Hell in a Handbag to Stage Midwest Premiere of MIRACLE!, 5/14-7/10

Hell in a Handbag Productions is pleased to kick-off its 2015-16 season with the Midwest premiere of MIRACLE!, the wickedly funny parody of The Miracle Worker as reimagined by Dan Savage, one of the country's leading writers/speakers/podcasters on sex, sexuality and GLBTQ issues, and directed by Derek Van Barham. MIRACLE! will play May 14 - July 10, 2015 at the newly-remodeled Mary's Attic, 5400 N. Clark St. in Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood. Tickets are currently on sale at www.handbagproductions.org. The press performance is Sunday, May 17 at 7 pm.

Miracle will feature Kristopher Bottrall, David Cerda, Laura Coleman, Sydney Genco, Rachel Hadlock, Caitlin Jackson, Ed Jones, Elizabeth Lesinski, Steve Love, Joshua Peterson, Jamie Smith and Christopher Young.

MIRACLE! tells the story of Helen Stellar, a young deaf and blind drag queen who loves to perform under the watchful eye of her drag mother who just happens to be her biological father - Crystal Pain. Crystal is owner of The Brass Connection, an old school drag club where the performers are just like any other normal family - crazy as hell. When the state assigns Annie Sullivan to teach Helen to better communicate, all hell breaks loose and we soon discover that Helen is the most normal of all of the inhabitants of The Brass Connection. MIRACLE! is about family (biological and chosen), a father and son, gay and lesbian subculture and finding your voice.

The production team for MIRACLE! includes: Zachary Gipson (set design), Kate Setzer Kamphausen (costume design), Cat Wilson (lighting design), Mikey Moran (sound design), Jacob Christopher Green (wig designer), Mealah Heidenreich (props design) and Victoria Rector (stage manager).

DETAILS:

Location: Mary's Attic, 5400 N. Clark St., Chicago

Dates: Previews: Thursday, May 14 at 7:30 pm, Friday, May 15 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, May 16 at 7:30 pm.

Press performance: Sunday, May 17 at 7 pm

Regular run: Thursday, May 24 - Friday, July 10, 2015

Curtain Times: Thursday, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 3:30 pm. Please note: there will be added performances on Wednesday, June 24 and Wednesday, July 1 at 7 pm; there will not be performances on Sunday, June 7, Friday, June 12, Saturday, June 13, Sunday, June 14, Sunday, June 28, Saturday, July 4 or Sunday, July 5.

Tickets: Previews: $17. Regular run: $25 in advance (Wednesdays & Thursdays); $27 in advance (Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays); $32 at the door. Limited VIP reserved seating with drink $50. Tickets are currently on sale at www.handbagproductions.org.

CREATIVE BIOGRAPHIES:

Dan Savage (Playwright) is a writer, TV personality and activist best known for his political and social commentary, as well as his honest approach to sex, love and relationships. Savage's sex advice column, "Savage Love," is syndicated in newspapers and websites throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe and Asia. He is also the author of several books, including: Savage Love, The Kid: What Happened When My Boyfriend and I Decided to Get Pregnant, Skipping Towards Gomorrah: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Pursuit of Happiness in America and The Commitment: Love, Sex, Marriage and My Family. His latest bestselling book is American Savage. In addition to appearances on CNN, MSNBC, and The Colbert Report, Savage is a contributor to Ira Glass's This American Life, and has appeared on NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross, HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher, and ABC's 20/20. Savage is a frequent and popular speaker on college campuses across the U.S. In September 2010, Savage created a YouTube video with his husband Terry Miller to inspire hope for LGBT young people facing harassment, which launched the It Gets Better Project (www.itgetsbetter.org). As a theater director, Savage (under the name Keenan Hollohan) was a founder of Seattle's Greek Active Theater, and has directed dozens of plays in Seattle.

Dan Savage grew up in Chicago and now lives in Seattle with his husband Terry Miller and their son, DJ.

Derek Van Barham (Director) is the Artistic Director of The Ruckus Theater and an Artistic Associate with Pride Films & Plays. His PFP credits include directing Angry Fags (Steppenwolf Garage Rep), co-directing Some Men with David Zak and directing/choreographing Songs from an Unmade Bed (Jeff nomination, Best Director) and Kill Your Boyfriends (which he also wrote). Chicago credits include Coraline (Black Button Eyes Productions), Falstaff (Kor Productions), and La Chingada (Inappropriate Theatre), as well as movement pieces for The Plagiarists and Salonathon. Acting credits include work with Red Tape Theatre and BoHo Theatre. MFA: Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. www.derekvanbarham.com.

Hell in a Handbag is dedicated to the preservation, exploration, and celebration of works ingrained in the realm of popular culture via theatrical productions through parody, music and homage. Handbag is a 501(c)(3) Not for Profit Corporation.