Williams Street Repertory Brings Memorable Theatre Experiences to McHenry County

Williams Street Repertory is a non-profit theatre company now in its sixth season in residence at Raue Center For The Arts in downtown Crystal Lake, Ill. Over the past six years, WSR has built a reputation as one of Illinois' leading producing theatres and has become a unique and valuable asset to the McHenry County community.

At its foundation, WSR is dedicated to its mission of producing diverse and emotionally charged stories that deepen the cultural richness of the community and region. Since opening, WSR has presented more than 25 productions featuring a wide range of appeal, from holiday favorites to international debuts and Chicago premieres.

WSR's next production is the Chicago premiere of "Any Other Name." This darky funny psychological thriller by award-winning playwright George Brant opens March 17, 2017 at Raue Center and runs select dates through April 2, 2017. In addition to performances in downtown Crystal Lake, "Any Other Name" transfers to Chicago's Theater Wit on April 21, 2017 and runs select dates through April 30, 2017.

"Any Other Name" is a wry psychological thriller about poetry, madness and identity theft in Victorian England. Edward Ballard, a poetry critic, and his formerly well-to-do American wife, Margaret, are on the brink of poverty, surviving on Edward's aspirations of becoming a famous poet. Lofty dreams soon give way to reality, and Edward hatches a plan to save them from ruin by enlisting the aid of celebrated poet turned madman, John Clark. Desire, envy and deception build to the play's surprising conclusion in this Chicago premiere.

In 2016, "Any Other Name" was named the winner of Best Original Play at the New Hampshire Theatre Awards and the show was also named the winner of the New Play Festival at New York City's Premiere Stages in 2009. "Any Other Name" appeared as a 2015 WSR LAB Series selection and has been workshopped at Trinity Repertory Company, WordBRIDGE Playwrights Lab and Shakespeare at Clark Park.

Over the past six years, WSR has earned a reputation for artistic excellence by working with the industry's best to produce award-winning theatre. In March 2016, WSR entered into a contract with the Actors' Equity Association. In doing so, the company was made a member of the most distinguished body of actors and stage managers in the United States and earned the distinction of being the only professional theatre company in McHenry County.

In October 2016, WSR became a member of the Theatre Communications Group, the national organization for the American theatre. TCG has existed to strengthen, nurture and promote the professional not-for-profit American theatre for over 50 years. WSR is also a proud member of the League of Chicago Theatres. TLC is an alliance of more than 200 Chicago area theatres that leverages its collective strength to support, promote and advocate for Chicago's theatre industry locally, nationally and internationally.

Through affiliations with some of the industry's top organizations, WSR has continued to grow and bring a wide variety of memorable theatre experiences to McHenry County. In addition to its theatre productions, WSR is committed to growing the arts in the local community through programs such as Sage Studio, which offers performing arts classes.

WSR also strives to engage the local community by hosting free events like its reading series, GET LIT(erary), and LAB Series, which features staged readings of new plays. By offering these community-based programs, the company aims to create a public forum that brings audiences and theatre artists together to share and discuss a wide range of exciting work.

"As Crystal Lake continues to flourish and grow, we are thrilled that so many new individuals and families are flocking to WSR," says Founding Artistic Director Richard Kuranda, "as the only professional theatre company in McHenry County, we offer exciting opportunities in a laidback environment with fantastic restaurants, ample parking and great space."

Tickets for WSR's production of "Any Other Name" at Raue Center may be purchased online at rauecenter.org or via the Box Office at 815.356.9212 or 26 N. Williams Street in downtown Crystal Lake. Tickets for Theater Wit may be purchased via the Box Office at 773.975.8150. Theater Wit is located at 1129 W. Belmont Avenue, Chicago, IL 60657. For more information, please visit wsrep.org.

About Williams Street Repertory

Williams Street Repertory is a non-profit theatre company located in Crystal Lake, Ill. Over the past six years, WSR has built a reputation for artistic excellence as one of Illinois' leading producing theatres. WSR is dedicated to sustaining an artistic process of innovative and emotionally charged work, telling diverse stories and creating an in-house Production Company of well-respected artists. Since opening, WSR has presented more than 25 productions with a wide range of appeal, from Chicago premieres and international debuts to holiday favorites. In 2016, WSR entered into a contract with Actors' Equity Association, making WSR the only professional theatre company in McHenry County. WSR is dedicated to its mission of producing diverse and emotionally charged stories that deepen the cultural richness of our community and our region. WSR was made possible through support provided by Susen Håakansson Berg and James C. Berg, the City of Crystal Lake, ComEd, McHenry County Community Foundation and Epic Repertory Theater Company. For additional information, visit wsrep.org.

About Raue Center For The Arts

Raue Center is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of all through the arts. For 16 years, they have provided quality programming - striving to make it pertinent, available and affordable to all. As a painstakingly restored, 1920s regional Showcase Theatre named for its benefactor-Lucile Raue-Raue Center has attracted the finest stars, Broadway shows, musicians and artists. Named on the League of Historic American Theatres, Raue Center is one of the finest examples of restored art and decor in the nation. The 750-seat theatre, located in historic downtown Crystal Lake, Ill., is a gathering place for our region's citizens and has become a true destination. For additional information, visit rauecenter.org, facebook.com/RaueCenter and twitter.com/RaueCenter.