Photo Flash: ShPIeL's World Premiere of the Israeli Political Satire ANGINA PECTORIS
By: Sally Henry Fuller Nov. 21, 2015
ShPIeL-Performing Identity proudly announces the world premiere of Angina Pectoris, written by Michal Aharoni and directed by ShPIeL Producing Artistic Director David Y. Chack, November 19 - January 3, 2016 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. Check out photos below!
The regular schedule is Thursdays - Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Thanksgiving schedule is as follows: no performance Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 26. The Thanksgiving weekend performances take place Friday, Nov. 27 and Saturday, Nov. 28 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 29 at 2 p.m.
The Christmas week schedule is as follows: no performances Thursday, Dec. 24 and Friday, Dec. 25. Christmas week performances are Wednesday, Dec. 23 at
2 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 26 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 27 at 2 p.m.
The New Year's schedule has no performances Thursday, Dec. 31 or Friday, Jan. 1, 2016. There are performances Wednesday, Dec. 30 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Saturday Jan, 2, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. andSunday, Jan. 3, 2016 at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $28 for general admission; $22 seniors; $18 for students with ID; $12 for industry with headshot and available at the Theater Wit box office by calling 773.975.8150 or visiting www.theaterwit.org For groups of 10 or more please contact info@shpieltheatre.com or call 312.725.4499. Go to shpieltheatre.com for complete post-performance discussions and guest speakers' schedule.
Angina Pectoris tells the fictitious story of an Israeli minister, Dan Yasour (Gary Saipe) who placates the religious right and gets a seemingly?innocuous bill passed so Israeli Jews only receive organ transplants from Jewish donors. Absurdly when the politician himself needs a heart transplant, the only heart available is from a Palestinian Arab. Angina Pectoris is a biting political satire from one of Israel's hottest playwrights that posits the ridiculous. But the humorous situations uncover deeper issues about identity in Israel and today's world pertaining to culture, religion, and politics in a broader and multicultural context.
Additional cast of Angina Pectoris includes Katherine (Katie) Bellantone*, "Masada Yasour;" Katherine (Katie) Sherman**, "Masada Yasour;" JP Thomas, "Dr. Gal Schechnik;" Michael Lomenick, "Matanya" and David Smith, "Dr. Kostakovsky. Dr. Amir, Media Advisor and Mouein Al-Hilo."
Angina Pectoris production staff includes Jack Rhea, stage manager; Cassandra Kendall, lighting designer; J. Grover Hollway, sound designer and Alice Broughton, costume designer.
*Bellantone performs November 22, 27 and 28; December 3, 5, 11, 13, 17, 19, 26, 27 and 30 (evening show) and January 2.
**Sherman performs November 21, 29; December 4, 6, 10, 12, 18, 20, 23 and 30 (matinee) and January 3.
"I love the way Aharoni shows life in Israel through humor, satire, and meaningful issues. Her writing is a thought-provoking introduction to the thorny issues of the conflict. Her extensive knowledge of Israeli political realm, combined with her writing skills and her fantastic sense of humor make us not just laugh - but also think." - Ari Shavit, best-selling author of My Promised Land.
"A brilliant and sophisticated satire, comparable to the mythical 'Yes, Minister' that unveils the intricacies of Israel's politics." - Ami Pedahzur, The Institute for Israeli Studies of the Schusterman Center for Jewish Studies, University of Texas, Austin.
"I've known Michal Aharoni for many years and Angina Pectoris reveals not only intelligence, but it is humorous, unique, and creative." Dr. Erel Margalit, Israel Minister of Knesset, Labor Party
ABOUT MICHAL AHARONI, playwright
Aharoni is a playwright, newspaper columnist, and public-relations professional. Aharoni earned her theater degree from Hakibuzim Seminar in Tel Aviv, followed by a Master's degree from Middlesex University in London. Over the past several years, she has worked as a spokeswoman for many Israeli politicians. Currently she writes for MAARIV online based in Washington, D.C. Her plays have been produced both in Israel and London. Angina Pectoris is her third full-length play. She is very excited to have ShPIeL produce her world premiere that is also being produced in a concurrent transcontinental world premiere in Israel at Tzavta Theatre in Tel Aviv, one of the leading cultural centers in Israel.
ABOUT DAVID CHACK, director
Chack, ShPIeL's producing artistic director, is a theatre producer, director, writer, curator and professor at The Theatre School at DePaul University. He is also president of the Association for Jewish Theatre and performance consultant to the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center. Recent ShPIeL productions are Cities of Light and A Salon of Jewish-American Song; The Passions of Emma Goldman, The Invasion of Skokie and Conviction. He has also worked with Theater Wit, Victory Gardens Theatre, Silk Road Rising, Piven Theatre Workshop and Lookingglass Theatre.
ABOUT ShPIeL - PERFORMING IDENTITY
ShPIeL - Performing Identity comes out of extensive research and work on identity and theater by Artistic Producing Director, David Y. Chack, showing how identity, heritage and culture create meaningful art and community engagement that transcends boundaries. Coming from Jewish roots, ShPIeL, over its four years of existence has produced the Chicago Stage 773 and Skokie productions of Cities of Light, The Passions of Emma Goldman, and The Invasion of Skokie at the Skokie JCC Theatre; as well as the Israeli play Conviction with Ami Dayan and Maya Productions at Theater Wit; Belgian theatre artist Noemi Schlosser in Date Me! and Sound of Silence with Salomeeshpilt Theatre at Theater Wit; and a ShPIeL Showcase at N'Namdi Gallery honoring Jewish work alongside Asian-American, African-American, feminist, and Chicago historical pieces. ShPIeL is a proud recipient of the Driehaus Foundation's Theatre Grant from the MacArthur Foundation.
ShPIeL-Performing Identity proudly announces the world premiere of Angina Pectoris, written by Michal Aharoni and directed by ShPIeL Producing Artistic Director David Y. Chack, November 19 - January 3, 2016 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. The performance schedule includes preview performances Thursday, Nov.19 and Friday Nov. 20 at 7:30 p.m. with opening/press nights Saturday, Nov. 21 at 7:30 p.m. and (note change) Sunday, Nov. 22 at 7:30 p.m. The regular schedule is Thursdays - Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.
Thanksgiving schedule is as follows: no performance Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 26. The Thanksgiving weekend performances take place Friday, Nov. 27 and Saturday, Nov. 28 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 29 at 2 p.m.
The Christmas week schedule is as follows: no performances Thursday, Dec. 24 and Friday, Dec. 25. Christmas week performances are Wednesday, Dec. 23 at 2 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 26 at 7:30 p.m. andSunday, Dec. 27 at 2 p.m.
The New Year's schedule has no performances Thursday, Dec. 31 or Friday, Jan. 1, 2016. There are performances Wednesday, Dec. 30 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Saturday Jan, 2, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. andSunday, Jan. 3, 2016 at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $28 for general admission; $22 seniors; $18 for students with ID; $12 for industry with headshot and available at the Theater Wit box office by calling 773.975.8150 or visiting www.theaterwit.org For groups of 10 or more please contact info@shpieltheatre.com or call 312.725.4499. Go to shpieltheatre.com for complete post-performance discussions and guest speakers' schedule.
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