At age 59, Tom Chiola has more life experience than many of his fellow cast mates in Bohemian Theatre Ensemble's production of Icarus at Theater Wit. However, Chiola humbly admits that in terms of stage experience, he's very much the new kid on the block.
"I'm the youngster when it comes to these casts every time," said Chiola when comparing his acting abilities to his castmates'. "I see these kids who have all these credits like Luke Daigle who plays Beau in Icarus—he has an extensive Shakespearean background. I'm in awe of what he's done and he's, like, twentysomething!"
However, for many people in the LGBT community, Chiola inspires plenty of awe himself as the as the first openly gay candidate in Illinois history to be elected for public office. From his election in 1994 to his retirement in 2010, Chiola served as Circuit Court judge in the 8th Judicial Subcircuit.
"Being the first openly gay candidate elected to office, it was kind of lonely there the first couple of years on the bench," Chiola said. "But I saw us go from just me to 15 gay and lesbian judges when I left and having openly gay alderman and state representatives."
When Chiola was offered a chance to retire with full benefits, he jumped at the opportunity, in part so he could return to his pre-law passion for acting.
"I grew up in down Springfield and my escape was to do summer theater," Chiola said, adding that he appeared in Springfield Muni Opera community theater productions from freshman year of high school through to law school.
"It was pretty much 'schmacting' my way along. I could be a big fish in a small pond there and play the leads." Chiola said. "When I was at college at Illinois State, I hung around the theater department but I never really thought that I could make a living doing it."
Throughout Chiola's law career, theatergoing was just another hobby like his passion for running and competing in triathlons. Now he considers himself to be very lucky to have the means (and a supportive partner in Drew Jemilo) to pursue acting not only as a hobby, but potentially as a second career.
"How many times do you get a second chance in life and to be able to explore something without so many other things hanging over you?" Chiola said. "I watch people, particularly the kids who are throwing themselves into theater and they're working two or three jobs to be able to go and do what they love to do."
One of Chiola's first post-bench acting jobs was as an understudy in the Midwest premiere of Fucking Men for Bailiwick Chicago in 2010. Chiola was able to work with the show's Tony Award-winning playwright, Joe DiPietro, during rehearsals.
"[DiPietro] took La Ronde and rewrote it as a gay male piece just as a sort of writing exercise, never thinking that it would be produced," Chiola said about the show's eyebrow-raising title. "I think it turned out to be quite a lovely piece. I was quite enthralled when I read it for the first time and I saw so many parts of me and people who I've known over the years and how we have to deal with relationships."
Chiola also appeared earlier this year in the golf musical Fairways for End Point Theatre. However, now he is part of the ensemble of Bohemian Theatre Ensemble's Chicago premiere of Edwin Sanchez's Icarus.
The play involves an assortment off odd people (like a vainglorious actress and a guy who always wears a ski mask) who assemble in a beachfront community during the off season. Chiola plays the quirky Mr. Ellis, who has helped in a hospital escape but now lives under the porch of a beach house.
"He has his stuffed cat and his suitcase of dreams," Chiola said about his eccentric character, one of many who populate the play with what he describes as a sort of "touch-the-sun kind of striving that they're all aiming for."
Once the run of Icarus finishes, it's back to more classes and rounds of auditions for Chiola. Though there aren't too many credits on his theater resume, Chiola has noted one advantage that he does have over some other actors in Chicago's storefront theater scene.
"What I find to be helpful in my demographic, is that guys my age who are still doing theater are probably Equity. And so they really can't do shows in some of the smaller non-Equity houses," Chiola said. "So they're sometimes looking for guys my age who hopefully have a bit of talent that they can cast."
Bohemian Theatre Ensemble's Icarus continues through Sunday, July 24, at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont. Performances are 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $25. Call 773-975-8150 or visit www.bohotheatre.com for more information.
