Writers’ Theatre Presents Randall Colburn’s Hesperia

Writers' Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma, continues its 20th Anniversary Season with Hesperia by Randall Colburn, directed by Associate Artistic Director Stuart Carden. The production runs January 24, 2012 - March 18, 2012 at Writers' Theatre, 325 Tudor Court in Glencoe. 

When Claudia left Ian and her old life in adult entertainment to return to her small-town roots, she found more than just a new start-she met her soon-to-be husband Trick, the local youth minister and a man of God. But when Ian shows up on her doorstep just weeks before her wedding, their past together comes roaring back to life, bringing doubt to Claudia's now moral and well-ordered existence. Playwright Randall Colburn brings an original voice to the complicated topics of love, sexuality and religion.

"We are thrilled to share with our audience this provocative and penetrating new play by Randall Colburn. I find Randall's exploration of those twin lightening rods of the American experience-Sex and Religion-incredibly powerful and of the moment. While religion and sex are used today as polarizing issues by our politicians and as fodder for satire in most theater and film, Randall writes about these complex issues with tremendous wisdom, sensuality, humor, and an unflinching honesty" comments director Stuart Carden. "I'm excited to work with Randall and our wildly talented young cast on this intimate, sexy, and moving new play."

Writers' is committed to producing not only premieres of new plays but also giving vital second productions to plays still in process. Building upon his experience with the recent premiere of Hesperia at The Right Brain Project, Randall Colburn and Writers' have collaborated this past year on a series of intensive workshops and developmental readings to give Randall the time and resources to expand, deepen, and refine his storytelling.

The production features Rebecca Buller (Daisy), Erik Hellman (Trick), Nathan Hosner (Ian), Kelly O'Sullivan (Claudia) and Tyler Ross (Aaron).

The designers are Chelsea Warren (scenic), Heather Gilbert (lighting), Jacqueline Firkins (costumes), Mikhail Fiskel (sound) and Nick Heggestad (properties).

ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Randall Colburn (Playwright) is thrilled to be working with Writers' Theatre on Hesperia, which played last summer to critical acclaim at The Right Brain Project, who dedicated their 2010 season to his work. Recent past work includes productions with Victory Gardens Theater, InFusion Theatre Company, Brain Surgeon Theater, The Mammals Theatre Company and Dream Theatre Company. His play, Verse Chorus Verse, received its Off-Broadway premiere with Barefoot Theatre Company after a successful run with Chicago's Tympanic Theatre Company last spring. He is the recipient of an Individual Artist Grant from the Illinois Arts Council and is a former finalist for the 2011 O'Neill National Playwrights Conference, the Alliance's 2009 Kendeda Graduate Playwright Competition and the 2009 New York Summer Play Fest. Colburn has been commissioned by InFusion Theatre Company and Writers' Theatre and has developed plays with companies including The Public Theatre, the ALLIANCE THEATRE, Stage Left Theatre Company and Chicago Dramatists, where he is also a resident playwright. This April, his dark comedy The Improv Play will open with InFusion Theatre Company as part of the Department of Cultural Affair's 2011-2012 season. Colburn was recently named "One to Watch" by the Chicago Reader. He received his MFA in Playwriting from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale.

Stuart Carden (Director and Associate Artistic Director) directs on the Tudor Court stage for the first time after last directing Travels with My Aunt in the Bookstore; this marks his third season as the company's associate artistic director. A new play specialist, Carden leads Writers' Theatre's Literary Development Initiative and through the course of his career has helped develop more than 20 new works, directing 12 in their world premiere productions. Before joining Writers' Theatre he was the associate artistic director of City Theatre Company in Pittsburgh where he produced The Momentum Festival of New American Plays. Recent regional theatre directing projects include In the Next Room, Or the Vibrator Play, Circle Mirror Transformation, Crime and Punishment by Marilyn Campbell and Curt Columbus and The Lieutenant Of Inishmore by Martin McDonagh at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis. Other regional directing credits include Blackbird by David Harrower, Mary's Wedding by Stephen Massicotte, A Picasso by Jeffrey Hatcher (City Theatre Company), The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh, Martin Crimp's adaptation of Jean Marivaux's The False Servant and Stones In His Pockets by Marie Jones (Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre). In Chicago with Silk Road Theatre Project, he directed the widely-acclaimed world premiere of Shishir Kurup's The Merchant On Venice (a South Asian-American and Bollywood inspired adaptation of Shakespeare's original), the world and regional premieres of Yussef el Guindi's 10 Acrobats In An Amazing Leap Of Faith and Back Of The Throat, as well as the Chicago premiere of David Henry Hwang's The Golden Child. Other directing projects include Spring Awakening, The Game of Love and Chance, Miss Julie, A Streetcar Named Desire and his own adaptation of Nikolai Gogol's The Diary of a Madman. Carden is a proud alum of Carnegie Mellon University and a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.

Rebecca Buller (Daisy) makes her Writers' Theatre debut. Recent Chicago credits include The Seagull (Goodman Theatre), All My Sons, Dolly West's Kitchen (TimeLine Theatre Company), The Cherry Orchard (Strawdog Theatre Company), Boys & Girls (Theatre Seven of Chicago) and Cut to the Quick (The Side Project Theatre). Regionally, Buller has performed in The Diary of Anne Frank (Indiana Repertory Theatre in Indianapolis and Pioneer Theatre Company in Salt Lake City), Metamorphoses (Swine Palace Theatre in Baton Rouge, Louisiana) and Ariel View (NYC International Fringe Festival).

Erik Hellman (Trick) returns to Writers' Theatre where he previously appeared in David Mamet's The Frog Prince. Other Chicago credits include The Comedy of Errors, The Mystery of Irma Vep (Joseph Jefferson Award Nomination-Lead Actor), Titus Andronicus, Arcadia (Court Theatre), The Madness of George III, Taming of the Shrew, Macbeth, Edward II (Chicago Shakespeare Theater), Honest, Elephant Man, Huck Finn (Steppenwolf Theatre Company), All My Sons (Timeline Theatre Company), The Busy World is Hushed (Next Theatre Company), Tartuffe (Remy Bumppo Theatre Company), Hatfield and McCoy (The House Theatre of Chicago) and multiple performances as an ensemble member of Strawdog Theatre Company. Outside of Chicago, Hellman has appeared in Dracula at The Geva Center and Indiana Repertory Theatre, where he played the title role in Romeo and Juliet, as well as I Just Stopped By to See The Man (Milwaukee Repertory Theatre), Romeo and Juliet, All's Well That Ends Well (Shakespeare Santa Cruz), Oh The Humanity, Mr. Marmalade (Stages Repertory Theatre, Houston, TX) and Off-Broadway in Macbeth (Mirror Repertory Theatre). Film/TV work includes The Dark Knight and The Chicago Code.

Nathan Hosner (Ian) makes his Writers' Theatre debut. Chicago credits include A Christmas Carol (Goodman Theatre), My Fair Lady (Paramount Theatre), The Madness of George III (Joseph Jefferson Award, Best Production), As You Like It (Chicago Shakespeare Theater), Macbeth (First Folio Theatre), as well as staged readings with ShawChicago and The Shakespeare Project of Chicago. Regional credits include Hamlet, Othello, The Three Musketeers, Comedy of Errors, All's Well That Ends Well (Alabama Shakespeare Festival – ASF Associate Artist), Dracula, Comedy of Errors (Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre) and various productions at Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Door Shakespeare, Madison Repertory New Play Festival and The BoarsHead Theatre. Hosner is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, London.

Kelly O'Sullivan (Claudia) makes her Writers' Theatre debut. Chicago credits include: The Seagull (Goodman Theatre), Honest, Good Boys and True, The Crucible, 100 Saints You Should Know (Steppenwolf Theatre Company), The Lieutenant of Inishmore (Northlight Theatre), Jon, Sketchbook 7 (Collaboraction), Boom (Next Theatre Company), The Dark at the Top of the Stairs (American Theater Company), Hot 'n Throbbing (Pine Box Theatre Company), The Glory of Living (Profiles Theatre) and Mr. Marmalade (Dog & Pony Theatre; Non-Equity Jeff Nomination for Principal Actress in a Play). Regional credits include My Wonderful Day (The Wilma Theater, Philadelphia, PA; Barrymore Nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress). Film/TV credits include: The King, In Memoriam and Battleground. O'Sullivan is a graduate of Northwestern University and The School at Steppenwolf.

Tyler Ross (Aaron) makes his Writers' Theatre debut. Chicago credits include: McMeekin Finds Out (Route 66 Theatre Company; Joseph Jefferson Recommended) and Hickorydickory (Chicago Dramatists; Joseph Jefferson Recommended). He recently led an incredible cast in Chicago Children's Theatre's critically acclaimed Jackie and Me. In film and television, Ross has appeared in Little Men (Big Kid Films; 2005), Searching For David's Heart (ABC Family; 2004) and The Wise Kids (Cone Arts; 2011). Ross has appeared in national commercials for Snickers Ice Cream, Cricket Wireless and Steak 'n Shake. This past summer Ross completed shooting in Chicago for the feature film Nate & Margaret (Cranium Entertainment; 2012) in which he played Nate. Ross moved to Chicago in 2009 from Jacksonville, Florida, where he was born and raised, in order to pursue acting professionally.

TICKET INFORMATION
Performances are January 24 – March 18, 2012. The press opening is on Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 7:30pm. Curtain times are Tuesday and Wednesdays at 7:30pm; Wednesday matinees at 2:00pm (February 8 and March 14 only. No evening performance February 8); Thursdays and Fridays at 8:00pm; Saturdays at 4:00pm and 8:00pm and Sundays at 2:00pm and 6:00pm (No 6:00pm show on March 18).

Tickets are $35-$70 and are available at the Box Office, 376 Park Avenue, Glencoe; 847-242-6000 or online at www.writerstheatre.org.