John Gawlik News

This summer, The Gift Theatre debuts an annual artist-friendly fundraiser it's calling The Season Release Bash, targeting friends and colleagues in the theater community.

Fox Valley Repertory is extending an invitation to join them on Sunday July 13, 2014 at Pheasant Run Resort for champagne brunch, jazz music, shopping, and the Sisters of Swing musical in support of LivingWell Cancer Resource Center and Fox Valley Rep.

Stage Left Theatre is partnering with the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events to present LeapFest 11, Stage Left's annual new-play festival, at the Storefront Theater (66 E Randolph), running June 14 - 28, 2014. LeapFest is an annual event featuring several new plays with socio-political themes, presented as workshop productions in rotating repertory. This year's festival includes new works from Meridith Friedman, David Valdes Greenwood, Carolyn Kras, and Jenni Lamb.

Fox Valley Repertory takes an upbeat trip down memory lane this summer as they continue their 2014 theater series celebrating the lives and music of the famed Andrews Sisters in Sisters of Swing. This nostalgic musical, written by Beth Gilleland and Bob Beverage, is directed by Fox Valley Rep Artistic Director and Wheaton native John Gawlik with music direction by Jeffrey Poindexter and choreography by Christie Kerr of Lombard. Performances will take place at the Pheasant Run Resort Mainstage June 5 - July 27, 2014 (4051 E. Main St., St. Charles, IL; box office 630-584-6342).

The Gift Theatre has announced that Kareem Bandealy will star as Othello and artistic director and ensemble member Michael Patrick Thornton will play villainous Iago in its production of William Shakespeare's tragedy Othello, directed by Jonathan Berry (Dirty). This marks The Gift Theatre's first Shakespeare production ever mounted in its intimate 40-seat theater and Berry's Shakespearean directorial debut.

The Gift Theatre Artistic Director Michael Patrick Thornton announces the Chicago premiere of Thinner Than Water written by Melissa Ross and directed by The Gift ensemble member John Gawlik (2013 Jeff Award winner for When the Rain Stops Falling at Circle Theatre). The production marks Thornton's return to The Gift main stage since ensemble member Andrew Hinderaker's Jeff Nominated Dirty in 2012. Thornton recently appeared in Les Waters' production of Our Town at Actors Theatre of Louisville. Thornton joins guest artists Donna McGough (last seen in Coriolanus with The Hypocrites) and Darci Nalepa (Dirty) and fellow Gift ensemble members Brittany Burch (The Lonesome West), Paul D'Addario (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest), Gabriel Franken (Broadsword), Lynda Newton (Absolute Hell) and Jay Worthington (Vigils).

Fox Valley Repertory continues their 2014 theater series with one of the best-loved American memoirs recounted from the book by siblings Frank Gilbreth and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey called Cheaper by the Dozen. This coming-of-age comedy, adapted by Christopher Sergel, will include nearly a dozen professional actors as well as another dozen youth actors making their professional debut. Directed by Vance Smith, performances will take place at the Pheasant Run Resort Mainstage March 27 - May 18, 2014 (4051 E. Main St., St. Charles, IL; box office 630-584-6342).

The Gift Theatre Artistic Director Michael Patrick Thornton announces the Chicago premiere of Thinner Than Water written by Melissa Ross and directed by The Gift ensemble member John Gawlik (2013 Jeff Award winner for When the Rain Stops Falling at Circle Theatre). The production marks Thornton's return to The Gift main stage since ensemble member Andrew Hinderaker's Jeff Nominated Dirty in 2012. Thornton recently appeared in Les Waters' production of Our Town at Actors Theatre of Louisville. Thornton joins guest artists Donna McGough (last seen in Coriolanus with The Hypocrites) and Darci Nalepa (Dirty) and fellow Gift ensemble members Brittany Burch (The Lonesome West), Paul D'Addario (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest), Gabriel Franken (Broadsword), Lynda Newton (Absolute Hell) and Jay Worthington (Vigils).

TEN, The Gift Theatre's annual season kickoff celebration of ten 10-minute plays, returns January 9-19, 2014. This year's ten-minute play premieres by The Gift and guests were curated by artistic director Michael Patrick Thornton and associate artistic director Paul D'Addario. Tickets to TEN are free for all at http://thegifttheatre.org/, however subscribers have the first opportunity to reserve.

NATURAL GAS, the five-year-old house improv team of The Gift Theatre, has taken up residence Friday nights at Wicker Park's The Den Theatre. NATURAL GAS @ The Den shows will alternate between entirely improvised group sets (NATURAL GAS) and a two-person, entirely improvised show featuring Michael Patrick Thornton with a guest (NATURAL GAS presents: YOU & ME (Michael Patrick Thornton)). On Friday, November 29, special guest Ed Flynn joins Thornton's two-person show. An updated schedule can be found at thegifttheatre.org/shows-events/gas-the-den

Fox Valley Rep, in residence at Pheasant Run Resort, announces their calendar-year 2014 season of nostalgic memoirs and memorable musicals, including the international musical hit, Nunsense, the coming-of-age comedy and memoir, Cheaper by the Dozen, followed by the story of the real Andrews Sisters, Sisters of Swing, then to Neil Simon's heart-warming memoir, Brighton Beach Memoirs, concluding with the holiday music revue, Christmas on Broadway.

Fox Valley Repertory concludes their 2013 theater series with Sean Grennan's holiday family comedy, 'Making God Laugh.' Directed by Fox Valley Rep's very own artistic director, John Gawlik, performances will take place on the Pheasant Run Resort Mainstage November 7 - December 29, 2013. (4051 E. Main St., St. Charles, IL; box office 630-584-6342).

Fox Valley Repertory invites the community to submit their own family photos to be used in their production of the holiday family comedy, 'Making God Laugh,' taking place on the Pheasant Run Resort Mainstage November 7 - December 29, 2013.

The Gift Theatre artistic director and co-founder Michael Patrick Thornton proudly announces its 2014 season featuring two Chicago premieres and the theater's first staging of Shakespeare. The season includes Bethany, reuniting the writer and director of the 2013 Gift Theatre hit Mine. Bethany premiered Off-Broadway in January to raves with America Ferrara in the title role. The Gift Season Subscriptions, starting at $75, offer theatergoers the opportunity to be part of the exciting revolution of The Gift and Chicago's Northwest Side; Jefferson Park was recently recognized by the Chicago Sun-Times and Nadig Press as 'Chicago's newest theater district.'

The Gift Theatre artistic director Michael Patrick Thornton has announced casting for the Chicago premiere of Broadsword: A Heavy Metal Play written by Marco Ramirez (Orange is the New Black; Sons of Anarchy) and directed by Keira Fromm. Guest artists Chuck Spencer (Jeff Award-winner for Redtwist's Man From Nebraska) and Pavement Group's Cyd Blakewell (currently co-starring in Mine) join The Gift Ensemble members John Kelly Connolly (The Lonesome West), James D. Farruggio (Suicide, Inc.), Gabriel Franken (Mine) and John Gawlik (The Lonesome West).

A stage tale of troubled families, a true-life story musical about gay servicemen in World War II and a rousing rock'n'roll revue took home top honors Monday, June 3, at Park West during the 40th Annual Non-Equity Jeff Awards ceremony recognizing excellence in non-union Chicago theatre.

Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane, begins its exciting 2013 season with a grand scale production of the Tony Award-winning musical OLIVER!, running through June 2, 2013. Click below to watch interviews with the cast and creative team on opening night!

The Jeff Awards Committee today announced 120 nominations in 25 categories of Non-Equity Jeff Awards for productions that opened between April 1, 2012, and March 31, 2013. The Non-Equity Awards honor excellence in Chicago theatres not under a union contract. Jeff judges attended opening nights of 146 productions offered by 65 Non-Equity producing organizations. The judges recommended 54 of those shows, making them eligible for Non-Equity Jeff Award nominations. Thirty-three theatre companies received nominations.

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. 'The Jungle Book' heats up, 'Oklahoma!' and 'South Pacific,' 'Oliver!' and 'Barnum,' plus 'Stomp,' some interesting student productions and more!

Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane, begins its exciting 2013 season with a grand scale production of the Tony Award-winning musical OLIVER!, previewing April 4, opening Thursday, April 11, and running through June 2, 2013. OLIVER! features an all-star cast of 35, led by Heidi Kettenring as 'Nancy' (National Tour of Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Broadway in Chicago's Wicked, the World Premiere of Hero at Marriott Theatre, and Sweeney Todd at Drury Lane Theatre); Jeff Award winner John Reeger as 'Fagin' (The Iceman Cometh and A Christmas Carol at the Goodman Theatre, Amadeus at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Hamlet at Court Theatre, and Chicago at Marriott Theatre); J.D. Rodriguez as the 'Artful Dodger' (National Tour of A Christmas Story) and Brady Tutton as 'Oliver Twist' ('Tiny Tim' in A Christmas Carol at Drury Lane Theatre). The production is Directed and Choreographed by multi-Jeff Award winner Rachel Rockwell (Ragtime, The Sound of Music and Sweeney Todd at Drury Lane Theatre). Rockwell will direct both her mother, Glory Kissel, who stars as 'Mrs. Bedwin' (Pericles at the Goodman Theatre and Anyone Can Whistle at Ravinia), and her son, Jake Helm, who plays an orphan. Her husband, Garth Helm, provides Sound Design.