Steve Pickering News

Goodman Theatre presents Blind Date, Rogelio Martinez's slyly comic, behind-the-scenes glimpse of two of the most powerful world leaders Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev directed by Goodman Theatre Artistic Director Robert Falls. Martinez, a fresh and funny talent (Backstage) who finds new twists on old topics (Variety), continues his multi-play exploration of the Cold War Era with this Goodman world premiere, which features as characters some of the figures who shaped the political landscapes of the 1980s and beyond.

Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev go head-to-head in Blind Date, a new play by Rogelio Martinez directed by Goodman Theatre Artistic Director Robert Falls. Today, Falls announced his cast for the world-premiere production, which features as characters some of the figures who shaped the political landscapes of the 1980s and beyond.

Performances begin tomorrow for Blind Date, Rogelio Martinez's slyly comic, behind-the-scenes glimpse of two of the most powerful world leaders Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev directed by Goodman Theatre Artistic Director Robert Falls. Martinez, a fresh and funny talent (Backstage) who finds new twists on old topics (Variety), continues his multi-play exploration of the Cold War Era with this Goodman world premiere, which features as characters some of the figures who shaped the political landscapes of the 1980s and beyond. In an era before Twitter, Tinder and 24/7 news, Ronald Reagan (Rob Riley) and Mikhail Gorbachev (William Dick) seek to thaw the seemingly intractable tension between the United States and Soviet Russia. Despite their advisors' best efforts to keep them on track, a crafty game of one-upmanship ensues, as the world's two most powerful leaders eschew conventional protocols to discuss pop culture and old movies while Nancy Reagan (Deanna Dunagan) and Raisa Gorbachev (Mary Beth Fisher ) mirror their husbands' negotiations in a passive-aggressive tango over tea and fashion choices.

Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev go head-to-head in Blind Date, a new play by Rogelio Martinez directed by Goodman Theatre Artistic Director Robert Falls. Today, Falls announced his cast for the world-premiere production, which features as characters some of the figures who shaped the political landscapes of the 1980s and beyond.

TimeLine Theatre Company announces a three-week extension of its acclaimed Chicago premiere production of THE AUDIENCE by Peter Morgan, directed by TimeLine Associate Artistic Director Nick Bowling and starring TimeLine Company Member Janet Ulrich Brooks as Queen Elizabeth II.

Audiences and critics filled the house for the Opening Night of The Tin Woman at Theatre at the Center (TATC) on Sunday, July 16. This was the Chicagoland premiere of Sean Grennan's newest play starring Erin Noel Grennan in the lead role. The Jeff Recommended play The Tin Woman continues its run at TATC through August 13. BroadwayWorld has photos from the opening festivities below!

Douglas Post's Forty-Two Stories, a comedy set in a Lake Shore Drive high-rise condominium, will receive its world premiere full production as the third show in City Lit Theatre's 2016-17 season. The press opening will be Sunday, April 23rd at 3 pm following previews from April 14-22nd.

Join The House Theatre of Chicago for a fun and informative conversation before the 8 p.m. performance of Diamond Dogs, this Saturday, Feb. 25 at the Chopin Upstairs Theatre, 1543 W. Division St. Special guest Alastair Reynolds, UK-based novelist and author of Diamond Dogs, will be joined by adaptor Steve Pickering of the Chicago collective Shanghai Low and Artistic Director of The House Nathan Allen. Hear from Reynolds about his inspirations for creating his 'Revelation Space Universe' where Diamond Dogs is set, and from our Chicago-based artists about shaping this world premiere adaptation. Plus, the Company will surely get Reynolds to talk about his background as an astrophysicist with the European Space Agency - an opportunity not to be missed.  Admission for this one-night-only conversation is free. Tickets to the 8 p.m. performance, and all remaining performances of Diamond Dogs, can be purchased at www.thehousetheatre.com.

Douglas Post's Forty-Two Stories, a comedy set in a Lake Shore Drive high-rise condominium, will receive its world premiere full production as the third show in City Lit Theatre's 2016-17 season. The press opening will be Sunday, April 23rd at 3 pm following previews from April 14-22nd.

The House Theatre of Chicago presents their initial production in 2017, Diamond Dogs, adapted from Alastair Reynolds' science fiction adventure by Althos Low and directed by Artistic Director Nathan Allen, playing at the Chopin Upstairs Theatre, 1543 W. Division St., January 13 - March 5. 

The House Theatre of Chicago presents their initial production in 2017, Diamond Dogs, adapted from Alastair Reynolds' science fiction adventure by Althos Low and directed by Artistic Director Nathan Allen, playing at the Chopin Upstairs Theatre, 1543 W. Division St., January 13 - March 5. 

Fresh off an acclaimed 2015 world premiere at The Stratford Festival in Canada-where it was thrice-extended and completely sold-out-TimeLine Theatre presents the U.S. premiere of THE LAST WIFE, a feminist and fearless new play about the sixth wife of King Henry VIII that is a timely examination of politics, sex, and women's rights.

Fresh off an acclaimed 2015 world premiere at The Stratford Festival in Canada-where it was thrice-extended and completely sold-out-TimeLine Theatre presents the U.S. premiere of THE LAST WIFE, a feminist and fearless new play about the sixth wife of King Henry VIII that is a timely examination of politics, sex, and women's rights.

Victory Gardens Theater announces casting for each of the 2016 IGNITION Festival of New Plays selected works, including The Wayward Bunny by Greg Kotis; BREACH: a manifesto on race in America through the eyes of a black girl recovering from self-hate by Antoinette Nwandu; EOM (end of message) by Laura Jacqmin; Kill Move Paradise by James Ijames; Gaza Rehearsal by Karen Hartman; and Girls In Cars Underwater by Tegan McLeod.

Victory Gardens Theater announces casting for each of the 2016 IGNITION Festival of New Plays selected works, including The Wayward Bunny by Greg Kotis; BREACH: a manifesto on race in America through the eyes of a black girl recovering from self-hate by Antoinette Nwandu; EOM (end of message) by Laura Jacqmin; Kill Move Paradise by James Ijames; Gaza Rehearsal by Karen Hartman; and Girls In Cars Underwater by Tegan McLeod.

?Due to an overwhelming positive response from audiences, the swashbuckling adventure, Treasure Island, will continue to set sail on the Hispaniola at Berkeley Rep. The theatre has announced that the latest adventure from Mary Zimmerman will extend for an additional two weeks. Originally scheduled to close on June 5, the critically acclaimed play will run through Sunday, June 19. Starting today, Friday May 6 at noon, tickets for the added 16 performances can be purchased online at berkeleyrep.org or by phone at 510 647.2949.

Ten Chimneys Foundation has announced Jason Alexander will serve as the Master Teacher for the 2016 Lunt-Fontanne Fellowship Program, a national program to serve the future of American theatre.

Berkeley Repertory Theatre today announced the West Coast premiere of Treasure Island by Tony Award-winning director Mary Zimmerman. Critically praised as "nothing short of sublime" (Chicago-Sun Times), and "Zimmerman remains a superior storyteller " (Chicago Tribune), Treasure Island, a co-production with Chicago's Lookingglass Theatre Company, is a glorious adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's most beloved novel. Previews begin Friday, April 22, and the show runs through Sunday, June 5, 2016. Press night for Treasure Island will be held on Friday, April 29. Individual tickets start at $29 and can be purchased online at berkeleyrep.org or by phone, 510 647-2949.

Due to high ticket demand, Idle Muse Theatre Company has added an additional performance of The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, newly adapted by Althos Low and directed by IMTC artistic director Evan Jackson. The additional performance has been scheduled for Wednesday, March 23 at 8 p.m.

In addition to adapting the script for Idle Muse Theatre Company's upcoming production The Hound of the Baskervilles,Shanghai Low Theatricals will design the puppetry for the production. Althos Low is the pen name for Shanghai Low Theatricals, an adaptation development group based in Chicago. Formed in 2001 as a group of theatre craftspeople adapting literary works for the stage, in 2009 the company expanded into the creation of graphics and visual development. In 2014 the group adapted George Orwell's Animal Farm for Director Hallie Gordon and the Steppenwolf Young Adults Program. For the Baskervillescollaboration, Steve Pickering serves as Adaptor, with input from the company, and House Artists Fred Baxter and Tom Kyzivat provide pre-production concept art. Pickering received a Joseph Jefferson Award for designing the costumes, masks, and puppets for Balliwick Repertory's production of Animal Farm in 1988.