Stage Left Theatre Presents AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE, 3/1-4/3

Stage Left Theatre announces its upcoming production of An Enemy of the People, by Henrik Ibsen, adapted by Arthur Miller. This production, the company's first revival since the 2002 production of The Good Woman of Setzuan, marks the beginning of an effort to deepen the level of debate at the heart of its mission, by offering historical context for modern political and social questions.

An Enemy of the People is the second production of Stage Left's 29th season. It opens Tuesday, March 1st at 7:30 PM, and runs through April 3rd.

THE PLAY

Should the majority rule? Where does the individual stand if the majority is wrong? Arthur Miller asks these timeless questions in his powerful adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's classic play. When Dr. Stockmann makes a poisonous discovery about the town's water, he finds himself in a battle for public opinion with his brother, the Mayor. This war of pragmatism versus idealism threatens to tear their family-and their community-apart.

In 1882, Henrik Ibsen wrote An Enemy of the People as a response to the public outcry over his play Ghosts. Arthur Miller wrote his adaptation in 1950 in response to the political climate surrounding McCarthyism. But the themes of this work are as relevant today as they were at the end of the nineteenth century or in the middle of the 20th. The questions of political corruption, journalistic responsibility, and the environmental cost of economic progress are not new to our time. According to director Jason Fleece, "Like the US today, the town in this play faces a complicated issue - with an environmental crisis on one hand, and an economic one on the other - but the ‘winners' and ‘losers' of the argument are determined less by their merits and their ability to solve the problem, than by how they mold public opinion through the news media." This human drama will resonate in the contemporary debate over climate change, our country's bitterly divided political landscape and the ways in which the media's 24 hour news cycle exacerbates this divide.

THE DEBATE

Stage Left will continue its Sunday Symposium series with community speakers to engage the audience on a variety of social and political questions raised by the performance. The series immediately follows Sunday performances with community representatives to be announced in February. An Enemy of the People will spark discussion about topics such as the use and manipulation of the media by public figures, the politics of climate change, and journalistic responsibility.

TICKETS, DATES & INFORMATION

An Enemy of the People runs Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 PM, Sundays at 2:30 PM from 3/3/11 through 4/3/10. Tickets start at $22, and will be available through the Theater Wit box office. Opening Night is Tuesday, March 1st at 7:30 PM and tickets are $28. Previews are February 25, 26 and 28 at 7:30 PM. Preview tickets are $10. An Enemy of the People will be performed at Theatre Wit at 1229 W. Belmont in Chicago. The theatre is handicapped and CTA accessible via the Belmont El (Red & Brown).

Media comps, photos, videos and interviews are available by contacting Laura Blegen at 773.883.8830 (office), 312.371.6471 (cell) or laura@stagelefttheatre.com. Hi-res photos, this release and archived releases and photos will soon be available at www.stagelefttheatre.com/press.html.

THE PEOPLE

Jason Fleece (director) is a freelance director and theatre educator based in Chicago. Previously at Stage Left, Jason directed Anna is Saved by Jessica Cluess and The Meaning of Lunch by Dan Aibel in LeapFests 6 and 7, respectively. Jason has a particular interest in musicals and in new play development. Some favorite recent productions include The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee by Rachel Sheinkin and William Finn (Wilbur Wright Community College), and Jesus Hopped the A Train by Stephen Adly Guirgis (Village Players Performing Arts Center, Oak Park, IL). Jason holds a BA in Theatre from Point Park University in his hometown of Pittsburgh, PA, and an MFA in Directing from the Theatre School at DePaul University.

The cast includes SLT ensemble members Anita Chandwaney as Catherine Stockmann, Melanie Derleth as Petra, Cory Krebsbach as Peter Stockmann, and Brian Plocharczyk as Hovstad, as well as William Watt (Dr. Stockmann), Tony Bozzuto (Billing), James Eldrenkamp, (Aslaksen) Sandy Elias (Morten Kiil), Juan Lozada and Kenneth Martin (the Stockmann children).

The staff includes SLT ensemble members John Kohn III (lighting design), Adam Smith (sound design), and Zev Valancy (dramaturgy) with guest artists Alan Donahue (scenic design), Jess Fike (stage management), Elizabeth Flauto (costume design), Amy Gilman (properties design), and Jayme McGhan (technical direction), Robin Plocharczyk (production management), and Jordy Williams (assistant direction).

ABOUT STAGE LEFT

Founded in 1982, Stage Left Theatre is committed to developing and producing plays that raise debate and challenge perspectives on political and social issues. Through a full subscription season and Downstage Left, one of Chicago's most prolific new play development programs, Stage Left strives to ask provocative social and political questions by producing a mix of new works, regional premieres and timeless classics.

 

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