first-come first-served basis. Single tickets may be purchased via our website, www.nexttheatre.org, or by calling Next Theatre Company at (847) 475-1875. Tickets and passes are also available in person at the Next Theatre Company office, 927 Noyes Street, Evanston from 12 noon until 6pm Tuesday through Saturday (box office at Next is only open on Saturdays during performances). On performance days, tickets may be purchased at the Mullady Theater Box Office one hour prior to curtain. During performances the box office will remain open 30 minutes after curtain. Student Rush is available at the box office 1 hour prior to curtain.

Press Opening: Monday, May 24 at 7:00pm. Next Theatre can be found on the web at www.NextTheatre.org.