Photo Flash: First Look at Signal Ensemble Theatre's THIS IS WAR

Signal Ensemble Theatre begins their 2013-2014 and 11th Season with the U.S. premiere of This Is War, at Signal Ensemble Theatre, 1802 West Berenice Ave. This Is War is written by Hannah Moscovitch and is directed by Signal Ensemble member and Co-Artistic Director Ronan Marra. Preview performances are on Thursday, August 22 and Friday, August 23 at 8 p.m., followed by opening/press night on Saturday, August 24 at 8 p.m. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast below!

It is 2008. Canadian Forces are holding Panjwaii, the most volatile region of Afghanistan, with very little support from NATO-ISAF. Captain Stephen Hughes is always looking for the next threat, knowing it can come at any time from any direction. He just didn't expect it would come from within. From the writer of Signal's sold out hit productions of East of Berlin/The Russian Play, This Is War received its world premiere at Tarragon Theatre in Toronto.

The cast and production team for This Is War includes:

CAST: Billy Fenderson as Stephen Hughes, Courtney Jones as Tayna Young, Dylan Stuckey as Chris Anders and Michael Finley as Johnny Henderson.

CREW: Ronan Marra*(Director/Co-Artistic director), Tom McGrath (Assistant Director), Roxie Kooi (Stage Manager), Malania Lancy* (Scenic Design), Michael C. Smith (Lighting Design), Tony Ingram* (Sound Design), and Stephanie Ingram* (Props Design) *Indicates Signal Ensemble Theatre Member, ^Indicates Signal Ensemble Artistic Associate

Hannah Moscovitch is a Canadian playwright, dubbed "an indie sensation" by Toronto Life Magazine, "the wunderkind of Canadian theatre" by CBC Radio and "irritatingly talented" by Eye Weekly. The Globe and Mail hail The Russian Play as "that rarest of all theatrical experiments: a clever satire with a beating heart," while Variety Magazine's glowing review of East of Berlin notes that "[Moscovitch is] not afraid to plunge right through areas that others might consider poor taste in order to come out the other side in search of a deeper truth."

Signal Ensemble Member and Co-Artistic Director Ronan Marra is a founder of Signal Ensemble Theatre and his directing credits with the company include the most recent critically acclaimed Successors by Jon Steinhagen and East of Berlin and The Russian Play by Hannah Moscovitch, his own Aftermath, Lascivious Something, The Real Inspector Hound, The Ballad of the Sad Cafe, 1776 (Jeff Award -- Best Production, Musical), The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Six Degrees of Separation, Fool For Love, Hamlet, Closer, The Zoo Story, Seascape (Jeff Award), Waiting for Godot, (Jeff Recommended), his own Landslide (two Jeff Award nominations including New Work), She Stoops to Conquer, Much Ado About Nothing and his own Learning to Fly. Marra's Motion premiered in Signal's 2011-2012 season and was directed by Signal Ensemble Member AaRon Snook.

Founded in 2003, award-winning Signal Ensemble Signal Ensemble Theatre uses a deeply collaborative method to produce work never-before-seen in Chicago. This Is War is the first production of Signal's 2013-2014 season.

This Is War will regularly run Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Preview performances are on Thursday, August 22 and Friday, August 23 at 8 p.m., followed by opening/press night on Saturday, August 24 at 8 p.m. Regular ticket prices are $20 for single tickets, $15 for industry/students/seniors/groups and $10 for previews. Tickets may be purchased by calling 773.698.7389 or by visiting www.signalensemble.com. Street parking available on Ravenswood and Berenice (runs one way going west) CTA Brown line EL stops Irving Park and Addison. CTA busses #80-Irving Park, #152-Addison, #50-Damen, #11-Lincoln. The theatre is handicapped accessible.

Photo Credit: Johnny Knight

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