Theater Wit's BAD JEWS to Transfer to the Royal George Next Month

Theater Wit has announced it will move the company's smash hit Chicago premiere of Bad Jews back to the city, after its current, virtually sold-out summer run at Skokie's North Shore Center for the Performing Arts closes on August 8.

Starting August 28, Wit's production of playwright Joshua Harmon's smart, funny new play about young Jews grappling with faith, family and identity will reopen at the Royal George Theatre, 1641 N. Halsted St., in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood.

The initial run is slated through October 4 in the Royal George's cabaret studio, which seats 164 for this production.

Show times are Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. (Exceptions: No 2 p.m. show Saturday, August 29 or September 5.)

Tickets are $24-$58. Tickets for the new Royal George run of Bad Jews go on sale July 31. For tickets and information, call the Royal George box office, 312.988.9000 or visit badjewschicago.com.

"Bad Jews is far and away the most widely-seen production in Theater Wit's 11-year history," said Jeremy Wechsler, Artistic Director and director of Bad Jews. "We couldn't more thrilled to bring Bad Jews back to the city this fall, where even more audiences will have the opportunity to experience Josh's perfectly observed comedy and thoughtful drama, while being treated to four of Chicago's best young actors working at the very top of their game."

Bad Jews instantly met with critical acclaim, sold out houses, wait lists, and naturally, a few complaints about its title since debuting last May at Theater Wit's home in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood.

Nevertheless, the production became a Chicago storefront theater sensation at Theater Wit, where it extended once before transferring in June to the North Shore Center in Skokie's 308-seat theater, triple the capacity of Wit's 99-seat space. Since then, Bad Jews has only gained momentum in Skokie, where it has enjoyed two more extensions while playing to capacity crowds throughout the summer.

Bad Jews tells the story of Daphna Feygenbaum, a 20-something "Real Jew" with an Israeli boyfriend. When Daphna's cousin Liam brings home his shiksa girlfriend Melody and declares ownership of their grandfather's Chai necklace, a vicious and hilarious brawl over family, faith and legacy ensues. Stir in the identity curation of the Facebook generation and Bad Jews is easily one of the funniest, wisest, most excruciating comedies on a Chicago stage this year.

Three of the four cast members will continue in their roles for the Royal George remount: Ian Paul Custer as Liam, Cory Kahane as Josh and Laura Lapidus as Daphna. The role of Melody, played to date by Erica Bittner, will be recast.

The Bad Jews production team is Adam Veness (set), Brandon Wardell (lights), Janice Pytel (costumes), Cassy Schillo (props) and Sarah Luse (stage manager).

Jeremy Wechsler most recently staged Theater Wit's current smash hit, Mr. Burns, a post-electric play by Anne Washburn, the hit Midwest premiere of Madeline George's Seven Homeless Mammoths Wander New England, and that show's subsequent summer remount at Art Square Theatre in Las Vegas. Wechsler also staged Wit's acclaimed productions of Completeness and The Four of Us (Itamar Moses),Tigers Be Still (Kim Rosenstock), This (Melissa James Gibson), Spin (Penny Penniston), Feydeau-Si-Deau (Georges Feydeau), Men of Steel (Qui Nguyen), Thom Pain (Based on Nothing) (Will Eno), Two for the Show (James Fitzpatrick and Will Clinger) and The Santaland Diaries. Wechsler's productions have been nominated for and won multiple awards for design, performance, adaptation and best new work.

Joshua Harmon's play Bad Jews received its world premiere at Roundabout Underground and was the first production there to transfer to the Roundabout's Laura Pels Theatre (Outer Critics Circle and Lucille Lortel Award nominations, Best Play). Charles Isherwood of The New York Times hailed Roundabout's production "The best comedy of the season." Bad Jews opened in London at the St. James Theatre in January 2015 following an acclaimed run at Theatre Royal Bath. Harmon wrote the book for Radio City Music Hall's upcoming original show, the "New York Spring Spectacular." His work has been produced and developed by Manhattan Theatre Club, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Hangar Theatre, Ars Nova, and Actor's Express, where he was the 2010-2011 National New Play Network Playwright-in-Residence. He has received fellowships from MacDowell, Atlantic Center for the Arts, SPACE at Ryder Farm, and the Eudora Welty Foundation. Harmon is a graduate of Northwestern University, currently in the Playwrights Program at Juilliard and under commission from Roundabout Theatre Company and Lincoln Center Theater. Harmon's newest play, Significant Other, opened in June at the Roundabout

Theater Wit is in its fourth season in its home at 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago.

Founded in 2004, Theater Wit's mission is to explore contemporary issues with wit and wisdom through new works and Chicago premieres. As a production company, Theater Wit is Chicago's premier smart art theater, producing humorous, challenging and intelligent plays that speak with a vibrant and contemporary theatrical voice.

As an institution, Wit seeks to be the hub of the Chicago neighborhood theater scene. In its three spaces, Theater Wit brings together Chicago's best storefront companies. Here audiences find a smorgasbord of excellent productions, see a parade of talented artists and mingle with audiences from all over Chicago.

In 2014, Theater Wit was awarded the National Theatre Award by the American Theatre Wing for strengthening the quality, diversity and dynamism of American theater.

Theater Wit originated Chicago's first monthly membership program to encourage cross-pollination among its productions and those presented by its resident and visiting companies. Resident companies in 2014-15 include Stage Left, Shattered Globe and Kokandy Productions. Today, more than 100 Chicagoans are Theater Wit members, seeing as many plays as they want at Wit for one low monthly fee of $36 ($22 for students). Wit also offers a Flex Pass: 10 admissions for $215 to anything presented in the building, a savings of up to 40%.

In 2014, Theater Wit was awarded the National Theatre Award by the American Theatre Wing for strengthening the quality, diversity and dynamism of American theater.

To purchase tickets to Bad Jews, contact the Royal George box office, 312.988.9000 or visit badjewschicago.com.
To purchase a Theater Wit Membership Program or Flex Pass, call the Theater Wit box office, 773.975.8150, or visit TheaterWit.org.

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