House Theatre Of Chicago Presents ODRADEK 1/8-15, 2011

The House Theatre of Chicago continues its season with ODRADEK, a world-premiere production written by Brett Neveu, directed by Dexter Bullard, with music by Josh Schmidt. Odradek features House Company Members Joey Steakley and Carolyn Defrin, alongside House new comer David Parks.

Inspired by the Franz Kafka short story: The Cares of a Family Man and the Jeff Wall painting: "Odradek," Brett Neveu's Odradek is part Midwestern Gothic Fairy tale, part Hitchcockian thriller.

Set in a small Iowa town, a boy struggles to come to terms with his parent's divorce and his father's new relationship.

Late one night, after a session with his new doctor, the boy encounters Odradek, a dark, shifting form made of twine and rags who lives under the stairs. As the boy's emotional health rapidly worsens, the father begins a romantic relationship with his child's doctor. Seeking understanding, the boy enters an odd friendship with the monster.

As both relationships become more serious, the boy interprets his world as an echo of twisted words and hallucinated deeds. The boy's thoughts turn to fantasies of radical surgery, dreams of his lost mother, and eerie conversations with Odradek. These cryptic fantasies become the boy's stark reality, and his life twists toward The Shadows under the stairs, ultimately creating a choice where the most sinister fairy tale may hold the key to the boy's own final means of salvation.

SHOWTIMES: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm, Sundays at 7:00 pm

LOCATION: The Chopin Theatre Upstairs Theatre (1543 W. Division St., Chicago, IL)

TICKETS: $25 at www.thehousetheatre.com or by phone at 773.769.3832, $10 Student and Industry rush tickets available at all performances.

PREVIEWS: January 8-15, $15

The House is thrilled to continue its season of collaboration with new and exciting artists by partnering with Brett Neveu, Dexter Bullard and Josh Schmidt for the first time!

BRETT NEVEU: Brett Neveu's upcoming productions include Red Bud with The Royal Court Theatre, Odradek with The House Theatre and Do The Hustle with Writers' Theatre. Past work includes productions with Writers' Theatre, The Goodman Theatre, The Royal Shakespeare Company, A Red Orchid Theatre, TimeLine Theatre Company and American Theatre Company. He is the recipient of the Ofner Prize for New Work, the Emerging Artist Award from The League of Chicago Theatres, an After Dark Award for Outstanding Musical (Old Town with Strawdog Theatre Company) and has developed plays with companies including The New Group, The Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Victory Gardens and is a resident-alum with Chicago Dramatists. He is also an ensemble member of A Red Orchid Theatre, a member of The Playwrights' Union and a member of the Center Theatre Group's Playwrights' Workshop. Brett has been commissioned by The Royal Court Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, The Goodman Theatre, TimeLine Theatre Company, Writers' Theatre, Strawdog Theatre, and has several of his plays published through Broadway Play Publishing and Dramatic Publishing. Brett has taught writing at Northwestern University, DePaul University, Second City Training Center and currently lives in Los Angeles.

Dexter Bullard: Dexter Bullard is an award-winning director dedicated to directing new plays and creating original improvisational and experimental theater for Chicago and beyond. Recent directing credits include Mistakes Were Made Off-Broadway at The Barrow Street Theater, The DIALogues at Links Hall, Reverie with Second City at The Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal, Mistakes Were Made at A Red Orchid Theatre, Lady at Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre in New York, Brett Neveu's Gas for Less at the Goodman Theatre, The Butcher of Baraboo with Steppenwolf's First Look Rep, and Grace at Northlight Theater. In 2004, Dexter was awarded the Lucille Lortel Award for Tracy Letts' Bug at The Barrow Street Theater, as well as a Drama Desk Nomination. In 1995 Dexter co-founded Plasticene Physical Theater, whose critically-acclaimed experimental works have been featured at The Steppenwolf Studio, The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, The Storefront Theatre, Performing Arts Chicago, MCA, and in New York City. With the Plasticene company, he has directed and collaboratively created fourteen original works including The Palmer Raids (2003) and From A Fading Light (2010). Since 1996, Dexter has also directed with The Second City, developing revues at E.T.C. Chicago and at Second City Detroit. For three years, he led a Second City National Touring Company to many destinations including Vienna and the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston. Back in 1990, Dexter founded The Next Lab at The Next Theatre where he directed Bouncers, for which he received a Jefferson Citation and an After Dark award for his direction. As Associate Artistic Director at Next Theatre, he directed and/or created eight shows for mainstage and Lab. He has also directed projects for Famous Door Theatre, American Theatre Company, Hartford Stage Company, several times for A Red Orchid Theatre. Dexter is the Head of Graduate Acting and teaches acting, improvisation, and directing at The Theatre School at DePaul University.

Josh Schmidt: BROADWAY: Brighton Beach Memoirs (with Fitz Patton) OFF BROADWAY: As Composer/Co-Author - ADD1NG MACH1N3 (Minetta Lane), Whida Peru (59E59); Incidental Scores: When the Rain Stops Falling (Lincoln Center) Fifty Words (MCC Theater). As Sound Designer - Crime and Punishment (59E59), many others. CHICAGO: As Composer/Co-Author A Minister's Wife (Writers Theatre). As Composer/Sound Designer - Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Writers' Theatre (Associate Artist);, Northlight Theatre, Next Theatre Company, Seanachai Theatre Company, many others. REGIONAL: Over 100 productions at venues across the country including The Kennedy Center, Ford's Theatre (Washington DC); Seattle Repertory Theatre (WA), Alley Theatre (Houston, TX); Arizona Theater Company (AZ); Cleveland Playhouse (OH), Kansas City Rep (MO); South Coast Repertory (CA); Delaware Theatre Company (DE); 9 Seasons at American Players Theatre including recent world premiere of the original musical GIFT OF THE MAGI (Spring Green, WI) Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Chamber Theatre, First Stage Children's Theatre, Next Act Theatre, Renaissance Theatreworks, Bialystock and Bloom, Theatre X, Milwaukee Shakespeare (Milwaukee, WI); Madison Repertory Theatre, University Theatre (Madison, WI). Many others. TEACHING: Lectures at Harvard, Suffolk, Mississippi-Oxford, Illinois-Urbana/Champaign, Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin-Milwaukee. His work was presented as part of the Prague Quadrennial in 2007. MEMBER: ASCAP. AWARDS: Lortel, Outer Critics, Jeff, ASCAP, NEA/TCG. UPCOMING: A Minister's Wife at Lincoln Center Theater, many others.

 

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