Strange Tree's THE HALF-BROTHERS MENDELSSOHN Begins 6/18

The Strange Tree Group presents the world premiere of the elaborate time travel comedy THE HALF-BROTHERS MENDELSSOHN by Elizabeth Bagby, directed by Thrisa Hodits, playing June 18 - July 20, 2013 at Signal Ensemble Theatre, 1802 W. Berenice Ave. in Chicago. The production features Strange Tree Ensemble members Cory Aiello, Kate Nawrocki, Stuart Ritter and Jenifer Starewich with Audrey Flagel, Andy Hager, Brandon Ruiter and Joe Stearns. Tickets for THE HALF-BROTHERS MENDELSSOHN are currently on sale at www.strangetree.org. The press opening is Thursday, June 20 at 8 pm.

Change the past. Alter the future. Find true love. Bring back the dead. Theo Mendelssohn believes he can achieve all of these by building a working time machine to blast twenty years into the past and stop his mother from abandoning the family in 1908. But, by doing so will he also prevent his father's second marriage and the birth of his doubly doomed half-brother, Nicholas? Not if Nicholas has anything to say about it! Join The Strange Tree Group as we tumble back through time to set right what once went wrong, fall in love with other people's mothers, cause calamitous train accidents and try desperately to get the piano tuned in Elizabeth Bagby's, THE HALF-BROTHER'S MENDELSSOHN.

Lively, inventive, and completely original, for the past 9 years Chicago's Strange Tree Group has playfully toyed with the entire notion of storytelling, featuring a hand-made "twigs and twine" aesthetic replete with bright bursts of magical realism in highly detailed, audience-interactive environments.

The production team for THE HALF-BROTHERS MENDELSSOHN includes: Emily Schwartz and Kate Nawrocki (scenic design), Delia Baseman (costume design), Becca Jeffords (lighting design), Michael Huey (sound design), Wes Clark (violence choreography), Ben Dawson (technical director), John Kelly (master electrician) and Becky Bishop (stage manager).

Title: THE HALF-BROTHERS MENDELSSOHN

Playwright: Elizabeth Bagby

Director: Thrisa Hodits

Featuring: Strange Tree Ensemble members Cory Aiello (Christopher Herbert), Kate Nawrocki (Alice), Stuart Ritter (Theo Mendelssohn) and Jenifer Starewich (Henrietta) with Audrey Flagel (Margaret), Andy Hager (Angelus), Brandon Ruiter (Nicholas Mendelssohn) and Joe Stearns (Joseph).

Location: Signal Ensemble Theatre

1802 W. Berenice Ave. in Chicago

Dates: Previews: Tuesday, June 18 and Wednesday, June 19 at 8 pm

Press preview: Thursday, June 20 at 8 pm

Regular run: Friday, June 21 - Saturday, July 20, 2013

Curtain Times: Thursday, Fridays & Saturdays at 8 pm; Sundays at 7 pm. Note: there will be not be a performance on Thursday, July 4 or Friday, July 5.

Tickets: Previews: $10

Regular run: $25; $15 student and industry tickets are available at the door nightly (subject to availability). A limited number of $45 RIP (Really Important Person) passes are available online. RIP passes include reserved front row seating, a limited edition screen print poster signed by the cast.

Tickets for THE HALF-BROTHERS MENDELSSOHN are currently on sale at www.strangetree.org.

Industry night: Monday, July 1 at 7 pm. $15 with I.D.

Benefit performance: Wednesday, July 17 at 8 pm. $50 per person includes ticket, cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, set tour, costume contest (where would you time travel?) and exclusive Strange Tree memorabilia.

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