Louis Sachar's adaptation of 'Holes' opens Nov. 16th

 
 
ADVENTURE STAGE CHICAGO PRESENTS STAGE ADAPTATION 
OF LOUIS SACHAR'S ACCLAIMED CHILDREN'S NOVEL HOLES 

 
Saturdays & Sundays at 2pm Nov. 16 – Dec. 18 at Vittum Theater, 1012 North Noble Street, Chicago. Tickets: $17 adults, $12 children 14 and under. Call 773-342-4141 or visit www.adventurestage.org.
 
Adventure Stage Chicago (ASC) proudly announces their 2008-2009 season opener-Louis Sachar's stage adaptation of his novel HOLES, directed by Matthew Reeder (ASC's The Shakespeare Stealer, Still Life with Iris). 
 
Fourteen-year-old Stanley Yelnats is convicted for a crime he didn't commit and sentenced to Camp Green Lake-where nothing is green and no lake is in sight. He blames his rotten luck on the Yelnats family curse, which traces back to his "no-good- dirty-rotten-pig-stealin'-great-great-grandfather." Supposedly to build character, the camp boys spend their days digging huge
holes under the brutal desert sun. But as Stanley discovers the real reason behind all those countless holes, fate begins to point him toward his true destiny. Join Stanley, Zero, Kissin' Kate, Mr. Sir, the Warden, and other favorite characters from Mr. Sachar's immensely popular novel for a rowdy adventure you won't soon forget. 
 
HOLES is recommended for ages 10 and up (4th thru 8th grades), and all performances include a brief post-show Curtain Conversation with the cast.
 
HOLES RUNS NOV. 16 – DEC. 18, 2008
Previews: 10:30am Nov. 14 & 2pm Nov. 15
Weekend Family Matinees: 2pm every Sat. and Sun. during run (no show Dec. 14) 
Weekdays: 10:30am Nov. 18, 19, 20, 25 & Dec. 2, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18 (Weekday shows are primarily performed for
school groups, but public tickets are also available for purchase.)
 
Press are invited to the opening performance of HOLES on SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16th AT 2PM. 
Please RSVP to Jennifer Mathews at 773.209.3889 or jennifer@adventurestage.org.
 
SATURDAY WORKSHOP SERIES 
Saturdays at 1pm
Saturday workshops begin one hour before the performance and are recommended for children ages 10-14. Tickets are $5 per
child, and adults are encouraged to join their smaller companions in a succession of interactive activities designed to prepare
kids for the themes inherent in the show they are about to see. 
 
The workshop before HOLES is entitled Where do we come from? Exploring Heritage through Drama and Art. Workshop participants explore their diverse backgrounds and family inheritances by creating their own treasure chest, an art project that focuses on how their family has influenced who they are. Participants then share their artwork with each other, and the group
identifies and discusses the inherited traits being represented. 
 
SUNDAY PERFORMANCE EXTRAS
Ice Cream Social! Sun., Nov. 16
Audience is treated to free ice cream after the show.
Raffle Day! Sun., Nov. 23  
Audience is automatically entered in a free raffle to win a HOLES Gift Pack, which includes a copy of the books HOLES and Stanley Yelnats' Survival Guide to Camp Green Lake, both signed by author Louis Sachar; a HOLES show poster signed by the entire cast; and other exciting surprises.
Backstage Day! Sun., Dec. 7 
Audience is invited onstage after the show to examine the set and props and receive a backstage tour of Adventure Stage.
 
COMMUNITY APPEARANCES
Sat., Nov. 1, 11am
Adventure Stage Chicago will perform a snippet of scenes from HOLES at the Harold Washington Library, 400 S. State St., Chicago. The event takes place in the Thomas Hughes Children's Library on the 2nd Floor and includes a ticket raffle and Q&A with the cast. Entrance is free, but registration is required by calling 312-747-4200. For more info, visit www.chipublib.org. Thurs., Nov. 20, 7pm Adventure Stage Chicago will perform a snippet of scenes from HOLES at the Lincoln Square bookstore The Book Cellar, 4136- 38 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. The event includes a ticket raffle and Q&A with the cast. Entrance is free, no registration required. 
 
LIBRARY BOOK DISCUSSIONS
Adventure Stage Chicago has partnered with the Chicago Public Library, Evanston Library, and Skokie Public Library to host  book discussions of the novel HOLES throughout the month of November. Participants gather to talk about themes from the novel, and they then receive 2-for-1 ticket coupons to see HOLES live on ASC's stage. The discussions are free and open to the
public, although reservations are strongly recommended.
Wed., Nov. 12, 6:30pm
Chicago Public Library, Sulzer Regional Branch. Reservations at 312-744-7616 x3.
Thurs., Nov. 13, 6:30pm
Chicago Public Library, Bucktown-Wicker Park Branch. Reservations at 312-744-6022.
Wed., Nov. 19, 7pm
Skokie Public Library. Reservations at 847-324-3149.
 
Louis Sachar (Playwright) is the author of over 20 fiction and educational books for children, including Sideways Stories from Wayside School, There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom and HOLES, which has won numerous awards including the National
Book Award and Newbery Medal (the only book ever to be awarded both honors). The stage adaptation of HOLES was a  commission of Seattle Children's Theatre, where it premiered in 2002. John Olive's adaptation of Mr. Sachar's Sideways Stories from Wayside School was the inaugural production of Adventure Stage Chicago in 2004. The novel HOLES is currently celebrating its 10th anniversary in print this year, and Mr. Sachar recently visited Adventure Stage Chicago on Sunday, October 14, 2008 as part of the HOLES anniversary book tour.
 
Matthew Reeder (Director) is an ensemble member of BackStage Theatre Company, as well as the director-in-residence at the Metropolis Performing Arts Center. He most recently directed Paula Vogel's How I Learned to Drive at BackStage. Other directing credits include The Shakespeare Stealer and Still Life with Iris with Adventure Stage Chicago; A Streetcar named Desire, A Midsummer Night's Dream and To Kill a Mockingbird, Metropolis Performing Arts Center; Accomplice, Noble Fool Theatricals; A Tempest, Playing French Festival at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre; The Glass Menagerie, Illinois Repertory Theatre; The Woman in Black, Blue Ridge Theatre Festival; Sure Thing/English Made Simple, Sibiu InterNational Theatre Festival. 
 
HOLES features cast members Joe Wescott, Brian Coleman, Jacquis Neal, Ty Golde, Brandon Thompson, Behzad Dabu, James Zoccoli, Tony Bozzuto, Jon Stutzman, Kevin Hope, Dana DeLorenzo, Allison Latta, KrisTina Johnson, Dani Bryant, and Chris Kudlacz. HOLES production staff consists of Tresa Makosky (Stage Manager), Adam Earle (Floor Manager), Misha Fiksel
(Sound Designer/Composer), Brandon Wardell (Scenic Designer), Kat Powers (Props Designer), Brad Criswell (Lighting Designer), Laura Kollar (Costume Designer), Geoff Coates (Fight Choreographer) and Erin Miller (Technical Director).
 
Adventure Stage Chicago's mission is to create dynamic theatre for young audiences that activates the imagination, inspires dialogue and celebrates community among families, educators and artists. ASC is Chicago's only professional theatre company dedicated solely to theatrical programming for young people ages 8-14 and the adults in their lives. As artists, ASC seeks to
produce renowned stories as well as cultivate new work. As educators, Adventure Stage Chicago endeavors to be a model for professional development through workshops, residencies and other resources that offer concrete ways to infuse theatre in the classroom. This is ASC's fifth season (the first three under the name Vittum Theater). 
 
Adventure Stage Chicago is a program of Northwestern University Settlement House, the oldest continually operating settlement house in Chicago. Throughout its 117-year history, the Settlement has remained committed to providing resources that empower our neighbors to overcome the obstacles of poverty. ASC extends this mission by presenting Chicago's young audiences, educators and families with an affordable artistic experience rooted in performance. Last season, ASC served over 10,000 students from 95 schools throughout the Chicagoland area. 
 
All shows are performed at Vittum Theater, 1012 N. Noble St., in the heart of Chicago's West Town neighborhood. Free parking is available, and the theater is close to the Noble St. stop on the #56 Milwaukee bus line and the Division stop on the CTA Blue Line. The theater is wheelchair accessible. 
 
Tickets for all shows are $17.00 for adults, $12.00 children aged 14 and under, $10.00 previews and $8.00 school groups. Other group discounts available. Passport to Adventure flex passes are also available for purchase. For tickets or more information, call 773-342-4141 or visit www.adventurestage.org. 

Saturdays & Sundays at 2pm Nov. 16 – Dec. 18 at Vittum Theater, 1012 North Noble Street, Chicago. Tickets: $17 adults, $12 children 14 and under. Call 773-342-4141 or visit www.adventurestage.org.