Midwest Premiere of Conor McPherson's THE VEIL Opens This Week

Idle Muse Theatre Company's season eleven, which features plays exploring women achieving self-definition in a world that tries to define them in relationship to the men around them, opens the Midwest premiere of The Veil written by playwright Conor McPherson directed by guest artist Ann Kreitman this month.

The Veil plays August 17 - September 17 at The Edge Theater, 5451 N Broadway in Chicago. Tickets are available now through IdleMuse.org. Press performance is Saturday, August 19 at 8:00pm. "There's a sense of the supernatural in this play on a number of levels. There's a dealing with ancient folklore and there's the more traditional haunted house. There are characters being haunted, yearning for things they just can't have. There's the echos of trauma. Although the women in this play are seen by the men as having this sort of special gift, perhaps they're just dealing with the chaos men have caused in their lives. The play rests on a fault line between what's real and what isn't," said playwright Conor McPherson. The Veil had its world premiere in 2011 at The National Theatre under McPherson's direction.

"A metaphor for Ireland, the Lambroke's deteriorating home has become a trap for spirits left with unfinished business and torments any visitor with the glaring reflection of their failures. The play's relevance is clear as our countries plights run in parallel: economic crisis, ignorance of distant rulers, disruption of way of life, and a search of the spiritual cause of suffering. The central question is neither hopeful nor bleak, but asks us: what are we capable of and what can we endure, when we need to survive," said director Ann Kreitman.

With her family facing financial ruin as the Irish rural way of life comes to an end, Hannah's impending marriage to a British lord will settle her mother's debts and save the estate. Catastrophe strikes, however, when a defrocked reverend pushes her to embrace the strange voices that have haunted her since birth. Against the backdrop of Ireland's troubled colonial history, The Veil is a transfixing, mystical story about the search for love and the circularity of time - and the ghosts that are woken by scarcity and the fear of dispossession.

The cast features Ashley Crowe (Hannah Lambroke), Alison Dornheggen (Lady Madeleine Lambroke), Jean Marie Koon (Maria "Grandie" Lambroke), Scott Olson (Reverend Berkeley), Nathan Pease (Charles Audelle), Leslie Hull (Mrs Goulding), Ross Frawley (Mr Fingal), and Catherine Dvorak (Clare Wallace).

The production team includes Conor McPherson (playwright), Ann Kreitman (director), Idle Muse ensemble members Tristan Brandon (scenic designer, prop designer, and dramaturge), Shellie DiSalvo (production manager) Erin Gallagher (costume designer), Laura Wiley (technical director, lighting and projection designer), and guest artists Devonte Washington (stage manager), Allison Asher (dialect coach) and Robert P. Lloyd (Sound Designer).

The Veil will run August 17 - September 17, 2017, with preview performances August 17th and August 18th. Press Opening Night performance is Saturday, August 19th at 8pm. Performance times are Thursdays - Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 3pm. The Veil will be presented at The Edge Theater, 5451 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60640.
Ticket prices for The Veil are $20 for adults and $15 for students/seniors. Tickets for previews are $10. Every Thursday is Industry Night with $10 tickets. Tickets may be purchased by visiting www.idlemuse.org or by calling 773-340-9438.

Street parking is available and is handicapped and CTA accessible. The Edge Theater is CTA accessible by Red Line Berwyn/Bryn Mawr stop/ 36 Broadway Bus.
Group rates for 10 or more upon request. Tickets may be purchased in advance at 773-340-9438 or by visiting www.IdleMuse.org.

TICKETS, DISCOUNTS, AND SPECIAL EVENTS

Tickets ($10-$20) - IdleMuse.org/boxoffice; 773.340.9438
$15 Student/Senior Tix - Student/Senior $15 day-of-performance tickets with valid ID $10 Previews - August 17 & 18 preview performance seats are only $10 Group Sales are available for parties 10+; 773.340.9438 Industry Nights - $10 tickets for theatre industry professionals every Thursday Tickets are $20 for general public.

SUNDAY TEAS - August 27 & September 10 at 3pm| The Edge TheaterIdle Muse Theatre Company hosts Sunday Afternoon Teas following select performances. Tickets for the Sunday Teas are $25 ($5 plus the ticket price). Please note that a reservation is required for the Sunday Teas so that we have the proper head count and can best accommodate patrons.

TASTING - September 8 at 8:00pm| The Edge TheaterFREE with ticket purchase to September 8 performance. Join Idle Muse Theatre Company, following the performance of The Veil as they host a truly marvelous sampling of delectable treats and beverages from local restaurants, artisan food vendors and other culinary artists in and around Chicago.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Conor McPherson (Playwright) is a playwright and screenwriter who was named by The New York Times as 'the finest playwright of his generation'. Conor won the George Devine Award in 1997 with his play St Nicholas, and went on to win an Olivier Award for Best New Play in 1999 with his follow-up, The Weir. In 2006 he received a Tony Award nomination for Shining City and an Olivier Award nomination for Best New Play for The Seafarer. In 2011 he wrote and directed The Veil for the National Theatre and in 2012 he adapted Strindberg's The Dance of Death for the Donmar Trafalgar Season. The Night Alive premièred at the Donmar in June 2013 and transferred to the Atlantic Theater in New York in November 2013. Conor also writes for film and in 2008 he began production on The Eclipse, which marked his debut as a screen director. The Eclipse was adapted by Conor from a ghost story by Billy Roche and stars Aidan Quinn and Ciaran Hinds. He also developed Strangers for Number 9 Films based on the novel by Taichi Yamada.

ANN KREITMAN (Director) is a Chicago-based director and deviser who creates work driven by the necessity for an active audience. She previously directed a staged reading of Missed Connections for Idle Muse for the 2015 Athena Festival. Most recently, Ann assistant directed The? Unicorn? Hour? for the Neo-Futurists. She is a recipient of a 2016 Individual Artist Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events to devise and produce Les Innocents. Previous directing credits include 50 Shades of Shakespeare ((re)discover theatre), "I left your key under the mat, dear" (2nd Floor Rear, Chicago Home Theatre Festival), Cry Baby Meets Audrey Hepburn (20% Theatre), El Stories 21: People Watching (Waltzing Mechanics), Home ((re)discover theatre for Chicago Fringe Festival), and I Love You...Now Change and The Melodrama (Shawnee Summer Theatre). Ann received a BA in Directing from The Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University. Online portfolio at AnnKreitman.com

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