Simon Slater News

Final performances of the Young Chekhov trilogy begin this autumn in the Olivier Theatre, and The Plough and the Stars is wrapping up at the Lyttelton. In addition, previews begin in the Lyttelton for The Red Barn on 6 October (press night on 17 October), and Amadeus starts previewing in the Olivier from 19 October, (press night on 26 October).

The Chicago Premiere of playwright Matty Selman's "Uncle Philip's Coat" will run at the Greenhouse Theater Center (2257 N. Lincoln Ave) Nov. 27 - Dec. 31. Directed by Elizabeth Margoliusand starring Gene Weygandt (best known as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in "Wicked" in Chicago and on Broadway), "Uncle Philip's Coat" follows Matty on his humorous and heartfelt journey of personal discovery, sparked by his inheritance of a tattered coat from his eccentric Russian-Jewish immigrant uncle Philip. 

The World Premiere of "I Do Today" will run at the Greenhouse Theater Center (2257 N. Lincoln Ave) Sept. 2 - Oct. 9. Co-produced with The Other Theatre Company, written by Sarah Myers and starring Carin Silkaitis, "I Do Today" will be directed by Greenhouse's Artistic Director Jacob Harvey, making his Chicago directorial debut.   The press opening will be today, Sept. 7 at 7:30 p.m.

Rehearsals started this week for AMADEUS, which begins previews in the Olivier Theatre from 16 October (press night 26 October). This autumn, Peter Shaffer's classic play Amadeus makes a long-awaited return to the National Theatre after 37 years.

Greenhouse Theater Center (2257 N. Lincoln Ave ) and Sideshow Theatre Company present the world premiere of "The Happiest Place on Earth," written by and starring Joseph Jefferson Award-winning playwright and Sideshow Artistic Associate Philip Dawkins and directed by Sideshow Artistic Director Jonathan L. Green.  The show runs Sept. 17 - Oct. 23 with the press opening on Sept. 22 at 7:30 p.m. 

Edward Fox is to star in a new play, Sand in the Sandwiches by Hugh Whitemore, which celebrates the life and work of John Betjeman. Directed by Gareth Armstrong, the production will premiere at Oxford Playhouse on 25 October 2016 followed by a UK tour visiting the Minerva Theatre Chichester, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Guildford, Exeter Northcott Theatre, Salisbury Playhouse and culminating with a final performance at the Folkestone Book Festival on 24 November 2016. Tickets are now on sale.

The World Premiere of "I Do Today" will run at the Greenhouse Theater Center (2257 N. Lincoln Ave) Sept. 2 - Oct. 9. Co-produced with The Other Theatre Company, written by Sarah Myers and starring Carin Silkaitis, "I Do Today" will be directed by Greenhouse's Artistic Director Jacob Harvey, making his Chicago directorial debut.   The press opening will be on Wednesday, Sept. 7 at 7:30 p.m.

As part of the Solo Celebration series, the Greenhouse Theater Center (2257 N. Lincoln Ave.) will present "Rose," the Chicago area premiere of best-selling Kennedy biographer Laurence Leamer's one-woman play about Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, Aug. 19 - Sept. 25.  The play is directed by Goodman Theatre Producer and Artistic Collective Member Steve Scott and will star six-time Joseph Jefferson Award recipient Linda Reiter.  

"Bloodshot" makes its U.S. debut at the Greenhouse Theater Center (2257 N. Lincoln Ave.) Aug. 10 - Sept. 10 as part of Greenhouse's "Solo Celebration!" series. Starring acclaimed international actor, the multi-talented Simon Slater, written by award winning Chicago playwright Douglas Post and directed byPatrick Sandford, "Bloodshot," is a one-man murder mystery following the character Derek Eveleigh, a photographer in 1957 London. The thriller is co-produced by Ingenious Purpose Ltd. 

"The Portrait" will make its world premiere this summer at the Greenhouse Theater Center (2257 N. Lincoln Ave.) as part of the theater's "Solo Celebration!" series, an eight-month series of provocative and powerful solo plays.

'Mother (and me)' comes to the Greenhouse Theater Center (2257 N. Lincoln Ave.) for a limited engagement, running Aug 4 - 14 as part of the Greenhouse's 'Solo Celebration!' series. Written and performed by Broadway veteran and comedian Melinda Buckley and presented as originally directed by Kimberly Senior. 'Mother (and me)' tells the auto-biographical tale of a larger-than-life Hungarian 'Mama Rose' and her 'Broadway baby' as they experience a shifting dynamic in their relationship. This hilariously honest solo show won the 'Best of Fest' award at the 2014 New York International Fringe Festival, and was originally developed and produced by Barabara Whitman Productions.

Casting is now complete for the Greenhouse Theater's Solo Celebration!, as Artistic Director Jacob Harvey announced the remaining performers to be featured in solo works being presented now through February 2017. The A-list group of Chicago performers joining the Solo Celebration include: Linda Reiter as Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy in "Rose," directed by Steve Scott and running August 19 - September 25; Gene Weygandt as Matty in "Uncle Phillip's Coat," directed by Elizabeth Margolius and running November 27 - December 31; and Will Allan as Chester in "Circumference of a Squirrel," directed by Jacob Harvey and running January 13 - February 12, 2017. 

"The Portrait" will make its world premiere this summer at the Greenhouse Theater Center (2257 N. Lincoln Ave.) as part of the theater's "Solo Celebration!" series, an eight-month series of provocative and powerful solo plays.

The Greenhouse Theater's 'Solo Celebration!' continues with 'Squeeze My Cans,' a limited engagement autobiographical solo-play written and performed by Cathy Schenkelberg and directed by Shirley Anderson. Making its Chicago premiere, Schenkelberg shares a glimpse behind the velvet curtain of Scientology in this strangely hilarious and unbelievable story of resilience, loss, and extraterrestrials. 'Squeeze My Cans' runs July 14 - July 24 at The Greenhouse Theater Center (2257 N Lincoln Avenue); the press performance is July 14 at 7:30 p.m.

'MotherStruck!,' written and performed by Staceyann Chin, co-produced in New York by Rosie O'Donnell, Robert Dragotta and Culture Project, and originally directed by Emmy, Tony and Grammy Award-winner Cynthia Nixon begins Greenhouse Theater Center's 'Solo Celebration' at the Greenhouse (2257 N Lincoln Ave).

The Watermill Theatre today announces the full company for Alan Bennett's Untold Stories opening on 5 May and running until 11 June. The production is part of Paul Hart's inaugural season as the new artistic director at The Watermill.

Today, Jacob Harvey, Artistic Director of the Greenhouse Theater Center, announced the 12 plays that will be presented as part of the 'Solo Celebration!' series, running June 2016 - February 2017, including new works from acclaimed Chicago-based playwrights including Isaac Gomez, Brett Neveu, Douglas Post, Susan Padveen and Philip Dawkins (who will also be performing his solo work).

The full cast is announced for the final production in the Coronet's spring season, DEATHWATCH, from April 11 to May 7. This new Print Room production of Jean Genet's powerful and provocative first play, in a translation by David Rudkin, marks its first major revival in almost 30 years. Deathwatch stars Danny Lee Wynter, Joseph Quinn, Tom Varey and Emma Naomi, and is directed by Geraldine Alexander, who received critical acclaim for the direction of her own play, Amygdala, at The Print Room's former space in 2013. The Coronet is also working with playwright David Rudkin on complementary activity around the production.

This Christmas, The Watermill celebrates the 150th Anniversary of Lewis Carroll's much loved novel with a brand new stage adaptation of Alice in Wonderland, running until Sunday 3 January 2016.