Jackalope Theatre Company is pleased to announce the cast and production team of Among the Dead by Hansol Jung, directed by Jackalope Artistic Director, Kaiser Ahmed. Join us for this harrowing drama following a family broken apart by war as they reconnect through a surreal journey in a hotel room in Seoul, Korea. Performances will take place at Jackalope Theatre Company in Chicago’s Broadway Armory Park, 5917 N Broadway, beginning November 4th, 2022. Single tickets and season subscriptions are currently available at jackalopetheatre.org or by calling 773-340-2543. The press opening is set for Thursday, November 10th, 2022 at 7:30pm.
The production of Among the Dead features Sam Boeck, Malia Hu, Colin Huerta, and Jin Park.
Please note: Jackalope Theatre currently requires proof of vaccination and masking at all performances. For updated information on Jackalope’s COVID safety measures, visit jackalopetheatre.org/plan-your-visit
Ana is a Korean American who travels to Seoul in 1975 to retrieve her recently deceased father’s ashes. Luke is a young American soldier fighting in the jungles of Myanmar in 1944. Number Four is the name of a Korean comfort woman camping out on a bridge in Seoul in 1950, waiting for the return of the young American soldier who fathered her daughter. Three separate time periods collide in a small hotel room in Korea, mediated by a shape-shifting Jesus. who first shows up as a bellboy. Among the Dead is a dramedy about a family broken apart by betrayed promises, and finding each other again through SPAM, journals, and Jesus. Mostly Jesus.
“We are thrilled to welcome audiences back for this powerful play by internationally acclaimed playwright Hansol Jung.” says Jackalope Artistic Director, Kaiser Ahmed. “Among the Dead is a symphonic piece that takes us on a tragic and hilarious time-jumping journey across the world. We couldn’t hope for a more profoundly theatrical story to share with our audiences in our intimate artistic home.”
The production team for Among the Dead includes: Monét Felton (associate director), Paloma Locsin (scenic designer), Isaac Pineda (costume designer), Samuel Stephen (lighting designer), Quinn Chisenhall (master electrician), Michael Huey (sound designer), Sheryl Williams (intimacy/fight choreographer), Catherine Miller (casting director), Isabelle Cheng (dramaturg), Anna Brockway (stage manager), and Josh Derby (asst. stage manager).
PRODUCTION DETAILS:
Title: Among the Dead
Playwright: Hansol Jung
Director: Kaiser Ahmed
Cast: Sam Boeck (Luke), Malia Hu (Ana), Colin Huerta (Jesus), and Jin Park (Number Four).
Location: Jackalope Theatre in the Broadway Armory Park, 5917 N Broadway in Chicago.
Dates: Previews: Friday, November 4th, at 7:30pm; Saturday, November 5th, at 7:30pm; Sunday, November 6th, at 3pm; and Tuesday, November 8th, at 7:30pm.
Press performance: Thursday, November 10th, 2022 at 7:30pm
Regular Run: November 11th – December 11th, 2022
Curtain Times: Thursday, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm; Sundays at 3:00pm. Please note: there will not be a performance on Thursday, November 24 (Thanksgiving) and Friday, November 25. An additional performance has been added on Monday, November 28.
Run-Time: 70 min.
Tickets: Previews $20. Regular run $35. Students/Industry/Edgewater neighborhood Limited Access Tickets $15. Tickets are currently available at www.jackalopetheatre.org or by calling 773-340-2543. View Ticket Calendar Here.
Touch Tour/Audio Described/Open Captioned performance: Sunday, November 20, 2022 at 3:00pm. Touch Tour begins at 1:45pm.
Group Tickets: Special group rates are available. For more information email jackalope@jackalopetheatre.org or call 773-340-2543
Plan Your Visit:
Metered parking is available in the lot adjacent to the Broadway Armory – enter from the alley on Thorndale. Nearest El station: Thorndale Red Line. Buses: #36 (Broadway), #151 (Sheridan), #146 (Inner Lakeshore), #147 (DuSable Express)
Content Warnings: View a complete and updated list of production content warnings at jackalopetheatre.org/plan-your-visit
About the Artists:
Hansol Jung (Playwright) is a playwright from South Korea. Productions include Wild Goose Dreams (The Public Theater, La Jolla Playhouse), Wolf Play (NNPN Rolling Premiere: Artists Rep, Mixed Blood, Company One), Cardboard Piano (Humana Festival at ATL), Among the Dead (Ma-Yi Theatre), and No More Sad Things (Sideshow, Boise Contemporary). Commissions from The Public Theater, La Jolla Playhouse, Seattle Repertory Theatre, National Theatre in UK, Playwrights Horizons, Artists Repertory Theater, Ma-Yi Theatre and Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Her work has been developed at Royal Court, New York Theatre Workshop, Hedgebrook, Berkeley Repertory, Sundance Theatre Lab, O’Neill Theater Center, and the Lark. Hansol is the recipient of the Hodder Fellowship, Whiting Award, Helen Merrill Award, Page 73 Fellowship, Lark’s Rita Goldberg Fellowship, NYTW’s 2050 Fellowship, MacDowell Artist Residency, and International Playwrights Residency at Royal Court. She is a proud member of the Ma-Yi Writers Lab, NYTW’s Usual Suspects, and The New Class of Kilroys. MFA: Yale.
Kaiser Ahmed (Director) is a Bangladeshi-American theatre director, producer, teacher, and actor based in Chicago. He's worked at Steppenwolf, Victory Gardens, American Blues Theatre, The Artistic Home, Northlight Theatre, and others. Kaiser was recently named on NewCity’s Players 2022: "Fifty People Who Really Perform For Chicago”. Kaiser was the Co-Founding Artistic Director of Jackalope Theatre Company from 2008-2012, he continued to serve as the Associate Artistic Director through 2019, and resumed as Artistic Director in 2020. At Jackalope, he's recently directed Fast Company, 1980 (or Why I’m Voting for John Anderson), and has worked closely on every production in the company's 14-year history. Kaiser is a 2015-16 Eugene O’Neill National Directors Fellowship Finalist, a 2016-17 Victory Gardens Directors Inclusion Initiative recipient, and an Associate Member of SDC. Kaiser holds a BA in Theatre Directing from Columbia College Chicago.
Monet Felton (Associate Director) is a Director, Producer, Writer, Teaching Artist, and company member at Jackalope Theatre. Monet earned their BFA in Acting at The University of Illinois at Chicago, where they currently teach as an Adjunct Lecturer for their non-majors theatre class. They are currently studying to be certified in Alexander Technique. Monet is a proud member of the Steppenwolf Teaching Artist Cohort. They have had the opportunity of working with theatres such as Chautauqua Theater Company, American Blues Theatre, Jackalope Theatre, Stage 773, Court Theatre, Writers Theatre, Steppenwolf for Young Adults, Bluebird Arts, and Artistic Home. They are happy to be back working with their Jackalope family!
CAST:
Sam Boeck (Luke) is pumped to be back with his Jackalope fam. Chicago credits: Murder on the Orient Express (Drury Lane) Graveyard Shift (The Goodman) Dutch Masters (Jackalope Theatre) Witch (Writers Theatre) The Tempest, Comedy of Errors (Commission Theatre) Insurrection: Holding History (Stage Left); Grapes of Wrath (The Gift). Los Angeles Credits: An Enemy of the People (LA Theatre Works) and Gus’s Fashions and Shoes (VS. Theatre). TV/Film: Unusual Suspects, August: Osage County, The Veil. Sam is represented by DDO. Giddy Up!
Jin Park (Number Four) is grateful to be working with Jackalope on this beautiful play. Past credits include: Neighborhood Narratives (Jackalope Theatre Company); First Love Is The Revolution, Red Rex (U/S) (Steep Theatre); Spirits To Enforce (The Passage Theatre); You For Me For You (Sideshow Theatre Company); Don't Look Back/Must Look Back (Pivot Arts); and Really Really (US) (Interrobang Theatre). TV: Chicago PD (NBC). She is a graduate of The School At Steppenwolf and Columbia College Chicago. Jin is a member of SAG/AFTRA and represented by Gray Talent Group. Thank you friends and family for your support!
Malia Hu (Ana) is delighted to return to live theater and make her debut with Jackalope. She holds a B.S. in Theatre from Northwestern University and an M.S. in Management Studies from Kellogg School of Management. After graduation, Malia worked as a media planner in digital advertising before recognizing a need to return to the arts. Chicago credits include going green (Broken Nose Theatre), Stuck in Reality (webseries), and ba la (short). TV credits include NBC’s Chicago Med. Malia is proudly represented by DDO Artists Agency.
Colin Huerta (Jesus) is a local actor, musician, and legend from Chicago. He is so stoked to be making his Jackalope debut in Among The Dead. He recently graduated from The Theatre School at DePaul University, where he was seen in Everybody (Somebody), Tartuffe (Orgon), and You On The Moors Now (Laurie/Ensemble). He is so thankful to his teachers, friends, family, and his beautiful girlfriend, Savannah, for supporting him in his life and art. Colin is represented by Gray Talent Group. https://www.colinhuerta.com
Title of Play: Among the Dead
Written by: Hansol Jung
Directed by: Kaiser Ahmed
Featuring: Sam Boeck (Luke), Malia Hu (Ana), Colin Huerta (Jesus), and
Jin Park (Number Four).
Location: Jackalope Theatre Company, 5917 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60660
Press Night: Thursday November 10th, 2022 at 7:30pm
Previews: November 4th, 5th, and 8th at 7:30pm; November 6th at 3:00pm
Regular Run: November 11th - December 11th, 2022
Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30pm, Sundays at 3:00pm
Tickets: $15 - $35, on sale at jackalopetheatre.org
About the Jackalope Theatre:
Jackalope Theatre Company, now in its fifteenth season, is committed to cultivating theatre that expands the definition of American identity by engaging with our communities to produce works that celebrate diverse perspectives. Each season, the company produces full-length plays in Broadway Armory Park and a series of ancillary new play development programming. All of this programming takes place within the epicenter of the Edgewater community, enhancing the cultural vibrancy of the Thorndale Station corridor.
Jackalope Theatre was founded in the Spring of 2008. In 2012, Jackalope began a long-term residency at Broadway Armory Park and in 2013, Time Out Chicago named Jackalope the best up-and-coming theatre company. In 2014, Jackalope received the Broadway in Chicago Emerging Theater Award and the world-premiere production of Ike Holter’s Exit Strategy received 4/4 Stars from the Chicago Tribune and won Best New Work at the Jeff Awards. Nearly every production since has received award nominations, critical praise, and full houses of diverse patrons, solidifying Jackalope as a premier mid-sized venue for high quality theatrical experiences.
For complete and current information about the 2022/2023 Season and artists, please visit https://jackalopetheatre.org
Jackalope Theatre expands American identity by engaging with our communities to produce works that celebrate diverse perspectives. Season 15 is made possible by the continued generosity of Season Sponsors Michael and Mona Heath. Jackalope is funded in part by the Illinois Arts Council, The Bayless Family Foundation, the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, and The Paul M. Angell Foundation.
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