Theatre News Wire

New Leaf Theatre, announces the first play in their 2011-2012 season, Burying Miss America by Brian Golden, directed by New Leaf Artistic Director Jessica Hutchinson. This world premiere will take place at the Lincoln Park Cultural Center, 2045 N. Lincoln Park West, September 29 through October 29, 2011.

Boxer and Jean, the children of Nebraska's first and only Miss America, are reunited after years apart when their legendary mother unexpectedly dies. Divided by distance and a mile-long shadow, Boxer and Jean must navigate a grown-up sibling rivalry fueled by perceived birthrights and the inequality of a mother's love. Burying Miss America is a play about the forces from our past that shape our future and make us homesick for the homes we couldn't wait to leave.

Featuring company member Marsha Harman (Redeemers, Six Years, The Dining Room) and returning guest artist Ted Evans (The Man Who Was Thursday), Burying Miss America was part of last season's Treehouse Readings series. After a season of itinerant producing utilizing both the back room of a pizza parlor and the well-equipped Storefront Theatre, this production brings the company back to their home in the Lincoln Park Cultural Center.

"We had the opportunity to learn and grow in significant ways during our year away," said Hutchinson. "Now we're excited to be going home to the LPCC, and honored to be opening our season with Brian's poetic, nuanced play. Working on this piece during Treehouse last season was exhilarating: Brian's revisions were fearless, and his story and characters left us breathless. As we start rehearsals, I'm eager to dig in and live in the world he's created."

Golden is the Artistic Director of Theatre Seven of Chicago. His work is currently being featured in his home company's production We Live Here, and was recently part of The Chicago Landmark Project.