Cast and production team have been announced for Citadel Theatre’s upcoming production of Lauren Gunderson’s I AND YOU. Scott Shallenbarger, the former director of Theatre Arts at Highland Park High School and director of Citadel’s 2024 BABY, is directing. Gunderson’s 2013 play is a departure from her many historical dramas (such as SILENT SKY, produced in 2024 by Citadel) in that it is a fictional story and concerns two American teenagers. One afternoon, Anthony arrives unexpectedly at the door of his high school classmate Caroline, bearing a beat-up copy of Walt Whitman's LEAVES OF GRASS so that they can complete an urgent school assignment. Homebound due to illness, Caroline hasn't been to school in months, but she is as quick and sardonic as Anthony is athletic, sensitive, and popular. As these two let down their guards and share their secrets, this seemingly mundane poetry project unlocks a much deeper mystery that has brought them together. I AND YOU will open on Friday, February 21, 2025, at 7:30 pm, following previews on February 19 and 20, and will play through March 23.
Shallenbarger’s cast for this two-hander is a pair of young actors who already have significant credits on their resumes. Appearing as Caroline will be Amia Korman (they/them), a new-to-Chicago actor and recent graduate from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University Bloomington. They were seen this past summer as Éponine in LES MISÉRABLES by Uptown Music Theater in Highland Park. Jay Westbrook, a 2023 graduate of Chicago’s High School for the Arts who appeared last summer as The Courier in 1776 at Marriott Theatre and appeared in 2024 in NBC’s CHICAGO FIRE, will play Anthony. Understudies are Arya Halbleib (Caroline) and Gino J. Hernandez (Anthony).
Top Row: Amia Koman, Jay Westbrook
Lower Row: Arya Halbleib, Gino J. Hernandez.
The I AND YOU production team will include David Solotke (Set Designer), Danielle Reinhardt (Costume Designer), Jodi Williams (Lighting Designer), Maya Reter (Sound Designer), Sheryl Williams (Intimacy Designer), MJ Dougherty (Props Designer), Bob Knuth (Technical Director), Ben Ballmer (Assistant Director/Run Crew), Scott and Ellen Phelps (Production Managers), and Abby Truett (Stage Manager).
I AND YOU is an ode to youth, life, love, and the strange beauty of human connectedness. It was commissioned by South Coast Repertory of Costa Mesa, California, and received a rolling world premiere through the National New Play Network that began at the Marin Theatre in Mill Valley, California in 2013 and continued at the Olney Theatre Center in Olney, Maryland, and the Phoenix Theatre in Indianapolis. It won the American Theater Critics Association Steinberg-A.T.C.A. new play award for 2014. Since then, the play has enjoyed numerous productions across the US, including off-Broadway in New York at the 59E59 Theaters. A 2014 production in London starred GAME OF THRONES’ Maisie Williams.
Citadel Theatre is in residence in the West Campus of the Lake Forest School District at 300 S. Waukegan Road, Lake Forest. Tickets are $45 and are now on sale at www.citadeltheatre.org.
LISTING INFORMATION
I AND YOU
By Lauren Gunderson
Directed by Scott Shallenbarger
Friday, February 21 - Sunday, March 23, 2025
(Previews February 19 and 20 @ 7:30 pm)
Press Opening Friday, February 21 at 7:30 pm
Thursdays*, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sunday matinees at 3 pm. Wednesday matinees at 1 pm on March 5 and 19.
*No performances on Thursdays, March 6 and 20
Preview ticket prices $20. Regular run prices $45.00. Discounts available for groups, seniors and students.
Citadel Theatre, located in the West Campus building of the Lake Forest School District 300 S. Waukegan Road, Lake Forest, IL
Tickets available online at www.citadeltheatre.org or by phone at 847-735-8554, ext. 1
One afternoon, Anthony arrives unexpectedly at classmate Caroline's home to work with her on completing an urgent assignment from their high school English teacher. Homebound due to illness, Caroline hasn't been to school in months, but she is as quick and sardonic as Anthony is athletic, sensitive, and popular. As these two let down their guards and share their secrets, this seemingly mundane poetry project unlocks a much deeper mystery that has brought them together. I AND YOU is an ode to youth, life, love, and the strange beauty of human connectedness.
BIOS
Scott Shallenbarger (Director). Scott returns to Citadel Theatre after directing BABY in the 2023-24 season. Previous Productions include THE GLASS MENAGERIE (Jeff Award;) SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION; THE ROAD TO MECCA (Raven Theatre;) SKYSCRAPER; BURN THIS; OUR COUNTRY'S GOOD. (Piven Theatre;) JEFFREY; and LOVE, VALOUR, COMPASSION (Hubris Productions). Scott enjoyed a long tenure as Director of Theatre Arts at Highland Park High School in Highland Park Illinois and thanks his husband and sons for their love and never-ending support.
Lauren Gunderson (Playwright). Lauren has been one of the most produced playwrights in America since 2015, topping the list thrice including 2022/23. She is a two-time winner of the Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award for I AND YOU and THE BOOK OF WILL, the winner of the William Inge Distinguished Achievement in Theatre Award, the Lanford Wilson Award, and a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. She is a playwright, screenwriter, musical book writer, and children's author who lives in San Francisco. She graduated from NYU Tisch as a Reynolds Fellow in Social Entrepreneurship.
Scott Phelps (Artistic Director) is in his 23rd year as the Artistic Director at Citadel. He’s acted in and directed dozens of Citadel productions over the last two decades since founding this North Shore theatre in 2002 with his friend and lifelong companion, Ellen. In 2023, he starred in the leading role of Pastor Paul in THE CHRISTIANS. He has acted/directed in NYC, and in his home state of California, trained as an actor at the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts in Santa Maria, CA, received his BFA from the University of Utah, and did an apprenticeship at the Actors Theatre of Louisville in KY. For 18 years Scott worked for a promotional company and raised his three daughters and his son in Lake Forest. Recently he has been taking on the next chapter of his life — the role of “Beepa” to his grandchildren. Although he is unsure if he is old enough to play that part, he’s been enjoying the challenge.
Citadel Theatre is one of Chicagoland’s premier live theatres, producing hundreds of performances annually and inspiring audiences for nearly 23 years. Founded by Scott and Ellen Phelps in 2002, Citadel Theatre is comprised of its Main Stage performances and its theatre acting classes for children. A proud member of the League of Chicago Theatres and the Lake Forest/Lake Bluff ArtsLink, Citadel Theatre offers a unique intimate theatre experience that transports you to another setting and leaves you feeling exhilarated and wanting more. A recognized 501(c)3 non-profit organization, Citadel can accept tax-deductible donations. For more information, ticketing, and to donate, please visit Citadel online at www.CitadelTheatre.org or call 847.735.8554.