John Kaufmann and Dan Dennis, Writer/Performers of "Starball"

The Ethereal Mutt Limited and the Adler Planetarium will present the return of the
critically acclaimed theatrical production Starball: A Dreamy Musical Astronomy Show on Thursday, April 19, in the Grainger Sky Theater at the Adler Planetarium, 1300 S. Lake Shore Drive. The show is part of the museum’s monthly evening event, Adler After Dark, and will be performed at 7:00 and 9:00 p.m.

Specifically designed for planetarium performance, Starball combines theater, improv, original music, cosmological inquiry, and an exploration of human consciousness into an entertaining performance that challenges audiences to deepen their understanding of the universe and its inhabitants, and reawaken their wonder for the sky.

Written and performed by veteran performers John Kaufmann and Dan Dennis, and directed by Rachel Katz Carey, Starball invites audience members of all backgrounds to forge a visceral connection to the night sky using their own dreams as the vehicle for their journey.

Read Chicago media previews of this upcoming, and out-of-this world theater experience:
Chicago on the Aisle

Examiner.com

WBEZ 91.5 FM ”Space Jam” story on “848″ program

Chicago Tribune

Gaper’s Block

Keep an eye out for the Starball Boys to orbit back to Chicago in the near future.

"Chesapeake" actor Greg Matthew Anderson photo by Johnny Knight

Remy Bumppo Theatre Company closes its 2012/13 season during the midterm elections with the political and playful one-man show Chesapeake by Lee Blessing. The production stars Remy Bumppo Artistic Associate Greg Matthew Anderson as performance artist, politician and pooch.  Check out reviews from this critically-acclaimed and Jeff Award nominated play:

CBS TV review by Chris Jones
Chicago Tribune – 3 stars

Timothy Douglas photo by Kimberly Aileen Scott

Timothy Douglas officially took the reigns July 1, 2011 as Remy Bumppo Theatre Company’s new artistic director. Mr. Douglas, age 49, has built a career as a stage director, actor and educator, proving his versatility as both an acclaimed interpreter of the classics and contemporary drama. Mr. Douglas counts among his credits the world premiere of August Wilson’s Radio Golf for Yale Rep, his critically acclaimed Caribbean-inspired Much Ado About Nothing for the Folger Shakespeare Theatre, and the premiere of a new translation/adaptation of Ibsen’s Rosmersholm off-Broadway. He worked in the Chicago area from 1989 – 1991, before going on to serve as a resident director at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles from 1994 – 1997, and associate artistic director at Actor’s Theatre of Louisville from 2001 – 2004. He has been a company member with Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, Mass. since 1986.  With this appointment Douglas becomes first African American Artistic Director in Chicago to helm an Equity theater dedicated to modern classics.

His first creative project with the company was a July 3rd concert reading of the Declaration of Independence in collaboration with the Grant Park Music Festival.  See event photos on the Remy Bumppo website. Over 100 Chicago theater and cultural leaders participated in the reading including Peter Sagal, host of NPR’s “Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell me,” Golden Globe-winning Actress Regina Taylor, Goodman Theatre Associate Artistic Director Henry Godinez, Court Theatre Associate Artistic Director Ron OJ Parsons, Lookingglass Theatre Artistic Director Andrew White, Chicago Public Radio’s “848” Dueling Critic Kelly Kleiman, Victory Gardens Theater Executive Director Jan Kallish, and Christopher Piatt host of “The Paper Machete Show.”

Read Timothy’s appointment announcement in the Chicago Tribune,  Chicago Sun-Times and in PerformInk.  Hear a podcast interview with Timothy Theater in Chicago.

Evanston150 is a community-wide initiative that engages all of us in imagining our future, resulting in 10 visionary ideas to celebrate Evanston's 150th anniversary in 2013.

Approximately 700 Evanston community members and leaders attended the March 26 Evanston150 Community Kick Off Rally at the Levy Center, and another 130 community leaders and members of the media attended the Kick Off breakfast briefing on March 22 at the Hilton Garden Inn.  Kick Start Marketing Chicago provided project direction for marketing and media relations for this unique grassroots community-wide initiative.  You can visit the evanston150.org for more info, or read highlighted media coverage below.

Read the Chicago Tribune March 25 Evanston150 Kick Off story.

Read the March 26 Chicago Sun-Times / Evanston Review Kick Off feature.

Read the Daily Northwestern Evanston150 Preview feature.

Read the March 29 Evanston Now Community Rally feature.

Read the Evanston RoundTable March 28 Community Rally feature.

Read the Evanston Patch March 27 Community  Rally feature.

Read the March 22 Evanston Now Kick Off Breakfast feature.