In addition to the previously announced world premiere adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Treasure Island,” adapted and directed by Mary Zimmerman, Lookingglass Theatre has announced the other productions set for its 2015-2016 season.
They include: Federico García Lorca’s “Blood Wedding,” directed by Daniel Ostling (who until now is best known for his remarkable set designs for his collaborations with Zimmerman); and the world premiere of “Thaddeus and Slocum: A Vaudeville Adventure,” written by actor Kevin Douglas and directed by J. Nicole Brooks and Krissy Vanderwarker.
In a prepared statement, Andrew White, Lookingglass’ artistic director, noted: “We are thrilled not only to debut Mary Zimmerman’s next world premiere adventure, but also to herald Dan Ostling’s singular vision of Federico García Lorca’s seductive tale to the stage, and to introduce Kevin Douglas’ hilarious but provocative vaudeville play to Chicago. “The characters in these plays place everything on the line without compromise. They risk it all in the name of adventure, wealth, passion, revenge, fame and infamy. I simply cannot wait to share these three captivating stories with our audiences.”
All productions will be staged at Lookingglass Theater’s historic Water Tower Water Works home at 821 N. Michigan Ave. Current subscribers who renew before April 15 may do so for the reduced rate of $110-$162. New subscriptions for the 2015-2016 season are $116-$170 for three plays. Subscriptions are now on sale. Call (312) 337-0665 or visit http://www.lookingglasstheatre.org.
Here is a more detailed look at the season:
± “TREASURE ISLAND” (Oct. 7, 2015 – Jan. 17, 2016): This world premiere co-production with Berkeley Repertory Theatre, adapted from the novel by Robert Louis Stevenson and directed by Mary Zimmerman, is a coming of age adventure tale plunges an innkeeper’s son, armed with only his wits, into a desperate race for buried treasure against a dastardly throng of cutthroat pirates.
± “BLOOD WEDDING” (March 2 – April 24, 2016): Federico García Lorca’s tale, translated by Michael Dewell and Carmen Zapata and directed by Daniel Ostling, is the Spanish classic set in motion when a young bride-to-be receives a visit from a former paramour on her wedding day. A family blood feud threatens the celebration and sparks a deadly dance of love and deception, family and revenge, beauty and betrayal. Lorca, one of Spain’s most revered and controversial dramatists, dared to pen this seductive tale of passion and vendetta in a rural Spanish community that speaks to any heart longing for true connection. And Ostling’s production will include music, movement, and poetic storytelling.
± “THADDEUS AND SLOCUM: A VAUDEVILLE ADVENTURE” (June 1 – Aug. 7, 2016): Tthis world premiere, written by Kevin Douglas and directed by J. Nicole Brooks and Krissy Vanderwarker, is set in 1908 when Chicago’s Majestic Theatre is the jewel of the vaudeville circuit. The only thing stopping Thaddeus and Slocum from becoming the next great stage act is as simple – and complicated – as black and white. Will laughter triumph and friendship endure as racial boundaries threaten to destroy their dreams of making the “big time?” this look at the racial divide in American show biz promises to supply “a cavalcade of slapstick, song and dance and burlesque as two best friends risk everything to make it to the top together.”
