TEENAGE DICK To Get Chicago Premiere At Theater Wit This Spring

Teenage Dick, Mike Lew's devastatingly funny, sharply written new play about perception, disability and the lengths we're willing to go to rise above our station in life, will receive its Chicago premiere at Theater Wit, March 6-April 19, 2020.

Theater's most famous disabled character comes to a Chicago stage like you've never seen him before-in the vicious, no-holds barred brutal politics of high school. Richard, picked on because of his cerebral palsy (and his semi-creepy tendency to monologue), is determined to become class president. But the road to power is never smooth, and Richard must decide: is it better to be loved or feared?

"Moving, exciting and profoundly eye-opening...I found the play exhilarating," wrote Jesse Green, New York Times, when Ma-Yi Theatre premiered this New York Times Critic's Pick in 2018 at New York's Public Theater. "A brilliant re-imagining," hailed Newsday. "Lew's sly commentary is sharp, balancing serious issues with nimble wit," added The Stage.

Brain Balcom will direct Theater Wit's Chicago premiere of Teenage Dick. The cast features MacGregor Arney as Richard, Liz Cloud as Elizabeth, Ty Fanning as Eddie, Courtney Rikki Green as Anne, Sarah Price as Clarissa and Tamara Rozofsky as Buck.

"Theater Wit is thrilled to have Brian Balcom at the helm of Teenage Dick, his first full professional production in Chicago," said Jeremy Wechlser, Artistic Director, Theater Wit.

"Brian is a young, disabled, Asian-American director who will bring a highly nuanced take to this new work by one of today's most important young Asian-American Playwrights. Brian will collaborate with a cast of disabled and non-disabled theater artists to create a raw, hilarious, vitally important live theater experience that portrays disability issues in a radically new way."

Wit's production team for Teenage Dick (at press time) is Brittany Harlin (choreographer), Sotirios Livaditis (scenic designer), Izumi Inaba (costume designer), Michelle Benda (lighting designer), Jonathan Berg-Einhorn (props designer), Clare Cooney (casting director) and Sean McStravick (stage manager).

i??Previews are March 6-March 15. Press opening is Monday, March 16 at 7 p.m. Performances run through April 19: Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m.; Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

For this production, Theater Wit is reserving 12 wheelchair accessible seats for each performance. Look for a full schedule of access services including ASL interpretation, open captioning, touch tours and sensory-relaxed performances.
Theater Wit is located at 1229 N. Belmont Ave., in the Belmont Theatre District in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood. Tickets are $30-$42 and go on sale November 7, 2019. For tickets and information, visit TheaterWit.org or call (773) 975-8150. i?? About Theater Wit

Theater Wit, Chicago's "smart art" theater, is a major hub of the Chicago neighborhood theater scene, where audiences enjoy a smorgasbord of excellent productions in three, 99-seat spaces, see a parade of talented artists and mingle with audiences from all over Chicago.

To purchase tickets, a Theater Wit Membership or to inquire about Flex Pass options, visit TheaterWit.org or call the Theater Wit box office, 773.975.8150.
Note: Theater Wit will launch its 15th season in 2019 with the Chicago premiere of Teenage Dick. Stay tuned for more exciting plans in celebration of the company's 15th anniversary.