Theater Wit Extends Virtual Performances Of TEENAGE DICK Through May 3

Chicago's Theater Wit has announced a new two-week extension of its current, critically acclaimed virtual production of Teenage Dick.

Originally scheduled to close on April 19, theater fans, no matter where they are in the world, can now enjoy Wit's hit production of Mike Lew's devastatingly funny, sharply written new play, online only, through May 3.

Remote view performance times are Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. CST, and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. CST. All newly added Wednesday performances are Pay What You Can. Remote view tickets for shows Thursday through Sunday are $28-$75. For tickets and information, visit TheaterWit.org or call (773) 975-8150.

In Teenage Dick, playwright Mike Lew revives theater's most famous disabled character, Shakespeare's Richard III, like audiences have never seen him before: scheming his way through the brutal, no-holds barred world of high school. Picked on because of his cerebral palsy (and his semi-creepy tendency to monologue), Richard 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?

Theater Wit conceived and launched its virtual run of Teenage Dick on March 18 as one the first ticketed forays into streaming theater anywhere in the U.S. in response to the growing Covid-19 pandemic.

Since then, audience members from Chicago, New York, Texas, California, Canada and even the U.K. have bought their tickets and logged on to enjoy a 100-minute escape from the day-to-day rituals of sheltering in place. Only 98 audience members are permitted to watch each performance. Happily, more than half of Wit's virtual performances have played to sold out audiences.

Here's how Theater Wit's new way of 'attending' theater works:

To start, patrons pick a "remote view" date and time from Theater Wit's performance calendar, same as always. But instead of going out to the theater, they can watch Teenage Dick on their computer, tablet, phone or smart TV from the comfort and safety of their own home.

Ten minutes before the show begins, each remote viewer will receive an email with a private URL and password to watch the opening night performance on a private Vimeo stream. There are only 98 viewing streams available for every performance.

i??The initial ticket confirmation email comes with instructions on how to view the show online, a link to a virtual welcome tour of Theater Wit's lobby and set, and tips on how to set up the live post-show video chat with cast, crew and fellow audience members that starts immediately after each performance.

Then, approximately 15 minutes before show time, each remote audience members receives an email with a private URL and password to watch the performance on Vimeo. The stream concludes with a link to join the live post-show chat via GoToMeeting, where actors and audience members talk through the issues of the play, and the experience of watching the performance together, albeit remotely.

The performance runs 100 minutes, no intermission. Post-show chats have lasted as long as an hour, as the chance to talk live with each other is a key way to nearly replicate the communal feeling of attending live theater together.

If an audience member happens to miss their streaming date and time, they can contact Wit's box office to be vouchered into an open future slot.

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