First Folio Theatre, in residence at the Mayslake Peabody Estate Forest Preserve
Press Releases
For First Folio's message board to the world read the following.
THE TURN OF THE SCREW
On the lonely moors of Oak Brook, anything can happen.
OAK BROOK, IL – First Folio Theatre, at Mayslake Peabody Estate, 31st St. & Rt. 83, begs the question, “Are you afraid of ghosts?” with its production of Henry James’ psychological thriller The Turn of the Screw. In this chilling stage adaptation by Jeffrey Hatcher, two actors, led by Director Alison C. Vesely, bring all of James’ eccentric characters and spine-tingling moments to life; further heightened by the theater’s intimate setting within a remote West Suburban Estate. Now in its 15th season of bringing high quality performances of Shakespeare and other classics to the Chicagoland suburbs, First Folio Theatre will preview The Turn of the Screw on March 28th, open on March 31 and run through April 29th.
A young governess (Melanie Keller) is left to care for two recently orphaned children in a lonely English manor. As the story unfolds, she begins to see the specters of the former governess and her lover (Nick Sandys) haunting the children. As the governess strives to stop the fiends from taking the children away, one frightening question tortures the would-be heroine: Are the ghosts real, or merely a product of her own fevered mind? The Boston Globe calls The Turn of the Screw “A portrait of psychological vampirism.” This riveting and intimate classic will seduce audiences and keep them on the edge of their seats throughout.
Originally published in 1898 as a novella by Henry James, The Turn of the Screw was developed into a stage adaptation titled The Innocents in 1950, which led to a 1954 opera by Benjamin Britten and a 1961 movie starring Deborah Kerr as The Governess. A 1959 television play version featured Ingrid Bergman. One of the best and most famous stories in the psychological horror genre, Turn has inspired countless works including the feature film The Others starring Nicole Kidman.
James was an American-born writer who spent much of his life in England. He was a contemporary and friend to writer Edith Wharton and artist John Singer Sargent. Other notable works by James include Daisy Miller (1879), The Portrait of a Lady (1881), The Bostonians (1886), What Maisie Knew (1897), The Wings of a Dove (1902), and The Ambassadors (1903).
Hatcher’s adaptation was originally workshopped and developed at Portland Stage Company’s 6th annual Little Festival of the Unexpected. It received its premiere at the Portland Stage Company in 1996, and was first produced in New York City by Primary Stage in 1999.
All performances take place at the Mayslake Peabody Estate, which is owned and operated by the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County. Indoor shows are presented in Mayslake hall, a 35-room Tudor Revival style mansion originally built by coal baron Francis S. Peabody. Completed in 1922, the mansion is on the National Registry of Historic Places. Located at 1717 W 31st St., just off Rt. 83, in Oak Brook, First Folio is easy to get to from either the East-West Tollway (I-88) or the Stevenson Expressway (I-55). Free parking is available on the grounds.
The Turn of the Screw runs March 28 through April 29 on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sunday Matinees at 3 p.m. Tickets range $30-37 with special discounts for Students and Seniors. Tickets for preview performances are $22. Season subscriptions and individual tickets may be purchased by calling the box office at 630.986.8067 or online at www.firstfolio.org.
MAYSLAKE HALL TO HOST GHOSTLY TALE OF TERROR
Top London Hit Thrills Audience
OAK BROOK – First Folio continues its Season of Suspense with the British thriller The Woman in Black. Adapted by Stephen Mallatratt from the novel by Susan Hill, this tale of the supernatural has been electrifying audiences in London for over two decades. Now Chicago area audiences can experience the thriller the London papers call, “One of the most brilliantly effective spine-chillers you will ever encounter” (London Daily Telegraph). Directed by Alison C. Vesely and featuring Kevin McKillip and Joe Foust, this promises to be another in a string of hits for First Folio.Tickets are available online at www.firstfolio.org or by calling the box office at 630-986-8067.
Proud and solitary, Eel Marsh House surveys the windswept reaches of the salt marshes beyond Nine Lives Causeway. Arthur Kipps, a junior solicitor, is summoned to attend the funeral of Mrs Alice Drablow, the house's sole inhabitant, unaware of the tragic secrets which lie hidden behind the shuttered windows. It is not until he glimpses a wasted young woman, dressed all in black, at the funeral, that a creeping sense of unease begins to take hold, a feeling deepened by the reluctance of the locals to talk of the woman in black - and her terrible purpose. Years later, he recounts his experiences to an actor in a desperate attempt to exorcise the ghosts of the past. The play unfolds around the two characters as they act out the solicitor's experiences on Eel Marsh all those years ago...with chilling consequences. This long-running London hit “sends shock waves through the audience with splendid thrills and chills” (London Independent).
Kevin McKillip returns to First Folio for his 19th production, having appeared in the title roles in Hamlet and Richard III (Jeff nomination – Leading Actor), as well as appearing in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Jeff Nomination – Supporting Actor), Jeeves Intervenes (Jeff Nomination – Supporting Actor), The Importance of Being Ernest,12th Night, and many others. Last spring First Folio presented the world premiere of Kevin’s original one-man show, Will Rogers: An American Original, based on the life and writings of one of America’s greatest humorists. Kevin’s work has also been seen locally at The Goodman Theatre, Court Theatre, and Chicago Shakespeare Theatre and regionally at Milwaukee Rep, The Boarshead Theatre in Lansing, Michigan, and American Players Theatre, and over 15 productions with The Peninsula Player’s Theatre in WI. Kevin was named a Chicago Fellow to the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Ontario, Canada, where he appeared in Antony and Cleopatra, Troilus and Cressida, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The White Devil and was the recipient of a Tyrone Guthrie Award.
Joe Foust is making his First Folio debut with The Woman in Black. Joe has appeared in almost all of Chicago’s top theaters, including The Goodman (The Beard of Avon), the Court (What the Butler Saw and Endgame), Steppenwolf (Mother Courage and Her Childree), Remy Bumppo, and Next. He has appeared in fourteen productions with Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, including The Winter's Tale, Hamlet, Timon of Athens, Twelfth Night, and Henry IV parts 1 and 2. Regional credits include Hamlet at Nevermore Theatre, The 39 Steps and Around the World in 80 Days at the Cleveland Playhouse, five productions with Milwaukee Shakespeare, and twelve seasons acting and directing with Peninsula Players.
All performances take place in Mayslake Hall, a 30-room Tudor Revival style mansion originally built by coal baron Francis S. Peabody. Completed in 1922, the mansion is on the National Register of Historic Places. Mayslake Hall is located on the grounds of the Mayslake Peabody Estate, which is owned and operated by the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County. Located at 31st St. and Rt. 83 in Oak Brook, First Folio is easy to get to from either the East-West Tollway (I-88) or the Stevenson Expressway (I-55). Free parking is available on the grounds. First Folio Theatre is supported in part by grants from the Illinois Arts Council, a State Agency, and the DuPage Community Foundation.
Full cast and staff list is included below.
The Woman in Black | by Stephen Mallatratt, based on the novel by Susan Hill
Previews: March 30, 31, April 1@ 8:00
Opening Night: April 2 @ 8:00
Runs: March 30 ~ May 1
Performance Times: Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays @ 8:00;
Sundays @ 3:00
Tickets: $29-35 adults, $25-30 Students/Seniors (Previews $20)
Box Office: 630-986-8067
COMEDY CURES THE WINTER BLUES
Stellar Cast Brings Coward's Classic to Life
OAK BROOK: Sixteen-time Jeff Nominee Paula Scrofano is currently delighting audiences as the flamboyant medium Madame Arcati in First Folio’s production of Blithe Spirit. She comes to First Folio directly from Northlight Theater’s production of A Civil War Christmas, where she played Mary Todd Lincoln. One of Chicago’s most versatile leading ladies, Paula has won two Jeff Awards for her performances in On the Twentieth Century at Drury Lane Oakbrook and Putting It Together at Court Theater. She has also been twice honored with the Sarah Siddons Award for her performances in the Goodman Theatre’s Sunday in the Park with George and as Eva Peron in Evita at the Marriott Theatre. Paula has been seen at major theaters throughout Chicago including Steppenwolf, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, and the Ravinia Festival, as well as appearances at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
Leading the male side of the cast as Charles Condomine will be Nick Sandys, who returns to the Chicago stage following a tour of The Thirty-Nine Steps. Prior to that, Chicago audiences enjoyed his performances as Malvolio in First Folio’s production of Twelfth Night and Valmont in Les Liaisons Dangereuses at Remy Bumppo, both roles earning him 2010 Jeff Nominations. First Folio favorite Melanie Keller will be portraying his first wife, Elvira, whose ghost returns to stir up trouble after one of Madame Arcati’s séances takes a strange turn. Melanie, who appeared as Olivia in last summer’s Twelfth Night, was the 2007-2008 Chicago Associates Fellow at the Stratford Festival of Canada, where she appeared in Caesar and Cleopatra, Love's Labour’s Lost and Romeo and Juliet and was the winner of a Tyrone Guthrie award. She is also a company member of the award winning Signal Ensemble.
Taking on the role of Charles’ current wife, the very much alive Ruth, is Erin Noel Grennan, who returns to First Folio where she was last seen as the tragic Josie in A Moon for the Misbegotten. Locally, she has appeared at Drury Lane Oakbrook and Chicago Shakespeare, but her work has also taken her around the country and as far away as the Gaiety Theater in Dublin, Ireland.
Noël Coward was the ultimate British raconteur of the 20th Century, the perfect successor to Oscar Wilde as the arbiter and exemplar of taste, style and wit. In addition to being one of the greatest playwrights of the century, he was also renowned as an actor, composer, and lyricist, writing the songs for many of his productions. For over half a century, Coward’s classic bon mots have been quoted by writers and politicians in need of a clever response: “It's discouraging to think how many people are shocked by honesty and how few by deceit.”
All performances take place in Mayslake Hall, a 30-room Tudor Revival style mansion originally built by coal baron Francis S. Peabody. Completed in 1922, the mansion is on the National Register of 2 Historic Places. Mayslake Hall is located on the grounds of the Mayslake Peabody Estate, which is owned and operated by the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County. Located at 31st St. and Rt. 83 in Oak Brook, First Folio is easy to get to from either the East-West Tollway (I-88) or the Stevenson Expressway (I-55). Free parking is available on the grounds. First Folio Theatre is supported in part by grants from the Illinois Arts Council, a State Agency, and the DuPage Community Foundation.
Full cast and staff list is included below.
Blithe Spirit | by Noël Coward
Previews: Feb. 2, 3, 4 @ 8:00
Opening Night: February 5 @ 8:00
Runs: Feb. 2 ~ March 6
Performance Times: Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays @ 8:00;
Sundays @ 3:00
Tickets: $29-35 adults, $25-30 Students/Seniors (Previews $20)
Box Office: 630-986-8067
SPIRITS ROAM MAYSLAKE HALL
Coward's Classic Comedy
OAK BROOK – First Folio’s Season of Suspense will continue with Noël Coward’s comedy of the supernatural, Blithe Spirit. Charles Condomine’s life takes an unexpected twist when the eccentric medium Madame Arcati unwittingly conjures up the ghost of his first wife Elvira. Caught between the spirit of his dead spouse and the disbelief of his current one, Charles struggles to maintain his marriage and his sanity. Directed by Alison C. Vesely and featuring artistic associates Nick Sandys and Melanie Keller, this promises to be another in a string of comedic Coward hits for First Folio that include Private Lives and Design for Living. Tickets are available online at www.firstfolio.org or by calling the box office at 630-986-8067.
Noël Coward was the ultimate British raconteur of the 20th Century, the perfect successor to Oscar Wilde as the arbiter and exemplar of taste, style and wit. In addition to being one of the greatest playwrights of the century, he was also renowned as an actor, composer, and lyricist, writing the songs for many of his productions. For over half a century, Coward’s classic bon mots have been quoted by writers and politicians in need of a clever response: “It's discouraging to think how many people are shocked by honesty and how few by deceit.”
Leading the cast in the role of Charles Condomine will be Nick Sandys, who returns to the Chicago stage following a tour of The Thirty-Nine Steps. His past two Chicago area appearances included Malvolio in First Folio’s production of Twelfth Night and Valmont in Les Liaisons Dangereuses at Remy Bumppo, both roles earning him Jeff Nominations. Taking on the role of the flamboyant medium Madame Arcati is Chicago theater luminary Paula Scrofano. Paula, a 16-time Jeff Nominee, was most recently seen in Northlight Theater’s production of A Civil War Christmas. Rounding out the lead roles are First Folio favorites Melanie Keller as Charles’s first wife, and current ghost, Elvira and Erin Noel Grennan as his befuddled second wife, Ruth.
All performances take place in Mayslake Hall, a 30-room Tudor Revival style mansion originally built by coal baron Francis S. Peabody. Completed in 1922, the mansion is on the National Register of Historic Places. Mayslake Hall is located on the grounds of the Mayslake Peabody Estate, which is owned and operated by the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County. Located at 31st St. and Rt. 83 in Oak Brook, First Folio is easy to get to from either the East-West Tollway (I-88) or the Stevenson Expressway (I-55). Free parking is available on the grounds. First Folio Theatre is supported in part by grants from the Illinois Arts Council, a State Agency, and the DuPage Community Foundation.
Performance schedules and ticket prices are included below.
Blithe Spirit | by Noël Coward
Previews: Feb. 2, 3, 4 @ 8:00
Opening Night: February 5 @ 8:00
Runs: Feb. 2 ~ March 6
Performance Times: Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays @ 8:00;
Sundays @ 3:00
Tickets: $29-35 adults, $25-30 Students/Seniors (Previews $20)
Box Office: 630-986-8067
FIRST FOLIO ANNOUNCES SEASON OF SUSPENSE
2010 - 2011 productions brings wide range of spine tinglers
OAK BROOK – Tickets and subscriptions are now on sale for First Folio Theatre’s 2010-2011 season. Opening the Season of Suspense is an encore production of The Madness of Edgar Allan Poe: A Love Story, followed by Noël Coward’s Blithe Spirit, and the long-running London hit The Woman in Black. The season will close with Romeo and Juliet under-the-stars. Season subscriptions and individual tickets may be purchased by calling the box office at 630-986-8067 or online at www.firstfolio.org. Ticket prices range from $20-35, and subscription packages begin as low as $51.
Oak Brook-based First Folio Theatre begins the Season of Suspense with an encore production of The Madness of Edgar Allan Poe: A Love Story. The show brings Poe’s macabre and melancholic tales & poems to life as Poe and his wife Virginia guide the audience through historic Mayslake Hall, taking them from the garrets to the dungeons and deep into the madness of Edgar Allan Poe. Written by Artistic Associate David Rice, The Madness of Edgar Allan Poe received its world premiere at First Folio in 2006, and was honored with a Jeff nomination for Original Adaptation. The Chicago Tribune said it was “melancholy and macabre…will change the audience’s mind about Poe.” The Daily Herald declared it to be “masterfully macabre and shrewdly directed” and TimeOut Chicago gave it four stars.
The Season of Suspense will continue with Noël Coward’s comedy of the supernatural, Blithe Spirit. When Charles Condomine brings his new bride Ruth back to their English country home, his plan is to spend a calm summer working on his new novel. But when the daffy medium Madame Arcati holds a séance, she unwittingly conjures up the spirit of Charles’ first wife Elvira. As Charles and Madame Arcati frantically work to banish the spirit, Ruth becomes increasingly jealous of her ethereal rival and plots the specter’s destruction. Directed by Alison C. Vesely and featuring artistic associates Nick Sandys and Melanie Keller, this promises to be another in a string of comedic Coward hits for First Folio that include Private Lives and Design for Living.
The indoor portion of the subscription series finishes with The Woman in Black, adapted by Stephen Mallatratt from the novel by Susan Hill. Proud and solitary, Eel Marsh House surveys the windswept reaches of the salt marshes beyond Nine Lives Causeway. Arthur Kipps, a junior solicitor, is summoned to attend the funeral of Mrs Alice Drablow, the house's sole inhabitant, unaware of the tragic secrets which lie hidden behind the shuttered windows. It is not until he glimpses a wasted young woman, dressed all in black, at the funeral, that a creeping sense of unease begins to take hold, a feeling deepened by the reluctance of the locals to talk of the woman in black - and her terrible purpose. Years later, he recounts his experiences to an actor in a desperate attempt to exorcise the ghosts of the past. The play unfolds around the two characters as they act out the solicitor's experiences on Eel Marsh all those years ago...with chilling consequences. This long-running London hit is “One of the most brilliantly effective spine-chillers you will ever encounter” (London Daily Telegraph) and “sends shock waves through the audience with splendid thrills and chills” (London Independent).
Closing the season with its annual Shakespeare-under-the-Stars, First Folio will present one of the Bard’s darkest romances. Two families under a mysterious, age-old curse; children thrown together in the face of a dark fate; young men dying violently and needlessly; a strange priest dabbling with experimental drugs; a young woman haunted by visions of tombs and ghosts. This is Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet, set in the Age of Romance and Revolution--amidst gorgeous poetry, brutal fights, elegant dances, where the dream of love turns into an eerie nightmare, taking the audience on a ride that hurtles them from a young woman’s bedroom to a corpse-filled tomb. With direction and fight choreography by artistic associate Nick Sandys, this tale of star-crossed lovers will chill and thrill audiences anew.
First Folio is also offering an additional treat this year. For one special weekend, audiences will have the chance to experience the myth, mystery, and infinite jest of David Kovac in Fooling Buddha, his hit one-man show. This is your chance to catch the latest show by the magician hailed by the Chicago Tribune as a "Trickster Hero," who has thrilled audiences at Second City, the Green Mill, and the famed Magic Castle in Hollywood. Fooling Buddha is a delightful mix of thrilling magic and inspirational humor, with a dash of jazz to round it all out. This show runs for five performances only, and is not a part of the regular subscription series.
All performances take place on the grounds of the Mayslake Peabody Estate, which is owned and operated by the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County. Indoor shows are presented in Mayslake Hall, a 30-room Tudor Revival style mansion originally built by coal baron Francis S. Peabody. Completed in 1922, the mansion is on the National Registry of Historic Places. Located at 31st St. and Rt. 83 in Oak Brook, First Folio is easy to get to from either the East-West Tollway (I-88) or the Stevenson Expressway (I-55). Free parking is available on the grounds.
First Folio Theatre is supported in part by grants from the Illinois Arts Council, a State Agency, and the DuPage Community Foundation.
Performance schedules and ticket prices are attached.
WILL ROGERS COMES TO OAK BROOK
One-man Show Pays Homage to Great Cowboy Philosopher
OAK BROOK – The indoor portion of First Folio’s Season of Invention concludes with the world premiere of Will Rogers: An American Original, written and performed by 3-time Jeff nominee Kevin McKillip. This one-man show explores the life and times of America’s most popular humorist.
At the time of his death in 1935, Will Rogers hosted the number one radio show in America, had a daily column that ran in over 400 papers, and was the number one male box office star for three years running. In the course of a career that included both Texas Jack’s Wild West Show and the Ziegfeld Follies, Will Rogers invented the American stand-up comic. Using his trick roping skills to punctuate his delivery, Will Rogers’ folksy humor set the groundwork for everyone from Bob Hope to Johnny Carson to David Letterman. Will was born on a ranch near the town of Oologah in Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). His mother was 1/4 Cherokee and his father 3/8 Cherokee and Will used to say, “I never got far enough in arithmetic to figure out what that made me.”
His observations on government, the economy, and society are as timely now as when he first made them. On his political affiliations: “I’m not a member of any organized political party. I’m a Democrat.” Of the Stock Market Crash: “If stupidity got us into this mess, then why can't it get us out?” Concerning taxes: “The Republicans now, they are accusing the Democrats of raising taxes. This upsets the Republicans because if Democrats do most of the tax raising, the Republicans do most of the tax paying.”
Famous for the statement, “I never met a man I didn’t like,” Will Rogers is the quintessential image of the common man.
This production marks Kevin McKillip’s 20th show with First Folio, but is his first outing both as a writer and as the star of a one-man show. Last seen as Gussie Fink-Nottle in Jeeves in Bloom, Kevin’s previous First Folio appearances also include three Jeff nominated roles: Eustace Bassington-Bassington in Jeeves Intervenes, the title role in Richard III, and Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. He returns to the Chicago stage following four months at Door County’s Peninsula Players, where his roles included Phileas Fogg in Around the World in 80 Days and the painter Francois Millet in Is He Dead? Kevin has appeared with numerous Chicago area theaters including the Goodman (The Story), Court (Arcadia), and Famous Door (Early and Often and Ghetto), and he spent a year with the Stratford Festival in Ontario, Canada.
Alison C. Vesely, Artistic Director and Co-Founder of First Folio, is once again at the helm of this production. Will Rogers is Alison’s 28th show with First Folio; previous productions include last spring’s A Moon for the Misbegotten, which earned her a Jeff nomination for Best Director, as well as being honored with three other nominations, including Best Production.
All performances take place on the grounds of the Mayslake Peabody Estate, which is owned and operated by the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County. Indoor shows are presented in Mayslake Hall, a 30-room Tudor Revival style mansion originally built by coal baron Francis S. Peabody. Completed in 1922, the mansion is on the National Registry of Historic Places. Located at 31st St. and Rt. 83 in Oak Brook, First Folio is easy to get to from either the East-West Tollway (I-88) or the Stevenson Expressway (I-55).
First Folio Theatre is supported in part by grants from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, and The DuPage Community Foundation. Read more...
JEEVES AND BERTIE RETURN TO FIRST FOLIO
New Play makes its Chicago Area Debut in Oak Brook
OAK BROOK – Following the success of 2008’s Jeeves Intervenes, playwright Margaret Raether has created another uproarious adaptation of the works of the British humorous P.G. Wodehouse. The latest entry in the Jeeves and Wooster saga makes its Chicago area debut at First Folio Theatre, at their indoor home in Mayslake Hall, on the grounds of the Peabody Estate in Oak Brook.
This time around, the empty-headed upper-crust Bertie Wooster is called to the country by his overbearing Aunt Dahlia. Accompanied by the newt-loving Gussie Fink-Nottle, Bertie is faced with the task of eluding the romantic entanglement of the fairy-adoring Madeline Bassett, evading the sharpened cleaver of Anatole the Chef, all the while eluding his shotgun-toting Uncle Tom Travers. Only the clever advice of the unflappable Jeeves, England’s most famous Gentleman’s Gentleman, can save the lovably loopy Bertie. However, when Bertie goes one step too far, Jeeves is forced to resign his service, leaving Bertie in the proverbial lurch. Will Bertie survive on his own? Will Jeeves ever return? Such is the basis for the hilarious shenanigans audiences have come to expect from P.G. Wodehouse’s most famous characters.
Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse was an English writer whose body of work includes novels, short stories, and musical theatre. Born in 1881, Wodehouse enjoyed enormous popular success during a career of more than seventy years and his prolific writings continue to be widely read. Despite the political and social upheavals that occurred during his life, much of which was spent in France and the United States, Wodehouse's main canvas remained that of pre-war English upper-class society, reflecting his birth, education, and youthful writing career.
Best known today for the Jeeves novels and short stories, Wodehouse was also a playwright and lyricist who was part author and writer of 15 plays and of 250 lyrics for some 30 musical comedies. He worked with Cole Porter on the musical Anything Goes (1934) and frequently collaborated with Jerome Kern and Guy Bolton. He wrote the lyrics for the hit song “Bill” in Kern’s Show Boat (1927), wrote lyrics to Sigmund Romberg’s music for the Gershwin-Romberg musical Rosalie (1928), and collaborated with Rudolf Friml on a musical version of The Three Musketeers (1928).
Directed by Alison C. Vesely, Jeeves in Bloom marks the return of Christian Gray as the sweet but scatterbrained Bertie and Jim McCance as the incomparable Jeeves, the same roles they played to critical praise in 2008’s production of Jeeves Intervenes. The cast will also include the return to First Folio’s stage of two of its most popular Artistic Associates, Kevin McKillip (as the amphibian-loving Gussie Fink-Nottle) and Melanie Keller (as Madeline Bassett, the object of Gussie’s affections). Rounding out the cast will be Jeannie Affelder as Bertie’s Aunt Dahlia and James Leaming in the dual roles of Anatole the Chef and Uncle Tom Travers.
All performances take place on the grounds of the Mayslake Peabody Estate, which is owned and operated by the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County. Indoor shows are presented in Mayslake Hall, a 30-room Tudor Revival style mansion originally built by coal baron Francis S. Peabody. Completed in 1922, the mansion is on the National Registry of Historic Places. Located at 31st St. and Rt. 83 in Oak Brook, First Folio is easy to get to from either the East-West Tollway (I-88) or the Stevenson Expressway (I-55).
Folio Shakespeare Festival is supported in part by grants from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, and The DuPage Community Foundation.
Performance schedules and ticket prices are included below.
Jeeves In Bloom | Adapted by Margaret Raether from the stories of P.G. Wodehouse
Previews: January 27, 28, 29 @ 8:00
Opening Night: January 30 @ 8:00
Runs: January 27 – February 28
Tickets: $28-30 adults, $23-25 Students/Seniors (Previews $18)
Box Office: 630-986-8067
Performance schedule and Cast List attached. Read more...
JEEVES IN BLOOM GETS ADDED PERFORMANCES
Advance sales lead to more show dates
OAK BROOK – In response to the high demand for tickets, First Folio is adding 5 more performance dates for Jeeves in Bloom. In addition to the original schedule, tickets are now available for 8:00 shows on Thursdays Feb. 18 and 25 and for 7:30 shows on Sundays February 21 and 28. First Folio is also offering tickets for a special matinee performance on Tuesday, February 9th at 1:00 PM. Tickets may be obtained online at www.firstfolio.org or by calling the theater’s box office at 630-986-8067. This sequel to First Folio’s hit production of Jeeves Intervenes features the return of the lovably loopy Bertie Wooster and his unflappable butler Jeeves. When Bertie gets himself into another scrape, Jeeves must resign his service, leaving Bertie in the lurch. Populated with some of P.G. Wodehouse’s most delightful characters, from the newt-loving Gussie Fink-Nottle to the fairy-adoring Madeline Bassett and the mad French Chef Anatole, Jeeves in Bloom provides the perfect antidote to the winter blues.
All performances take place on the grounds of the Mayslake Peabody Estate, which is owned and operated by the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County. Indoor shows are presented in Mayslake Hall, a 30-room Tudor Revival style mansion originally built by coal baron Francis S. Peabody. Completed in 1922, the mansion is on the National Registry of Historic Places. Located at 31st St. and Rt. 83 in Oak Brook, First Folio is easy to get to from either the East-West Tollway (I-88) or the Stevenson Expressway (I-55).
Folio Shakespeare Festival is supported in part by grants from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, and The DuPage Community Foundation.
Jeeves in Bloom | Adapted by Margaret Raether from the short stories of P.G. Wodehouse
Runs: January 27 – February 28
Tickets: $28-30 adults, $23-25 Students/Seniors (Previews $18)
Box Office: 630-986-8067
Performance schedule and Cast List attached. Read more...
JEEVES IN BLOOM LIVENS UP WINTER NIGHTS
Stylish Comedy Perfect Cure for the Blues
OAK BROOK – First Folio Theatre’s Season of Invention will continue this coming January and February with P.G. Wodehouse’s Jeeves in Bloom, adapted for the stage by Margaret Raether. This sequel to First Folio’s hit production of Jeeves Intervenes features the return of the lovably loopy Bertie Wooster and his unflappable butler Jeeves. When Bertie gets himself into another scrape, Jeeves must resign his service, leaving Bertie in the lurch. The Chicago Tribune calls the Jeeves tales “as bright and engaging as a garden party in May, popping with pitch-perfect performances” and the Daily Herald calls the stories “as dry as a well-made martini and equally potent.” Jeeves Intervenes played to sold-out houses throughout its run in 2008, and this production promises to be just as popular.
Directed by Alison C. Vesely, the production marks the return of Christian Gray as the sweet but scatterbrained Bertie and Jim McCance as the incomparable Jeeves, the same roles they played to critical praise in 2008’s production of Jeeves Intervenes. Christian has appeared in numerous First Folio productions over the past 12 years, including the role of James Tyrone in First Folio’s Jeff-Nominated production of A Moon for the Misbegotten. He is also a company member of ShawChicago, where he has appeared in over a dozen productions. Jim McCance has been a regular on the Chicago scene for more than 25 years, having begun his career with the famous Body Politic Theater. Recent Chicago appearances include Barefoot in the Park at Drury Lane, Making History at Irish Repertory, and Man and Superman with Remy Bumppo.
The cast will also include the return to First Folio’s stage of two of its most popular Artistic Associates, Kevin McKillip and Melanie Keller. Kevin McKillip will be playing the role of the newt-loving Gussie Fink-Nottle. Kevin has appeared in more than a dozen First Folio productions, including three Jeff nominated roles: Eustace Bassington-Bassington in Jeeves Intervenes, the title role in Richard III, and Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. He returns to the Chicago stage following four months at Door County’s Peninsula Players, where his roles included Phileas Fogg in Around the World in 80 Days and the painter Francois Millet in Is He Dead? Kevin has appeared with numerous Chicago area theaters including the Goodman (The Story), Court (Arcadia), and Famous Door (Early and Often and Ghetto), and he spent a year with the Stratford Festival in Ontario, Canada. Melanie Keller was last seen on the First Folio stage as Gilda in Design for Living, and has previously appeared in Angel Street, Private Lives and The Importance of Being Earnest. This coming Spring, she will appear in Northlight Theater’s production of A Life. Melanie, too, is a veteran of the Stratford Festival, where she appeared in Romeo and Juliet and Love’s Labors Lost.
Rounding out the cast will be James Leaming and Jeannie Affelder. James Leaming, one of the founding members of American Blues Theater, has been a regular in the Chicago theater scene for almost three decades, and his comic brilliance and facility with accents will be put to good use in the dual role of Uncle Tom and Anatole the French chef. Jeannie Affelder, who last appeared with First Folio as Miss Hodge and Grace Harrington in Design for Living will be taking on the role of Bertie’s long-suffering Aunt Dahlia. She comes to First Folio following her appearance in Timeline Theater’s When She Danced.
All performances take place on the grounds of the Mayslake Peabody Estate, which is owned and operated by the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County. Indoor shows are presented in Mayslake Hall, a 30-room Tudor Revival style mansion originally built by coal baron Francis S. Peabody. Completed in 1922, the mansion is on the National Registry of Historic Places. Located at 31st St. and Rt. 83 in Oak Brook, First Folio is easy to get to from either the East-West Tollway (I-88) or the Stevenson Expressway (I-55).
Folio Shakespeare Festival is supported in part by grants from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, and The Hinsdale Center for the Arts.
Performance schedules and ticket prices are attached below.
Performance schedule and Cast List attached. Read more...
First Folio Announces "A Season of Invention"
2009-1010 Season Includes Two World Premiers
OAK BROOK – Tickets and subscriptions are now on sale for First Folio Theatre’s 2009-2010 season.
Opening the Season of Invention is the world premier of The Castle of Otranto, followed by the Chicago
premier of P.G. Wodehouse’s Jeeves In Bloom, and the world premier of Will Rogers: An American
Original. The season will close with Twelfth Night under-the-stars. Season subscriptions and
individual tickets may be purchased by calling the box office at 630-986-8067 or online at
www.firstfolio.org. Ticket prices range from $23-30, and subscription packages begin as low as $51.
Oak Brook-based First Folio Theatre begins the Season of Invention with the world premier of The
Castle of Otranto, based upon the novel by 18th Century English novelist Horace Walpole and directed
by First Folio Artistic Director Alison C. Vesely. The Castle of Otranto marked the invention of the
Gothic novel and provided inspiration for the greatest writers of horror stories in the English language,
from Mary Shelley to Edgar Allan Poe to Bram Stoker. One family curse, two murders and three ghosts
combine to produce a macabre tale of adventure and romance. Otranto has been adapted for the stage
by David Rice, whose script for 2006’s The Madness of Edgar Allan Poe was nominated for a Jeff
Award. This tale of the supernatural will be mounted in the Great Hall, the former sanctuary within
Mayslake Hall. With its vaulted ceiling and wooden beams, this Gothic sanctorum is the perfect
location for a Halloween season show. First Folio will also host a special Halloween benefit
performance, with tickets priced at $50.
The Season of Invention will continue with P.G. Wodehouse’s Jeeves in Bloom, adapted for the stage by
Margaret Raether. This sequel to First Folio’s hit production of Jeeves Intervenes features the return of
Christian Gray as the lovably loopy Bertie Wooster and Jim McCance as his unflappable butler Jeeves.
When Bertie gets himself into another scrape, Jeeves must resign his service and re-invent himself as
something other than a Gentleman’s Gentleman. The Chicago Tribune calls the Jeeves tales “as bright
and engaging as a garden party in May, popping with pitch-perfect performances” and the Daily Herald
calls the stories “as dry as a well-made martini and equally potent.” Jeeves Intervenes played to sold-out
houses throughout its run in 2008, and this production promises to be just as popular.
The indoor portion of the Season of Invention finishes with the world premier of Will Rogers: An
American Original, written and performed by 3-time Jeff nominee Kevin McKillip. This one-man show
explores the life and times of America’s most popular humorist. At the time of his death in 1935, Will
Rogers hosted the number one radio show in America, had a daily column that ran in over 400 papers,
and was the number one male box office star for three years running. In the course of a career that
included both Cactus Jack’s Wild West Show and the Ziegfeld Follies, Will Rogers invented the
American stand-up comic. Using his trick roping skills to punctuate his delivery, Will Rogers’ folksy
humor set the groundwork for everyone from Bob Hope to Johnny Carson to David Letterman. His
observations on government, the economy, and society are as timely now as when he first made them.
On his political affiliations: “I’m not a member of any organized political party. I’m a Democrat.” Of
the Stock Market Crash: “If stupidity got us into this mess, then why can't it get us out?” Famous for
the statement, “I never met a man I didn’t like,” Will Rogers is the quintessential image of the common
man.
And for its annual Shakespeare-under-the-Stars, First Folio will present one of the Bard’s most
delightful comedies, Twelfth Night. When Viola is shipwrecked on the shores of Illyria, she must reinvent
herself as a man in order to survive. After she falls in love with the Duke, though, she must
choose between love and loyalty. Directed by Artistic Associate Michael Goldberg, this tale of
mistaken identities is a tour-de-force of romance and laughter.
All performances take place on the grounds of the Mayslake Peabody Estate, which is owned and
operated by the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County. Indoor shows are presented in Mayslake
Hall, a 30-room Tudor Revival style mansion originally built by coal baron Francis S. Peabody.
Completed in 1922, the mansion is on the National Registry of Historic Places. Located at 31st St. and
Rt. 83 in Oak Brook, First Folio is easy to get to from either the East-West Tollway (I-88) or the
Stevenson Expressway (I-55).
