Blog Entries from 2009-2010 Season
The 2009-2010 Jeff Award Nominees are announced!Posted August 31st, 2010 by erikschroederCongratulations to all of the Equity Wing Joseph Jefferson Award Nominees! Below you'll find a list of our 7 nominations for our productions of "Trust," "Icarus," and "Hephaestus: A Greek Mythology Circus Tale," plus Ensemble Member Joey Slotnick's nomination for Best Actor in a Principal Role (Musical). NEW WORK – PLAY ACTOR IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – MUSICAL ACTRESS IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - PLAY SOUND DESIGN – LARGE LIGHTING DESIGN – LARGE ORIGINAL INCIDENTAL MUSIC ARTISTIC SPECIALIZATION In Conversation With David SchwimmerPosted March 10th, 2010 by margotbordelonCompany members mentioned in this entry: David Schwimmer Interview by Literary Manager Margot Bordelon You’re an active member of the Board of Directors of the Rape Foundation in Santa Monica. Will you talk a little bit about your work with the organization and how it led to your interest in writing about internet predators? I’ve been supporting the work of the Rape Treatment Center for more than ten years. I have heard countless stories and met many victims of rape and sexual assault (men, womenand children), and know well the devastation of this trauma—to both the victim and his or her loved ones.Much of my participation has been fundraising, promoting awareness, prevention and education, and acting in and directing several television spots that address various issues such as date rape and “rape drugs” like GHB and Rohypnol. A few years ago, at an annual fundraiser for the Rape Treatment Center, one of our invited speakers was a father in the community who spoke about the process of coming to terms with his daughter being groomed and subsequently raped by an internet predator, and the conflicting feelings of guilt, rage, pain, impotence and responsibility that nearly destroyed him. His incredibly frank and revealing story profoundly affected me, and I realized then I had found my path into dramatizing this delicate and difficult subject matter in a way that everyone—especially men—could relate to. What is the single most important thing you hope audiences walk away with after seeing Trust? I don’t know that I can narrow it down to one idea, message, or experience. It is my goal that Trust faithfully convey several things: the experience of a parent when their child is victimized; the many conflicting emotions and complicated psychology that a child victim experiences both in grooming and recovery; the lack of appropriate staffing, funding, publicity, and prioritization given to the police and FBI to combat this problem; and the necessity, urgency and relevance of the subject matter. Will you describe your process in researching and writing Trust? With my co-writer, Andy Bellin, I set out to write Trust first as a screenplay with the conviction that the story should reach the maximum number of people possible. We spent four months researching and interviewing countless experts in the medical, legal, computer and law enforcement fields, and had special access to both an agent with the FBI who I’d befriended at the Rape Treatment Center as well as Gail Abarbanel, Director of the RTC and many of the counselors of the child victims there— not to mention several brave young women who shared their stories with us. We then spent nine months writing the script, constantly consulting with Gail as well as the police and FBI to ensure accuracy—both from a procedural standpoint as well as an emotional and psychological one. I just finished directing that script as a feature film. However, both Andy and I felt that the intimate, personal experience offered by live theatre was an equally compelling way to present this story, so we adapted the screenplay for a stage production at Lookingglass, my artistic home of twenty-one years. Your reviews of IcarusPosted February 19th, 2010 by erikschroederWe had a lot of great reviews and comments about our production of Icarus. If you'd like to tell us what you think, please comment below. Here is a sample of what people were saying on social networks: YELP 5 out of 5 stars Lookingglass knocked it out of the park again with Icarus. I loved this show for much different reasons than Arabian Nights, but in the end, I left feeling amazed, moved, and delighted again. The entire production was relatively Spartan, but the few touches of scene and prop were very effective. Some elements of the staging were whimsical (e.g. the triple births accomplished with front-worn backpacks holding lunchboxes) while some were haunting (hanging up onesies around the stage to represent the fourteen Athenian children demanded by King Minos to slake his thirst for retribution). The only grand touches besides the dialogue and acting were the awesome aerial stunts. They were a sort of captivating combination of dance and acrobatics...difficult to categorize but in any case, along with the music, used quite evocatively in the storytelling. All of the actors were excellent, especially Lindsey Whiting as Icarus (and Pasiphae). The small cast of six filled thirteen main roles; the shifts occurred seamlessly but never confusingly. I recognized a few of the faces from Arabian Nights. A strong, dynamic, passionate young company seems to be one of their great strengths. Arabian Nights and Icarus make Lookingglass subscription-worthy to me, and that is saying a lot. I can't wait to see their offerings for next season. - David R ------------------------------------------ @badunn Saw Icarus at Lookingglass theatre. My first LG show. Those guys know what they're doing. Wow @sbwhite1 Went to see "Icarus" at the Lookingglass. Absolutely beautiful production. So creative! Support local theater & go see it @robojojo 'icarus' at lookingglass last night was great. incredible stunts. beautiful images. @esthervictoria Icarus was sooo epic. everything was just so stunning and effective. everyone should go see it. seriously. AMAZING! @jmwescott Thanks for the show tonight. It was interesting, familial, & surprisingly emotional. I'd see it again for sure. --------------------------------------------- Ziuta D I've seen Icarus and it was absolutely AWESOME!!!!! Real masterpiece :-))) Chris C Fantastic production. I had a wonderful time. Lookingglass is the best! Nick S What a fantastic performance of Icarus last night! Such an emotional, beautiful, and creative interpretation of the story. It was an amazing first time for me (at the Lookingglass) and plan on seeing it again before the 24th. Thank you! Lisa W Thank you for Icarus!!!!! Saw it last night and was completely amazed. Will be back for and encore before it closes at the end of this month!! My favorite thing I've seen so far. Thank you, thank you, and thank you!!! Catherine S It's such a great show--everyone should go see it! Hadley T Icarus was EXCELLENT. :D The paper bird bit was so cool! Kathy T We made our first visit to the Lookingglass on Sunday evening for Icarus. We were thoroughly impressed and look forward to returning. Cecilia T ...beautifully done! You always surprise me in most wonderful ways!!! Kay B very playful, very inventive production -- lots of fun, as always! Preston F Icarus was fantastic. 2009-2010 has been a great pleasure so far. Thanks Joe H Icarus was amazing!! Congratulations and great job! Anne O Fantastic show with a profound statement culminating in the final scene. A "wow" must-see performance. Maria M It was great! Lookingglass takes themes like this one and just blows them out of the water. Balance....amazing portrayal of Icarus Elizabeth H Saw the show...it was great. ------------------------------ YOUTUBE ameich This is amazing...One of the best parts of the entire performance. Sitting in the front row, youreally feel the rage and the heightened anxiety. It's an amazing production. (Comment on the video 'Minotaur Labyrinth Dance') Your reviews of Fedra: Queen of HaitiPosted November 16th, 2009 by erikschroederNow that Fedra: Queen of Haiti has closed, we want to know what you thought of it! Several audience members have already shared their views via online outlets like Yelp and Twitter. Here is a sample of what they thought. Be sure to post a comment below with your critique. Via Twitter: @beth1170 Saw "Fedra" at Lookingglass. Pretty amazing! @asfreeman Never have I experienced what I just experienced at lookingglass theatre! I was shaking at the end of the show! @Colifer Saw my 1st theatre as a Chicago resident and it delivered! "Fedra" at Lookinglass. And they do this regularly? EXCITEMENT. @johnny_cubert Support Lookingglass Theatre - @gglasstheatre - #Fedra - great performances, great lighting, set, et al ... Script could be tighter @esthervictoria Fedra @gglasstheatre was amazingggg. the last image was just breathtaking. mmmmm art. @skywaitress Fedra was dark and beautifully tragic. Nothing less than the high quality I've come to expect from @gglasstheatre production @justinschuman Fedra: Queen of Haiti. Loved it @juliawun Just caught the matinee of "Fedra". @gglasstheatre can do no wrong!!! Go see it!!!! Via Yelp: Emily J. - 5 stars - I love this theater, which has produced some of the best pieces I've ever seen. The space is small but intimate and this completely lends to its charm. Dennis S. - 4 stars - Five rows of folding chairs. This is the definition of elaborate productions in intimate space. Seeing one or two performances here is a great idea. They get very creative with their staging. But over time I think you'll get tired of the space itself and the limitations it imposes on performances. It's not an Off-Off-Broadway facility on a YMCA stage. It's actually quite an impressive facility. But very small and restricted. Luckily all of the performances we've seen here have been good. Remember, you're here for the show, not the venue. Subscriber Focus Group Results: What other cultural organizations do you attend?Posted March 10th, 2009 by erikschroederLookingglass subscribers are our most important advocates. Your feedback is vital to our ability to improve your experience at our theatre, and to ensure that you return to Lookingglass year after year. With this in mind, Lookingglass partnered with the Arts, Entertainment and Media Management Graduate Program at Columbia College Chicago to conduct focus groups and surveys of new, renewed and 'lapsed' subscribers in January of 2009. Now that we've analyzed the data, we'd like to share it with you. If you have anything to add or discuss, we encourage you to post a comment! Question: What other cultural organizations do you attend in Chicago?Focus Group: Participants from all three focus groups indicated that they were involved with a number of different cultural organizations in the city spanning many different areas. The most frequently mentioned institutions were:
Goodman Theatre Several other institutions, such as Timeline Theater, The House Theater, Gene Siskel Film Center, Hubbard Street Dance Company, River North Dance Company, Chicago Opera Theater, and Lincoln Park Zoo were also mentioned. Subscriber Survey: 56 respondents listed many of the same organizations as the focus group participants. In descending order of frequency, the top ten organizations are:
The Art Institute of Chicago (39%) Participants in the focus groups and survey respondents indicated that they have subscriptions or memberships to some or all of the cultural organizations they attend. Their reasons for subscribing or purchasing memberships are varied, but often include enjoyment of an organization’s work, a love of and desire to support the arts, and to take advantage of added benefits. Other participants see subscription or membership to a cultural organization as a social event and something in which they participate with busy friends. Subscribing to theaters in particular, regardless of which theater, is seen as an opportunity to have a certain number of 'nights out' in a given season. It is important to note that a majority of participants and respondents have subscriptions to at least one other theater. An overwhelming majority of participants and respondents said that they plan to renew some, if not all, of their current subscriptions and memberships. Others stated that renewals are contingent upon the schedule of productions, exhibitions or events for the next season as they are cutting expenses due to the economy, or expressed a desire to change art forms. Audience Survey Data: Lookingglass conducts audience surveys for all of our productions. Analysis of the same question from The Brothers Karamazov survey indicated the following (results include both subscribers and single ticket buyers):
73.5% of respondents attend the Art Institute of Chicago How will Lookingglass use this information?Collaboration is one of our core values. We rely on close relationships with other cultural institutions to develop partnerships like our production of Nelson Algren: For Keeps and A Single Day at the Museum of Contemporary Art. On a national level we work with several other prominent regional theatres, including Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, The Getty in Los Angeles, The Arden Theatre in Philadelphia, The McCarter Theatre in Princeton, NJ to name a few. We also partner with organizations with whom we share an audience base on promotional and marketing intiatives, such as flier trades or making special offers to patrons of another cultural institution. | More from 2009-2010 SeasonVideo
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