THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

The cast includes: Cher Alvarez ( Nora ), Greg Matthew Anderson ( Dr. Rank ), Amy J. Carle ( Anne Marie ), Tiffany Renee Johnson ( Christine ), Adam Poss ( Krogstad ) and Yousof Sultani ( Torvald ).

The creative team includes: Arnel Sancianco ( Scenic Designer ), Izumi Inaba ( Costume Designer ), Sarah Hughey ( Lighting Designer ), Thomas Dixon ( Sound Designer ), Rachel Watson ( Properties Designer ), Gaby Labotka ( Intimacy/Fight/Movement Director ), Bobby Kennedy ( Dramaturg ), Denise Yvette Serna ( Assistant Director ), and Becky Pechter ( Stage Manager ).

This celebrated drama by the playwright of WT's smash hit Hedda Gabler receives a sleek, streamlined 90-minute interpretation that is unpredictable, fresh and captivating.

This focused one-act adaptation of the Henrik Ibsen classic reinvigorates the compelling story of the vibrant young Nora Helmer, deeply devoted to her husband Torvald. However, all is not as it appears: when Nora takes action to protect her husband, she unwittingly puts them both in jeopardy, testing the bonds of their marriage and forcing them to take stock of their relationship and ask themselves how well they truly know one another…

"I had the distinct pleasure of collaborating with Definition Theatre on the first incarnation of this script some four years ago," comments Artistic Director and co-adapter Michael Halberstam. "Lavina Jadhwani approached me about staging it at Writers Theatre, as it is a play that she has always had a passion for, but we both agreed that the script would benefit from further development. We both loved the shape of the piece but wanted the dialogue to flow more effortlessly. After careful consideration we approached Sandra Delgado to see if the project might interest her and to our delight, she enthusiastically agreed. The script we are bringing to Writers Theatre benefits not only from the strong voices that Sandra has given the characters but the production will reap countless rewards from the fresh and extraordinarily talented cast and design team Lavina has assembled. We are grateful to Definition for incubating the piece and excited to see it thrive and grow with the resources that Writers has been able to provide. Our current production script still has the same economy, urgency and drive as my first version, but it now sparkles with wit, vitality and a stronger point of view."

Directed by Lavina Jadhwani ( Vietgone ) and given an intensely intimate staging in the Gillian Theatre, A Doll's House draws the audience into the middle of a combustible domestic moment as husband and wife must navigate truth and deceit, and determine whether their seemingly perfect life is truly the one they thought they always wanted.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Sandra Delgado ( Co-Adapter ) is a Colombian-American writer and actor best known for her play La Havana Madrid, which enjoyed sold-out runs at Steppenwolf and Goodman Theatre, and most recently in a co-production with Teatro Vista and Collaboraction. La Havana Madrid received recognition as one of the best plays of 2017 by New City and Time Out Chicago, and the Time Out Audience Award for Best New Work. It was an Alliance of Latinx Theatre Artists ( ALTA ) nominee for the Maria Irene Fornes New Play Award and ALTA Award winner for Best Production and was featured in the New York Times and CNN. Her new play, Felons and Familias, was part of Theatre on the Lake's 2018 season and The Goodman Theatre's New Stages Festival under the new title, Hundreds and Hundreds of Stars. Ms.Delgado is also a respected veteran of the stage, with a career spanning two decades. Acting highlights include La Ruta, Motherf**ker with the Hat ( Steppenwolf Theatre ), Oedipus El Rey ( The Public Theater ), the epic five-hour 2666 ( Goodman Theatre ) and Mojada ( Victory Gardens Theater ), where her portrayal of Medea earned distinction as one of the Top Ten performances of the year by the Chicago Tribune.

Sandra is an Illinios Arts Council Fellow in Literature, a 3Arts Awardee, Joyce Awardee, TCG Resident Actor Fellow, the recipient of two DCASE and 3Arts 3AP Project grants, a resident playwright at Chicago Dramatists and a member of ALTA's Semillero Playwright's Circle. She is a founding ensemble member of Collaboraction and Teatro Vista, and is currently the artist-in-residence at Loyola University Chicago, where she is developing her new musical, The Boys and the Nuns. Sandra is one of the 20 women of Chicago arts and culture honored in Kerry James Marshall's mural Rushmore on the facade of the Chicago Cultural Center. sandradelgado.net

Michael Halberstam ( Artistic Director, Co-Adapter ) Michael Halberstam is the co-founder of Writers Theatre. He has directed over thirty-five productions for the company, including Not About Heroes ( starring Nicholas Pennell ), Private Lives, Look Back In Anger, Candida, The Father, Crime and Punishment, Benefactors, The Seagull, The Duchess of Malfi, Othello, The Savannah Disputation, the world premiere musical A Minister's Wife, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, She Loves Me, The Real Thing, Hamlet, Sweet Charity, Days Like Today, Isaac's Eye, Arcadia, Death of a Streetcar Named Virginia Woolf: A Parody ( which he co-directed with Stuart Carden ), Julius Caesar ( which he co- adapted and directed with Scott Parkinson ), The Importance of Being Earnest, and Twelfth Night. Elsewhere he directed The Gamester ( Northlight Theatre ) ,A Man for All Seasons ( Peninsula Players Theatre ), Hamlet ( Illinois Shakespeare Festival ),Candida ( Jean Cocteau Repertory in New York ), Ten Little Indians ( Drury Lane Theatre ), a highly acclaimed revival of Crime and Punishment, which Writers Theatre produced Off-Broadway at 59E59 Theaters in New York City, Enchanted April and State of the Union( Milwaukee Repertory Theater ). In 2011 he directed A Minister's Wife at Lincoln Center Theater, and also directed the west coast premiere at San Jose Repertory Theatre in 2013. His forays into opera have included The Rape of Lucretia ( Chicago Opera Theater ),Francesca da Rimini featuring the Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Christoph Eschenbach and Le Freyshutz, a Berlioz adaptation of the Weber opera conducted by Christoph Eschenbach in its North American Premiere ( Ravinia Festival ). He spent two and a half years teaching Shakespeare at The Theatre School at DePaul University and has received awards for excellence in theater management and artistic achievement from The Chicago Drama League, The Arts & Business Council, Chicago Lawyers for the Creative Arts and The Chicago Associates of the Stratford Festival. He also received the 2010 Zelda Fichandler Award, the 2013 Artistic Achievement Award from the League of Chicago Theatres, was named Chicago Tribune's 2013 "Chicagoan of the Year" for Theater; received the 2016 Award of Honor for Outstanding Contributions to the Field from the Illinois Theatre Association; a special award for 2016 from the Joseph Jefferson Award Committee for outstanding theatrical accomplishments and contributions to Chicagoland theatre for the past 25 years; and a distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Illinois. He currently serves on the board of the Arts Club of Chicago.

Lavina Jadhwani ( Director ) returns to Writers Theatre, where she previously directed Vietgone. Lavina is a Chicago-based director, adapter, and activist. As a second-generation immigrant, Lavina constantly investigates the question, "What does it mean to be an American?" and through her work, she strives to expand the definition of that word to include more minority voices. Favorite directing credits include As You Like It ( Guthrie Theater ), Roe ( Asolo Repertory Theatre ), Gloria ( Mixed Blood Theatre ), Great Expectations ( Silk Road Rising/Remy Bumppo Theatre Company ), Gruesome Playground Injuries, Much Ado About Nothing, Yoni Ki Baat ( Rasaka Theatre Company ), Cherry Smoke ( the side project ) and Romeo and Juliet ( Teatro Vista—BroadwayWorld nomination, Best Production for Young Audiences ). Her adaptations include The Sitayana ( a solo performance piece based on the Hindu epic, The Ramayana ), Vanya ( adapted from Chekhov ) and Shakuntala: An East-Meets-West Love Story ( an a cappella musical, adapted from Kalidasa ). Proud graduate of The Theatre School at DePaul University ( M.F.A., Directing ), Carnegie Mellon University ( B.F.A., Scenic Design; Masters, Arts Management ) and the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. lavinajadhwani.com

Cher Alvarez ( Nora ) is profoundly grateful to be making her debut at Writers Theatre. She holds a B.F.A. in Musical Theatre from Webster Conservatory of Theatre Arts. Credits include: La Ruta ( Steppenwolf Theatre Company ), The Winter's Tale ( Goodman Theatre ), And Then There Were None ( Drury Lane ), Our Town( Milwaukee Repertory Theatre ), As You Like It, Measure for Measure, Pericles, Prince of Tyre and A Midsummer Night's Dream ( American Player's Theatre ).

Greg Matthew Anderson ( Dr. Rank ) At Writers Theatre: Death of a Streetcar Named Virginia Woolf: A Parody, Arcadia. Chicago credits include: Red Velvet ( Chicago Shakespeare Theater ), Twist Your Dickens, Rock 'n' Roll ( Goodman Theatre ), The City of Conversation, The Mousetrap, Sense and Sensibility ( Northlight Theatre ), Sons of the Prophet, Oklahoma! ( American Theater Company ), Arcadia ( Court Theatre ), Power, The Best Man, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Night and Day, The Importance of Being Earnest, Chesapeake, Travesties, Born Yesterday and Frankenstein ( Remy Bumppo Theatre Company, where he is a Core Ensemble member ). Television credits include: Empire, Chicago PD, Chicago Fire, The Playboy Club ( NBC ), Betrayal, Detroit 187 ( ABC ), Underemployed ( MTV ), The Chicago Code ( Fox ) and the pilot Matadors ( ABC/Sony ). Film credits include: Transformers: Age of Extinction, The Middle Distance, Game Day and Older Children. Mr. Anderson is a graduate of Duke University's Department of Theater Studies

Amy J. Carle ( Anne Marie ) lives in Chicago with her dog, 2 cats, 9 chickens and her husband. Chicago credits include: Harvey, Orlando ( Court Theatre ), The Book of Joseph ( Chicago Shakespeare Theatre ), Wonderful Town, The Sins of Sor Juana, Rock 'N' Roll, Desire Under the Elms ( Goodman Theatre ), The Book Thief, The Internationalist, Animals Out of Paper, Sex With Strangers, Hedda Gabler ( Steppenwolf Theatre ), Hard Times, North China Lover, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Peter Pan, Trust ( Lookingglass ), Season's Greetings ( Northlight ), Noises Off, Chapter Two ( Windy City Playhouse ), Luce ( Next Theatre ), Gidion's Knot( Profiles ), Refuge ( CollaborAction ), SubUrbia, The Lights, Ecstasy, WAS and The Planets ( Roadworks Productions ). Off-Broadway National Tour: The Vagina Monologues. Regional: The Profane ( Chautauqua Theatre Company ), Fully Committed, The Diary of Anne Frank ( Madison Repertory ), Or, ( Forward Theatre ) and Morning Star ( Kansas City Repertory ). Television: Soundtrack ( Netflix ), Boss ( STARZ ), Chicago Code ( Fox ), Law & Order, Chicago Fire, Chicago Med and CRISIS ( NBC ). Film: Who Gets the Dog? Ms. Carle coaches privately and teaches at Vagabond School for the Arts.

Tiffany Renee Johnson ( Christine ) returns to Writers Theatre where she previously appeared in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. Tiffany is a Chicago native with a BFA from Howard University, and is represented by Gray Talent Group. Her theatre credits include: Flyin' West ( American Blues Theater ), Red Velvet ( Chicago Shakespeare Theater ), Saint Joan ( Poetic Forum Collective ), the US premiere of truth and reconciliation ( Sideshow Theatre Company ), the world premiere of VANYA ( or, "That's Life!" ) ( Rasaka Theatre Company ), Coming Home ( Erasing the Distance ), Hairspray ( Drury Lane Theatre ) and The Nativity ( Congo Square Theatre ). Regional credits include Race ( Next Act Theatre ) and The Bluest Eye ( Environmental Theatre Space ). Television credits include: Chicago Med, Chicago P.D., Chicago Fire ( NBC ), APB ( Fox ) and Embeds ( Go90 ).

Adam Poss ( Krogstad ) Chicago credits include: Queen ( World Premiere, Jeff nomination Best Supporting Actor ) Oedipus el Rey ( Victory Gardens Theater ), 2666 ( World Premiere ), Teddy Ferrara ( World Premiere ), A Christmas Carol 2007-2009, The Magic Play, The Solid Sand Below ( New Stages ), dark play or stories for boys ( Latino Theatre Festival, Goodman Theatre ), 1984, Animals Out of Paper ( Steppenwolf Theatre ), The Lake Effect ( World Premiere ), Scorched ( Silk Road Rising ) and The Beats ( 16th Street Theater ). Regional: Lady Macbeth in Robert O'Hara's all male Macbeth ( Denver Center for the Performing Arts ), Macbeth ( Actor's Theatre of Louisville ), Lot's Wife ( World Premiere, Kansas City Repertory ), The North Pool ( World Premiere ), The Lake Effect ( TheatreWorks Palo Alto ) and The History Boys ( Studio Theatre DC ). Television: No Apologies ( Pilot ), Controversy ( Pilot ), Empire, The Chicago Code, The Mob Doctor ( Fox ), Shameless ( Showtime ), Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, Chicago PD and Crisis ( NBC ). Film: The Middle Distance, The Drunk, The King of URLS and Speed Dating. He holds his B.F.A. from The Theatre School at DePaul University.

Yousof Sultani ( Torvald ) was most recently seen on stage in And Then There Were None at Drury Lane. Other credits include Photograph 51 ( Court Theatre ), Heartland ( InterAct Theatre ), Miss Bennet: Christmas At Pemberley, Guards At The Taj ( Milwaukee Repertory Theater ), The Doppelganger: An International Farce, The Fundamentals ( Steppenwolf Theater ), United Flight 232 ( House Theatre ), Disappearing Number, Inana ( TimeLine Theatre ), Othello ( Chicago Shakespeare Theater ),The Hundred Flowers Project ( Silk Road Rising ), Henry V: Proud Dream ( NWU Site Festival ), Make Me Love You ( New Rock Theater ) and The Observatory ( Viable Theater ). Regional credits include Amadeus ( Richmond Shakespeare Theater ) and Henry V ( Richmond Shakespeare Festival ). Film credits include Glass House. Television credits include The Brave, Chicago Fire ( NBC ) and Empire ( FOX ). Yousof received his BFA in Performance from Virginia Commonwealth University. Yousof is proudly represented by Gray Talent.

AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT

Post-Show Conversation: The Word

Join us after every Tuesday evening performance ( excluding First Week and any extension weeks ) for a 15-minute discussion of the play, facilitated by a member of the WT Artistic Team.

Post-Show Conversation: The Artist

Join us after every Wednesday evening performance ( excluding First Week and any extension weeks ) for a 15-minute talk-back featuring actors from the production, facilitated by a member of the WT Artistic Team.

Pre-show Conversation: Up Close

Join us at 7:00pm in the Patron's Lounge before every Thursday evening performance ( excluding First Week and any extension weeks ) for a 15-minute primer on the context and content of the play facilitated by a member of the WT Artistic Team.

RIDE METRA TO WRITERS THEATRE

In an effort to promote taking public transit to the Theatre, Writers Theatre launched a new promotion in 2013. Any audience member who purchases a ticket to a Writers Theatre production and rides Metra's Union Pacific North Line to the Theatre may snap a photo of themselves on the train and post it to their Facebook, Twitter or Instagram account with a tag of @WritersTheatre ( @Writers_Theatre on Instagram ) and #ADollsHouseWT, and upon showing the post at the Writers Theatre Box Office, receive $5 in cash to put toward the cost of your fare as a thank you for going green.

This promotion is available for a limited time only and may end without warning. Ticket must have been paid for in advance. Not valid on comp tickets. More information available at writerstheatre.org/metra

WRITERS THEATRE PARTNERS

Writers Theatre is pleased to recognize BMO Harris Bank as the Season Sponsor and ComEd as the Official Lighting Sponsor of the 2019/20 Season. The Artists Council Sponsors are Emily and Christopher N. Knight and Laurie and Michael Petersen.

For more information about Writers Theatre's 2019/20 partners, visit writerstheatre.org/our-supporters.

ABOUT WRITERS THEATRE

For more than 25 years, Writers Theatre has captivated Chicagoland audiences with inventive interpretations of classic work, a bold approach to contemporary theatre and a dedication to creating the most intimate theatrical experience possible.

Under the artistic leadership of Michael Halberstam and the executive leadership of Kathryn M. Lipuma, Writers Theatre has grown to become a major Chicagoland cultural destination with a national reputation for excellence, being called the top regional theatre in the nation by The Wall Street Journal. The company, which plays to a sold-out and discerning audience of more than 60,000 patrons each season, has garnered critical praise for the consistent high quality and intimacy of its artistry—providing the finest interpretations of both classic and contemporary theatre in its two intensely intimate venues.

In February 2016, Writers Theatre opened a new, state-of-the-art facility. This established the company's first permanent home—a new theatre center in downtown Glencoe, designed by the award-winning, internationally renowned Studio Gang Architects, led by Founder and Design Principal Jeanne Gang, FAIA, in collaboration with Theatre Consultant Auerbach Pollock Friedlander. The new facility has allowed the Theatre to continue to grow to accommodate its audience, while maintaining its trademark intimacy. The new facility resonates with and complements the Theatre's neighboring Glencoe community, adding tremendous value to Chicagoland and helping to establish the North Shore as a premier cultural destination.

Find Writers Theatre on Facebook at Facebook.com/WritersTheatre, follow @WritersTheatre on Twitter or @Writers_Theatre on Instagram. For more information, visit www.writerstheatre.org .

Fact Sheet / A Doll's House

Title: A Doll's House

Written by: Henrik Ibsen

Adapted by: Sandra Delgado and Michael Halberstam

Directed by: Lavina Jadhwani

Featuring: Cher Alvarez ( Nora ), Greg Matthew Anderson ( Dr. Rank ), Amy J. Carle ( Anne Marie ), Tiffany Renee Johnson ( Christine ), Adam Poss ( Krogstad ) and Yousof Sultani ( Torvald ).

Creative Team: Arnel Sancianco ( Scenic Designer ); Izumi Inaba ( Costume Designer ); Sarah Hughey ( Lighting Designer ); Thomas Dixon ( Sound Designer ); Rachel Watson ( Properties Designer ); Gaby Labotka ( Intimacy/Fight/Movement Director ); Bobby Kennedy ( Dramaturg ); Denise Yvette Serna: ( Assistant Director ); Becky Pechter ( Stage Manager )

Dates: First performance: Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Press opening: Wednesday, October 2, 2019 at 7:30pm

Closing performance: Sunday, December 15, 201

Schedule: Tuesdays — Fridays: 7:30pm; Saturdays: 3:00pm and 7:30pm; Sundays: 2:00pm and 6:00pm

Location: The Gillian Theatre; 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe

Prices: Prices for all performances range from $35 - $80, Purchase early for best prices

Box Office: The Box Office is located at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe; 847-242-6000; www.writerstheatre.org .

Notes of Interest

An earlier adaptation of A Doll's House was originally produced by Definition Theatre Company in 2015 with Michael Halberstam as adapter and director.

Michael Halberstam has partnered with Sandra Delgado on a revised adaptation that reinvigorates the classic story and makes it newly relevant for 2019.

Lavina Jadhwani is a Chicago-based director and adapter who previously directed Vietgone at Writers Theatre. Later this season, she will be directing at Theatreworks in Colorado Springs, Oregon Shakespeare Festival and The Gift Theatre,

Michael Halbertam is currently performing in Into the Woods at Writers, his first time acting in 17 years.

Sandra Delgado is Colombian-American writer and actor best known for her play La Havana Madrid, which enjoyed sold-out runs at Steppenwolf and Goodman Theatre, and most recently in a co-production with Teatro Vista and Collaboraction.

Cher Alvarez ( Nora ) was recently named one of ten "Hot New Faces" of 2019 by the Chicago Tribune's Theater Loop.

—From a press release