Mickle Maher News

Theater Oobleck's "Baudelaire in a Box" project, a seven-year adaptation of Charles Baudelaire's scandalous 19th-century classic "Les Fleurs du mal (The Flowers of Evil)" as an epic illustrated song cycle, culminates this summer with "Closed Casket: The Complete, Final and Absolutely Last Baudelaire in a Box." The 15-hour festival presentation of the complete cycle is timed to coincide with the 150th anniversary of Baudelaire's death. "Closed Casket" will be presented Aug. 4 to 6 at Links Hall at Constellation, 3111 N. Western Avenue in Chicago.

Due to popular demand, Shattered Globe Theatre's hit Chicago premiere of Sarah Ruhl's FOR PETER PAN ON HER 70th BIRTHDAY will add one additional week of performances, extending through May 27, 2017 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago.  Directed by Jessica Thebus, the imaginative and moving drama was written for Ruhl's mother, Kathleen Ruhl, who stars in the Shattered Globe production. Tickets for all performances are currently available at www.theaterwit.org, in person at the Theater Wit Box Office or by calling (773) 975-8150.

The Theatre School at DePaul University is pleased to present two world premiere productions: Michael Jordan in Lilliput by Mickle Maher, and directed by Erica Weiss in the Sondra and Dennis Healy Theatre and Mrs. Phu's Cleansing Juices (and Also Salads) by Emily L. Witt, and directed by Krissy Vanderwarker on the Fullerton Stage. Michael Jordan in Lilliput opens on Friday, May 5, and runs through Sunday, May 14, 2017, with previews on May 3 and 4; Mrs. Phu's Cleansing Juices (and Also Salads) opens on Friday, May 19, and runs through Saturday, May 27, 2017, with previews on May 17 and 18. Performances are Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 2 PM.

SONG ABOUT HIMSELF is a linguistic fantasia set inside of the chatroom of a post-apocalyptic social network. This is intellectual sci-fi drama played on a sparse set and focused on how we connect as humans and machines. There are ghosts here on both sides of humanity's line, and language suffers the most as a result.

In a dystopian future, a corrupted and crumbling version of the Internet, now called "the Weed," allows human beings to communicate in only the most banal and fragmentary ways. A woman named Carol, perhaps the only person left able to string together a few coherent sentences in a world devolving into gibberish, joins YouSpake, a rogue social media site maintained by an enigmatic host/hostess. The secrets Carol uncovers will either reconnect her to humanity or destroy her heart.  

The Catastrophic Theatre presents Song About Himself by Mickle Maher, Today, November 11th - Saturday, December 3, 2016, playing Thursdays, Todays & Saturdays at 8 pm at The MATCH, 3400 Main Street.

Pivot Arts invites you to decompress from the election on Today, November 9, 2016 as it kicks off its new LIVE TALK series with LIVE TALK: THE DAY AFTER, an evening of quirky election-themed performances, interviews, live music and more.

In a dystopian future, a corrupted and crumbling version of the Internet, now called "the Weed," allows human beings to communicate in only the most banal and fragmentary ways. A woman named Carol, perhaps the only person left able to string together a few coherent sentences in a world devolving into gibberish, joins YouSpake, a rogue social media site maintained by an enigmatic host/hostess. The secrets Carol uncovers will either reconnect her to humanity or destroy her heart.  

Pivot Arts invites you to decompress from the election on Wednesday, November 9, 2016 as it kicks off its new LIVE TALK series with LIVE TALK: THE DAY AFTER, an evening of quirky election-themed performances, interviews, live music and more.

SONG ABOUT HIMSELF is Mickle Maher's latest play which is set in a dystopian future where viruses and malware have effectively destroyed the Internet. The populace had been so obsessed with social media that this destruction has left a world of people who communicate in little more than mumbles and broken descriptions of emojis. This fascinating piece would work quite perfectly as an episode of Black Mirror in that it is a look at a technical future gone horribly awry. It also is a clever use of Walt Whitman's Song of Myself, widely considered to be the first 'Poem of Chaos'. The world of Maher's play is clearly a world in chaos, and identity is a central theme of both works. SONG ABOUT HIMSELF uses extremely minimalist staging and Maher has created an original language that is part broken description of social media actions and part corruption of Walt Whitman's poetry. While familiarity with Whitman will enrich your experience, it is in no way necessary to the experience.

The Catastrophic Theatre presents Song About Himself by Mickle Maher, Friday, November 11th - Saturday, December 3, 2016, playing Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays at 8 pm at The MATCH, 3400 Main Street.

Shattered Globe Theatre will conclude its 2016-17 Season with the Chicago premiere of Sarah Ruhl's FOR PETER PAN ON HER 70th BIRTHDAY, written for her mother Kathleen, a Chicago actress who played Peter Pan onstage as a teenager. Directed by Jessica Thebus, the production will feature Kathleen Ruhl, surrounded by the Shattered Globe Ensemble. FOR PETER PAN ON HER 70th BIRTHDAY will play April 6 - May 20, 2017 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. 

Running November 20 - December 6, 2015, Boulder-based LOCAL Theater Company presents the World Premiere of James McLindon's dark comedy FAITH at the Dairy Center for the Arts, 2590 Walnut Street in Boulder.

Running November 20 - December 6, 2015, Boulder-based LOCAL Theater Company presents the World Premiere of James McLindon's dark comedy FAITH at the Dairy Center for the Arts, 2590 Walnut Street in Boulder.

Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, presents the Pulitzer Prize-winning play You Can't Take It With You, continuing Northlight's 41st Season. You Can't Take It With You, directed by Devon de Mayo, runs November 6 - December 13, 2015 at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd in Skokie.

Even superheroes need a little help putting on Shakespeare. By tele-fundraising. From the inside of a submarine. And that's how The Catamounts' are kicking off their fifth season, with Mickle Maher's Spirits to Enforce.

The Catamounts present SPIRITS TO ENFORCE by Mickle Maher, directed by Amanda Berg Wilson. The production runs tonight, October, 2, through October 17, 2014, at The Dairy Center for the Arts, 2590 Walnut Street, Boulder, Colorado.

The Tank - a midtown theater company dedicated to developing and presenting new works for the stage by emerging artists, announces its 2015 - 2016 Flint & Tinder series, which includes five new plays from Chicago, Baltimore, Norway, Paris and North Carolina.

The Tank Theatre opens its fall season with this performance of THERE IS A HAPPINESS THAT MORNING IS at The Tank theater company. The Tank is a wonderfully creative and innovative group of young theater folk who are providing a unique experience to the Mid-Town theater community. We strongly encourage your attendance and invite you to a performance for Review.

THERE IS A HAPPINESS THAT MORNING IS - a new play by Mickle Maher - will premiere as  the season opener at The Tank theater company this fall with Previews beginning September 11 and Opening on September 12th at The Tank (151 West 46th Street / 8th Fl.) HAPPINESS is scheduled to run through September 27th.