Toughest Man Productions and producers Lecy Goranson and Beth Kligerman announce the world premiere of Royko: The Toughest Man In Chicago at Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division St. in Chicago. Tickets for the limited run, September 5-29, 2024, are on sale at www.royko.brownpapertickets.com/. The press opening is Friday, September 6, 2024 at 7:30pm.
Royko: The Toughest Man In Chicago tells the story of cantankerous Chicago columnist Mike Royko, a 34-year newspaper veteran who wrote 7,500 columns in his career. Love him or hate him, he was a fixture amongst Chicago newspapers. Royko wrote about the city the way people like to think of themselves: cynical, humorous, and with compassion for the little guy.
In this multimedia solo show, writer/performer Mitchell Bisschop takes us back in time on a nostalgic journey told through the eyes of Royko as he is pitted against “The Daley Machine,” corruption, and the changing face of the newspaper business.
Helmed by veteran Chicago director Steve Scott, this blending of video with live action completes the portrait of a man who was tough, but also understood what the working class was up against. Royko: The Toughest Man In Chicago shows you that through Mike Royko’s Chicago, we will learn something about today’s America.
The creative team includes Eric Luchen (Set Designer), Christopher Kriz (Sound Designer), Garrett Bell (Lighting Designer), Smooch Medina (Projection Designer), Will Hughes (Technical Director), Duncan Hon (Master Electrician) and Faith Locke (Stage Manager).
Mitchell Bisschop (writer, performer) is a theatre artist living in Los Angeles. His past solo work has garnered him two Encore Awards and two Fringe Award nominations for best solo show, as well as successful runs in Los Angeles theaters. He is a seasoned theatre artist and playwright with over 20 years of experience with a background in sketch and improv (Second City, Annoyance, UCB, and The PIT). He is known for his previous solo works "I Can Hear You Now" and "Pit of Goblins." His career spans stages in Chicago (Over the Tavern, Mercury Theater Chicago), New York and Los Angeles.
Steve Scott (director) was the producer for more than 30 years at Goodman Theatre, where he oversaw more than 200 productions; he is now a member of Goodman’s Artistic Collective. His Goodman directing credits include Ah, Wilderness!; Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike; Horton Foote’s Blind Date; Rabbit Hole; Binky Rudich and the Two-Speed Clock and No One Will Be Immune for the David Mamet Festival; Dinner With Friends; Wit; the world premiere of Tom Mula’s Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol; A Midsummer Night’s Dream (co-directed with Michael Maggio) and the 2011 and 2012 editions of A Christmas Carol. Other directing credits include productions at Northlight Theatre, Silk Road Rising, American Blues Theater, A Red Orchid Theatre, Redtwist Theatre (where he is a company member), Shattered Globe Theatre, Eclipse Theatre Company (where he is an ensemble member) and many others. He is a member of the Jeff Committee’s Artist and Technical Team, a board member of Season of Concern and an advisory board member at Congo Square Theatre; he also teaches on the faculty of the Theatre Conservatory at Roosevelt University. His recent projects include a stages reading of August Wilson’s Radio Golf at Alley Theatre, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night at Skokie Theatre and The Outgoing Tide at Buffalo Theatre Ensemble.
Beth Kligerman (producer) has more than 26 years of experience as a producer and casting director at Chicago’s famed The Second City comedy. She is a consulting producer for multi-award winning HMS Media, a Casting Director for Norwegian Cruise Line, and a producing consultant for Just for Laughs in Montreal. Since January 2024 Beth has been the Road Producer for Tim Meadows, Matt Walsh, Joe Canale and Brad Morris performing improv shows as Meadows, Walsh & Friends. Beth has been part of countless national and international artistic partnerships, including the U.S.O., Vienna’s English Theatre, Denver Center for the Performing Arts and the John F. Kennedy Center, Washington D.C.
Lecy Goranson (producer) is a Chicago-area native best known for her role of Becky on Roseanne and The Conners. She has guest starred on Law & Order: Special Victims Unity, Sex and the City, Damages and Fringe.
POST-SHOW PANEL DISCUSSIONS will be held on September 12 (Royko on Satire), 15 (Royko as a Journalist – Writing in the Gray) and 26 Celebration of Royko’s Leg Creatures).
Thursday, September 12
Topic: Royko on Satire
Scheduled participants: Justin Kaufmann (Axios Chicago & Schadenfreude Sketch Comedy) and others
Some of Royko’s satirical columns made a few people angry, and many, many more laugh. Kaufmann and legions of Chicago area comedians were shaped in part by being exposed to Royko’s work.
Sunday, September 15
Topic: Royko as a Journalist - Writing in the Gray
Scheduled participants: Tim Franklin (Senior Associate Dean, Professor and John M. Mutz Chair in Local News Medill School of Journalism), Jim Warren (Executive Editor of NewsGuard), and Carol Marin (Faculty Fellow, Center for Journalism Integrity and Excellence DePaul University)
Panelists will discuss how Mike Royko influenced them, and what made his writing stand out to them and so many.
Thursday, September 26
Topic: Celebration of Royko’s Leg Creatures
Scheduled participants: Henriette Gratteau, Ellen Warren, John Fennell and Paul Sullivan
A legman is a reporter assigned to gather information. Leg + man is modeled after the word legwork.
There were both men and women that worked for Royko in this position. “Leg creatures” was the preferred nickname. Some of Mike Royko’s Leg Creatures will be celebrated as they share the unique perspectives they had about working with Mike Royko.
FACTS:
Royko: The Toughest Man In Chicago
Written by and featuring: Mitchell Bisschop
Directed by: Steve Scott
Produced by Mitchell Bisschop, Beth Kligerman and Lecy Goranson
Dates: September 5-29, 2924
Preview: September 5, 2024, Pay-what-you-can performance
Opening: September 6, 2024
- Thursdays, September 12, 19, 26, 2024 • 7:30PM
- Fridays – September 6, 13, 20, 27, 2024 • 7:30PM
- Saturdays – September 7, 14, 21, 28, 2024 • 7:30PM
- Sundays – September 8, 15, 22, 29, 2024 • 3:30PM
Location:
Chopin Theatre, 1543 W Division St in Chicago
Tickets:
$60, https://royko.brownpapertickets.com
Synopsis: A bittersweet multimedia portrait of a newspaperman who stood up for the little guy against the City’s most oppressive powers.