Promethean Theatre Ensemble Announces Details For SPRING AWAKENING

Promethean Theatre Ensemble continues a season of firsts with their production of the Frank Wedekind play Spring Awakening, making season four their first three-show season. Directed by former PTE Artistic Director Stephen F. Murray, the play will feature PTE ensemble members Devon Candura (The Fantasticks, The Illusion) and Nick Lake (The Fantasticks, The Last Unicorn, Measure for Measure, The Illusion, and Six Characters in Search of an Author), as well as guest artists Jes Bedwinek, Zachary Clark (Measure for Measure), Sara Gorsky, Jessica London-Shields, Paul G. Miller (The Last Unicorn), Tyler Rich (Measure for Measure) and Cole Simon.

Director Stephen Murray's work has recently been seen at the New York International Fringe Festival where he directed Ivan Faute's new play The Darling Children. Chicago credits include Lear's Last (Bailiwick Director's Fest), Dramatic Twerp (Links Hall & Oracle Theatre), The Fall of the House of Usher (City Lit Theatre - winner of the 2007 Art of Adaptation Festival), The Essentials (n.u.f.a.n. ensemble), and Cat & Dick (Speaking Ring Theatre - winner of the Critic's Pick 2005 Vitality Festival). He is the former Artistic Director at Promethean where he directed Our County's Good, An Evening of Shakespeare, and Dark Side of the Bard. Before Promethean, he was a member of Strawdog Theatre Company where he directed Radio Man and To the Seas from Whence They Came for the Radio Series.

Completing the show's artistic team are Aaron Menninga (Scenic Design), Emma Weber (Costume Design), Christine Ferriter (Lighting Design), Steve Ptacek (Sound Design), Douglas Kupferman (Props Design), Crystal Jovae Mazur (Mask Design), PTE ensemble member Sharla K. Nolte (Stage Manager) and Jamie Bragg (Dramaturg).

Long before it was adapted into a hit Broadway musical, Frank Wedekind's play Spring Awakening took an unflinching look at the struggles of youth against the immense pressure put on them by adult society in all its hypocrisy and thundering ignorance. Spring Awakening follows a group of youngsters as they experience their sexual and intellectual awakening, fighting to find their place in the world. This new adaptation of the piece by Stephen Murray will feature masks and actors will play both adult and child roles.

Spring Awakening will be presented at The Artistic Home (a change from Promethean's usual venue), 3914 N Clark St., from April 16 to May 9, Thursdays-Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Opening night will take place on Saturday April 17 at 8:00 p.m., with an additional performance added for the convenience of the Press on Monday, April 19 at 7 p.m. There is no Saturday matinee on April 17. The box office is already open; tickets cost $20 and can be purchased online at www.prometheantheatre.org or reserved by emailing pteboxoffice@gmail.com. Tickets may also be purchased by phone through Brown Paper Tickets at 1-800-838-3006. The public can also call (773) 305-2897 for additional information.

Since their inaugural production of Christopher Durang's Beyond Therapy in 2006, Promethean Theatre Ensemble has striven to bring audiences and artists together to collaborate in storytelling. Employing simplicity of design and performance to engage the imagination, the company produces plays rooted in creativity, language and ideas. With the support of its dedicated ensemble, Promethean has gone on to produce Our Country's Good, The Light of Love, Six Characters in Search of an Author, The Illusion (Jeff Recommended), Measure for Measure, The Last Unicorn, The Fantasticks and their popular Evening of Shakespeare series. The company has also collaborated with the Chicago and Evanston Public Libraries to offer theatre education to teens.

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