First Folio Theatre Presents CHURCHILL For Five-Day Run

As a special bonus in its 22nd season, First Folio Theatre (Mayslake Peabody Estate, 31st St. & Rt. 83.) is bringing back Ronald Keaton's hit one-man show Churchill, May 2 - 6. This show had its Illinois premiere at First Folio, before moving on to extended runs the Greenhouse Theatre Center in Chicago followed by a six-month run Off-Broadway at New World Stages in NYC.

Adapted and performed by Ronald Keaton and directed by Kurt Johns, Churchill gives an intimate look into the Nobel Laureate's failures and his successes, his love of art, liquor, and women, and the bravery of Britain's finest hour. History enthusiasts, Anglophiles, and lovers of great theater will not want to miss this stunning portrayal of the first man to become an honorary citizen of the United States. Come thrill to the life of the man historians say, "saved the honor of the 20th Century." Politician, painter, Nobel winning author and raconteur, Churchill will continue to leave his mark on future generations.

It is March 1946. In the past year, Winston Churchill has led Britain and the Allies to victory in the European Theatre of World War II. He has also shockingly been defeated for re-election as Prime Minister. Sitting in forced retirement with his wife Clementine at their Chartwell home, Churchill receives an invitation from President Harry Truman to speak in the States...at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, where he will deliver his legendary, emphatic "Iron Curtain" speech. He arrives in Fulton to an informal and esoteric gathering of friends and supporters, and shares his life in flashback and in storytelling. Experience the man who famously proclaimed, "I am ready to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter..."

The Chicago Tribune called the show "An earnest, honest and deeply reflective piece of original Chicago theater...that reminds us of how, in politics as in business, integrity, courage and relationships are what matter the most." The Wall Street Journal proclaimed, "Fifty years after his death, Winston Churchill has emerged as a star!"

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. Tickets are $29 for the Wednesday and Thursday performances, $35 for the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday performances, and may be purchased by calling the box office at 630.986.8067 or online at www.firstfolio.org.

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