Village Players Announces 09-10 Season

Dan Taube has been rightfully called an "agent of change" for the Village Players Theater of Oak Park. For the first time in 49 years, Village Players Theater will be doing two separate seasons of shows, bringing regional theater quality to the intimate setting at the Village Players Performing Arts Center. Village Players Main Stage will start its exploration of "New American Classics", while the Studio Series this year focuses on "Women on the Cutting Edge".

On the Main Stage productions, Taube says "for the longest time the term 'American Classic' has belonged exclusively to plays that premiered pre 1960. Here we are almost a decade into the 21st century and it is time to evaluate the status of all the wonderful, universal and revolutionary plays and playwrights that have occurred post 1960." This season will start with a play that is very much considered an American classic already, and will continue with three more plays that belong to The category of new classics, showing where we have come.

The Main Stage Season will premiere with "You Can't Take it with You" by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. Directed by Jack Hickey, Oak Park Festival Theatre's Artistic Director, this is the bizarre tale of a family of oddballs who clash with their daughter's future in-laws. It will run from October 16th to November 22nd, 2009. It is followed by Neil Simon's "Lost in Yonkers" directed by Brian Rabinowitz (Jan 15--Feb 28, 2010), where two brothers learn to live with their seemingly uncaring and strict grandmother. Following that is the Pulitzer Prize winning musical "A Chorus Line" by Marvin Hamlisch, Edward Kleban, James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante, which is directed by Tim Grover (Mar 12--Apr 25, 2010). Watch a dance audition turn into a whirlwind of confession and self discovery. The season will end with Christopher Durang's comedy "The Marriage of Bette and Boo" directed by Taube (May 7--June 27, 2010). The only son of a divorced couple looks back to see what went wrong between his parents during their marriage, and what finally went right.

For the intimate Studio Series, Taube says the theatre "will be starting a new tradition of producing a theatrically themed season of challenging, entertaining and thought-provoking plays." The inaugural season's theme is "Women on the Cutting Edge", where all the plays will focus on female characters with an "edgy" sensibility or will be written by women playwrights who are willing to push boundaries in a similar fashion. The Chicago Reader calls the studio an "intimate black-box space, where the smallest gestures create maximum dramatic impact."

The Studio Season has already started with the critically acclaimed production of Wiliam Gibson's "The Miracle Worker", directed by the Jeff Award winning Megan Wells. It tells the story of Annie Sullivan as she tries to give the deaf, dumb and blind Helen Keller the gift of language. "The Miracle Worker", which plays through October 4th 2009, is followed by "Savage in Limbo" by John Patrick Shanley directed by Jacque Lueken (Jan 21--Feb 21, 2010). One women finds her friend's break up an opportunity to fill the lonely void she feels in this confrontational dramedy. Next is "Mud" by Maria Irene Fornes directed by Lawrence Keller (Mar 26--Apr 25, 2010). Mae struggles to get ahead in her life as she finds that the men closest to her are holding her back. The last show of the series is "Polaroid Stories" by Naomi Iizuka directed by Kyra Lewandowski (June 10--July 18, 2010). This play marries the human side of ancient myths with the psychological struggles of modern urban youth.

All performances will be found at the Village Players Performing Arts Center, 1010 Madison St., Oak Park. The theater is near the Harlem exit of I-290 and is also accessible by the CTA Green and Blue lines. Plenty of parking is available on the street. The theatre is handicapped accessible but please do call ahead to arrange for special seating. You can find more information by calling 866-764-1010 or visiting www.village-players.org.

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