Sarah Ruhl's 'MELANCHOLY PLAY' to Make Midwest Debut at Piven Theatre Workshop This Summer

Piven Theatre Workshop announces the Midwest Premiere of Melancholy Play: a chamber musical by Sarah Ruhl, with new music by Todd Almond, directed by Polly Noonan. The production will run May 2 - June 7, 2015 at Piven Theatre Workshop, 927 Noyes Street. Previews are April 30 & May 1. Press opening is Saturday, May 2 at 7:30PM.

Sarah Ruhl's Melancholy Play had its world premiere in 2002 at Piven Theatre Workshop and starred Polly Noonan in the lead role as Tilly. A decade later, Ruhl teamed up with composer Todd Almond, whose music the New York Times calls, "terrifically nimble," and developed Melancholy Play as a new chamber musical. It premiered at 13p in Brooklyn, and will return to the Piven Theatre Workshop stage for its area premiere.

Melancholy Play is a lighthearted farce centered on Tilly (Stephanie Stockstill), a melodramatic bank teller who finds herself in a state of utter and complete sadness. It affects everyone around her. From Frank (Chris Ballou), a tailor who deeply loves her melancholia, Lorenzo (Ryan Lanning), her eccentric therapist from an unspecified European country, Frances (Lauren Paris), her hairdresser who pays the ultimate price for her infatuation when she transforms into an almond, and Joan (Kelli Harrington), the helpless nurse who watches her girlfriend devolve into a nut.

Director Polly Noonan, who made her directorial debut at Piven last year with the highly acclaimed production of The Language Archive, returns to helm the show she once starred in over a decade ago.

"This truly encapsulates the essence of what it's like to grow up at Piven," said Noonan. "Artists come as young students, grow as actors, sometimes return as teachers, or, like me, come back to direct."

She continued, "I have a very deep understanding of this text which was so beautifully created by Ms. Ruhl - I've performed the words of this delicate farce, and now I have the honor of directing the re-staging of it with some of the greatest vocal talent on stage in Chicago right now."

The production stars Stephanie Stockstill (Tilly), Chris Ballou (Frank), Lauren Paris (Frances), Kelli Harrington (Joan), and Ryan Lanning (Lorenzo).

The designers of Melanchoy Play: a chamber musical are Jacob Watson (set), Rachel Levy (lighting), Alex Palma (sound), Stephanie Cluggish (costumes), Aaron Benham (musical direction), and Austin Kopsa (properties).

Sarah Ruhl's Melancholy Play: a chamber musical features music by Todd Almond, direction by Polly Noonan, and musical direction by Aaron Benham. Previews are slated for April 30 & May 1, 2015. Press opening is Saturday, May 2 at 7:30 p.m. The run continues through June 7, 2015, playing Thursday, Friday & Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at the Piven Theatre Workshop, 927 Noyes St., Evanston, IL. Tickets: $15 previews; $20-$35 regular run. Call 847-866-8049 or go online at www.piventheatre.org.

Piven Theatre Workshop continues its ongoing mission of premiering original works, and its history of celebrating the emerging voices of women.

About the Playwright: Sarah Ruhl's Plays include In the Next Room, or the vibrator play (Pulitzer Prize finalist, Tony Award nominee for best new play), The Clean House (Pulitzer Prize Finalist, 2005; The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, 2004); Passion Play, a cycle (Pen American award, The Fourth Freedom Forum Playwriting Award from The Kennedy Center); Dead Man's Cell Phone (Helen Hayes award); Melancholy Play; Eurydice; Orlando, Demeter in the City (NAACP nomination), Late: a cowboy song, Three Sisters, and most recently, Stage Kiss, The Oldest Boy, and Dear Elizabeth. Melancholy Play, Eurydice, Orlando, Three Sisters, and Late: a cowboy song have all been produced at Piven Theatre Workshop.

About Piven Theatre Workshop: Piven Theatre Workshop has excelled as a leader in the arts community for 44 years, maintaining a distinguished legacy in the training of children and adults in the theatre arts. Annually, between onsite and off-site programming, the theatre trains over 1,000 students, provides approximately $30,000 in need- based scholarships, and maintains a professional theatre and numerous outreach programs throughout the Chicago area.

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