STAR-SPANGLED SITCOMS Set for City Lit Theater This November

Star-Spangled Sitcoms: Huzzah & John Adams is written and produced by Cody Melcher and directed by Otherworld Theatre's director of development/actor Dylan Schaefer. See Every Monster, LLC's production comes to City Lit Theater, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Chicago, this November.

The two plays, Huzzah and John Adams, historically parody popular sitcoms about a bar and its psychiatrist spin-off. The Founding Fathers stumble their way backwards into a Boston Tea Party, then celebrate the first Thanksgiving at the White House, where hilarity ensues.

Billy Sullivan, a longtime ensemble member of Cupid Has A Heart On, plays Ben Franklin (a regular bar patron) in John Adams. George Ellison, who has studied with David Mamet and William H. Macy, plays George Washington in John Adams. Nathan Pease (director and actor at Idelmuse Theatre) stars as John Adams in both Huzzah and John Adams. Mary-Kate Arnold (actor/managing director at Otherworld Theatre) plays Betsy Ross in Huzzah. Betsy is an upscale, snooty type that becomes the romantic interest of bartender Sam Adams (Shaun Hayden).

Cody Melcher is a stand-up comedian, writer and producer. In 2016 he was featured on Windy City Live for his role as producer of The Chicago Nerd Comedy Festival. He produces 100 Proof Comedy at Comedy Sportz, hosts the critically-acclaimed podcast Tomefoolery, and is half of the celebrated sketch duo Melcher & Hauser. He has performed at SF Sketchfest, The Comedy Exposition, Arch City Comedy Festival and PrideFest Milwaukee. Melcher moderated panels for the Space City Comic Con and was a finalist in The Advocate's National Queer Comedy Search as well as the Laughing Devil Comedy Festival. The Chicago Tribune called him "ridiculously zesty." Dan Telfer described Melcher as "The best comedian with an encyclopedic point of reference that also includes the facts behind the Cottingley Fairies hoax." The Examiner noted that Melcher "brought gales of laughter from the audience" and described how "the likable Melcher endeared himself to an audience that clearly appreciate his quirkiness."

Dylan Schaefer is a Chicago based actor, improviser, director, producer and ensemble member/director of development for Chicago's only science fiction and fantasy theatre company, Otherworld Theatre. He most recently co-wrote, co-produced and starred in The Miracle Walker: A Tale of Two Bushes at The Public House Theater. Other recent credits include Ready for Hillary: The Musical (Public House Theater) and Messina 3004, Otherworld's sci-fi adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing. He has founded, produced and directed shows for several sketch and improv comedy ensembles including The Whig Party and Deathprov. Schaefer is also a writer, director and executive producer of Jokes, a web series currently in post-production. He directed two short plays in Otherworld's Paragon SciFi/Fantasy play festival in 2015 and is directing Hogan's Real Piesca (written by Emmy-award winning writer Joe Janes) in this year's upcoming Paragon festival (Oct. 1-2).

Lighting design for Star-Spangled Sitcoms' is by Meghan Erxleben and the set is designed by Kaitlyn Grisson. Costumes are by Rachel Backer and Devonte Washington is stage manager.

CAST:

Shaun Hayden as Sam Adams

Mary-Kate Arnold as Betsy Ross

Billy Sullivan as Ben Franklin

Andy Gwyn as Paul Revere

Wendy Hayne as Carla

Roberto Cortes as John Hancock

Jacob Bates as Governor Hutchison

Nathan Pease as John Adams

Ben Kemper as Alexander Hamilton

Tina Hughes as AbiGail Adams

George Ellison as George Washington

Sissy Quaranta as Esther Field

Kein Onickel as John Quincy Adams

Marla Seidell as Understudy

"As great as the comedy is (and it's spot-on), the historical accuracy, particularly in the John Adams script is equally impressive," says Schaefer.

"Star-Spangled feels like a natural progression of my two obsessions: classic TV and The American Enlightenment," says Melcher. "It's just a weird idea which came to me one day and ended up being such a quirky, entertaining, and lively show that was as fun to write as it is to watch."

All performances will be staged in City Lit Theater, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. in Edgewater. Tickets are on sale now at brownpapertickets.com/events/2614533.

See Every Monster LCC began as Eccentrik Werks when Cody Melcher was a film student at The University of Texas. Melcher produced and wrote Plan 9 From Outer Stage (a parody of Plan 9) and Finals Follies, a collection of sketches and short plays. He then produced the original run of Huzzah in 2013 at the Den Theater. See Every Monster consistently produces sketch and solo shows around town. Melcher's solo show, In Falsitas Veritas: A comedian's attempt to discover the mythological beast known as Truth-if it even exists), runs Thursdays in October at Under The Gun Theatre.

To post a comment, you must register and login.