Cygnus at Gift Theatre

The Gift Theatre, is proud to present the world premiere of Cygnus, written by Susan Soon He Stanton, award-winning writer and producer of HBO’s “Succession” and directed by Co-Artistic Director Brittany Burch, February 6 - March 16, at Filament Theater, 4041 N. Milwaukee Ave.

Cydney believes an angel rescued her from an ineffable trauma, and the truth may prove stranger than she imagines. In Cygnus, a mythic, hilarious, and poetic new play, a burnt feather may illuminate the possibility of a divine intervention.

The cast of Cygnus currently includes Angela Morris (she/her, Cydney Hansen) and Jeff Kurysz (he/him, Jason) with additional cast members to be announced.

The production team includes Brittany Burch* (she/her, director); Carol Ann “Cat” Tan (she/her, dramaturg); Sarah Luse* (she/her, stage manager); Joonhee Park (she/her/they/them, scenic designer); Michael Huey (he/him, sound designer); Kotryna Hilko (she/her, costume designer); Diane Fairchild (she/her, light designer and lighting supervisor); Saskia Bakker (she/her, props designer); Gaby Labotka (she/her/they/them, fight and intimacy director); Jennifer Glasse* (she/her, co-artistic director/producing artistic director); Jennifer Aparicio (she/her, production manager) and David Preis* (he/him, technical director).

* Connotes The Gift Theatre company member

The schedule includes preview performances on Thursday, Feb. 6 - Saturday, Feb. 8 at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 9 at 3 p.m. and Thursday, Feb. 13 - Feb. 15 at 7:30 p.m. with the opening night, Sunday, Feb. 16 at 6 p.m. The performance schedule is Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. The industry performance is Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 12 p.m., understudy performance is Monday, March 10 at 7:30 p.m. and the access performance is TBA.Tickets may be purchased at TheGiftTheatre.org and start at $35 for general admission with $15 tickets for students and $20 for veterans.

ABOUT SUSAN SOON HE STANTON, PLAYWRIGHT

Susan Soon He Stanton is a playwright, television writer and screenwriter originally from ‘Aiea, Hawai‘i and now living in New York and London. Her plays have been produced internationally and regionally across the United States: We, The Invisibles (Actors Theatre of Louisville Humana Festival); Today Is My Birthday (Page 73, Yale Repertory Theatre); Both Your Houses (ACT New Strands/ Crowded Fire); TAKARAZUKA!!! (Clubbed Thumb, East West Players, Oregon Shakespeare Festival Workshop); Cygnus (workshop: WP Theater Pipeline, Kilroys List); Solstice Party! (Live Source); The Things Are Against Us (Washington Ensemble Theatre); Moana, Jr (book) for Disney Theatrical Group, among others. Her reimagined Turandot, music by Puccini and Christopher Tin, will be produced by Washington National Opera in 2024. She has worked on all four seasons of HBO’s “Succession” as a

writer/producer, for which she has received Emmy, Writers Guild of America and Peabody Awards.

ABOUT BRITTANY BURCH, DIRECTOR

Brittany Burch met Michael Patrick Thornton and Sheldon Patinkin at The School at Steppenwolf in 2010 and they cast her in her first Chicago production, The Gift Theatre’s The Lonesome West. She then joined The Gift ensemble in 2011, appearing in Northwest Highway, Absolute Hell, Oh The Humanity, Thinner Than Water, Royal Society of Antarctica, Good For Otto, Richard III, Unseen, Pilgrims and The Locusts. She became The Gift’s co-artistic director in 2022. Other Chicago credits include In Quietness at A Red Orchid Theatre; The Minutes by Tracy Letts at Steppenwolf and productions with Wildclaw, Lakeside Shakespeare, The Goodman and Redtwist Theatre. Regionally, she has worked with Portland Center Stage, Artists Repertory Theatre, ProfileTheatre (Portland, OR); Perseverance Theatre (Juneau, AK); Chautauqua Theatre Company (NY); The New Theatre (Kansas City). She received her BA at Willamette University and studied at the British American Drama Academy, Chautauqua Theatre Company and Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre.

ABOUT THE GIFT THEATRE

Since 2001 and with more than 70 productions, The Gift Theatre has been dedicated to telling great stories onstage with honesty and simplicity. Its unwavering dedication to accessibility and intimacy as a professional equity theatre has garnered national recognition for both the company and ensemble. The Gift Theatre strives to push boundaries, broaden perspectives and ignite a cultural revolution on Chicago's northwest side. Please visit www.TheGiftTheatre.org for more information.

The Gift Theatre, is proud to present the world premiere of Cygnus, written by Susan Soon He Stanton and directed by Co-Artistic Director Brittany Burch, February 6 - March 16, at Filament Theater, 4041 N. Milwaukee Ave. The schedule includes preview performances on Thursday, Feb. 6 - Saturday, Feb. 8 at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 9 at 3 p.m. and Thursday, Feb. 13 - Feb. 15 at 7:30 p.m. with the opening night, Sunday, Feb. 16 at 6 p.m. The performance schedule is Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. The industry performance is Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 12 p.m., understudy performance is Monday, March 10 at 7:30 p.m. and the access performance is TBA.Tickets may be purchased at TheGiftTheatre.org and start at $35 for general admission with $15 tickets for students and $20 for veterans.