Glencoe, IL—Writers Theatre Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma and Interim Artistic Director Bobby Kennedy announce the company's 2022/23 four-play season, to include Mike Lew's Tiger Style!, directed by Brian Balcom; Manual Cinema's Christmas Carol, The Tony Award winning musical Once, directed and choreographed by Katie Spellman; and Kareem Fahmy's timely new play A Distinct Society.
"There's something for everyone in the 22/23 Season at Writers Theatre. These four productions embrace a diversity of theatrical expression—from comedy to musical to drama to holiday spectacular," comments Interim Artistic Director Bobby Kennedy. "What they share are they are all stories of people seeking connection: to both sides of a Chinese American identity in Tiger Style!; to family traditions and recently lost loved ones in Manual Cinema's Christmas Carol; to distant partners, new acquaintances and music in Once; and to friends and family separated by borders and geopolitics in A Distinct Society. Connection and community were restricted during the pandemic—but they are what live theatre is all about. We're delighted to present this season that celebrates the irreplaceable experience of gathering together to enjoy a play."
All productions in the 2022/23 season will be presented in the 255-seat Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre in the in the award-winning building at 325 Tudor Court in Glencoe, designed by Studio Gang Architects.
Please see the theatre's website for up-to-date details about safety and COVID protocols.
Season packages are available online at www.writerstheatre.org, and at the Box Office by calling 847-242-6000.
Writers Theatre is pleased to welcome back BMO Harris Bank as the distinguished 202/23 Season Sponsor, marking the company's ninth consecutive year in that role.
The Writers Theatre 202s-23 season includes:
Tiger Style!
Written by Mike Lew
Directed by Brian Balcom
September 29-October 30, 2022
Opening Night: Friday, October 7, 2022 at 7:30pm
Squabbling siblings Albert and Jennifer Chen reached the pinnacle of academic achievement when they were kids. But as adults, they can't seem to get things right: he's just been passed up for promotion and she's been dumped by her less-than-ideal boyfriend. To fix the sorry states of their lives, they turn to the one thing they know they can blame: their parents. Or America. Or maybe China? It's someone else's fault, that's for sure.
Award-winning playwright Mike Lew (Teenage Dick) pens this hilarious comedy about Chinese American heritage and belonging that will leave you howling with laughter. Travelling the globe from California to Shenzen, Tiger Style! uproariously tackles the immigrant experience, cultural stereotypes and what it really means to feel successful—and at home.
Manual Cinema's Christmas Carol
Written and directed by Manual Cinema
November 29-December 24, 2022
Opening Night: Saturday, December 3, 2022 at 3pm
Told through puppetry and music, this striking holiday experience comes to brilliant life on stage for the first time.
An avowed holiday skeptic, Aunt Trudy has been recruited to channel her late husband Joe's famous Christmas cheer over a Zoom call with family. But as Trudy becomes more absorbed in her own version of the Ebeneezer Scrooge story, the puppets take on a life of their own, and the family's call transforms into a stunning cinematic adaptation of Dickens's classic ghost story.
After the stunning success of its online Christmas Carol, Manual Cinema uses its groundbreaking creativity and powerful storytelling to elevate one of the most famous holiday stories ever told to new heights in this unique theatrical experience. Featuring the combined talents of actors, puppeteers and musicians, come experience a new holiday tradition unlike anything else you've seen before.
Subscribers will have exclusive first access to this limited run holiday performance and can purchase up to six tickets.
Once
Music & Lyrics by Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová
Book by Enda Walsh
Based on the 2007 film Once, written and directed by John Carney
Music Direction by Matt Deitchman
Directed and choreographed by Katie Spelman
February 16-March 26, 2023
Opening Night: Friday, February 24, 2023 at 7:30 pm
A soft-spoken, deeply felt musical about the forces that compel us to reach out to one another and hold on for dear life.
Guy is a young Irish musician ready to give up his career because his songs, written about his ex-girlfriend, are too heartbreaking to perform any more. When he encounters Girl, an inquisitive young Czech woman who believes he could win his ex back by playing to her in New York City, he resumes writing and performing—now with Girl. As the two form their band, and write new songs together, a love grows between them—one that inspires and challenges them.
This 2012 Tony Award-winner for Best Musical is based on the 2007 Irish musical film and features gorgeous songs like the Oscar-winning "Falling Slowly." Performed by an accomplished cast of actors playing their own instruments on the intimate Nichols Theatre stage, this will be a Once like you've never seen it before.
A Distinct Society
Written and directed by Kareem Fahmy
June 22-July 23, 2023
Opening Night: Friday, June 30, 2023 at 7:30pm
A timely story—needed more now than ever—about finding each other across borders, both physical and emotional.
A quiet library that straddles the border of the U.S. and Canada becomes an unlikely crucible for five people from around the world. When an Iranian family, separated from one another by the "Muslim ban," uses the library as a meeting place, the head librarian, a U.S. border patrol officer and a local teenager must choose between breaking the law and saving themselves.
Inspired by true events, this poignant and funny new play, written and directed by the gifted artist Kareem Fahmy, was a finalist for the National New Play Network's 2020 National Showcase for New Plays. Now making its Chicago debut, A Distinct Society delivers a moving story about the many things—family, food, art, love, and politics—that can either divide or unite us.
SEASON PACKAGES
This season, Writers Theatre is offering four subscription packages to make it easier than ever for patrons to come back to the theatre. Each option includes a deeply discounted ticket price for one ticket to each show, subscriber-only perks and, for the first time ever, an exclusive first purchase option for the limited run of Manual Cinema's Christmas Carol holiday show.
Classic Subscription - $195
Fixed Seats and dates for the most in-demand performances: Friday nights, Saturday matinee, Friday nights, Saturday matinees, Saturday nights or Sunday matinees.
Flexible Subscription - $195
A flexible version of the Premiere Subscription: Subscribers will select dates, times and seats throughout the season, before they go on sale to the public.
Standard Subscription - $159
Fixed seats and dates for weekday & Sunday evening performances.
Preview Subscription - $129
Fixed seats and dates for preview performances only.
Season package subscribers receive exclusive benefits including complimentary ticket exchanges by phone and mail (upgrade fees may apply), access to special play readings and lectures, special "subscriber-rate" prices on additional tickets, a year subscription to The Brief Chronicle newsmagazine and more. For a complete list of benefits visit writerstheatre.org/join.
Season Packages are available online at www.writerstheatre.org, and at the Box Office by calling 847-242-6000.
AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES:
WT also offers Access Performances, including ASL-interpretation and Open Captioning on select dates for each production. Please visit writerstheatre.org/accessibility for more information.
Writers Theatre is also working with Erika Walker and Maylene Peña of the Walker Thomas Group on workplace culture and equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives. Additional information about this important and ongoing work can be found at writerstheatre.org/working-at-wt.
ABOUT WRITERS THEATRE
Writers Theatre boldly looks to the future as it begins its 30th season. Having captivated audiences for years with its dedication to creating the most intimate theatrical experience possible, the theatre is now a major Chicagoland cultural destination with a national reputation for excellence, being called "America's finest regional theater company" by The Wall Street Journal.
Since 1992, Writers Theatre has stayed true to its core values: valuing the power of the written word and uplifting the artists who bring that word to life. The company has produced over 120 productions—everything from inventive interpretations of classics to groundbreaking new work. In 2016, Writers Theatre opened a new, state-of-the-art facility designed by the internationally renowned Studio Gang Architects. The new facility has allowed the Theatre to accommodate its growing audience, while maintaining its trademark intimacy.
Writers Theatre now welcomes more than 60,000 patrons each season and has helped establish the North Shore of Chicago as a premier cultural destination. Through its Literary Development Initiative, which has been responsible for the nurturing and premiering of over two dozen world premieres, the theatre has established itself as a major originator of new theatrical works. Serving as an extension of the Writers Theatre mission, WT Education programs engage an average 10,000 students each year with active learning opportunities centered around the written word.
