Rick Snyder Directs OLEANNA And SPEED-THE-PLOW At ATC

American Theater Company (ATC) opens its 26th season with David Mamet's Oleanna and Speed-the-Plow in repertory for the first time ever. The productions are directed by Steppenwolf ensemble member Rick Snyder and will run at American Theater Company, 1909 W Byron St, Chicago. Press opening for Speed-the-Plow and Oleanna is Monday, September 20 at 6:00PM and 9:00PM, respectively.

David Mamet's Speed-the-Plow, directed by Rick Snyder, will run September 9 - October 24, 2010.

New England. 1995. A university professor's tenure dissolves when a student claims sexual harassment. Speed-the-Plow will feature Darrell W. Cox as Bobby Gould, Lance Baker as Charlie Fox, and Nicole Lowrance as Karen.
Please note that Nicole Lowrance replaces Mattie Hawkinson who was recently cast in her first feature-length film.

Mamet's Oleanna, also directed by Rick Snyder, joins Speed-the-Plow in repertory on September 16. Oleanna will play at ATC through October 24, 2010.

Hollywood. 1985. Two movie producers hit meltdown when their idealistic secretary turns the tables on their plans to make the next blockbuster. Oleanna will feature Darrell W. Cox as John and Nicole Lowrance as Carol.

"I am delighted to be back at ATC and to work on the most challenging and complex actor-driven plays that I have yet encountered," says director Rick Snyder. "Speed-the-Plow and Oleanna are dense, scary and fascinating - in short, they are great fun."

Artistic Director PJ Paparelli adds, "The Mamet Rep is exciting, old school theater: three hard-core actors, two intense plays, guided by Rick's passion for moment-to-moment storytelling. It's quintessential Chicago theatre and I can't think of a better way to usher in ATC's 26th season."

The Mamet Repertory designers are Jack Magaw (Scenic Designer), Jessica Harpenau (Lighting Designer), Kevin O'Donnell and Andrew Wheatly (Sound Designer), Janice Pytel (Costume Designer), and Joel Lambie (Props Design). Katie Klemme is the Production Stage Manager.

 

Rick Snyder (Director), a Steppenwolf ensemble member, recently directed Killer Joe and Men of Tortuga at Profiles. He recently directed Art at Steppenwolf, Mauritius at Northlight Theatre, The Lion in Winter at Writers' Theatre, The Actor at the Goodman Theatre and Aristocrata at Strawdog Theatre. He has also directed Betrayal at Steppenwolf, Jolly and The Disappearance of the Jews at the Goodman, St. Scarlet at ATC, Bus Stop at Writers' Theatre and Last of the Boys at Steppenwolf. Other directing credits at Steppenwolf include Tavern Story, Things Being What They Are, Orange Flower Water (which traveled to the Galway Arts Festival), and The Fall To Earth. As an actor, Rick recently appeared in August: Osage County and The Unmentionables at Steppenwolf Theatre as well as Man From Nebraska and I Never Sang For My Father. Other Steppenwolf Theatre productions include Wedding Band, Time of Your Life, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest in London and on Broadway, and Sideman in Galway, Ireland. David Copperfield, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, Slaughterhouse Five, Molly Sweeney, Picasso At The Lapine Agile, the Tony Award-winning Grapes of Wrath, The Road To Nirvana, and A Walk In The Woods. He has appeared at the Goodman Theatre in As You Like It, Down The Shore and as Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. At Northlight Theatre he appeared in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf and The Rear Column. Television credits include Crime Story, First Steps, Lady Blue, Legacy of Lies, The Woman Who Loved Elvis, Overexposed, and guest starring roles on Early Edition, Profiler, Chicago Hope, Angel Street, The Untouchables, Missing Persons, and Mind Of The Married Man. Rick has appeared in the films Meet The Applegates, The Tuskegee Airmen, Alien Nation Millennium, The Net starring Sandra Bullock, Whiteboys, and Soul Survivors. He appeared as agent Frank Burrows in U.S. Marshals and recently appeared in The Human Stain. Rick has taught acting classes at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN, as well as advanced acting class at Northwestern University and DePaul. He currently teaches Directing 1 at Columbia College in Chicago. Rick has been a member of the Steppenwolf ensemble since 1983, and an instructor for The School at Steppenwolf and Associate Artist at Steppenwolf for the last ten years.

Darrell W. Cox (John and Bobby Gould) is an ensemble member and Associate Artistic Director of Profiles Theatre. He was most recently seen as Ben in Profiles' Midwest Premiere of The Mercy Seat by Neil LaBute, and as Joe in Profiles' World Premiere of Graceland by Ellen Fairey. Prior to that, he was seen as the stepfather in Profiles' Midwest Premiere of Great Falls by Lee Blessing, as well as Taggart in Profiles' first full Chicago production of Men of Tortuga. Prior to that, he was seen in the Chicago Premiere of Leigh Fondakowski's The People's Temple at American Theatre Company as Jim Jones and Stephan Jones. He has been seen at Steppenwolf in the World Premiere of Men of Tortuga (where he originated the role of Taggart), the Midwest Premiere of Orange Flower Water (which traveled to the Galway Arts Festival), and the World Premiere of Wendall Greene. Darrell has also appeared at the Goodman in The Shawl and Home as part of the David Mamet Festival and the World Premiere of Martin Furey's Shot at TimeLine Theatre, among others. He has received three Jeff Awards for Principal Actor for his performances in Profiles' productions of Blackbird, Some Voices and Eye of God. In addition, he has received two After Dark Awards for Outstanding Performance for his work in Profiles' Popcorn and Carnal Knowledge. Other recent performances at Profiles include In A Dark Dark House, Apple, Fat Pig and The Glory Of Living.

Lance Baker (Charlie Fox) Lance Baker is making his ATC debut. He last appeared as Jack in the world premieres (play and space) of Spin for Theater Wit. Other shows include Lookingglass' Around the World in 80 Days at KC Rep; Northlight's Mauritius (directed by Rick Snyder), for which he received a Jeff nomination; Fanny Brice: The Real Funny Girl at the Maltz in Jupiter, FL; Amadeus at Chicago Shakespeare; the world premiere of Craig Wright's Lady for Northlight; A Steady Rain for Chicago Dramatists; A Park in Our House, I Sailed with Magellan, and Young Lady from Rwanda at Victory Gardens; Thom Pain (based on nothing) (Jeff Award - Solo Performance) and Santaland Diaries for Theater Wit; Ionesco's Hunger and Thirst and The Grey Zone at A Red Orchid; Dollhouse and Lobby Hero at Goodman (both Jeff nominated); Thyestes, Travesties (Jeff nomination), The Importance of Being Earnest, Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolff at Court; No Place like Home at Steppenwolf; Nocturne for Naked Eye; Up Against It for Lookingglass; This Is Our Youth (After Dark Award), Dealer's Choice (Jeff nomination), and Ecstasy with Roadworks. Directing credits include the world premiere of Brett Neveu's The Earl, and the Chicago premiere of A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant, both at A Red Orchid, where he is an ensemble member and will appear in Machiavelli's The Mandrake in the spring of 2011.

Nicole Lowrance (Carol and Karen) makes her debut at ATC with The Mamet Repertory. Broadway credits include: Dividing The Estate (also at Primary Stages); International credits: The Merchant of Venice (Royal Shakespeare Company); Off-Broadway: The Merchant of Venice/Jew of Malta (in repertory), All's Well That Ends Well, Engaged, Don Juan (all with Theatre For a New Audience), Columbinus (New York Theatre Workshop), Tatjana in Color (Culture Project), Red Frog s(P.S. 122), Measure For Measure (NYSF). Regional credits include: The Importance of Being Earnest (Baltimore Center Stage), Curse of the Starving Class (ACT San Francisco), The Learned Ladies of Park Avenue (Hartford Stage), Romeo and Juliet (Folger Theatre), The Little Foxes, Hamlet (The Shakespeare Theatre of DC). TV credits include: Law and Order, Whoopi, Guiding Light, American Masters (PBS). Training: The Juilliard School.

The Mamet Repertory will be performed at American Theater Company, 1909 W. Byron St. in Chicago. Press opening is Monday, September 20, 2010. Regular performances for The Mamet Repertory are listed by date on the factsheet.

The Mamet Repertory/PAGE THREE

Parking is available on the street and at the metered lot on the corner of Lincoln and Berenice. ATC is wheelchair accessible. Tickets are $30 in advance and $10 at the door during previews. Throughout the regular run, tickets are $35 - $50. Student and group discounts are available. ATC's box office is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. on performance Saturdays and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on performance Sundays. For reservations or further information, call 773-409-4125 or visit www.atcweb.org .

About American Theater Company
American Theater Company is an ensemble of artists committed to producing new and classic American stories that ask the question, "What does it mean to be an American?" ATC's Ensemble includes Usman Ally, Patrick Andrews, Kareem Bandealy, Jaime Castañeda, Joe Minoso and Sadieh Rifai. American Theater Company is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, and CityArts II. Additional valuable support is provided by the Alphawood Foundation, the Bruce B. Boyd Foundation, the Elizabeth F. Chaney Foundation, Chicago Community Trust, the Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, the Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust, the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the Mayer and Morris Kaplan Family Foundation, the Polk Bros. Foundation, the MacArthur Fund at Prince Charitable Trust, and the Shubert Foundation.