Writers Theatre, under the leadership of Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma and Artistic Director Braden Abraham, kicks off its 2023/24 Season with Eurydice. Eurydice is written by Wilmette native and acclaimed playwright Sarah Ruhl and marks the directorial debut of Braden Abraham at Writers Theatre. Eurydice will be presented September 21-– October 22, 2023 in the Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe. The Press Opening is Friday, September 29, 2023 at 7:30pm.
The newlywed and newly dead Eurydice arrives in the underworld without memories or language and struggles to recover her humanity with the aid of the father she lost years ago. When Orpheus arrives to rescue her, Eurydice must choose between staying with her father or escaping with her husband—between life and death. Pulitzer and Tony nominated playwright and North Shore native Sarah Ruhl infuses the ancient myth with humor, poetry, and hope as this classic heroine finds her voice.
“Eurydice has been praised for its originality and its poetic language, and it has been produced all over the world. Sarah Ruhl grew up just down the road in Wilmette, and Eurydice may be one of Sarah’s most personal plays,” comments Braden Abraham. “What makes this ancient myth so enticing as to continue to invite interpretation? Over the millennia, poems, operas, songs, and paintings have interpreted and re-interpreted this story about the power of love and the importance of letting go. Sarah Ruhl’s arresting version explores themes of love, loss, and grief, but it is also a joyous, hopeful play about the endurance of the human spirit.”
The cast includes: John Gregorio (Father), Kenneth La’Ron Hamilton (Orpheus), Susaan Jamshidi (Loud Stone), Elizabeth Ledo (Little Stone), John Lister (Big Stone), Sarah Price (Eurydice), and Larry Yando (Nasty Interesting Man/Lord of the Underworld). The understudies are Jazmín Corona, Tyler Meredith, Brandon J. Sapp, and Austin Tichenor.
The creative team includes: Courtney O'Neill (Scenic Designer), Danielle Nieves (Costume Designer), Marcus Doshi (Lighting Designer), Jeffrey Levin (Sound Designer & Composition), Micah Figueroa (Intimacy Director), and Tonya Lockyer (Movement Director). The stage manager is Katie Klemme and the assistant stage manager is Kate Nagorski.
Tickets, priced $35-$90, are now on sale at Writers Theatre at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe; 847-242-6000; www.writerstheatre.org.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Sarah Ruhl’s (Playwright) plays include In the Next Room, or the vibrator play, The Clean House, Passion Play, Dead Man’s Cell Phone, Melancholy Play, For Peter Pan on her 70th Birthday, The Oldest Boy, Stage Kiss, Dear Elizabeth, Eurydice, How to Transcend a Happy Marriage, Orlando, Late: a cowboy song, and a translation of Three Sisters. She has been a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist and a Tony award nominee. Her plays have been produced on and off Broadway, around the country, and internationally, where they have been translated into over fifteen languages. Originally from Chicago, Ms. Ruhl received her M.F.A. from Brown University, where she studied with Paula Vogel. She has received the Steinberg Award, the Samuel French Award, the Susan Smith Blackburn Award, the Whiting Award, the Lily Award, a PEN Award for mid-career playwrights, and the MacArthur Award. You can read more about her work on www.SarahRuhlplaywright.com. Her new book 100 Essays I Don’t Have Time to Write was a New York Times notable book of the year, and she most recently published Letters from Max with Max Ritvo. She teaches at the Yale School of Drama, and she lives in Brooklyn with her family.
Braden Abraham (Director) joined Writers Theatre as Artistic Director in 2023. He comes to Writers from Seattle Rep, the largest resident theatre in the Pacific Northwest, where he advanced the organization as a director and producer, including the development and premiere of many new plays. He directed six world premieres for Seattle Rep and over 20 productions including: True West, Clybourne Park, Photograph 51, Ibsen in Chicago, Betrayal, Luna Gale, A View from the Bridge, A Great Wilderness, Breakin’ Hearts and Takin’ Names, and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. Among his initiatives as Artistic Director, Braden committed Seattle Rep as one of the first partner theaters to bring the Public Theater’s model for the Public Works program across the country. Braden also re-envisioned the New Play Program, commissioning and premiering plays by Anna Zeigler, Samuel D. Hunter, David Grimm, Justin Huertas, Samantha Silva, Cheryl L. West, and Karen Hartman, and supported the work of dozens of playwrights and directors through premieres, and the Other Season development lab. Many projects developed through this program went on to acclaimed runs at Seattle Rep and around the country including Irene Sankoff and David Hein’s Come From Away, Cheryl L. West’s Shout Sister Shout!, Erica Schmidt’s Mac Beth, and Kate Hamill’s Pride and Prejudice. Under his leadership, Seattle Rep is the only theater outside New York and London to present David Bryne’s Here Lies Love. Most recently, Braden initiated 20x30: Reimagine the Anthropocene, to commission twenty new plays by the year 2030, and New Directions, a unique commissioning program designed to support generative work from directors. Around the country, Braden has developed new work at Ojai, O’Neill, Denver Center, and Perseverance Theatre. He conceived and developed Way Stations, a series of interactive walking tours in Seattle for the Northwest New Works Festival at On the Boards, and is the co-creator of Gordon Hempton: Let it Happen, an audio installation about the life and work of Emmy Award-winning sound ecologist Gordon Hempton.
John Gregorio (Father) is delighted to make his Writers Theatre debut in Eurydice. NEW YORK: Off-Broadway: The Davenport Theater: Around the World in 80 Days; The Lamb’s Theatre: Silent Laughter; The Belt Theatre: The Nuclear Family. REGIONAL: Lookingglass Theatre Company: The Steadfast Tin Soldier; Goodman Theatre: Notebooks of Leonardo DaVinci; Berkeley Repertory: Treasure Island; Arizona Theatre Company: Miss Bennet Christmas at Pemberley; Merrimack Repertory: The Villain Supper Club; Milwaukee Repertory: The Royale; Geva Theatre Center: The 39 Steps, Little Shop of Horrors; Actors Theatre of Louisville: A Christmas Carol; North Shore Music Theatre: A Funny Thing Happened…Forum; Alliance Theatre: The Legend of Pecos Bill. FILM: Gut Feelings. TV: Good Eats, Smoking Gun TV. John is a founding member of Dad’s Garage Theatre Company of Atlanta, an improvisation instructor, puppet filmmaker and faculty member of The Heifetz International Music Institute.
Kenneth La’Ron Hamilton (Orpheus) is working with Writers Theatre for the first time. Previous Chicago credits include Arsenic and Old Lace (understudy) (Court Theatre); and Describe the Night (understudy) (Steppenwolf Theatre). Previous regional credits include Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, St. Louis Shakespeare Festival, American Players Theatre, American Shakespeare Center, Nashville Shakespeare Festival, and the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company.
Susaan Jamshidi (Loud Stone) was recently seen as Marta Lee in Raven Theatre’s hit show, Right To Be Forgotten. She’s played Mrs. Cratchit for four (and upcoming five) seasons of Goodman’s A Christmas Carol. Other Goodman credits include The Winter’s Tale and Yasmina’s Necklace. Recent credits: Seattle Rep’s Selling Kabul and Steep’s Light Falls. Chicago credits: Lookingglass (Jeff Award Nomination for Best Ensemble – The Arabian Nights), Victory Gardens (The Who & The What), Drury Lane (Christmas Carol), The Gift (Bethany), Northlight (Faceless), Remy Bumppo (The Life of Galileo), Theatre Wit (Seven Homeless Mammoths…), Sideshow Theatre (Jeff Award for Best Ensemble – Idomeneus), Backroom Shakespeare, and several new play workshops, among others. International tours: Oh My Sweet Land (London, Toronto, Vancouver with Silk Road Rising). Regional: Arena Stage, Berkeley Rep, Rep of St. Louis, and Notre Dame Shakes among others. Film/tv: The Tam and Kevin Show, After: A Love Story, Don’t Worry About It, Being There, Little Nations, Cicero in Winter, The Wallet, Chicago Med, Chicago P.D. and Sirens. Susaan earned her MFA from DePaul University and is represented by Paonessa Talent.
Elizabeth Ledo (Little Stone) has appeared in Isaac’s Eye, Arms and the Man (Writers Theatre). Measure for Measure, Alls Well That Ends Well, The Kings Speech, Tug of War - Civil Strife, A Midsummer NIght’s Dream, As You Like It, Amadeus, and Funk It Up About Nothin’ (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre). One Man Two Guvnors, The Secret Garden, Tartuffe, The Misanthrope, The Illusion, The Comedy of Errors, Titus Andronicus, Uncle Vanya, The Real Thing (Court Theatre). The Matchmaker, Boleros for the Disenchanted, A Christmas Carol (Goodman Theatre). Steel Magnolias. Mamma Mia, The Odd Couple, Barefoot in the Park (Drury Lane). Charm and The Chalk Garden (Norhtlight Theatre). Bright Half Life, Le Switch, The Homosexuals, Say You Love Satan (About Face Theatre). The How and The Why (Timeline Theatre). The Old Curiosity Shop (Lookingglass Theatre). Homebody/Kabul, Morningstar (Steppenwolf Theatre). Regional credits: over 20 productions with Milwaukee Repertory Theatre including Our Town, Almost Maine, The Crucible, Wit, Anna Karenina. Russian Transport (Renaissance Theatreworks) The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, (co-pro with Syracuse Stage) Boeing Boeing, Arcadia (Indiana Rep). Cymbeline (American Players Theatre) Richard III, Hamlet, Merchant of Venice, The Comedy of Errors, Romeo and Juliet (Summer Shakespeare at Notre Dame). Elizabeth is a 2016 Lunt-Fontanne Fellow. Her voice over work can be heard on many commercials, video games and The Twilight Zone Radio Dramas. Ms. Ledo is a graduate of Loyola University of Chicago.
John Lister (Big Stone) returns to Writers having previously appeared in As You Like It, Heartbreak House, Yellow Moon, The Liar, and Hamlet, among others. He has been a working actor, throughout Chicago and regionally, for nearly thirty years. John is a proud member of three acting unions AEA, SAG- AFTRA, and AGMA.
Sarah Price (Eurydice) is thrilled to be making her Writers debut. Chicago theatre credits include Dear Jack, Dear Louise (Northlight Theatre), The Wolves, Carlyle (New Stages) (Goodman Theatre), Harvey, The Tragedy of Othello, The Moor of Venice (U/S) (Court Theatre), The Secretaries (First Floor Theatre), Earthquakes in London (Steep Theatre), You On The Moors Now (The Hypocrites), The Sweeter Option (Strawdog Theatre Co.), Monstrous Regiment (Lifeline Theatre), Solstice (A Red Orchid Theatre), X, Mai Dang Lao (Sideshow Theatre Co.) and Northanger Abbey (Remy Bumppo Theatre Co.), as well as X and Mai Dang Lao at Sideshow Theatre, where she is proud to be an Artistic Associate. Regional credits: A Midsummer Night's Dream (Indiana Repertory Theatre), With Love and a Major Organ (Boise Contemporary Theater). TV: Chicago Fire (NBC). She also plays Augie Eckhardt in The Vanishing Act Podcast, and won a 2020 Audio Verse Award for Best Leading Role in a New Audio Production. Sarah is a graduate of The Theatre School at DePaul University, the Improv Training Program at iO, and Second City's Conservatory. She is represented by Gray Talent Group.
Larry Yando (Nasty Interesting Man/Lord of the Underworld) has appeared at Writers Theatre in Buried Child, The Dance of Death, Hamlet, As You Like It, Bach at Leipzig, Rocket to the Moon and Nixon’s Nixon. He was Scar in the national tour of The Lion King for three years. Winner of five Joseph Jefferson awards, he was honored as Chicago Magazine’s Best Actor in Chicago, where he makes his home. Larry received DePaul University’s Excellence in the Arts Award and was the recipient of the 2014 Sarah Siddons Award for Chicago’s Leading Man. Also in 2014, Larry was named Wall Street Journal's Performer of the Year. In 2019, Larry worked with the theatre legend Peter Brook and toured Europe with his production of Battlelfield. He has taught advanced acting classes at The Theatre School at DePaul University, Northwestern University and Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Classical Training Program. In 2010, he was one of nine actors chosen to be a Lunt-Fontanne Fellow.
Writers Theatre is pleased to welcome back BMO Harris Bank as a 2023/24 Season Sponsor, marking the Bank’s tenth consecutive year as season sponsor. Writers Theatre also acknowledges Capital Group Private Client Services as a Lead Production Sponsor.
Fact Sheet / Eurydice
Title: Eurydice
Book by: Sarah Ruhl
Directed by: Artistic Director Braden Abraham
Cast: John Gregorio (Father), Kenneth La’Ron Hamilton (Orpheus), Susaan Jamshidi (Loud Stone), Elizabeth Ledo (Little Stone), John Lister (Big Stone), Sarah Price (Eurydice), and Larry Yando (Nasty Interesting Man/Lord of the Underworld). Understudies are Jazmín Corona, Tyler Meredith, Brandon J. Sapp, and Austin Tichenor.
Creative Team: Courtney O'Neill (Scenic Designer), Danielle Nieves (Costume Designer), Marcus Doshi (Lighting Designer), Jeffrey Levin (Sound Designer & Composition), Micah Figueroa (Intimacy Director), Tonya Lockyer (Movement Director), Katie Klemme (Stage Manager), Kate Nagorski (Assistant Stage Manager)
Dates: First performance: September 21, 2023
Press opening: Friday, September 29, 2023 at 7:30pm
Closing performance: October 22, 2023
Performance Schedule: Wednesdays: 3:00pm and 7:30pm
- Thursdays: 7:30pm
- Fridays: 7:30pm
- Saturdays: 3:00pm and 7:30pm
- Sundays: 2:00pm and 6:00pm
Location: Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre, 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe
Prices: Prices for all performances range from $35 - $90
Purchase early for best prices.
Box Office: The Box Office is located at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe; 847-242-6000; www.writerstheatre.org
Notes of Interest:
· Eurydice marks the directorial debut of Artistic Director Braden Abraham at Writers Theatre. Abraham came to Writers from Seattle Rep, the largest nonprofit resident theatre in the Pacific Northwest, where he built a distinguished career as a director, producer and creator of new work, and community leader. At The Rep, he directed more than 20 productions, initiated the theatre’s groundbreaking community engagement Public Works program and re-envisioned the New Play Program.
· Eurydice is written by Wilmette native and acclaimed playwright Sarah Ruhl. She has been a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist (The Clean House and In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play)), a Tony Award nominee (In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play)), and the recipient of the MacArthur “genius” Fellowship.
WRITERS THEATRE 2023/24 SEASON
The season begins with Eurydice, followed by The Band’s Visit, written by David Yazbeck and Itamar Moses, directed by Zi Alikhan. Hershey Felder then stars as Monsieur Chopin, written by Hershey Felder and directed by Joel Zwick, and concludes with The Hot Wing King, written by Katori Hall, directed by Lili-Anne Brown. Manual Cinema’s Christmas Carol also runs November 16-December 24.
The 2023/24 Season will see the company now firmly at home in its award-winning building at 325 Tudor Court in Glencoe, designed by Studio Gang Architects. Productions will be presented in the 255-seat Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre. Masks are strongly encouraged, but not required, in all Theatre spaces. Please visit https://www.writerstheatre.org/covid-safety for full details.
SEASON PACKAGES
This season, Writers Theatre is offering five subscriptions with an option for every theatregoer. Each subscription includes a deeply discounted ticket price for one ticket to the 4-play series, subscriber-only perks and an exclusive first purchase option for the limited run of Manual Cinema’s Christmas Carol.
PREMIERE SUBSCRIPTION—$240
Reserved seats and fixed dates for Friday nights, Saturday matinees and nights, and Sunday matinees.
FLEXIBLE SUBSCRIPTION—$240
First choice of seats and dates, before tickets go on sale to the public. We’ll send you reminders throughout the season to give you the opportunity to select your dates, times and seats.
STANDARD SUBSCRIPTION—$212
Reserved seats and fixed dates for Wednesday matinees and nights, Thursday nights, and Sunday nights.
PREVIEW SUBSCRIPTION—$172
Reserved seats and fixed dates for preview performances.
NEW FLEXIBLE SAVER—$120
Claim select seats to Wednesday matinees and nights, Sunday nights, and preview performances before tickets go on sale to the public.
Season package subscribers receive exclusive benefits including complimentary ticket exchanges by phone and mail (upgrade fees may apply), access to special play readings and lectures, special “subscriber-rate” prices on additional tickets, discounts at the bar, on Writers Theatre merchandise, event rentals, and more. For a complete list of benefits visit writerstheatre.org.
Season Packages are available online at www.writerstheatre.org, and at the Box Office by calling 847-242-6000.
AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES:
WT offers Open Captioning on select dates for each production. Please visit writerstheatre.org/accessibility for more information.
Writers Theatre is working with Erika Walker and Maylene Peña of the Walker Thomas Group on workplace culture and equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives. Additional information about this important and ongoing work can be found at writerstheatre.org/working-at-wt.
ABOUT WRITERS THEATRE
Writers Theatre boldly looks to the future as it begins its 31st season. Having captivated audiences for years with its dedication to creating the most intimate theatrical experience possible, the theatre is now a major Chicagoland cultural destination with a national reputation for excellence, being called “America’s finest regional theater company” by The Wall Street Journal.
Since 1992, Writers Theatre has stayed true to its core values: valuing the power of the written word and uplifting the artists who bring that word to life. The company has produced over 120 productions—everything from inventive interpretations of classics to groundbreaking new work. In 2016, Writers Theatre opened a new, state-of-the-art facility designed by the internationally renowned Studio Gang Architects. The new facility has allowed the Theatre to accommodate its growing audience, while maintaining its trademark intimacy.
Writers Theatre now welcomes more than 60,000 patrons each season and has helped establish the North Shore of Chicago as a premier cultural destination. Through its Literary Development Initiative, which has been responsible for the nurturing and premiering of over two dozen world premieres, the theatre has established itself as a major originator of new theatrical works. Serving as an extension of the Writers Theatre mission, WT Education programs engage an average 10,000 students each year with active learning opportunities centered around the written word.