CASH ON DELIVERY Gets Chicago Debut at SSP, 10/22-11/14

In the tradition of past productions including Lend Me A Tenor and Moon Over Buffalo, the Saint Sebastian Players (SSP) opens its 30th Anniversary Season with the farce Cash on Delivery by Michael Cooney-featuring a special "cash-back guarantee." Performances are October 22-November 14, 2010 at St. Bonaventure, 1625 W. Diversey, in Chicago.
 
Unemployed Eric Swan has been swindling the Social Security Administration for two years by claiming every type of benefit for the innumerable fictitious tenants who live at his address. When an investigator shows up to meet one of these tenants, Swan turns to his actual tenant Norman McDonald for help, and the comic chaos begins. Swan and McDonald will remind audiences of great comedy duos like Martin and Lewis, Hope and Crosby, Abbott and Costello or Rowan and Martin, bumbling through the course of the afternoon as The Situation they created snowballs out of their control.

In a special offer for this production, SSP is declaring that Cash on Delivery will deliver laughs-or patrons get their cash back. "If you don't laugh during the performance, just tell the box office on your way out, and we'll refund the price of your ticket," says SSP member and Cash on Delivery director Jonathan "Rocky" Hagloch. "That's how confident we are that everyone will enjoy this production."

Hagloch's past comedic successes directing for the company include You Can't Take It With You, Social Security and Room Service. The cast features SSP member Jim Masini as Uncle George, Greg Callozzo as Eric Swan and Douglas Werder as Norman McDonald. Rounding out the cast are Angela Bullard, Jaclyn Jensen, Melissa Porter, Lyn Scott, Brandon Tessers, Michael Wagman and Josh Wintersteen. J. Louis Williams is the set designer, Steven Hill is the lighting designer, SSP member Al Cerkan is assistant director, Adam Seidel is stage manager and SSP member John Oster is producer.

SSP's 30th Anniversary Season continues with its annual Monologue Matchup Competition, which allows actors to show off their best monologues, competing for a range of prizes before a panel of distinguished theatre professionals. This year's event, open to spectators as well as competitors, takes place Monday, November 1 at 7 p.m. The mainstage season continues with Arms and the Man, SSP's first production of a George Bernard Shaw comedy, February 18-March 13, 2011, and The Sisters Rosensweig by Wendy Wasserstein April 29-May 22, 2011.

Cash on Delivery runs October 22-November 14, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m., at St. Bonaventure, 1625 W. Diversey, at Marshfield just west of Ashland, in Chicago. Free parking is available in two lots. Tickets are $15, $10 for students with valid IDs and $7 for seniors and children younger than 12. Subscription packages for the three-play season are $30, $20 for seniors; other options are available that include the Monologue Matchup and/or SSP's Annual Banquet. Group rates also are available. All programming is subject to change. For information, call 773-404-7922 or visit saintsebastianplayers.org.

 

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