Signal Ensemble Theatre's Final Production THE CONSULTANT Begins This Month

Signal Ensemble Theatre presents the Chicago premiere of The Consultant by Heidi Schreck and directed by Signal Ensemble Theater Co-Artistic Director Ronan Marra at Signal Ensemble Theatre, 1802 W. Berenice Ave., January 21 - February 20, 2016. After 13 seasons of presenting, The Consultant marks the final production for Signal Ensemble Theatre. There will be one preview Thursday, Jan. 21 at 8 p.m. Opening/Press night is Friday, Jan. 22 at 8 p.m. Regular performances are Thursday - Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. (No performance Sunday, Feb. 7) Ticket prices are $23 for single tickets, $15 for industry/students/seniors/groups and $12 for previews. Tickets may be purchased by calling 773.698.7389 or by visiting www.signalensemble.com. NOTE: There is no Sunday, February 7 performance and there will be an industry Night performance Monday, Feb. 8 at 7:30pm.

After a series of brutal layoffs at Sutton, Feingold and McGrath, a precocious young consultant is brought in to save a middle-aged ad man's job, and maybe his life. Following the world premiere at Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, The Consultant is an incisive, hilarious and dark look at contemporary corporate culture.

Signal Ensemble Theatre announced September 16 that this, their 13th Season, would be their final season. In a joint statement, company Co-Artistic Directors and Co-Founders stated: "Signal Ensemble Theatre is immensely proud to be a part of the Chicago theatre story. It has been a privilege to be able to operate in the supportive and rich environment that this city has afforded us. After 13 exciting seasons, Signal Ensemble Theatre will be closing following its production of The Consultant this coming February. This decision has come after some hard looks at the logistics of our operations, the growth of individual careers and the changing state of our ensemble. It's important for us to maintain the commitment to the artistry and quality of production that marks our stage, and we feel it's best to end our run while we still feel we are capable of providing this to our audience. Simply put, it's time to move on for us, and we're putting every bit of passion and craftsmanship into this, our final season."

In its 13-season history, Signal Ensemble has produced 40 productions including world, United States and Chicago premieres. The productions have garnered awards, critical acclaim and represented drama, comedy and musical theatre including 1776 (2008), Aftermath (2010, 2011), Aces (2011), East of Berlin & The Russian Play (2011), Lascivious Something (2013), This is War (2013) and The Drowning Girls (2015).

The cast and production team for The Consultant includes:

CAST: Ariel Begley* (Amelia), Maggie Cain (Barbara), Ben Chang (Jun Suk), Courtney Jones* (Tania) and Joe McCauley* (Mark). *Indicates Signal Ensemble Theatre Member

CREW: Julie Ballard^ (lighting design), Elsa Hiltner^ (costume design), Anthony Ingram* (sound design), Ronan Marra* (director), Christopher Neville (props), Michelle Sellers* (stage manager) and Ian Zywica (set design). *Indicates Signal Ensemble Theatre Member, ^Indicates Signal Ensemble Artistic Associate

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
Heidi Schreck is a playwright and two-time Obie Award-winning actor. Her first play Creature was produced in New York in by New Georges and Page 73 in a well-received production directed by Leigh Silverman. Her second work There Are No More Big Secrets, directed by Kip Fagan, premiered at Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre, and was a New York Magazine and Time Out New York's Critic's pick. Most recently, The Long Wharf produced her dark recession-era comedy, The Consultant, which was developed at Playwrights Horizons and also directed by Fagan. A former Page 73 Playwriting Fellow and Sundance artist, Schreck is currently working on commissions for South Coast Repertory Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club/Sloan Foundation, and True Love Productions. She appeared as an actor in Annie Baker's Circle Mirror Transformation (Theatre World Award) in 2010. She has also performed extensively at theaters such as The Public (Shakespeare in the Park), Manhattan Theatre Club, Two-Headed Calf, The Foundry, Clubbed Thumb, The Women's Project, The Roundabout, Williamstown, Berkeley Rep and Center Theatre Group. On television, Schreck has appeared on The Good Wife, Law & Order: SVU, and Showtimes' Nurse Jackie, where she has also worked as a writer. Schreck is Playwrights Horizons' first Tow Foundation playwright in residence.

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Ronan Marra is a founder and Co-Artistic Director of Signal Ensemble Theatre. Directing credits with the company include Hostage Song, East of Berlin/The Russian Play (Jeff Award), Aces, Aftermath, The Real Inspector Hound, The Ballad of the Sad Cafe, 1776 (Jeff Award - Best Production, Musical, Jeff Nomination - Best Director), The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Six Degrees of Separation, Fool For Love, Hamlet, Closer, The Zoo Story, Seascape (Jeff Award), Waiting for Godot, (Jeff Recommended), Landslide (two Jeff Award nominations), She Stoops to Conquer, Much Ado About Nothing and Learning to Fly. Playwriting credits with the company include Motion, Aftermath, Landslide (Jeff Nomination - New Work) and Learning to Fly. Marra's plays have been produced or workshopped in Chicago, NYC, LA and Cleveland. He is a 2012 finalist for the Woodward/Newman Drama Award (Motion) and recipient of the 2006 Illinois Arts Council Finalist Award in Scriptworks (Landslide).

ABOUT SIGNAL ENSEMBLE THEATRE

More than anything else, it is the ensemble that makes Signal Ensemble Theatre. Comprised of actors, designers, writers, directors and stage managers, the company has created an environment that encourages both personal risk and unwavering collaboration. While it is the ensemble that defines them, it is the audience that propels them forward. As a theatre company in the Chicago Storefront scene, Signal has a rare opportunity to have a conversation with one of the greatest and most diverse audiences in the world. It is this alchemy of ensemble and audience that makes Signal Ensemble Theatre what it is today.

Signal Ensemble Theatre presents the Chicago premiere of The Consultant by Heidi Schreck and directed by Signal Ensemble Theater Co-Artistic Director Ronan Marra at Signal Ensemble Theatre, 1802 W. Berenice Ave., January 21 - February 20, 2016. After 13 seasons of presenting, The Consultant marks the final production for Signal Ensemble Theatre. There will be one preview Thursday, Jan. 21 at 8 p.m. Opening/Press night is Friday, Jan. 22 at 8 p.m. Regular performances are Thursday - Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. (No performance Sunday, Feb. 7) Ticket prices are $23 for single tickets, $15 for industry/students/seniors/groups and $12 for previews. Tickets may be purchased by calling 773.698.7389 or by visiting www.signalensemble.com. NOTE: There is no Sunday, February 7 performance and there will be an industry Night performance Monday, Feb. 8 at 7:30 p.m.

Street parking available on Ravenswood and Berenice (runs one way going west) CTA Brown line EL stops Irving Park and Addison. CTA busses #80-Irving Park, #152-Addison, #50-Damen, #11-Lincoln. The theatre is handicapped accessible.

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