Talk Theatre in Chicago

This week's podcast focuses on Chicago Shakespeare Theatre's new initative to take their production of The Taming of the Shrew into Chicago's neighborhood parks. Director of Production Chris Plevin and cast members Ericka Ratcliff (Kate) and Matt Mueller (Petruchio) join Anne Nicholson Weber to talk about the challeges and rewards of producing Shakespeare outside in broad daylight for audiences in neighborhoods around the city.

On this week's podcast, we air Part 2 of a two-part series focusing on the recently disbanded company, New Leaf Theatre. Artistic Director Jessica Hutchinson, Managing Director Eleanor Hyde, resident scenic designer Michelle Lilly, and resident sound designer Nick Keenan join Anne Nicholson Weber to discss their decision to disband the company, choices they might make differently in hindsight, and some interesting new models for producing store-front theatre in this city.

On this week's podcast, we air Part 1 of a two-part series focusing on the recently disbanded company, New Leaf Theatre. This week in Part 1, Artistic Director Jessica Hutchinson, Managing Director Eleanor Hyde, resident scenic designer Michelle Lilly, and resident sound designer Nick Keenan join Anne Nicholson Weber to talk about New Leaf's history, culture and successes. Next week, we will conclude the conversation with Part 2, the story of the ensemble's decision to disband the company at the end of the run of their most recent show, a critcially-acclaimed production of Tom Stoppard's Arcadia.

This week on the Talk Theatre In Chicago podcast Tom Williams talks with Tony Fitzpatrick- the author, playwright, artist, actor who is staring in Nickel History: The Nation of Heat at the Steppenwolf Garage Theatre--he talks about the entire trilogy that included The Train and Stations Lost and he recalls Studs Terkel--his mentor.

Our guests on this week's podcast are Monty Cole and Brian Loevner, two of the three members of the Chicago Commercial Collective -- a new entity in town that plans to produce commercial remounts of non-profit shows that would otherwise "close too soon." Monty and Brian talk with Anne Nicholson Weber about the genesis of the collective, their plans for the future, and their inaugural production -- a remount of Keith Huff's A Steady Rain, which the collective is producing in association with Chicago Dramatists where the show was originally developed and premiered.

This week on the Talk Theatre In Chicago podcast Tom Williams talks with Danielle Brothers who is appearing in Theo Ubique's Time After Time, the Julie Styne revue. She talks about her singing style and how much the audience motivates her singing.

On this week's podcast, Anne Nicholson Weber interviews composer Andre Pluess and book writer and lyricist Andy White about their new musical, Eastland, which is currently being premiered at Lookingglass Theatre. They explain the process of developing the piece, its roots in Chicago history, and the nature of their collaboration.

This week on the Talk Theatre In Chicago podcast Tom Williams talks with Alison Kelly who runs the Chicago Folks Operetta company along with her husband. They have two operettas running- The Cousin from Nowhere and The Circus Princess. Alison talks about the shows and why they do German/Viennese operettas.

This week's podcast interview focuses on the production of Joanthan Larson's Rent, which is currently playing at American Theatre Company, co-produced by About Face Theatre. Director David Cromer and cast members Derrick Trumbly (Roger) and Eduardo Placer (Angel) talk with Anne Nicholson Weber about Cromer's re-examination of the iconic show and reconfiguration of the ATC space, Trumbly's performance of "One Song Glory" and Placer's experience learning a role in four days to step into a production that had already opened.

This week on the Talk Theatre In Chicago podcast Tom Williams talks with Adam Whiteman, the playwright/composer of Music Mad, How Chief O' Neill Saved the Soul of Ireland which is now playing at Chief O'neill's Pub.