2-29-08
Theo Ubique Not Araid to Cancel Opening of New Work
On fairly short notice, the Theo Ubique Theatre Company canceled its world premiere musical revue, Polly, Pretty Polly: Songs of Death and Seduction, which was to have run at the No Exit Cafe March 7-May 19. The cancellation notice went out less than three weeks before the planned opening. Company marketing director David Heimann told PeformInk, “It’s an original work and we realized it wasn’t going to be ready for the public, and especially for the press, so we postponed it.” He emphasized that the show hasn’t been abandoned, but only put aside temporarily. He pointed out that Theo Ubique has another world premiere musical revue opening at the No Exit on June 1, an as-yet-untitled showcase of songs by Jacques Brel with whose work Theo Ubique already has had award-winning success. No mere recycling program, the upcoming show uses “new translations and arrangements of songs by Jacques Brel,” Heimann said, as authorized by the Brel Foundation. The official translator has been in Chicago working directly with the Theo Ubique folk.
American Theater Company has had to cancel its highly-anticipated production of Born Yesterday, owing to the continued illness of company member John Sterchi, who was to have been featured. In place of the Garson Kanin play, ATC has scheduled the Midwest premiere of Speech and Debate by Stephen Karam, to be staged by new artistic director PJ Paparelli, as ATC’s final production of the 2007-2008 season (April 16-May 11). What’s unusual is that the play still is running in its New York premiere at the Roundabout Theatre. Very favorably reviewed, it opened last October as part of Roundabout’s new play initiative. Cleary, it has a future and normally there’d be no way a smallish Chicago Off-Loop could secure rights to it. On the other hand, if the author is your good bud… A few years ago Stephen Karam and Paparelli co-authored Columbinus (currently in its Chicago premiere at Raven Theatre through March 15) and their collaboration apparently not only was successful but also happy.
As for John Sterchi, the highly-regarded actor has been quite forthright about his chemo and radiation treatments over the winter in a battle with cancer. He’s had the strong support of a deeply caring coalition of family, personal friends and professional colleagues who have helped him shuttle to/from treatments and doctors’ appointments and helped keep his house in order. He’s experiencing a good deal of discomfort at the moment—the usual nausea, strange tastes, lack of appetite and soreness that are pretty standard with his therapies—but he expresses his thanks and appreciation to all who have sent him well-wishes via e-mail or voicemail. He hopes folks will understand if he doesn’t have the energy right now to respond to them all.
Teatro Luna and presenting partners Tianguis Books and Mariposa Atomica Inc. have found a new home for the third year of their monthly Proyecto Latina open-mic program of poetry, spoken word, music, monologues and shorts in Spanish, English or the idiom you prefer. Proyecto Latina now is the third Monday of every month at 7:30 p.m. (sign-up at 7) at Radio Art?/Yollocalli, 1401 W. 18th Street. FYI: following the success of Machos, the women of Teatro Luna are at work on a new show, Solo Tu.
Playwright Jill Elaine Hughes’ The Devil Is In The Details (premiered at Boxer Rebellion Theatre in 2004) has been selected for inclusion in Best American Short Plays 2004-2005, oddly not being published (by Applause Books) until May, 2008. Ms. Hughes’ play will be in the company of works by David Lindsay-Abaire, Terrence McNally and Paula Vogel among others, and that ain’t too shabby. Some know that playwright and mother Hughes also writes romantic erotica under the pseudonym Jamaica Layne. Under that nom de plume her racy novel Market for Love now is available as an e-book (New Concepts Publishing). An old-fashioned print version will be available come September (Virgin Books).
Social activist Lori Cannon e-mailed a reminder that her great and good friend, playwright Scott McPherson, died 15 years ago last Nov. 7. Scott was the gifted and prize-winning author of Marvin’s Room, ‘Til the Fat Lady Sings and other plays. Scott died of AIDS while still a young man, nine months after his life partner Danny Sotomayor, the cartoonist and political activist.
After its great Chicago success, Marvin’s Room was produced Off-Broadway and Cannon attended the opening. The play received rave reviews, none more than from Frank Rich in the New York Times. To mark the anniversary of Scott’s death, Cannon e-mailed Rich and he replied. Their exchange is extraordinary, quoted here with permission from both Cannon and Rich.
Wrote Lori Cannon: “I’ll never forget a magical night in Dec. 1991 when I accompanied the boys to NY. It was a miracle that the boys were even able to be there, considering…a friend of Scott’s went out into the bitter cold to pick up the paper and THERE IT WAS!!!!!! Your review, Mr. Rich, and it was a rave. It was exhilarating and heartbreaking for me to watch the boys as they lovingly looked at each other just trying to survive the adoration and hoopla for Scott—both sick as dogs and us insiders knowing Danny was close to the end. Scott just beamed and in Danny’s quiet way he knew Scott was on his way to success. Oh, it was quite a night indeed, and I guess I’d say you were the guest of honor, Mr. Rich. Your tender and beautiful words of compassion and heartbreak and love of family let Scott know that you appreciated his effort—you paid attention.”
Replied Frank Rich: “It is hard to believe that it has been 15 years since Scott McPherson died. I vividly remember my one meeting with him—as well as his beautiful work—and hearing about Danny Sotomayor from him as well… The tragedy of their early deaths makes me heartsick. At the time I saw Marvin’s Room, I had just returned to the Times after an absence; my mother had been killed in a car crash. I will always associate Scott’s play with helping me through that time of grief. He spoke to me as few writers have; he gave so much to so many strangers in his audience. It means so much to me that you took the time to write after all these years. I send you every good wish, and more thanks. Sincerely, Frank Rich.”
Don’t let anyone tell you that theatre doesn’t matter.