Cast & Creative Team Announced for THE MARK OF KANE World Premiere at City Lit
This is the first play of "The Four-Color Trilogy," a set of plays Pracht is writing for City Lit that will make their world premieres over the next three seasons.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Sep. 23, 2022
City Lit Theater's 42nd season will begin in October with the world premiere of THE MARK OF KANE, by Chicago playwright/actor Mark Pracht, directed by City Lit Artistic Director Terry McCabe. Pracht's play, ranging in setting across eight decades, begins in 1939 as Bob Kane and Bill Finger create the comic book character Batman; one of them goes on to fame and fortune while the other languishes in obscurity.
THE MARK OF KANE is the first play of "The Four-Color Trilogy," a set of plays Pracht is writing for City Lit that will make their world premieres over the next three seasons and will highlight major turning points in the history of the comic book industry, once a denigrated art form but now at the center of American pop culture. Pracht has appeared in lead roles at City Lit in PROMETHEUS BOUND, FRANKENSTEIN, and THE COPPERHEAD, and won a Jeff Award for Performer in a Principal Role - Play for REQUIEM FOR A HEAVYWEIGHT with The Artistic Home, where he is an ensemble member. The second play of the trilogy, THE INNOCENCE OF SEDUCTION, about the 1950s Congressional investigation of horror comics, will premiere in 2023; the third, THE HOUSE OF IDEAS, about the 1960s rise of Marvel, will premiere in 2024. THE MARK OF KANE will open to the press on Sunday, October 30 at 3 pm, following previews from October 21 and will play through December 4, 2022.
McCabe announced his cast and production team today. Appearing as Bob Kane will be Josh Zagoren, who has credits with Chicago's Interrobang Theatre, The Factory, and other companies. He has appeared on NBC's CHICAGO FIRE, CHICAGO MED and is also known as "Chad the Bird" in his podcast "Chad the Birdcast." Kane's creative partner Bill Finger will be played by Todd Wojcik, who recently appeared in THE PAVILION and as the "Nasty Interesting Man" in Sarah Ruhl's EURYDICE, both with The Artistic Home. City Lit veteran Adam Bitterman, who earned raves as "Old Mahon" in City Lit's THE PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD this past summer, has been cast as Kane and Finger's fellow DC Comics writer Arnold Drake, creator of Marvel's GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY. Annie Hogan, who has appeared at City Lit in FORTY-TWO STORIES and earned a Jeff nomination for her role in REQUIEM FOR A HEAVYWEIGHT with The Artistic Home, will play Finger's wife Portia.
Playing other notable creators of the DC Comics universe are Lee Kanne as Jerry Robinson (co-creator of Robin and the Joker for the Batman comics), David Valenta as Shelly Moldoff (co-creator of Batgirl and Batman super-villains Poison Ivy and Mr. Freeze). Michael Sherwin will play Jim Steranko, best known for writing and drawing NICK FURY, AGENT OF S.H.I.E.L.D.
Completing the cast are Sean Harklerode (Vin Sullivan/Charles Sinclair), Laura Coleman (Tessie Finger/Augusta Kahn/Lily Uslan), John Wehrman (Louis Finger/Herman Kahn/Jack Liebowitz/William Dozier), Zoe Deprez (Lottie/Gilda Finger/Doris Kahn/Michael Uslan/Veronica), Linsey Falls (Harry Donenfeld/Sam Singer), and Dakota Pariset (Randy/Jerry Bails/Fred Finger). The production team, in addition to McCabe as director, includes Jeff Award nominee G. "Max" Maxin IV (Set/Lighting/Projections Designer), Rachel S. Parent (Costume Designer), and Jeff Award Winner Petter Wahlback (Composer).
Subscriptions for City Lit's three-show season are available at $75.00, good for all performances, or $58.50 for preview performances. Subscriptions may be ordered online at www.citylit.org. Single tickets for THE MARK OF KANE and other productions in the '22-'23 season are priced at $30 for previews and $34 for regular performances and are on sale now at www.citylit.org . Senior prices are $25 for previews and $29 for regular performances. Students and military are $12.00 for all performances.
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