5-8-09
Musical Chairs Arts Journalists
Ch-ch-ch-changes in the Dead Tree Media World: the Tribune laid off over 50 staff members in editorial on April 22, including longtime visual arts critic Alan Artner and prolific features writers Robert Elder and Lou Carlozo. I had the pleasure of working with the latter when he was an editor for the arts section and he’s a class act all the way, but we send good wishes to all who are now looking for work in difficult times.
Christopher Piatt, the theatre editor for Time Out Chicago since the mag launched in 2005, has announced that he’ll leave his post (for an undisclosed location?) in late May. We wish Mr. Piatt the best in his new adventures—he’s said that he’ll take “sabbatical” and recharge for a couple of months before making his next move. Congratulations to staff writer Kris Vire, who will take over the editor’s chair. TOC promises that they will hire another fulltime theatre scribe to fill Vire’s slot.
She’s been wearing at least two hats for the last year or so since the Daily Herald added “court reporter” to her job description, but theatre critic/jill-of-all-trades Barbara Vitello wears them well, and the Chicago Headline Club, the local offshoot of the Society of Professional Journalists, agrees. On April 24, Vitello won first place in the group’s annual Peter Lisagor Awards in the Best Feature Story category (under 300,000 circulation) for her November Herald story, “Unfit or Unjust?” about the impact of an insanity defense in a Bartlett murder case. We who have long stood in awe of Barbara’s reporting skills, tenacity, and sheer commitment and energy couldn’t be happier for her.
Changes are afoot in the theatre management area as well. Pegasus Players announced that longtime artistic director Alex Levy will take off for La-La Land (specifically, an MFA program at UCLA), and that Christopher Schram, the former executive director at Redmoon, will take on the ED reins at Pegasus. A national search for Levy’s replacement is underway. In other Pegasus news, the company has delayed its production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum to spring 2010, due to ongoing issues with the construction of a new parking lot at Truman College.
Megan Wildebour is a Hypocrite, and happy about it! The former finance assistant at Lincoln Center Theater is the new managing director for the Hypocrites. Wildebour’s background also includes work in London at the Old Vic and Royal Court. Next up for the company is Sean Graney’s adaptation of Oedipus, opening at the Building Stage on May 31.
House Theatre of Chicago is also shaking things up a bit on the management front. Phillip Klapperich, founding executive director, has stepped down to pursue more artistic work (he’ll stay a company member). Ryan Butts, formerly the director of development, moves up to managing director, while Nathan Allen stays put as founding artistic director.
For the second year in a row, the Pulitzer committee has given the “best play” award to a script that started out in Chicago. Lynn Nottage’s Ruined, which debuted under Kate Whoriskey’s direction at the Goodman’s Owen Theatre last fall, made the off-Broadway transfer to the Manhattan Theatre Club.
Speaking of MTC: the company co-sponsored a contest with Dentyne Gum, asking playwrights to create short plays about interpersonal relationships in the age of Twitter. Two aspiring scribes from Northwestern University, Mike Salomon and Kelby Siddons, were named finalists for their plays RMEO + JULEZ and off the couch. On May 11, they’ll travel to New York for the finals and a chance to win a cash prize of $7,500 plus mentorship with MTC. Nice to know that there are people who can write plays, tweet, and chew gum at the same time!
Sansculottes Theatre Company also incorporates new-ish technology in Static: A Headphones Tour, running weekends in May at the North Lakeside Cultural Center, 6219 N. Sheridan. Tom Horan’s piece combines installation art with a ghost story, in which visitors tour a house full of junk left behind by an eccentric elderly couple and listen to taped recollections about their lives on, well, headphones, in an experience akin to visiting an art museum. Libby Ford directs.
The rancorous split between most of the ensemble and artistic director PJ Paparelli at American Theater Company hasn’t kept the latter’s staging of Hedwig and the Angry Inch from turning into a hit. The show has been extended through May 31.
It’s probably way-sold-out, but Gift Theatre sponsors a special “Come Closer” performance of their current offering, Talk Radio, on May 20, which will feature a post-show Q & A and reception with author Eric Bogosian. For info, call 773/283-7071 or visit www.thegifttheatre.org.
Sisters are doing it for themselves—and for Mom. For one night only—May 30th—six of the women who have played “Sister” in Vicki Quade and Maripat Donovan’s boffo 17-year hit, Late Nite Catechism, will all show up on stage at the Royal George. Participating in the nunsense are Lisa Buscani, Mary Zentmyer, Rosie Newton, Liz Cloud, Lisa Braatz and Margaret Kustermann. (Noticeably absent is Donovan, who had a well-publicized legal battle with Quade over a sequel to the sister act in 2004.) And on Mother’s Day, May 10, the show offers floral tributes to all the moms in the house.
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas over at A Reasonable Facsimile Theatre Company (ARFTCo). They’re looking for scripts for their annual holiday play festival. The idea is that writers will choose from pictures about the holidays and family submitted by ensemble members, stored online at the “Holiday Memory Bank,” and create a short (5-30 minutes) script inspired by the photo. Deadline is May 20 according to artistic director Michael Buino (though the web site says May 15), and information is at http://www.arftco.com/xmas2009.html.
Stage Left Theatre kicks off its annual new plays festival, LeapFest 6, running May 12-30. Participating playwrights include David Alan Moore (also the interim co-artistic director), Karla Jennings, Andrew Hinderaker, M.E.H. Lewis and Jessica Cluess. Visit www.stagelefttheatre.com for a complete schedule.
Interested in learning more about writing musicals? Theatre Building Chicago’s Musical Writers Workshop holds an open house on Saturday, May 16, at 1p.m. where TBC artistic director John Sparks will talk up the program. The event is free, but reservations suggested at 773/929-7367, ext. 229. TBC also kicks off an online benefit auction June 1-14 to help keep the company solvent. If you’ve got memorabilia, gift certificates, or other auctionable items, drop them off by May 24 at TBC. For more information, contact Jeff DeLong at 773/929-7367, ext. 223, or jeff@theatrebuildingchicago.org.
Whistle a happy tune—or scream into my digital ear—at kerryreid@comcast.net.