Photo Flash: First Look at Promethean's THE MADWOMAN OF CHAILLOT

First produced in 1945, Jean Giraudoux's satiric comedy THE MADWOMAN OF CHAILLOT reveals a plot by a group of corrupt business executives to dig up the streets of Paris, so they can pump oil that they believe lies beneath. Their plot is challenged by the titular "Madwoman," the eccentric Countess Aurelia, an idealist who resolves to fight back and rescue humanity from the scheming and corrupt developers with the help of her fellow outcasts and her fellow madwomen.

Originally written to protest thoughtless urban renewal, THE MADWOMAN OF CHAILLOT has remained remarkably up-to-date. Today, the play speaks to environmental concerns, the destruction of the natural world, and the manipulation of world financial markets. Lewis says, "The play is surprisingly modern and accessible. In my head, it sounds like Aaron Sorkin at his funniest, Monty Python, or the craziest of M*A*S*H. But there's a lot of value in this play beyond the comedy. I think it can be something unique, powerful, and profound."

First staged in Paris in 1945, THE MADWOMAN OF CHAILLOT was produced on Broadway in 1948 where it ran for 385 performances. The production also was taken on a 20-week national tour. THE MADWOMAN OF CHAILLOT enjoyed a renaissance of sorts in 1969, when a feature film version starring Katharine Hepburn was released and a musical comedy adaptation (DEAR WORLD, with songs by Jerry Herman and a Tony Award-winning performance by Angela Lansbury) opened on Broadway.

LISTING INFORMATION
THE MADWOMAN OF CHAILLOT
by Jean Giraudoux
directed by Artistic Associate John Arthur Lewis
Athenaeum Studio 1
2936 N. Southport Ave., Chicago
Now through March 17, 2018
Performances Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 2 pm. Industry performance Monday, February 26 at 7:00 pm
Tickets: General $27.00, Seniors (65+) $22.00, Students/Children $17.00
Available at www.athenaeumtheatre.org or by phone at 773-935-6875.
More information at www.prometheantheatre.org

Photo Credit: Tom McGrath, TCMcG Photography

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