Circle Theatre Opens DEARLY DEPARTED Tonight, 9/19

Dearly Departed by David Bottrell and Jessie Jones will play Circle Theatre in Oak Park, directed by Kevin Wiczer. In the tradition of Circle's mega-hit Escanaba in da Moonlight, Circle invites you to meet the Turpin family as they come together to plan a funeral with hilarious results in Dearly Departed, with opening night set for tonight, Sept 19 at 8 p.m., running through October 28, 2012.

After the patriarch keels over in the first scene, the Turpin family tries desperately to pull themselves together to plan the funeral, but their family and neighborhood dynamics keep getting in the way. In the spirit of past Circle favorite, Escanaba In Da Moonlight, Circle will bring the drop-dead funny knee-slapper to life.

Kevin Wiczer – is thrilled to be directing Dearly Departed and making his Circle Theatre debut. He holds his Bachelor's Degree in Acting and Directing from Columbia College Chicago. Kevin has directed for numerous theatres and theatre companies in the Chicagoland area including The Metropolis Performing Arts Center in Arlington Heights, Steel Beam Theatre in St. Charles, Harper College, Music On Stage and Theatre Nebula in Palatine, Highland Park Players in Highland Park, Jack Benny Center for the Arts in Waukegan, Wishing Star Theatre in Libertyville, Gorilla Tango Chicago, Elgin Theatre Company in Elgin, and The Woodstock Opera House in Woodstock, Illinois.

CAST: Anita Hoffman * Jeff Segall * Patti Roeder * Audrey Flegel * Ron Popp * Michelle Annette * K. Curtis Becht * Erin Daly * Will Nifong * Meredith Wood * Nancy Greco * Melody Latham

ARTISTIC STAFF: Kevin Wiczer, Director * Chad Bianchi, Set Design * KClare Kemock, Costume Design * Gary Echelmeyer, Lighting Design * Kevin Bellie, Sound Design * Sammi Grant, Dialect Coach * Catherine Gray, Production Coordinator * Lauren Filip, Stage Manager

Celebrating its 27th Anniversary season, Circle Theatre is an artist-based company and the proud recipient of over 40 Jeff Awards. Circle has produced multiple world premieres, including Rebecca Gilman's The Glory of Living and The Crime of the Century, Jon Steinhagen's The Analytical Engine, the Midwest premiere of Michael John LaChiusa's The Wild Party, and the Chicago premieres of Marvin Hamlisch's Sweet Smell of Success, Jeff Daniels' Escanaba In Da Moonlight, Adam Rapp's Stone Cold Dead Serious, and in our 2011-2012 season, When the Rain Stops Falling.

The theatre is 1010 Madison Street in Oak Park, Ill. The show plays its regular run Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm & Sundays at 3pm. Tickets: Fri: All seats $24; Sat/Sun: $28 for adults, $26 for students/seniors; Group rates are available. Preview Price: (September 15 & 18 only) $15 for previews.

For information and reservations, visit www.circle-theatre.org.

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