the side project and Tympanic Theatre Present World-Premiere Western SANDALWOOD, Now thru 4/20

Tympanic Theatre Company and the side project are excited to announce their upcoming world premiere co-production of Sandalwood. Developed over the course of three years through a series of workshops, the script of Sandalwood is written by Dan Caffrey* and directed by Aaron Henrickson*. Sandalwood is performed at the side project (1439 W. Jarvis) today, March 28-April 20, 2014.

Thursday-Saturday performances are at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday performances are at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. A pay-what-you-can preview is on Thursday, March 27. Tickets for the run are $20 general admission; $15 seniors and students; and $10 Rogers Park Rush (all unsold tickets at the door with a valid 60626 or 60645 ID).

When a young man blazes a trail of blood and destruction throughout the American West, his father embarks on a quest to stop him. But as he makes his way through the ghost towns his son has visited, he questions how evil the boy's intentions truly are, and if his terrible acts are somehow bringing him closer to humanity. Blending conventions of classic Western cinema with shades of Cormac McCarthy and even Pinocchio, Sandalwood explores the genetic inheritance of sin and violence.

Dan Caffrey is the Artistic Director of the Tympanic Theatre Company, and has worked with a number of Chicago companies as a playwright and actor, including Chicago Dramatists, Dream Theatre, Hobo Junction, Infusion Theatre, The Right Brain Project, The Ruckus, Victory Gardens, WildClaw, and WNEP. His play Matawan (originally developed at Red Tape) was a Finalist for the 2013 Eugene O'Neill National Playwrights Conference. Other full-lengths include Extinction Fantasies, Gregor & The Squonk, Orange Orbs, and Ozma & Harriet (all produced by Tympanic), as well as Haddonfield and Hobbled (both developed by Infusion), Little Triggers (produced by The Ruckus), and the children's plays Treehouse Beowulf and Red, Red Eyes (both produced by Northlight for their performing arts camp). Outside of Chicago, he has worked with The E.M.P. Collective in Baltimore and Endstation Theatre in Sweet Briar, Virginia.

Dan also occasionally designs sound and composes music. He's created sound for numerous Tympanic productions and The Ruckus' Facing Angela and Heist Play, both of which were Jeff-recommended. Additionally, he served as Music Director for Heist Play, arranging nearly 30 Tom Waits songs and playing them as bandleader of The Tabletop Joes every night. He is an Ensemble Member of The Ruckus, an Associate Artist with the side project, an Editor at Groupon, and a Senior Staff Writer at the music site Consequence of Sound.

Director Aaron Henrickson strives to make theatre of high stakes and high energy while offering new insight into story through image, speech, spectacle, and bombardment. He is a graduate of Columbia College Chicago, earning a BA in Theatre Direction. While attending Columbia, Aaron studied directing under Sheldon Patinkin, David Cromer, and Joanie Schultz. Aaron is an Artistic Associate of The Tympanic Theatre Company.

Aaron has worked with such theatres as: Writers' Theatre, American Theatre Company, City Lit Theatre, Redtwist Theatre, and has directed for: Tympanic Theatre Company, the side project, Strange Bedfellows Theatre, Fox Valley Repertory's Youth Ensemble, New Suit Theatre, Fairlane Theatre Co., Adapt Theatre Productions, and Cold Basement Dramatics. Aaron has directed and workshopped over a dozen new plays and adaptations for the stage, and is always on the look out for new works and collaborators. When Aaron is not plying his directing trade, he works as a Teaching Artist and educator, inspiring a new generation of thinkers, performers and dreamers.

The cast of Sandalwood includes Sean Thomas as The Father; Scott Stockwell as The Innkeeper; Jillian Rea as The Girl In Blue; Susan Myburgh* as Farm Fox Maggie; Stevie Chaddock Lambert as Kat O' Nine Tails; and Anthony Stamilio as The Son. The creative team includes Set Designer Dustin L. Pettegrew*, Lighting Designer Claire Sangster, Costume Designer Brenda Scott Wlazlo, Sound Designer and Composer Maxwell Shults*, Prop Designer Danielle Case, Makeup Designer Chrissy Weisenburger*, Fight Choreographer Alex Farrington, Stage Manager Erin Altekruse, Assistant Director Chris Waldron*, Production Manager Eric Turner, Technical Director Derek Garza, Tympanic Artistic Director Dan Caffrey*, and side project Artistic Director Adam Webster*. * Denotes Tympanic/side project Company Member or Associate.

After moving to Chicago in the Fall of 2006, a handful of fellow alumni from Florida State University founded The Tympanic Theatre Company. Producing sixth seasons of thrilling new work, the collective has since expanded to 28 members and associates and is helmed by Artistic Director Dan Caffrey and Managing Director Paul E. Martinez.

Besides being a resident company at the side project from 2007 to 2011, Tympanic has participated in the Department of Cultural Affairs' Incubator Series, extensively workshopping Randall Colburn's Verse Chorus Verse (directed by Kyra Lewandowski) before mounting the full world premiere, as well as Mary Arrchie's Abbie Hoffman Festival and Curious Theatre Branch's Rhino Fest. Recent productions include Deliver Us From Nowhere-a collection of short plays each based on a song from Bruce Springsteen's album Nebraska-the world premiere of Brooke Allen's Ruby Wilder (directed by James D. Palmer), the world premiere of Scott T. Barsotti's Brewed, (directed by Anna C. Bahow), and the Midwest Premiere of Shaun Prendergast's The True History Of The Tragic Life And Triumphant Death Of Julia Pastrana, The Ugliest Woman In The World (directed by Joshua Ellison), which was performed entirely in the dark.

For more information and tickets, visit www.tympanictheatre.org or www.thesideproject.net. For reservations: (773) 442-2882.

About Tympanic Theatre Company: The Tympanic Theatre Company is dedicated to producing new work with fantastical, frightening, or absurd subject matter that provokes, inspires, and entertains. Through our use of vibrant storytelling, dynamic language, and colorful characters, we invite our audience to plunge headfirst with us into theatrical worlds that are fresh, energetic, and visceral.

About the side project: The side project connects Chicago's most innovative and engaging writers, directors, designers, and performers in an ongoing exploration of the power of hyper-intimate theatre. Our projects develop out of relationships with artists, an appreciation of their work and processes, and an understanding of where they want to go. Our focus is not simply on world-premiere plays, but on world-premiere collaborations: creating never-before-seen teams of artists, each of whom has a body of work which speaks to the others in unique and exciting ways. By bringing together established talent and emerging up-and-comers, we foster new partnerships, explore new creative territory, and celebrate the best of Chicago storefront theatre.

Over its ten-year history, the side project has presented more than 60 productions, including 34 full-length plays (featuring 20 world premieres, three of which were subsequently published); 15 one-act festivals (featuring 100 plays -- including 66 world premieres); 36 staged readings; and four sketch-comedy shows -- through which we have showcased the work of 211 actors, 53 writers, 32 directors and 44 designers, some on multiple occasions and in different world premiere situations.

In addition, the side project has hosted more than 25 companies, including six as Visiting Artists -- those who have performed their entire season(s) at The Side Project. For its work, the side project received the 2006 Spirit of Rogers Park Award and the 2009 Broadway in Chicago Emerging Theatre Award, and Artistic Director Adam Webster was named one of PerformInk's "Top 25 Artists Making a Difference" (2004) and New City's "Top 50 Artists Making Chicago Theatre Work" (2009).

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