First Folio Theatre Announces Casting For ALL CHILDISH THINGS And THE FIRESTORM

First Folio Theatre (Mayslake Peabody Estate, 31st St. & Rt. 83.) has announced the casting for the remainder of its 2018-2019 indoor season.

For its winter show, Star Wars meets Ocean's 11 as four friends plan to steal a treasure trove of Star Wars memorabilia in ALL CHILDISH THINGS, the new comedy heist by Joseph Zettelmaier, whose previous First Folio shows include Salvage, The Gravedigger, Dr. Seward's Dracula, and The Man-Beast. The ship's controls will be in the hands of First Folio's Associate Artistic Director Melanie Keller, whose productions of Silent Sky and Mary's Wedding received universal praise from critics and audiences alike. Leading the plucky band of thieves will be Eric Eilersen as Dave, who has previously worked with First Folio in Captain Blood!, Mary's Wedding, and Silent Sky. His fellow schemers, all newcomers to First Folio, include Stephanie Shum (The Crucible at Steppenwolf and Men in Boats at American Theater Company) as Kendra; Bobby Richards (Funtime & Friends at A Red Orchid and High Fidelity at Route 66) as Max; and Alberto Mendoza (The Light Fantastic at Jackalope and The Wolf at the End of the Block with 16th Street Theater) as Carter. Rounding out the cast is First Folio Artistic Associate Joe Foust as the mysterious Big Man. Joe has previously been seen at First Folio in Women in Jeopardy, Unnecessary Farce, and Laughter on the 23rd Floor.

The design team for All Childish Things includes four First Folio Artistic Associates: eight-time Jeff Nominee Angela Weber Miller (Scenic Design), four-time Jeff Award Winner Christopher Kriz (Sound Design), four-time Jeff Nominee Rachel Lambert (Costume Design), two-time Jeff Nominee Cassy Schillo (Co-Props Design), and Joe Foust (Violence Design), as well as Wendy Huber (Co-Props Design) and Julie Mack (Lighting Design). Colleen Layton will stage manage, assisted by Wallace Craig.

When a cohort of life-long buddies and Star Wars fans come up with the perfect caper, everything starts off as smoothly as a Jedi mind trick until the Dark Side starts to beckon. Will divided loyalties and greed lead their partnership to implode like the Death Star or will the Force be with them? ALL CHILDISH THINGS runs January 23 through February 24, 2019.

First Folio's spring show takes a bold look at the difficulties of running a political campaign in today's info-saturated environment with Meridith Friedman's THE FIRESTORM. Directed by First Folio Artistic Associate Rachel Lambert (Love, Loss, and What I Wore at First Folio and Natural Affection at Eclipse Theatre), THE FIRESTORM centers on Gaby and Patrick, an interracial political power couple hot on the campaign trail, who are thrust into the center of a media frenzy when a racially charged incident from Patrick's past surfaces. Leading the cast as the power couple are Melanie Loren and Steve O'Connell. Melanie was last seen in Little Shop of Horrors at Drury Lane Oakbrook, as well as in productions with American Theater Company and Congo Square. Steve most recently appeared in The Wizard of Oz at the Paramount Theater, and has also been seen at Chicago Shakespeare and Timeline. Rounding out the cast as Jamal and Leslie are Christopher W. Jones (First Folio's productions of Shrew'd! and Captain Blood!) and Kayla Kennedy (Memphis at Porchlight and Mamma Mia at Marriott Theatre). Designers for The Firestorm include Angela Weber Miller (Scenic Design), Christopher Kriz (Sound Design) and Stephanie Nguyen (Costume Design).

As the pressure intensifies, the political becomes explosively personal and the foundation of their seemingly picture-perfect marriage begins to fracture. When the past comes to haunt us, what do we do with the ghosts? THE FIRESTORM runs March 27-April 28, 2019.

All performances take place at the Mayslake Peabody Estate, located at 1717 31st St., off Rt. 83, in Oak Brook. First Folio is easy to get to from via the East-West Tollway (I-88) or the Stevenson Expressway (I-55). Free parking is available on the grounds. Preview tickets are $25. Regular priced tickets are $34 Wednesdays and Thursdays (seniors and students are $29), and $44 on Fridays through Sundays (seniors and students are $39). Tickets may be purchased by calling the box office at 630.986.8067 or online at www.firstfolio.org

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