Court Theatre Presents THREE TALL WOMEN 1/13-2/13/2011

Court Theatre continues its 56th season with Edward Albee's Three Tall Women, directed by Artistic Director Charles Newell. The production will run January 13 - February 13, 2011 at Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Avenue. Press opening is Saturday, January 22, 2011 at 8PM.
Three Tall Women was written shortly after the death of Edward Albee's adoptive mother, and it remains his most personal play. Wickedly funny, and told with uncompromising truth, the play takes a long, hard look at the arc of one human life from the perspectives of three different generations-one woman in youth, one woman in middle age, and one woman lying on her death bed. As the elder woman reflects on her life-including the estrangement of her son, widely interpreted to represent Albee himself-she develops clarity of mind that transcends her debilitated body. Three Tall Women will be directed by Artistic Director Charles Newell, whose 2004 production of Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? was named "the finest production... [of the play] I've seen to date" by Terry Teachout of The Wall Street Journal.

"Three Tall Women is the play that brought Edward Albee back to the attention of the American theatre. It's a striking text. Anyone who's ever witnessed a parent or grandparent at the end of their life-that is to say, most of us-will recognize the complex mingling of pain, regret, hope, and unexpected humor of that experience," says Charlie Newell. "I'm thrilled to be returning to the world of Edward Albee, after the wonderful experience of directing Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? in 2004."

Edward Albee's Three Tall Women features Mary Beth Fisher (Woman B), Lois Markle (Woman A), Maura Kidwell (Woman C) and Joel Gross (The Boy).

The creative team for Three Tall Women features Leigh Breslau (scenic design), Marc Stubblefield (lighting design), Anna Kuzmanic (costume design), Megan Geigner (production dramaturg). The Stage Manager is William Collins. Court Theatre's Resident Dramaturg is Drew Dir.

Edward Albee (Playwright) was born on March 12, 1928 and began writing plays 30 years later. His plays include The Zoo Story (1958), The American Dream (1960), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1961-62, 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 (1977-78), The Man Who Had Three Arms (1981), Finding the Sun (1982), Marriage Play (1986-87), 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 is 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.

Mary Beth Fisher (Woman B) has appeared at Court Theatre in The Year of Magical Thinking (Jeff Award Solo Performance), The Wild Duck, What the Butler Saw, The Glass Menagerie, Arcadia, Travesties, and The Importance of Being Ernest. Her Chicago credits include The Seagull, Rock n' Roll, Frank's Home, The Clean House, Dinner With Friends, Heartbreak House, The Guys, The Rose Tattoo, Boy Gets Girl, Spinning into Butter, Design for Living, Light Up the Sky, The Night of the Iguana, and Marvin's Room (Goodman Theatre); Dead Man's Cell Phone, The Dresser, and The Memory of Water (Steppenwolf Theatre Company); The Taming of the Shrew (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); The Laramie Project: Epilogue, The Little Dog Laughed, and Theatre District (About Face Theatre); The Marriage of Figaro (Remy Bumppo Theatre Company). Her NY credits include: Frank's Home (Playwrights Horizons); Boy Gets Girl (Drama League Honoree, Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel nominations), The Radical Mystique, and By The Sea...(Manhattan Theatre Club); The Night of the Iguana (Roundabout Theatre Company); and Extremities (Westside Arts Theatre). Ms. Fisher has also worked in regional theatres throughout the country. Her TV/film credits include: Ride Along, State of Romance, Without a Trace, Numb3rs, Prison Break, NYPD Blue, Profiler, Early Edition, Turks, Formosa Betrayed, Dragonfly, and Trauma. She received the 2010 Chicago's Leading Lady Award from the Sarah Siddons Society and was named "Best Actress" in Chicago Magazine's "Best of Chicago" issue (Aug/2010). Ms. Fisher is an Inaugural Lunt-Fontanne Fellow.
Joel Gross (The Boy) makes his Court Theatre debut with Three Tall Women. He just closed To Master the Art at TimeLine Theatre, where he also played Dakin in the Jeff Award-winning (Ensemble/Mid-Size Production) The History Boys. Joel has also worked with Lookingglass Theatre Company, Collaboraction, Strawdog Theatre Company, Dog & Pony Theatre Company, and The House Theatre of Chicago. Joel is a proud member of Gray Talent, and teaches teen acting workshops at Act One Studios and the Chicago Waldorf School.

Maura Kidwell (Woman C) makes her Court Theatre debut with Three Tall Women. Maura was last seen in Lobby Hero at Redtwist Theatre, where she has been an ensemble member since appearing in Equus in 2007. Maura has also performed at The Gift Theatre Company, Chicago Dramatists, Provision Theater Company, Erasing the Distance, and Repertory Theatre of St. Louis. Film work includes Lifetime Original Movie Close Quarters, Return to the Hiding Place, and Saving Shiloh.

Lois Markle (Woman A) makes her Court Theatre debut with Three Tall Women. Among her many stage credits are: BROADWAY: Hedda Gabbler, True West, and The Grapes of Wrath. OFF BROADWAY: The American Dream, The Sandbox, Measure for Measure, Camino Real, Curse of the Starving Class, I Am A Camera, The Middle Ages, and Cuba Si. National tours include: Present Laughter, Summer, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and After the Fall. Some favorite regional credits include: Old Times, Toys in the Attic, A Delicate Balance, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Driving Miss Daisy, The Gin Game, Lost in Yonkers, Major Barbara, Albee's Women, An Evening with Jon Robin Baitz, and Eleanor Roosevelt in Her Own Words. Among her film credits are: Torn Between Two Lovers, Breaking Up, Coming Apart, and The Sporting Club. Some TV work includes: The Sopranos, Sex and the City, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, Law and Order, and ABC Playbreak.

Charles Newell (Director) has been Artistic Director of Court Theatre since 1994, where he has directed over 30 productions. He made his Chicago directorial debut in 1993 with The Triumph of Love, which won the Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Production. Directorial highlights at Court include The Illusion, The Year of Magical Thinking, The Wild Duck, Caroline, Or Change, Titus Andronicus, Arcadia, Man of La Mancha, Uncle Vanya, Raisin, The Glass Menagerie, Travesties, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Hamlet, The Invention of Love, The Little Foxes, Nora, and The Misanthrope. Charlie has also directed at the Goodman Theatre (Rock 'n' Roll), the Guthrie Theater (Resident Director: The History Cycle, Cymbeline), Arena Stage, John Houseman's The Acting Company (Staff Repertory Director), the California and Alabama Shakespeare Festivals, Juilliard, and New York University. He is the recipient of the 1992 TCG Alan Schneider Director Award. He has served on the Board of Theatre Communications Group, as well as on several panels for the National Endowment for the Arts. Opera directing credits include Marc Blitzstein's Regina at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Rigoletto at Opera Theatre of St. Louis. Charlie is a multiple Joseph Jefferson Award (Chicago's highest theatrical honor) nominee and recipient. His production of Caroline, or Change at Court was the recipient of 4 Joseph Jefferson Awards, including Best Production-Musical and Best Director-Musical.

Previews are January 13 - January 21, 2011. The opening press performance is on Saturday, January 22, 2011 at 8:00 p.m. Curtain times are Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. with Saturday matinees at 3 p.m.; Sundays at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Ticket prices are $30 to $40 for preview performances; $40 to $60 for regular run performances. Tickets are available at the Box Office, 5535 S. Ellis Avenue, Chicago; (773) 753-4472 or online at www.CourtTheatre.org. Student and senior discounts available. Groups of 10 or more may purchase tickets by calling Milan Pejnovich at (773) 834-3243.

Three Tall Women is sponsored by Kirkland & Ellis, LLP

Upcoming Events
University of Chicago Student Night
Friday, January 14, 2011 at 8:00PM
University of Chicago students are invited to enjoy free food and soda after the performance, as well as a post-show discussion with members of the cast, design team, and staff. University of Chicago student tickets are always just $10 with valid U of C student ID.

David Bevington Post-show Discussion
Wednesday, February 2, 2011, following the 7:30PM performance of Three Tall Women
Join world-renowned University of Chicago theater scholar David Bevington in a lively post-show conversation with Resident Dramaturg Drew Dir. Your comments and questions are part of the discourse as Professor Bevington and the artistic staff provide context and probe the deeper issues of each play in Court Theatre's season. One Wednesday performance of each play features this popular in-depth discussion. These conversations begin immediately after the performance, last approximately 30 minutes, and are free and open to all.

Now in its 56th season, Court Theatre is guided by its mission to discover the power of classic theatre. Court endeavors to make a lasting contribution to American theatre by expanding the canon of translations, adaptations, and classic texts. Court revives lost masterpieces, illuminates familiar texts, and distinguishes fresh, modern classics. Court engages and inspires its audience by providing artistically distinguished productions, audience enrichment activities, and student educational experiences.

Court Theatre is the professional theatre in residence at the University of Chicago continuing to discover the power of classic theatre. Court Theatre operates under an agreement between the League of Resident Theatres and Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. Productions are made possible in part by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, and by a City Arts grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs. Court Theatre is a constituent of Theatre Communications Group, the national organization for the American Theatre; the League of Resident Theatres; the Illinois Humanities Council; the Arts Alliance Illinois; the League of Chicago Theatres; and Hyde Park Cultural Alliance.

Title: Three Tall Women
Directed by: Charles Newell
Written by: Edward Albee
Dates: Previews: January 13-January 21, 2011
Press opening: Saturday, January 22, 2011 at 8 PM
Regular run: January 23 - February 13, 2011
Schedule: Wed & Thurs: 7:30 p.m.
Fridays: 8:00 p.m.
Saturdays: 3:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m.
Sundays: 2:30 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Location: Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave.
Tickets: $30-$40 previews
$40-$60 regular run
Box Office: Located at 5535 S. Ellis Avenue, Chicago; (773) 753-4472 or online www.CourtTheatre.org

 

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