IDLE MUSE THEATRE OPENS THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES MARCH 3
March 2, 2016 Michael J. Roberts
Idle Muse Theatre Company presents The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, newly adapted by Althos Low and directed by IMTC artistic director Evan Jackson. This production is recommended for teens and up, and runs approximately two hours including one ten-minute intermission. The Hound of the Baskervilles runs Thursday, March 3 – April 3 at Edge Theater at 5451 N. Broadway Ave. Press opening is Saturday, March 5 at 8 p.m. Regular performance times are Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 3 p.m. and Wednesday, March 23 at 8 p.m. (Previews are Thursday, March 3 and March 4 at 8 p.m. No performance on Easter Sunday, March 27). Tickets are $20 and may be purchased at the Idle Muse Theatre Box Office, 773-340-9438 or by visiting www.IdleMuse.org.
First serialized in the Strand Magazine in 1901-1902 – and perhaps the most beloved of Conan Doyle's crime thrillers – Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson trade the foggy streets of London for the country wilds of Dartmoor to shield the life of a young heir whose family is believed cursed by a murderous hellhound.
PLUS: Join Idle Muse Theatre Sunday, March 13th & 20th following the 3 p.m. run of The Hound of the Baskervilles for Sunday Tea. Patrons will enjoy a meet-and-greet with the cast and crew on the stage while enjoying English tea and desserts. A Tasting Event will follow the 8 p.m. performance Friday, March 18th (more details TBA). The cost for the Sunday Tea is $5 per patron and $10 per patron for the Tasting Event. Thursday, March 10th 8 p.m. performance includes a formal Talkback with Cast & Design Team. There is no additional cost for the Talkback. Reservations are recommended, though not required. Contact Idle Muse Theatre at 773-340-9438 for more information.
"As Like us, Victorian readers lived in a world characterized by rapid change and dramatic inequalities. Against that backdrop, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson stood for the idea that, armed with analysis and progress, the human spirit could grapple with and reconcile the darkest parts of our nature. We love the characters for the same reason today.," said Artistic Director Evan Jackson.
Evan Jackson is the Artistic Director of Idle Muse Theatre Company, a position he has held since the company's inception. He has directed ten previous productions for Idle Muse, including The Lion in Winter and Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure (both Jeff-Recommended. Luke Hamilton received a Jeff Awards nomination for Best Actor for his role as Sherlock Holmes). Last season, he directed Idle Muse's production The Talking Cure.
Althos Low is the pen name for Shanghai Low Theatricals, an adaptation development group based in Chicago. Formed in 2001 as a group of theatre craftspeople adapting literary works for the stage, in 2009 the company expanded into the creation of graphics and visual development. In 2014 the group adapted George Orwell's Animal Farm for Director Hallie Gordon and the Steppenwolf Young Adults Program. For the Baskervilles collaboration, Steve Pickering serves as Adaptor with input from the company, and Fred Baxter and Tom Kyzivat provide pre-production concept art. The company will also design the puppetry for the production (www.shanghailow.org).
The cast of The Hound of the Baskervilles features Idle Muse Theatre Company members Joel Thompson (Sherlock Holmes), Nathan Pease (Dr. John Watson), Brian Bengtson (Dr. James Mortimer), and Elizabeth C. MacDougald (Beryl Stapleton) with guest artists Laura Jones Macknin (Mrs. Hudson, Mrs. Frankland), Brendan Hutt (Sir Henry Baskerville), Gary Henderson (Clayton, Selden, Postmaster, Warder), Gary F. Barth (Barrymore), Jean Waller (Mrs. Barrymore), Jon Patrick Penick (Jack Stapleton, Warder), and Patrick Doolin (Lestrade, Perkins).
The design team also includes ensemble members Erin Gallagher (Costume Designer and Managing Director), Sara Robinson (Production Stage Manager and Technical Director), Tristan Brandon (Dramaturgy, Prop Designer), Shellie DiSalvo
(Assistant Stage Manager) and Laura Wiley (Lighting, Projection and Set Designer). Wiley received a Best Lighting Design Joseph Jefferson Awards Nomination for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde at Idle Muse Theatre Company last season. Guest artists include Althos Low (Puppet Designer), Libby Beyreis (Violence Designer), Robert P. Lloyd (Sound Designer), and Kathy Logelin (Dialect Coach).
The Hound of the Baskervilles will run March 5th through April 3rd, 2016 with previews March 3rd and March 4th and will be presented at Edge Theater, a newly-renovated performance venue located at 5451 N Broadway Ave, Chicago, IL 60640
Performance times for The Hound of the Baskervilles are Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m.. Wednesday, March 23 at 8 p.m. Ticket prices are $20 for adults and $15 for students/seniors. Tickets for previews are $10. Every Thursday is Industry Night with $10 tickets for industry members with headshot/resume (Thursday, March 10th 8 p.m. performance includes Talkback with Cast & Design Team). Tickets may be purchased by visiting www.idlemuse.org or by calling 773-340-9438.
Idle Muse Theatre Company presents The Hound of the Baskervilles, running March 5 – April 3 at Edge Theater at 5451 N. Broadway Ave. Street parking is available at all venues and all venues are handicapped and CTA accessible (Edge Theatre is CTA accessible by Red Line Berwyn/Bryn Mawr stop/ 36 Broadway Bus).
Press opening for the new adaptation of The Hound of the Baskervilles is Saturday, March 5 at 8 p.m. (Previews are Friday, March 3 and March 4 at 8:00 p.m.) Regular performance times are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Wednesday, March 23 at 8 p.m. Ticket prices are $20 for regular single tickets, $15 for seniors and students, and $10 for previews. Group rate for 10 or more upon request. Tickets may be purchased at 773-340-9438 or by visiting www.IdleMuse.org.
Idle Muse Theatre is partially supported and funded by a generous grant from The MacArthur Funds for the Arts and Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation.
About Idle Muse Theatre Company
Now in its tenth season, Idle Muse Theatre Company is a 501c3 non-profit Charity organization that produces theatre which is Transporting, Timely, and True. Idle Muse Theatre Company was established in 2006 by theatre artists who were interested exploring the relationship between individuals and worlds they inhabit. Seeking to create production opportunities for themselves and other artists, they believed the best way to do this was to build a "modern guild" of players, an environment where theatre artists of different experience levels and background could develop their craft and learn from each other.
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