Chicago, IL — Court Theatre proudly announces its 2012/13 season under the continuing leadership of Artistic Director Charles Newell, Executive Director Stephen J. Albert, Board Chair Virginia Gerst and Deputy Provost of the Arts Larry Norman. The company's 58th season will feature August Wilson's Jitney, directed by Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson; a reimagining of James Joyce's The Dead directed by Artistic Director Charles Newell with Musical Direction by Doug Peck; David Hare's Skylightdirected by William Brown in his Court Theatre debut; and University of Chicago alumnus David Auburn's Proof, also directed by Charles Newell. Newell will close the season by returning to the world of French Baroque with Moliere's The Misanthrope, followed by Tartuffe.
Artistic Director Charles Newell says, "Court Theatre is in the midst of an exciting period of growth and evolution. Our fifty-eighth season will be another great Court season, including some signature offerings: classic plays, an intimate musical, and our continued exploration of the African American canon. We will once again feature our resident artist Ron OJ Parson directingJitney, Court's latest installment in August Wilson's Century Cycle. Doug Peck and I are launching a reimagined version of James Joyce's The Dead, followed by the Court Theatre debut of William Brown directing David Hare's Skylight, an intimate play that, I believe, will catch our audiences by surprise. I'm excited to direct Proof, bringing David Auburn's play about the University of Chicago home to Hyde Park. Finally, I plan to top off the season by making a long overdue return to my roots in the French Baroque with a festival of two Moliere comedies, The Misanthrope and Tartuffe."
The 2012/13 Court Theatre Season Up-Close:
Jitney
September 6 - October 14, 2012
By August Wilson
Directed by Ron OJ Parson
Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson (The Piano Lesson, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom) returns to direct Jitney, Court's latest installment of August Wilson's Century Cycle. Described by Wilson as the play in which he discovered his voice, Jitney weaves themes of tragedy and transcendence into a rich tapestry of stories about a community struggling to get by and longing to flourish. Fraught relationships, violent tensions, and unfulfilled desires ebb and flow inside Becker's car service, an unlicensed jitney station that serves the black community of Pittsburgh's Hill District in 1977. This powerful and timely piece explores the desperate need to connect when everything seems to be falling apart.
James Joyce's "The Dead"
November 8 - December 9, 2012
Book by Richard Nelson
Music by Shaun Davey
Lyrics conceived and adapted by Richard Nelson and Shaun Davey
Directed by Charles Newell
Music Direction by Doug Peck
Artistic Director Charles Newell and Music Director Doug Peck, whose professional collaborations include Porgy and Bess andCaroline, or Change, team up for a delightful reimagining of Court Theatre's eccentric holiday classic, James Joyce's The Dead. Filled with the warmth of a flickering hearth, the fervor of an Irish folk song, and the mystery of a snowy winter's eve, this piece tells the tale of a group of family and friends as they gather to sing and dance in celebration of the Feast of the Epiphany in Dublin at the turn of the last century. Hauntingly beautiful and joyfully spirited, James Joyce's The Dead offers a heartfelt accompaniment to the holiday season.
Skylight
January 10 - February 10, 2013
By David Hare
Directed by William Brown
A chamber play of surprising force, David Hare's Skylight captures a cultural rift as powerful and polarizing today as it was when the piece premiered at the National Theater in Great Britain in 1995. On a bitterly cold London evening, schoolteacher Kyra Hollis receives an unexpected visit from her former lover, Tom Sergeant, a successful and charismatic restaurant owner whose wife has just passed away. As the night wears on, the two attempt to rekindle their once passionate relationship only to find themselves locked in a dangerous battle of opposing ideologies and mutual desires. Director William Brown makes his Court Theatre debut with this intimate, contemporary drama.
Proof
March 7 - April 14, 2013
By David Auburn
Directed by Charles Newell
This Pulitzer Prize-winning play set in Hyde Park comes home to Court Theatre in an inspired, non-naturalistic new production directed by Artistic Director Charles Newell. Genius mathematician and University of Chicago professor Robert is struggling with mental illness. His fiercely brilliant yet emotionally fragile daughter Catherine is trying to pick up the pieces of her life. Caught between a new-found connection with one of Robert's former students and the reappearance of her sister, Claire, Catherine's world becomes increasingly unstable. As she struggles to find herself amid her father's world of hidden complexities and tantalizing secrets, she is forced to face the possibility of inheriting both her father's creative genius and his terrifying mental illness.
The Misanthrope
May 9, 2013 — June 9, 2013
By Molière
Translated by Richard Wilbur
Directed by Charles Newell
In a society where social graces reign supreme, the cynical Alceste causes a scandal when he refuses to play his part in the charade. Torn between his love for the coquettish Célimène and the pretenses he so despises, Alceste finds himself alone in a world where words are brandished like weapons and status is defined by style. Unwilling to play the hypocrite any longer, Alceste must decide his destiny. Artistic Director Charles Newell made his Chicago debut in 1993 with a revelatory production of Marivaux's The Triumph of Love, establishing Court's reputation for a sophisticated, emotionally complex approach to classic verse text. Newell returns to his roots in the French Baroque with this wickedly funny and dangerous comedy of manners.
Tartuffe
June 20, 2013 — July 14, 2013
By Molière
Translated by Richard Wilbur
Directed by Charles Newell
A devilish comedy about the art of deception and the price of misplaced faith, Moliere's Tartuffe reveals a tale as outrageous as it is insightful. When the cunning imposter Tartuffe wields a pretense of piety to capture the imagination of aging family-man Orgon, the scoundrel succeeds in insinuating himself into the patriarch's home, throwing Orgon's family into utter chaos. As Orgon's foolish infatuation with Tartuffe's fraudulent religious fervor grows, the depth of Tartuffe's deception turns dangerous. Artistic Director Charles directs the French classic Tartuffe with a provocative contemporary approach that will illicit deep laughter of recognition.
NOTE: Misanthrope and Tartuffe will feature the same cast.
Subscription Information
Six, five, four and three play subscriptions to Court's 2012/2013 season range from $90 to $312 and are on sale now. To purchase a subscription or to receive more information, call the Court Theatre Box Office at (773) 753-4472, or visit Court's website at www.CourtTheatre.org . Individual tickets for all shows will be available on July 16th. Groups of 10 or more may purchase tickets by calling Groups Manager Kate Vangeloff at (773) 834-3243.
Now in its 58th season, Court Theatre is guided by its mission to discover the power of classic theatre. Court endeavors to make a lasting contribution to American theatre by expanding the canon of translations, adaptations, and classic texts. Court revives lost masterpieces, illuminates familiar texts, and distinguishes fresh, modern classics. Court engages and inspires its audience by providing artistically distinguished productions, audience enrichment activities, and student educational experiences.
Court Theatre is the professional theatre in residence at the University of Chicago continuing to discover the power of classic theatre. Court Theatre operates under an agreement between the League of Resident Theatres and Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. Productions are made possible in part by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, and by a City Arts grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs.
Court Theatre is a constituent of Theatre Communications Group, the national organization for the American Theatre; the League of Resident Theatres; the Illinois Humanities Council; the Arts Alliance Illinois; the League of Chicago Theatres; and Hyde Park Cultural Alliance.
