Organic Theater Company Announces TIRESIAS WAS A WEATHERMAN

Organic Theater Company of Chicago returns to the Greenhouse Theater Center
for its 2018 summer repertory season, May 29 - July 8. The Organic is committed to staging bold, relevant productions of classic, contemporary, and adapted works with a permanent group of artists over a sustained period of time.

This summer we continue our focus on women and present the works of two female playwrights. With THE REVOLULTIONISTS, we carry on telling more amazing stories of women from history that we started last summer with Lauren Gunderson's EMILIE. This time the show features an all-female cast, and brings together four inspirational and (mostly) historical women in a modern, girl-powered perspective on the French Revolution. Jaime Mire's new comedy TIRESIAS WAS A WEATHERMAN deals with timely issues of today such as mental health, pharmaceuticals, predatory media, and extreme weather, in a world where a minimal scientific alteration to your brain could potentially save both you and the world. Or at least that's what they say ...

THE REVOLUTIONISTS, a fast-paced, comedic quartet by 2017's most produced playwright, follows four very real women who lived boldly in France during the French Revolution's Reign of Terror. Former queen Marie Antoinette, playwright Olympe de Gouges, Jean-Paul Marat's assassin Charlotte Corday, and Haitian rebel spy Marianne Angelle collide in this true story, total fiction, and play about a play. Join us for this passionate, poignant and decisive call to action through the true (and sometimes not) stories of these four extraordinary women.

Company member Bryan Wakefield, who directed Gunderson's EMILIE last year, directs the Chicago premiere of Lauren Gunderson's thrilling and moving new play. Familiar faces in the cast include Organic company members and former EMILIE cast members Sara Copeland as Charlotte Corday, and Laura Sturm as Marie Antoinette. Stephanie Sullivan, as playwright Olympe de Gouges, returns after making her Organic debut in last year's PHANTOM PAIN. We are excited to welcome Taylor Raye as Marianne Angelle to the Organic team this summer.

TIRESIAS WAS A WEATHERMAN is a world premiere comedy about serious stuff. In this kinda-sorta adaptation of Sophocles' classic ANTIGONE, playwright Jaime Mire imagines a world, parallel to our own, where human emotions have a direct connection to the weather. This occasionally results in immediate and disastrous meteorological events. In a time when not taking your medication can lead to weather disaster (or can it?), would you consider implanting a microchip into your brain to help control these threatening emotions for public safety purposes? How far are we willing to go to stay dry? Grab your umbrellas for this off-beat and touching comedy about family, mental health, and the weather.

Directed by company member Josh Anderson, TIRESIAS features company members Sara Copeland, Colin Jackson, Joel Moses, Laura Sturm, and artistic associate Adam Zaininger, all of whom appeared in last summer's KING UBU, plus company member Will Burdin rejoins us after a summer off, having been seen with Organic most recently in the 2016 summer season in THE GOOD DOCTOR and OUT OF THE BLUE. We welcome back Nyssa Loewenstein from our most recent production, WHY DO YOU ALWAYS WEAR BLACK? and John Arthur Lewis from last summer's EMILIE. Newcomers to the Organic stage are Shaina Schrooten and Taylor Raye (also appearing in THE REVOLUTIONISTS).

TIRESIAS WAS A WEATHERMAN

By Jaime Mire
Directed by Josh Anderson

OPENS: Thursday, May 31, 2018 at 7:30 PM
DATES: May 31 – July 6, 2018
TIMES: Wednesdays – Saturdays at 7:30 PM & Saturdays/Sundays at 2:30 PM
VENUE: The Greenhouse Theater Center – 2257 N. Lincoln Avenue
NOTE: Plays in repertory with THE REVOLUTIONISTS, see list of specific dates below
WEBSITE: www.organictheater.org

The Cast: 
Wind: Will Burdin, Thunder: Colin Jackson, Rain: Joel Moses, Sun: Adam Zaininger, Annie: Shaina Schrooten, Izzy: Sara Copeland, Troy: John Arthur Lewis, Cindy: Taylor Raye, Joyce: Laura Sturm, Charlie: Nyssa Lowenstein

The Production Team:
Playwright – Jaime Mire; Director – Josh Anderson; Associate Director – Anna Gelman; 
 

THE REVOLUTIONISTS

By Lauren Gunderson
Directed by Bryan Wakefield

OPENS: Tuesday, May 29, 2018 at 7:30 PM
DATES: May 29 - July 8, 2018
TIMES: Wednesdays - Saturdays at 7:30 PM & Saturdays/Sundays at 2:30 PM
VENUE: The Greenhouse Theater Center - 2257 N. Lincoln Avenue
NOTE: Plays in repertory with TIRESIAS WAS A WEATHERMAN, see list of specific dates below
WEBSITE: www.organictheater.org

The Cast:
Olympe de Gouges - Stephanie Sullivan
Marianne Angelle - Taylor Raye
Charlotte Corday - Sara Copeland
Marie Antoinette - Laura Sturm

The Production Team:
Playwright - Lauren Gunderson; Director - Bryan Wakefield; Assistant Director - Julia Rufo; Stage Manager - Angela Kring; Costume Co-Designer - Jeremy W. Floyd; Costume Co-Designer - Morgan Saaf-White; Sound Designer - Tony Reimer; Scenic Designer - Terrance McClellan; Lighting Designer - Theresa Kelly; Properties Designer - Brandyn Nordlof

2018 ORGANIC THEATER COMPANY SUMMER PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Tuesday 7:30 5/29 REVOLUTIONISTS OPENING
Thursday 7:30 5/31 TIRESIAS OPENING
Friday 7:30 6/1 TIRESIAS
Saturday 2:30 6/2 REVOLUTIONISTS
Saturday 7:30 6/2 REVOLUTIONISTS
Sunday 2:30 6/3 TIRESIAS
Wednesday 7:30 6/6 TIRESIAS
Thursday 7:30 6/7 TIRESIAS
Friday 7:30 6/8 TIRESIAS
Saturday 2:30 6/9 REVOLUTIONISTS
Saturday 7:30 6/9 REVOLUTIONISTS
Sunday 2:30 6/10 REVOLUTIONISTS
Wednesday 7:30 6/13 REVOLUTIONISTS
Thursday 7:30 6/14 REVOLUTIONISTS
Friday 7:30 6/15 REVOLUTIONISTS
Saturday 2:30 6/16 TIRESIAS
Saturday 7:30 6/16 TIRESIAS
Sunday 2:30 6/17 TIRESIAS
Wednesday 7:30 6/20 TIRESIAS
Thursday 7:30 6/21 TIRESIAS
Friday 7:30 6/22 TIRESIAS
Saturday 2:30 6/23 REVOLUTIONISTS
Saturday 7:30 6/23 REVOLUTIONISTS
Sunday 2:30 6/24 REVOLUTIONISTS
Wednesday 7:30 6/27 REVOLUTIONISTS
Thursday 7:30 6/28 REVOLUTIONISTS
Friday 7:30 6/29 REVOLUTIONISTS
Saturday 2:30 6/30 TIRESIAS
Saturday 7:30 6/30 TIRESIAS
Sunday 2:30 7/1 TIRESIAS
Tuesday 7:30 7/3 TIRESIAS
Wednesday 7:30 7/4 FOURTH OF JULY, NO SHOW
Thursday 7:30 7/5 TIRESIAS
Friday 7:30 7/6 TIRESIAS CLOSING
Saturday 2:30 7/7 REVOLUTIONISTS
Saturday 7:30 7/7 REVOLUTIONISTS
Sunday 2:30 7/8 REVOLUTIONISTS CLOSING