Download The Importance of being Earnest

DEAD WRITERS THEATRE COLLECTIVE
Jim Schneider
Artistic Director
Bob Douglas
Managing Director
presents
Oscar Wilde’s Final Comedy
The Importance of
being Earnest
Directed by
JIM SCHNEIDER*
Production Stage Manager
Scenic Designer
Costume Designer
Technical Director
Lighting Designer
Sound Designer
Property Design
SHANNON DESMOND
ERIC LUCHEN
PATTI ROEDER*
NIC BELANGER
AARON LORENZ
JEFFREY LEVIN
JIM SCHNEIDER*
July 1 – July 31, 2016
At Chicago’s Athenaeum Theatre
Season Sponsors:
JOYCE SAXON and LOIS B. SIEGEL
PRODUCTION SPONSORS
JAMES & SUSAN HANNIGAN, SUSAN FERRARO, DvM,
SANDRA D. OCHS, RICK RINEHART, RONALD WESLOW
Dead Writers Theatre Collective is a member of the League of Chicago Theatres
The video and/or audio recording of this performance by any means are strictly prohibited.
The Importance of Being Earnest utilizes e-cigarettes.
*Denotes Dead Writers Theatre Collective Member
Originally produced at the St James’s Theatre, London, February 14, 1895
The Importance of Being Earnest
1
M I S S I O N S TAT E M E N T
Universal truths are as pertinent today as they were during their original periods. Dead
Writers Theatre Collective maintains our mission by bringing these great stories and their
messages to life on today’s stage; we keep that magic alive. The greatest works in the
Western canon are produced with exquisite aesthetics and production values topped
with outstanding acting.
A B O U T T H E C O M PA N Y
Founded in 2011, Dead Writers Theatre Collective is a nonprofit 501 (c) 3 theatre
company dedicated to keeping the visions and voices of classic playwrights alive both
on today’s stage as well as in our hearts. We are the only theatre in Chicago that
focuses on the writer’s voice, and do not impose contemporary needs or inventive
interpretations on that voice. We offer audiences a chance to truly understand the
context that created great artists and their great works.
Our plays are presented as they were originally -- as the authors and audiences of that
period would have seen them. These are not museum pieces but vibrant, compelling
and living theatre. Their actual historical setting gives insight into the author’s mind.
We believe that for contemporary artists and audiences to understand the writer, and
therefore the work, they need to see that aesthetic, almost as another voice or character
on stage. From our first play, The Vortex in 2012, Dead Writers has been committed to
this “Masterpiece Theater” aesthetic, and to reviving classic acting technique. Hedy Weiss
of the Chicago Sun Times wrote: “Every element of design (style is of the essence here)
has a Broadway or opera house splendor.” In 2014, Michael Roberts of Showbiz Chicago
remarked: “Emma is masterfully directed…it oozes and drips authenticity at every
gorgeous turn with the action taking place on a set that will certainly be the talk of the
theatre town for weeks and months to come.” Amy Munice of Chicago Splash says: “How
ironic that the Company is called ‘Dead Writers’ when their forte is making writers comes
alive!”
Writers from our past are our heritage and our humanity. By keeping their work alive
as they created it, we pass their lessons on to future generations. Truly seeing what
was before helps us learn to not repeat history’s mistakes. The Company is proud to be
keepers of the flame of traditionally realized classic theatre.
O U R P R O D U C T I O N H I S TO R Y
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2012 – Noel Coward’s The Vortex
2013 – Adam Pasen’s Tea with Edie & Fitz (Professional World Premiere)
2013 – Brenda Kilianski’s Loos Ends, A Hollywood Memoir on the lives of Anita Loos and
Paulette Goddard (World Premiere Staged Reading) in a Chamber Production
2013 – Oscar Wilde’s Lady Windermere’s Fan in a Chamber Production
2014 – Jane Austen’s Emma
2014 – Edith Wharton’s The House of Mirth in a Chamber Production
2014 – Pierre Cartlet de Chamblain de Marivaux’s The Game of Love and Chance in a
Chamber Production
2015 – Oscar Wilde’s Lady Windermere’s Fan
2015 – Sir David Hare’s The Judas Kiss in a Chamber Production
2015 – David Grimm’s The Learned Ladies of Park Avenue (adapted from Moliere) in a
Chamber Production
2016 – Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest
Dead Writers Theatre Collective
C A S T O F C H A R AC T E R S
John Worthing, J.P..................................................................................................................... Sean Magill
Algernon Moncrieff.................................................................................................................Jack Dryden
Rev. Canon Chasuble, D.D.............................................................................................. Elliott Fredland
Merriman, Butler....................................................................................................................Chris Bruzzini
Lane, Manservant....................................................................................................... Jonathan Crabtree
Hon. Gwendolen Fairfax....................................................................................................Megan Delay*
Miss Cecily Cardew.....................................................................................................Maeghan Looney*
Miss Prism, Cecily’s Governess...........................................................................................Patti Roeder*
Understudy for Merriman (July 9)...................................................................................Noah Sullivan
P L AC E
ACT I - Morning room in Algernon’s flat in Half Moon Street, London
There will be a 15-minute intermission
ACT II - Garden at the Manor House, Woolton.
There will be a 15-minute intermission
Act III – Drawing Room at the Manor House, Woolton
D I R E C TO R ’ S N O T E S F O R T H E I M P O R TA N C E O F B E I N G E A R N E S T
It was a cold, blizzardy evening in London on Valentine’s Day 1895 when a brilliant
new “trivial comedy for serious people” by the reigning Irish playwright Oscar Wilde
premiered. Little did Wilde realize that 2 weeks after this premiere and his greatest
achievement, his entire world was to collapse in one of the worst scandals of the century.
With The Importance of Being Earnest, Wilde triumphed over all of his enemies and had
London at his feet. Perhaps it is a bit ironic that Earnest’s theme of deception and double
identities closely paralleled his own precarious life. However in the Valentine world of
Wilde’s most brilliant comedy it is not danger but fun and love that win out; the love that
seemed to elude Wilde in his lifetime.
Wilde, the product of eccentric parents, began his life with people that were not
demonstrative with their affection. His mother, Lady Wilde (Speranza) was a large and
domineering woman whose love for Oscar was entirely conditional. His father William
Wilde, a noted ear surgeon, was a notorious sex addict who lost his practice, reputation
and marriage. So Oscar possessed the brilliance and flaws of both parents which would
ultimately lead to his success and downfall.
In his “trivial comedy for serious people,” Wilde gave the hypocritical English society
he despised his own special valentine, seemingly light and fun on the surface but
subversive and skewering beneath. Through wit and humor he mocks the earnestness
of British society and tears down the very institutions they held dear. Dr. Chasuble is the
archetype of the decay and pomposity of the ancient church while Miss Prism is a sorry
testament to the England’s strict and narrow educational system. However, he gives
his greatest bow to Queen Victoria (whom he actually respected and admired) with the
creation of Lady Bracknell. Harsh in her judgments and black and white in her morality,
she is the foundation of Wilde’s England, which would eventually be his judge, jury and
executioner.
The Importance of Being Earnest
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D I R EC TO R ’ S N OTE S FO R TH E I M PO R TA N C E O F B EI N G E A R N E S T
c o n t.
However, Wilde saved the best characters for himself. Algernon is the carefree playboy
he would have loved to have been while the seemingly upright and moral Jack Worthing
was the person he felt he should have been (Catholic guilt). So on the eve of his downfall
he comes full circle as the progeny of his parents; brilliant, damaged and always seeking
out the love that was denied him. In the fantasy world of The Importance of Being Earnest
he gets the happy ending he always wanted which life did not give him and the love and
immortality he craved. May your own love be full of valentines.
— Jim Schneider
BIOGR APHIES
SEAN MAGILL (JOHN
WORTHING, J.P.) is
making his Dead
Writer’s debut in The
Importance of Being
Earnest. Later this
season Sean will be
playing Arthur Townsend in Dead Writers’
upcoming drama The Heiress. His most
recent Chicago credits include Hellcab at
Profiles Theatre, Oedipus in King Oedipus
and Security Guard/Paramedic in the
premiere of Lounging (2015). Sean is a
graduate of Indiana University.
JACK DRYDEN
(ALGERNON
MONCRIEFF) is
Earnestly excited to be
making his return to
Dead Writers. After
playing Bosie in last
summer’s chamber production of The
Judas Kiss, Jack has worked with Griffin
Theatre on London Wall (dir. Robin Witt)
and their touring production, Frindle (dir.
Bill Massolia). He is also the producing
director of the sketch company The
Lullabisexuals where he most recently
directed The Meaning of Life or Waffles and
is currently in development for their next
show I Wrote You A Play Called I Love You
(more details at Facebook.com/
lullacomedy). Jack will be returning this
season as Morris Townsend in The Heiress.
He’d like to thank Jim and Bob for all
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Dead Writers Theatre Collective
they’ve done (especially casting him) and
all his family and friends for their support.
ELLIOTT FREDLAND
(REV. CANON
CHASUBLE, D.D.)
returns to DWTC where
he appeared as Parker
in Lady Windemere’s Fan
last year. Chicago
theatre includes roles in Shadowlands
(Provision Theatre), The Elephant Man and
Galileo (the side project), Amadeus (Beverly
Arts Center), The Mousetrap (North
Lakeside Players), Dangerous (Shameless
Boyz of London), The Importance of Being
Earnest (Rogue Theater Company), The
Crucible (Infamous Commonwealth), The
People’s History of the United States (Quest
Theatre Ensemble) and Frankenstein and
Treasure Island (Theatre-Hikes) and most
recently, The Seven-Per-Cent Solution at City
Lit.. He was Assistant Director for Slipping at
the side project and in Dublin. He was cast
in Steven Soderbergh’s Contagion and has
appeared in commercials, independent
films and on The Onion News Network. In a
previous century, he also worked as a radio
and television newscaster.
JONATHAN CRABTREE
(MERRIMAN, THE
BUTLER) is chuffed to
bits to return to Dead
Writers! His last time on
the DWTC stage was as
Rosedale in The House
BIOGR APHIES
c o n t.
of Mirth. His other Chicagoland credits
include roles in The Tall Ship Windy’s Pirates
of Penzance, First Folio’s The Madness of...
Poe, E.D.G.E Theatre’s A Steampunk
Christmas Carol, and Bowen Park Theatre’s
A Man for All Seasons. Jonathan would like
to thank his beautiful and loving wife for
her unwavering support. Jonathan’s
favorite cake is pie.
CHRIS BRUZZINI
(LANE, THE
MANSERVANT) is
happy to be making his
Dead Writers Theatre
Collective debut.
Chicago credits include:
Henry and the Second Gunman, L’Affaire de
la Queen’s Necklace, The Devil’s Familiar (all
at Griffin); Red-baiting, Blacklisting, and the
American Blond (Raven); and he
understudied Genius (Profiles). Among his
many other Chicago area performances, he
has appeared as Mushnik (Little Shop of
Horrors, directed by Jim Corti); and in three
plays directed by Steppenwolf ensemble
member Rick Snyder (Dracula,
Slaughterhouse-Five, and The Woman in
Black).
MARY ANNE
BOWMAN* (LADY
BRACKNELL) is thrilled
to have joined the
Dead Writers Theatre
Collective and was last
seen in last season’s
Lady Windermere’s Fan, having
understudied and performed Mrs. Erlynne
and the Duchess of Berwick. Her other
credits include Bethany (The Gift), Maria/
Stuart (Sideshow), and Stage Door (Griffin).
She has trained with The American
Academy of Dramatic Arts (NYC) and Black
Box Acting Studio (Chicago). She is
represented by Actors Talent Group Inc.
MAEGHAN LOONEY*
(HON. GWENDOLEN
FAIRFAX) is delighted to
return to the world of
Oscar Wilde where she
was last seen as Ms. Prism
what feels like eons ago at
Ball State University. Recently she has
become a Member of Dead Writers Theatre
Collective and has been seen in such
productions as Jane Austen’s Emma (Mrs.
Elton) and Edith Wharton’s The House of Mirth
(Bertha Dorset).
MEGAN DELAY* (MISS
CECILY CARDEW) is
happy to join with the
Collective on another
Wilde show after
performing as Margaret in
Lady Windermere’s Fan last
year. With the Collective, she has also been a
part of Emma (Jane Fairfax), Tea With Edie and
Fitz (Secretary), a concert production of
Learned Ladies of Park Avenue and a staged
reading of Loos Ends. In the Chicago area, she
has worked with Lifeline, Promethean, PFP,
Piccolo, Open Door Rep, The Gilbert and
Sullivan Opera Company, and Bowen Park
Opera Company. Megan recently received
her MFA in Acting from Florida State
University/Asolo Conservatory. Before
attending the Conservatory, Megan called
NYC home; she performed with many theatre,
film and television companies, and was
featured in the Academy Award winning film
Man on Wire. Special thanks to the Collective
for every exciting opportunity, and to friends
and family for their continuous love and
support. www.megandelay.com
PATTI ROEDER* (MISS
PRISM, CECILY’S
GOVERNESS AND
COSTUME DESIGNER) is
a proud Dead Writer’s
Theatre Collective
associate and was last
The Importance of Being Earnest
5
BIOGR APHIES
c o n t.
seen on the DWTC stage as Edith Wharton
in Adam Pasen’s award winning Tea With
Edie and Fitz. She most recently costumed
DWTC’s main stage productions of Emma
and Lady Windermere’s Fan. Patti has
performed and designed on numerous
Chicago area stages. She was nominated
for Joseph Jefferson Citations for her
performance as Penelope Budd in City Lit’s
production of Oh, Boy! and for her costume
design for Pendulum Theatre’s production
of Abundance. Love always to John and all
the lovely Roeders, with a special welcome
to Martin John.
NOAH SULLIVAN
(UNDERSTUDY
MERRIMAN
PERFORMING JULY 9)
is delighted to be a part
of Earnest. Recent
Dead Writers Theatre
Collective credits include Orgon in The
Game of Love and Chance and David in The
Vortex. He will soon be appearing as Dr.
Sloper in DWTC’s third 2016 production
The Heiress. Noah asks that you support
Dead Writers Theatre Collective –an island
of civility – in any way you can.
JIM SCHNEIDER*
(ARTISTIC DIRECTOR/
DIRECTOR) Together
with Managing Director
Bob Douglas, he
co-founded the Dead
Writers Theatre
Collective in 2011 and has directed both
the 2013 Chamber Series production and
the 2015 main stage production of Oscar
Wilde’s Lady Windermere’s Fan; the 2014
main stage production of Jane Austen’s
Emma; the award winning professional
world premiere production of Adam
Pasen’s Tea with Edie & Fitz; and the
inaugural production of Noel Coward’s The
Vortex. For other Chicago theatres he
directed Jeff Recommended productions
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Dead Writers Theatre Collective
of The Women, The Philadelphia Story, the
Tennessee William’s classic drama, Cat on a
Hot Tin Roof and the critically acclaimed
production of Noel Coward’s Hay Fever. In
2007 his production of An Ideal Husband
received unanimous praise by all of the
critics, played to sold out houses for
8-weeks and was selected by Chicago
Tribune critic Kerri Reid as one of the best 5
productions for 2007 and by Hedy Weiss of
the Sun Times as one of the best 10 for the
season. Jim’s 2005 production of Noel
Coward’s Design for Living was selected by
Sun Time’s theatre critic Hedy Weiss as one
of the best top 10-productions in Chicago
for 2005. In all, Jim’s productions have
garnered a total of 5 Jeff
Recommendations, 11 Jeff Nominations,
and won 2, both for Best Costume Design.
His production of Noel Coward’s Design for
Living won an After Dark Award for Best
Costume Design. His production of The
Philadelphia Story won 3 Broadway World
Awards for Best Actor, Actress and Revival
of a classic and his recent production of Tea
with Edie & Fitz won for Best New Play of
2013. Other Chicago directing credits
include the 1996 Chicago premiere of the
three Edward Albee’s beach-themed
one-acts under the banner of Sand in 1995
at the Theatre Building, (with the assistance
of Mr. Albee), and the professional world
premiere of Neil Labute’s second work, the
dark comedy, Lepers (later to become the
movie, Your Friends and Neighbors).
Originally from Houston, Texas, Jim
founded Horizon’s Showcase Theatre
where he premiered Horton Foote’s
Courtship with the assistance of Mr. Foote,
produced and directed The Zoo Story and
The American Dream (with the assistance of
Mr. Albee). A graduate of the University of
Houston with an M.F.A. in directing, Jim
studied with playwriting legend Edward
Albee, the late Tony Award winning,
Eugene O’Neill, authority, and the founder
of Circle-in-the- Square Theatre in New
York, director Jose Quintero. Special thanks
BIOGR APHIES
c o n t.
to Bob Douglas for going on this adventure
with me and the generosity and friendship
of Joyce Saxon, Lois Siegel and our
steadfast Board of Directors.
BOB DOUGLAS*
(MANAGING
DIRECTOR) began in
New York City as an
actor/model appearing
on As the World Turns,
One Life to Live, The
Secret Storm, Search for Tomorrow, The
Guiding Light and The Patty Duke Show. For
the Vermont Arts Festival production of
Stravinsky’s Histoire du Soldat, he played
the Soldier, starring with Sir Anton Dolin
as the Devil and Marina Svetlova as the
Princess. Modeling took him to Europe and
Japan for over a decade and he appeared
in fashion magazines, catalogs, countless
TV commercials and on designer runways
throughout the world. After a two-decade
career he returned to the USA and became
an executive recruiter opening a retained
practice for hospitals and physician-groups
which enjoyed a 15-year run. He has
served as board member of the National
Association of Executive Recruiters and
Evanston’s Light Opera Works, where he
appeared in Bitter Sweet, Oklahoma! Gigi,
My Fair Lady, and Chamber Opera Chicago’s
productions of The Sound of Music and
again in Persuasion. In 2011, along with Jim
Schneider, Bob co-founded Dead Writers
Theatre Collective and has produced
The Vortex, Loos Ends, Tea with Edie and
Fitz, Lady Windermere’s Fan (a Chamber
Production), Emma, The House of Mirth, and
last season’s Lady Windermere’s Fan, The
Judas Kiss and The Learned Ladies of Park
Avenue. Bob is busy producing all three
productions of the 2016 Season. Thank
you to our many Friends, Sponsors and
Board of Directors who have made this
production possible through consistent
friendship, support and generosity!
SHANNON DESMOND (PRODUCTION
STAGE MANAGER) is production stage
managing for Dead Writers again, having
stage managed Lady Windermere’s Fan last
season. Past credits include How the World
Began (Rivendell), New Alaska (Chicago
Dance Crash), Elliot, A Soldier’s Fugue
(Curious Theatre Company) and many
other productions. She would like to thank
Jim, Bob and her team for their continued
support. She is a proud graduate of
Northwestern University.
ERIC LUCHEN (SCENIC DESIGNER) is
thrilled to be working with Dead Writers
Theatre for the first time. Some of his
recent credits include The Drawer Boy, Good
People, Red (Redtwist Theatre) Educating
Rita (Citadel Theatre); Not Now Darling,
Spamalot (Brightside Theatre); Once Upon A
Symphony (Chicago Symphony Orchestra)
Upcoming productions: Oh Coward, The
Heiress (Dead Writers Theatre);The Stinky
Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales
(Emporia State University) You can see
more of his work at ericluchen.com.
NIC BELANGER (TECHNICAL DIRECTOR)
a resident of our lovely city of Chicago,
graduated from Millikin University in
2013 with a BFA in Theater. He has been
a Technical Director for Timeline Theater,
Citadel Theater, Stage Door Theatre and
Strange Tree Theater to name a few. This
will be his first show with Dead Writers
Theater and is Technical Director for the
entire 2016 Season. Enjoy the show.
AARON LORENZ (LIGHTING DESIGNER)
is working with Dead Writers for the first
time. Recent credits include The Lilliput
Troupe (Off-Broadway), boom (Honest
Theatre), Arcadia (Writers Theatre,
Programmer), Guys and Dolls (Light Opera
Works, Programmer) and Le Nozze di
Figaro (Northwestern’ s Bienen School of
Music, Assistant Lighting Designer). BA,
Northwestern University.
The Importance of Being Earnest
7
BIOGR APHIES
c o n t.
MEGAN WINES (MASTER ELECTRICIAN)
is a Chicago-based Lighting Designer
and electrician who holds a BA in Theatre
and Religious Studies from Northwestern
University. She predominantly works
within the Chicago dance community, but
is very excited to be working with the Dead
Writers Theatre Collective this season!
www.meganmwines.com
KENDRA KINGSBURY (DIALECT COACH)
is delighted to be back working with
Dead Writers Theatre Collective! As a
teacher of Fitzmaurice Voicework®, Kendra
has explored & studied voice, dialects
& movement all over the world. Recent
Chicago coaching credits include: The
Women of Lockerbie (Aston Rep), Dreams of
the Penny Gods (Halcyon Theatre), Design
for Living (Pride Films & Plays). Special
thanks to my darling husband and family
for being supportive & always continuing
to encourage me to follow my dreams.
JEFFREY LEVIN (SOUND DESIGN/
COMPOSER) is a composer, sound designer,
and musician based in Chicago IL. He is an
Artistic Associate of Profiles Theatre and
has also collaborated with Steppenwolf,
Strawdog, Oracle, Cor Theatre, Chicago
Commercial Collective, Stage Left, TUTA,
Step Up Productions, Chicago Fringe
Opera, Collaboraction, ChiArts High
School, and Columbia College. Awards and
Recognitions include 4 Joseph Jefferson
Award Nominations and one win for The
Hairy Ape at Oracle Theatre, winner of
the Edes Foundation Award for Emerging
artist, and winner of the Kleinman
Composition Competition.
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Dead Writers Theatre Collective
LEE COOLIDGE MOORE (SCENIC ARTIST)
is a graduate of Hofstra University. So far
in 2016, you may have seen her work at
Lookingglass Theatre, Piccolo Theatre,
Citadel Theatre and Griffin Theatre. You
can view some of her work on her website
leemoorescenic.com. She would like to
thank Beep and her family.
MATTHEW BONACCORSO* (ASSISTANT
STAGE MANAGER) is thrilled to be a
part of The Importance of Being Earnest’s
production team and is honored to be
surrounded by such an incredibly talented
cast and crew. He served as Assistant Stage
Management for Dead Writers’ productions
of: The Vortex, Tea with Edie and Fitz, Lady
Windermere’s Fan, and Stage Manager for
the Chamber Series productions of: Loos
Ends, Lady Windermere’s Fan, The House
of Mirth, and The Judas Kiss. Matthew will
be the Assistant Stage Manager for our
upcoming production of Oh Coward! In
addition to being a Collective Member, he
is Company Manager of Route 66 Theatre.
COURTNEY JONES, (ASSISTANT STAGE
MANAGER) returns after being a part of
two shows with Dead Writers (The Judas
Kiss and The Learned Ladies of Park Avenue).
Courtney has a B.A. in theatre from Lincoln
College, in Lincoln Illinois. She also has
Greek letters from the theatre group Alpha
Psi Omega. Courtney, 25, began interning
with Dead Writers in the summer of 2015.
ARTISTIC TEA M
Director.................................................................................................................................. Jim Schneider*
Costume Designer.................................................................................................................Patti Roeder*
Properties Designer........................................................................................................... Jim Schneider*
Music/Sound Design.............................................................................................................. Jeffrey Levin
Set Designer.................................................................................................................................Eric Luchen
Technical Director................................................................................................................... Nic Belanger
Lighting Designer...................................................................................................................Aaron Lorenz
Master Electrician...................................................................................................................Megan Wines
Scenic Charge............................................................................................................Lee Coolidge Moore
Hair & Wigs......................................................................................................................................Bob Kuper
PRODUCTION TEA M
Producers.................................................................................................Jim Schneider*Bob Douglas*
Production Stage Manager.................................................................................... Shannon Desmond
Assistant Stage Managers.............................................Matthew Bonaccorso*, Courtney Jones
Property Designer.............................................................................................................. Jim Schneider*
Vocal/Dialect Coach....................................................................................................Kendra Kingsbury
Grants Manager............................................................................................... TuDuyen (Willie) Wilson
Insurance Coordinator............................................................................................................ Bonny Mack
Bookkeeper............................................................................ Mike Wright, Technical Bookkeeping
Accountant...................................................................................................................Ralph Alberto, CPA
Systems............................................................................................................Keith Cooper, Cooperweb
House Manager................................................................................................ TuDuyen (Willie) Wilson
Moving & Transportation...........................................................................................NorthStar Moving
Ushers............................................................................................................................................... The Saints
M ARKETING TEA M
Marketing & Press Representative....................... Amy Karraker, Vanderstoep-Karraker, Ltd.
Printing......................................................................................................Brian Schauer, D&B Graphics
Poster Design................................................................................................................Maeghan Looney*
Production Videography............................................................................. Rick Lenser, VideoLenser
Marketing Photography.............................................................. Emma Meyer, Maeghan Looney*
Distribution.................................................................................................... Direction Tour Marketing
P L O T S U M M A R Y O F T H E I M P O R TA N C E O F B E I N G E A R N E S T
With this play, Wilde devised a wonderful way to make fun of the Victorian upper class
while also sending a salute to his gay friends who were socially acceptable because they
maintained a double life.
Young John Worthing needed a good excuse to sometimes escape the dull
responsibilities of his rural life. He had to maintain a proper country estate for his young
ward Cecily and her doting, if somewhat absent-minded nanny Miss Prism. His harmless
solution, however, soon turned into a complicated disaster.
John had invented Ernest, a fictitious London-dwelling brother who was often in need
of his help. This gave him the perfect excuse to go visit his close friend and confidant,
Algernon Moncrieff.
The Importance of Being Earnest
9
P L O T S U M M A R Y O F T H E I M P O R TA N C E O F B E I N G E A R N E S T
c o n t.
Algernon led a much more self-indulgent lifestyle. He also had a beautiful young
cousin named Gwendolen Fairfax. During his London sojourns, John, under the name
Ernest, has won Gwendolen’s love. As a true Victorian lady, she strongly desires to marry
someone with the confidence-inspiring name of Ernest.
When John asks for Gwendolen’s hand, however, he must first mollify her mother, the
formidable Lady Bracknell. When he confesses that he was not born to upper classes but
found in a handbag at Victoria Station, he is met with a stern demand. John/Ernest must
produce at least one parent before she consents to the marriage.
Rather than providing help to his good friend, Algeron sees this as a wonderful
opportunity for mischief. He arrives at John’s country home and introduces himself as
Ernest. He also falls in love with Cecily – a young beauty who had long been intrigued by
what she had heard of John’s bad boy brother.
Trouble begins when John returns home to discover the ruse. And, things become more
complicated with the arrival of Lady Bracknell and Gwendolen. Chaos erupts and all
seems lost. In the end, however, it is discovered that Miss Prism is the nurse who twenty
years ago misplaced the baby of Lady Bracknell’s brother in Victoria Station. Thus John,
whose name is indeed Ernest, is Algernon’s elder brother, and the play ends with the two
couples in a joyous embrace.
B OA R D O F D I R E C TO R S
Board of Directors
Bob Douglas*, President
James Hannigan*, Vice President
Susan Ferraro, DVM, Secretary
Beverley Coscarelli*, Treasurer
Rebecca Cameron, PhD
JoAnn Formanek
Eileen Howard-Weinberg
Brenda Kilianski*
Advisory Council
Susan Hannigan
Joanna Riopelle*
Joyce Ruth Saxon*
Jim Schneider*
Ruth Ann Koesun
Jeanne Lewin
Bridget McDonough
Sharyne Tu
TO Y T H E AT R E S
The Dead Writers Theatre Collective takes a historically accurate yet whimsically creative
approach to THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST.
HUGE POP-UP VALENTINES PUT BIG THEATRE IN A SMALL SPACE!
Jim Schneider, Artistic Director for the Dead Writers Theatre Collective, started with what
seemed a simple idea for staging THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST. “This play is not
only a classic love story but also a message to the London gay underground scene which
Wilde frequented with his young love, Lord Alfred Douglas,” he says. “It’s his Valentine to
the British aristocracy whose hypocrisy he despised for the double lives they lived and
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Dead Writers Theatre Collective
TO Y T H E AT R E S
c o n t.
the moral rot he felt lay under their rich trappings. So, why couldn’t we make the staging
for each of the three acts unfold in front of you like giant Valentines?”
Dead Writers Theatre Collective has long been known for staging highly elaborate and
detailed productions on a small stage. And, through extensive dramaturgical research,
all of our work is as historically accurate as possible. Since Wilde specifically chose to
premiere Earnest on Valentine’s Day of 1895 and pop-up Valentines were very popular
during that time, Schneider’s original idea combined with flat painted backdrops like
those in the original production worked well with the DWTC philosophy.
However, while there was no doubt that pop-up Valentines were
a good creative idea, could they actually function as planned onstage? That was the question Schneider posed to stage designer
Eric Luchen when they began working together six months ago.
“We originally wanted to have the set for each act function and
move like a pop-up card,” Luchen states. “But our stage at the
Athenaeum Theatre is only 20’ x 24’ and that idea didn’t utilize the
space as well as I would have hoped.”
To find a way to make Valentines work, Luchen followed a true Dead Writers Theatre
Collective tradition; he went back in time. “I started doing research and realized there was
a strong connection between the Victorian Era and Toy Theatres,” he states. “Suddenly,
Valentines and toy theatres merged into a single and elegant solution.”
Miniature toy or paper theatres date back to the early 19th
century in Europe. They were printed on paperboard sheets
and sold as kits at the concession stands at opera houses and
theatres. Audience members would assemble them at home
and perform the show themselves with family members and
guests, often with their own musical accompaniment.
In the first half of the 19th century, toy theatres were produced for more than 300 of
London’s most popular plays. Publishers sent artists to record the scenery, costumes and
dramatic moments of the live productions. Theater management would often provide
free seats to the artists as these toy theatres provided outstanding free advertising.
Toy theatres presented a wide range of staging. However, the
one thing they all had it common was the use of a proscenium,
a space that surrounded on the top and sides of the stage.
“The historical concept of the proscenium,” Schneider states,”
is that it provides the frame of the fourth wall of theatre stage
space which divides the actors and their stage-world from the
audience.”
The scenic design for The Importance of Being Earnest utilizes
a highly detailed proscenium inspired by those seen in toy
theatres, behind which, the two dimensional set pieces layer
and give the appearance of a giant Valentine for each act.
The entire stage area is 20’ x 24’ and everyone in the audience
will be close enough to see and enjoy all the details. “One thing
The Importance of Being Earnest
11
TO Y T H E AT R E S
c o n t.
I love about the Dead Writers approach to theatre, is their emphasis on detail work,” says
Luchen. “There will be an incredible amount of detailing painted into this design. I began
focusing on these painted details as I created the drafting for each set piece, to ensure
that they work on the individual pieces and cohesively as a whole. Our Technical Director
needs detailed silhouettes to ensure the success of the two dimensional scenery and our
charge artist needs a very clear idea of what the finished pieces should look like.”
The look for each of the three acts will be completely
different. Act Two has been the most challenging
because it fuses the toy theatre and Victorian Valentine
ideas in an organic and stylized setting. Designing each
piece to give the audience the visceral feel of a garden
yet still work inside the stylized concept one would
see in a Victorian Valentine has gone through several
versions.
The result of this tremendous amount of research and design effort is a stage that literally
comes out and unfolds in front of the audience for each act. “We’ve been incredibly
impressed with the sheer amount of research that Eric has put into this project,” says
Schneider. “The results are amazing.”
Luchen has enjoyed the entire process for this production. A successful
freelance designer, he earned his MFA from Purdue University and began
working in the Chicago area in 2010 by assisting established scenic
designers and Todd Rosenthal and Kevin Depinet. “For me, this set has
been a fun challenge. This is the first full production I’ve designed entirely
in the Victorian era,” he states. “This is also my first foray into the world of
pop-up set pieces.”
Director Jim Schneider is known for his Wilde endeavors that include
award-winning productions such as his 2007 Circle Theatre production of
An Ideal Husband as well as last season’s Dead Writers productions of Lady
Windermere’s Fan and The Judas Kiss. “The Importance of Being Earnest was
an instant success when it opened on Valentine’s Day in 1895 and Wilde
was at the pinnacle of his career,” Schneider explains. “This play involves
the very deception he was practicing in reality with his young lover Lord
Alfred Douglas.” Soon after opening night, Wilde was arrested on a charge
of gross indecency and his name was removed from the program and all advertising for
30 years. The box office collapsed immediately.
Watching the stage quite literally unfold would be reason enough
to see this production which runs from July 1 through July 31 at
the Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport. Collective Managing
Director Bob Douglas, however, is confident that the acting and
costuming will definitely outdo even the lavish staging. “We’re once
again being meticulous with our performances and costumes,”
he states. “Wilde used the stage to launch fashion trends and this
was the wonderful glittering world of the Victorian Dandy -- a time
when gentlemen wore top hats and velvet collars while holding an elegant walking stick
in a white gloved hand.”
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Dead Writers Theatre Collective
TO Y T H E AT R E S
c o n t.
Tickets are available at the Athenaeum Box Office at 773-935-6875 or through their
website at www.athenaeum.org. “This small, intimate space seats only 75 people,” says
Douglas. “There are 7:30pm performances on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, as well as a
2:30pm Sunday matinees. As we have a limited run of only 4 weeks and our productions
are popular and sell out quickly, we strongly recommend you order your tickets as soon
as possible.”
Recently chosen to be Jeff Eligible, Dead Writers Theatre Collective
is dedicated to producing works either by or about dead writers. It
is the only group of directors, designers, actors, playwrights and
educators who focus solely on the writer’s original voice rather than
imposing contemporary interpretations of his/her work. The goal
is to provide audiences a chance to understand the original work
through its own uniquely beautiful aesthetics. To find out more,
contact: Dead Writers Theatre Collective, 1143 West North Shore
Avenue, Chicago, IL 60626. 773-305-8221 [email protected]
A BRIEF BIO TIMELINE OF OUR DEAD WRITER - OSCAR WILDE
October 16,1854
Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde was born in Dublin to
successful Anglo-Irish intellectuals. He went to university at
both Dublin and Oxford, where he became known for his
involvement in the rising philosophy of aestheticism. Moved
to London after graduation.
1881
Aestheticism was sufficiently in vogue to be caricatured
by Gilbert and Sullivan in Patience (1881). Richard D’Oyly
Carte, an English impresario, invited Wilde to make a
lecture tour of North America, simultaneously priming
the pump for the US tour of Patience and selling this
most charming aesthete to the American public. Wilde
and aestheticism were both mercilessly caricatured and
criticized in the press. Wilde returned to London and was
introduced to Constance Llloyd, daughter of Horace Llloyd, a wealthy Queen’s Counsel.
1884
Wilde again met Constance, proposed to her and they were
married on May 29, 1884. Constance’s annual allowance of £250
was generous for a young woman. They lavishly renovated and
then moved into No. 16, Tite Street. They had two sons, Cyril (1885)
and Vyvyan (1886). During this time, Wilde met young Robert Ross
and became his lover. It has been reported that Wilde’s marriage
had begun to unravel after his wife’s second pregnancy.
The Importance of Being Earnest
13
A BRIEF BIO TIMELINE OF OUR DEAD WRITER - OSCAR WILDE
c o n t.
1890
1890 Wilde wrote a series of dialogues and essays. He also
incorporated themes of decadence and duplicity in his only novel,
The Picture of Dorian Gray. 1891 While in Paris, Wilde wrote the play,
Salome. It was refused a license to be played in England where
biblical subjects could not be performed on stage. During this time
period, Wilde used social comedies as a way to critique society while
gaining both income and popularity. Lady Windermere’s Fan was first
performed on February 20, 1892 to a house packed with society’s
most upper crust. It was followed by A Woman of No Importance in 1893. Wilde was
commissioned to write two more plays. An Ideal Husband, written in 1894, was produced
in January 1895.
1893
An intimate friendship developed between Wilde and the spoiled
young Bosie , Lord Alfred Douglas. They were very flamboyant in the
way they acted together in public. Wilde, who was earning up to £100
a week from his plays indulged Bosie’s every whim. Bosie introduced
Wilde to the Victorian underground of gay prostitution. Soon, his
public and private lives had become sharply divided. Bosie’s father,
the Marquess of Queensberry, was not pleased with his son’s behavior. He confronted
both Bosie and Wilde on several occasions.
1894 – 1895
Wilde began to write without the self-conscious decadence
found in his earlier works. The Importance of Being Earnest
was first performed on February 14, 1895 at the St. James
Theatre in London. Stage actor Allan Aynesworh, who played
Algernon, stated “In my fifty-three years of acting, I never
remember a greater triumph than that first night.” Although
he was in the theatre, Wilde did not appear on stage after the show. Queensbury, his
lover’s father, had planned to throw a bouquet of rotten fruit at him. His personal life
would soon fall apart. He was in prison fifteen weeks later.
February 18, 1895
On February 18, 1895, the Marquess left his calling card
at Wilde’s social club. His writing is scarcely legible, but
Wilde took it to read, “For Oscar Wilde, posing sodomite.”
Wilde, encouraged by Douglas and against the advice
of his friends, sued Queensberry for libel, since the note
amounted to a public accusation that Wilde had committed the crime of sodomy.
1897 – 1900
The resulting legal battles ended with full disclosure of Wilde’s
relationships with young male prostitutes. Although he could have
escaped to Paris, he chose to stay. Wilde entered prison on May 25,
1895, and was released on May 18, 1897. He sailed immediately to
France and would never return to Britain. Wilde spent his last three years
in impoverished exile. He wandered the boulevards alone, and spent
what little money he had on alcohol. He died of cerebral meningitis on
November 30, 1900. He was buried in a tomb commissioned by Robert Ross.
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Dead Writers Theatre Collective
HONORS / MEMORIALS - RECOGNIZE SOMEONE SPECIAL
Dead Writers’ Honor/Memorial Giving Program offers you a way to honor your
friends and family by making a tribute or memorial gift to Dead Writers. Your generous
contribution supports the artistic endeavors produced on our stages and helps fund our
vital programs.
Contributions made to Dead Writers Honor/Memorial Giving Program can be used to
honor any important occasion, including birthdays, weddings and anniversaries. It is also
a very special way to remember those who are no longer with us.
Honorees will receive a beautiful card notifying them of your thoughtful gift. Any
contributor will be listed in our programs and our website for one full year.
Contact Bob Douglas at 773.750.9730.
Memorial gifts honor the memory of a friend or loved one. Honor gifts provide an
opportunity to celebrate milestones such as anniversaries, birthdays, graduation or
weddings. Below are the commemorative gifts made between June 30th, 2015 and June
15th, 2016.
In Memory of Elsie Katherine Sphatt
JoAnn Formanek
Sandra D. Ochs
Jim Schneider
Robert Douglas Sphatt
In Memory of Christa Jean Formanek
& Christine Broom
JoAnn and George Formanek
In Memory of Bonnie DuBois Hilton
Jim Schneider
Bob Douglas
Edward Wavak
In Memory of Isabella Geraghty
Alain & Diana Monier
Sean Alan Monier
In Memory of Eberhard Schwerdtner
Robert Douglas Sphatt
“ F E A S T I N G W I T H PA N T H E R S ” - B U R I E D I N O S C A R ’ S TO M B
A very good friend is there, and what was mortal of a very good wit.
By CONNOLLY COLE
A hundred years after Oscar Wilde’s death in a seedy Paris hotel,
his story is as well-known as any in literary history, and in terms
of hard fact there is little new to discover. Jonathan Fryer’s
‘’Robbie Ross,’’ essentially a dual biography of Wilde and his first
lover and confidant, is nevertheless insightful and agreeably
readable.
Ross’s life has been so overshadowed by Wilde’s that he has been generally written off
as a mildly absurd little man, of indiscernible presence and no particular importance.
His devotion to Wilde was unwavering and almost canine in its unyielding affection. Yet
for all the obsequious flutter of his personality, there was a certain grit to his character,
which Wilde perceived when he appointed him his literary executor.
The Importance of Being Earnest
15
“ F E A S T I N G W I T H PA N T H E R S ” - B U R I E D I N O S C A R ’ S TO M B
c o n t.
The Ross family origins were in Northern Ireland, of Scottish lineage, like those of so
many Ulster Protestants. Robbie, demure and diminutive, studied history at Cambridge
University, where he had a ragged, unhappy time, and soon dropped out to dabble in the
fin-de-siècle aestheticism of the late Victorian and early Edwardian years as a journalist
and art connoisseur. Fryer is perceptive about the era, its colorful personalities and
perversities. Although a minor figure in the period, Ross successfully cultivated people
in influential circles, even dining as a guest of Prime Minister Herbert Asquith and his
flamboyant wife, Margot. As we learn from Fryer, Ross’s social success was a remarkable
achievement for a young man who was a known homosexual since his late teens, when
homosexuality was still criminal conduct under English law.
It is unclear when Ross first met Wilde. However, in 1886, on the brink of his brilliant
career as a playwright, Wilde was ripe for digression. Constance, his wife, was pregnant
with their second son and Wilde recoiled from her bloated, blotched appearance, so
much at variance with his exaggerated Hellenic concept of slim-waisted beauty. The
man who said he could resist everything but temptation was simply seduced by the
17-year-old Robbie -- his first ‘’boy.’’ As we know from Richard Ellmann’s biography, it was
Wilde’s first homosexual encounter. Fryer writes, ‘’For Robbie, flirtation and seduction
were savored as part of the spice and variety of life -- something which Oscar Wilde was
now determined to enjoy, with the energy of one who was making up for lost time.’’ Not
content to spoon among available young men in his own circle, Wilde began to frequent
male brothels; he boasted that he was ‘’feasting with panthers.’’
Between Ross and Lord Alfred Douglas, Wilde’s eventual nemesis, there was a friendly
rivalry for Wilde’s affection that later became embittered, with Douglas eventually
goading Ross into fruitless litigation, just as he had goaded Wilde into taking legal action
against his father, whom he hated more than he loved Wilde. Over the years, Douglas
would continue to hound Ross with unmitigated venom, right up to Robbie’s early death
in 1918.
But when Wilde, bankrupt and penniless, was released from Reading Gaol, it was Ross
who secured enough money from sympathetic friends to provide his profligate friend
with a decent level of destitution. That year Wilde wrote ‘’The Ballad of Reading Gaol,’’ his
last literary work, which Ross saw through to publication with some success. Thereafter,
Wilde was content to enjoy a life of fugitive pleasures, desultory tippling and random
sponging before dying of meningitis in a modest Parisian hotel, with Ross at his bedside.
Having not inconsiderably contributed to Wilde’s downfall, Ross, as his literary executor,
set out to restore his artistic reputation. He acquired Wilde’s scattered copyrights and
published ‘’The Collected Works of Oscar Wilde’’; he encouraged a young writer, Arthur
Ransome, to undertake the first biography of Wilde, printed in 1912, and erased the
bankruptcy of Wilde’s estate to the benefit of Wilde’s two sons, with whom he established
an avuncular friendship. Ross then arranged for the transfer of Wilde’s remains from the
obscure Bagneux cemetery to Pere Lachaise, the most celebrated cemetery in France.
Later he would direct that following his own death, his ashes should be buried in Wilde’s
tomb.
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Dead Writers Theatre Collective
“ F E A S T I N G W I T H PA N T H E R S ” - B U R I E D I N O S C A R ’ S TO M B
c o n t.
It has been said of Oscar Wilde that he strutted through the first half of the 1890’s and
staggered through the last. ‘’The Complete Letters of Oscar Wilde,’’ admirably edited and
scrupulously annotated by Merlin Holland, Wilde’s grandson, and Rupert Hart-Davis,
reflects both periods of his life. A neo-Epicurean, Wilde believed in the ego. He wrote
that it was personalities, not principles, that moved the ages. A self-made celebrity, Wilde
worshiped his creator. The sheer high-spirited self-absorption of these letters, right down
to his last days in Paris, confirms Shaw’s comment that Wilde was not made for tragedy.
Yet in his determined pursuit of his own personality, Wilde was oddly prescient of his
ultimate fate. ‘’I was a problem,’’ he wrote to Ross, ‘’for which there was no solution.’’
These letters, almost 1,500 in total, are a sort of substitute autobiography in which we
glimpse Wilde at his best, amiable and inimitable to the end. But as early as 1888 there is
also something coarse and florid, revealing those defects of character that finally brought
him down -- hubris and self-indulgence.
The first major publication of Wilde’s letters, 1,098 in all, appeared in 1962, edited by
Hart-Davis; a supplement edition, containing another 164 letters, was published in
1985. This centenary edition contains another 300 letters, none specifically referenced,
and includes his denunciation of Douglas (‘’De Profundis’’) and a manifold scattering of
self-serving epistles addressed to the sundry eminent. There are almost 200 letters to
Ross, but sadly only one to his wife, Constance; presumably all others were destroyed
following his disgrace. Nevertheless, this collection, resonant with Wilde’s unquenchable
spirit and charm, will have lasting appeal to all future biographers.
Connolly Cole, a former editor at The Irish Times, lives in New York.
WO O LTO N , T H E S C E N E O F O U R P L A Y
Originally a separate village, Woolton, the scene of our play, was incorporated into the
City of Liverpool in 1913. The area was referred to as Uluentune in the Domesday Book,
with the name translating as “farm of Wulfa”. Shortly after the Domesday survey, which
was completed in 1086, Woolton became part of the Barony of Halton and Widnes. In
1189, a charge was granted by John, Constable of Chester, to the order of Knights of St.
John of Jerusalem, a religious order who protected the routes for Christians who were on
a pilgrimage to The Holy Land. These Knights Hospitallers held land in Woolton for over
350 years, until it was confiscated from them in 1559 by Queen Elizabeth I. The manorial
rights to Woolton passed from Queen Elizabeth to James I who sold them to William
Stanley, 6th Earl of Derby. Woolton then passed to Isaac Green, and through his daughter
to her son Bamber Gascoyne of Childwall (MP for Liverpool 1780-96 and an ancestor of
Bamber Gascoigne and is now owned by the Marquis of Salisbury.
Today, Woolton is a prestigious middle class suburb. Public houses in the area include
The White Horse, The Cobden, The Victoria, The Grapes and The Elephant. Many Beatles
landmarks can be found in Woolton, including ‘Mendips’ (Lennon’s childhood home at
251 Menlove Avenue) and Strawberry Field. Another one of Woolton’s claims to fame is
that John Lennon and Paul McCartney first met at St. Peter’s garden fete on 6 July 1957.
The Importance of Being Earnest
17
H I S TO R I C P H O TO S
The Dead Writers Theatre Collective works very hard to offer our
audiences staging and production values that closely match the
original show. Here are photos from the original staging of The
Importance of Being Earnest. -- Jim Schneider, Artistic Director
131655
Irene Vanbrugh as Gwendolen Fairfax and George Alexander as
Jack Worthing in the 1895 production of ‘The Importance of Being
Earnest’, from The Sketch magazine, London, March 1895. NAL
The cigarette case scene from original production of The Importance of
Being Earnest in 1895 with Allan Aynesworthas as Algernon (left) and
George Alexander as John (right.)
Allan Aynesworth, Evelyn Millard, Irene Vanbrugh and George
Alexanderin in 1895 London premiere.
Mrs George Canninge as Miss Prism and Evelyn Millard as Cecily
Cardew in the first production.
Programme for the first production of ‘The Importance of Being
Earnest’ by Oscar Wilde, St James’s Theatre, London, 1895.
T H A N K YO U S
Joyce Saxon*
The Clare, Kyle Exline, Executive Director;
Lori Griffin, Director, Life Enrichment
The Athenaeum Theatre, Allan Chambers,
Executive Director and Team
1900 N. Austin Warehouses, Peter Arenson,
Owner
Joanna Riopelle*
Keith Cooper, Cooperweb.com
Bev Coscarelli*
The Saints
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Dead Writers Theatre Collective
The Dead Writers Theatre Collective Board
of Directors
Mary Anne Bowman*
Patti Roeder*
Noah Sullivan
Michael Stults, Bread and Roses
Remy Bumppo Theatre
Light Opera Works, Bridget McDonough,
Executive Director and Team
Dan Pontarelli, Pontarelli Companies
Winston & Strawn LLP
GIFTS
The Society of Friends of Dead Writers Theatre Collective is a select group of concerned
supporters who make tax-deductible gifts in support of the Company. Of these financial gifts
99% are seen on the stage because at this date we do not pay administrative salaries. The
following Friends have made contribution from July1, 2015 through June 30, 2016. We salute
you! To become a member of the Society of Friends, please call 773.750.9730.
FOUNDATION
& CORPORATE
UNDERWRITERS
Bank of America (Matching
Gift Program)
Bridgeview Bank
John R. Halligan Charitable
Fund
The Grill on the Alley
Property Tax Control
RCPA & Associates
The Saints, Volunteers for
the Performing Arts
Barbara & Barre Seid
Foundation
$25,000+
Joyce Saxon
$5,000 – $9,999
James and Susan Hannigan
$2,500 – $4,999
Anonymous
Sandra Ochs
Jerri Jennifer Smart
$1,000 – $2,499
Susan Ferraro
JoAnn Formanek
Gwen Grogan & Cindy
Gaver
Bernard & Averill Leviton
Bridget McDonough
Richard & Jane Nystrom
Richard Rinehart
Noah Sullivan
Ronald D. Weslow
$500 – $999
Bev Coscarelli
Elliott Fredland
Mr. and Mrs. Michael
Hagedorn
Dennis and Dee Lynne
Bridget McDonough
Kevin McGirr
Sara Minton
$250 – $499
Cathy Hertzberg
Susan Gohl
Barry Gross
James Harger and Mark
Johnson
Alain and Diana Monier
Michael Pacas and Timothy
Cagney
Marilyn Perno
Robert D. Sphatt
Ed Wavak
$100 – $249
Marlena Ascher
Andrea Bauer
Darla D. Goudeau
Howard Greenberg
Therese Gutfreund
Eileen Howard-Weinberg
Diana Hunt King
Jim Egeberg
Ed Jamieson
Amy Muncie and Peter
Kachergis
Gwen Nodiff
Marilyn Parsons
Liza Pilch
Joan Riley and Jim
Goodridge
Rosemarie Roseth
Robert Rubenstein
Ron and Gena Settle
Isolde Stiller
Joseph Streeto
Michael Sullivan and
Associates
David Wojtowicz, DDS
To $99
Lynne Denise Bergero
David Buzenberg
James & Margaret Carlson
Robert Cramer
Major George Dempsey
(Ret)
Ruth France
Adele Friedman and Stu
Kisilinsky
Dale Glanzman
Richard Groh
Michael and Laura Kibler
Jane Lippow
Linda Lucht
Marjorie P McIntyre
Bridget Regan
Gail Schoenbeck
William & Lorian Schwaber
Lynn Stutzriem
Kathleen Sullivan
Sharyne Tu
Vince and Irene Vitullo
The Importance of Being Earnest
19
OUR NEXT CHA MBER PRODUCTIONS !
DEAD WRITERS THEATRE COLLECTIVE
Jim Schneider
Artistic Director
presents
Bob Douglas
Managing Director
The 2016 Season
“Oh, Coward!”
A Musical Comedy Revue
Words and Music by NOEL COWARD
Devised by RODERICK COOK
Directed by Cameron Turner
Musical Direction by Jerry H. Bailey
August 26 – September 25, 2016
Winner of 4 Academy Awards,
based on the Henry James Novel
“The Heiress”
Directed by Jim Schneider*
September 29 – October 23, 2016
*Denotes Member of Dead Writers Theatre Collective
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Athenaeum Theatre Box Office
773.935.6875 | www.athenaeumtheatre.org
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Dead Writers Theatre Collective