My goodness, dear readers, Jonny cannot remember a week in which there was more major theater news than last week! If you love stage doors as much as Jonny does ( and some of you do ) , you must be nearly as breathless as Jonny ( and some of you are ) .
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Pictured: Bonnie Metzgar, About Face Theatre's new artistic director. The Broadway production of August: Osage County. Photo by Joan Marcus.
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To begin with, it was announced May 13 that our very own Chicago Shakespeare Theater has won the 2008 Tony Award for Regional Theatre, given by the American Theatre Wing and the Broadway League to a non-profit theater company of sustained artistic excellence. No one deserves it more than Chicago Shakes, which has many LGBT supporters and subscribers. Chicago Shakes Executive Director Criss Henderson told Jonny that he and Founder Barbara Gaines would attend the Tony Awards June 15 at Radio City Music Hall to accept the award ( and $25,000 cash ) . He also said Associate Artistic Director Gary Griffin would join them, along with the troupe's creative producer, Rick Boynton ( who is Mr. Henderson's partner ) .
The Regional Theatre Tony Award is selected by members of the American Theatre Critics Association across the country in a confidential process. The critics then forward their choice to the Tony folk in the form of a recommendation, which they may accept or reject. So far, they've never rejected the critics' choice. Jonny is proud to say that all four Windy City Times critics are members of the American Theatre Critics Association—Mary Shen Barnidge, Scott Morgan, Catey Sullivan and Jonny, himself—and all four participated in the selection of Chicago Shakespeare Theater.
The regular Tony Award nominations were announced the same day, with the Steppenwolf Theatre Company production of August: Osage County receiving seven nominations, much to the surprise of none and delight of all. Jonny is delighted to tell you that Jonny reported the Tony Award news on Chicago Public Radio within minutes of its being announced, thus scooping everyone else in town, including the Tribune and the Sun-Times.
Alas, not two days later, the daily newspoopers scooped Jonny with the report that Porchlight Music Theatre will have a jewel of a new, permanent home in a $5 million purchase-and-renovate plan for the landmarked 1923 bank building at 1425 W. Fullerton. The 19,000-square-foot venue will become a plush 299-seat proscenium theater managed by Porchlight Founder/Artistic Director L. Walter Stearns, who will lease it to other performing arts groups between Porchlight productions. The Lincoln Park Theater Center is expected to open in 2009.
Then, last Friday, everyone received word at the same time that Jason Loewith, who has guided Evanston's Next Theatre Company for six years, will step down next season, although he'll stage two of the troupe's four shows using the tile of artistic director emeritus. A search is under way for his successor. Mr. Loewith initially will move to Washington, D.C. to be with his partner ( who moved to D.C. last year ) , but you can be certain he will entertain numerous freelance offers as a writer and director. Jonny says that with confidence as dimpled Jason made a most auspicious off-Broadway debut in early spring with The Adding Machine. This is a musical version of a famous 1920s American play, which Loewith and Joshua Schmidt musicalized and premiered at Next Theatre last year. It was a big hit here and has been an even bigger hit in New York where, on May 5, it won four Lucille Lortel Awards—the most of any Off-Broadway show—including Outstanding Musical and Outstanding Director ( David Cromer, currently represented in Chicago by Our Town ) .
It seems almost anticlimactic to report that About Face Theatre introduced its new artistic director, Bonnie Metzgar, at the May 15 Wonka Ball, the annual About Face gala that raised a small ton of money. Ms. Metzgar, currently completing teaching duties at Brown University, will move full-time to Chicago with her partner in July. About Face Co-Founder Eric Rosen—now artistic director of the Kansas City Rep—was in attendance and looking quite fit, perhaps because he now owns a country house outside Kansas City. He said he gets a great deal of exercise supervising the farm hands. He kindly invited Jonny to come visit. Mmmm, yes!
While at the Wonka Ball, Jonny had a pleasant conversation with one of Jonny's favorite actors, Elizabeth Laidlaw, who played Xena in Xena Live! at About Face. Jonny had not seen her on stage in some time. It seems Ms. Laidlaw has laid low playing wife and mother, with a son now 20 months old. She also is running a summertime classical theater in Elberta, Mich. ( near Traverse City ) , called the Lakeside Shakespeare Theatre. Check it out if you head up that way in late July—it's not far from beautiful Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Lakeside Shakespeare will present the The Taming of the Shrew and All's Well That Ends Well in rotating rep, July 20-31. Performances are free!