Jared Hecht, left, playwright and actor, watches a rehearsal of his play, “Video Galaxy,” which premieres May 22 on the Fullerton Stage in The Theatre School at DePaul University. The play is one of two premieres in May as part of the New Playwrights Series. The other play, “We're Going to Be Fine,” by playwright Laura Jacqmin, premieres May 15 in the Sondra and Denis Healy Theatre. (Photo by Jeff Carrion)CHICAGO — New work will take center stage this spring, as The Theatre School at DePaul University offers two world premiere productions to conclude the conservatory’s 2014-15 season. Chicago playwright Laura Jacqmin’s “We’re Going to Be Fine" will feature the Master of Fine Arts in Acting candidates in the class of 2015, and Theatre School student Jared Hecht (BFA Playwriting, class of 2015) will debut his play “Video Galaxy.”
“We’re Going to Be Fine” will open May 15 in The Sondra and Denis Healy Theatre and will run through May 24. Previews will be held on May 13 and May 14 at 7:30 p.m. Dexter Bullard will direct this world-premiere play. For patrons who are blind or have low-vision, the performance on May 22 at 7:30 p.m. will be audio described with a pre-performance touch tour. Post-show discussions will occur on May 17 and May 21.
About the play: When mass plague breaks out in Chicago, unskilled office worker Bidi can’t afford to stop calling into her employment agency. As the civilian population gets increasingly fractious, frightened and freaky, who will they decide is to blame? “We’re Going to Be Fine” is a paranoid dark comedy that asks: What if you had to keep temping during the apocalypse?
John Jenkins, left, gives direction to Samuel Kotansky, as they rehearse Jared Hecht’s play “Video Galaxy,” which premieres May 22 on the Fullerton Stage in The Theatre School at DePaul University. The play is one of two premieres in May as part of the New Playwrights Series. The other play, “We’re Going to Be Fine,” by playwright Laura Jacqmin, premieres May 15 in the Sondra and Denis Healy Theatre. (Photo by Jeff Carrion)The cast of “We’re Going to Be Fine” features the class of 2015 Master of Fine Arts in Acting candidates: Zachary DiNardi, Jason Goff, Laura Harrison, Abie Irabor, Casey Morris, Shadana Patterson, Jeremy Pfaff, Brian Rife and Vahista Vafadari. The production team includes Laura Jacqmin (playwright), Dexter Bullard (director), Claire Diviot (scenic designer), Lara Hall (costume designer), Chris Binder (lighting designer and head of BFA lighting design for The Theatre School), Connor Wang (sound designer), Kathleen Hemingway and Jihye Kim (dramaturgs), and Jackson Walsh (stage manager).
“Video Galaxy” asks what faith means when you’re young and directionless, written by Hecht and directed by John Jenkins. The world premiere production will debut May 22 in the Fullerton Stage Theatre and will run through May 30. Previews will be held on May 20 and May 21 at 7:30 p.m.
The performance on May 30 will feature a live audio description for patrons who are blind or have low vision, as well as a pre-performance touch tour. The performance on May 30 will be interpreted in American Sign Language. Call TTY at 773-325-7975. An opening night reception will be held following the performance on May 22. May 27 is USO of Illinois Night; visitwww.tixfortroops.org to reserve tickets. The performances on May 24 and May 28 will include a post-show discussion.
Taylor Blim, left, and Samuel Kotansky rehearse Jared Hecht’s play “Video Galaxy,” which premieres May 22 on the Fullerton Stage in The Theatre School at DePaul University. The play is one of two premieres in May as part of the New Playwrights Series. The other play, “We’re Going to Be Fine,” by playwright Laura Jacqmin, premieres May 15 in the Sondra and Denis Healy Theatre. (Photo by Jeff Carrion)About the play: After a traumatic head injury, Sarah Hermes may be the world’s next messiah. Her father, a pastor, couldn’t be more proud. Eli, her slacker brother who works at a video store, watches her fall into a stardom he’s always desired. As Sarah gains notoriety, Eli must overcome his lack of ambition. Will he expose Sarah for who she truly is, or will divine intervention chart the course?
The cast of “Video Galaxy” features Taylor Blim, Audrey Gladson, Charles Johnston, Samuel Kotansky and Harrison Weger. The production team includes Jared Hecht (playwright), John Jenkins (director), Jake Ives (scenic designer), Nicole Foster (costume designer), Jamie Davis (lighting designer), Rachel Regan (sound designer), Benjamin Falk (dramaturg) and Abbie Betts (stage manager).
Performances for both “We’re Going to Be Fine” and “Video Galaxy” will be Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets to both productions are $15, preview tickets are $10 and student tickets are $5. Subscriptions and group rates (six or more people) are available. All tickets are reserved seating. Tickets are available by calling 773-325-7900 or visiting the online box office at http://theatre.depaul.edu.
The Fullerton Stage Theatre and the Sondra and Denis Healy Theatre are located in The Theatre School at DePaul University, 2350 N. Racine Ave. (at Fullerton). The school is easily accessible via the Fullerton CTA Station and the Fullerton (74) bus. Visitors and audience members can park in DePaul’s Clifton Parking Deck, 2330 N. Clifton Ave.
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Media Contact:
Andrea Tichy
atichy@depaul.edu
(773) 325-7819