Auditions scheduled for Strangeloop's production of 'Thinking Caps'

A scene from the original Thinking Caps short
play presented as part of Loopshop 2012.

Strangeloop Theatre announces auditions for its world premier production of Thinking Caps by Strangeloop Company Member Keith Gatchel. Auditions will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, February 7, at DePaul University (2350 N Racine Avenue). Please see email address below to request an audition slot.

 

The near future. Websites and the internet are dead. Telepathy and Headsites are the new reality. Everyone who is anyone has a Thinking Cap and they live in a semi-virtual, semi-real world where imagination is the key to success. But how far is too far when it comes to technology? Thinking Caps explores the upsides and downsides of virtual reality technology in the near future.

 

We are casting 5 roles (3 men, 2 women). All ages and types encouraged to submit. For consideration, please submit your headshot and resume to casting@strangelooptheatre.org. If we are able to schedule you, we will contact you with a time slot. Please include any audition day time considerations with your email submission and we'll do our best to accommodate.

 

This is a non-equity production.

Time Commitment: The schedule will consist of four to six rehearsals per week during evenings and weekend days in late March and April, with the possibility of several readings and table work meetings beforehand. The final rehearsal schedule will be set after taking actor conflicts into consideration. 

The show will load in to The Charnel House (3421 W. Fullerton in Logan Square) on April 27, with tech and previews through opening on Friday, May 8. The show will then run at The Charnel House on Friday and Saturday nights with Sunday matinees until closing on Sunday, May 31.

 

Material To Prepare: Please prepare a 1-2 minute contemporary monologue.

French With Us again this year

Poster design by Mike Wozniak

Strangeloop presents 'French With Me 5' on Feb. 10

Strangeloop Theatre is back in February with French With Me, our fifth annual musings on love presented in vignette form just in time for Valentine's Day. 

The gala event will feature short original works by up-and-coming playwrights including our ever-popular mime romance storyline, and it showcases the amazing talents of Chicago storefront actors and directors. This year, we add un peu de romantisme to the romance for French With Me 5: A Classic Affaire.

This year's pieces include a mix of old favorites (it is a CLASSIC affaire after all) and new works:

• French With Me conceived and directed by Maria Burnham*
• Purple Girl Faces Reality by Keith Gatchel*; directed by Dante Charlton
• OK Stupid by Letitia Guillaud*; directed by Jessica Kent
• Violent Femmes by Joe Janes; directed by Chad Wise
• Married Bliss by Jean Koppen; directed by James Sparling
• Kitchen Sink Drama by John C. Davenport; directed by Kit Ryan

Join us at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 10, at the The Charnel House in Logan Square, 3421 W Fullerton Ave. in Chicago, for a reception with food, drink and a silent auction. The performances begin at 8 p.m. with live music from Hollywood's golden age and dessert to follow. 

Tickets are available at the door or in advance at Brown Paper Tickets.

*Denotes Strangeloop Company Member

Happy New Year from Strangeloop!

We just want to take a moment to thank everyone for helping us have a successful and delightful 2014, and we look forward to an even more amazing year in 2015. We're excited for what the year holds for all of us (yes, person hovering your finger over the like button, we're talking to you). 

Happy New Year, fellow Strangeloopers!

From our artistic directors: We are in Development

Hello everyone and Happy Giving Tuesday!

This Giving Tuesday, I am asking you to consider committing to a monthly donation to Strangeloop Theatre.

Strangeloop is growing in so many ways, but for me, the most interesting growth has been in development. This year Strangeloop has made a real effort to create an internal development series. This is a place for company members to workshop their ideas into more polished scripts that can then contribute to our season selection discussions. We have long been interested in new and adapted work, but to have some many ideas coming straight from our artists has been incredible.

We have held public readings of two of these works. The reading of the full script Thinking Caps, by company member Keith Gatchel, was presentedon September 2 as a part of the Greenhouse Trellis Reading Series. Select scenes from a movement-based stage adaptation of The Odyssey, being adapted by Carrie Campana and Maria Burnham, were performed on November 24 at Black Rock Pub. At both events, we received invaluable feedback from our audiences. There are more exciting ideas in the pipeline, and we can't wait to continue our progress.

In fact, our Spring of 2015 mainstage show will be a full production ofThinking Caps, a play which supposes the advantages and consequences of telepathic social media. The biggest challenge facing new ideas is they need support. New plays are harder to market and therefore riskier for companies to produce.

We think the risk is worth it, we hope you do too.

Commit* to supporting new works by setting up a monthly donation through on our website – strangelooptheatre.org. Simply click on the donation button and you'll be able to set up the amount you wish. If you donate today — or any Giving Tuesday during the holiday season — through our website, PayPal will provide a 1 percent match on every donation received. These types of donations will help create a financial base of support for all our operations, including supporting these new plays. Strangeloop is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit. Your contribution will be tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Thank you for reading, and thank you for supporting Strangeloop Theatre.

Letitia Guillaud
Co-Artistic Director

*There are many other ways to give. If you cannot commit to monthly donations, one-time donations in check form can be made out to "Strangeloop Theatre, NFP" and sent to 2616 N. Spaulding Ave. #2, Chicago, IL 60647. If you cannot give at this time, you can still support by helping to spread the word. 

If you are interested in volunteering and feel you have skills that would be helpful to us, or are interested in serving on our board, please e-mail us at loop@strangelooptheatre.org. Thank you.

Christmas Clue-seau at Christkindle Market

Strangeloop Theatre will be one of eight companies performing throughout the day at Christkindle Market, as part of the League of Chicago Theatres' Theatre Tag.

Grab a warm beverage and join us as we close out the day's performances at 6:30 p.m. with a scene from our upcoming holiday production, Christmas Clue-seau.

Christmas Clue-seau is a holiday mash-up of all things Who Done It. On a dark and snowy night in Chicago, a group of strangers, who all received a mysterious invitation to a holiday party at an old speakeasy on the Northside, arrive expecting to have their questions answered. Instead, they find themselves in the middle of a crime scene with a dead celebrity.

For a full list of performances and more information visit the event page.

Strangeloop's Holiday Who Done It: Christmas Clue-seau

On a dark and snowy night in Chicago, a group of strangers, who all received a mysterious invitation to a holiday party at an old speakeasy on the Northside, arrive expecting to have their questions answered. Instead, they find themselves in the middle of a crime scene with a dead celebrity in this mash-up holiday version of all things Who Done It.

Strangeloop Theatre presents an original devised piece, "Christmas Clue-seau," written by Letitia Guillaud and the cast. Directed by Holly Robison, the play stars Maria Burnham, Allison McCorkle, Juliana Brecher, Justin Martin Fill, Enan Heneghan, Caitlin Jackson, Carol Ludwick, Richard John McLain, Zachary Rebich, Peter Robards, James Sparling and Chad Wise.

"Christmas Clue-seau" runs two nights only: Monday, December 15, and Tuesday, December 16 at 8 p.m. at the Underground Wonder Bar, 710 North Clark Street, Chicago, 60654.

Tickets are $10 and are available at the door or online on Brown Paper Tickets.