A Midsummer Night's Dream Bio: Keith Gatchel

Keith Gatchel (Sound Designer) comes to us from Rockford, Ill., by way of Southern Illinois University (with a few stops in Florida). The first shows he ever worked tech on were his church's choir concerts at 15, then as a member of Young American Theatre, the youth branch of New American Theatre. Since coming to Chicago in 2005, Keith has worked tech at The Goodman Theatre, Collaboraction, Teatro Vista, Victory Gardens, Pegasus Players and more. He was also a writer for "Big News" at IO and Second City, and contributor to several Loopshop productions, as well as Strangeloop's Our Perfect Holiday 2012 with the cast (which he also stage managed). Along with being the co-literary manager for Strangeloop, he works at Blue Man Group and is the stage manager for The Kiss Kiss Cabaret.

A Midsummer Night's Dream Bio: Lauren Angel-Nichols

Lauren Angel-Nichols (Set Designer) has a BFA from DePaul University’s Theatre School and currently works as a freelance scenic painter and also as the projections designer for Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre. Design credits include Lefties and Death Defying Acts (SSP), Matryoshka (The Plagiarists), The Nutcracker (Studio North Academy), Coyote on a Fence and I Ought to Be in Pictures (Emergent Theatre) and Bo Thomas and The Sky Pirates (Babes With Blades). Upcoming work includes Two Gentlemen of Verona (Spectralia Theatre). This fall she will also be starting her MFA in Stage Design at Northwestern.  In her free time she creates custom portraits and artwork for children's bedrooms.

“In a world where you can be anything…be yourself.”

LaurenAngelDesigns.com

Fairy of The Day

Cobweb (Miona Lee), left, and Peaseblossom (Naomi Lindh), right, attende their mistress Titania (Caitlin Jackson) and her new love Bottom (Michael Houghton Wagman).

Previews for "A Midsummer Night's Dream" start on Thursday, April 24, with the show officially opening on Saturday, April 26.

Tickets are available in advance at Brown Paper Tickets. But to get you in the mood for magic, we've been featuring a fairy a day on our Facebook page.

Check out all our delightful fairies (and suggest your own), as well as photos from rehearsals and tech week.

Strangeloop announces casting, production details for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”

Summer is on its way and so is Strangeloop Theatre’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, directed by Strangeloop company member Holly Robison. This intimate approach to William Shakespeare’s classic tale of love, magic and fairies features promenade-style staging, in which audience members move and sit amongst the action of the play with no formal differentiation between stage and seating.

Strangeloop’s production takes place in the 1940s – a time period that shares with the ancient Athens of Shakespeare’s original setting political turmoil, war and the subduing of monstrous beasts (literal in one case, figurative in the other). But despite the unrest of the outside world, love still finds a place to bloom during this, the shortest night of the year.

The cast of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is: Mary-Kate Arnold (Helena), Maria Burnham (Quince), Letitia Guillaud (Hermia), Caitlin Jackson (Hippolyta/Titania), Tim Larson (Demetrius), Miona Lee (Cobweb/Snug), Naomi Lindh (Peaseblossom/Flute), Ken Miller (Lysander), Kitty Mortland (Egeus), Julia Rigby (Puck), Michael Wagman (Bottom) and Geoff Zimmerman (Theseus/Oberon).

The production team includes: Lauren Angel-Nichols (set designer), Maria Burnham (marketing), Carrie Campana (costume designer), Keith Gatchel (sound designer), Brad Gunter (production manager), Jaclyn Jensen (audience development), Lisa Uhlig (stage manager) Eric Van Tassell (lighting designer) and Mike Wozniak (graphic designer).

A Midsummer Night’s Dream runs April 24 through May 25 at the side project theatre (1439 W. Jarvis Ave.) in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood, at 8 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets are available through Brown Paper Tickets and are $18 for general admission. Discounts are available for seniors and students. Limited reserved seating will be available for those with disabilities.    

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Laissez les bons temps rouler

Romance and roux: Love comes a little early this year in Strangeloop Theatre's annual production, French With Me, which takes place Tuesday, February 11, at Signal Ensemble Theatre. The gala-style event features a series of vignettes written by up-and-coming playwrights that center around the theme of love. This year’s production – our fourth – takes on a New Orleans flavor in French With Me 4: French Quarter. The mimes are back again and this year finds them wandering around the French Quarter in their continuing story of love and loss and love again. In addition, the stories include a romance that buds outside a gender reveal party, the awkwardness of first dates and a husband and wife who fall in love with their own reflections. French With Me 4: French Quarter is: Cold Lonely Gaze written by Anthony Ellison; directed by Letitia Guillaud and featuring Peter Robards, Tyler Samples, Ashley Thornton and Michael Houghton Wagman A Date With the Weird written by Keith Gatchel; directed by Zack Florent and featuring Katie Galan, Adrienne Matzen and Mike Mazzocca French With Me conceived and directed by Maria Burnham and featuring Tim Lee and Holly Robison Hey, Good Lookin' written by Rich Orloff; directed by Josh Johnson and featuring Carrie Campana, Rob Grabowski and Dennis Schnell Kieran written by Michael Houghton Wagman; directed by Ben Campana and featuring Maria Burnham and Ken Miller Podemos? written by Georgia Knapp; directed by Juan Castaneda and featuring Gina Laguzza and Sally Wippman The reception begins at 7 p.m. with performances beginning at 8 p.m. Live music will follow from Big Dixie & The Pelican Whisperers, a local Dixieland band featuring the talents of Corbin Andrick on woodwinds, Joe Clark on trumpet, Jeff Livorsi on trombone, William Russell on tuba and David Agee on drums. Signal Ensemble Theatre is located at 1802 W. Berenice Avenue in Chicago. Tickets are $20 and still available at Brown Paper Tickets

Won't you be mime? 'French With Me 4'

Valentine’s Day is around the corner and to help you get in the mood for romance, Strangeloop Theatre presents its annual production of French With Me, a series of vignettes written by up-and-coming playwrights that center around the theme of love.

This year’s production – our fourth – takes on a New Orleans flavor in French With Me 4: French Quarter. The mimes are back again and this year finds them wandering around the French Quarter in their continuing story of love and loss and love again.

In addition, the stories include a romance that buds outside a gender reveal party, the awkwardness of first dates and a husband and wife who fall in love with their own reflections.

French With Me 4: French Quarter is:

• Cold Lonely Gaze written by Anthony Ellison and directed by Letitia Guillaud 
• A Date With the Weird written by Keith Gatchel and directed by Zack Florent 
• French With Me conceived and directed by Maria Burnham 
• Hey, Good Lookin' written by Rich Orloff and directed by Josh Johnson 
• Kieran written by Michael Houghton Wagman and directed by Ben Campana 
• Podemos? written by Georgia Knapp and directed by Juan Castaneda 

French With Me returns to Signal Ensemble Theatre, 1802 W. Berenice Avenue in Chicago, on Tuesday, February 11.

The gala-style event includes floral arrangements by Rose Expressions and New Orleans-inspired cuisine donated by local merchants, and features a craft beer selection from Chicago’s Finch’s Beer Company. A silent auction is also planned with offerings that range from massage from Aligned and unlimited yoga from Bloom, to Louisiana coffee and beignets and tickets to Kiss Kiss Cabaret and Blue Man Group – the perfect place to pick up a last minute present for your sweetie.

The reception begins at 7 p.m. with performances beginning at 8 p.m. Live music will follow from Big Dixie & The Pelican Whisperers, a local Dixieland band featuring the talents of Corbin Andrick on woodwinds, Joe Clark on trumpet, Jeff Livorsi on trombone, William Russell on tuba and David Agee on drums.

Tickets are now on sale at Brown Paper Tickets.