Collette Pollard News

Steppenwolf Theatre Company announced today the complete cast for Erika Sheffer's The Fundamentals, a smart and searing look at America's corporate culture through the story of a Manhattan hotel maid with higher aspirations. Directed by ensemble member Yasen Peyankov, the cast features ensemble members Alana Arenas (Millie), Caroline Neff (Stellan) and Alan Wilder (Abe) with Audrey Francis(Eliza) and Armando Riesco (Lorenzo). Peyankov and Sheffer last collaborated on Steppenwolf's 2014 Chicago premiere of Russian Transport, which also featured ensemble member Alan Wilder. Previews begin November 10, 2016 and the show runs through December 23, 2016 in Steppenwolf's Upstairs Theatre, 1650 N Halsted.Single tickets ($20 - $89) go on sale Friday, August 5 at 11am. 2016/17 season subscriptions and memberships are currently on sale through Audience Services at 312-335-1650 or steppenwolf.org.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company announced today the complete cast for Erika Sheffer's The Fundamentals, a smart and searing look at America's corporate culture through the story of a Manhattan hotel maid with higher aspirations.

Parts of the plot of Between Riverside and Crazy reflect events and situations very similar to those happening in society today. At times they are so close to home that you could feel a sense of unease in the audience. These elements ring true but don't always have enough strength to sustain the story.

Santa Cruz Shakespeare opens its 2016 summer repertory season on Friday,July 15, 2016, at 8:00 pm with Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream in its new home, The Grove at DeLaveaga Park in Santa Cruz. Performances run through August 28, 2016.

The House Theatre of Chicago has announced the extension of the first play to ever grace its stage, the magic-filled crowd favorite Death & Harry Houdini, written and directed by The House Theatre of Chicago Artistic Director Nathan Allen and starring Company Member and professional magician Dennis Watkins as Harry Houdini. Filled with stunning magic, poignant dialogue and original music, Death & Harry Houdini presents the story of history's most famous magician and his life-long war against Death.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company presents the Chicago premiere of BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY, a rowdy dark comedy written by 2015 Pulitzer Prize winner Stephen Adly Guirgis and directed by ensemble member Yasen Peyankov.

Lookingglass Theatre always brings thought-provoking, visually entertaining work to its stage, and its latest production fits that bill, for the most part.

Rehearsals are underway for Steppenwolf Theatre Company's Chicago premiere of Stephen Adly Guirgis's 2015 Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY, directed by ensemble member Yasen Peyankov, who also directed last season's critically acclaimed Grand Concourse. The rowdy dark comedy stars acclaimed London-born actorEamonn Walker as ex-cop Pops and ensemble member James Vincent Meredith as his ex-con son Junior. Previews begin June 23 (opening night is July 10; press performances are Saturday, July 9 at 3pm and Tuesday, July 12 at 7:30pm) and runs throughAugust 21, 2016 in Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theatre (1650 N Halsted St). Tickets ($20 - $89) are available through Audience Services (1650 N Halsted), 312-335-1650 and steppenwolf.org.

Lookingglass Theatre Company continues its 28th Season with Thaddeus and Slocum: A Vaudeville Adventure, written by Ensemble Member Kevin Douglas, and co-directed by Ensemble Member J. Nicole Brooks and Krissy Vanderwarker. Thaddeus and Slocum: A Vaudeville Adventure runs June 1 - August 14, 2016 at Lookingglass Theatre Company, located inside Chicago's historic Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave. at Pearson. The Press Opening is Saturday, June 11, 2016 at 7:30 p.m.  

Lookingglass Theatre Company continues its 28th Season with Thaddeus and Slocum: A Vaudeville Adventure, written by Ensemble Member Kevin Douglas, and co-directed by Ensemble Member J. Nicole Brooks and Krissy Vanderwarker. Thaddeus and Slocum: A Vaudeville Adventure runs June 1 - August 14, 2016 at Lookingglass Theatre Company, located inside Chicago's historic Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave. at Pearson. The Press Opening is Saturday, June 11, 2016 at 7:30 p.m.

The House Theatre of Chicago is proud to announce the return of the first play to ever grace its stage, the magic-filled thrill show and crowd favorite Death & Harry Houdini, written and directed by The House Theatre of Chicago Artistic Director Nathan Allen and starring Company Member and professional magician Dennis Watkins as Harry Houdini. Filled with stunning magic, poignant dialogue and original music, Death & Harry Houdini presents the story of history's most famous magician and his life-long war against Death. The production runs from May 12 - July 24 at the Chopin Theatre's Upstairs Theater, 1543 W. Division St.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company announced today the complete cast for the Chicago premiere of BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY, a rowdy dark comedy written by 2015 Pulitzer Prize winner Stephen Adly Guirgis and directed by ensemble member Yasen Peyankov. The cast features London-born actor Eamonn Walker as ex-cop Pops.

Writers Theatre, under leadership of Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma, presents the first production in their new home, Arcadia, written by Tom Stoppard, directed by Michael Halberstam. The production, which begins performances on March 16, 2016 has already been extended by one week, and will now play through May 1, 2016 in the Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre in Writers Theatre's new theater center at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe. The Press Opening is Wednesday, March 23 at 7:30 p.m.

TimeLine Theatre Company announces that Chicago artists Behzad Dabu and Ron OJ Parson have been named Company Members at the theater, effective immediately.

The Tony Award-winning Oregon Shakespeare Festival will launch its 81st year with preview performances beginning on February 19, and the season officially kicking off Friday night, February 26 in the Angus Bowmer Theatre with Shakespeare's Twelfth Night (director, Christopher Liam Moore).

Writers Theatre, under the leadership of Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma, presents the first production in the Theatre's new home, Arcadia by Tom Stoppard, directed by Michael Halberstam. The show runs March 16 - April 24, 2016 at the Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre in Writer Theatre's new theater center at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe. The Press Opening is Wednesday, March 23 at 7:30 p.m.

Due to popular demand, Steppenwolf for Young Adults (SYA) extends the critically acclaimed production of George Orwell's 1984, adapted by Andrew White and directed by SYA Artistic and Educational Director Hallie Gordon. Hailed as "highly recommended…chilling, hard-hitting" (Chicago Sun-Times) and "a skillful blend of grimy proletariat despair and slick multimedia collage" (Chicago Tribune), 1984 adds three additional public performances, extending the run through November 21, 2015 in Steppenwolf's Upstairs Theatre with the original cast. Tickets ($20; $15 with student ID) to the added performances are now on sale through Audience Services (1650 N Halsted St) at 312-335-1650 and steppenwolf.org.

Steppenwolf for Young Adults' production of 1984 opens on Collette Pollard's stark, barren set. No objects are present onstage, except for plain wooden sets of drawers on the perimeter and two prison cell-like spaces up above. The stage itself sets the tone for the narrative of what has been described as a "negative utopia": the regimented society that George Orwell laid out in his classic 1949 aimed to suppress original thought and feeling. Orwell's vision for the future was not ideal and optimistic but rather extremely bleak in its depiction of future society. With direction by Hallie Gordon, Andrew White's adaptation of 1984 effectively and clearly tells the story of this oppressive and startling vision of the fictional nation Oceania (a hybrid of the United States and the United Kingdom). As Joseph A. Burke's clever and expertly executed projections bombard audiences with images bordering on a fitting sensory overload, we certainly have the sense that Big Brother is watching over us all.

On the heels of a sold-out production of George Orwell's Animal Farm last season, Steppenwolf for Young Adults (SYA) begins the 2015/16 season with another Orwellian masterpiece, 1984. Adapted by Andrew White and directed by SYA Artistic and Educational Director Hallie Gordon, 1984 receives a multi-media production that is a haunting, shockingly timely look at a future that seems disturbingly present. Performances began October 21 and continue through November 20, 2015 in the Upstairs Theatre (1650 N Halsted St); the press performance is Saturday, October 24 at 3pm. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

On the heels of a sold-out production of George Orwell's Animal Farm last season, Steppenwolf for Young Adults (SYA) begins the 2015/16 season with another Orwellian masterpiece, 1984. Adapted by Andrew White and directed by SYA Artistic and Educational Director Hallie Gordon, Orwell's 1984 receives a cutting-edge, multi-media production with projection design by Joseph A. Burke and photography direction by Joel Moorman. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at the company in rehearsal below!