11-9-07
Proctor Back On Stage
Dan Proctor and Michael Weber at the 2007 Jeff Awards
Early in his recovery, wounded actor Dan Proctor vowed he’d be back center stage and Monday night, Oct. 29, Proctor redeemed his pledge at the 39th annual Joseph Jefferson Awards. In a surprise to one and all, Proctor appeared on stage to give a pitch for the Actors Fund of America, prompting shouts of encouragement and support from members of the audience. Just a few weeks ago, Proctor told friends he wasn’t up to coming into town to celebrate his 40th birthday (he’s living with his mother in Northwest Indiana as his recovery continues), but perhaps he was psyching everyone out for his Jeff Awards surprise. Said one observer, “Even all busted up, he still looks good!”
After a few days of phone tag, Behind the Curtain managed to make contact with Whitney Blakemore, co-owner (with husband Rob Whittaker) of The Viaduct. Ms. Blakemore shed additional light on the news reported last issue that The House Theatre of Chicago no longer will be a resident company. Simply put, The House has been too successful. The troupe’s three yearly productions had grown to take up The Viaduct mainstage for 27 weeks, or better than half the year, thereby curtailing use of the space for some other theatre and musical events.
The steady occupancy by The House gave Blakemore and Whittaker sufficient time to start a family (with a second child due in January), but, she said, “It got too easy and we got lazy. We’re pursuing a direction we’ve meant to go in for a long time. The Viaduct is a multi-media producer, not just a theatre producer.” She explained the intention to have up to 15 weeks of musical programming plus a wider mix of theatre attractions. Blakemore said The Viaduct does not expect to have a dominant resident company in the future but continues “to see ourselves as a launching pad for new companies.”
The Viaduct will undergo several important changes in the immediate future, she said, beginning with the installation of air conditioning, to be completed by January. Also, by the end of December she and Whittaker expect to hire a venue administrator as their first full-time employee at The Viaduct. Bottom line: both the mainstage and the second stage at The Viaduct continue to be available for rental by theatre producers. Bookings currently can be made up to seven months in advance of need.
We had a pleasant phone talk with director Leslie Bauxbaum Danzig, who is returning to Redmoon Theater for the first time since 2000 to stage their remount of Hunchback, of which she was co-director (with Redmoon’s Jim Lasko) seven years ago. She says there will be many changes in this new version. Although it will look substantially the same, the characters will be more developed and the relationship between audience and performers will be deepened and clarified.
We asked if staging Hunchback (Dec. 4-Jan. 20, 2008 at Redmoon Central) would interfere with Danzig’s work with her home troupe, 500 Clown. The answer, definitely, is no. She and 500 Clown are off to New York City for a Dec. 12-30 gig at P.S. 122, at which they will perform both 500 Clown Frankenstein and 500 Clown Christmas. Following that, they’ll remain in the Big Apple through Jan. 12 to strut their stuff at the annual meeting of the Association of Performing Arts Presenters. In the spring, they’ll take Frankenstein to California and then work on a new piece, their unique rendition of Brecht’s Mann ist Mann. The new piece will be developed next fall at the University of Maryland (with which the troupe has previous associations), and then brought home to Chicago early in 2009.
FYI, it’s Dr. Danzig now: Ms. Leslie has completed her Ph.D. in Performance Studies at Northwestern.
It’s the time of year when Season of Concern mounts its major public outreach effort, asking audiences attending holiday season shows to plunk a few coins or bills into the basket. One of the richest sources of donations is Wicked Chicago, perhaps because the show plays to large and generally well-heeled audiences. Last year, they raised nearly $200,000 that was shared between Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and Season of Concern (SOC).
This year, SOC is asking for volunteers to work with Wicked Chicago at Wednesday matinees and Saturday evening performances. Two SOC volunteers are needed for each show to join the actors and stage managers in the lobby and hold a donation bucket to collect the audience donations for half an hour after the performance. The program began two weeks ago and will continue through Dec. 1. To inquire about remaining volunteer slots call SOC at 312/332-0518, or e-mail volunteer@seasonofconcern.org
The 2007-2008 season appears to be off to a rollicking start with at least seven shows announcing extensions of between one and 13 weeks. The extendees: Songs for a New World, Bohemian Theatre Ensemble, through Nov. 11; Zanna, Don’t! and Happy Endings are Extra, both at Bailiwick, through Nov. 25; Sounds So Good Makes You Wanna’ Holler, Black Ensemble, through Dec. 30; Ron Hawking: The Men and Their Music, Mercury, through Dec. 31; Forbidden Broadway: Special Victims Unit, Royal George, through Jan. 13, 2008; and Jersey Boys, LaSalle Bank, now through July 13, 2008. FYI: for the week ending Oct. 21, Jersey Boys set a new house record at the LaSalle Bank/Shubert: $1,120,921.