Casting Announced For Interrobang Theatre's THE GOAT, OR WHO IS SYLVIA?

Interrobang Theatre Project is pleased to announce casting for the first show of its 2018-19 season: THE GOAT, OR WHO IS SYLVIA?, Edward Albee's provocative portrait of a marriage in flux, directed by Co-Artistic Director James Yost*.

THE GOAT, OR WHO IS SYLVIA? will feature ITP Ensemble Member Elana Elyce* with Tom Jansson, Ryan Liddell and Armando Reyes.

Launching Interrobang's ninth season, exploring "identity/crisis," THE GOAT, OR WHO IS SYLVIA? will play September 7 - October 6, 2018 at ITP's new resident home, Rivendell Theatre, 5779 N. Ridge Ave. in Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood. Single tickets and season passes are currently available at www.interrobangtheatre.org or by calling (312) 219-4140. The press opening is Tuesday, September 11 at 8 pm.

Martin is an accomplished architect living the American dream. He has a loving wife, a devoted son, and an acclaimed career. But an explosive revelation threatens to destroy everything he has built, and forces Martin to reconcile the man the world has come to know with the man that he has come to be. Shocking theatregoers when it first premiered, The Goat deftly lambastes liberal acceptance, fidelity and family as one man painfully traverses the ultimate taboo.

"The Goat, one of Albee's most controversial, witty, and profound plays, is an engaging look at love vs. lust," comments Co-Artistic Director James Yost. "I have always been drawn to Albee's candid, absurdist style and his lyrical writing. Like many of his works, this play explores what we as a society deem acceptable when it comes to sexual predilections. It resonates today as many continue to argue (and fight for) what we believe should be socially and morally acceptable. Albee presents a raw tale of a man whose secret affair is about to be unearthed."

The production team for THE GOAT, OR WHO IS SYLVIA? includes: Kerry Lee Chipman (scenic design), Melissa Perkins (costume design), Richie Vavrina (lighting design), Erik Siegling (sound design), Melanie Hatch (props design), Claire Yearman (fight choreography), Jyreika Guest (assistant director), Brian Sprague (technical director) and Nick Plakas (production stage manager).

*Denotes Interrobang Theatre Project Ensemble Member or Artistic Associate.

Edward Albee (Playwright) was born on March 12, 1928 and began writing plays thirty years later. His plays include The Zoo Story (1958), The American Dream (1960), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1961-1962, Tony Award), Tiny Alice (1964), A Delicate Balance (1966, Pulitzer Prize; 1996, Tony Award), All Over (1971), Seascape (1974, Pulitzer Prize), The Lady From Dubuque (1977-1978), The Man Who Had Three Arms (1981), Finding the Sun (1982), Marriage Play (1986-1987), Three Tall Women (1991, Pulitzer Prize), Fragments (1993), The Play About the Baby (1997), The Goat, Or Who is Sylvia? (2000, 2002 Tony Award) and Occupant (2001). He was a member of the Dramatists Guild Council and president of The Edward F. Albee Foundation. Mr. Albee was awarded the Gold Medal in Drama from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters in 1980, and in 1996 received the Kennedy Center Honors and the National Medal of Arts. Mr. Albee died September 16, 2016.

James Yost (Director) is a Joseph Jefferson Award-nominated director and the Co-Artistic Director of Interrobang Theatre Project. He previously served as the producing Artistic Director for BareBones Theatre Group, a company he co-founded in 1998. Selected credits include: Mr. Marmalade, Psycho Beach Party, Debbie Does Dallas: The Musical, Skylight, The Graduate, The Play About the Baby, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Drift, bash; the latter-day plays, Squirrels, The Wizard of Oz, Lend Me A Tenor, Orson's Shadow, Glengarry Glen Ross, The Pitchfork Disney and Noises Off. For ITP, credits include Orange Flower Water (Jeff nomination for Best Supporting Actor, Joseph Wiens), Ibsen is Dead, The North Pool (Jeff nominated for Best Production and Best Director), Falling (Jeff nominated actors Justin Tsatsa and Amy Johnson) and the critically acclaimed REALLY REALLY (named one of the best shows of 2015 by the Chicago Tribune). Other credits include True West by Sam Shepard for Shattered Globe. This summer, he will direct Boeing Boeing for Davidson College. He teaches acting, directing, production design and film at the high school and collegiate level. He is published in Teaching Theatre Journal, a publication of Dramatics Magazine.

About Interrobang Theatre Project

Now in its ninth season, Interrobang Theatre Project, under the artistic leadership of Georgette Verdin and James Yost, has been hailed by the Chicago Tribune as a "company to watch" and by Time Out Chicago as "one of Chicago's most promising young theatre companies." Chris Jones called Foxfinder, which kicked off Interrobang's 2017-18 season, "...a ripping good yarn," earning it 3.5 stars from the Chicago Tribune. Foxfinder also garnered seven non-Equity Jeff Awards nominations including Best Director and Production of a Play, and took home two awards for Best Original Music and Set Design. The company also earned seven non-Equity Jeff Nominations for their seventh season, including Best Director, Production of a Play, Solo Performance and acting nominations for Lead Actor, Actress (win) and Actor in a Supporting Role (win). Productions have included the world premiere of Calamity West's Ibsen is Dead (Jeff Recommended), the Jeff Recommended The Pitchfork Disney, Orange Flower Water, Recent Tragic Events, The North Pool, The Amish Project, Falling and Grace. Director James Yost's critically-acclaimed Really Really was one of six shows chosen for Chicago Tribune's "Best of 2015 in Chicago Fringe Theater."

What's an interrobang?

An interrobang is the combination of a question mark and an exclamation point, joining the Latin for "question" (interro) with a proofreading term for "exclamation" (bang). Through the plays we produce, Interrobang Theatre Project aims to pose worthwhile and exciting questions which challenge our understanding and assumptions of who we are and the world in which we live.

For more information, please visit www.interrobangtheatreproject.org.

PHOTO CREDIT: The cast of Interrobang Theatre Project's production of THE GOAT, OR WHO IS SYLVIA? includes (left to right) Elana Elyce, Tom Jansson, Ryan Liddell and Armando Reyes.

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