Victory Gardens Presents AT HOME AT THE ZOO 10/1-31

Victory Gardens opens its 2010/11 Season with Edward Albee's At Home At The Zoo directed by Artistic Director Dennis Za?ek. The production runs October 1 - October 31, 2010 at the Victory Gardens Biograph Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue in Lincoln Park. The Press Opening is Monday, October 11, 2010, at 7:30 pm.

At Home At The Zoo is supported in part by Motorola Foundation.

America's greatest living playwright pairs his provocative classic, The Zoo Story-the one-act that launched his career fifty years ago-with a new first act titled Homelife. The lives of three New Yorkers are changed forever as the revelations and confrontations of one sunny afternoon send them down surprising new paths. The intensity that is true Albee includes shocking secrets, sharp truths and hearts bursting with all the complexities of humanity.

Victory Gardens Chicago premiere of At Home At The Zoo features Tom Amandes (Peter), Annabel Armour (Ann) and Marc Grapey (Jerry). Tom Amandes is a Chicago-area (Richmond and Crystal Lake) native who alternates between theater and television. He is most widely known for his role on Everwood and currently appears on NBC's Ron Howard-produced Parenthood. Chicago actors Annabel Armour and Marc Grapey have both appeared on every major stage in the city. Grapey most recently appeared at Victory Gardens in I Sailed with Magellan in 2007; Amandes appeared at Victory Gardens in Working Magic and Cynical Weathers.

American master Edward Albee's new spellbinder is a meticulously calibrated and brutal look at the lives of three New Yorkers. The story opens with Peter, a tweedy book editor, and his wife, Ann, whose everyday conversation takes an unexpected turn into dangerously personal territory. It's the kind of conversation that can drive a husband out for a walk-to Central Park, where Jerry, a desperate outcast, awaits. An unforgettable pairing of Albee's original The Zoo Story with a freshly penned first act, At Home At The Zoo (formerly titled Peter and Jerry) bares its teeth to threaten the delicately balanced world its characters inhabit.

Edward Albee's two-act At Home At The Zoo debuted at San Francisco's American Conservatory Theatre in 2009 and opened Off-Broadway at the Second Stage Theatre, starring Bill Pullman, Dallas Roberts and JohAnna Day.

"Edward Albee is arguably our greatest living playwright. I've always admired his work and I'm thrilled to be able to explore this piece," said Artistic Director Dennis Za?ek. "This new first act by a brilliant playwright is exactly in line with Victory Gardens mission of producing new plays and I look forward to delving into it with three of Chicago's favorite actors-Annabel Armour, Marc Grapey and Tom Amandes, in his return home to Chicago and Victory Gardens. This production is a fitting beginning to my final season as Victory Gardens Artistic Director."

At Home At The Zoo begins previews October 1, 2010, at the Victory Gardens Biograph Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago. Press opening is Monday, October 11, at 7:30 pm. Regular performances continue through October 31. Tickets, $20-$50, are available through the Victory Gardens Box Office, 773.871.3000, www.victorygardens.org.

Edward Albee (Playwright) first earned interna tional acclaim at age 30 with his controversial one-act play The Zoo Story (1959). His first full-length play, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, earned him a Tony Award in 1962. The master playwright's achievements include A Delicate Balance (1966 Pulitzer Prize), Seascape (1974 Pulitzer Prize), Three Tall Women (1994 Pulitzer Prize), A Delicate Balance revival (1996 Tony Award), The Play About the Baby (2001 Pulitzer nominee) and The Goat or, Who is Sylvia? (2002 Tony Award). Albee's other plays include The Death of Bessie Smith (1959), The Sandbox (1959), The American Dream (1960), Tiny Alice (1964), All Over (1971), Listening (1975), Counting the Ways (1975), The Lady from Dubuque (1977), The Man Who Had Three Arms (1981), an adaptation of Nabokov's Lolita (1981), Finding the Sun (1982), Marriage Play (1986), Fragments (1993), Occupant (2001), and Me, Myself and I (2007). At Home At The Zoo (formerly titled Peter & Jerry) adds a first act to Albee's 1959 play The Zoo Story; this new first act, titled Homelife, revolves around the marriage of Peter and Ann and ends with Peter leaving to go read a book in Central Park. Albee was awarded the Gold Medal in Drama from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters in 1980 and was a recipient of the 1996 Kennedy Center Honors and the National Medal of Arts, and in 2005 he was honored with a special Tony Award for lifetime achievement in the theater. Albee is a member of the Dramatists Guild Council and president of The Edward F. Albee Foundation.

Dennis Za?ek (Director) has held the position of artistic director at Victory Gardens for 30 years, and recently accepted the Actor's Equity Association's (AEA) Spirit Recognition Award, given to institutions that "have made non-traditional casting a way of life." He also received the 2005 Jeff Award for Outstanding Achievement in Chicago Equity Theatre. He, his wife Marcelle McVay, and the theater are co-recipients of the 2001 Tony Award® for Outstanding Regional Theatre. Za?ek and McVay were also honored with the 1999 Rosetta LeNoire Award from Actors' Equity and the 1998 Sidney R. Yates Arts Advocacy Award from the Illinois Arts Alliance Foundation. He is also the recipient of the 2004 Artistic Leadership Award from the League of Chicago Theatres. He has directed more than 250 productions in his career, including, most recently, the world premiere of Jacob and Jack by Victory Gardens Playwrights Ensemble Member James Sherman, the Chicago premiere of Blackbird by David Harrower, the world premiere of Jeffrey Sweet's Class Dismissed, James Sherman's Relatively Close, the Midwest premiere of A Park in Our House by Nilo Cruz, the world premieres of Cynical Weathers by Douglas Post, Denmark by Charles Smith, the inaugural production at Victory Gardens' new home at the Biograph, Symmetry by David Field, The Family Gold by Annie Reiner, Affluenza! and The Old Man's Friend by James Sherman, Unspoken Prayers by Claudia Allen, The Action Against Sol Schumann and Flyovers by Jeffrey Sweet, and others. Additional projects include Marisha Chamberlain's Scheherazade (National Winner of the FDG/CBS competition), John Olive's Clara's Play (production and direction award, Academy of Theater Artists and Friends), and James Sherman's Mr. 80% (direction award, Academy of Theater Artists and Friends). Za?ek directed Arthur Cantor's production of James Sherman's Beau Jest at the Lambs Theater in New York, where it holds the record as the longest-running show in the history of the theater. Other New York credits include Lonnie Carter's The Sovereign State of Boogedy Boogedy, presented by Woody King's New Federal Theater, and Charles Smith's Jelly Belly, which was produced by the New Federal Theater. Za?ek is a professor emeritus of Loyola University and was included in 2005 in Utne magazine's first-ever list of "Artists Who Will Shake the World."

Tom Amandes (Peter) returns to Victory Gardens Theater where he performed in Working Magic and Douglas Post's political drama Cynical Weathers (2006), directed by his At Home At The Zoo director Dennis Za?ek. After growing up in Richmond and Crystal Lake, Amandes graduated from the Goodman School of Drama, now the Theater School at DePaul University. He began his acting career as an ensemble member of the now-defunct Body Politic Theater, performing in such productions as Translations (his 1982 debut) and The Playboy of the Western World. Other notable Chicago theater includes Candida, What the Butler Saw and The Mystery Cycle (Court Theatre) and Free Advice from Prague and The Courtship of Carl Sandburg (Northlight). Tom is best known to TV audiences as Eliot Ness in The Untouchables, Dr. Harold Abbott in Everwood and astronaut Jack Schmitt in the Tom Hanks-produced miniseries From the Earth to the Moon. He can currently be seen on NBC's Parenthood.
Annabel Armour (Ann) is an Artistic Associate of Remy Bumppo Theatre Company where she has appeared in Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Philadelphia Story, Fiction, Mrs. Warren's Profession, The Best Man, Power, Aren't We All, Humble Boy, Hidden Laughter, Money, Top Girls, Hapgood, Road to Mecca, Heartbreakhouse and Edward Albee's A Delicate Balance (After Dark Award). She appeared as Mrs. Potts in the Writers' Theatre production of Picnic, directed by David Cromer and featuring Marc Grapey. At Writers' Theatre she was also seen in Booth, Fallen Angels and Dear Master. Last summer she participated for the third time in Steppenwolf Theatre Company's First Look Series. Other theater credits include working with Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Cleveland Playhouse, Goodman Theatre, Northlight Theatre, Organic Theatre Company (formally known as Organic/Touchstone Theatre), Cincinnati Playhouse and Ford's Theatre (Washington D.C.). Armour is the recipient of Joseph Jefferson Awards for Angels in America Parts I & II directed by David Cromer (Journeyman Theater) and After Play directed by Steve Scott (Organic Theater Company). She also appeared in Angels in America Parts I & II, Before My Eyes and After Play at Organic Theater (After Dark Awards). She appeared on the big screen as Edith the Realtor in The Amityville Horror and recently finished filming on the upcoming movie Convictions with Hillary Swank, Sam Rockwell and Minnie Driver, directed by Tony Goldwyn.
Marc Grapey (Jerry) returns to Victory Gardens for the first time since I Sailed with Magellan in 2007. As an actor, Marc most recently appeared in The Taming of the Shrew (Chicago Shakespeare Theater) and Picnic (Writers' Theatre) where he appeared with his Zoo co-star Annabel Armour. Other Chicago credits include Sarah Ruhl's Dead Man's Cell Phone (Steppenwolf Theatre Company), the world premieres of: Eric Bogosian's Griller, Noah Haidle's Vigils (Goodman Theatre); Early and Often and The Homecoming (Famous Door Theatre Company). Regionally he appeared at the Humana Festival of New American Plays in The As If Body Loop (Actors Theatre of Louisville). In 2005 Grapey made his Broadway debut opposite Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick in Neil Simon's The Odd Couple. Television credits include Arrested Development, The West Wing, Law & Order: SVU, Two and a Half Men, The Comeback and Sex and the City. Film credits include Ali, While You Were Sleeping, The Company, The Daytrippers, Superbad, Adventureland, Chicago Overcoat and Public Enemies. He has collaborated with David Cromer at Famous Door Theatre Company as a director on Suburban Motel (Joseph Jefferson Award - Best Direction and Production) and The Cider House Rules (Joseph Jefferson Award - Best Direction and Production).

Full performance schedule

Previews of At Home At The Zoo are October 1-10, 2010: Tuesday through Saturday at 7:30 pm; and Sunday at 3 pm. Previews are $20-$40. The Press opening is Monday, October 11 at 7:30 pm. Regular performances run through October 31: Tuesday through Friday at 7:30 pm; Saturday at 4 pm and 7:30 pm; Sunday at 3 pm. There will be a matinee on Wednesday, October 20 at 2 pm. There are no evening performances Tuesday, October 12 or Tuesday, October 19. Regular performances are $20-$50.

Performances are at the Victory Gardens Biograph Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue, in the heart of Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood. For tickets and information, call the Victory Gardens Box Office, 773.871.3000 (tty: 773.871.0682), email tickets@victorygardens.org, or visit www.victorygardens.org. Ask the Box Office about student, senior, Access, 20 for $20, and rush discounts. For group discounts, call 773.549.5788
At Home At The Zoo special events

OPEN REHEARSAL - Thursday, September 23 at 6:00 pm
Enjoy a behind-the-scenes peek at rehearsal, followed by a talkback with the artists. Complimentary admission.

HUMANITIES NIGHT - Thursday, October 7, 7:30 pm show
Gain unique insights when a guest speaker leads an interactive discussion on the play's topics and themes moderated by a member of our artistic staff.

HAPPY HOUR - Friday, October 22 at 6:00 pm
Join Victory Gardens for live music, cocktails, hors d'oeuvres prior to the performance.

POST SHOW DISCUSSIONS
Join members of the cast and VG Artistic Team in a post-play discussion Wednesdays after Opening Night.

ACCESS PERFORMANCES
Audio descriptions for patrons who are blind or have low vision
Friday, October 22 at 7:30 pm
Sunday, October 31 at 3 pm
On-stage touch tour begins 1-1/2 hour before the show. Call 773.871.3000 to reserve.

Word for word captioning for patrons who are hearing impaired
Wednesday, October 20 at 2pm
Friday, October 29 at 7:30 pm
Saturday, October 30 at 4 pm

Sign language interpretation for patrons who are hearing impaired
Friday, October 29 at 7:30 pm

Victory Gardens is the winner, Best Accessible Theater, Deaf Illinois Awards 2009. Interpreting is by Deaf Communication by Innovation, Raymond Rodgers, Sign Master. See www.victorygardens.org and click on "Enhance Your visit" for information and other Access services including large print and Braille programs, assisted listening devices, and artist development workshops.

Logistics and Amenities

Parking
$11 valet parking is available for all performances. Discounted parking is available one block south at Children's Memorial Hospital for all shows except weekday matinees (no overnights). Metered and street parking is available, but mind the neighborhood parking restrictions.

Public transit
By CTA train, take the Red, Purple or Brown lines to the Fullerton stop. Walk east on Fullerton to Lincoln, then north 1/2 block to the theater. The #8 Halsted, #11 Lincoln, #37 Sedgwick/Ogden, and #74 Fullerton CTA buses all stop at the corner of Fullerton and Halsted, 1/2 block south of the theater. See transitchicago.com for times and routes.

Pre- and post-show dining
See www.victorygardens.org for a list of Victory Gardens' neighborhood dining partners. Each is within walking distance of the Biograph, and all offer a special discount to patrons who present a Victory Gardens ticket stub.

About Victory Gardens Theater
Under the leadership of Artistic Director Dennis Za?ek and Executive Director Jan Kallish, Victory Gardens Theater is home to the bold voices of world premiere theater. The company features the work of its own 14-member Playwrights Ensemble, as well as that of exciting playwrights who are changing theater in the U.S. and abroad. Since its founding in 1974, the company has produced more world premieres than any other Chicago theater, a commitment recognized nationally when Victory Gardens received the 2001 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre. The company's dedication to developing, supporting and producing new work makes Victory Gardens an American Center for New Plays.

In 2006, Victory Gardens successfully completed an $11.8 million renovation of Chicago's famed Biograph Theater, and moved two blocks north from its longtime venue at 2257 N. Lincoln Avenue, to its beautiful new home in one of Chicago's most celebrated historic landmarks. Renamed Victory Gardens Biograph Theater, the new venue is a state-of-the-art 299-seat mainstage which has greatly expanded the company's artistic flexibility, while enhancing Victory Gardens' ability to welcome patrons old and new.

Last summer, Victory Gardens completed the second phase of renovation at the Biograph, building an intimate, new, 109-seat studio theater on the second floor. On March 1, 2010, at a special launch event for Victory Gardens new, $1 million Campaign for Growth, the theater's new studio was officially named the Richard Christiansen Theater, in honor of the Chicago Tribune chief critic emeritus and longtime champion of Chicago's live theater scene. Visit www.victorygardens.org/campaignforgrowth for more details.

Victory Gardens Theater receives major funding from John T. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Chicago Community Trust, Shubert Foundation, Polk Bros. Foundation, Allstate Insurance Company, Alphawood Foundation, Motorola Foundation, REAM Foundation, and Crown Family Philanthropies. Additional funding is provided by: National Endowment for the Arts, Illinois Arts Council (IAC), a State Agency, CityArts Program 4 Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, Charles and M.R. Shapiro Foundation, and by 3Arts, Harry S. Black and Allon Fuller Fund, Charles H. and Bertha L. Boothroyd Foundation, Elizabeth Cheney Foundation, John R. Halligan Fund, Illinois Tool Works (ITW), James S. Kemper Foundation, Irving Harris Foundation and Wrightwood Neighbors Association.

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