11-23-07
Schmidt Leaves the Peninsula
Appointments and Disappointments
Producer and director Todd Schmidt already has departed to become managing director of the George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick, NJ. Schmidt was active in Chicago as producer and/or director at Victory Gardens, Theatre Building Chicago, Apple Tree and Chicago Shakespeare Theater, but is best known as executive producer of the Peninsula Players in Fish Creek, WI. Together with artistic director Greg Vinkler, Schmidt produced outstanding summer seasons at Fish Creek for 15 years, drawing heavily upon Chicago acting, directing, design and technical talent. In 2006, Schmidt successfully completed a multi-year $6 million capital campaign that allowed Peninsula Players to build an all-new physical plant.
At the year-round George Street Playhouse, Schmidt will work with artistic director David Saint. The New Jersey company was founded in 1974 and has a long history of developing new works, among them The Spitfire Grill, Proof and Syncopation. The LORT company operates a 375-seat house, has 4,500 subscribers and plays to 140,000 people annually including its touring programs.
Henry Godinez, resident artistic associate of Goodman Theatre, and director of the Goodman’s Latino Theatre Festival, has been appointed the first artistic director of Northwestern University’s Theatre and Interpretation Center. Godinez joined Northwestern’s theatre department as an associate professor in 2006. Godinez will be responsible for working with Northwestern University School of Communication’s theatre, dance and performance studies faculty and students to organize an artistic program in the Theatre and Interpretation Center. He will continue to teach acting and Latino Theatre courses at Northwestern as well as maintain his positions with the Goodman.
Esther Mallouh is the new executive director of River North Dance Company, bringing with her over a decade of experience in fundraising, grant-making, marketing and event management with major arts and charitable organizations including the Oakland Ballet, Florida Grand Opera, Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Mallouh comes to 18-year-old River North directly from the Oakland Ballet where she was director of development. She has a B.S., magna cum laude, from the University of Pittsburgh and is fluent in three languages.
Victory Gardens Theater (VG) has named Chicagoan Joel Drake Johnson and Pulitzer Prize-winner Nilo Cruz as new members of the VG Playwrights Ensemble, bringing the total to 14. Cruz’s A Park in Our House is the current VG subscription show and Johnson’s new play, Four Places, will be staged at VG in the spring. VG has produced works by Johnson and Cruz previously. VG also has commissioned new works from Aaron Carter and Laura Jacqmin. Carter’s Raw Material was staged by EP Theatre in September, while Jacqmin’s Butt Nekkid currently is running at the side project. Carter also is VG’s literary manager.
The Museum of Contemporary Arts (MCA) has announced the appointment of Madeleine Grynsztejn as Pritzker Director of the Museum. With over 20 years of institutional experience, Grynsztejn is internationally recognized for her scholarship and leadership, and has held top curatorial positions at several of the world’s leading art museums. She is the MCA’s seventh director and the first female. She takes up her duties next spring, arriving from the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
The Gift Theatre, thriving in its tiny Jefferson Park storefront, has added veteran director Sheldon Patinkin and actor Hillary Clemens to its ensemble. Both will participate in Gift’s 2008 season, opening Jan. 3 with J. T. Rogers’ White People.
About Face co-founder and artistic director Eric Rosen has been selected as the new artistic director of the Kansas City Repertory Theatre, beginning in the spring. He succeeds the retiring Peter Altman, who held the post of producing artistic director for seven years. See the full story on page 1.
Milestones
The Chicago company of Wicked celebrated its 1,000th performance Nov. 14, having chalked up more than $140 million in gross ticket sales with no end in sight. The show will celebrate its third anniversary next June.
On Nov. 30 author and actor Neil Giuntoli celebrates his 300th performance as Mayor Richard J. Daley in Hizzoner: Daley the First at Prop Thtr. The show concludes its autumn run at Prop on Dec. 16, but is likely to resume after a holiday hiatus.
On Oct. 16, Women In Film/Chicago bestowed its 2007 Focus Award upon producer/director/actress Betty Thomas, advertising pioneer Carol H. Williams and acting mentor/director/actress Joyce Piven. The honors were handed out at a luncheon gala at the Ritz Carlton Hotel by presenters including Joan Cusack, Joyce Sloane, Rich Moskal (Chicago Film Office) and Betsy Steinberg (Illinois Film Office). Janet Davies hosted the gala. Williams began her career in advertising at Chicago agency giant Leo Burnett, where she spent 13 years. Thomas began performing with Del Close’s Chicago Extension in the early 1970s before moving on to The Second City and Hollywood. Piven, along with her late husband Byrne, founded the influential Piven Theatre Workshop in Evanston.
What’s in a Name Department
The 7-year-old Adler Danztheatre Project has a new name: Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble. Company founder and artistic director Ellyzabeth Adler and her board feel the new name re-brands the troupe more as a theatre company, blending elements of theatre, dance, visual art, media and text into performances. The Ensemble will present Voices Project: Chicago at Links Hall, Dec. 7-9.
Celebration of Life
As previously reported, musician, teacher, musical director, designer and production manager Dirk Alan Van Brussel passed away Sept. 20, aged 49. A tribute to Van Brussel will take place this Monday night, Nov. 26, 7:30 p.m. at Pegasus Players (O’Rourke Theatre), 1145 W. Wilson Avenue on the campus of Truman College.