First Folio's 2015-16 Season to Include THE MADNESS OF EDGAR ALLAN POE, MY MAN GODFREY & More

First Folio Theatre announces its 2015-16 season, kicking off with the smash hit THE MADNESS OF EDGAR ALLAN POE, running September 23 through November 1, 2015. For its winter show, First Folio presents the World Premiere adaptation of one of the great screwball movie comedies of all time, MY MAN GODFREY, running January 27 through February 28, 2016. The humorously magical FOOLING BUDDHA completes the indoor season, running March 23 through April 24, 2016; and Shakespeare's comedy fantasy A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM takes the outdoor stage for the 20th anniversary of First Folio's Shakespeare Under the Stars summer series, which runs July 9 through August 14, 2016.

THE MADNESS OF EDGAR ALLAN POE: A LOVE STORY, a critically-acclaimed original drama by Executive Director David Rice, is back by popular demand. This production, first mounted in 2006, sold out its entire run in 2010 and again in 2012, making it the best selling production in First Folio Theatre history. Poe's macabre and melancholic tales come to life as Poe and his wife Virginia move lead the audience from room to room through historic Mayslake Hall. From the garrets to the dungeons and into the madness of Edgar Allan Poe, David Rice's artfully structured journey takes showgoers into the life and literature of the great American horror author, with tales of terror such as "The Tell-Tale Heart," "The Pit and the Pendulum," and "The Masque of the Red Death." A story of life and death, love and heartbreak, the play has been hailed as "A smart and heartfelt journey!" by the Chicago Tribune and "A masterful take on a master's work" by the Daily Herald. The adaptation will be directed by Jeff Award nominee Alison C. Vesely. Christian Gray will reprise his role as Poe, with Kevin McKillip portraying multiple roles in this Gothic thriller. THE MADNESS OF EDGAR ALLAN POE: A LOVE STORY previews September 23, opens September 26 and runs through November 1, 2015.

MY MAN GODFREY, a World Premiere stage adaptation of the classic 1930's American comedy starring William Powell and Carole Lombard, is also written by David Rice. Set in the midst of the Great Depression, this delightful tale is a cross between You Can't Take it With You and the Jeeves and Wooster tales. A young heiress of a wealthy Park Avenue family, Irene Bullock, stumbles upon a disheveled and down-and-out vagrant, Godfrey, who is residing in the city dump. The scatterbrained socialite takes pity on him and hires him on to become the family's new butler. As the story unfolds, Godfrey has to maneuver through the family's eccentricities and a budding romance in order to save the family from themselves. The play will be directed by Jeff Award nominee Alison C. Vesely and feature Artistic Associates Kevin McKillip as the unflappable "Godfrey" and Hayley Rice as the comic maid "Edith." MY MAN GODFREY begins previews January 27, opens January 30 and runs through February 28, 2016.

First Folio Theatre's spring production, FOOLING BUDDHA, is a mix of thrilling magic and inspirational humor, with a hint of jazz. The production was written by and stars David Kovac, a magician and entertainer hailed by the Chicago Tribune as a "trickster hero," who has thrilled audiences at Second City, the Green Mill, and the famed Magic Castle in Hollywood. Audiences can expect to experience the myth, mystery and infinite jest of David Kovac as he chronicles his amusing, interfaith upbringing as a Jewish Buddhist in 1970's Milwaukee. The Chicago Sun-Times calls FOOLING BUDDHA "Filled with polish, dash, and energy!" and the Chicago Tribune raves it is "Charming and engaging!" FOOLING BUDDHA will begin to preview March 23, open March 26 and run through April 24, 2016.

For the summer, First Folio Theatre presents A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, marking the 20th anniversary of the Shakespeare Under the Stars series. Set in a moonlit forest, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM draws on Greek mythology to tell a story of the magic and intricacies of love. The mischievous fairy Puck turns the world upside-down for a quartet of lovers in this whimsical Shakespearean tale. A perfect family outing, the play has been hailed as "One of the most surefire comedies ever written!" by The New York Times. And the Chicago Sun-Times says, "Ideal for the sylvan backdrop of Oak Brook's Peabody Estate grounds, Dream seems to speak directly to the trees and moonlight." A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM will preview July 6, open July 9 and run through August 14, 2016.

First Folio Theatre is entering its 20th season of bringing high-quality performances of Shakespeare and other classics to the stage. During that time, the theater has expanded from an annual summer production to a year-round operation with three separate and distinct stages at the historic Mayslake Peabody Estate. The Shakespeare Book of Lists names First Folio Theatre one of the "150 Great Places to See a Shakespeare Play." The Chicago Tribune raved that their Shakespeare Under the Stars summer series "offers something Navy Pier can't...plenty of greenery, gentle breezes and the chance to stretch out on a blanket with family and friends while being transported to Shakespeare's otherworldly romance."?

All performances take place at the Mayslake Peabody Estate, located at 1717 W 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 $22. Regular priced tickets are $29 Wednesdays and Thursdays (seniors and students are $25), and $39 on Fridays through Sundays (seniors and students are $35). Three and four show subscriptions are available for $55-$115 (subscribers will receive $5 off each subscription if they are purchased by August 1.) During the summer show, a special pricing of $10 will also be offered for children age 13 and under who are accompanied by a parent. Season subscriptions and individual tickets may be purchased by calling the box office at 630.986.8067 or online at www.firstfolio.org.

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