Saint Sebastian Players' 29th Season Presents A COLLECTION OF COLLECTIONS For 2009-10 Season

A collection of monologues, a collection of Chekhov short plays and a collection of nuns make up the Saint Sebastian Players' 29th season, as well as The company's annual Monologue Matchup Competition fundraiser.

In celebration of Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday year, SSP opens its season with Edgar Lee Masters' Spoon River Anthology in an original adaptation by SSP member Jonathan Hagloch, who also directs the production. Masters created the town of Spoon River as an amalgam of severAl Small towns in central Illinois, where he was raised. A wide variety of characters from this fictional town deliver epitaphic monologues with haunting honesty, on topics such as their lives, loves, triumphs and tragedies, and some speak of their personal relationships with "Honest Abe." Performances are October 23-November 15, 2009.

An evening of short plays by Anton Chekhov, most of which highlight his comedic talents, runs February 19-March 14, 2010. Directed by several SSP company members and newcomers, some of the selections (subject to change) include The Proposal, The Bear, The Wedding Reception, The Perils of Tobacco and more. SSP member John Oster is producer.

The season concludes with the fun-loving musical Nunsense with book, music and lyrics by Dan Goggin, running April 30-May 23, 2010. The Little Sisters of Hoboken are putting on a fundraiser performance to clean up after a disaster. Fifty-two of the sisters died from drinking Sister Julia's soup but they only had enough money to bury 48. The night commences with lots of song, dance, laughter, prizes and surprises. SSP member Kelly Rhyne makes her directing debut.

One of SSP's most notable events is its annual Monologue Matchup Competition, a one-of-a-kind fundraiser, created by The company in 1993, that allows actors to show off their best monologues, competing for a range of prizes before a panel of distinguished theatre directors. This year's event, open to spectators as well as competitors, takes place Monday, November 2 at 7 p.m.

All performances and events take place at St. Bonaventure, 1625 W. Diversey, at Marshfield just west of Ashland, in Chicago. Performances of each production are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Free parking is available in two lots. Subscription packages for the three-play season are $30, $15 for seniors; other options are available that include the Monologue Matchup and/or SSP's Annual Banquet. Full-priced single tickets are $15, $10 for students with valid IDs and $7 for seniors and children younger than 12. Group rates also are available. Monologue Matchup competitors pay a $15 fee; audience members pay $12 to watch the proceedings.

All programming is subject to change. For information, call 773-404-7922 or visit saintsebastianplayers.org. Tickets are also on sale at ticketweb.com.

 

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