Irish American News 26 April 2008, Saturday Better Late at Northlight Theatre NORTHLIGHT THEATRE PRESENTS THE WORLD PREMIERE OF BETTER LATE BY LARRY GELBART AND CRAIG WRIGHT, DIRECTED BY ARTISTIC DIRECTOR BJ JONES, FEATURING JOHN MAHONEY AND MIKE NUSSBAUM Northlight Theatre continues its record-setting 33rd season, celebrating Artistic Director BJ Jones’ 10th Anniversary, with the world premiere commission of Better Late, by Larry Gelbart and Craig Wright. The production, featuring Chicago favorites John Mahoney and Mike Nussbaum, and directed by BJ Jones, runs March 28-May 11, 2008, at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd in Skokie. The press opening is Wednesday, April 9, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. Due to an unprecedented pre-sale ticket demand, Northlight Theatre has recently added new dates as preview performances. These added preview performances will began on March 28, 2008. This world premiere production, commissioned by Northlight, reunites playwright Craig Wright (Grace, Lady) with actors Mike Nussbaum and Steve Key, both of whom appeared in Northlight’s production of Grace, and welcomes actors John Mahoney and Linda Kimbrough and playwright Larry Gelbart (Emmy and Tony Award-winning author of M.A.S.H. and City of Angels). As Better Late opens, Julian (Nussbaum) is forced to move in with his ex-wife and her new husband in order to recuperate from a sudden illness. With each passing day, the awkward situation spirals further and further out of control. As the laughter builds, the question becomes: how long will Julian have to stay? This bitingly funny December-December-December romance is a not-to-be-missed new comedy. The cast features John Mahoney (Lee), Mike Nussbaum (Julian), Linda Kimbrough (Nora) and Steve Key (Billy)... Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Boulevard Skokie, IL 60077 - 847/673-6300 - www.northlight.org Bronte at Victory Gardens Greenhouse Theatre American Premiere of Polly Teale’s Brontë Remy Bumppo Theatre Company presents The American Premiere of Polly Teale’s inventive drama Brontë running March 20 through May 4 in the Upstairs Mainstage of the Victory Gardens Greenhouse Theater, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago. This extraordinary play by Polly Teale evokes both the real and fantasy worlds of the Brontës, as the sisters’ austere surroundings give way to the boundless power of imagination. Curtain times are Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2:30 pm. There will be Wednesday matinees at 10:30 am on March 26, April 9 and April 23 and at 2:00 pm on April 2 (no evening performance on this date), 16, and 30. Additionally there will be one Saturday matinee on April 5 at 2:30 pm. Ticket prices for the regular run are $35-$40. Single tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online at www.remybumppo.org or through the Victory Gardens box office at 773-871-3000. Dead Man's Cell Phone at Steppenwolf Thtr Steppenwolf Theatre Company continues its 32nd season with Dead Man’s Cell Phone by Sarah Ruhl, directed by associate artist Jessica Thebus. The production runs March 27-July 27, 2008 in Steppenwolf’s Upstairs Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St. Jean is sleepwalking through her life until she answers a dead man’s cell phone. It turns out to be a wake-up call that sends her on a date with the dead man’s brother, a drinking binge with his wife, and a mysterious rendez-vous with his mistress. Not to mention trips to the afterlife and the black market. In this quirky modern adventure, Jean re-connects to her own spirit and learns that life is for the living. Steppenwolf Upstairs Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St. Previews: March 27 - April 5, 2008 Opening: Sunday, April 6, 2008 at 6:00 p.m. Regular Run: April 8 - July 27, 2008 There are no performances on May 3 or July 4. Curtain Times: Tuesday through Sunday at 7:30 p.m. (Sunday evening performances through June 22, 2008 only) Saturday and Sunday matinees at 3:00 p.m. (The matinee on Sunday April 6 begins at 2:00 p.m.) Wednesday matinees on June 25, July 2, 9, 16 and 23 at 2:00 p.m. Ticket price: Previews: $20-$45 Regular Run: $20-$68 Twenty $20 tickets are available at Audience Services beginning at 11:00 a.m. on the day of each performance (1:00 p.m. for Sunday performances). Half-price rush tickets are available one hour before each show. Student discounts available. Audience Services: 1650 N. Halsted, 312-335-1650 Online ticketing available at www.steppenwolf.org Free post-show discussions, sponsored by AT&T, are offered after every performance. Steppenwolf is located near all forms of public transportation and is wheelchair accessible. Street and lot parking are available. Assistive listening devices are available for every performance. George Bernard Shaw Play in Oak Park Village Players Performing Arts Center Presents: You Never Can Tell by George Bernard Shaw What happens when a suffragette, her three misguided children, a pauper dentist, and a yacht builder meet up with two attorneys at a seaside resort? 'You Never Can Tell,' but there's only one way to find out: at Village Players this April. Shakespeare may have said, "The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers", but in Shaw's 'You Never Can Tell', he brings one in to restore not only order but also family affection. In one of his plays pleasant, Shaw mixes an unintentionally reunited family with irresistible romance, a dash of melodrama, a dollop of farce, several Wilde-like and absolutely silly coincidences. This Comedy of Errors, set in a seaside town, tells the story of Mrs. Clandon and her three children, Dolly, Phillip and Gloria, who have just returned to England after an eighteen year stay in Madeira. Not knowing their father, they end up inviting him to a family lunch, and hilarity ensues. 'You Never Can Tell' has preview performances April 4 & 5, opens April 6, and runs through April 27. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 3 PM. Tickets for regular performances are $25 for adults and $20 for Students & Seniors. All tickets for previews are $15, and opening night tickets including reception are $30 for adults and $25 for Students & Seniors. Presented in the Mainstage Theatre of the newly renovated Village Players located at 1010 W. Madison. Plenty of parking is available on the street. The theatre is handicap accessible; please call ahead to arrange for special seating. Tickets available at www.village-players.org or by calling 866-764-1010. Knocknashee at Shapeshifters Thtr Shapeshifters Theatre Presents Knocknashee This spring, Shapeshifters Theatre of the Irish American Heritage Center is proud to present Knocknashee, by Irish playwright Deirdre Kinahan of Navan, County Meath in Ireland. The production runs through Sunday, May 4. Shows are Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 3pm. Tickets are $12 for IAHC members and $15 for non-members. The IAHC is located at 4626 North Knox Avenue, Chicago. Knocknashee is set in a small cottage in County Meath on May Eve, 2001. May Eve is a traditional Irish pagan festival, and Knocknashee is alive with magic, mayhem, merriment and menace. Patrick, a physically disabled artist, Brigid, a single mother and Hughie, a lonely rural misfit are drawn together to celebrate by the forces of this forgotten culture. While these three extraordinary people seek friendship, the magic of May Eve’s lore and even love, the unforgiving landscape threatens to reveal a secret of its own. The cast and crew takes the production to Rochester New York, May 15-18 as its entry in the Acting Irish International Theatre Fest. For more information or to order tickets, call 773-282-7035. Last Days of Judas Iscariot @ Gift Theatre THE LAST DAYS OF JUDAS ISCARIOT By Stephen Adly Guirgis Directed by Kevin Christopher Fox Assistant Directed by Ben Thiem March 19, 2008 - May 4, 2008 Thursday, Friday, Saturday 7:30 PM, Sunday 2:30 PM In Stephen Adly Guirgis’ provocative, wild, and brilliant play on Catholicism, Jesus’ infamous betrayer stands trial in Hope, a small section of Purgatory, in which Satan takes the stand and everyone’s to blame. Previews for THE LAST DAYS OF JUDAS ISCARIOT are March 19, 20, 22, 23, 2008. The production opens on Thursday, March 27 , 2008 at 7:30 p.m., and runs through May 4, 2008. Showtimes are Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday matinee at 2:30 p.m. For tickets: (773) 283-7071 or buy online @ www.thegifttheatre.org Preview tickets are $15. Regular run prices are $20 (Thursdays and Sundays) $25 (Friday and Saturdays). Group rates are available for groups of 10 or more by calling the Box Office. $15 tickets are available at all performances for students, seniors, and industry with proper identification. Speech and Debate at American Thtr Co American Theater Company (ATC) will run Midwest Premiere of "Speech and Debate" by Stephen Karam through May 11, 2008 at American Theater Company, 1909 W Byron St, Chicago, IL. Currently in its second extension at NY's Roundabout Theatre, this quick-witted and timely comedy tells the story of three misfits who team up to expose their teacher's online secrets while forming their high school's first Speech and Debate club. With a script by "columbinus" co-writer Stephen Karam, Artistic Director PJ Paparelli makes his Chicago and ATC directorial debut with this hysterical yet touching tale of three teens' quest for fame and free speech. Regular performances run Thursdays and Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 4 and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 3 p.m. ATC is wheelchair accessible. Tickets are $20 during previews. Throughout the regular run, tickets are $30 on Thursday's as well as for matinees and $35 on Friday and Saturday evenings. Student and group discounts are available. ATC's box office is open from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. on performance Saturdays and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on performance Sundays. For reservations or further information, call 773-929-1031 or visit www.atcweb.org. Stray Dog Presents Born Yesterday Stray Dog Presents Born Yesterday The Stray Dog Theater Group will present the Garson Kanin comedy, Born Yesterday, in the theater located in Veteran’s Memorial Middle School. (The theater entrance is off of 123rd Street, just west of Greenwood in Blue Island, with street parking available or use parking lot on west end of building off 123rd Street.) Show dates are Friday, April 25, & Saturday, April 26 at 8 p.m., & Sunday, April 27 at 3 p.m., contining Friday, May 2 & Saturday, May 3 at 8 p.m., closing Sunday, May 4 at 3 p.m. Call 708-841-7396 for tickets, which are $12 per adult, $10 per senior citizen, it is strongly recommended that theater goers call to reserve seats. The story follows the brutish antagonist Harry Brock played by Mark Eaton (Beverly), a self made millionaire of sorts who owns a string of junk yards many of them acquired by questionable means. He has traveled to Washington D.C., the influence Senator Norvel Hedges played by Al Clark (Oak Lawn), with his help, Brock will be placed in a position of even more wealth and power. His lawyer, Ed Devery, played by Floyd May (North Fremont, Chicago), has arranged this alliance, based on his past political experience before falling out of favor and ending up a Brock confidant. Other members of Brock’s circle of insiders include Eddie Brock, his cousin, played by Chas Seaton (Burbank), and his long time girlfriend Billie Dawn, played by Amy Schultz (Chicago Ridge). After a social gathering at Brock’suite, with the Senator and his wife played by Rochelle Mika (Worth), Brock is upset over Billie’s social ineptitude and sets out to maker her over, with the help of the honest to a fault reporter, Paul Verrall, played by John Madison (Oak Lawn). The education of Billie sets off a series of events that will change everything. NOTE: The Stay Dog Theater Group is a not for profit organization. The Ascension of Carlotta at 16th Street Thtr The Ascension of Carlotta by WIll Dunne Alice Kowalski works at a 7-11. Romeo Brown’s dream is to rob a 7-11. Drunk on love during the last springtime of the 20th century, they travel the land of Berwyn seeing if two people from two different planets can be both armed and engaged. Directed by Ann Filmer April 4 - May 4, 2008 Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 2:30 PM Previews: Friday, April 4 & Saturday, April 5 Press Opening: Thursday, April 10 at 7:30 PM Tickets: $16 Group discount for 8(+) For info on group tickets call (708) 795-6704 or visit www.16streettheater.org 16TH STREET THEATER IS LOCATED JUST 15 MINUTES FROM DOWNTOWN CHICAGO at 6420 16th Street. DRIVING DIRECTIONS: From Chicago 290/Eisenhower Expy west to Austin Exit. Left (south) on Austin. Right (west) on 16th Street. Just after Ridgeland, the Cultural Center is located in the first building on your left, on the south side of the street, next to the Citgo. Free street parking. PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION: Just one mile from the Austin stop on the Blue line. The Comedy of Errors at Shakespeare’s Courtyard Theater Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors at CST Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) will concludes its 21st Season with The Comedy of Errors staged by CST Artistic Director Barbara Gaines, whose collaboration with Second City veteran Ron West brings an additional comedic twist to the production. Set in 1940, during the golden age of film, Shakespeare’s comedic classic unfolds as an eccentric group of stage and screen actors gather on an English movie set during World War II in the midst of the London blitz to film the play. Performed in Chicago Shakespeare’s Courtyard Theater, The Comedy of Errors runs through Sunday, June 29, 2008. Tickets are $44-70 and can be purchased by calling Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Box Office at 312.595.5600 or by visiting the Theater’s website at www.chicagoshakes.com. Chicago Shakespeare Theatre on Navy Pier is located at 800 East Grand Avenue in Chicago. For questions regarding this calendar, contact: Webmaster