Complete Production History
COMPLETE PRODUCTION HISTORY
FRIDA...A SELF PORTRAIT
January 23 - February 24, 2025 | Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre
Written and Performed by Vanessa Severo
Directed by Joanie Schultz
Iconic Mexican painter Frida Kahlo was a woman who lived boldly, loved wildly, and painted prolifically in order to see herself and the world around her more clearly. Witness this extraordinary figure come to life onstage through playwright and performer Vanessa Severo, who brings breathtaking physicality and raw honesty to this stunningly creative production. With music and movement, Vanessa cracks open a powerful portal between herself and Frida, uncovering insights into the painter’s physical limitations, complex love life, addictions, and, of course, the beauty in her art.
EVERY BRILLIANT THING
October 31, 2024 - January 12, 2025 | The Gillian Theatre - General Admission
Written by Duncan Macmillan
With Jonny Donahoe
Directed by Kimberly Senior
"1. Ice Cream. 2. Water fights. 3. Staying up past your bedtime and being allowed to watch TV.” This is how a seven-year-old child begins a list of all the things that make life wonderful. They're making the list for their mother, who suffers from depression. As life goes on, and the challenges faced morph from childhood to adulthood, the list continues to grow and take on a life of its own. By shining a hilarious and compassionate light on life’s small abundant joys, this big-hearted play—told in gentle collaboration with the audience—is a loving tribute to resilience and the lengths we will go to for those we love.
NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812
September 5 - November 3, 2024 | Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre
Written by Dave Malloy
Directed & Choreographed by Katie Spelman
Music Direction by Matt Deitchman
"There’s a war going on somewhere out there, and Andrey isn’t here.” Young and impulsive, Natasha Rostova arrives in Moscow to await the return of her fiancé from the front lines. But when she falls under the spell of the roguish Anatole, family friend Pierre must push through his existential crisis to help Natasha pick up the pieces of her shattered reputation. Based on a scandalous slice of Leo Tolstoy’s epic novel War and Peace, this innovative musical spectacle took Broadway by storm with its “electropop opera” score, receiving two Tony Awards and 12 nominations. Katie Spelman and Matt Deitchman, the inspired creative team behind WT’s hit production of Once, reunite to bring this modern spin on a literary classic to Chicago for the first time.
Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals. www.concordtheatricals.com
THE HOT WING KING
June 20 - July 21, 2024 | Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre
Written by Katori Hall
Directed by Lili-Anne Brown
When it comes to wings, Cordell is king! Supported by his beau Dwayne and the best friends who serve as his fry crew, the group embarks on a fun night of pre-competition prep for Memphis’s Annual hot wing festival. But when Dwayne’s troubled nephew unexpectedly needs a place to stay, it quickly becomes a recipe for disaster. Winner of the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, The Hot Wing King is a fierce comedy about the risks and rewards of celebrating who you are.
HERSHEY FELDER AS MONSIEUR CHOPIN
April 10 - May 12, 2024 | Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre
Music of Fryderyk Chopin
Book by Hershey Felder
Directed by Joel Zwick
Days after the February 1848 revolution, Fryderyk Chopin is teaching a piano lesson in Paris. Set in the Polish pianist-composer’s intimate salon, Chopin shares with his students secrets about the piano and secrets about himself—as well as playing some of his most beautiful and enduring compositions. In a tour de force performance, virtuoso actor/pianist Hershey Felder brings to life the romantic story and music of the man once called the “Poet of the Piano.”
THE BAND'S VISIT
February 8 - March 24, 2024 | Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre
Music & Lyrics by David Yazbek
Book by Itamar Moses
Based on the Screenplay by Eran Kolirin
Directed by Zi Alikhan
Music Supervision by Andra Velis Simon
Choreography by Sebastiani Romagnolo
In a small Israeli desert town where every day feels the same, a lost bus arrives carrying an Egyptian Police Band. With no hotel and no buses until morning, the musicians are taken in for the night by the locals. Under the spell of the desert sky, these misplaced musicians bring everyone together in the way that only music can. Winner of 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, The Band's Visit is a beautifully intimate show, perfectly suited for the Nichols Theatre, about the unifying power of music.
MANUAL CINEMA'S CHRISTMAS CAROL
November 16 - December 24, 2023 | Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre
A Manual Cinema Production
Adapted from the novel by Charles Dickens
Devised by Manual Cinema
Additional Writing by Nate Marshall
An avowed holiday skeptic, Aunt Trudy has been recruited to channel her late husband Joe’s famous Christmas cheer over a Zoom call with family. But as Trudy becomes more absorbed in her own version of the Ebenezer Scrooge story, the puppets take on a life of their own, and the family’s call transforms into a stunning cinematic adaptation of Dickens' classic ghost story.
EURYDICE
September 21 - October 22, 2023 | Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre
Written by Sarah Ruhl
Directed by Braden Abraham
The newlywed and newly dead Eurydice arrives in the underworld without memories or language where she struggles to recover her humanity with the aid of the father she lost years ago. When Orpheus arrives to rescue her, Eurydice must choose between staying with her father or escaping with her husband—between life and death. Pulitzer & Tony nominated North Shore native Sarah Ruhl infuses the ancient myth with humor, poetry, hope & sneaky surprises as this classic heroine finds her voice.
A DISTINCT SOCIETY
June 22 - July 23, 2023 | Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre
Written and Directed by Kareem Fahmy
Nothing much ever happens in a sleepy library that straddles the border of the U.S. and Canada. But when an Iranian father and daughter, separated by the international border, start using the library as a meeting place, the French-Canadian librarian, an American customs agent and a local teenager find their quiet lives suddenly full of excitement and consequence. Inspired by true events, A Distinct Society is a touching and funny new play about the many things—family, food, art, love, and politics—that can either divide or unite us.
ONCE
February 16 - April 16, 2023 | Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre
Book by Enda Walsh
Music & Lyrics by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová
Based on the Motion Picture Written and Directed by John Carney
Directed and Choreographed by Katie Spelman
Music Direction by Matt Deitchman
Guy is a young Irish musician ready to give up his career because his songs, written about his ex-girlfriend, are too heartbreaking to perform any more. When he encounters Girl, an inquisitive young Czech woman who believes he could win his ex back by playing to her in New York City, he resumes writing and performing—now with Girl. As the two form their band and write new songs together, a love grows between them—one that inspires and challenges them.
MANUAL CINEMA'S CHRISTMAS CAROL
November 29 - December 24, 2022 | Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre
A Manual Cinema Production
Adapted from the novel by Charles Dickens
Devised by Manual Cinema
Additional Writing by Nate Marshall
An avowed holiday skeptic, Aunt Trudy has been recruited to channel her late husband Joe’s famous Christmas cheer over a Zoom call with family. But as Trudy becomes more absorbed in her own version of the Ebenezer Scrooge story, the puppets take on a life of their own, and the family’s call transforms into a stunning cinematic adaptation of Dickens' classic ghost story.
TIGER STYLE!
September 29 - October 30, 2022 | Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre
Written by Mike Lew
Directed by Brian Balcom
Squabbling siblings Albert and Jennifer Chen reached the pinnacle of academic achievement when they were kids. But as adults, they can’t seem to get things right: he's just been passed up for a promotion and she's been dumped by her less-than-ideal boyfriend. To fix the sorry states of their lives, they turn to the one thing they know they can blame: their parents. Or America. Or maybe China? It’s someone else’s fault, that’s for sure.
PEARL'S ROLLIN' WITH THE BLUES: A NIGHT WITH FELICIA P. FIELDS
WORLD PREMIERE
June 23 - July 24, 2022 | Performed in the Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre
Created by Felicia P. Fields and Ron OJ Parson
Directed by Ron OJ Parson
This world premiere musical revue—created by Felicia P. Fields and Ron OJ Parson from WT’s MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM—honors and celebrates the great Blues artists of the past, including Bessie Smith, Big Mama Thornton, Howlin’ Wolf and more! Grab your drink, take your seat and enjoy the riffs, rhythms and rapport of a seasoned band of musicians as they do what they do best: swap stories, belt the Blues and put on one helluva show.
ATHENA
May 5 - July 10, 2022 | Performed in the Gillian Theatre
Written by Gracie Gardner
Directed by Jessica Fisch
A fast-paced, engaging new play from Gracie Gardner, the winner of the 2017 Relentless Award, ATHENA received a critically acclaimed premiere in New York in 2018. Director Jessica Fisch (CRY IT OUT at Northlight Theatre, EVERY BRILLIANT THING at Windy City Playhouse) brings her deft touch for storytelling to this portrait of two high-achieving young women, simultaneously rivals and allies, pushing each other to be the best.
WIFE OF A SALESMAN
March 3 - April 3, 2022 | Performed in the Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre
Written by Eleanor Burgess
Directed by Jo Bonney
In association with Milwaukee Repertory Theatre
What if a 1950s housewife from a particularly well-known American play drove from Brooklyn to Boston to confront her husband’s mistress? Would the encounter be explosive? Or would the two women discover they have more in common than one might assume? Taking inspiration from Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, this world premiere play imagines how a potentially combustible confrontation brings themes of marriage, duty and division to the surface—and the ways in which the world has, and hasn’t, changed across generations.
DISHWASHER DREAMS
Dec 09, 2021 - Jan 16, 2022 | Performed in the Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre
Written and performed by Alaudin Ullah
Directed by Chay Yew
In association with Hartford Stage
Alaudin, a stand-up comedian whose family hails from Bangladesh, is in L.A. on the verge of success when a family crisis forces him back to New York. Deferring his dreams while confronting his family history, he takes us on a moving and hilarious journey from colonial India in the 1930s to Spanish Harlem in the 1970s and all the way to present-day Hollywood for his once-in-a-lifetime audition for a major film.
RIDE SHARE
Jun 23 - Jul 25, 2021 | Streamed digitally online through Overture+
Presented by Black Lives, Black Words International Project and Writers Theatre
Written by Reginald Edmund
Directed by Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway
Marcus has a new wife, a comfortable job and everything seems to be falling into place – until his honeymoon is interrupted by an email from work, laying him off. To make ends meet, he becomes a ride share driver, shuttling passengers from all walks of life to and from parties, brunches and meetings. The passengers range from silly, to seductive – to downright scary. But as long as Marcus keeps his radio on and his wits about him, there’s nothing he can’t handle…right?
THE LAST MATCH
Apr 28 - May 30, 2021 | Streamed digitally online through Overture+
Written by Anna Ziegler
Choreographed by Steph Paul
Directed by Keira Fromm
When a young Russian tennis phenom and an American superstar in his prime meet at center court, it’s a tough call whether the greatest drama is playing out off the court or on! As the swift action volleys between prime time tennis matches and the most pivotal moments in the personal lives of the competitors and their equally driven romantic partners, sharp and insightful playwright Anna Ziegler (Photograph 51) draws you inside the minds of all four as they face challenges in sport, life and love. What results is a fast-paced and moving montage exploring family, the sacrifices we make for success and the legacy we leave behind.
TWO SCROOGES: A CHRISTMAS CAROL, TWO WAYS
Dec 03, 2020 - Jan 03, 2021 | Streamed digitally online
One-Man A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, adapted by and featuring Michael Halberstam, directed by Stanton Long
Manual Cinema's Christmas Carol by Manual Cinema, adapted from Charles Dickens
Michael Halberstam’s acclaimed one-man adaptation of Charles Dickens’ holiday ghost story, directed by Stanton Long, paired with the world premiere of A Christmas Carol by renowned Chicago performance group Manual Cinema, reinventing Scrooge’s tale for today’s world with their trademark shadow puppetry, expert storytelling and music.
STICK FLY
Feb 05 - Mar 15, 2020 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by Lydia R. Diamond
Directed by Ron OJ Parson
What begins as a relaxing summer weekend on Martha’s Vineyard escalates when the LeVay brothers bring their new girlfriends home to meet their affluent and imposing parents. But Mom's not there, and Dad's acting weird. As the newcomers find themselves under familial scrutiny, long-hidden family tensions bubble to the surface and by the end of the weekend, almost everyone at the Vineyard finds themselves under a microscope as they grapple with arguments about class, race and cultural expectations.
THE NICETIES
Nov 06 - Dec 08, 2019 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by Eleanor Burgess
Directed by Marti Lyons
In THE NICETIES by Eleanor Burgess, an accomplished Ivy League professor holds routine office hours with an ambitious young student to discuss her thesis: if history is written by the victors, who tells the story of the oppressed? Before long, quibbles over vocabulary and Wikipedia citations turn into a dangerous debate as both women passionately defend their perspective and their personal worldview—until one of them puts everything on the line to make her case.
A DOLL'S HOUSE
Sep 25 - Dec 15, 2019 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by Henrik Ibsen
Adapted by Sandra Delgado and Michael Halberstam
Directed by Lavina Jadhwani
This focused one-act adaptation of the Henrik Ibsen classic reinvigorates the compelling story of the vibrant young Nora Helmer, deeply devoted to her husband Torvald. However, all is not as it appears: when Nora takes action to protect her husband, she unwittingly puts them both in jeopardy, testing the bonds of their marriage and forcing them to take stock of their relationship and ask themselves how well they truly know one another…
INTO THE WOODS
August 14 - September 29, 2019 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by James Lapine
Originally Directed on Broadway by James Lapine
Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick
Music Direction and Re-Orchestrations by Matt Deitchman
Choreographed by Aubrey Adams
Directed by Gary Griffin
When a childless baker and his wife set out to lift their family curse by journeying into the woods, they encounter Jack (with his beanstalk), Cinderella (and her prince) and Little Red Riding Hood (and her wolf)! These familiar characters find themselves in decidedly unfamiliar circumstances and must brave the darkness of the woods in an effort to break the curse, conquer their fears and find out if what they’ve always wished for is what they truly want.
NEXT TO NORMAL
May 8 - June 30, 2019 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Music by Tom Kitt
Book and Lyrics by Brian Yorkey
Music Direction by Andra Velis Simon
Choreographed by Eamon Foley
Directed by David Cromer
On the outside, The Goodmans seem like the average American family: house in the suburbs, white picket fence and two sharp-witted kids. But inside, their lives are anything but normal, with long-buried secrets that threaten to tear them apart. Featuring powerful lyrics and an electrifying score, this explosive musical uses wry humor and brutal honesty to explore how family trauma can fracture the American Dream, while ultimately leading to a chance at new beginnings.
A NUMBER
Mar 20 - June 9, 2019 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by Caryl Churchill
Directed by Robin Witt
The only way to change the past is to create a new one... In a strikingly familiar future, a regretful father attempts to fix the mistakes he made in raising his son by starting over with a clone—or rather, a number of clones. But is it really possible atone for the sins of the past? Powerful, unpredictable and devastating, Caryl Churchill’s suspenseful 'A Number' sees the shocking story unfold as the men reconnect over several encounters, delving into what really happened and allowing the audience to explore for themselves: who do you trust, and who is to blame?
MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM
February 6 - March 17, 2019 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by August Wilson
Directed by Ron OJ Parson
This visceral American classic serves as the 1920s chapter of August Wilson's epic American Century Cycle. What begins as a routine recording session becomes more strained as tensions rise between the members of a blues band and the owners of the recording studio. The white producers mean to exploit the talents of the band—especially the gifted and impulsive Levee—but when Ma insists on having things her way, tensions are enflamed and the play builds to an unexpected and searing climax.
TWELFTH NIGHT, OR WHAT YOU WILL
November 7 - December 16 , 2018 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
Shakespeare’s romantic, boisterous and poignant comedy has never felt more relevant—or more hilarious! When young Viola is shipwrecked on an unfamiliar shore, presuming her twin brother drowned in the same wreck, she must disguise herself as a man to secure a job with the local Duke Orsino. But when asked to further Orsino’s romantic interests with the powerful Olivia, she finds herself tangled in an increasingly confused love triangle. Crossed wires, cross purposes and crossed garters abound, leading to a final scene of revelations that allows almost everyone to live happily ever after…
WITCH
September 27 - December 22, 2018 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by Jen Silverman
Inspired by The Witch of Edmonton by Rowley, Dekker & Ford
Directed by Marti Lyons
Mischief is afoot in the sleepy village of Edmonton and the fate of the world is at stake in this smart modern fable. When the emotionally conflicted son of the local lord and an ambitious newcomer come into conflict, help presents itself to both of them in the same guise—as the Devil himself. But while these two young men take advantage of the Devil’s bargain to accomplish their own questionable ends, someone else in town stands her ground—Elizabeth, an outcast whom everyone believes to be a witch.
VIETGONE
August 15 - September 17, 2018 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by Qui Nguyen
Original Music & Music Direction by Gabriel Ruiz
Choreographed by Tommy Rapley
Directed by Lavina Jadhwani
It's 1975 and two young survivors (who may or may not be the playwright's parents) meet in a Vietnamese refugee camp in mid-America shortly after the fall of Saigon. Will this strange new land of cowboys, hippies and bikers allow them to fall in love? Playwright Qui Nguyen’s wildly creative, irreverent style flips stereotypes on their head, remixing history and culture into a sexy, funny and energetic fantasia as he imagines how two soul mates might have found each other in a turbulent time.
BURIED CHILD
May 9 - June 17, 2018 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by Sam Shepard
Directed by Kimberly Senior
On a cross-country trip from New York to the west coast, Vince and his girlfriend Shelly decide to make a stop at his grandparents’ rural Illinois home. But when they arrive, neither his grandparents, Dodge and Halie, nor his father Tilden and uncle Bradley seem to recognize or remember him. As Vince searches for answers, truths begin to emerge that reveal a deep corrosion of this fragmented family living in a forgotten America.
SMART PEOPLE
March 21 - June 24, 2018 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by Lydia R. Diamond
Directed by Hallie Gordon
Four intelligent, attractive and opinionated young urban professionals—a doctor, an actress, a psychologist and a neurobiologist studying the human brain’s response to race—search for love, success and identity while also attempting to navigate the intricacies of racial and sexual politics. This whip-smart new play taps into current cultural conversation in an enthralling and provocative way, taking on deep questions of the nature of prejudice with razor sharp wit.
A MOON FOR THE MISBEGOTTTEN
February 07 - March 25, 2018 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by Eugene O'Neill
Directed by William Brown
In 1920s rural Connecticut, Phil Hogan cobbles together a living on rented farmland that he hopes to someday own outright, when his landlord Jim Tyrone comes into his inheritance. Hogan has driven away his three sons, but his towering daughter Josie understands her father and can hold her own. When the two learn that the land may be sold out from under them, they concoct a plan to save it that ultimately reveals the secret desires that two lonely souls have kept hidden for years.
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST
November 08 - December 23, 2017 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by Oscar Wilde
Directed by Michael Halberstam
One of the cleverest comedies by one of the greatest writers in the English language, THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST introduces us to Jack and Algernon, two charming bachelors who are each living a double life, aided by a fictional alter ego called “Ernest.” But when they fall truly in love with a pair of proper young women, will they be able to bring an end to the charade and convince the formidable Lady Bracknell that they are suitable candidates for marriage? After all, “the one charm about marriage is that it makes a life of deception absolutely necessary for both parties.”
QUIXOTE: ON THE CONQUEST OF SELF
September 27 - December 17, 2017 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
After Don Quixote by Miquel De Cervantes
Written by Mónica Hoth and Claudio Valdés Kuri
Directed by Claudio Valdés Kuri
This engaging and creative interpretation of the classic novel by Miguel de Cervantes transports audiences between time periods: from the fascinating universes created by Cervantes to the parallel realities of our current world. Along the way, the universally beloved dreamer Don Quixote helps bring new meaning to our triumphs and defeats, reawakening our forgotten desires and celebrating the joys of great literature.
TREVOR THE MUSICAL
August 9 - October 8, 2017 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Books and Lyrics by Dan Collins
Music by Julianne Wick Davis
Based on the Academy Award-winning film Trevor
Orchestrations by Greg Pliska
Music Direction by Matt Deitchman
Choreographed by Josh Prince
Directed by Marc Bruni
Meet Trevor, a 13-year-old boy in 1981 whose vibrant imagination drives a turbulent journey of self-discovery. As he deals with adolescence and all that goes with it, Trevor begins to explore what it means to be himself, influenced by his friends, parents and his musical idol.
PARADE
May 24 - July 15, 2017 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Music and Lyrics by Jason Robert Brown
Co-concieved by Harold Prince
Music Direction by Michael Mahler
Choreographed by Ericka Mac
Directed by Gary Griffin
This stirring, Tony Award-winning musical explores the endurance of love and hope against seemingly insurmountable odds, telling the true story of Leo Frank, a Brooklyn-raised Jewish man accused of murder in 1913 Atlanta. Innovative, daring, and filled with soaring music, Parade is a moving love story, a riveting murder mystery, a gripping courtroom drama and a powerful exploration of innocence and naïveté coming face-to-face with ignorance and prejudice.
THE MYSTERY OF LOVE & SEX
April 05 - July 2, 2017 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by Bathsheba Doran
Directed by Marti Lyons
Charlotte and Jonny have grown up together, and are now trying to determine whether their close friendship might be something more. When they discover exactly what “more” actually entails, however, it comes as a surprise to them both—and to Charlotte’s parents, who are holding secrets and resentments of their own. This compelling, spirited story of intricate relationships is an entertaining and explosive look at race, sexual identity and family dynamics.
THE SCENE
February 22 - April 2, 2017 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by Theresa Rebeck
Directed by Kimberly Senior
What starts off with an amusing exchange at a hip Manhattan party quickly turns into something more complex. When close friends Charlie and Lewis meet Clea, a determined young woman making her mark on the New York scene, it sets them off on an emotional roller coaster. This provocative comedy-drama explores the dark edges of commitment and the struggles of balancing authenticity with ambition.
THE HUNTER AND THE BEAR
December 7 - January 29, 2017 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by PigPen Theatre Co
Directed by Stuart Carden and PigPen Theatre Co.
Cast in flickering campfire light, this combination frontier ghost-story and modern-day parable unfolds in PigPen Theatre Co.'s signature style: using resourceful staging, captivating storytelling, ingenious shadow puppetry and award-winning folk music to fuel a headlong plunge into the darkest part of the woods.
EAST TEXAS HOT LINKS
October 19 - January 29, 2017 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by Eugene Lee
Directed by Ron OJ Parson
In the woods of East Texas, the Top o' the Hill Cafe offers comfort, solace and companionship for the regulars who come in each night. However, it is the summer of 1955, and times are changing. In the face of oppressive Jim Crow laws, seven strong-willed locals join forces to protect one of their own—until the unthinkable catches them by surprise, changing life at Top o' the Hill forever.
JULIUS CAESAR
September 7 - October 23, 2016 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Michael Halberstam and Scott Parkinson
Shakespeare’s masterpiece of power and conspiracy, friendship and betrayal, stands as the greatest political drama ever written. Caesar made Rome the world’s most powerful Empire through his brilliant military strategies, and upon his return from the wars wishes for a reluctant Republic to crown him King. When his fellow Senators decide that his advancement must be halted, they come to a brutal and extreme solution: the great man must fall.
COMPANY
June 15, 2016 - August 7, 2016 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by George Furth
Originally produced and directed on Broadway by Harold Prince
Original Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick
Music Direction by Tom Vendafreddo
Choreographed by Brock Clawson
Directed by William Brown
It's Bobby's 35th birthday, and he's still single, trying to find a way to have serious relationship without a serious commitment. But as his friends—all couples at different stages in their marriages—impose their unique perspectives of relationship function and dysfunction on him, Bobby is forced to consider relaxing his determined grip on bachelorhood and begin exploring one of life's greatest questions—what does it mean to be alive?
DEATH OF A STREETCAR NAMED VIRGINIA WOOLF: A PARODY
April 27, 2016 - August 14, 2016 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Created by Tim Ryder and Tim Sniffen
Written by Tim Sniffen
Directed by Stuart Carden and Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
This hilarious result of collaboration between Writers Theatre and Chicago's world-renowned comedy theatre, The Second City, asks the intriguing question: What happens when the most recognizable characters from some of the greatest American plays of the 20th century suddenly find themselves sharing the same stage?
ARCADIA
March 16, 2016 - May 1, 2016 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by Tom Stoppard
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
In the heart of a 19th century English country estate awash in secret desires, illicit affairs and professional rivalries, a brilliant young student proposes an earthshaking scientific theory. Two hundred years later, academic adversaries Hannah and Bernard race to unravel the enticing mysteries left behind in a heated battle for intellectual and sexual dominance.
MARJORIE PRIME
October 21, 2015 – March 13, 2016 | Performed at 664 Vernon Ave.
Written by Jordan Harrison
Directed by Kimberly Senior
It's the age of artificial intelligence, but 86-year-old Marjorie is worried that her memory may be fading. That is until the appearance of Walter, a mysterious and charming young visitor programmed to help Marjorie uncover the intricacies of her own past. As Walter's true nature is revealed, new levels of complexity emerge, leading to profound questions about the limits of technology and whether memory might be a purely human invention.
DOUBT: A PARABLE
April 28 – August 2, 2015 | Performed at 263 Park Ave (Glencoe Union Church)
Written by John Patrick Shanley
Directed by William Brown
Set against the backdrop of a 1960s America in the midst of political and social change, a progressive young priest’s conduct comes under question by Sister Aloysius Beauvier, the school principal whose beliefs are deeply rooted in tradition. As the actions and motivations of each are scrutinized and suspicion mounts, the two are drawn into a battle of wills that threatens irrevocable consequences for all involved.
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK
February 24 – August 16, 2015 | Performed at 664 Vernon Ave
Written by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett
Newly Adapted by Wendy Kesselman
Directed by Kimberly Senior
As vital today as when it was first written, Anne Frank’s extraordinary diary has become an essential part of how we remember one of the darkest periods of human history. Filled with its young author’s luminous spirit – her “boundless desire for all that is beautiful and good” – the diary also illuminates the coming-of-age of a complex, passionate young girl as she falls in love, grows into a woman and struggles to survive with her family amid the chaos of war and religious persecution.
ISAAC'S EYE
September 2 – December 21, 2014 | Performed at 664 Vernon Ave
Written by Lucas Hnath
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
This wildly creative new work playfully reimagines the world of a young Isaac Newton with contemporary language and an ingenious meta-theatrical device. When young Newton meets the great Robert Hooke -the most famous and powerful scientist in Britain- the resulting battle of intellects and egos pulses with wit, humor and tension.
DAYS LIKE TODAY
May 6 - July 27, 2014 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Music and Lyrics by Alan Schmuckler | Book by Laura Eason
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
Lovely, hopeful Tessa has vowed that she is through with love—despite the best efforts and conflicting advice of her parents (and their respective lovers). After all, it’s never easy to move on before you’ve had time to heal. But when a handsome young stranger arrives, Tessa must decide whether the idea of love might still be one worth fighting for.
THE DANCE OF DEATH
April 1 - August 3, 2014 | Performed at 664 Vernon Ave
Written by August Strindberg | In a new version by Conor McPherson
Directed by Henry Wishcamper
August Strindberg’s masterpiece tells the deliciously venomous story of a crumbling marriage—laced with black comedy and biting humor. This new adaptation by celebrated playwright Conor McPherson brings lyricism and ferocity to the story of the tyrannical captain and his manipulative wife, and the “innocent” Kurt who stumbles into their midst and quickly finds himself ensnared in the couple’s wicked game.
HEDDA GABLER
January 7 - April 6, 2014 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by Henrik Ibsen | Translation by Nicholas Rudall
Directed by Kimberly Senior
Equal parts idealistic heroine and callous antagonist; victim of circumstance and master manipulator, Hedda Gabler sets in motion an array of schemes, sowing seeds of calculated destruction in an attempt to make an impact. The result is a journey of impulse and emotion that is both achingly desperate and wildly passionate.
PORT AUTHORITY
October 29, 2013 - March 2, 2014 | Performed at 664 Vernon Ave
Written by Conor McPherson
Directed by William Brown
Acclaimed playwright Conor McPherson (The Seafarer, Shining City, Dublin Carol) creates a series of interconnected stories that explore the heart and soul of three generations of Irishmen. The lightly interlocking stories of three men at three different stages of life weave together a tale that is both spirited and moving in its portrait of ordinary lives.
THE OLD MAN AND THE OLD MOON
September 3 - December 1, 2013 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by PigPen Theatre Co.
Directed by Associate Artistic Director Stuart Carden and PigPen Theatre Co.
Dive headlong into a theatrical fable that celebrates the power of imagination! A blend of resonant storytelling, spirited indie-folk music and inventive puppetry creates a theatrical experience that will win you over with its wit, style and depth of emotion.
THE LIAR
May 21 - August 11, 2013 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by David Ives | Adapted from the Comedy by Pierre Corneille
Directed by William Brown
Misunderstandings, secret agendas, and witty wordplay abound in this delightfully ingenious and irreverent update of a classic French romp!
YELLOW MOON
April 16 - July 14, 2013 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by David Greig
Directed by Stuart Carden
This wild ramble across the Scottish highlands in search of an absent father is told in a series of lyrical narratives that will immerse audiences in the action, forging a breathless drama of beauty in the darkness.
SWEET CHARITY
January 22 - April 14, 2013 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Music by Cy Coleman | Lyrics by Dorothy Fields | Book by Neil Simon
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
Charity Valentine’s problems aren’t unique—a dead end job, a string of dates with identically flawed men and a knack for making the wrong choices. Of course, in her case the job is as a dance hall “hostess” and her dates all seem to end with her being pushed into the lake— but that won’t shake her belief that great things lie just ahead. And perhaps they do…
THE LETTERS
November 13, 2012 - March 17, 2013 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by John W. Lowell
Directed by Kimberly Senior
Nothing is quite as it seems in this thriller of politics and disinformation set in 1930s Russia. An informal interview quickly turns into a game of cat and mouse in which the roles of hunter and hunted shift without warning, and being the last to flinch may mean the difference between life and death.
HAMLET
September 4 - November 25, 2012 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy is equal parts ghost story, political intrigue, doomed romance and murder mystery, driven by one of literature’s most intriguing, enigmatic and controversial characters.
THE BLONDE, THE BRUNETTE AND THE VENGEFUL REDHEAD
May 22 - July 29, 2012 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
By Robert Hewett
Directed by Joe Hanreddy
Thwarted housewife Rhonda Russell loses herself in a heated moment of passion, setting into motion an unbelievable series of events that ripple through the lives of everyone around her as one performer intricately weaves together the many different sides of Rhonda's story.
A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC
May 1 - August 12, 2012 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim | Book by Hugh Wheeler
Directed by William Brown
Desirée Armfeldt has always captured the hearts of men. When both of her lovers—and their wives—show up for a weekend in the country, the boundless possibilities of an old romance and newly awakened passions bring endless surprises.
HESPERIA
January 24 - March 18, 2012 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
By Randall Colburnandall Colburn
Directed by Associate Artistic Director Stuart Carden
When Claudia left Ian and her life in adult entertainment to return to her small-town roots, she found a new start. But when Ian shows up on her doorstep just weeks before her wedding, their past together comes roaring back to life.
THE CARETAKER
November 8, 2011 - March 25, 2012 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by Harold Pinter
Directed by Ron OJ Parson
When Aston brings Davies, a fast talking tramp, to his cramped home full of odds and ends, Davies quickly realizes that Aston and his brother Mick have a different take on the world around them. The three become an unlikely trio desperately trying to connect but always missing the mark.
THE REAL THING
September 13 - December 4, 2011 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by Tom Stoppard
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
A married playwright blurs the line between reality and his dramas on the stage as his personal life unravels before his very eyes in this brilliant examination of the complex nature of love, art and reality.
THE DETECTIVE'S WIFE
May 24 - August 14, 2011 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by Keith Huff
Directed by Gary Griffin
Alice Conroy is the mother of two grown children, owner of a frame store and wife of a Chicago homicide detective. When her husband is gunned down on the job, she sets out to find out who did it...and why.
HEARTBREAK HOUSE
April 19 - June 26, 2011 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by George Bernard Shaw
Directed by William Brown
In the English countryside, affairs are begun, engagements ended and hearts and minds irreparably ensnared in a young woman’s dilemma—whether to marry for love or for money, as playwright George Bernard Shaw bitingly chronicles the demise of the leisure class.
DO THE HUSTLE
January 25 - March 20, 2011 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by Brett Neveu
Directed by William Brown
Sam and Eddie Sisson are more than just father and son, they’re a crack team of hustlers always looking for the next mark.
TRAVELS WITH MY AUNT
November 13, 2010 - April 10, 2011 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by Graham Greene
Adapted by Giles Havergal
Directed by Stuart Carden
When his eccentric and outrageous Aunt Augusta appears with mysterious information about his past, Henry is drawn from the safety of his flower beds into a series of exotic international adventures.
SHE LOVES ME
September 14 - November 21, 2010 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by Joe Masteroff | Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick | Music by Jerry Bock
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
Set in a 1930's European perfumery, we meet shop clerks Amalia and Georg, who both respond to a “lonely hearts" advertisement in the newspaper and now live for the love letters they exchange, though the identity of their admirers remains unknown!
A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE
May 4 - August 15, 2010 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by Tennessee Williams
Directed by David Cromer
Over the course of one hot and steamy New Orleans summer, Blanche DuBois’s fragile façade slowly crumbles, wreaking havoc on Stella and Stanley’s already turbulent relationship, embodying the turmoil and drama of a changing nation.
THE OLD SETTLER
February 2 - March 28, 2010 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by John Henry Redwood
Directed by Ron OJ Parson
Told with heartwarming sincerity, humor and a touch of poetry, The Old Settler paints a poignant picture of two women testing the bonds of sisterhood and finding the strength and forgiveness only family can offer.
OH COWARD!
November 17, 2009 - May 16, 2010 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Words and Music by Noël Coward
Directed by Jim Corti
You’re invited to a marvelous party! Oh Coward! celebrates one of the theatre’s greatest entertainers—Noël Coward—with effervescent music, satirical quips and witty repartee!
ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD
September 29 - December 6, 2009 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by Tom Stoppard
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
Hamlet, Shakespeare’s greatest drama, is retold from the perspective of his schoolmates, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, in Tom Stoppard’s comedic masterpiece.
A MINISTER'S WIFE
May 19 - August 16, 2009 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Music by Josh Schmidt | Lyrics by Jan Tranen
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
A poet, a preacher and his wife enter into a delicious conflict when a fantastical assumption turns an ordinary day topsy turvy.
OLD GLORY
February 3 - March 29, 2009 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by Brett Neveu
Directed by William Brown
Shrouded in mystery, the circumstances surrounding six ordinary people grappling with the emotional casualties of war unfold in the latest work from one of Chicago's hottest young playwrights.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
December 13 - 23, 2008 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by Charles Dickens | Adapted by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
Directed by Jimmy McDermott
Artistic Director Michael Halberstam masterfully recreates Ebenezer Scrooge’s journey over the course of one magical Christmas Eve.
THE MAIDS
November 18, 2008 - March 22, 2009 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by Jean Genet | Translated by Martin Crimp
Directed by Jimmy McDermott
Jimmy McDermott, one of the city’s most exciting young directors, brings his trademark edginess to this seminally rebellious play.
PICNIC
September 16 - November 30, 2008 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by William Inge
Directed by David Cromer
Frequently hilarious and profoundly moving, Inge’s masterpiece chronicles the hopes and despairs that lie between the realization of adulthood and the eternal optimism of youth.
NIXON'S NIXON
August 19 - October 25, 2008 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by Russell Lees
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
Just in time for the elections, we bring back our critically acclaimed, award-winning production of Nixon's Nixon.
THE LION IN WINTER
May 27 - August 17, 2008 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by James Goldman
Directed by Rick Snyder
It is Christmas in England, 1183, and the aging monarch, Henry II, brings together his exiled wife Eleanor and his three sons to plan for his succession.
THE FROG PRINCE
February 23 - March 30, 2008 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by David Mamet
Directed by Jimmy McDermott
An arrogant prince, a doomed kingdom, a curse and a kiss all take stage in this story that asks the question: Can people truly change?
AS YOU LIKE IT
February 5 - April 20, 2008 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by William Brown
Shakespeare brings to life some of the most romantic and charming scenes ever to be scribed in this most perfect of comedies.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
December 19 - 23, 2007 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by Charles Dickens | Adapted by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
Directed by Jimmy McDermott
An elegant performance of a wondrous holiday classic.
THE TURN OF THE SCREW
November 13, 2007 - March 30, 2008 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher | From the story by Henry James
Directed by Jessica Thebus
Part ghost story and part psychological thriller, this classic tale concerns an unsuspecting governess hired by a wealthy recluse to look after his orphaned niece and nephew - two seemingly innocent children who soon reveal terrifying secrets.
CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
November 1 - December 2, 2007 | Performed at 59E59 Theaters, New York
Written by Fyodor Dostoevsky | Adapted by Marilyn Campbell and Curt Columbus
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
A brilliant young student, an unorthodox detective and a young woman forced into a life of prostitution are hurtled together by a brutal act of murder. Three actors bring one of the world's greatest psychological novels to life in this thrilling, award-winning 90-minute adaptation.
THE SAVANNAH DISPUTATION
September 18 - November 25, 2007 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by Evan Smith
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
Two elderly sisters forget all about southern charm when a young door-to-door evangelist comes knocking.
OTHELLO
May 15 - July 15, 2007 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
Whispers, secrets and lies unravel domestic bliss into shreds of insanity.
THE PUPPETMASTER OF LODZ
March 13 - July 15, 2007 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by Gilles Segal | Translation by Sara O'Connor
Directed by Jimmy McDermott
After escaping from Auschwitz, Finkelbaum, a once-revered puppetmaster, has barricaded himself in an attic and is not convinced the war is over.
BACH AT LEIPZIG
January 23 - April 1, 2007 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by Itamar Moses
Directed by Nick Bowling
A wild and witty exploration of music, ambition and art.
ANOTHER PART OF THE FOREST
September 26 - November 26, 2006 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by Lillian Hellman
Directed by William Brown
It is 1880 and the Hubbard Family of Alabama is the envy of the South – wealthy, smart, funny, sexy and completely immoral.
THE DUCHESS OF MALFI
May 16 - July 16, 2006 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by John Webster | Adapted by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
Artistic Director Michael Halberstam adapts this wonderfully outrageous tale with fresh and contemporary flavor, creating a riveting theatrical celebration.
THE CHOSEN
March 14 - August 6, 2006 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by Chaim Potok | Adapted by Aaron Posner and Chaim Potok
Directed by Shade Murray
Adapted from Chaim Potok's classic novel, The Chosen follows the unlikely yet enduring friendship between two Jewish teenagers: one Orthodox and the other Hasidic.
BUS STOP
January 24 - March 26, 2006 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by William Inge
Directed by Rick Snyder
In a real, visceral environment, the true passions, heartaches, struggles, dreams and realities of marvelously poetic characters intensely spring to life.
THE UNEASY CHAIR
September 27 - November 27, 2005 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by Evan Smith
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
The familiar nature of marriage takes center stage in this witty and sparkling comedy that brilliantly pays homage to Oscar Wilde and Charles Dickens.
ARMS AND THE MAN
May 17 - July 24, 2005 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by George Bernard Shaw
Directed by William Brown
Featuring a delicious cast of characters, Arms and the Man offers an extraordinary love story filled with wit and wisdom, shifts and turns, moments of passion and a romantic ending.
THE SUBJECT WAS ROSES
March 1 - July 10, 2005 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by Frank Gilroy
Directed by Shade Murray
This Pulitzer Prize-winning play offers a timeless story of the unspoken fears accompanying a child growing up and parents letting go, making them face the reality of their own situation.
TO THE GREEN FIELDS BEYOND
January 25 - April 3, 2005 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by Nick Whitby
Directed by Kate Buckley
With delicacy, perception and clarity, Nick Whitby’s new play powerfully illustrates the fragility of flesh and, ultimately, the resilience of the human spirit.
SEAGULL
September 28 - December 5, 2004 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by Anton Chekhov | Translation by Curt Columbus
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
Capturing the power of art, romance and family, Chekhov’s witty and soul-stirring masterpiece is a map of the human heart.
THE DOCTOR'S DILEMMA
May 11 - July 18, 2004 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by George Bernard Shaw
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
Artistic Director Michael Halberstam returns to Shaw with this wicked satire on the medical profession.
BENEFACTORS
March 2 - July 11, 2004 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by Michael Frayn
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
Written by the author of Noises Off and Copenhagen, Benefactors explores the rise and fall of a friendship between two couples.
MY OWN STRANGER
January 20 - March 28, 2004 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by Anne Sexton | Adapted by Marilyn Campbell and Linda Laundra
Directed by Kate Buckley
This astonishing and deeply moving biographical collection of poetic experiences will serve to draw you into a world of achingly familiar struggles.
OUR TOWN
September 30 - December 14, 2003 | Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Written by Thornton Wilder
Directed by William Brown
A play that revels in the elegance of its own simplicity, this theatrical masterpiece paints an informal, intimate and compelling portrait of daily life in Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire.
CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
May 6 - July 27, 2003 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by Fyodor Dostoevsky | Adapted by Marilyn Campbell and Curt Columbus
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
A brilliant young student, an unorthodox detective and a young woman forced into a life of prostitution are hurtled together by a brutal act of murder. Three actors bring one of the world's greatest psychological novels to life in this thrilling, award-winning 90-minute adaptation.
ROUGH CROSSING
January 21 - April 20, 2003 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by Tom Stoppard
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
A sophisticated romantic comedy set aboard an ocean liner in the golden thirties.
ROCKET TO THE MOON
September 17 - December 15, 2002 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by Clifford Odets
Directed by William Brown
A searing tale of yearning and desire.
MISALLIANCE
April 23 - July 14, 2002 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by George Bernard Shaw
Directed by William Brown
An impending marriage between the powerful Tarelton and Summerhays families is endangered by the arrival of three uninvited houseguests: a cavalier pilot, his exotic female passenger, and a hotheaded youth bearing a Tarelton family secret.
THE PRICE
January 8 - March 31, 2002 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by Arthur Miller
Directed by David Cromer
This 1968 masterpiece by Arthur Miller explores the plight of two brothers struggling in the wake of their father's death.
A PHOENIX TOO FREQUENT
September 18 - December 9, 2001 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by Christopher Fry
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
This comedy-drama is set in Ancient Greece. A grief-stricken maiden (and her wise-cracking servant) have elected to starve to death in the tomb of her recently deceased husband. When an unwitting soldier stumbles upon the two of them bearing food and wine and words of love, the excitement begins...
THE FATHER
May 8 - July 1, 2001 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by August Strindberg, Translation by Edith & Warner Oland
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
This taut psychological thriller takes a searing look at the age old battle of the sexes.
BUTLEY
February 13 - April 1, 2001 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by Simon Gray
Directed by Kate Buckley
A bitingly funny tour de force drama of an alcoholic University professor in the midst of a mid-life crisis.
BOOTH
November 21, 2000 - January 7, 2001 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by Austin Pendleton
Directed by David Cromer
A conflict between father and son, actors Junius and Edwin Booth, the one trying to live in the shadow of the other.
SPITE FOR SPITE
August 29 - October 15, 2000 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by Agustin Moreto | Translation by Dakin Matthews
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
A delightful comedy with music and dance written in 1634 and presented here in a world premiere translation.
LOOT
April 27 - June 11, 2000 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by Joe Orton
Directed by Gary Griffin
McLeavy has just lost his wife. He's a good Catholic and hopes for a beautiful funeral. But with a delinquent son, a killer nurse, a psychotic policeman, and a bank robbery, the day is poised to by anything but peaceful.
NIXON'S NIXON
February 17 - April 2, 2000 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by Russell Lees
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
The night before he resigned, Nixon summoned Kissinger to the Lincoln Sitting Room. What happened is the subject of much speculation.
FALLEN ANGELS
December 2, 1999 - January 16, 2000 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by Noël Coward
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
Jane and Julia are bored with their marriages. When an old lover announces his intentions to visit them, they get just the excuse they were looking for to spice things up a bit.
INCIDENT AT VICHY
September 16 - October 31, 1999 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by Arthur Miller
Directed by William Brown
The Germans occupy France, and a group of men have been taken from the streets to a holding cell for reasons unknown to them. Gradually they discover why.
EASTVILLE
April 29 - June 13, 1999 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by Ellen M. Lewis
Directed by Lisa Duncan
A thrilling mystery set along the underground railroad: an escaped slave, two mysterious strangers, and a gripping encounter of wills.
DEAR MASTER: A DIALOGUE IN LETTERS
February 18 - April 4, 1999 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by Dorothy Bryant
Directed by Kate Buckley
Based on letters between George Sand and Gustave Flaubert, Bryant's play provides vivid portraits of these nineteenth century writers.
CANDIDA
December 4, 1998 - January 18, 1999 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by George Bernard Shaw
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
One of the world's great plays, this recounts the soulful love sickness of 18 year old Marchbanks for Candida, the parson's wife.
LOOK BACK IN ANGER
September 17 - November 1, 1998 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by John Osborne
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
This powerful drama changed the face of contemporary theatre at its premiere.
PINTERACTS: THE DUMB WAITER & THE LOVER
April 23 - June 7, 1998 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by Harold Pinter
Directed by Robert Scogin
Two one acts by one of our foremost living playwrights, Harold Pinter. Two men await the arrival of a third in the expectation of completing a mysterious mission and a husband and wife are caught in a game of love.
THE GLASS MENAGERIE
February 12 - March 29, 1998 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by Tennessee Williams
Directed by William Brown
This timeless classic brings you face to face with the poetic Tom, seeking escape from his warehouse job and confining home life, and his remarkable mother Amanda, lost in another time and place.
PRIVATE LIVES
December 4, 1997 - January 18, 1998 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by Noël Coward
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
First produced in 1930, we introduce you to Amanda and Elyot, recently divorced, in second marriages, but hopelessly in love with each other. An accidental meeting on their honeymoons send them into a spiral of witty bickering and passionate loving.
NIEDECKER
September 18 - November 2, 1997 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by Kristine Thatcher | Poetry by Lorine Niedecker
Directed by Kate Buckley
A wonderful portrait of Wisconsin poet Lorine Niedecker. The poet, Cid Corman, described her as "...shy & gentle. Bright & true. Incapable of cruelty...a genuine voice and spirit."
THE BEATS
April 24 - June 1, 1997 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Adapted by Marilyn Campbell
Directed by Kate Buckley
Exploring the early years of a group of poets, who with their poetry and prose, caused a minor revolution in American literature.
RICHARD II
January 30 - March 9, 1997 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Brendan Fox
The story of a Poet King whose inability to rule brings down his Kingdom, and the usurper who deposes him and incurs the wrath of God.
IN THE HEART OF WINTER '96
November 29 - December 24, 1996 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Adapted by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
A Holiday Reading of works by Truman Capote, Charles Dickens, O. Henry, H.L. Mencken, Jon Mozes, and Grace Paley.
MEMOIR
September 26 - November 17, 1996 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by John Murrell
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
Legendary French actress Sarah Bernhardt races against the setting sun to complete her memoirs with the help of her private secretary in the summer of 1922.
DAMON, RING & F. SCOTT
May 10 - June 16, 1996 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by J.R. Sullivan
Directed by J.R. Sullivan
Ring Lardner, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Damon Runyon meet on a train in the wake of The Black Sox scandal and explore a realm of American Dreams lost, found, and perhaps regained.
A VARIABLE PASSION
March 8 - April 14, 1996 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Adapted by Elliot Hayes and Nicholas Pennell
Directed by Nicholas Rudall
A small Midwestern university professor, who, while in the his office preparing a small anthology of love poetry for his class, finds himself exploring his own thoughts through the words of other writers, and is forced to look much more closely at love than he initially intended.
BLAKE
January 1 - February 25, 1996 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by Elliot Hayes
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
A monologue based on the life of the English poet and engraver, woven with poems from Blake's "Songs of Innocence and Experience."
IN THE HEART OF WINTER '95
December 1 - 23, 1995 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by Jerome Kilty
Directed by Kate Buckley
A Holiday Reading featuring the works of David Meyer, Dylan Thomas, James Finn Garner, Marjorie Franco, Corrina Maurio, Michael Garcia, Hans Christian Anderson, and Leo Lionni.
DEAR LIAR
September 15 - October 22, 1995 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by Jerome Kilty
Directed by Kate Buckley
A masterful compendium of badinage with Shaw and Mrs. Campbell in scenes of both confrontation and distancing.
MARRIAGE AND BEARS
April 21 - May 28, 1995 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by Anton Chekhov | Translation by Michael Frayn
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
Two of Chekhov's brilliant one-act plays, brought to life by one of the world's foremost dramatists.
OSCAR REMEMBERED
January 20 - February 25, 1995 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by Maxim Mazumdar
Directed by David Cromer
Lord Alfred Douglas reflects on his love affair with, and his betrayal of, Oscar Wilde.
IN THE HEART OF WINTER '94
December 2 - 24, 1994 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Adapted by Marilyn Campbell and Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
A Holiday Reading featuring the works of Dylan Thomas, Carol Adorjan, Ann Freeman, Angie Davidson Bass, Mark Twain, George Bernard Shaw, O. Henry, Grace Paley, W.H. Auden, and Washington Irving.
TWO BY SHAW: VILLAGE WOOING & MAN OF DESTINY
September 23 - October 31, 1994 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by George Bernard Shaw
Directed by Richard Block
Two of Shaw's wittiest one-act plays, paired for a perfect evening.
MY OWN STRANGER
April 17 - June 12, 1994 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by Anne Sexton | Adapted by Marilyn Campbell and Linda Laundra
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
This astonishing and deeply moving biographical collection of poetic experiences will serve to draw you into a world of achingly familiar struggles.
NOT ABOUT HEROES
January 19 - February 20, 1994 | Performed at Apple Tree Theatre
Written by Stephen MacDonald
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
The story of the relationship between poets Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sasson, told in a series of flashbacks, narrated by Sasson.
DIARY OF A MADMAN
January 1 - February 28, 1994 | Performed at Cafe Voltaire
Written by Nikolay Gogol | Adapted by Elliot Hayes
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
"Diary of a Madman" recounts one man's struggle to be noticed by the woman he loved. His diary records his gradual slide into insanity, where he finally achieves the greatness that has eluded him in real life.
IN THE HEART OF WINTER '93
November 26 - December 24, 1993 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Adapted by Marilyn Campbell and Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
A Holiday Reading featuring the works of Dylan Thomas, Maeve Binchy, John Kendrick Banks, Moss Hart, William Shakespeare, George Bernard Shaw, James Kirkwood, Hugh Johnson, Chaim Potok, Grace Paley, and O. Henry.
DEAR MASTER: A DIALOGUE IN LETTERS
October 1 - November 1, 1993 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by Dorothy Bryant
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
Based on letters between George Sand and Gustave Flaubert, Bryant's play provides vivid portraits of these nineteenth century writers.
A PLAY ON WORDS
July 21 - August 14, 1993 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Adapted by Marilyn Campbell, Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Jon Mozes
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
An evening of carefully crafted language spoken on the stage - composed of humorous works by Ring Lardner, Dorothy Parker, Todd McEwan, Stephen Leacock, and John Cheever.
LOVE & LUNACY
March 20 - April 24, 1993 | Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Written by Anton Chekhov and Nikolay Gogol | Adapted by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Elliot Hayes
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
The Writers Theatre inaugural production of Love & Lunacy, composed of three short stories by Chekhov ("He & She," "The Crooked Mirror," and "The Trick"), set alongside Gogol's "Diary of a Madman."