Trap Door Hosts 25th Anniversary Celebration

Trap Door Theatre will celebrate 25 years of excellence by offering a showcase of 25 of our favorite moments on our Bucktown stage. The event will consist of 25 selected scenes from body of Trap Door's history of work directed by various of our collaborating artists from over the years. Trap Door's mission of seeking out challenging and obscure works has been a solid commitment from founder and artistic director Beata Pilch. She remains true to her vision by continuing to research contemporary playwrights and directors and giving them a voice on both sides of the ocean. The Trap Door has been honored with invitations from many major international festivals throughout Europe. This performance is dedicated to all the artists that have passed through the Trap's door and have dedicated their time and talent in keeping our theatre to thrive! Thanks to our generous supporters, loyal patrons and talented artists, Trap Door has managed to produce 115 shows in 25 years.

Founder/Artistic Director Beata Pilch, a first generation Polish American born in Chicago, holds a bachelor's Degree in Acting from the United States International University in San Diego, California, and a Master's Degree in Acting from The California Institute of the Arts in Valencia, California, where she cultivated her life-long fascination with the avant-garde and obscure as a graduate student, Pilch founded Chicago's Trap Door Theatre in 1990 and still resides as its Artistic Director. A Chicago native and frequent European traveler, she felt that a company that combined bold and physical European acting technique with rich European theatrical literature would provide Chicago's entertainment scene with a unique and vibrant voice. Beata remains true to her original mission and continues to travel abroad every year to research up and coming directors, playwrights and stage techniques. Past favorite directing credits include: Madman and the Nun, Nana, Quills, The Bitter Tears of Petra Van Kant, The Fourth Sister, The Unveiling, Vatzlav, The Shoemakers, The Crazy Locomotive, and THEY. Most recently, Beata directed Migraants by Matei Visniec in Barcelona, Spain. She is a featured performer in the work of international multi-media visual artist Catherine Sullivan. She has performed in over 60 Trap Door productions and has toured abroad annually with the company to France, Romania, Hungary, Poland and most recently, The Republic of Moldova, where Trap Door Theatre was the first ever invited American theatre company to perform there.

Assistant Director/Musician Gary Damico/ Set Designer Stefan Roseen/ Lighting Designer Richard Norwood/ Costume Designer Rachel Sypniewski/ Sound Designer Michael Mejia / Make-Up Designer Zsófia Ötvös / Graphic Designer Michal Janicki/ Dramaturge Milan Pribisic/ Videographer David Holcombe/ Event Coordinator Anna Klos

Opens: Thursday April 11 at 8PM

Closes: Saturday April 20 at 8PM

Runs: Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 8PM and Sunday April 14 at 5PM

*Please note We encourage patrons to arrive before the show to view 25 years in the making of "Through the Gangway: 25 years at Trap Door" Film Showing. Door open at 1 hour prior to show!

Admission: $25 on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. All proceeds will be donated towards Trap Door's expansion in the future.

TRAP DOOR THEATRE 1655 West Cortland Ave. Chicago, IL 60622

For Information/Reservations: 773-384-0494 To purchase online www.trapdoortheatre.com