Stage Left Theatre Presents Chicago Premiere of FARRAGUT NORTH, Opens 9/3

Stage Left Theatre announces the upcoming Chicago Premiere of Farragut North written by Beau Willimon and directed by Artistic Director Vance Smith. Farragut North is the first production of Stage Left's 30th season. Press opening is Thursday, September 7th at 8 PM, and the show runs through October 9th.

THE PLAY
"The question you gotta ask yourself is whether you want friends, or whether you want to work for the President." -Tom Duffy, Farragut North

Stephen Bellamy is a wunderkind press secretary who has built a career that men twice his age would envy. During a tight presidential primary race, Stephen's meteoric rise falls prey to the backroom politics of more seasoned operatives. Farragut North is a fast-paced drama about the lust for power and the costs one will endure to achieve it.

Farragut North is loosely based on the playwright's experience working on the 2004 presidential campaign of Howard Dean. The script was awarded 2005 Dayton Playhouse FutureFest award and received it's world premiere in November of 2008 at the Atlantic Theatre Company in a production directed by Doug Hughes and featuring John Gallagher, Jr. as Stephen, Chris Noth as Paul, and Olivia Thirlby as Molly. It was named by Time magazine as one of the top ten plays of 2008. The production transferred to the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles in 2009 with Noth and Thirlby reprising their roles and Chris Pine joining the cast as Stephen. The play has also been adapted into a film called The Ides of March produced and directed by George Clooney and starring Ryan Gosling, Paul Giamatti, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Marisa Tomei and Clooney. The film is slated to open domestically on October 7th, 2011.

THE DEBATE
In line with our mission to raise social and political debate, Stage Left offers patrons a Symposium Series for every production. Immediately following each Sunday matinee, we will invite the audience to stay for a discussion centered around a particular question raised by the performance. Each Sunday will feature different community guests who offer distinct perspectives. Admission to the Symposium Series is free, but it is recommended that attendees have seen the production in order to fully appreciate and participate in the discussion. Farragut North will raise debate about ethics in professional politics and the system we use to elect our representatives.

TICKETS, DATES & INFORMATION
Farragut North runs Thursdays through Saturdays at 8:00 PM, Sundays at 3:00 PM from 9/7/11 through 10/09/11. Tickets are $25, and will be available through the Theater Wit box office. Opening Night is Thursday, September 7th at 8:00 PM and tickets are $25. Previews are 9/3 at 8:00pm, 9/4 at 3:00pm and 9/6 at 8:00 PM. Preview tickets are $10. Farragut North will be performed at Theatre Wit at 1229 W. Belmont in Chicago. The theatre is handicapped and CTA accessible via the Belmont El (Red & Brown).

THE PEOPLE
Beau Willimon (playwright) is a playwright and screenwriter. He is a recipient of the Lila Acheson Wallace Juilliard Playwriting Fellowship, two-time winner of the Lincoln Center Le Comte du Nouy Award, the Seymour Brick Memorial Playwriting Prize, winner of the 2005 Dayton Playhouse FutureFest, and was a 2008 Playwright-in-Residence at the Donmar Warehouse in London. Beau is currently working on commissions for Manhattan Theatre Club and The National Theatre of Great Britain. He has written films for Warner Brothers and Fox 2000, and is working on a television pilot called House of Cards directed by David Fincher and starring Kevin Spacey. A resident of Brooklyn, Beau holds a B.A. from Columbia University and an M.F.A. in playwriting from Columbia University's School of the Arts.

Vance Smith (director) joined Stage Left as Artistic Director in September of 2009 and has directed the world premiere of Andrew Hinderakers' Kingsville and also Jayme McGhan's Mother Bear for LeapFest 7. As founder and Artistic Director of Black Sheep Productions, Vance directed Steve Spencer's Another Day in the Empire and Camp Freedom!, Andy Gershenzon's The End and produced Will Eno's The Flu Season. He has also directed workshops, one-acts and readings at Stage Left, Chicago Dramatists and the side project. As an actor Vance appeared most recently in The Homecoming at Mary Arrchie Theatre (Jeff Nomination for Supporting Actor). At Stage Left, he appeared in M.E.H. Lewis's Fellow Travellers and has also worked with Lifeline, Timeline, Hypocrites, Remy Bumppo, Northlight, Victory Gardens, Collaboraction, Factory, and many others. Vance attended the School at Steppenwolf in 2005 and graduated from Tulane University.
The cast includes SLT ensemble members Brian Plocharcyyzk (Stephen) and Melanie Derleth (Molly), as well as Mike Dailey (Paul), Sandy Elias (Tom), Sarah Denison (Ida), Ian Daniel McLaren (Ben), and Andy Quijano (Frank/Waiter).

The staff includes SLT ensemble members Elizabeth Flauto (costume design) and Adam Smith (sound design), with guest artists Tara Malpass (stage management), Shaun Renfro (scenic design), Jessica Harpenau (lighting design), Lindsay Monohan (properties design), Katie Horwitz (assistant direction) and Maggie Carlin (dramaturgy).

ABOUT STAGE LEFT
Founded in 1982, Stage Left Theatre is committed to nurturing voices for the American theatre by developing and producing plays that raise debate and challenge perspectives on political and social issues. Through a full subscription season and Downstage Left, one of Chicago's most prolific new play development programs, Stage Left strives to ask provocative social and political questions by producing a mix of new works, regional premieres and timeless classics.

UPCOMING
The Eight Reindeer Monologues by Jeff Goode- Scandal erupts at the North Pole when one of Santa's eight tiny reindeer accuses him of sexual harassment. As the press descends, the other reindeer demand to reveal their stories, and a horrific tale of corruption and perversion emerges. Stage Left brings this hilarious, international theatrical sensation back to the city where it was first produced in a limited run, late-night production.
Run dates: TBD

The Fisherman by Jayme McGhan- For brothers Carl and Chucky Lund, retirement means building a cabin on Pequot Lake, the perfect place for fishing while listening to the Twins lose (again). But that dream is destroyed when they are forced out of their jobs and pensions by the airline to which they've devoted their lives. With his back against the wall, Carl begins to question how far a man can be pushed before he pushes back.
Run dates: February 18 - April 1, 2012

 

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