Chicago, IL — American Theater Company proudly announces Season 28, which kicks off with two American classics in rotating repertory — The Catholic Repertory: Doubt & Agnes of God — featuring Ensemble Member Sadieh Rifai; and a Chicago holiday repertory — The Radio Repertory: The Wizard of Oz & It's a Wonderful Life — directed by ATC Artistic Associate Jason W. Gerace. The season continues with the World Premiere of the revised version of the United States Theatre Project's columbinus, conceived and directed by Artistic Director PJ Paparelli. Following in the wake of contemporary shootings like those at Virginia Tech, Paparelli will return to Littleton, Colorado for the first time in ten years to conduct new interviews with survivors and community members; the revised production of columbinus will be part of the theatre community's citywide discussion on school violence "Now Is the Time to Act," together with Steppenwolf and About Face Theater.
Closing out Paparelli's 5th anniversary season as Artistic Director at ATC is a restored and revised version of the classic American rock musical Hair. Following the success of The Original Grease, Paparelli now teams up with Hair co-creator James Rado to restore original material from the 1968 off-Broadway production that hasn't been seen in 45 years.
"Season 28 tells landmark stories at the heart of being an American. Faith, community, school violence and war: all the triggers that engage Americans in passionate dialogue," says Paparelli. "Season 28 is a collection of explosive American stories offered up in the ways that have uniquely defined ATC over the last 5 years: exploring a repertory of classic American plays, introducing an iconic film into our holiday radio play tradition, revising a documentary theatre piece that changed my life, and partnering with the author of a revolutionary musical to restore original material. I've never been more excited about a season than this one."
THE 2012-2013 AMERICAN THEATER COMPANY SEASON IS AS FOLLOWS:
Two American Classics in Rotating Repertory
The Catholic Repertory:
Doubt & Agnes of God
Featuring ATC Ensemble Member Sadieh Rifai
September 6 - October 28, 2012
American Theater Company continues its tradition of repertory productions with two Tony Award-winning plays that examine the mystery and power of faith. Three actresses tackle both plays in an explosive evening of unforgettable drama, performed in rotating repertory.
Doubt Agnes of God
Written by John Patrick Shanley Written by John Peilmeier
The Bronx. 1964. A Catholic school principal takes Upstate New York. 1984. A court-ordered psychiatrist
matters into her own hands when she suspects the battles with a Mother Superior when she attempts to
beloved parish priest of improper conduct determine why a young novitiate committed an
with a student. unspeakable crime.
A Chicago Holiday Repertory
The Radio Repertory:
The Wizard of Oz & It's a Wonderful Life
Directed by ATC Artistic Associate Jason W. Gerace
November 15 - December 30, 2012
American Theater Company continues its exploration of repertory theatre with two of the most famous American films of all time! Nine actors perform these legendary American stories as 1940 radio plays including live Foley sound effect and commercial breaks.
The Wizard of Oz (rights pending) It's a Wonderful Life
By L. Frank Baum Adapted from the Frank Capra film
Adapted by Frank Gabrielson
With Music and Lyrics of the MGM score
by Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg
Kansas. 1939. L. Frank Baum's unforgettable story Bedford Falls. 1948. Celebrating its eleventh year,
of a little girl's journey over the rainbow to discover ATC tells Capra's classic story of one man's effect
the true meaning of home. on his community.
World Premiere of Revised Version
columbinus
by the United States Theatre Project
Written by Stephen Karam and PJ Paparelli
Dramaturgy by Patricia Hersch
Conceived and Directed by Artistic Director PJ Paparelli
January 25 - February 24, 2013
Littleton, Colorado. 1999. Two teenagers devastate a community and shock the country when they walk into their suburban high school and kill 12 students and 1 teacher. Based on interviews with teenagers across the country and survivors and community members in Littleton, this haunting drama takes a hard look at modern teenagers through the lens of the most infamous high school shooting in American history. Artistic Director PJ Paparelli returns to Littleton, CO ten years later to conduct new interviews and add additional material to what Variety called, "This one comes straight from the gut…highly theatrical and deeply disturbing."
Restored & Revised 45th Anniversary Production
Hair
Music by Galt MacDermot
Lyrics and Book by James Rado and Gerome Ragni
Directed by Artistic Director PJ Paparelli
April 26 - June 16, 2013
Greenwich Village. 1968. During the most tumultuous year in our nation's history, a group of young hippies explore sex, love, and rock 'n' roll while fighting for civil rights and the end of the war in Vietnam. Artistic Director PJ Paparelli and author James Rado return to the original 1967 off-Broadway script to revise and restore material never-before-seen in the controversial rock musical that forever changed the American theatre.
SEASON 28 SUBSCRIPTION AND TICKET INFORMATION:
Friday or Saturday Night $195+ ($165+ without It's a Wonderful Life*)
Thursday Night or Weekend Matinee $175+ ($145+ without It's a Wonderful Life*)
Preview Performance $150+
Flex Pass (3 tickets for any combination of shows) $125
Early Bird Preview (before July 1) $125
Early Bird Flex Pass (before July 1) $99
*Packages without It's A Wonderful Life are only available to renewing subscribers
+As of this announcement, The Wizard of Oz: The Radio Play is rights pending. Subscribers will not be charged for The Wizard of Oz: The Radio Play until rights have been confirmed.
Subscriptions range in price from $99 to $195 and are available at the Box Office, (773) 409-4125, or online atwww.atcweb.org .
About American Theater Company
American Theater Company is an ensemble of artists committed to producing new and classic American stories that ask the question, "What does it mean to be an American?" ATC's Ensemble includes Usman Ally, Patrick Andrews, Kareem Bandealy, Jaime Castañeda, Joe Minoso and Sadieh Rifai.
American Theater Company is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, and CityArts grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. Additional valuable support is provided by the Boeing Charitable Trust, the Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, Illinois Humanities Council, Polk Bros. Foundation, the MacArthur Fund at Prince Charitable Trust, and the Shubert Foundation.
