Photos: The Artistic Home Presents DYING FOR IT By Moira Buffini

The Artistic Home presents Moira Buffini's comedy Dying For It, directed by Monica Payne, playing March 18 - April 23, 2023 at The Den's Bookspan Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood. Tickets are now on sale at thedentheatre.com or by calling (773) 697-3830. The press opening is Thursday, March 23 at 8 pm.

The cast includes ensemble members Kayla Adams*, Reid Coker*, Kristin Collins*, Brookelyn Hébert*, John LaFlamboy*, Kathy Scambiatterra* and Todd Wojcik* with Jared Goudsmit, Daniel Shtivelberg, Mary Spencer, Patrick Thornton and Carolyn Waldee.

Freely adapted from Nikolai Erdman's The Suicide - a 1928 satire that was banned by Stalin before it ever took the stage - Dying for It is a modernized take on the same dark buffoonery and fallacies of post-revolution life. In this tragedy-turned-slapstick, Semyon is a young unemployed man who has an obsessive itch to commit suicide. A ragtag team of early Soviet Russian society consisting of a dissatisfied intellectual, a boisterous romantic, a questionable priest, a controversial writer and a proletarian postman all team up to gain a martyred profit off of Semyon offing himself.

Comments Director Monica Payne, "I am thrilled to be directing this sharp-witted, ensemble-driven satire, which feels as relevant today in Moira Buffini's adaptation Dying For It as it did in Nikolai Erdman's original Russian text, The Suicide. Although ostensibly about a character who's trying to kill himself, the play is actually about LIFE. It poses a vital, simple question: Why live? My hope is that we can bring this question to a modern audience with humor, honesty, and compassion, and look for the answer(s) together."

The production team includes Kevin Hagan+ (Scenic Designer), Rachel Lambert (Costume Designer), Mark Bracken Jr.+ (Lighting Designer), Petter Wahlbäck+ (Sound Designer), Randy Rozler (Props Designer), Jenna Steege Ramey* (Assistant Director), Tom McNelis+ (Technical Director) and Andrew Snyder (Stage Manager).

COVID safety: As the Chicago theatre community continues to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, The Den Theatre remains committed to the safety of its patrons and staff. For the most up-to-date information on the venue's COVID precautions, please visit thedentheatre.com/covid19-policy.

*Denotes The Artistic Home ensemble members +Denotes The Artistic Home artistic associates