CHICAGO, IL—Lookingglass Theatre Company proudly announces the company’s 21st season, to include the World Premiere of The Brothers Karamazov adapted and directed for Lookingglass by Ensemble Member Heidi Stillman; Thornton Wilder’s Our Town co-directed by Anna D. Shapiro and Jessica Thebus; and The Arabian Nights adapted and directed by Ensemble Member and Tony Award winner Mary Zimmerman. The 2008-2009 Season will be performed at Lookingglass Theatre Company, located inside Chicago's historic Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave. at Pearson.
“This season is about being a part of a community which, after 20 years, epitomizes what an ensemble is—wherein the power of the whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” comments Artistic Director David Catlin. “Our 21st season will illustrate that we are all connected and are all responsible for one another as citizens of the world. Through stories, creativity and collaboration we can redeem ourselves. We can transform ourselves — change, charge, and empower.”
The Lookingglass 2008-2009 Season opens with a stunning new adaptation of Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov, written and directed by Ensemble member Heidi Stillman, Jeff Award-winning adaptor and director of Hard Times. This World Premiere production sweeps back to 19th century Russia— to snowy Troika rides and balalaika gypsy music, to drunken duels and carousing with cognac. The Brothers Karamazov examines the life of one of literature’s most lecherous, greedy and delightfully despicable fathers— Fyodor Karamazov —and the doomed family responsible for his death.
In February, Jessica Thebus and Anna D. Shapiro will helm Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, a project proposed by the directors, specifically for the Lookingglass ensemble. Our Town is a perfect match for Lookingglass ensemble because at the core they embrace the same ethic; Our Town and Lookingglass speak to the shared human experience and reveal a responsibility to one-another as a community.
To conclude the season, Tony Award-winning Ensemble Member Mary Zimmerman returns to Lookingglass to direct her adaptation of The Arabian Nights. Zimmerman, working with a new cast, will refresh her Lookingglass Original with new elements of visually stunning storytelling to celebrate the rich traditions of Arabic culture.
Lookingglass Theatre Company’s 2008-2009 Season Up Close:
A World Premiere Lookingglass Original
The Brothers Karamazov
By Fyodor Dostoevsky
Adapted and Directed by Ensemble member Heidi Stillman
October 15 - December 7, 2008
Russian patriarch Fyodor Karamazov is a one of literature’s most lecherous, greedy and delightfully despicable fathers. When his eldest son discovers they are competing for the affections of the same woman, concealed tensions erupt into a storm of passion, deceit and betrayal. Ensemble member and Lookingglass Artistic Director of New Work Heidi Stillman, award-winning adaptor and director of Charles Dickens' Hard Times, brings new life to Dostoevsky's epic masterpiece of murder, greed and treachery.
Our Town
By Thornton Wilder
Directed by Anna D. Shapiro and Jessica Thebus
February 11 - April 5, 2009
The citizens of Grover's Corners share the ultimate tale of community in this American classic, directed by Steppenwolf ensemble member Anna D. Shapiro and Steppenwolf Artistic Associate Jessica Thebus. The Lookingglass Ensemble infuses the play with a singular chemistry you won't see anywhere else. In the hands of these renowned artists, Thornton Wilder's masterpiece is disarmingly beautiful, utterly compelling and painfully funny.
A Lookingglass Original
The Arabian Nights
Adapted and Directed by Mary Zimmerman
May 20 - July 12, 2009
Tony Award-winning Ensemble Member Mary Zimmerman returns to the Water Tower Water Works, following the successful run and three city tour of Argonautika, with her Lookingglass Original adaptation of one of the world's most enduring works of literature. When he discovers his wife in the arms of another man, King Sharayar vows to ruthlessly murder every virgin in the kingdom. His brutality is interrupted only when he encounters the clever maiden Scheherezade, whose captivating stories may just save her life. This boldly re-imagined visual feast celebrates the redemptive power of story telling.
Subscriptions
Lookingglass Theatre Company is located in the heart of the Magnificent Mile shopping district inside Chicago's historic Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave. at Pearson. Subscriptions to Lookingglass 2008-2009 season will go on sale April 15, 2008, starting at only $81 for all three plays.
Subscription benefits include guaranteed best seats, pre-sale opportunities and savings before single tickets go on sale to the general public, special perks at an extensive list of restaurant partners including NoMI, unlimited ticket exchanges, discounted parking at nearby Olympia Centre Garage (161 E. Chicago Ave.), and courtesy performance date reminders. For season subscription and ticket information, call the Lookingglass Theater box office, (312) 337-0665.
About Lookingglass Theatre Company
Inventive. Collaborative. Transformative. Lookingglass Theatre Company was founded in 1988 by eight Northwestern University students. 2007/2008 marks the Company’s 20th anniversary season., Lookingglass remains a home to a multi-disciplined ensemble of artists who create story-centered theatrical work that is physical, aurally rich and visually metaphoric. Lookingglass has staged nearly 50 world premieres at 23 venues across Chicago, and garnered 37 Joseph Jefferson Awards and Citations. Its work has toured to New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Berkeley, Philadelphia, Princeton, Hartford and St. Louis. Work premiered at Lookingglass has been produced across the United States. The Lookingglass Theatre in Chicago's landmark Water Tower Water Works opened in June 2003. In addition to developing and presenting ensemble work, Lookingglass Education and Community programs encourage creativity, teamwork and confidence with 15,000 students each year.
Lookingglass Theatre Company continues to expand its artistic, financial and institutional boundaries under the guidance of Artistic Director David Catlin, Executive Director Rachel Kraft, Producing Artistic Director Philip R. Smith, Artistic Director of New Work Heidi Stillman, a 22-member artistic ensemble, 15 artisic associates, 12 production affiliates and an administrative staff. Board Chairman Lisa Green leads a dedicated board of directors. For more information, visit lookingglasstheatre.org.
