Photo Flash: First Look at Remy Bumppo's OUR CLASS

Remy Bumppo's OUR CLASS, directed by Nick Sandys, runs through May 11 in the downstairs mainstage of the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. Scroll down for a first look at Tadeusz Slobodzianek's Polish drama in action!

OUR CLASS is a fictional account of the devastating events in Jedwabne, Poland, in 1941, as seen through the eyes of ten classmates, five Catholic and five Jewish. Our Class is based on the book Neighbors by historian Jan T. Gross, which charged that what was believed to be a Nazi atrocity was something even worse.

Though they are classmates, the performers' ages cover a wide range because they represent the characters at their age of death. The play goes as far back as innocent school days when all were eight years old, and follows those who survived the horror to show the impact on their lives, in one case to the age of 83 - though some characters may comment from the grave as well.

Two Remy Bumppo Artistic Associates, David Darlow and Linda Gillum, are among the classmates. Darlow most recently directed Remy Bumppo's hit An Inspector Calls, and Gillum last appeared with the company in Creditors.

Other cast members are: Matthew Fahey, who has been active with The Shakespeare Project of Chicago; Dennis Grimes, who appeared with Darlow in Chicago Shakespeare's Julius Caesar and was in The Book Thief at Steppenwolf's Theatre for Young Audiences; Matthew Holzfeind, who has performed with numerous Chicago theatre companies; Aram Monisoff, Oedipus Rex at Chemically Imbalanced Theatre; Brian Plocharczyk, currently in Stage Left's A Day in the Death of Joe Egg and recently in Timeline's To Master the Art; Rachel Shapiro, a recent Northwestern grad; Rebecca Sohn, improv stalwart who appeared in Remy Bumppo's initial ThinkTank project, An Immigrant Class; and Stephen Spencer, who performed in the extension of Remy Bumppo's Night and Day in 2010.

Our Class will be presented at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln, April 2 - May 11, with Opening Night Monday, April 7, at 7pm. Tickets are on sale at www.remybumppo.org and at the Greenhouse box office, 773-404-7336.

Photo Credit: Johnny Knight

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