Photo Flash: Court Theatre Presents THE ADVENTURES OF AUGIE MARCH

Court Theatre, under the leadership of Charles Newell, Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director, and Executive Director Angel Ysaguirre, concludes its 2018/19 season with the World Premiere of The Adventures of Augie March, a play by David Auburn, based on the novel by Saul Bellow, and directed by Charles Newell. The Adventures of Augie March runs May 9 - June 9, 2019 at Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. The press opening is Saturday, May 18, 2019 at 7:30pm.

Young Augie March is a product of the Great Depression: plucky, resourceful, searching for love, and striving to grow up and away from home. Through odd jobs and encounters with unique characters, Augie explores what it takes to succeed in the world as a true individual.

A novel, written by Nobel Prize-winner Saul Bellow, is adapted for the stage by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Auburn. Bellow was a University of Chicago faculty member for three decades, and his experiences in the city of Chicago and at the University are at the heart of his writing. The Adventures of Augie March is an epic coming-of-age story that bridges continents and stages of life, exuding the endearing confidence of a boy taking in a complex world.

"Staging an epic story such as The Adventures of Augie March is a thrilling challenge that has called upon the insight and diverse talents of a team of designers and collaborators that includes ambitious playwright David Auburn, artistic collective Manual Cinema, and Thusnelda Mercy and Pascal Merighi, former dancers in Pina Bauch's internationally-acclaimed dance company and founders of the dance company merighi / merci," comments Charlie Newell. "Having such an accomplished patchwork of creatives involved is heightening the picaresque qualities of Bellow's novel in truly exciting ways."

The cast of The Adventures of Augie March features Patrick Mulvey as Augie March with ensemble members Sebastian Arboleda, Aurora Real de Asua, Chaon Cross, Kai Ealy, Marilyn Dodds Frank, Neil Friedman, John Judd, Abby Pierce, Brittney Love Smith, Luigi Sottile, Stef Tovar, and Travis Turner.

The creative team includes John Culbert (scenic and lighting design), Sally Dolembo (costume design), Andre Pluess (sound design), Drew Dir and Manual Cinema (puppet design), Erin Kilmurray (movement consultant), Eva Breneman (dialect design), Nora Titone (resident dramaturg), Erin Albrecht (production stage manager), and Kate Ocker (assistant stage manager).

Tickets, priced $50-$74 ($38-$52 for previews), are available at the Court Theatre box office (5535 S. Ellis Avenue, Chicago), by calling (773) 753-4472, or online at www.CourtTheatre.org.