Blog Entries from 2008-2009 Season

The Reviews Are In!

So we had a great opening night and here are a few excerpts from some of the reviews.
Come see the show people!

"The serenely elegant Louise Lamson is an ideal Scheherezade, with Ryan Artzburger as her captivated captor. Usman Ally, Allen Gilmore, Andrew White, David Catlin and sensational drummer Ronnie Malley are superb, multifaceted clowns."
Chicago Sun Times Review

"Full-blooded actors like the macho Usman Ally and the emotionally resonant Allen Gilmore convey some deep truths, but not at the expense of fun."
Chicago Tribune

"Usman Ally, Allen Gillmore, Louise Lamson and Nicole Shalhoub turn in particularly rich and crafty work among the fine ensemble of storytellers."
Steadstyle Chicago

Read more blog entries here: http://usmanally.blogspot.com/

Arabian Nights Costume Fittings

Arabian Nights Previews Begin

Well, I had intended to blog quite a bit more about the process and getting to know this mammoth play, but I didn't have the time.

We had only two weeks of rehearsals, plus a week of tech...with all the rehearsing, learning lines, and working out (I need to be in shape for this show) who has time to blog!

But, the show is in pretty good shape if you ask me. Its been a really interesting process because half of the cast have been doing the show on the road for about 4 months I think. Then we have Lookingglass Ensemble members who worked on the show 15 years ago, and then people like me who are brand new to the show. You would think it would take time for us to all gel together but its been a pretty seamless transition. Kudos to Lookingglass for doing such a great job with the casting....good actors and good people makes a happy ensemble.

Probably the most difficult part of the process has been getting through everything at such a quick speed. We have had hardly any time to really sit down and work on specific scenes, do scene analysis and have any critical thought which is something I ordinarily enjoy quite a bit when working on a show.
So the onus has really been on the actors in particular scenes to find the time to work on the scenes. Nicole Shalhoub and I have a rather important scene about a merchant and his lover, and after getting the lines down, running it a few times, getting the intricate movements down we found we really needed some specific fine tuning. Thankfully we both were smart enough to talk to Mary Zimmerman about what we felt we needed, and were able to slot in half an hour of time with her. It was very helpful.

So yeah its been a whirlwind experience, but the show looks great.
One of my favorite scenes is "The Amazing Bag" which is improvised by a different cast member every night.
You have to see it.

Tickets are on sale!
2nd preview tonight.

Read more on my blog at: http://usmanally.blogspot.com/

Subscriber Focus Group Results: What other cultural organizations do you attend?

Lookingglass subscribers are our most important advocates. Your feedback is vital to our ability to improve your experience at our theatre, and to ensure that you return to Lookingglass year after year. With this in mind, Lookingglass partnered with the Arts, Entertainment and Media Management Graduate Program at Columbia College Chicago to conduct focus groups and surveys of new, renewed and 'lapsed' subscribers in January of 2009. Now that we've analyzed the data, we'd like to share it with you. If you have anything to add or discuss, we encourage you to post a comment!

Question: What other cultural organizations do you attend in Chicago?

Focus Group: Participants from all three focus groups indicated that they were involved with a number of different cultural organizations in the city spanning many different areas. The most frequently mentioned institutions were:

Goodman Theatre
Steppenwolf Theatre
Chicago Shakespeare Theater
The Art Institute of Chicago
Redmoon Theatre
Victory Gardens Theatre
Lyric Opera
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Museum of Contemporary Art
Field Museum

Several other institutions, such as Timeline Theater, The House Theater, Gene Siskel Film Center, Hubbard Street Dance Company, River North Dance Company, Chicago Opera Theater, and Lincoln Park Zoo were also mentioned.

Subscriber Survey: 56 respondents listed many of the same organizations as the focus group participants. In descending order of frequency, the top ten organizations are:

The Art Institute of Chicago (39%)
Steppenwolf Theatre (34%)
Goodman Theatre (27%)
Chicago Shakespeare Theater (23%)
Chicago Symphony Orchestra (23%)
Lyric Opera (18%)
Court Theatre (16%)
Timeline Theater (13%)
Field Museum (11%)
Remy Bumppo (11%)

Participants in the focus groups and survey respondents indicated that they have subscriptions or memberships to some or all of the cultural organizations they attend.

Their reasons for subscribing or purchasing memberships are varied, but often include enjoyment of an organization’s work, a love of and desire to support the arts, and to take advantage of added benefits. Other participants see subscription or membership to a cultural organization as a social event and something in which they participate with busy friends. Subscribing to theaters in particular, regardless of which theater, is seen as an opportunity to have a certain number of 'nights out' in a given season. It is important to note that a majority of participants and respondents have subscriptions to at least one other theater.

An overwhelming majority of participants and respondents said that they plan to renew some, if not all, of their current subscriptions and memberships. Others stated that renewals are contingent upon the schedule of productions, exhibitions or events for the next season as they are cutting expenses due to the economy, or expressed a desire to change art forms.

Audience Survey Data: Lookingglass conducts audience surveys for all of our productions. Analysis of the same question from The Brothers Karamazov survey indicated the following (results include both subscribers and single ticket buyers):

73.5% of respondents attend the Art Institute of Chicago
47.1% attend the Goodman Theatre
43.4% attend the Museum of Contemporary Art
41.2% attend the Steppenwolf Theatre
40.4% attend Ravinia Festival
39.7% attend Broadway in Chicago (Wicked, Jersey Boys, etc.)
39% attend Chicago Shakespeare Theater

How will Lookingglass use this information?

Collaboration is one of our core values. We rely on close relationships with other cultural institutions to develop partnerships like our production of Nelson Algren: For Keeps and A Single Day at the Museum of Contemporary Art. On a national level we work with several other prominent regional theatres, including Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, The Getty in Los Angeles, The Arden Theatre in Philadelphia, The McCarter Theatre in Princeton, NJ to name a few.

We also partner with organizations with whom we share an audience base on promotional and marketing intiatives, such as flier trades or making special offers to patrons of another cultural institution.

All “Our Town” Designer Presentations Now Online!

What Does "No Set" Look Like?

"Our Town" Rehearsal Photos

Artistic Director David Catlin snapped some photos of his fellow castmates during tablework for "Our Town"--the time when the director (in this case, directors!) leads the cast through the script, discussing everything from dialect to syntax.

The actors literally sit at a table, as you can see, and discuss the script. Depending on the production, the actors may stay at the table for an entire week--or more--before getting the script on its feet.

Here, ensemble members Andy White, who plays a variety of characters in the production, and David Schwimmer, who plays George Gibbs, listen to the discussion.

Artistic associate Louise Lamson, and ensemble members Tracy Walsh and Raymond Fox chat during a break. Louise is playing the part of Rebecca Gibbs; Tracy and Raymond both play a variety of characters.

Here's Anna D. Shapiro--who, in collaboration with Jessica Thebus, is directing "Our Town."

And here's Jessica Thebus, the other half of the directing team.

Ensemble member John Musial discusses a point with production manager Alex Blunt and sound designer Kevin O'Donnell. It's Alex's job to make sure that the production actually happens--that the set's in place, on time and within budget, and that the various designer's deadlines are being met.

It's fun to imagine what John is pitching to Alex and Kevin. "You ever think about hanging a real, honest-to-God churchbell up there? We'll ship it over--won't take a minute. I know a guy in Indiana..."

And don't worry--while Catlin isn't in any of his own photos, you'll see a lot of our Artistic Director when he steps onstage in "Our Town" as Dr. Gibbs. Come to think of it, you'll also see our Artistic Director of New Work, Heidi Stillman, as Mrs. Gibbs, and perhaps even Nina O'Keefe, our Manager of Education Programs (who is understudying a variety of roles in the production).

Someone'd better send Phil Smith a card or something-- as Producing Artistic Director, he's holding down the three-pronged "Artistic Director" fort all by his lonesome self. Better yet, post your well-wishes here. I'll be sure to pass them along.

Live-Blogging the "Our Town" Read-through! Part Two

Live-Blogging the "Our Town" Read-Through! Part One

Ensemble Member Tracy Walsh Interviews "Our Town" Co-directors Anna D. Shapiro and Jessica Thebus

This Winter's show, Our Town, will be co directed by Jessica Thebus and Anna Shapiro. Ensemble Member Tracy Walsh was able to catch up with Anna, asking her about the challenges of co-direction, the appeal of Lookingglass as a company, and trapezes.

Tracy: What inspired you to take up Our Town at this point in your life, and this time in history?

Anna/Jessica: We both have long been admirers of the play - it's a beautifully drawn picture of how we all actually live our day -to-day lives: occupied by tasks, distracted from wishes, hoping for the best and waiting for the worst, just living. For the two of us, who grew up in the same place and have followed similar paths, we now find ourselves closer to the end of our lives than the beginning. It's not a bad thing or a scary thing. life and its inescapable journey is one all humans share. If we begin in the same way and meet where we end, perhaps we should take better care of one another along the way. Not a bad idea at this point in time, we think.

Tracy: Why did you bring the project to Lookingglass?

Anna: Well, we are all contemporaries and we hoped that the Lookingglass ensemble would see the play through a similar prism. You have literally lived your lives together. In each other is contained the image and echo of your own youthful selves. To contemplate the life of a community - both its beginning and its end - seemed an appropriate imaginative exercise and one that would speak beautifully to you and through you. Plus, we thought it would be fun because we love you guys.

Tracy: How will you divide directing duties? Did you agree that one person would handle one aspect of directing, for example, " I will direct the Gibbs family and you direct the Webb family", or is it going to be a more organic process?

Anna/Jessica: I will direct the synchronized swimming and Jessica will direct the ponies. Honestly, we have worked together unofficially for years. We enjoy what the other brings to our work informally, so this is not really a huge leap. Our conversations so far have been very fluid and easy - we share the same ideas about the play so when we talk about the expression of those ideas, we just throw a few things out there and then pick the one we like the most. The key is that the role of the director hasn't changed. We will be as organized in terms of our communication to the company as we can. Actually, this does create more work, because whereas one director saying "maybe this" or "maybe that", might be okay, two directors doing that would seriously impair the actors. So maybe we are being more diligent in the articulation of our ideas. That or you are all pretending we are just to be nice. Which is fine. You are very nice people.

Tracy: Will Emily and George be getting married on a trapeze?

Anna: Look, the harnesses are already up, so get ready. They don't let us fly at Steppenwolf.

Ella the Dog in The Brothers Karamazov

There's an old saying in show business, that you should never work with children or animals, because you'll be upstaged every time. Well, in The Brothers Karamazov we work with both, and it works just fine, thank you very much. We thought we'd share a little more of the spotlight with Ella the Dog in the profile below. Enjoy!

Ella the Dog as Zhuchka with Craig Spidle as Fyodor Karmazov

From Baleigh Isaacs, Assistant Stage Manager:

I adopted Ella one year ago (as of the first preview), when she was 2 months old, so that makes her 14 months old now. She came from a small rescue in Michigan.  According to them, she is a cavapoo: part Cavalier King Charles spaniel, part poodle.  Most likely, she was rescued from a puppy mill and was rejected by them because of some minor flaw.  Her mix was probably meant to be non-shedding and hypoallergenic, but she does shed some and her fur is a little funny looking.  That's my best guess as to why anyone could get rid of such a sweet puppy.  She's very smart, very sweet, very friendly, and very calm.

This is Ella's first full theatre production.  However, she has made cameos twice: once in the New Year's Eve performance of The Philadelphia Story, produced by Remy Bumppo, and once in the closing performance of Lookingglass Alice (as a hedgehog).  Ella is no stranger to theatre.  She has grown up sitting through rehearsals and performances.  She commutes with me on the CTA.  Ella has also visited a hospital as an unofficial therapy dog, sharing her love with the families of patients.  She recently found her place as Miss January on a calendar published by the pet organization, Bideawee: http://bideawee.org/programs_&_services/2009calendarwin.php. Production Affiliate Patia Bartlett took the picture.

The reviews are in for The Arabian Nights at Berkeley Repertory

The Arabian Nights opened this week in California at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre. The reviews are in, and the show is a hit! Our friends at Berkeley Rep sent us clippings from some of the best reviews. We're getting excited about the show!

The Arabian Nights begins on May 20, 2009 in Chicago at Lookingglass in the Water Tower Water Works. Tickets will go on sale to subscribers on February 25, 2009 and on sale to the public March 13, 2009.

SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

A flying carpet to funny, sexy, sad Baghdad
- Stories are flying carpets in Mary Zimmerman's The Arabian Nights. Performed by 15 resourceful actors and staged with a maximum of invention by Zimmerman, the ancient tales magically transport the Berkeley Repertory Theatre audience from a king's bedroom in Baghdad through markets, harems, courts and a crowded privy, and from heights of hilarity to sobering affirmations of shared humanity. It isn't just the stories themselves - comic or poignant anecdotes of infidelity, greed and revenge; Koranic parables of enlightenment; one huge fart joke - that create enchantment in the Nights that opened Wednesday at the Rep's Thrust Stage. It's also the way one tale opens up into another and then another, as Sofia Jean Gomez's Scheherezade keeps spinning yarns to save her life.
- sheer imaginativeness
- Zimmerman has a genius for building stage spectaculars from the most basic, old-fashioned materials.
- the actors transform themselves into an exhilarating panoply of expertly etched characters
- there's nothing dated about it. It's as timeless as the stories it contains and as immediate as an ad lib. One passage, a rib-splitting highlight on opening night, is improvised by actors chosen by lot for each show.
- Scheherezade starts with comic tales of infidelities and love, including semi-explicit sex scenes - which, she warns Shahryar, "might seem licentious or lewd to those with gross and narrow minds." If the sex and suspense aren't sure to hold his interest, the joyfully broad acting and propulsive drums-and-vocals score (by Andre Pluess and the ensemble) seal the deal.
- Zimmerman’s selections are smartly chosen to play off the famous framing device. the tales expose vanities of power, the perfidy of men and the worth of women
- If that were all, Nights would be a first-rate entertainment. But there's another intrinsic layer in the way TJ Gerckens' lights turn Daniel Ostling's barren concrete walls and carpet-strewn floor into a harem, a madhouse or the Tigris at night. The transformations culminate in an eloquent final image that evokes the mortality and vulnerability of the "Baghdad, city of peace and poets," in which we've just spent such a pleasant time.

BAY AREA NEWS GROUP

Berkeley Rep's Arabian Nights a magical night of theater
There is a grand-slam, winning-the-World-Series sort of exhilaration to seeing top-notch theater performed by actors working at the peak of their game. You could feel it Wednesday night in the intermission buzz at Berkeley Repertory Theatre company's production of Mary Zimmerman's The Arabian Nights, a spectacular retelling of the old "1,001 nights" tales staged so wonderfully well that you feel somehow better off just to have been in the theater that night. This rare and breathtaking piece of theater made it into my all-time Top 10 list maybe 15 minutes after it started, and it just kept climbing the chart as its 2½-hour production flew along.
- it was wildly funny, touchingly emotional, highly dramatic, visually captivating, madly energetic and unabashedly part of a place, the Middle East, that just a couple of decades ago, was a mystical desert region filled with sheiks, harems, camels and exotic romance.
- the stories are as captivating as the situation in which the young virgin finds herself
- The somewhat less simple reason the show works so well is Zimmerman's incredibly intricate and effective direction, which has every inch of Berkeley Rep's thrust stage alive with action of some sort. It is also because the cast's outstanding ensemble work holds the audience enraptured by the unfolding stories (which are not at all like the ones you heard as a kid — they're much more sexually charged, for one thing).

SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS

Berkeley Rep's Arabian Nights casts a spell of myth and whimsy
- One thousand and one nights float by like a dream in The Arabian Nights. Tony-winning theater alchemist Mary Zimmerman has become famous for breathing fresh life into primal fables, from Metamorphoses to Argonautika. Time and again, she reconnects us to the myths and fables dancing at the edges of our collective subconscious.
- Though no less hypnotic than her previous works, this show also glories in a passionate embrace of, shall we say, earthly concerns that lightens the spirits in these anxious times. Balletic movement, frisky performances and the secrets of an ancient text make Arabian Nights a sultry fantasy that refreshes the senses.
- Like Schehezerade, the director seduces us with words. She plays games with the narrative, alternating between the clamor of a chorus of voices and the ache of a long silence.
- the ensemble tiptoes with agility through a sea of stories that remind us how little humanity changes over time.
Zimmerman juxtaposes the beauty of the poetry with the harshness of the play's truths.
- The shock of recognition, the fact that we see ourselves so clearly in these ancient faces, animates this production. The city of Baghdad, now fatefully intertwined with war and strife in our imaginations, shimmers once more as a land of mystery and enchantment.
- despite the darkness of the tales, there remains something fundamentally restorative about Zimmerman's view of the world. She finds universality in stories than range from sublime to bawdy
- This lively sense of humor thrums throughout the play's bawdy bits, a ballet of racing pulses and lewd gestures. Frankly, the merchants, jesters and thieves of this universe make Gossip Girl look chaste.
- Still, the body part most lavished with attention here remains the ear.
- It's a celebration of the craft of the storyteller from which we too emerge recharged, renewed.
- The upshot: A magic carpet ride through an ancient land of myth and whimsy.

EXAMINER.COM

Tales as old as time: Arabian Nights shimmer at Berkeley Rep
- Zimmerman’s got a great gimmick: she creates beautifully designed, expertly acted vehicles for sophisticated storytelling. In a very grown-up way, she turns us into kids slathering for a juicy bedtime story. And she always delivers.
- her approach to the classic collection of tales is compellingly human.
- One tale folds into another as the evening flows along, enchanting us all the while.
- Zimmerman’s 15-member ensemble tumbles and spins through the tales with grace and glee. They drum, they play stringed instruments, sing, dance and jump from one character to another with ease and clarity. And they’re gorgeous in the shimmering, flowing robes and gowns and drapes provided by costumer Mara Blumenfeld.
- As expected, the production is gorgeous. Though Daniel Ostling’s set is a simple courtyard in the midst of rough buildings, with pillows, small wooden platforms and carpets scattered about, the space is lit in extraordinary, evocative, incredibly effective ways by TJ Gerckens’ lighting design. There are gorgeous Middle Eastern lanterns hung over the stage and throughout the theater, but Gerckens’ lights are so much more – they become a mad house, an exotic night on the Tigris and, most significantly, the first rays of dawn, which could mean death for Scheherezade and the end of her stories.
- With its ever present threat of death, The Arabian Nights never devolves into frivolity. There’s weight to the stories that comes from sadness and wisdom, and when, at the end, Zimmerman echoes present-day Baghdad, the oft-described “city of peace and poets,” we sense the depth of history and our place in it.

KGO-AM

- Berkeley Repertory has opened a magnificent production of The Arabian Nights, written and directed by Tony Award-winning Mary Zimmerman, her sixth production at the Rep.
- tales of romance, intrigue and betrayal, brilliantly performed by a superbly talented cast of 15. And it's all backed by traditional music and a fabulous open set.
- It's truly a spectacle to behold, and it's just perfect for the holidays.

Post your review of The Brothers Karamazov

Now that you've read the reviews, what would you say about The Brothers Karamazov. Do you agree with Chris Jones at the Chicago Tribune? Hedy Weiss at the Chicago Sun-Times? Kerry Reid at the Chicago Reader?

Lookingglass believes that creating transformative theatre is an act of collaboration. Most often this means cooperation within a group of artists working to translate a work of literature to the stage. The final key piece of our work is you, the audience. You play a vital role. You complete the process, witness a new piece of theatre never before seen, and experience something spectacular, moving and innovative.

As a key collaborator, we want to know what you think. Post your review below; we are grateful for your feedback.

The Brothers Karamazov Reviews

The reviews are in, and The Brothers Karamazov is a hit! The Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Reader all loved the show.

Click here to read all of the reviews. Here are some highlights:

Chicago Tribune

"There's something deeply satisfying about encountering Dostoevsky in the heart of Chicago's Magnificent Mile. Any town where you can witness an entirely new, happily uncompromising, fully realized and wholly sincere dramatic adaptation of "The Brothers Karamazov"—in all its throbbing, three-act, 195-minute, 19th Century glory—just across the street from Walgreens, surely ain't a bad spot to pass your waning days or bring up your kids."

"Several veteran ensemble members do the best work I've ever seen them do. As the troubled Ivan, Phil Smith offers an emotionally stripped-down performance of great force and humanity. The incredibly focused Louise Lamson is dazzlingly uncompromising as the proud Katerina, the center of more than one love triangle. And mostly through a provocative and complicated kind of self-calm, Hara holds down the moral center of the tale."

"Many of the individual scenes are richly rendered on a simple but energetic Dan Ostling set that feels deeply rooted in the material. By the second and third acts, Stillman and her actors really start to cook, and a crumpled picture of life's passions and paradoxes comes alive before your eyes."

Chicago Sun-Times

"Stillman has streamlined Dostoyevsky's novel yet deftly highlighted its major religious, moral and philosophical arguments while capturing the near hallucinatory heat of its snowy landscape.

Chicago Reader

"Given the crabbed, self-conscious irony marking so much contemporary fiction, it’s a relief to reengage with writers like Dostoyevsky who were unafraid to tackle huge, hairy issues like the meaning of existence and the possibility of redemption. And 20 years into their creative life, it’s terrific to see the Lookingglass ensemble take a chance on a big story. Unlike some of their past work, in which they imposed mortal yearnings on fantastical or mythological creations, The Brothers Karamazov represents an admirable attempt to find that little spark of the divine inside damaged humans. Maybe that spark is enough to keep us going, even as we realize that controlling one’s will has little to do with controlling one’s destiny."

Urgent, Quiet Reality

Congratulations to Chicago Tony Award Winners!

Sunday, June 15, 2008 was a big night for Chicago theatre.

Not only did Chicago Shakespeare take home the Tony Award for Regional Theatre, but the Broadway production of Steppenwolf Theatre Company's August: Osage County won Best Play, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play, Best Featured Actress in a Play and Best Scenic Design.

The award we are most excited about, of course, is Anna D. Shapiro winning Best Director of a Play. We are honored to have Anna come to Lookingglass in the spring of 2009. She will co-direct our production of Our Town along with Jessica Thebus. The production will feature Ensemble Members Thomas J. Cox, Christine Mary Dunford, Laura Eason, Raymond Fox, David Catlin, David Kersnar, David Schwimmer, Joey Slotnick, Heidi Stillman, Tracy Walsh, and Andrew White with Artistic Associate Louise Lamson.

Designers include Ensemble Member John Musial (scenic design) and Artistic Associate Andre Pluess (sound design), with Janice Pytel (costume design), J.R. Lederle (lighting design) and Kevin O’Donnell (music composition). The production stage manager will be Artistic Associate Sara Gmitter and the assistant stage manager will be Production Affiliate Patia Bartlett.

The only way to guarantee your seats to this remarkable reunion of Lookingglass Ensemble Members is by subscribing to our 2008-2009 Season, which includes The Brothers Karamazov, Our Town, and The Arabian Nights. Ensemble and company participation is at an all-time high for this season, with more than 25 company members participating as actors, directors, writers, designers and stage managers.

We hope you will join us - subscriptions start at just $81 for all three plays!

Click here for more information about subscribing.