Debbie Ruzicka Will Star in Chicago's Premiere of THE RADIANT, Full Cast

Set one hundred years ago in Paris, The Radiant centers on the true, tempestuous, and love-torn life of Madame Marie Sklodowska Curie. Widowed at thirty-nine, with two young children to raise and support, she becomes involved in a scandalous affair with her young married assistant, an affair which rocks Paris and nearly costs her her career - and her life. But, she survives this and the great bias against women scientists throughout Europe then and goes on to discover and isolate radium, earn two Nobel Prizes, and revolutionize the world of science forever, ushering in "The Atomic Age" and the first cure for cancer.

Shirley Lauro's The Radiant enjoyed its World Premiere in March, 2011 at New Theatre, Miami, starring Angelica Torn as Marie Curie. The play was commissioned by The Sloan Science Foundation, receiving their "Production Enhancement Grant," in addition to grants from The Dramatists Guild and TCG's Edgerton Foundation (honored as one of 40 World Premieres by American Playwrights). It opened in New York City in February, 2013.

The Radiant will be directed by Kaitlin Taylor. Taylor's cast will include Debbie Ruzicka (Marie), Chloe Dzielak (Katarina), James McGuire (Paul), and Michael Lomenick (Paymaster/Lord Kelvin/Professor Willis). Design team will be Harrison Ornelas (Set and Props Design), Eric Vigo (Lighting Design), Shawn Quinlan (Costume Design), JJ Porterfield (Sound Design). Shellie DiSalvo is Stage Manager). Graham Emmons is Graphic Designer and Mark Jeffries will be House Manager.

The Radiant
By Shirley Lauro
Directed by Kaitlin Taylor
CHICAGO PREMIERE
May 18 - June 11, 2017

PRESS OPENING May 18, 2017 at 7:30 pm
Thursday, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 3 pm.

Ticket prices $30.00 plus $2 handling fee, seniors and students $15.00 plus $2 handling fee
Performances at Athenaeum Theatre, Studio One
2936 N. Southport Ave., Chicago
Tickets on sale now at http://www.athenaeumtheatre.org or 773-935-6875

Shirley Lauro (Playwright). Shirley Lauro, born in Des Moines, Iowa, attended Northwestern University, the University of Wisconsin, and Columbia University. She is currently a Director of the Dramatists Guild Fund at Dramatists Guild of America. Lauro's most popular work was A Piece of My Heart. Her other full-length plays are All Through the Night, which enjoyed its World Premiere in Chicago and earned a Jeff Nomination for New Work, Clarence Darrow's Last Trial, AKA, Open Admissions, The Contest, Out of Time, Pearls on the Moon,Margaret and Kit, and Speckled Birds. Shirley Lauro enjoys writing about people and characters who are thrown into life's overwhelming social and political situations.

Kaitlin Taylor (Director) is a director in Chicago, and recently directed Transit of Venus at Saint Sebastian Players and readings of Exit 27 and Thicker Than Water for Genesis Theatricals. Her other Chicago directing credits include Baby with the Bathwater (Fury Theatre), In the Matter of J. Robert Oppenheimer (St. Sebastian Players) and Bloodsport: The Musical (Public House Theatre). She served as the Production and Artistic Intern at TimeLine Theatre through the 2015-16 season and was Assistant Director for that company's Bakersfield Mist in the fall of 2016. Kaitlin continues to work with TimeLine as well as The Waltzing Mechanics after serving as the Associate Director on Cosmic Event Are Upon Us. Kaitlin earned her BA degree in acting with a minor in tech/design from Point Park University.

Genesis Theatrical Productions NFP, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to finding and developing new works and using theater as a way to promote communication in a global society. The Radiant will be the company's 16th production since its founding in 2006.