The Story Theatre Announces Cast And Design Team For LEAVE ME ALONE!

The Story Theatre is thrilled to announce the cast and design team for its inaugural production, Leave Me Alone!, a contemporary, queer adaptation of Anton Chehkhov's Ivanov, written by Paul Michael Thomson.

Nik Ivanov is broke. His wife is dying. He's losing his bid for reelection. And he might be gay. But at least he has his looks! Leave Me Alone! tells the story of one middle-aged man's hilarious/heartbreaking cry for help. It's about labels, identity, advice, Chekhov's gun, and how none of that matters when you're depressed...except perhaps the gun.

Directed by Matt Bowdren, the production features Sean Gallagher (Nik Ivanov), Ayanna Bria Bakari (Dr. Jean Love), Brenna Welsh (Anna), Jordan Dell Harris (Sam), Nicole Laurenzi (Aida), Randolph Johnson (Paul), Gabrielle Moldovan (MB), Michael Kingston (Matt), Chelsea Turner (Babs), Sarah Bartley (Gabrielle), Nadine Merheb (Female Swing), and Keenan Larson (Male Swing).

The production team includes Lucy Whipp (lighting design), Stephanie K. Brownell (costume design), Jake Sorgen (original composition), David Hagen (sound design), Brian Hendricks (scenic/production design), and India Gurley (Head of Diversity and Inclusion).

"One of the themes that I found really prevalent in Chekhov's work that I kind of wanted to highlight was this idea of illness," playwright Paul Michael Thomson says in his first interview about the piece. "Anna is actually incredibly emotionally and mentally healthy, even though she is physically ill. And juxtaposing that with something like depression, which I consider to be just as much of an illness as something like a physical ailment--the way that people interact with the mentally ill versus the physically ill is super compelling to me." Watch the full interview here.

The Story Theatre is a non-profit theatre company based in Chicago, IL. The Story Theatre seeks to pose questions rather than supply answers by producing theatre that focuses on the poetry of text and form, the possibilities of the human imagination, and the gateways for emotional and intellectual investment. They are committed to and excited by diversity, inclusion, and collaboration among a myriad of artists. This inaugural production kickstarts their Emerging Playwright Residency Program, which fosters the work of an up-and-coming Chicago playwright from creation to production.

The 90-minute production runs July 26--August 12 at the Heartland Studio in Rogers Park. For more information, visit thestorytheatre.org.

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