Writers' Theater Celebrates Successful 2009/10 Season

Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Executive Director Kathryn Lipuma lead the staff, board and artists in celebration as the theatre closes its 2009/10 Season and enters the arresting 2010/11 Season. Significant achievements were met both artistically and fiscally, including increasing national recognition for the theatre and its productions. The company is now looking forward, with great anticipation, to another exciting year.

2009/10 Season ends with impressive attendance records and record-breaking productions
The 2009/10 productions of Oh Coward!, A Streetcar Named Desire and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead are among the top 10 highest grossing productions of all time at Writers' Theatre. Oh Coward!, directed by Jim Corti with musical direction by Doug Peck, was the longest running production in Writers' Theatre history, playing for an unprecedented 26 weeks. A Streetcar Named Desire, directed by David Cromer, received unanimously positive reviews, broke all previous box office records and recently celebrated its 100th performance at Writers' Theatre.

Creation of Tweet Seats proven successful; Twittered discounts catching on
Tweet Seats, a day-of ticket sales program, was piloted during the 2010/11 Season and garnered national attention. Follow Writers' Theatre on Twitter (Twitter.com/WritersTheatre) and everyday by 3pm, Writers' will Tweet a code that can be used to purchase remaining seats for that day's performance at a discount. Tweet Seats are available for purchase only through the Writers' Theatre website at writerstheatre.org.

Writers' audience enrichment programs expanded during the 2009/10 season with From Page to Stage and "What to Know Before the Show"
The fifth annual From Page to Stage series in conjunction with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, received the highest attendance in the program's history. The program is presented by Writers' Theatre and select North Shore libraries.

The sixth annual From Page to Stage program will continue for the 2010/11 Season in conjunction with She Loves Me. This comprehensive series of special events, lectures, readings and film viewings are designed to enhance and enrich the audience experience of She Loves Me. All events are FREE of charge and open to the public. For event listings and more information visit www.writerstheatre.org/FPTS.

Writers' created a new audience enrichment program "What to Know Before the Show" which consisted of short, mini-lectures held before weekday performances of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. This program was wildly successful and reached more than 1,000 audience members.

Writers' celebrates successful fundraising initiatives
In the 2009/10 Season, Writers' Theatre welcomed its new Director of Institutional Advancement Carol Dawley. Dawley was a longtime Trustee and supporter of the company and joined the Writers' staff in May 2010.

The company saw growth in its fundraising initiatives. Highlights include the Writers' Theatre WordPlay Gala, which was the most successful to date earning $485,500. Also Writers' welcomed Northern Trust as a first time production sponsor and Whole Foods as a Special Events sponsor. Foundation funding grew and individual giving also increased through the Director's Society and Artist's Council which exceeded budget by 9%.

The MLK Project: The Fight for Civil Rights completed its 4th annual school tour
This year The MLK Project was seen by 6,000 students and teachers throughout Chicago and the northern suburbs. Another 1,000 community members experienced the production through partnerships with the Glencoe Junior High Project, Am Shalom Synagogue, The Volunteer Center of New Trier Township, The Interfaith Housing Center of the Northern Suburbs, The Illinois Holocaust Museum, The Schuler Family Foundation, Alternatives, Inc., Northeastern Illinois University's Gear Up! Program and Kedvale Mt. Zion Baptist Church. There were 33 performances of the show and 84% of those performances were in low-income communities.

On MLK Day, Writers' Theatre participated in "A Day of Service and Inspiration" to bring families from around the North Shore together to complete service projects for the community. There was a performance from The Soul Children of Chicago Choir, a moving speech by Civil Rights Activist Reverend Calvin Morris and a culminating performance of The MLK Project, which kicked off the tour. More than 700 people participated in this event.

Writers' Theatre In-School Residencies experiences tremendous growth and success
This year marked dramatic growth in the Writers' Theatre residency program with Chicago Public Schools and schools on the North Shore. The program saw a 73% increase in number of students served, an 81% increase in the number of low-income students served and a 66% increase in total classes offered. Writers' Theatre worked with 20 schools in Chicago and on the North Shore to provide a total of 35 in-school residencies.

Overall, the residency program served more than 900 students, 88% of which were low-income.

A Ministers' Wife heads to Lincoln Center Theater
A Minister's Wife, Writers' Theatre's musical adapted from George Bernard Shaw's Candida, will be produced by Lincoln Center Theater in the 2010-11 season. The original musical was conceived and directed by Michael Halberstam, adapted by Austin Pendleton with music by Josh Schmidt and lyrics by Jan Tranen. The Lincoln Center Theater production will be directed by Halberstam. Performances begin on Thursday, April 7, 2011 and opens on Thursday, May 5, 2011 at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater (150 West 65 Street, New York City).

A Minister's Wife had its world premiere at Writers' Theatre after a four-year commissioning and development process. The original sold-out run of A Minister's Wife at Writers' Theatre was extended by popular demand three times, running for a total of 13 weeks. Workshops have continued on the production at Lincoln Center Theater.

The upcoming Writers' season includes:
She Loves Me
Book by Joe Masteroff
Music by Jerry Bock
Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick
Musical Direction by Ben Johnson
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam

September 14 - November 21, 2010
Press Night is September 24, 2010
Performed at 325 Tudor Court

Featuring Bernard Balbot, Andrew Goetten, Kevin Gudahl, Stephanie Herman, Heidi Kettenring, Ross Lehman, Jessie Mueller, James Rank, Jeremy Rill, Nicky Schuenke, Bethany Thomas and Rod Thomas

Often considered the "perfect" musical by aficionados, She Loves Me delights audiences and critics alike. Set in a 1930's European perfumery, we meet shop clerks Amalia and Georg, who more often than not, don't see eye to eye. After both respond to a "lonely hearts" advertisement in the newspaper, they now live for the love letters they exchange, but have no idea they're actually writing to each other! Discover with Amalia and Georg the identity of their true loves and all the twists and turns along the way. Performed as an intimate chamber musical on the Tudor Court stage, She Loves Me appeals to all ages and is a romantic and charming musical adventure of the heart.

Travels With My Aunt
By Graham Greene
Adapted for the stage by Giles Havergal
Directed by Associate Artistic Director Stuart Carden

November 9, 2010 - March 27, 2011
Press Nights are November 17 & 18, 2010
Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue

Featuring LaShawn Banks, Sean Fortunato, John Hoogenakker and Jeremy Sher

Henry Pulling, a mild-mannered retired banker, leads a quiet life tending his beloved dahlias and never strays too far from his Southwood, England home. But when his eccentric and outrageous Aunt Augusta suddenly appears in his life with mysterious information about his past, Henry is drawn from the safety of his flower beds into a series of absurd and exotic international adventures. Henry, Aunt Augusta and more than 25 characters are brilliantly and inventively portrayed by just four actors who switch identities, nationalities, ages and genders in this exciting theatrical escapade. Adapted from the celebrated novel by Graham Greene, Travels With My Aunt takes you on an irreverent, often hilarious and absolutely unforgettable adventure.

World Premiere
Do The Hustle
By Brett Neveu
Directed by William Brown

January 25 - March 20, 2011
Press night is February 3, 2011
Performed at 325 Tudor Court

Featuring Patrick Andrews, Francis Guinan, Joe Minoso and Karen Janes Woditsch

Sam and Eddie Sisson are more than just father and son, they're a crack team of hustlers always looking for the next mark. Sam, just a teenager who has practically raised himself, now wants to distinguish himself from his father and strike out on his own. Eddie doesn't want to let his son go without one final hustle, which could bring in their biggest take yet, but could ultimately tear them apart. Celebrated director William Brown and acclaimed playwright Brett Neveu team up again to bring this thrilling world premiere to the Tudor Court stage.

Heartbreak House
By George Bernard Shaw
Directed by William Brown

April 19 - June 26, 2011
Press night is April 28, 2011
Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Casting to be Announced

In the English countryside on the estate of Captain Shotover, an extraordinary assemblage of guests gather to reunite and reacquaint. Affairs begin, engagements end and hearts and minds become irreparably ensnared in a young woman's dilemma-whether to marry for love or for money. George Bernard Shaw-the unequivocal master of wit and social thought-bitingly chronicles the demise of the leisure class in his favorite play, Heartbreak House.

LIMITED ENGAGEMENT:
World Premiere
The Detective's Wife
By Keith Huff
Directed by Gary Griffin

May 24 - July 31, 2011
Press nights are June 1 & 2, 2011
Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue

Featuring Barbara Robertson

Three of Chicago's finest talents come together to create a tour-de-force evening of theatre: playwright Keith Huff, fresh from his box office record breaking Broadway debut of A Steady Rain; Gary Griffin, director of Broadway's The Color Purple and multi-award winner Barbara Robertson, one of Chicago's greatest actresses, bring you this exclusive special engagement.

Alice Conroy is the mother of two grown children, owner of a frame shop and the long-time wife of a Chicago homicide detective, but when her husband is gunned down on the job, she sets out to find out who did it...and why.

ABOUT WRITERS' THEATRE
Writers' Theatre is a professional company focusing on the Word and the Artist. Remaining true to the intention of the playwright and nurturing the artist stand at the center of the mission. Now in its 19th season, the company both revives classic scripts and cultivates new works and adaptations while invigorating them with fresh energy in the intimacy of its venues. Founded in 1992, Writers' Theatre performed exclusively at Books on Vernon, 664 Vernon Avenue for the first 12 years. In the fall of 2003, the organization opened a new 108 seat performance venue at 325 Tudor Court. Today, Writers' Theatre continues to produce in both spaces, maintaining an intimate theatrical experience for audiences. Since 2000, the subscriber base has grown almost 250%, from 1,500 to more than 5,200 today. With an operating budget of $3.4 million, Writers' Theatre is supported by a staff of 20 full-time employees and a 31-member Board of Trustees.

You can find Writers' Theatre on Facebook or follow Writers' Theatre on Twitter at Twitter.com/WritersTheatre. For more information, visit www.writerstheatre.org.