Lookingglass Extends THE LAST ACT OF LIKLA KADISON Through 8/21

Lookingglass Theatre Company announces the second extension of The Last Act Of Lilka Kadison, an original story about a spirited woman in the twilight of her life, written by Nicola Behrman, Ensemble Member David Kersnar, Abbie Phillips, and Ensemble Members Heidi Stillman and Andrew White; David Kersnar directs. An additional two weeks have been added to the production, now playing through August 21, 2011 at Lookingglass Theatre Company, located inside Chicago's historic Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave. at Pearson.

The Last Act of Lilka Kadison is inspired by the life and work of Johanna Cooper and the Public Radio International series One People, Many Stories.
17-year-old Lilka Kadison flees Poland on the eve of World War II. Seventy years later in Los Angeles, ghosts are invading her home, her caregiver won't give her back the remote and her afternoon's only going downhill from there. Wryly humorous, poignant, and ultimately triumphant, this unforgettable new play traces a love story that transcends war, decades, and distance, from 1939 Poland to current-day Los Angeles.

Script development and production of The Last Act of Lilka Kadison is funded by a generous grant from the Righteous Persons Foundation. This play is a recipient of an Edgerton Foundation New American Plays Award. Additional support provided by The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust. Inaugural consortium support provided by Board Member Richard Ditton.

Title: The Last Act of Lilka Kadison
Written by: Nicola Behrman, David Kersnar, Abbie Phillips, Heidi Stillman and Andrew White
Directed by: David Kersnar
Co-Producer: Abbie Phillips
Cast: Usman Ally (Menelik Kahn), Chance Bone (Ben Ari Adler), Nora Fiffer (Lilka Kadison), and Marilyn Dodds Frank (Lilith Fisher).
Designers: Jacqueline and Richard Penrod, scenic; Mara Blumenfeld, costume; Christine Binder, lighting; Rick Sims, sound design/composition; and William Anderson, properties; and Tracy Otwell, toy theater designer.
Dates: now through August 21, 2011
Times: Wednesdays: 7:30 p.m.
Thursdays: 7:30 p.m.
Fridays: 7:30 p.m.
Saturdays: 3:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Sundays: 3:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Location: Lookingglass Theatre Company, located inside Chicago's historic
Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave. at Pearson.
Prices: $34 - $62
Target Saturday Matinees offer a limited number of buy one, get one free tickets which are available to all 3:00 p.m. Saturday matinees. This program is made possible with the generous support of Target, working with Lookingglass to make the arts accessible to all.
A limited number of student tickets are available the day of the show for $20 with valid student ID.

Box Office: Buy online at www.lookingglasstheatre.org or by phone at (312) 337-0665.
The Lookingglass box office is located at Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave.
or by phone at (312) 337-0665.

The schedule for remaining Community Partner Special Events follows. Events are open to the public.

Lookingglass Theatre and The Raven Foundation present
Sandor Goodhart's Lecture on The Last Act of Lilka Kadison
Saturday, July 16, 2011 at 1:30pm
Loyola University Museum of Art (LUMA), 820 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago
This free lecture will be offered by Professor Sandor Goodhart, specializing in Dramatic Literature and Jewish Studies at Purdue University.

Lookingglass, Kartemquin Films, and The Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center present
Their Stories: Reflections of Survival on Stage, on Screen
Tuesday, July 19, 2011 at 6:30pm reception; 7:00pm performance
The Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center, 9603 Woods Dr., Skokie
Lookingglass Theatre, The Illinois Houlocaust Museum & Education Center and Kartemquin Films, present an evening examining the way survivors' stories are portrayed in the arts. Scenes The Last Act of Lilka Kadison, and clips from Kartemquin Film's documentary Prisoner of Her Past will be paired with the recollections of a Holocaust survivor.

During the reception, 20-year-old cancer survivor, Yali Derman, granddaughter of Holocaust survivors and Illinois Holocaust Museum founders Aron and Lisa Derman, will share her insights and the story of how she created Yali's Carry On bags to raise money for the Children's Memorial Hospital foundation, K.I.D.S.S. for Kids.

Admission is free with museum admission. Reservations are required, (847)967-4889.

Lookingglass will also offer free, panel discussions following Sunday performances of The Last Act of Lilka Kadison on the following dates: Sunday, July 17 and 24.

As with many previous productions, most recently Trust, Lookingglass is partnering with organizations to enhance the audience experience with additional education and outreach programming. Community Partners for The Last Act of Lilka Kadison include: Facing History and Ourselves, Kartemquin Films, The Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, The Raven Foundation, The Spertus Institute, The US Holocaust Memorial Museum Midwest Regional Office, and The Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center of the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

About Lookingglass Theatre Company
Inventive. Collaborative. Transformative. Lookingglass Theatre Company was founded in 1988 by eight Northwestern University students. 2010-2011 marks the company's 23rd anniversary season. Lookingglass is home to a multi-disciplined ensemble of artists who create story-centered theatrical work that is physical, aurally rich and visually metaphoric. Lookingglass has staged 55 world premieres at 23 venues across Chicago, and garnered 52 Joseph Jefferson Awards and Citations. Lookingglass Theatre is the recipient of the 2011 Regional Theatre Tony Award.

Work premiered at Lookingglass has been produced in New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle, Berkeley, Philadelphia, Princeton, Hartford, Kansas City, Washington D.C., and St. Louis. Arabian Nights played at Berkeley Repertory Theatre in December 2010 and Washington DC's Arena Stage in 2010. Lookingglass Alice played recently at The Actors Theatre of Louisville; Syracuse Stage and The ALLIANCE THEATRE in Atlanta. Around The World in 80 Days recently played at Centerstage in Baltimore and at Kansas City Repertory in Kansas City. Lookingglass original scripts have been produced across the United States. The Lookingglass Theatre in Chicago's landmark Water Tower Water Works opened in June 2003. In addition to developing and presenting ensemble work, Lookingglass Education and Community programs encourage creativity, teamwork and confidence with thousands of community members each year.

Lookingglass Theatre Company continues to expand its artistic, financial and institutional boundaries under the guidance of Artistic Director Andrew White, Executive Director Rachel Kraft, Producing Artistic Director Philip R. Smith, Artistic Director of New Work Heidi Stillman, a 22-member artistic ensemble, 15 artistic associates, 11 production affiliates, an administrative staff and a dedicated board of directors led by Lisa Naparstek Green. For more information, visit lookingglasstheatre.org.

 

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