THE LAST ACT OF LILKA KADISON

BY NICOLA BEHRMAN, DAVID KERSNAR, ABBIE PHILLIPS, HEIDI STILLMAN, AND ANDREW WHITE
EXTENDS THROUGH AUGUST 7
Lookingglass Theatre is the recipient of the
2011 Regional Theatre Tony Award®

review by Ed Vincent

Wonderful set designs with  incredible transitions and visual expressions of mixed and varied realities all on the stage at the same time, done beautifully with a flair for design and drama.

Klezmer music reminiscent of perhaps a polka tune mixed with an Islamic call to prayer, warms the audience to the incredible drama and sensitivity of emotion about to be portrayed on stage.
 
We meet a cranky older woman verbally fencing with a health care worker who is helping her to recover from an injury.  Their interplay is an element of growth and understanding, as ghosts or visions surface from the past and bring additional drama to sets and times.

It is an engaging drama that will have you transfixed in the moment and reflecting on the past, all at the same time.  You will be absorbed in story and wonderful bit of art it is.

It is unthinkable how terrible human beings can be, have been, and are currently being in many parts of the world.  This is a well constructed story portrayed by a great amount of talent and art.

I have hope for the world and admiration for Lookingglass and this fine job of drama.  Get your tickets now.....

17-year-old Lilka Kadison flees Poland on the eve of World War II. Seventy years later in Los Angeles, ghosts are invading her home, her caregiver won’t give her back the remote and her afternoon’s only going downhill from there. Wryly humorous, poignant, and ultimately triumphant, this unforgettable new play traces a love story that transcends war, decades, and distance, from 1939 Poland to current-day Los Angeles.

LOOKINGGLASS THEATRE, IN ASSOCIATION WITH ABBIE PHILLIPS, PRESENTS

THE WORLD PREMIERE OF THE LOOKINGGLASS ORIGINAL

THE LAST ACT OF LILKA KADISON

BY NICOLA BEHRMAN, DAVID KERSNAR, ABBIE PHILLIPS, HEIDI STILLMAN, AND ANDREW WHITE

Chicago, IL– Lookingglass Theatre Company, in association with Abbie Phillips, presents the World Premiere of The Last Act of Lilka Kadison, an original story about a spirited woman in the twilight of her life, written by Nicola Behrman, Ensemble Member David Kersnar, Abbie Phillips, and Ensemble Members Heidi Stillman and Andrew White; David Kersnar directs. The production runs June 1 – July 24, 2011 at Lookingglass Theatre Company, located inside Chicago's historic Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave. at Pearson. 

The Last Act of Lilka Kadison is inspired by the life and work of Johanna Cooper and the Public Radio International series One People, Many Stories.

At age seventeen, Lilka Kadison flees Poland on the eve of World War II. Seventy years later in America, she’s spending her afternoon hassling her son, wrestling her caregiver, and arguing with the ghost who keeps rearranging her furniture—and her memories. Join Lookingglass on this journey about the power of story, humor, and grace in the face of danger.

Script development and production of The Last Act of Lilka Kadison is funded by a generous grant from the Righteous Persons Foundation. This play is a recipient of an Edgerton Foundation New American Plays Award. Additional support provided by The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust. Inaugural consortium support provided by Board Member Richard Ditton.

"Simultaneously haunting and hilarious, The Last Act of Lilka Kadison presents four characters, each with very different stories and secrets.  They all must grapple with whether to reveal those secrets and to whom, and it is this grappling, their wrestling with hidden truths, that I believe our audiences will find meaningful and powerful,” says Artistic Director Andrew White. “Lilka is a great way to complete a season that has been about the central role that story plays, and the power it has, during our different seasons of life." 

The Last Act of Lilka Kadison features Usman Ally (Menelik Kahn), Chance Bone (Ben Ari Adler), Nora Fiffer (Lilka Kadison), and Marilyn Dodds Frank (Lilith Fisher).

Designers include Jacqueline and Richard Penrod, scenic; Mara Blumenfeld, costume; Christine Binder, lighting; Rick Sims, sound design/composition; and William Anderson, properties; and Tracy Otwell, toy theater designer.

As with many previous productions, most recently Trust, Lookingglass is partnering with organizations to enhance the audience experience with additional education and outreach programming. Community Partners for The Last Act of Lilka Kadison include: Facing History and Ourselves, Kartemquin Films, The Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, The Raven Foundation, The Spertus

Institute, The US Holocaust Memorial Museum Midwest Regional Office, and The Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease Center of the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

The schedule for Community Partner Special Events follows. Events are open to the public. 

Lookingglass and The US Holocaust Memorial Museum Midwest Office present First Person: A Conversation with Holocaust Survivor Estelle Laughlin

moderated by Hal Gershowitz

Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 6:00pm
Lookingglass Theatre, 821 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago

A survivor’s eyewitness account unites personal experience with history in a way that is extraordinary in its immediacy and power. This moderated conversation will be followed by an opportunity for the audience to ask questions.

Lookingglass, The Spertus Institute, and Kartemquin Films present Memory and Reflections: Viewing the Holocaust on Stage and Screen
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 6:30pm
Spertus Institute, 610 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago
A compelling evening examines the impact and complexity of memory in the lives of Holocaust survivors. Live scenes from Lookingglass Theatre's world premiere production The Last Act of Lilka Kadison and select clips from Kartemquin Film's documentary Prisoner of Her Past will be paired with a discussion on the topic. Panel participants include artistic director and founding member of Kartemquin Films Gordon Quinn, Lookingglass Theatre founding ensemble member and director, David Kersnar, and David Bier, MSW of the Holocaust Community Services Program at Jewish Child and Family Services, Chicago.

Lookingglass Theatre and The Raven Foundation present

Sandor Goodhart’s Lecture on The Last Act of Lilka Kadison

Saturday, July 16, 2011 at 1:30pm
Loyola University Museum of Art (LUMA), 820 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago

This free lecture will be offered by Professor Sandor Goodhart, specializing in Dramatic Literature and Jewish Studies at Purdue University.

Lookingglass, Kartemquin Films, and The Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center present

Their Stories: Reflections of Survival on Stage, on Screen

Tuesday, July 19, 2011 at 6:30pm

The Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center, 9603 Woods Dr., Skokie

Live scenes from The Last Act of Lilka Kadison and select clips from Kartemquin Film’s documentary Prisoner of Her Past will be accompanied by a Survivor’s recollections.

Lookingglass will also offer free, panel discussions following Sunday performances of The Last Act of Lilka Kadison on the following dates: Sunday, June 19 and 26; and Sunday, July 10, 17 and 24.

Panelists are TBA.

About The Last Act of Lilka Kadison artists

Usman Ally (Menelik Kahn) Credits include the Jeff Award winning, Pulitzer and Lucille Lortel Nominated The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity (Victory Gardens World Premiere and Second Stage Off-Broadway), The Arabian Nights (Lookingglass and Arena Stage) The Four of Us (Theater Wit), Celebrity Row (ATC) and many more. Television credits: The Chicago Code and a recurring role on Season 4 of Damages with Glenn Close. 2010 Fox Foundation/TCG Grant Recipient. ATC Ensemble Member. www.usmanally.com.

Chance Bone (Ben Ari Adler) was born in West Plains, Missouri. He graduated from DePaul University’s Acting Program in 2009. Theatre credits include The Nutcracker (House), A Separate Peace (Steppenwolf), and Cooperstown (Theatre Seven) where he was nominated for a Jeff Award in the category of best supporting actor. Music composition credits include Mimesophobia (Theatre Seven), and Caucasian Chalk Circle (Theatre MIR). You can occasionally see Chance on a television or hear him on a radio.

Nora Fiffer (Lilka Kadison) is thrilled to make her Lookingglass debut. Nora has worked with Chicago Shakespeare, Steppenwolf, Goodman, Remy Bumppo, Chicago Dramatists, Steep, Griffin, About Face, Silk Road, and Eclipse, where she is an ensemble member. Recently, Nora was named a “Hot New Face” in theatre by Chicago Tribune’s Chris Jones and appeared in Eclipse’s After the Fall (Maggie) and ABC’s Detroit 1-8-7. Nora is a graduate of NYU and The School at Steppenwolf.

Marilyn Dodds Frank (Lilith Fisher) has appeared at Lookingglass in Metamorphoses, Hard TImes, The Idiot, Metamorphosis, George. Broadway credits include Superior Donuts; Lincoln Center Theater: The Clean House. Othe Chicago credits include productions with Steppenwolf, Goodman, Victory Gardens, Shaw Chicago, A Red Orchid, Court, Latino Chicago, Teatro Vista, Remains, Next, New Criminals, Piven. New York: En Garde Arts, La Mama. Los Angeles: Actor’s Gang, Padua Playwrights Ensemble. Premieres of four plays written and directed by Maria Irene Fornes. Movies with Judd Apatow, Robert Altman, Stephen Frears, Michael Apted, Joel Schumacher, among others.

David Kersnar (Director/Co-Writer/Ensemble Member) is a founding ensemble member of the Lookingglass Theatre Company and has performed, designed and directed with the company since it was founded in 1988. Directing and writing credits include Peter and the Wolf, Sita Ram, La Luna Muda, Brundibar, Flying Griffin Circus, Marisol, Old Times, Some Girls, The Green Circus, Circus of Chalk, Through the Looking Glass, Lookingglass World Circus, Lookingglass Young Ensemble, Lookingglass Lab and dramatic sequences for Chicago Children’s Choir’s Songs of the Season. Kersnar has served as the Lookingglass Artistic Director and founded and directed Lookingglass Education & Community Programs and has served as Master Teacher. Kersnar is currently an adjunct professor at Northwestern University and Roosevelt University, and has also instructed at DePaul University and University of Chicago. Kersnar co-founded and directed over 30 productions with Shaking the Tree Interactive Productions, which uses theatrical problem-solving techniques in business environments. Kersnar also appeared with the Goodman, Steppenwolf, Remains, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, The Actor’s Gang in Los Angeles, and the Touchstone Theatre of Pennsylvania. Film and television credits include U.S. Marshals, Since You’ve Been Gone, Early Edition, and Turks. David holds an MFA in directing from Northwestern University.

Nicola Behrman (Co-Writer) Born and raised in London, Nicola Behrman currently lives in Venice, California, where she is adapting the British bestseller Where Have All the Boys Gone for the big screen and developing her script Paparazzi with Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Cooper’s Town Productions. Her first play Wasps In Bed premiered Off-Broadway in 2007 and she is the author of the book Spark Your Career In Film. Nicola is the co-creator of 10Q, the creator of Poetry Post and is currently working on her first children’s book, Ruby Rose Double and the Wonky Tree.

Abbie Phillips (Co-Producer/Co-Writer) is an independent film, radio and theatre producer. Phillips is a founding member of the ListenUp Group which produces documentary film projects as well as innovative cultural and public affairs programs for radio and new media. Phillips co-wrote and produced the American Library Award winning production of the series One People, Many Stories, a collection of Jewish short stories read by Jerry Stiller, Alfred Molina, Joan Allen and many more upon which The Last Act of Lilka Kadison was originally inspired. Phillips is also the founder of Every Picture Tells a Story and the co-founder of Storyopolis – enterprises that give original artwork prominence through a combined gallery space and book store and a live performance and workshop. Phillips has developed numerous projects for studios and independent production companies (among them Warner Brothers, Paramount Pictures, Sony, American Zoetrop and PBS) and co-produced several independent feature films including It’s the Rage and A Time for Dancing.

Heidi Stillman (Co-Writer/Artistic Director of New Work/Ensemble Member) Most recently at Lookingglass, Heidi co-directed Trust with David Schwimmer and co-wrote/directed Hephaestus with Tony Hernandez at the Goodman. Other Lookingglass writing/directing credits include The Brothers Karamazov, Hard Times (5 Jeff awards, also traveled to The Arden in Philadelphia), and The Master and Margarita (with David Catlin). Directing credits at Lookingglass include The Wooden Breeks (by Glen Berger), and Hillbilly Antigone (Book and Music by Rick Sims). She also recently staged Laura Eason’s Around the World in 80 Days at Kansas City Rep. Other Lookingglass adaptation credits include The Old Curiosity Shop co-written with Ray Fox and Laura Eason (Jeff award), and The Baron in the Trees with Larry DiStasi. She was last seen on stage in The Arabian Nights. Heidi was recently awarded the 2010 Raven Award for Excellence in Arts and Entertainment for The Brothers Karamazov. She lives in Chicago with her husband Rick and their eight-year olds Sadie and Jude.

Andrew White (Co-Writer/Artistic Director/Ensemble Member) has appeared in more than thirty Lookingglass productions, most recently Ethan Frome. He has taught in various Lookingglass Education and Community programs and residencies, and recently co-founded a new company, Mosaic Experience, which uses an arts-based approach to dialogue about diversity. He is currently writing a new play about the Eastland disaster of 1915, which will premiere at Lookingglass in the summer of 2012. His family in Evanston includes one wife, Shari, and two children, Julia and Asher.

The Last Act of Lilka Kadison —Dates, Times and Ticket Information

Tickets are available online, www.lookingglasstheatre.org; by phone, (312) 337-0665; or at the Lookingglass Theatre box office, located inside Chicago's historic Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave. at Pearson. For more information and box office hours, visit www.lookingglasstheatre.org.

Previews of The Last Act of Lilka Kadison are June 1 – June 10, 2011. The press opening is Saturday, June 11, 2011, at 7:30 p.m. The production runs through July 24, 2011. Tickets are $20-$62.

Target Saturday Matinees offer a limited number of buy one, get one free tickets which are available to all 3:00 p.m. Saturday matinees. This program is made possible with the generous support of Target, working with Lookingglass to make the arts accessible to all. A limited number of student tickets are available the day of the show for $20 with valid student ID. (See FACT SHEET for full performance schedule.)

Lookingglass Theatre 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. Discounted parking is available for Lookingglass patrons at both the nearby John Hancock Center and Olympia Centre Self Park (161 E. Chicago Ave.). To purchase tickets, call the Lookingglass Theatre box office at (312) 337-0665 or visit lookingglasstheatre.org.

About Lookingglass Theatre Company

Inventive. Collaborative. Transformative. Lookingglass Theatre Company was founded in 1988 by eight Northwestern University students. 2010-2011 marks the company’s 23rd anniversary season. Lookingglass is 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 55 world premieres at 23 venues across Chicago, and garnered 52 Joseph Jefferson Awards and Citations. Lookingglass Theatre is the recipient of the 2011 Regional Theatre Tony Award.

Work premiered at Lookingglass has been produced in New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle, Berkeley, Philadelphia, Princeton, Hartford, Kansas City, Washington D.C., and St. Louis. Arabian Nights played at Berkeley Repertory Theatre in December 2010 and Washington DC’s Arena Stage in 2010. Lookingglass Alice played recently at The Actors Theatre of Louisville; Syracuse Stage and The Alliance Theatre in Atlanta. Around The World in 80 Days recently played at Centerstage in Baltimore and at Kansas City Repertory in Kansas City. Lookingglass original scripts have 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 thousands of community members each year.

Lookingglass Theatre Company continues to expand its artistic, financial and institutional boundaries under the guidance of Artistic Director Andrew White, Executive Director Rachel Kraft, Producing Artistic Director Philip R. Smith, Artistic Director of New Work Heidi Stillman, a 22-member artistic ensemble, 15 artistic associates, 11 production affiliates, an administrative staff and a dedicated board of directors led by Lisa Naparstek Green. For more information, visit lookingglasstheatre.org.

FACT SHEET/The Last Act of Lilka Kadison

Title: The Last Act of Lilka Kadison

Written by: Nicola Behrman, David Kersnar, Abbie Phillips, Heidi Stillman and Andrew White

Directed by: David Kersnar

Co-Producer: Abbie Phillips

Regular run: June 11 – July 24, 2011

Times: Wednesdays: 7:30 p.m.

Thursdays: 7:30 p.m.

Fridays: 7:30 p.m.

Saturdays: 3:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Sundays: 3:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Location: Lookingglass Theatre Company, located inside Chicago's historic

Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave. at Pearson.

Prices: Preview tickets are $20 - $34

Regular run tickets are $34 - $62

Box Office: Buy online at www.lookingglasstheatre.org

or by phone at (312) 337-0665.

The Lookingglass box office is located at Water Tower Water Works,

821 N. Michigan Ave.

# # #

 
21 Ensemble Members received coveted award at live Tony Awards Show in NYC yesterday, June 12
 
Chicago—June 12, 2011—The American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards presented Lookingglass Theatre the prestigious 2011 Regional Theatre Tony Award.  The award was presented to Lookingglass on Sunday, June 12, at the 65th annual Tony Awards at the Beacon Theatre in New York City. The Company’s Ensemble Members and artistic leadership will bring the Award home to Lookingglass Theatre today, Monday, June 13, where it will be installed in the lobby and remain on display indefinitely.  
 
One of the most coveted honors in the entertainment industry, the Regional Theatre Tony Award honors a non-profit professional regional theatre company in the United States that has displayed a continuous level of artistic achievement contributing to the growth of theater nationally.  It is awarded by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing based upon a recommendation by the American Theatre Critics Association.  Lookingglass is the fifth Chicago theater to be recognized with this award.
 
“Lookingglass’ work–both onstage and in the classroom--has always been about finding new ways to see ourselves and each other; to reflect back the human experience, whether illuminated by great, classic works of literature or by today’s emerging artists and playwrights,” says Artistic Director Andrew White.  “This award is an acknowledgement that Chicago is the most vibrant theater town in America, from the institutions to the storefront theaters from which we spring, and the continued flowering of new work that grows up out of the Chicago pavement on a daily basis. It speaks to the incredible, diverse community of gifted artists, as well as the enormous community of open-minded and open-hearted theater-goers and supporters who value the creation of new work, the importance of taking artistic risks, and the unique power of ensemble theater.”
 
Now in its 23rd season, Lookingglass, under the guidance of Artistic Director Andrew White, Executive Director Rachel Kraft, Producing Artistic Director Philip R. Smith, Artistic Director of New Work Heidi Stillman, a 22-member artistic ensemble, 15 artistic associates, 11 production affiliates, an administrative staff and a dedicated board of directors led by Lisa Naparstek Green, is home to a multi-disciplined ensemble of artists who create story-centered theatrical work that is physical, aurally rich and visually metaphoric.
 
The Lookingglass Ensemble includes: Eva Barr, Mara Blumenfeld, J Nicole Brooks, David Catlin, Thomas J Cox, Larry DiStasi, Christine Mary Dunford, Laura Eason, Raymond Fox, Joy Gregory, Doug Hara, David Kersnar, John Musial, Daniel Ostling, David Schwimmer, Joey Slotnick, Philip R Smith, Heidi Stillman, Tracy Walsh, Andy White, Temple Williams III, and Mary Zimmerman. 
 
Since its founding in 1988 by eight Northwestern University students, Lookingglass has staged 55 world premieres at 23 venues across Chicago, and garnered 52 Joseph Jefferson Awards and Citations.  Lookingglass’ work has been produced in 14 cities, including New York City, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Seattle, Berkeley, Philadelphia, Princeton, Hartford, Kansas City, Washington D.C., St. Louis, Syracuse, Louisville and Baltimore.   Lookingglass has collaborated with a wide array of Chicago institutions, including Steppenwolf, Goodman, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Silverguy Productions, Millennium Park, Northwestern University, Children's Memorial Hospital, Natya Dance, The Actors Gymnasium, The Old Town School of Folk Music and Chicago Children's Choir.
 
In 2001, the City of Chicago and the State of Illinois endorsed Lookingglass’ acclaimed artistry and bright future with space located in the heart of the Magnificent Mile shopping district inside Chicago's historic Water Tower Water Works.  The highly visible new venue was designed to allow Lookingglass to present its work in its configurable black-box theatre, changing the stage and seating orientation as needed for each production. Inaugurated on June 14, 2003, Lookingglass’ home is a vibrant asset to Chicago’s cultural landscape. 
 
Two productions in 1990—Mary Zimmerman’s The Odyssey and David Schwimmer’s The Jungle—cemented Lookingglass’ reputation for producing its unique brand of literary, visual and physical productions created collaboratively by the company of artists.  Other seminal literary adaptations include Metamorphoses, (subsequent Tony Award-winning production), Argonautika (also national tour), Hard Times (also national tour) and 1984.  Landmark physical work includes Lookingglass Alice and Hephaestus: A Greek Mythology Circus Tale.  Lookingglass is also known for producing topical work with important socially relevant themes; examples include Studs Terkel’s Race, Eye of the Beholder, Black Diamond, and Trust.  As a cultural citizen of Chicago, Lookingglass also looks to its hometown for inspiration, evident in adaptations of Race, The Jungle, Nelson Algren, The Richard Nickel Story, and the upcoming productions of The Great Fire and Eastland.
 
Lookingglass Originals have been produced in Chicago and across the United States.  Most recently, The Arabian Nights, adapted and directed by Ensemble Member Mary Zimmerman, played at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Washington DC’s Arena Stage and Kansas City Rep in 2011.  In its most recent tour, Lookingglass Alice, adapted and directed by Ensemble Member David Catlin, played at The Actors Theatre of Louisville; Syracuse Stage and The Alliance Theatre in Atlanta. Around The World in 80 Days, adapted and directed by Ensemble Member Laura Eason, recently played at Centerstage in Baltimore and at Kansas City Repertory.
 
In addition to developing and presenting ensemble work, Lookingglass Education and Community programs encourage creativity, teamwork and confidence with thousands of community members each year.  Programs include a Studio Class Series, with programs for ages 18 months to 18 years and focuses on a collaborative approach to storytelling and theatre; Summer Camps at four Chicagoland locations for ages 5-18; programs for educators, including residency programs, workshops, school matinees and professional development workshops; and the Young Ensemble, an audition-based program designed to develop new work in a process that mirrors the artistic process of the Lookingglass Ensemble.
 
Lookingglass’ 2010-11 season concludes with the World Premiere of The Last Act Of Lilka Kadison (June 1-July 24, 2011), an original story about a spirited woman in the twilight of her life, written by Nicola Behrman, Abbie Phillips and Ensemble Members David Kersnar, Heidi Stillman and Andrew White, directed by David Kersnar.  The 24th season includes the World Premiere of The Great Fire (beginning September 21, 2011), written and directed by Ensemble Member John Musial; Mr. Rickey Calls a Meeting (beginning January 4, 2012), by Ed Schmidt, directed by Ensemble Member J. Nicole Brooks; and the World Premiere Musical Eastland (June 6, 2012), written by Andrew White with music by Artistic Associate Andre Pluess and Ben Sussman, directed by Amanda Dehnert.
 

http://www.lookingglasstheatre.org