From the Newcity Stage review by Hugh Iglarsh: Medea/Dream Theatre Company "And the acting is like nothing else you'll see on a local stage." Congratulations to the amazing team at Dream Theatre Company! RECOMMENDED
The character of Medea haunted Greek culture like a nightmare, embodying patriarchal anxiety and guilt. It’s a fitting subject for Dream Theatre Company’s resident playwright Jeremy Menekseoglu, who has taken Euripides’ familiar tale of the horrific vengeance of a woman wronged and transformed it, for better or worse, into a graphic horror story suited for an age not of gods, heroes and Fate, but rather of family dysfunction and random violence. Rachel Martindale is a seriously crazy Medea, enraged at her husband Jason of Golden Fleece fame. Jason–played by the same Jeremy Menekseoglu, who also directed and designed the production–has dumped her for the young and pretty Glauce, princess of Corinth (Amanda Lynn Meyer). With a royal marriage in the offing, the graspingly opportunistic Jason has use neither for his aging wife–whose sorcery skills saved his fleece many times during his Argonaut days–nor their two neglected young sons, Mermerus and Pheres, played convincingly by Anna Menekseoglu and Madelaine Schmitt, respectively. The parentally challenged Jason cannot even remember their names, referring to them simply as “your sons.” Medea also is not the epitome of unconditional love, waterboarding her children as a disciplinary measure. What most distinguishes this version from the Euripidean original is that the kids are not props and plot devices, but rather the moral center of the play–the tragedy is theirs, not their absent and abusive parents’. On its own hyper-subjective terms, the play works well. Dream Theatre seems to be basically a one-man show, built around Jeremy Menekseoglu’s interesting artistic and personal vision, and every moment has a quirky intensity and a what-will-they-do-next suspense. The haunted-house set, lurid-toned lighting and kitschy but catchy background music, juxtaposed against the classic text, together create a campily sinister mood, somewhere between Caligari and Rocky Horror. And the acting is like nothing else you’ll see on a local stage. In an age of flattened affect and minimal selfhood, here we have an almost Victorian display of posing and mugging, verging on parody yet controlled and effective. Jason’s entrance is a masterpiece of nonverbal revelation, with his toy-soldier stiffness and pomposity betrayed by a twitchy, distracted air that testifies to his deep-seated fear of his abandoned wife and her witchy ways. Martindale’s Medea is a force of nature, cowing all those around her, including even Hera, queen of the gods (played by Kaitlin Stewart), who saves her at the end from Jason’s desperate attack. “She’s a demon,” protests Jason. “Yes, but she’s my demon,” retorts Hera, the serially cheated-upon wife of Zeus. Here the adaptation falters. Euripides, like all the Greek tragedians, was obsessed with the workings of justice in a society on the cusp between archaic religious morality and the emerging, reason-driven humanism. Tragedy was an attempt to revisit the primitive myths in light of newer values, such as–in Medea’s case–the basic injustice and dire consequences of flouting marriage vows and treating women and children as disposable property. Euripides’ Medea continues to fascinate us exactly because she’s not a monster, but a mother in desperate straits who knows that in her world there’s no future for an abandoned wife or rejected child. Her motivation is anger and vengeance, mixed with an element of twisted compassion. In this updated version, all is reduced to petty jealousy and resentment, with Jason and Medea recast as bickering narcissists who richly deserve each other, but are not worthy of their children. Medea’s supernatural rescue is puzzling, considering that the idea of her becoming a priestess of Hera was broached by the princess Glauce, whom she has just murdered. Preserving all of the original’s considerable cruelty and gore, but less of its sublimity and scope, this “Medea” still packs a punch. As I write this, youngsters in Gaza, Iraq, Syria, Ukraine and elsewhere are dying in wars they had nothing to do with. Sadly, the theme of children sacrificed on the altar of adult insanity remains as relevant and necessary as ever. (Hugh Iglarsh) Dream Theatre Company, 5026 North Lincoln, (773)552-8616, dreamtheatrecompany.com. $20. Through September 14. (No show August 31 or September 5.) - See more at: http://newcitystage.com/2014/08/12/review-medeadream-theatre-company/#sthash.RCjLnQdc.dpuf
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Opening weekend of Jeremy Menekseoglu's MEDEA with Dream Theatre Company was glorious. Thank you to our amazing audiences for helping us kick off this thing with a bang! Some production photos have been added to my MEDEA album courtesy of DTC Artistic Associate, #1 Fan, and Professional Audience Member, Marcia Clark! A couple other bonus photos in there as well.
Many many more chances to see MEDEA before we close! We run every Friday-Sunday @ 8pm through Sept. 14. No performances on Aug. 31 or Sept. 5. Tickets are $20. We take Cash & Credit Cards (Square) at the door. Reservations are strongly recommended as seating is limited to 28 seats per performance! 10 seats are available at Goldstar for 1/2 price every night, but they go fast! In other news, I will be helping out DTC in another venture, this time behind the scenes! I'll be the board operator (pressing buttons for lights/sound/projections) for the Chicago Fringe Festival performances of The Mechanical Man! This all-girl silent steampunk play is a truly unique experience not to miss, and I am super jazzed to even be a very small part of it. Check out details in my Current Projects section! Cheers, all! Come Blow Your Horn is entering final rehearsals before our big opening this Thursday at Oil Lamp Theater in Glenview!
There is a FREE preview performance this Wednesday, at 8pm! No reservation required, just come, enjoy, be our test audience and BYOB! Full price tickets for the run can be found at: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/607762 1/2 price tickets (limited supply) for Sunday & Thursday performances at:http://www.goldstar.com/events/glenview-il/come-blow-your-horn Free parking, glasses, corkage, fresh baked cookies, and snacks included with every ticket! BYOB theater! Please consider supporting my theatre family at Dream Theatre Company as we embark on an exciting new journey in Lincoln Square at the "Dream Laboratory"! Here is a letter from DTC and our Director of Marketing and Development: Dear Friends of Dream Theatre Company, We are excited to announce a lot of positive changes for Dream Theatre Company this summer! We have been developing the administrative side of our theatre, to better support the original, immersive theatre we are known for. We are also moving: Mold and landlord problems in our current space are forcing us to move out quickly, but we have found a new spot in Chicago’s Lincoln Square – a busy, arts-friendly neighborhood easily accessed by public transit. We think our new space will give our audience numbers a big boost and return us to our historically intimate style. The need to move urgently means our reserves are not enough to fund all our moving expenses and cover our bills until we can get shows up and running. Please consider donating now to fund our move and keep providing Chicago with theatre that can’t be found anywhere else. We’d like to offer you the following rewards for supporting our mission: $50 donation: Recognition on our website and in our show programs for the season $250 donation: Four tickets to be used at any point during the season Recognition on our website and in our show programs for the season $500 donation: Two tickets to each show of the season Copy of a script of your choice Recognition on our website and in our show programs for the season $1500 donation: Two tickets to our Annual Gala Reserved seating for two on opening night of each show in the season Free quarter-page ad in each show program for the season Copy of a script of your choice Recognition on our website and in our show programs for the season $2,500 donation: A private lesson from a company member on a subject of your choice (anything from an acting lesson to costume/millinery construction to puppet making or makeup design) Private performance of Anna, in the Darkness for up to 30 people Two tickets to our Annual Gala Season Pass: see any show of the season as many times as desired Reserved seating for two on opening night of each show in the season Free half-page ad in each show program for the season Copy of a script of your choice Recognition on our website and in our show programs for the season We want to make it easy for you to donate. Checks can be made out to Dream Theatre Company and sent to our new address: 5026 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago IL 60625. We also have a PayPal button where you can donate with just one click at http://dreamtheatrecompany.com/. You can also donate by phone: Contact Managing Director Anna W Menekseoglu at 773-552-8616 with phone donations or any questions. Dream Theatre Company is a nonprofit charity organized under 501(c)3 and all donations are tax-deductible. Your support is needed now. Please join us in fulfilling our mission of bringing you the highest art possible in its most raw, unflinching and entertaining form. Sincerely, Megan Merrill, Director of Marketing and Development Dream Theatre Company Best Off-Loop Theatre Company 2012, 2010 (Chicago Reader Poll) www.dreamtheatrecompany.com It is with great excitement that I can announce that Dream Theatre Company has a new home in Lincoln Square!!! In addition, I can also announce that I am now officially a COMPANY MEMBER as well!!! This means I will participating in a greater capacity at DTC in addition to acting in shows. What my role will entail exactly is still being determined, but I'm excited to take this journey with DTC. Our new location on Lincoln between Winnemac and Argyle will be known as "The Dream Laboratory" and is steps away from the Lawrence and Foster buses, as well as a short walk from Western Brown Line stop. Many more announcements to follow, including fundraising opportunities (we're a non-profit and a tax write-off!), the continuation of our Move-out/Move-in Sale, remounting of Anna, In the Darkness, the Chicago Fringe Festival debut of The Mechanical Man, and more! I'm so freaking excited to bring DTC to new audiences in Lincoln Square and to become an "official" part of the DTC family. Great things ahead!!!! It has been so much fun working with this awesome group of people at Oil Lamp Theater. The theater also received some exciting news, as they are now members of the League of Chicago Theatres as well as the Theatre Communication Group! Big leaps for this "little" theater which is selling out shows left an right! Speaking of selling out, we've sold out a number of shows already for The God Committee, and there are only 2 weekends left to see it! This fast-paced medical dramedy must close on April 20th. There are still plenty of tickets left for select dates, but they're going fast so hurry over to Brown Paper Tickets to secure yours now. Use discount code "god" to get $5 off your ticket! And a big thank you to my extended Dream Theatre Company family who came out to see The God Committee in a big show of support this past weekend. It truly warms my heart to see theatre artists supporting each other. DTC could also use your support as we search for a new space! Check out http://www.dreamtheatrecompany.com/ to find out what we're doing next. I've added a photo section for The God Committee - go take a peek! So far all we have are some promotional and rehearsal shots, but looking forward to more official shots soon. I would also like to take this opportunity to invite you to attend our free preview, Wednesday, March 5. If you are in the theatre, you know how important it is to get a show in front of an audience to really get a feel for it. If you can attend, we'd love to have you. Curtain is at 8pm - no reservation required. - Much love from "Dr. Kierra Banks"! We are less than two weeks from opening night, and tickets are now on sale for Rio! This play will definitely shake you out of this Chicago freeze. Also, you can do karaoke in the lobby before the show while drinking a screwdriver....you know, to get you in the right mindset for the show ;) Tickets - Student/Industry discounts available! RECOMMENDED Let’s start with this: I’m not one to make sweeping statements, but “Audience Annihilated Part Two: Gold Star Sticker,” in all its brief but intense fifteen-minute glory, is easily the scariest play (if that’s what this show could be classified as) I’ve ever attended. I’d like to leave it at that and let you discover the rest for yourself (which any fan of a good, solid scare should do immediately), but perhaps a bit more information is necessary. There are haunted houses. There are horror plays. And in the twisted space between the two there’s Dream Theatre’s truly disturbing “Audience Annihilated” concept, in which you, the audience member, sit passively in the midst of a terrifying world that rapidly unravels around you. In 2011, with “Audience Annihilated Part One: Women Only Train,” writer/director Jeremy Menekseoglu tested the waters of this haunted house/horror play mashup, creating a world in which an American waiting for a late-night train was sucked into a violent and gory underworld. And while “Part One” was indeed frightening, “Part Two,” in which the concept has been tightened and perfected, is disturbing on a whole other level. Upon entering the theater space (ten minutes before the show “begins”), you’re directed to have a seat on a small chair in front of a small television in a dingy living room. The flickering screen is showing a horror movie (“Demons 2,” in all it’s Dario Argento-laced madness on the night I attended). The light from the television is the only light in the room, revealing a mess of empty beer cans, pill bottles and general mess. And here you sit. It’s revealed to you by a chaperone of sorts (Anna Menekseoglu), through subtle hints, that you are a young girl called “Princess,” much too young to be watching this movie alone in the dark. And then the door bursts open and the show really begins. I’m loathe to reveal more of the story/events after this point in order to retain the heart-thumping uncertainty that audience members are subjected to as the show unfolds, so I’ll leave it there. Suffice it to say that this living room isn’t the only space you’re subjected to and that the cast sells the unfolding scenarios scarily well. There’s Momma (a terrifically reproachful Nicole Roberts), Nose (a wheezing and gaping Amanda Meyer), Guitar (a cackling Menekseoglu, whose seeming kindness hides deeper terrors than Momma’s constant anger) and Bear (a not-so-friendly stuffed animal, expertly puppeteered and voiced by Madelaine Schmitt). A ticket to watch from the sidelines is also available for those hesitant to be thrust into the middle of the action. But if your heart can stand it, go for the Princess ticket. And try not to wet the bed you get tucked into. (Zach Freeman) At Dream Theatre, 556 W. 18th St, (773)552-8616, dreamtheatrecompany.com. $18. Through November 3. - See more at: http://newcitystage.com/2013/10/24/review-audience-annihilated-part-two-gold-star-sticker/#sthash.gfbN7jRk.dpuf Press photos are up for WOMEN! (a comedy) by Jeremy Menekseoglu! Check them out on my Production Photos page. We are in GO mode for this show, and begin tech this weekend for our opening coming up Sept. 19. Check out Dream Theatre Company's Blog Post about the production for more info. Tickets are also now available for purchase at brownpapertickets.com. Purchase tickets for opening weekend (Sept 19-22) with password "unicorn" and receive a discount! Goldstar and HotTix discounts to come soon. This absurd group of dark comedies explores any and every theme, and nothing is sacred! I've had a blast working with this crazy group of people and am honored to share the stage with them. Hope to see you there! To add a little more excitement to my week, I'm also entering dress rehearsals for the Streeterville remount. We have two performances in a limited engagement at Navy Pier, showcasing Streeterville the play in the town of Streeterville! Check out my Current Projects page for more details on this and all my current projects. Off to 1st day of tech for WOMEN! in a couple hours! Ciao! |
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