10-26-07
Rosenberg Heads to Steppenwolf
Appointments and Disappointments
Publicist David Rosenberg has ended his second tour-of-duty with Margie Korshak, Inc. (in between Rosenberg worked in TV news) to accept a plum assignment: he’s the new director of communications for Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Talk about being on a roll, Rosenberg’s last project at Korshak was to help open Jersey Boys at the LaSalle Bank Theatre, and he arrives at Steppenwolf as the troupe begins previews for the Broadway transfer of August: Osage County.
In the huge influx of new theatre leaders announced over the summer and early fall, Heather Clark slipped between our fingers, and don’t any of you read any vulgar intent into that phrase. Ms. Clark has been appointed executive director of The Hypocrites, and as such has become the troupe’s first full-time employee. Previously, she served as operations manager, development assistant and database administrator for Redmoon. She’s been on the job at The Hypocrites since August, working with artistic director Sean Graney. The company opened its 2007-2008 season with Desire Under the Elms.
Down in Old Town, A Red Orchid Theatre has beefed up its already-impressive ensemble with four new ensemble members: award-winning directors Dado and Karen Kessler, actor Steve Haggard and award-winning costume designer Karen Kawa. The 15-year-old troupe now has 16 ensemble members.
Awards and Honors
The Chicago-based Poetry Foundation has announced winners of its fourth annual Pegasus Awards, and we’re not talking small change. The awards emphasize under-recognized poets and types of poetry, beginning with the Neglected Masters Award which carries the top cash prize of $50,000. This year’s winner is Anne Stevenson, whose body of work spans 50 years and includes a biography of Sylvia Plath as well as numerous volumes of her own verse.
Herbert Leibowitz is recipient of the Randall Jarrell Award in Poetry Criticism, carrying a $10,000 prize. Leibowitz was cited for poetry criticism that is intelligent and learned as well as lively and enjoyable to read. Leibowitz is editor and publisher of Parnassus: Poetry in Review, considered one of the most important and provocative venues for poetry reviews. Born in 1935, Leibowitz earned a PhD at Columbia University and is professor emeritus of humanities and English at CUNY Graduate Center.
Another $10,000 went to Brian Culhane, winner of the Emily Dickinson First Book Award, recognizing an American poet over the age of 50 who has yet to publish a first book of poetry (I could win that one myself, you know/When writing verse I write so slow). Culhane’s winning manuscript also will be published as part of the award. Culhane, 53, has a PhD from the University of Washington in epic literature and the history of criticism.
A final $10,000 went to John Surowiecki as the inaugural recipient of a prize for Verse Drama, a field of endeavor largely neglected in contemporary theatre apart from translations and adaptations of classic works. In addition to the cash prize, the winning manuscript will be presented as a staged reading in New York and Chicago in 2008. Surowiecki’s winning play, My Nose and Me: (A TragedyLite or TragiDelight in 33 Scenes) is his first piece written for the stage. He’s also the author of two poetry collections and five chapbooks.
Chicago author and composer Leo Schwartz has taken the Director’s Choice Award at the 2007 New York Musical Theatre Festival. Schwartz won for Naughty! - The Musical World of Emmet Taylor Farkas for which he wrote book, music, and lyrics. The show was given its premiere performance Sept. 27 as part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival, with former Chicago (and now Broadway heavy hitter) Kevin Stites as musical director. Using a show-within-a-show conceit, Naughty! features four actors performing 42 roles from among the 46 musicals authored by the fictional Emmet Taylor Farkas in which Helen Keller sings, Peter Rabbit curses, Beaver Cleaver comes out of the closet, and a blues singer leaves her thalidomide lover for a double amputee!
Transitions
The friends of actor Dan Proctor—and they are many, dedicated and loyal—marked Dan’s 40th birthday on Sept. 25; a birthday a still-unknown assailant assumed Proctor never would see after shooting Proctor in the head in the early hours of June 26, 2005. Proctor’s long recovery continues as he concentrates on physical and speech therapy at his mother’s home in Northwest Indiana. Progress is painfully slow but steady. Proctor remained at home for his birthday proper, but plans to visit Chicago in the near future for a post-birthday celebration with his friends here.
Friends in the theatre, music and educational communities are mourning the passing of Dirk Alan Van Brussel, 49, a gifted individual who lent his talents and love to all three areas of endeavor. Van Brussel died Sept. 20 from a ruptured aneurysm. He’s survived by his wife and parents. Leaping into professional theatre only in 2001 after two decades in community and educational theatre, Van Brussel utilized his skills in carpentry and design as assistant TD at Northlight Theatre and production manager for Remy Bumppo, the Northwestern University Opera Department (where he also did many scenic designs) and Pegasus Players. First and foremost a superb musician, Van Brussel musical directed, conducted or played in the pits of more than 100 productions in Ohio and Chicago, winning the 2004 Chicago After Dark Award for Excellence in Music Direction. The family has requested that memorial contributions be made to Les Turner ALS Foundation, 5550 W. Touhy Ave., Ste. 302, Skokie, IL 60077-3254 or the Pegasus Players Theater, O’Rourke Center Truman College, 1145 W. Wilson Ave. Chicago, IL 60640.
Congratulations to Rogue Theatre founder/artistic director Nate White and his wife Lisa, who earlier this month welcomed their first child, Griffin Levi White. According to Nate’s blog persona, he intends to nickname his son either Badger or Pud. Ah, you didn’t think we knew about that, didja’, Nate?