BoHo Theatre Stages HAUPTMANN, Now thru 4/21

BoHo Theatre presents Hauptmann, an examination of truth and media indictment, by lauded Chicago playwright John Logan. The production runs tonight, March 22nd through April 21st at the Heartland Studio in Rogers Park. Hauptmann is directed by Founding Artistic Director Stephen M. Genovese, who directed the critically acclaimed BoHo productions of The Rainmaker, The Glorious Ones, Sideshow, and I Am My Own Wife. The production features Jeremy Trager in the role of Richard Hauptmann. Trager was recently seen in BoHo's productions of The Spitfire Grill and Tartuffe. Hauptmann represents the Bohemian Pillar of Truth in BoHo's 2012/2013 Season.

In 1932, the world was rocked by the kidnapping of Charles Lindberg Jr., one of the most highly publicized crimes of the 20th century. In 1936, German immigrant and ex-convict Bruno Richard Hauptmann was executed for the kidnapping and murder of the Lindbergh baby. But was he really guilty? Or was this the result of an opportunistic media eager to promote "The Crime of the Century," rising anti-German sentiment in America, and the power of money and fame to influence our justice system? BoHo's Hauptmann looks at one of the earliest instances of this phenomenon, a trial that by many modern scholars was full of flimsy and unsubstantiated evidence.

Not simply a court room drama, the production is narrated by Hauptmann himself, a conflicted and withdrawn man whose perspective on the experience may not be entirely reliable. Presenting a story where the line between truth and lies is never clear, BoHo challenges audiences to examine how society arrives at the truth, and whether the public's insatiable demand for sensational stories and scapegoats distorts the search for that truth. This early work by renowned writer John Logan mixes historical facts with theatricality to examine the reality behind the trial and the man accused of the unthinkable.

Logan is best known to audiences for his plays Red, centered around modern artist Mark Rothko, and Never the Sinner, which explores the infamous Leopold and Loeb murder case. His screenwriting credits include such critical and box office successes as Gladiator, Rango, Skyfall, and Martin Scorcese's The Aviator and Hugo. Don't miss this rare chance to catch BoHo's production of one of his early masterpieces.

Hauptmann by John Logan will be directed by Stephen M. Genovese, featuring scenic design by John Zuiker, lighting design by Diane D. Fairchild, costume design by Rachel Parent, dialect coaching by Peter Robel. Produced by Kaela Altman.

The cast features Jeremy Trager as Richard Hauptmann, with Chris Amos, Sasha Kraichnan, Eleanor Katz, Nathan Randall, Nathan Grant, and Derek Van Barham.

The production runs tonight, March 22 - April 21, 2013, playing Thursdays through Saturdays at 8:00 pm and Sundays at 2:00 pm. Opening Night is Saturday, March 23, at 8:00pm., in The Heartland Studio, 7016 N. Glenwood Ave, Chicago. For tickets, Ovation Tix at 866-811-4111 or visit www.BoHoTheatre.com. Tickets on sale now. Opening weekend (September 14-16) ticket price: $15, Regular run ticket prices: $20.

John Logan (Playwright)
One of Hollywood's most successful screenwriters, John Logan made a name for himself by crafting extensively researched, thoroughly compelling historical epics. His early works in Chicago include Never The Sinner (1986 Jeff Award for Best New Work, New York Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Play), Hauptmann (1987 Jeff Award for Best New Work), Music From A Locked Room , and Riverview. After more than 10 years as a respected playwright in Illinois, Logan began his transition to writing for the screen with the Orson Welles biopic RKO 281 (HBO, 1999) and the Oliver Stone-directed NFL melodrama Any Given Sunday (1999). Having attracted the attention of director- producer Ridley Scott, he was brought on to script the Oscar-winning Roman Empire spectacle Gladiator (2000). Logan further cemented his growing reputation with his lauded work on films like Edward Zwick's The Last Samurai (2003), Martin Scorsese's The Aviator (2004) and Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007).

He returned to the theatre in 2010 with Red, a story about the modern artist Mark Rothko, which won a Tony, Drama Desk, Drama League and Outer Critics Circle awards. The following year, he penned the hit animated family feature Rango (2011) and reunited with Scorsese for the critically-acclaimed family-adventure Hugo (2011). His most recent credit is Sam Mendes' entry into the James Bond franchise, Skyfall. Logan's love of history and knack for finding the often ambiguous human story within a larger, epic narrative rightfully made him one of the most sought-after and recognized screenwriters of the new millennium.

Stephen M. Genovese (Director)
Steve has spent the better part of 30 years involved in theatre in one aspect or another. He was the founding Artistic Director of BoHo Theatre, where he held many jobs, including stage direction to technical direction, costuming to props, acting to writing, being involved on so many levels. Steve has performed at or worked with The Marriott Theatre, Pheasant Run Dinner Theatre, Court Theatre, and Stage Right Theatre, to name a few. His works as director and/or designer for BoHo include the critically-acclaimed hit musicals The Wild Party, the Jeff-winning SideShow, Jekyll & Hyde, and The Glorious Ones, and the plays I Am My Own Wife (co-director), The Rainmaker, and Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde.

Jeremy Trager ("Richard Hauptmann")
Jeremy was recently seen on BoHo's stages playing the title character in Tartuffe and Caleb in The Spitfire Grill. Other local credits include Henry V and Black Magic: An Evening of Shakespeare w/Promethean; Chess (Jeff Nom. & Broadway World Award), Cabaret (Jeff Award), Evita, Flora the Red Menace (Jeff Nom. & After Dark Award), The Fantasticks, Side by Side by Sondheim, Some Enchanted Evening, and two long-running Jacques Brel revues w/Theo Ubique; Boojum! (Jeff Nom.) w/Caffeine; Carousel w/Light Opera Works; 1776 w/Signal; Wind in the Willows w/City Lit; Ragtime, Sweeney Todd, Amadeus, and Assassins w/Porchlight; and work with Profiles, Bailiwick, Circle, and many more. Jeremy stars in the upcoming vaudeville film A Sad State of Affairs, and as the composer Alkan in the world premiere vampire musical Etude in the fall of 2013.

BoHo Theatre structures each of its seasons around the four pillars of Bohemian philosophy: Truth, Beauty, Freedom, and Love. BoHo's 2012/2013 season features: The Spitfire Grill by James Valcq and Fred Alley (Freedom) at the Heartland Studio, Pygmalion by George Bernard Show (Beauty) in partnership with Stage Left Theatre at Theater Wit, Hauptmann by John Logan (Truth) at the Heartland Studio, and Kiss of the Spider Woman by John Kander, Fred Ebb, and Terrence McNally (Love) at Theater Wit.

BoHo Theatre seeks to challenge convention through literary originality and eclectic expression while fostering an ever-evolving artistic environment in which people are inspired to learn, think, dream, and feel; to teach others and ourselves how to expand, create, and present art through theatre while reveling not only in the process, but also in the journey.