Ian Belknap News

Margot Harley, producer of The Acting Company, has announced the Company's New York Season in conjunction with its 42nd National Tour.

Margot Harley, producer of The Acting Company, has announced the Company's New York Season in conjunction with its 42nd National Tour.

The Acting Company in association with The Guthrie Theater presents William Shakespeare's 'Macbeth,' directed by Devin Brain; and 'A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court,' adapted by acclaimed playwright Jeffrey Hatcher from the novel by Mark Twain, directed by Ian Belknap. Click below to go behind the scenes with the companies from both productions!

The Acting Company in association with The Guthrie Theater presents William Shakespeare's "Macbeth," directed by Devin Brain, Friday, March 20, 8 p.m.; and "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court," adapted by acclaimed playwright Jeffrey Hatcher from the novel by Mark Twain, directed by Ian Belknap, Saturday, March 21 at 8 p.m. Both performances take place at the McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd., on the campus of College of DuPage. There will be a free MAC Chat with the cast led by Brain immediately following both performances. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the company in action below!

'Our newly commissioned adaptation of Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Jeffrey Hatcher (Tuesdays with Morrie, Columbo) will have its world premiere mid-February at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis prior to our 42nd national tour,' announced The Acting Company's producer and co-founder, Margot Harley. 'Connecticut Yankee will tour to 14 states running in repertory with a new production of William Shakespeare's Macbeth, stopping in New York for two weeks at Off-Broadway's Pearl Theater April 1-12. This is our seventh tour in association with the Guthrie.'

The Guthrie Theater and The Acting Company (TAC) reunite for a seventh year to present A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court - a satirical story adapted by acclaimed local playwright Jeffrey Hatcher from the novel by Mark Twain - in repertory with Macbeth, Shakespeare's dark and powerful tragedy.

The Guthrie Theater and The Acting Company (TAC) reunite for a seventh year to present A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court - a satirical story adapted by acclaimed local playwright Jeffrey Hatcher from the novel by Mark Twain - in repertory with Macbeth, Shakespeare's dark and powerful tragedy.

The Acting Company will present a staged reading of The Millionairess, George Bernard Shaw's delightful satire on romance, religion, capitalism and how the other half lives at 7 pm tonight, November 24 at the Pearl Theater, 555 West 42nd Street (10th - 11th Avenues).

The Acting Company will present a staged reading of The Millionairess, George Bernard Shaw's delightful satire on romance, religion, capitalism and how the other half lives at 7 pm on Monday, November 24 at the Pearl Theater, 555 West 42nd Street (10th - 11th Avenues).

The Guthrie Theater held a cocktail party in New York City this week to celebrate Joe Dowling and his final season at the theater. He leaves in June 2015 after 20 years and as the longest Artistic Director in the theater's history. The party was held at the home of Frank and Frances Wilkinson, board members of the Guthrie Theater. BroadwayWorld has photos from the festivities below!

The Guthrie Theater and The Acting Company (TAC) reunite for a sixth year, presenting Hamlet, Shakespeare's story of a Danish prince's search for vengeance, justice and truth, in repertory with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, a reworking of the same tragedy from the point of view of two minor characters and their static existence in a world beyond their comprehension. This two-week engagement today, April 22 - May 4, on the McGuire Proscenium Stage, will conclude a successful seven-month 42-city tour, during which time these productions played to thousands of adults and students in large and small markets around the United States. Both Hamlet and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead will showcase the talents of graduates of the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater B.F.A. Actor Training Program, as well as alumni of A Guthrie Experience for Actors in Training.

The Neo-Futurists announce their 2014-15 season to include a TML pre-show event INFILTRATION, curated by Jane Beachy, Joseph R. Varisco and Malic White; Pseudo-Chum written by Sean Benjamin and directed by Carolyn Shoemaker-Benjamin; Redletter, created by Lisa Buscani and directed by Jen Ellison, Trust Us/Screw You, created by Dan Kerr-Hobert and Phil Ridarelli, and another great year of the smash hit, Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind. The Neo-Futurists also welcome the addition of Artistic Director, Kurt Chiang.

Chicago Slam Works combines the art forms of poetry, comedy, storytelling, music and creative non-fiction into one action-packed slam competition - 'The LitMash'. Presented on the first Monday of the month, the May 5 'The LitMash' features Ian Belknap among others. Tickets are $8 and can be purchased at the door. 'The LitMash' is at the Haymarket Pub and Brewery, 737 W. Randolph Street. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and the performance starts at 8 p.m. For more information visit www.ChicagoSlamWorks.com.

NATURAL GAS, the five-year-old house improv team of The Gift Theatre, appears Friday nights at Wicker Park's The Den Theatre, performing entirely improvised group sets in addition to their standing Wednesday night set at The Gift in Jefferson Park. Every other week is YOU & ME-a two-person, entirely improvised show featuring ensemble member/The Gift artistic director Michael Patrick Thornton with a special guest from the Chicago arts community.

The Acting Company will present a staged reading of Nude with Violin, Noel Coward's satire on modern art, criticism, pretension and the value placed on art at 7 pm on Monday, March 24 at the Signature Theatre (Alice Griffin Jewel Box), 480 West 42nd Street (9th-10th Avenues).

Steppenwolf Theatre Company has announced the line-up for Late Night @ Garage Rep, a series of cross-genre performances Today nights during Garage Rep 2014, starting tonight, March 6. The line-up includes a performance by Salonathon; the play with music, Duo: 1 Is 1, 2 Is Math; Kevin Coval and Young Chicago Authors; James Anthony Zoccoli's Wiggerlover [whiteboy+blackdad=greyareas]; Ian Belknap's one-man Bring Me The Head Of James Franco, That I May Prepare a Savory Goulash In The Narrow And Misshapen Pot Of His Skull; The Gift Theatre's improv group, Natural Gas; and Chicago Dance Crash's Follow The Reader.

Patti LuPone steps back into the role that led to her 1985 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical as Moll in The Cradle Will Rock on Monday, May 19, 7pm at Broadway's Bernard Jacobs Theatre, 242 West 45th Street. The concert staging of Marc Blitzstein's iconic work will benefit The Acting Company, co-founded by John Houseman, Cradle's original producer in 1937, who directed Ms. LuPone and a cast of Acting Company Alumni in a revival almost 50 years later. Lonny Price (Lincoln Center's Sweeney Todd and Company) will direct; Michael Barrett (Caramoor, NY Festival of Song) will again serve as musical director and play the score as he did in the 1980's production. Tickets will go on sale next month; information on benefit tickets including dinner with Ms. LuPone and the cast is available from 212-258-3111.

The Guthrie Theater and The Acting Company (TAC) reunite for a sixth year, presenting Hamlet, Shakespeare's story of a Danish prince's search for vengeance, justice and truth, in repertory with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, a reworking of the same tragedy from the point of view of two minor characters and their static existence in a world beyond their comprehension. This two-week engagement April 22 - May 4, on the McGuire Proscenium Stage, will conclude a successful seven-month 42-city tour, during which time these productions played to thousands of adults and students in large and small markets around the United States. Both Hamlet and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead will showcase the talents of graduates of the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater B.F.A. Actor Training Program, as well as alumni of A Guthrie Experience for Actors in Training.

The Acting Company will present a benefit staged reading of Murderers, a new play by Jeffrey Hatcher (Never Gonna Dance, Tuesdays with Morrie) at 7 pm on Monday, February 24 at the Mainstage Theater (Playwrights Horizons), 416 West 42nd Street (9th-10thAvenues). The performance-starring Acting Company Alumna and Tony-winner Harriet Harris (Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, Encores!Little Me), Marylouise Burke (TV's Alpha House) and Reg Rogers (The Big Knife)-will be followed by a reception with the cast and director, Ian Belknap, Artistic Director of The Acting Company. Tickets @ $35 and $60 (Patron) are available from 212-258-3111.

Performances of Steppenwolf Theatre Company's fifth annual Garage Rep are scheduled to begin February 14, 2014, featuring The New Colony's world-premiere production of reWILDing Genius, Prologue Theatre Company's Chicago-premiere production of Saturday Night/Sunday Morning and Walkabout Theater Company's world-premiere production of The Wild. These innovative storefront companies perform in rotating repertory for ten weeks through April 20, 2013 (press performances are March 8 and 9, 2014). Performances are scheduled Wednesday through Sunday in the Garage Theater (1624 N Halsted St); a full performance schedule, including the line-up for Late Night @ Garage Rep, follows. Garage Rep single tickets ($20) and three-play passes ($45), as well as Late Night single tickets ($5) are on sale now through Audience Services (1650 N Halsted St), 312-335-1650 and steppenwolf.org.