For its 25th season, First Folio Theatre (Mayslake Peabody Estate, 31st St. & Rt. 83.) will present another season of literary classics. The 2020-2021 season begins with a World Premiere tale of monstrous discovery in THE JIGSAW BRIDE: A Frankenstein Story, which runs October 3 through November 1, 2020. The season continues with another World Premiere, AGATHA CHRISTIE’S SECRET COUNCIL, a Tommy and Tuppence Mystery adapted by David Rice, which runs January 30 through February 28, 2021. The season ends with proof that meddlesome matchmaking sometimes succeeds, in JANE AUSTEN’S EMMA, adapted by Phil Timberlake, running March 27 through April 25, 2021.
Opening the 2020-2021 season is THE JIGSAW BRIDE: A Frankenstein Story, by Joseph Zettelmaier. This world premiere thriller, inspired by Mary Shelley’s famous horror story, comes from the playwright who brought you The Gravedigger and Dr. Seward’s Dracula. 100 years after the death of Victor Frankenstein, noted scientist Maria von Moos decides to excavate a ruined castle deep in the Geneva woods. In her search to uncover one mad-man’s secrets, she makes a startling discovery that will take us from the Swiss Alps to Vystario’s Menagerie of the Macabre and deep into the very soul of humanity. THE JIGSAW BRIDE previews September 30 - October 2, opens October 3 and runs through November 1, 2020.
The winter of 2021 brings a world premiere Agatha Christie mystery to First Folio’s stage: THE SECRET COUNCIL, adapted by David Rice from Christie’s second novel, The Secret Adversary. Thrill to the first adventure of Tommy and Tuppence, Agatha Christie’s most dashing and romantic sleuths. In the wake of the Great War, England finds itself under attack from a Secret Council of its enemies, who are plotting to undermine and subvert one of the bastions of freedom. Can Tommy and Tuppence thread the maze of mysteries and murders to save Great Britain from the Bolsheviks? As they follow the trail of clues that lead all the way back to the sinking of the Lusitania, Tommy and Tuppence are drawn inexorably into a web of both love and deception, where they can trust no one but themselves. THE SECRET COUNCIL previews January 27-29, opens January 30 and runs through February 28, 2021.
The 25th Season ends with a journey to 19th Century England, for JANE AUSTEN’S EMMA, adapted for the stage by Phil Timberlake. Come revel in one of literature’s most joyous & light-hearted romantic comedies, as young Emma Woodhouse seeks to prove her skills at matchmaking. Good hearted Emma cannot resist inserting herself into the love lives of her neighbors, leaving a muddle of passions and a tangle of heartbreak in her wake. Can even her dearest friends and family help Emma swallow her pride and learn to value the needs of others over her own desires? This is Austen at her most delightful! EMMA previews March 24-26, opens March 27 and runs through April 25, 2021.
First Folio Theatre also announces that the one-year hiatus for their summer Shakespeare-under-the-Stars productions will be extended indefinitely. Following the death of co-founder Alison C. Vesely, First Folio’s leadership embarked on a mission to create a long-term plan that would make sure the company could weather the leadership transition and continue on into the future in a manner that was both economically and artistically viable. Factoring in both the economic climate for the arts and the current weather climate, the decision has been reached to focus solely on the indoor productions for the time being.
First Folio’s indoor season will continue unabated, focusing on plays rooted in literature. This will include hiring Illinois based artists, as well as establishing a goal of producing at least one world premiere each season, to help develop and strengthen the artistic roots of the Chicago area theater scene. First Folio has produced 10 world premieres in the last 11 seasons, with 2 more premieres on the schedule for 2020-2021. First Folio is led by the team of David Rice (Executive Artistic Director), Kate Danziger (Managing Director) and Melanie Keller (Associate Artistic Director), under a board led by Lawrence R. Krupp as board president.
All performances take place at the Mayslake Peabody Estate, located at 1717 31st St., off Rt. 83, in Oak Brook. First Folio is easy to get to via the East-West Tollway (I-88) or the Stevenson Expressway (I-55). Free parking is available on the grounds. Preview tickets are $29. Regular priced tickets are $39 on Wednesdays and Thursdays (seniors are $34), and $49 on Fridays through Sundays (seniors are $44). First Folio is also introducing a special $20 Student Ticket for all performances. Two and three show subscriptions are available for $42 - $98. Season subscriptions are on sale now, while individual tickets go on sale June 1, and may be purchased by calling the box office at 630.986.8067 or online at www.firstfolio.org