Court Theatre at the University of Chicago is embarking on an ambitious five-year plan to convert the theater`s subscription series programming into a year-round resident company performing ongoing, rotating repertory.
If successful, the project will be something of a revolutionary step for Court, embracing an approach modeled on such major European institutional theaters as the Royal Shakespeare Company of Great Britain. Part of the new mission includes employing a multi-ethnic performance ensemble and developing audiences with a broader cultural diversity.
Nicholas Rudall, Court`s longtime artistic director, has been promoted to the newly created job of executive director, in which he will assume both artistic and administrative responsibilities for the theater.
Also, Bernard Sahlins and Pam Marsden, associate producers of the International Theatre Festival of Chicago, have signed on as consultants to help develop the Court project. Sahlins has resigned from Court`s board of directors to accept his new paid position, but he and Marsden will continue their separate work with the festival. There are no plans to merge the two organizations.
”The new mission emphasizes Court`s goal to transform itself from an administratively driven theater offering a traditional subscription season to one which is truly artistically driven,” Rudall said.
Said Sahlins: ”The subscription approach limits what you can do artistically. You close your hits early and extend your flops. The long-range plan is to shift to repertory, transform subscribers into members, establish a multi-ethnic resident company and build long-term relationships with theaters in other cities and countries.”
Court is in the midst of a traditional subscription season, but some of the new plans could be implemented as soon as next year.
– Herman Van Veen, a Dutch performer who offers a program of ”one-man music theater,” makes his Midwest premiere Nov. 14 at the Briar Street Theatre, 3133 N. Halsted St.
A composer, lyricist, singer and instrumentalist, Van Veen has toured extensively and has recorded more than 50 albums in Europe. Call 312-348-4000. – ”The Plucky and Spunky Show,” a comedy about disability by Susan Nussbaum and Mike Ervin, premieres Dec. 2 through 23 at the new Remains Theatre, 1800 N. Clybourn Ave.
The show is a sequel to Nussbaum`s acclaimed 1984 ”Staring Back.” The new comedy, directed by Jeff Michalski, will feature actors both with and without disabilities, including Nussbaum herself. Ervin also is a writer and a disabilities activist. For tickets to Remains, which is accessible to disabled patrons, call 312-335-9800.
– City Lit Theater and Live Bait Theater will team up to present ”Poetry Under the Lights,” a series of poetry and performance presentations, Nov. 16 through Jan. 8 at Live Bait, 3914 N. Clark St.
Inspired by the ”poetry slam” competitions held for years now at the Green Mill Tavern in Uptown, ”Poetry” will match directors and designers with writers to create new theater works. The series will consist of four consecutive weekends of different poetry-theater projects, followed by the Dec. 13 opening of a full-scale adaptation of Raymond Carver`s book of poetry, ”A New Path to the Waterfall,” written during his battle with lung cancer.
Call 312-871-1212.
– Edge Productions has lowered ticket prices for its current offering of Matt Williams` comedy ”Between Daylight and Boonville” at the Halsted Theatre Center, 2700 N. Halsted St.
The new range for tickets is $15 to $18.50, substantially down from the former $18.50 to $24.50. For reservations: 312-348-0110.
– More than a dozen artists and groups in dance, theater, film and video will perform when the city salutes the Chicago Artists Abroad program from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Chicago Public Library Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington Blvd.
Performers, all of whom have been aided in their international touring by the program, include dancers Laurie Macklin, Akasha Dance Company, the Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, the Chicago Repertory Dance Ensemble and musical performers Chicago Beau, the New Opera Company of Chicago, Frank Abbinanti and Andrew Schultze.
– Eight Chicago theater organizations are among the recipients in a $7.8 million program of 214 grants by the National Endowment for the Arts to not-for-profit troupes nationwide.
Local recipients include the Goodman Theatre ($150,000), Steppenwolf Theatre ($42,500), Evanston`s Northlight Theatre ($30,000), Victory Gardens Theater ($15,000), Child`s Play Touring Theatre ($11,250), Evanston`s Next Theatre ($10,000), Wisdom Bridge Theatre ($10,000) and Remains Theatre
($7,500).
– Tickets to Monday night`s Joseph Jefferson ceremonies, including the theater awards presentation at 6:30 p.m. in the Blackstone Theatre and dinner and dancing afterward at the Chicago Hilton & Towers, are available to the public at $60 each. Phone 312-644-6570.
