Trap Door Presents THE OLD WOMAN BROODS

The Trap Door Theatre presents The Old Woman Broods written by Tadeusz Rozewicz

Translated by: Chris Rzonca and Krystyna Illakowicz

Directed by: Nicole Wiesner

Cast: Dennis Bisto, Anna Klos, Miguel Long, David Lovejoy, Michael Mejia, Emily Nichelson, Manuela Rentea, Keith Surney, Carl Wisniewski

Tadeusz Rozewicz (Playwright) was a Polish poet and playwright born in 1921 in Radomsko. His work combines elements of the Polish avantgarde and the Theater of the Absurd. He developed an interest in writing and publishing his writings early on. He joined the Polish resistance against the Nazis under a partisan name Satyr and made use of his wartime experiences in his first two volumes of poems, Anxiety (1947) and The Red Glove (1948). In the 1960's he began writing plays including The Card Index (1961), The Witnesses, or Our Little Stabilization (1962) and The Old Woman Broods (1969). In the 1970's and 1980's his plays changed course-they deal with a strange evolution of the 20th century focusing on powerful historical figures, such as Franz Kafka. These plays still use fragmentation and collage as in his earlier plays, but they also see the stage as a public arena and workplace of provocation and controversy. The best known titles of this period include Dead and Buried (1972), White Wedding (1975), The Hunger Artist Departs (1976) and The Trap (1982). Rozewicz also wrote novels, short stories and works of nonfiction. He died in 2014 at the age of 93.

Nicole Wiesner (Director) has been a member of the Trap Door Theatre since 1999. Directing credits include Mark Brownell's Monsieur D'eon is a Woman, Jean Racine's Phedre, Meg Miroshnik's Fairytale Lives of Russian Girls, and Howard Barker's Minna. Favorite Trap Door acting credits include First Ladies, (dir. Zeljko Djukic, Joseph Jefferson Citation: Outstanding Actress); OVERWEIGHT; unimportant: MISSHAPE, (dir. Yasen Peyankov); and the title roles in The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant and Nana, (dir. Beata Pilch); and Alice in Bed. (Director Dado). Other credits include 2666 (dir. Seth Bockley and Robert Falls), Shining City, (dir. Robert Falls);Passion Play, (dir. Mark Wing-Davy, After Dark Award, Outstanding Performance) at The Goodman Theatre; The Book Thief (dir. Hallie Gordon), South of Settling (dir. Adam Goldstein) and Dublin Carol (Dir. Amy Morton) at Steppenwolf Theatre; Shining City, (dir. Robert Falls) at the Huntington Theatre in Boston; Passion Play (dir. Mark Wing-Davy) at Yale Repertory Theatre; Passion Play (dir. Mark Wing-Davy) at the Epic Theatre in NYC; Dying City (dir. Jason Loewith) at Next Theatre, Great Men of Science (dir. Tracy Letts) at Lookingglass Theatre.

Assistant Director Skye Fort/ Set Designer J. Michael Griggs/ Lighting Designer Richard Norwood/ Costume Designer Rachel Sypniewski/ Sound Design/Music Direction Danny Rockett/ Make-Up Designer Zsofia Otvos/ Graphic Designer Michal Janicki/ Dramaturg Milan Pribisic/ Stage Manager Anna Klos

Opens: Thursday, December 13, 2018 at 8PM

Closes: Saturday, January 19, 2018 at 8PM

Runs: Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 8PM

Admission: $20 on Thursdays and Fridays, $25 on Saturdays, 2 for 1 Admission on Thursdays

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

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