Theatre News Wire

American Theater Company (ATC) announces the Chicago Premiere of The Amish Project written by Jessica Dickey and directed by Artistic Director PJ Paparelli, featuring ATC Ensemble member Sadieh Rifai. The production will run September 23 - October 23, 2011 at American Theater Company, 1909 W Byron, Chicago, IL.

Nickel Mines. 2006. Five years ago, a thirty-year old man walked into a one-room Amish schoolhouse and opened fire, killing 5 girls and himself. In a decision that shocks the world, the Amish community later the same day forgives his crime and offers aid to his grieving widow. ATC Ensemble Member Sadieh Rifai performs this devastating tour-de-force through the mystical world of the Amish and the ultimate limits of forgiveness.

"The Amish Project is one of the most provocative pieces of theatre I have ever read," says Artistic Director PJ Paparelli. "The audience will share in a community's journey toward forgiveness in the wake of an unimaginable tragedy. It reminds us of the power of forgiveness: a strength within each of us. I feel very blessed to share this journey with Sadieh, a dear friend and brilliant collaborator."

ATC Artistic Director PJ Paparelli, ATC Ensemble Member Sadieh Rifai, Set Designer William Boles, and Composer Fabian Obispo, traveled to Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania this August to spend four days researching the 2006 Amish School shootings. The team spent a day with Dr. Donald Kraybill, one of the country's leading experts on the Amish and the main spokesperson for the Amish during the aftermath of the shootings. Dr. Kraybill shared with the team his extensive archive on the shootings and helped guide visits to Amish families in the area. While there, the Team interviewed Amish (and formerly Amish) families and individuals in and around Lancaster, PA, visiting their farms, places of work, and eating meals in and around Nickel Mines. An Amish woman agreed to design and build a traditional Amish dress for Sadieh to wear in the production, a special honor as traditional clothing is not available for retail purchase and must be handmade by women in each Amish household. The Team also spent time visiting the graves of the Amish girls who died in the shootings, as well as the unmarked grave of the shooter. The Team was able to see and photograph the new schoolhouse; the original building was torn down a week after the shootings. On the sunrise of the final day, the Team gathered at the site of the shootings, which is now an open field with four maple trees growing.

"I think the four of us will be forever changed by our time in Nickel Mines. Standing on the site of the shootings as the sun rose on Nickel Mines was breathtaking. I left with a profound sense of purpose as an artist: to share a remarkable story with Chicago," explains Paparelli. "While writing columbinus, I experienced the community of Littleton, CO in shambles 5 years after the Columbine shootings. But this tiny, remarkable community has moved to such a peaceful and healthy place. It's an extraordinary American community that we were truly honored to explore."

In observance of the five year anniversary of the Nickel Mines shooting on October 2, 2011, ATC will present a curated exhibition of photos by Fabian Obispo taken during the artistic team's visit to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania in August 2011. There will also be a post-show discussion following the matinee performance, featuring members of the production artistic team.

The creative team includes William Boles (set design), Jesse Klug (lighting design), and Fabian Obispo (music composition). Sadieh Rifai's costume is being designed and built by Amish women in Lancaster, PA. The stage manager is Katie Klemme.