First Stage Closes THE MAGIC BICYLCE, 2/5

First Stage presents the world premiere of THE MAGIC BICYCLE, an original time-travel adventure full of comedy and heart.  THE MAGIC BICYCLE runs January 14 through February 5, 2011 at the Todd Wehr Theater in the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, 929 N. Water Street in downtown Milwaukee.  Tickets can be purchased in person at the Marcus Center Box Office, by phone at (414) 273-7206 or online at www.FirstStage.org.
 
In the late 19th century, young Lilah runs away from the orphanage that has been her home since her mother died when a boy - Willy, who comes from the year 2010 - appears out of nowhere on a curious looking bicycle.  As the police surround them, they disappear and embark upon an adventure through time to discover the secret of the bike, save Willy's ancestors and find Lilah a good home with a family to love.  Their whirlwind journey through time includes a visit to a Civil War encampment where they narrowly escape being shot, and a face-to-face encounter with a Viking.
"We're excited to bring this adventure through time to our audiences," said Jeff Frank, First Stage artistic director.  "The production and design teams are working together to create this amazing computerized bike and the time travel sequences.  Lighting, sound and video components will work in concert as we convey the sense of traveling through time."
 
THE MAGIC BICYCLE is an original play written specifically for First Stage by playwright John Olive, whose THE TRUE CONFESSIONS OF CHARLOTTE DOYLE and SIDEWAYS STORIES FROM WAYSIDE SCHOOL were produced by First Stage during its 2004-2005 season.  First Stage presented its first public reading of THE MAGIC BICYCLE in August 2009 as part of its New Play Workshop program.  "Our subscribers responded enthusiastically when John (Olive) joined us for a reading of THE MAGIC BICYCLE," said Frank.  "John and I have worked through the script over the next year, preparing it for our audiences for this season."
 
THE MAGIC BICYCLE is one of nearly 40 new plays First Stage has produced in its 24-year history.  "First Stage is committed to the development of new plays," states Frank.  "Working with artists of John's caliber keeps us reaching for new artistic heights."
 
Director Robert Quinlan is a freelance theatre director based in Chicago.  Most recently, he assisted director Tina Landau on the Broadway production of Superior Donuts by Tracy Letts; and Matt Wallace on Macbeth with the inmates of the Shakespeare Behind Bars Program in LaGrange, Kentucky.  He collaborated on large-scale partnerships with the Milwaukee Public School System and the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee during three seasons as Education Director and Associate Artistic Director of Milwaukee Shakespeare.  A language-based director, he has staged plays by William Inge, Martin McDonagh, José Rivera, William Shakespeare, García Lorca and Thornton Wilder, among others.  He works frequently with Looking for Lilith, for whom he directed the original play Class of Seventy in New York and Louisville.  Robert has taught directing, acting and text analysis at various colleges and universities, and worked widely as a text coach in the Pacific Northwest and Midwest.  He holds a BFA in Acting from the University of Illinois and an MFA in Directing from Illinois State University.
 
Playwright John Olive is a widely produced and award winning playwright, a novelist, a screenwriter and a popular teacher of creative writing.  His plays include: STANDING ON MY KNEES, MINNESOTA MOON, THE VOICE OF THE PRAIRIE and EVELYN & THE POLKA KING, among others.  John has also written many plays for young audiences, including SIDEWAYS STORIES FROM WAYSIDE SCHOOL, JOHNNY TREMAIN, and JASON & THE GOLDEN FLEECE, among others.  These plays have been widely produced at Seattle Children's Theatre, First Stage, Stage One Louisville, Oregon Children's Theatre, Dallas Children's Theatre, and others.
 
John has written screen and teleplays for: Disney, Amblin Entertainment, ShadowCatcher Entertainment, Yorktown Productions, Lorimar Television, among others.  He has developed material at the O'Neill, Sundance, New Harmony Project, PlayLabs, etc.  John has two prose projects going: a young adult novel called Smartass and a nonfiction book about bedtime stories, Tell Me A Story In The Dark.  Currently, John teaches screenwriting at the University of Minnesota, and lives in Minneapolis.
 
The adult actor cast of THE MAGIC BICYCLE includes Flora Coker (as Mrs. Wallop/Woman), Todd Denning (member of Actors' Equity Association, the union of professional Actors and Stage Managers, as Reverend Wallop/Tyrone/Lieutenant), Richard Ganoung (member of Actors' Equity Association, the union of professional Actors and Stage Managers, as Archie/Hobo), Molly Rhode (member of Actors' Equity Association, the union of professional Actors and Stage Managers, as Mrs. Whitman/Millicent), and Holland White (as Soldier/Ensemble).
 
Young performer roles are double-cast.  The young performers in the "Ah-Ooh-Ga" cast of THE MAGIC BICYCLE are Henry Ballesteros (as Willy) from Mequon; Louie Chapman (as Thorlaken) from Shorewood; Joey Flegel-Mishlove (as Tigg) from Shorewood; Isabel Hemley (as Abigail) from Grafton; Eliza Lore (as Sigrid) from Whitefish Bay; Jennifer Jarecki (as Millie) from Brookfield; Nathan Kluge (as Jedidiah) from Oconomowoc; and Hannah Obst (as Lilah) from Brookfield.
 
The young performers in the "Ka-Boom" cast of THE MAGIC BICYCLE are Alex Aldred (as Jedidiah) from Waukesha; Maura Atwood (as Abigail) from Brookfield; Haley Carter (as Lilah) from Elm Grove; Maya George (as Sigrid) from Milwaukee; Andres Kilwein-Jennerjohn (as Willy) from Milwaukee; Thomas Mazza (as Tigg) from Oak Creek; Abbi Minessale (as Millie) from Brookfield; and Matt Rudd (as Thorlaken) from Menomonee Falls. 
The Artistic Staff for THE MAGIC BICYCLE includes:  David Minkoff (Scenic Designer), Kim Instenes (Costume Designer), Noelle Stollmack (Lighting Designer), Josh Schmidt, USAA (Sound Designer), Michele Hand (Stage Manager, member of Actors' Equity Association, the union of professional Actors and Stage Managers) and Hannah Binish (Assistant Stage Manager).
 
Tickets for THE MAGIC BICYCLE start at $11.50.  Tickets may be purchased online at www.FirstStage.org or through the Marcus Center box office, in person at 929 N. Water Street in downtown Milwaukee or by phone (414) 273-7206 or toll free at (888) 612-3500.  The number for TDD (for deaf and hard of hearing patrons) is (414) 273-3080.