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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 2 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 3 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 4 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 6 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. 8 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 10 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.” 12 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. 14 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. 16 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 18 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 20 Dead Writers Theatre Collective