American Players Theatre announces season

AMERICAN PLAYERS THEATRE ANNOUNCES 2008 SEASON

29th Season Features Works by Shakespeare, O’Neill, Shaw and Cowley

SPRING GREEN, WIS – Comedy, drama, history, romance and courtship will play out under the twinkling Spring Green, Wisconsin stars as American Players Theatre (APT) opens their 29th full season. Plays for the 2008 season include Shakespeare’s popular romantic comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the historical Henry IV: The Making of a King, a conflation of Henry IV, Parts I and II; Eugene O’Neill’s nostalgic comedy Ah, Wilderness!; George Bernard Shaw’s Widower’s Houses and Hannah Cowley’s lighthearted comedy of manners, The Belle’s Stratagem. Plays are performed in rotating repertory beginning June 7 through October 5, 2008. Please visit www.playinthewoods.org for further information.

Additionally, APT will present the world premiere of The Desert Queen, written and directed by APT actor and playwright James DeVita and starring APT actress Sarah Day. The one-woman show explores the fascinating life of legendary English archeologist and explorer Gertrude Bell who was hailed as the uncrowned Queen of Iraq for having mapped the country’s borders, chosen its first leader and established it first museum. The Desert Queen will be performed July 11 and 27, 2008.

American Players Theatre is located at 5950 Golf Course Road, Spring Green, Wis., on 110 acres of hilly woods and meadows above the Wisconsin River, 40 miles west of Madison. All plays are performed in rotating repertory.

Since its beginning in 1979, APT has grown to be among the most popular outdoor classical theaters in the United States, bringing the classics to more than 100,000 patrons each season. The theater’s mission is to bring the classics to life for as wide and diverse an audience as possible, making great plays accessible and understandable through skilled and reverent presentation.

2008 performances include:

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

By William Shakespeare

The quintessential APT comedy. On the eve of the Duke of Athens’ wedding, four young lovers escape to the woods. Unbeknownst to them, they stumble into the middle of a feud between the King and Queen of the Fairies. Mix in a bumbling troupe of actors and a love potion that goes awry, and the evening is filled with mirth and merriment. William Brown directs this high-spirited comedy.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream will be performed as follows:

Previews: June 7 at 8 p.m. and June 12 at 7:30 p.m.

Opening night: June 14 at 8 p.m.

Additional performances: June 21 (3 p.m.); June 22 (6 p.m.), June 27 (8 p.m.), June 29 (6 p.m.); July 1 (7:30 p.m.), July 3 (7:30 p.m.), July 5 (8 p.m.); July 9 (7:30 p.m.), July 12 (3 p.m.), July 15 (7:30 p.m.), July 17 (7:30 p.m.), July 19 (3 p.m.), July 23 (7:30 p.m.), July 26 (8 p.m.), July 31 (7:30 p.m.), Aug. 2 (3 p.m.), Aug. 10 (6 p.m.), Aug. 15 (8 p.m.), Aug. 20 (7:30 p.m.), Aug. 23 (8 p.m.), Aug. 26 (7:30 p.m.), Aug. 31 (1 p.m.), Sept. 5 (6 p.m.), Sept. 10 (10:30 a.m.). Sept. 11 (10:30 a.m.), Sept. 12 (10:30 a.m.), Sept. 17 (10:30 a.m.), Sept. 18 (10:30 a.m.), Sept. 19 (10:30 a.m.), Sept. 23 (10 a.m.), Sept. 24 (10 a.m.), Sept. 25 (10:30 a.m.). Sept. 26 (10:30 a.m.), Sept. 27 (8 p.m.), Sept. 31 (10:30 a.m.), Oct. 1 (10 a.m.), Oct. 2 (10 a.m.), Oct. 3 (10:30 a.m.), Oct. 5 (6 p.m.).

Ah, Wilderness!

By Eugene O’Neill

The only comedy O’Neill wrote is an exuberant look at coming of age. Nat Miller’s family gathers for an Independence Day celebration. His 17-year-old son Richard is in love with the neighbor girl, Muriel. When Muriel’s father forbids the courtship, Richard rebels with adolescent fervor. John Langs returns to direct this affectionate story about family and the idealism of youth.

Ah, Wilderness! will be performed as follows:

Previews: June 13 (8 p.m.) and June 19 (7:30 p.m.)

Opening night: June 21 at 8 p.m.

Additional performances: June 25 (7:30 p.m.), June 28 (3 p.m.), July 4 (8 p.m.), July 6 (6 p.m.), July 10 (7:30 p.m.), July 12 (8 p.m.), July 16 (7:30 p.m.), July 18 (8 p.m.), July 20 (6 p.m.), July 22 (7:30 p.m.), July 24 (7:30 p.m.), July 26 (3 p.m.), Aug. 2 (8 p.m.), Aug. 9 (3 p.m.), Aug. 17 (6 p.m.), Aug. 23 (3 p.m.), Aug. 29 (8 p.m.), Sept. 7 (1 p.m.), Sept. 13 (8 p.m.), Sept. 19 (8 p.m.), Sept. 25 (7:30 p.m.), Oct. 4 (8 p.m.).

Henry IV: The Making of a King

By William Shakespeare

Director James Bohnen and playwright and APT core company member James DeVita bring Shakespeare’s Henry IV parts 1 and 2 together for one compelling story full of intrigue, war and a ribald Falstaff. After assuming the throne, Henry Bolingbroke must defend his precarious position while trying to reconcile his relationship with his son. As one rebellion is quieted, new ones begin and a wanton prince must amend his ways to win his father’s affection and the throne.

Henry IV: The Making of a King will be performed as follows:

Previews: June 20 (8 p.m.) and June 24 (7:30 p.m.)

Opening night: June 26 at 7:30 p.m.

Additional performances: June 28 (8 p.m.), July 2 (7:30 p.m.), July 5 (3 p.m.), July 8 (7:30 p.m.), July 13 (6 p.m.), July 19 (8 p.m.), July 25 (8 p.m.), Aug. 3 (6 p.m.), Aug. 14 (7:30 p.m.), Aug. 22 (8 p.m.), Aug. 30 (3 p.m.), Sept. 7 (6 p.m.), Sept. 13 (3 p.m.), Sept. 16 (10:30 a.m.), Sept. 20 (8 p.m.).

Widowers’ Houses

By George Bernard Shaw

When a young doctor learns his future father-in-law has earned his wealth through questionable means, he refuses the dowry that awaits. But when he discovers the true source of his own family’s income, he must reconsider his righteousness. A scathing yet humorous look at the ethics of making money as only Shaw -can do. Kenneth Albers returns to direct.

Widower’s Houses will be performed as follows:

Previews: Aug. 1 (8 p.m.) and Aug. 7 (7:30 p.m.)

Opening night: Aug. 9 at 8 p.m.

Additional performances: Aug. 12 (7:30 p.m.), Aug. 16 (3 p.m.), Aug. 21 (7:30 p.m.), Aug. 24 (1 p.m.), Aug. 27 (7:30 p.m.), Aug. 31 (6 p.m.), Sept. 6 (8 p.m.), Sept. 11 (7:30 p.m.), Sept. 14 (6 p.m.), Sept. 20 (3 p.m.), Sept. 26 (8 p.m.), Sept. 28 (6 p.m.), Oct. 4 (3 p.m.).

The Belle’s Stratagem

By Hannah Cowley

For the first time, APT will bring the work of a female playwright to the stage with an enchanting comedy of manners directed by Producing Artistic Director David Frank. Letitia Hardy schemes to win the heart of her betrothed, Doricourt, while he conspires to have the engagement annulled. Meanwhile, jealousy threatens another couple as Lady Touchwood is introduced to London society much to her husband’s dismay. A witty look at marriage and the roles men and woman play.

The Belle’s Stratagem will be performed as follows:

Previews: Aug. 8 (8 p.m.) and Aug. 13 (7:30 p.m.)

Opening night: Aug. 16 at 8 p.m.

Additional performances: Aug. 19 (7:30 p.m.), Aug. 24 (6 p.m.), Aug. 28 (7:30 p.m.), Aug. 30 (8 p.m.), Sept. 6 (3 p.m.), Sept. 12 (8 p.m.), Sept. 14 (1 p.m.), Sept. 27 (3 p.m.), Oct. 3 (8 p.m.).

Producing Artistic Director David Frank said of the season, “The 2008 season is shaping up brilliantly. The company will have more depth than ever and the plays will provide a potent mix of proven masterpieces and neglected gems. We can hardly wait.”

Specific casting for the shows is in progress and will be announced in the spring.

For its 2007 season, which ended October 7, a total of 107,626 people attended performances, including 14,018 students who attended the weekday student matinees during September and October.

 

American Players Theatre (APT) is a professional outdoor theater devoted to classical work with an emphasis on Shakespeare. It was founded in 1979 and continues to be one of the most popular outdoor classical theaters in the nation. APT is located on 110 wooded acres four miles south of Spring Green, Wisconsin, a rural community 40 miles west of Madison. Each season, APT produces 117 performances of five plays, running in rotating repertory June-October.

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Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre Opens

ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER’S 2008 ENGAGEMENT AT AUDITORIUM THEATRE OF ROOSEVELT UNIVERSITY TO FEATURE powerful, DIVERSE WORKS INCLUDING Maurice Béjart’S legendary FIREBIRD, April 16 – 20

Program for exclusive Chicago engagement also features exciting mix of classic and new works by Alvin Ailey, Robert Battle, Talley Beatty, Camille A. Brown, Rennie Harris, Judith Jamison, Elisa Monte and Fredrick Earl Mosley

CHICAGO — Brett Batterson, executive director of the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University (ATRU), is pleased to announce programming details for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s (AAADT) annual spring sojourn at Chicago’s National Historic Landmark Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Congress Parkway, April 16 – 20. Tickets are now on sale.

One of the most highly acclaimed international ambassadors of American culture and dance, AAADT will perform a richly eclectic repertoire featuring the talents of a wide array of choreographers, including legendary European choreographer Maurice Béjart’s innovative reworking of Fokine’s traditional Firebird. This Firebird reinterprets the traditional Russian fairytale as an allegory of revolution, idealism and rebirth played out against Stravinsky’s glorious score. The ATRU engagement also features a recent AAADT company premiere of Robert Battle’s sensuous, swirling 2005 duet Unfold, which evokes tenderness and ecstasy in Gustave Charpentier’s aria, exquisitely sung by Leontyne Price.

Another highlight of the engagement will be the company’s revival of Talley Beatty’s 1959 The Road of the Phoebe Snow, featuring the impeccable and captivating choreography of the legendary Beatty. A certified National Endowment for the Arts masterpiece of American dance, AAADT’s compelling and riveting production was re-staged by Associate Artistic Director Masazumi Chaya and marks the first time in nearly three decades that the piece is being included in the company’s repertory. Named for a train on the Erie-Lackawanna Railroad, this technically challenging ballet weaves a turbulent and gripping love story of young Americans from “the wrong side of the track” battling alienation and urban life.

The programs will also feature several timeless pieces choreographed by Ailey, including his 1971 tribute to Janis Joplin, Flowers, performed to her music plus selections from Pink Floyd and Blind Faith; Night Creature, a definitive homage to Duke Ellington’s jazz created in 1975; and Reflections in D, a strong yet serene solo also performed to Ellington’s music. The finale of each program will be Ailey’s 1960 masterpiece Revelations, a powerful tribute to spirituals and one of the company’s best-loved and most significant works. Danced with the joy and vitality that are the hallmarks of Ailey, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution calls Revelations, “soul-stirring (and) show-stopping… as sassy, snappy and soulful as ever.”

Camille A. Brown, one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch,” was commissioned in 2007 to create an explosive, virtuosic new work that imagines the meeting of strangers on the subway. The resulting The Groove To Nobody’s Business is performed to the music of Ray Charles and Brandon McCune. Elisa Monte’s 1981 Treading was hailed by the New York Times as giving “lovers of fine dance much to marvel at,” as two dancers come together in intricate, fluid movements to create an aura of mystery and sensuality to an evocative score by Steve Reich. Rounding out the program offerings is Love Stories, choreographed in 2004 by Artistic Director Judith Jamison with hip-hop pioneer Robert Battle and modern dance maverick Rennie Harris, performed to the music of Motown legend Stevie Wonder.

ATRU and the JPMorgan Chase Foundation are proud to offer a special one-hour student-only matinee performance Friday, April 18 at 11 a.m., which is available only to school groups of 10 or more throughout Chicagoland. The program will feature excerpts from Frederick Earl Mosley’s 2007 Saddle Up!, an exuberant hoedown with music by Yo-Yo Ma, plus the full performance of Revelations. Study guides are available. Schools should call (312) 431-2357 for student matinee tickets and additional information. Tickets are $12.

AAADT will showcase Love Stories, Reflections in D, The Groove To Nobody’s Business and Revelations at the Family Matinee. The performance will be held Saturday, April 19 at 2 p.m. as part of the Auditorium Theatre’s LaSalle Bank Family Series, which offers a free child ticket with the purchase of a full-priced adult ticket. Patrons must use the special code FAMTIX during the ticket transaction to receive the family ticket offer. Children must be under 18 years old to be eligible for the complimentary ticket, and some additional restrictions may apply. The Family Matinee is immediately followed by a post-performance question and answer session with company members.

Since its inception in 1958, AAADT has made a broad, indelible impact on the way people view dance, the African American aesthetic and music in America. AAADT blends artistry and dramatic power to create an electrifying performance that appeals to and amazes all audiences. Through the artistic leadership of Judith Jamison, the Ailey legacy continues to embrace the mantle of the company’s founder in showcasing dance as a medium to honor the past, celebrate the present and fearlessly reach into the future. AAADT has performed for an estimated 21 million people in 48 states and in 71 countries on six continents. According to The New York Times, “This season the Ailey dancers will be pulling out all the dramatic stops.”

The performance schedule for the company’s exclusive Chicago engagement at ATRU is as follows*:

Wednesday, April 16 at 7:30 p.m.

Firebird, Flowers, Unfold, Revelations

Thursday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m.

Firebird, The Road of the Phoebe Snow, Revelation

Friday, April 18 at 11 a.m. (Student-only matinee)

Saddle Up! (excerpt), Revelations

Friday, April 18 at 8 p.m.

Night Creature, Treading, The Road of the Phoebe Snow, Revelations

Saturday, April 19 at 2 p.m. (LaSalle Bank Family Matinee)

Love Stories, Reflections in D, The Groove To Nobody’s Business, Revelations

Post-show Q&A with AAADT company members

Saturday, April 19 at 8 p.m.

Firebird, Flowers, Unfold, Revelations

Sunday, April 20 at 3 p.m.

Love Stories, Reflections in D, The Groove To Nobody’s Business, Revelations

*Programming is subject to change.

Tickets are currently on sale, and ticket prices are $30 / $40 / $50 / $67 / $79. For tickets or more information about Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, visit the Auditorium Theatre box office at 50 E. Congress Parkway, call (312) 902-1500, log on to ticketmaster.com or visit auditoriumtheatre.org. Discounted tickets for groups of 10 or more are also available by calling (312) 431-2357.

The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, located at 50 E. Congress Parkway, is an independent, not-for-profit organization committed to presenting the finest in international, cultural and community programming to Chicago, and to the continued restoration and preservation of the National Historic Landmark Auditorium Theatre. For more information about programming, volunteer and donor opportunities or theatre tours, call (312) 922-2110 or visit auditoriumtheatre.org, now featuring Chicago’s Landmark Stage, a comprehensive online history of the Auditorium from 1889 through today, made possible by the generous support of the American Express Performing Arts Fund.

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater engagement is supported by LaSalle Bank (Family Series Sponsor), JPMorgan Chase Foundation (Student Matinee Sponsor), and Grubb & Ellis (Opening Night Sponsor).

The Road of the Phoebe Snow was made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts American Masterpieces: Dance initiative, administrated by the New England Foundation for the Arts.

The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University is also supported by the Illinois Arts Council and the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs City Arts Program Grant. The Auditorium’s official and exclusive airline is United; the Palmer House Hilton is the official hotel partner.

Citigroup provides major support for the Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation’s Arts In Education programs. Altria Group provides major support for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s New Works Fund. Movado Group provides major support for Firebird, a new production during Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s 2007-2008 season. American Airlines is the Official Airline of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. The 2007 North American Tour is sponsored, in part, by the National Endowment for the Arts.

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Press Release: Aboriginal Art Gallery Opens

ABORIGINAL FINE ART FINDS A HOME IN CHICAGO

Aboriginal Art Collection, a New Gallery Devoted to Showcasing

Established and Emerging Aboriginal Artists, to open April 11

CHICAGO – Aboriginal Art Collection, the only gallery in Chicago devoted to contemporary Aboriginal fine art, will officially open with an opening night reception April 11 from 6 to 8 p.m. at their River North space, located at 226 W. Superior, 3^rd floor.

Inspired by cultural traditions and a strong spiritual connection with their ancestry, Australian Aboriginal art is a distinct and narrative art form that is frequently exemplified by vibrantly striking colors, dotted motifs and often intricate designs. Founded by Sydney natives Rena and Manuel Pulido, Aboriginal Art Collection features a wide array of work by many of Australia’s established and emerging artists.

“We are tremendously excited to bring the work of these remarkable artists to Chicago,” says Gallery Director Rena Pulido, a native Australian who ironically fell in love with contemporary Aboriginal art only after having moved to the United States. “Growing up, I was exposed to only the Aboriginal art created for tourists – didgeridoos and painted masks. While living in Chicago, I discovered the beautifully complex, powerful and sophisticated art being created by so many largely untrained Indigenous people.”

Aboriginal Art Collection features work by established artists like Gloria Petyarre, Dorothy Napangardi and Betsy Lewis, whose art reflects 40,000 years of Aboriginal tradition and history, providing rich insights into the lives of Australia’s Indigenous people. Paintings by the younger, emerging artists like Jeannie Long Petyarre and Samantha Hobson are less tied to traditional themes and techniques, but are equally impressive in their emotional impact with sweeping strokes and a more abstract style.

With a 1,500 square-foot studio space in the heart of Chicago’s Gallery District, Aboriginal Art Collection is able to provide a home to some of Australia’s most decorated Aboriginal artists. With a constantly changing collection of more than 40, works which range from $600 to $30,000. Chicagoans are not only able to experience Aboriginal art first hand, but learn the rich culture which influences it.

Aboriginal Art Collection launches their collection with an opening night reception on April 11 from 6-8 p.m. at their gallery located at 226 W. Superior, 3^rd floor. With the opening, Aboriginal Art Collection will support Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago by donating 10% of their opening day sales to the Judith Nan Joy Integrative Medicine Initiative which investigates new and successful treatments to enhance wellness in children.

For more information about Aboriginal Art Collection or their art, call (312) 475-9766 or visit www.aboriginalartcollection.com

About Aboriginal Art Collection

Aboriginal Art Collection’s mission is to promote and support Australian Indigenous artists and to enable non-Indigenous people to embrace this rich culture while engendering increased knowledge of and respect for Australia’s unique heritage.

The gallery provides an opportunity for a non-Indigenous audience to have exposure to an Indigenous philosophy, culture and people that have co-existed in harmony with their environment for more than 40,000 years. Aboriginal fine art is unique in that it codifies memory and knowledge of landscape, the spirit world and tribal history. The gallery offers contemporary paintings of extraordinary quality that are both rich and affecting.

Founders Rena and Manuel Pulido were first exposed to contemporary Aboriginal art when given a copy of the Dreaming Their Way Exhibition: Australian Aboriginal Women Painters’ catalogue which was on view at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C. and the Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, N.H. in 2006. Rena and Manuel were drawn to the art’s beauty, ambiguity and contemporary abstraction. The real power of the art overwhelmed them, inspiring further research and fuelling an interest that culminated with the opening of Aboriginal Art Collection – a vehicle to feed what had become an all-consuming passion.

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Press Release: Botanic Garden Moves to Piccolo Theatre

TODD LOGAN’S BOTANIC GARDEN, DIRECTED BY ACADEMY AWARD-WINNER OLYMPIA DUKAKIS, TO REMOUNT AT EVANSTON’S PICCOLO THEATRE MAY 17 – JUNE 15

Due to Popular Demand, Botanic Garden Extended with Acclaimed Husband and Wife Carmen Roman and James Leaming

 

CHICAGO – After a successful world premiere run at the Victory Gardens Greenhouse Theater this past winter, Botanic Garden, written by Winnetka native Todd Logan and directed by Academy Award-winner Olympia Dukakis, will return for a special limited engagement at the Piccolo Theatre, 600 Main St., Evanston from Saturday, May 17 to Sunday, June 15, 2008. Original cast members, and real-life husband and wife, Carmen Roman and James Leaming will resume their roles for the engagement. Tickets go on sale Friday, April 11 at 10 a.m.

 

Based on positive responses from Botanic Garden audiences who participated in post-show discussions during the original run, Logan, Leaming and Carmen will continue to offer post-show discussions after every performance. The discussions offer a unique opportunity for the audience to share from their personal experiences as they relate to the play. Special guest speakers will mediate post-show discussions on the following Thursdays during the run: May 29, June 5 and June 12.

 

According to Logan, “The audience feedback was overwhelming strong throughout the Victory Gardens run. I can’t tell you how many times audience members approached me after the show to share what an intense connection they felt with the material, and what a cathartic experience watching the production was for them. The post-show discussion became an integral part of the audiences’ positive experience. We are thrilled to be remounting the production with James and Carmen, two of Chicago’s most incredible actors, in the intimate Piccolo Theatre setting.”

 

In Botanic Garden, Kate (Carmen Roman) faces the daunting and often humorous prospect of her first date since the death of her husband, Jake (James Leaming). Memories of her husband and their marriage force Kate to take a stark look at her present, and the choices she must make as she embarks upon the next chapter of her life.

 

Dukakis agreed to direct Botanic Garden immediately upon reading it. “The experience of working on this production was unforgettable. It was a truly,  

fulfilling experience that I will remember forever. I’m thrilled to hear that the production will be brought to a larger audience. The play’s genuine and heartfelt voice will be able to touch more lives, just as it touched mine.”

            

Leaming added, “It has been a gift sharing this story with Carmen. We both have immensely enjoyed the collaboration with Todd and Olympia, and look forward to continuing to share the play with more audiences.”

 

Upon its opening, Chris Jones of the Chicago Tribune hailed Carmen and James as “two gifted performers.” New City raved, “Logan’s accessible and unpretentious writing and the piece’s…recognizable relationship issues and universal themes on grief and mourning ring true…the cumulative effect of which is a sometimes hilarious, deeply satisfying and always entertaining evening at the theater.” Time Out Chicago declared, “Logan’s play displays a remarkable emotional honesty… Dukakis’s empathetic direction and the easy rapport between Roman and Leaming leaven the truthful difficulties of leaving a loved one behind and going on about the business of life.”

 

After moving to Chicago in 1986, Carmen Roman performed opposite her future husband, American Theater Company (ATC) founding member James Leaming, in Summer Brave.  It was the first and last time the two played love interests on stage, until the world premiere of Botanic Garden in January 2008. Roman has starred in several national, Off-Broadway and regional productions, as well in film and TV. Her theater credits include the national tour of Angels in America, the Off-Broadway production of The Iphigenia Cycle (Theater for a New Audience from The Court Theatre, Chicago), The Mysteries (Classic Stage Company), Paradise (Gary Allen Productions), Orpheus Descending, The Homage that Follows, Toys in the Attic, Medea (American Theater Company), Lost in Yonkers (Coconut Grove, Walnut Street Theater, Philadelphia), Sonia Flew (The Huntington Theatre, Boston), According to Goldman (Philadelphia Theater Company), Electra (Hartford Stage Company), Big Love (The Wilma), Side Man (Steppenwolf, The Galway Festival, Galway, Ireland and The Melbourne Arts Festival, Australia), Wit, Black Snow, Brutality of Fact, Christmas Carol (The Goodman Theatre), Master Class (Northlight Theater and Columbia Artists Tour), Shadowlands (The Alliance Theater), Fen (Empty Space Theater), The Falcon (ACT, Seattle) and eight seasons at Peninsula Players in Fish Creek, Wis. Her film and television credits include The Falcon, (a co-production shot in Soviet Georgia), Marilyn (Short feature, Kevin Spacey Productions), “Damages,” “All My Children,” “Early Edition,” “Law and Order” (Judge Einhorn, recurring), “Law and Order SVU” and “Criminal Intent” and up-coming feature, Savages, with Phillip Seymore Hoffman and Laura Linney.  She is a Company Member of the American Theater Company in Chicago; The Actors’ Center and Circling the Drain in New York. Her awards and honors include a 2002 Fox Fellow, Sarah Siddons Award, Florence Herscher Award and Joseph Jefferson Awards for Master Class and Wit. 

 

In 1985, James Leaming founded the American Blues Theatre, now the American Theater Company (ATC) in Chicago. He has had a successful career in theater and TV with the following credits The Foreigner, Caught in the Net and Red Herring with the Peninsula Players. Chicago credits include Last of the Boys and Midsummer Night’s Dream (Steppenwolf), Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me (Victory Gardens), Seagull (Writers’ Theatre), Spinning into Butter (The Goodman Theatre), The Man Who Fell in Love with the Moon with the Running With Scissors Theater Company, for which he received an After Dark Award.  With ATC, James’ favorite acting credits include George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life, A Live Radio Play, Lewie in American Dead, Yank in The Hairy Ape, Cathcart, Major Major and seven other roles in Catch 22. He has acted in corporate theater internationally and

the USA; he also performs voice-over and on-camera credits which include “Early Edition” and “Prison Break.” He trained at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco, Second City and continues with Maryann Thebus today. 

 

Olympia Dukakis’ acclaimed career encompasses film, theater and television, and has won her an Academy Award, Obie Award, a Drama Desk Award, a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award and a Golden Globe. Her credits include the New York productions of Martin Sherman’s Rose (Outer Critics Circle Award), Social Security, A Man’s A Man (Obie Award), The Marriage of Bette and Boo, Curse of the Starving Class, Agamemnon, Electra, Peer Gynt, Titus Andronicus, The Memorandum, Nourish the Beast, and The New Tenant.  In London, she performed in Rose at the National Theatre and in Timberlake Wertenbaker’s Credible Witness at the Royal Court. She has been involved with more than 130 regional theater productions including Hecuba (ACT), The Cherry Orchard, Glass Menagerie and Mother Courage.  She worked for 17 seasons at the Williamstown Theatre Festival and also served as Artistic Director of the Whole Theatre in New Jersey. Her film work includes winning the Academy Award (Best Supporting Actress), New York Film Critics Award, Los Angeles Film Critics Award and Golden Globe Award for Norman Jewison’s Moonstruck.  Other films include Mr. Holland’s Opus, Dad, Look Who’s Talking I, II, III, Steel Magnolias, In the Land of Women, Away from Her and Thom Fitzgerald’s 3 Needles. Her television work includes “Tales of the City,” “More Tales of the City” (Emmy Nomination) and “Further Tales of the City,” “A Life for a Life,” “Lucky Day” (Emmy nomination), “Sinatra” (Emmy nomination) and “The Last Act is a Solo” (Cable ACE Award). Dukakis has been married to actor Louis Zorich since 1962, with whom she has three children.

 

Chicago-area based playwright Todd Logan’s plays include Tops or Bottoms, Persistence of Vision, Fallout and The Playwright and All That Crap, all of which have been presented in Chicago at various theaters during the past few years.  He wrote the independent film With a Family Like Mine.  His humorous essays have been published in The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Boston Globe and Writer’s Digest. For more information or to download Todd’s plays and films, visit www.toddlogansdesk.com.

 

Canamac Productions presents Botanic Garden at the Piccolo Theatre, 600 Main St., Evanston,  from Saturday, May 17 to Sunday, June 15, 2008. The show running time is 70 minutes without intermission. The Piccolo Theatre is located inside the Evanston Arts Depot at the Metra Station between Chicago and Custer, just South of Main St. Free parking is available adjacent to the theatre. Opening weekend schedule as follows: Saturday, May 17 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, May 18 at 3 p.m. Performance schedule from May 22 through June 15 as follows: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. 

 

Tickets are priced at $30. All seating is general admission. Tickets can be purchased by calling 866.811.4111 or online at www.botanicgardentheplay.com. Groups of 10 or more may obtain discounted tickets by calling GroupTix at 877-4-GRP-TIX (877-447-7849).

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