Theatre News Wire

"It's amazing to believe that it's been 20 years since the launch of Writers' Theatre, finding ourselves in the welcoming seas of the Chicago theatre community. Writers' started with the words of Anton Chekhov, Nikolai Gogol, a back room in a Glencoe bookstore and a decent paycheck in the hands of some of Chicago's most respected theatre practitioners," said Artistic Director Michael Halberstam. "Our 20th Anniversary Season pays homage to our past with masterpieces by Harold Pinter (The Caretaker) and Tom Stoppard (The Real Thing) while looking to our future with Randall Colburn (Hesperia) and Robert Hewitt (The Blonde, the Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead). Living happily in the middle ground between the past and the future is Sondheim and Wheeler's astonishing homage to Ingmar Bergman with A Little Night Music. I'm looking forward to the treasures, innovations, triumphs and risks in store for another 20 years in celebration of the Word and the Artist."

Writers' Theatre is proud to be celebrating its 20th Season. From the very first year, Writers' has always strived to bring quality and excellence to the stage while maintaining the company's hallmark intimacy. The last 20 years has been marked with unprecedented growth in both the artistic and business arenas and national recognition. With a reputation for consistent artistic excellence and with strong ties to the community, Writers' Theatre has built an award-winning repertoire and serves as a vital and highly-regarded company in the Chicago theatre community.

Writers' Theatre performs in two performance spaces in Glencoe - its 50-seat venue at Books on Vernon, 664 Vernon Ave, and its 108-seat theatre at 325 Tudor Court in the Woman's Library Club. Subscriptions and Memberships are available at the Box Office, 376 Park Avenue, Glencoe, 847-242-6000 and www.writerstheatre.org.

The Writers' 20th Anniversary Season is:
The Real Thing
By Tom Stoppard
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
September 13 - November 20, 2011
Performed at 325 Tudor Court

A married playwright blurs the line between reality and his dramas on the stage as his personal life unravels before his very eyes. Deeply moving and bitingly funny, Tom Stoppard's razor sharp drama brilliantly examines the complex nature of love, art and reality. Artistic Director Michael Halberstam directs this multi-award winning modern classic.


The Caretaker
By Harold Pinter
Directed by Ron OJ Parson
November 8, 2011 - March 25, 2012
Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue

Aston brings Davies, a fast talking tramp, to his cramped home full of odds and ends-best characterized as junk-offering him a bed and a much needed place to get on his feet. Davies quickly realizes that Aston and his brother Mick have a different take on the world around them. From Aston's constant puttering and half finished fix-it jobs to Mick's grand plans for the future, the three become an unlikely trio desperately trying to connect to one another but always missing the mark.


Hesperia
By Randall Colburn
Directed by Associate Artistic Director Stuart Carden
January 24 - March 18, 2012
Performed at 325 Tudor Court

When Claudia left Ian and her old life in adult entertainment to return to her small-town roots, she found more than just a new start-she met her soon-to-be husband Trevor, the local youth minister and a man of god. But when Ian shows up on her doorstep just weeks before her wedding, their past together comes roaring back to life bringing doubts to Claudia's now moral and well-ordered existence. In this honest exploration, playwright Randall Colburn brings an original voice to the complicated topics of love, sexuality and religion.


A Little Night Music
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by Hugh Wheeler
Directed by William Brown
May 1 - July 8, 2012
Performed at 325 Tudor Court

Set in turn of the century Sweden, A Little Night Music is a sumptuous musical celebration of love. Desiree 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. Full of quick wit and evoking the harmonious rhythm of waltz time, Tony Award-winner Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music is the must-see musical of the season!


PLUS THE LIMITED ENGAGEMENT PRODUCTION:
The Blonde, the Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead
By Robert Hewett
Directed by TBD
May 22 - July 29, 2012
Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue

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. One performer intricately weaves together the many different sides of Rhonda's story with engrossing narrative, wit and compassion. An international hit, The Blonde, the Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead is a surprising and touching tale of loss and ultimate redemption.