Vieux Carre was one of Tennessee Williams' first plays and one of his last -- begun in the late 30s but not completed until forty years later, near the end of the playwright's life. The premiere production was a major Broadway flop and, despite the importance of its writer, the play has been seldom produced since then. Now Raven Theatre has brought it to Chicago audiences. Director Cody Estle, dramaturg Lukas Brasherfons and set designer Ray Toler join Anne Nicholson Weber to talk about the hist...
May 19, 2014•29 min
This week on the Talk Theatre In Chicago podcast Tom Williams talks with Edward Hibbert, one of the stars from the Lyric Opera's production of The Sound of Music. He talks about his role in the show as well as his time on the hit TV show Frasier and his major Broadway credits.
Apr 28, 2014•27 min
The provocative title of Mike Bartlett's play, "Cock", refers to both sexuality and cock fighting. Profiles Theatre cast members Christopher Sheard, Jake Szczepaniak, Eleni Pappageorge and Torrey Hanson join Anne Nicholson Weber to discuss sex on stage, acting without thinking and what an actor's friends should wear to a performance.
Apr 14, 2014•30 min
What are the pleasures and pitfalls of composing incidental music for a play? Chicago composers Christopher Kriz (multiple Jeff award nominee, including for his music for Lifeline Theatre's 2013 production of Pride and Prejudice) and Daniel Knox (Jeff-nominated for his music for Mary Arrchie's production of The Glass Menagerie), and actor/violinist Greg Hirte (incidental music for Piven Theatre's production of The Language Archive), join Anne Nicholson Weber to talk about their work.
Mar 31, 2014•35 min
What are the pleasures and pitfalls of composing incidental music for a play? Chicago composers Christopher Kriz (multiple Jeff award nominee, including for his music for Lifeline Theatre's 2013 production of Pride and Prejudice) and Daniel Knox (Jeff-nominated for his music for Mary Arrchie's production of The Glass Menagerie), and actor/violinist Greg Hirte (incidental music for Piven Theatre's production of The Language Archive), join Anne Nicholson Weber to talk about their work.
Mar 10, 2014•29 min
This week on the Talk Theatre In Chicago podcast Tom Williams talks with actress Amanda Drinkall. Amanda talks about her role in Venus In Fur at the Goodman Theatre and her acting career.
Feb 24, 2014•26 min
What makes a text suitable for the signature circus-infused style of Lookingglass Theatre? Director David Catlin and Acrobatic/ Circus Choreographer Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi join Anne Nicholson Weber to discuss their production of The Little Prince, adapted from Antoine de Saint-Exupery's beloved classic by Rick Cummins and John Scoullar.
Feb 10, 2014•29 min
This week on the Talk Theatre In Chicago podcast Tom Williams talks with Peter Oyloe, Jackie Intres and Christian Libonati. Christian talks about their latest show The Snow Queen, Jackie talks about the educational and community programs at the NW Side Chicago venue (Filament Theatre) and Peter talks about the new space and the plans for the near future for the venue.
Jan 27, 2014•34 min
This week on the Talk Theatre In Chicago podcast Tom Williams talks with publicist Noreen Heron. Noreen talks about the roles of a publicist, her clients and her background in theatre beginning with the Candleight Theatre.
Jan 13, 2014•30 min
How -- and why -- would you tell the tragic story of the 1903 Iroquois Theatre disaster as a clown piece? Playwright/actor Jay Torrence and director Halena Kays join Anne Nicholson Weber to discuss the development of their unlikely and haunting hit, Burning Bluebeard, which was originally created at The Neo-Futurists and is now being remounted by The Ruffians at Theatre Wit.
Dec 16, 2013•29 min
This week on the Talk Theatre In Chicago podcast Tom Williams talks with Chicgo Tribune critic Chris Jones about his book Bigger, Brighter, Louder: 150 Years of Chicago Theater As Seen By Chicago Tribune Critics. Chris talks about how and why he chose the 101 reviews in the book and he also gives advise to young critics.
Dec 09, 2013•32 min
What is it like to make a career in Chicago theatrical design? Scenery designer Angie Weber Miller and costume designer Emily Waecker -- both 2013 Equity Jeff Award winners -- join Anne Nicholson Weber to talk about their careers, their processes and their award-winning designs.
Nov 18, 2013•31 min
This week on the Talk Theatre In Chicago podcast Tom Williams talks with actor David Lively. David talks about playing Horace in Hello, Dolly! at Drury Lane Oakbrook and also about his long career in musicals and classical theatre.
Nov 04, 2013•36 min
What are the special challenges of making theatre for a young audience? Why is "simple" difficult? Director Henry Godinez and actors Karl Hamilton and Mark David Kaplan join Anne Nicholson Weber to discuss Chicago Children's Theatre's production of A Year with Frog and Toad, a family musical adapted by Robert Reale and Willie Reale from the children's books by Arnold Lobel.
Oct 21, 2013•27 min
This week on the Talk Theatre In Chicago podcast Tom Williams talks with Millicent Hurley Spencer, the star of The Trip to Bountiful at Raven Theatre. She talks about her preparation and execution of the role of Carrie Watts in the Horton Foote classic drama.
Oct 07, 2013•28 min
Is it necessary to say something new when you produce a classic text? Director Ron OJ Parson and actor Greta Oglesby join Anne Nicholson Weber to talk about their intimate production of Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun, which is currently playing at Timeline Theatre.
Sep 23, 2013•30 min
This week on the Talk Theatre In Chicago podcast Tom Williams talks with Walter Stearns - the Executive director of the Mercury Theater and the director of their current show, The Color Purple. He talks about the challenges of mounting an epic musical at his intimate theatre plus the upcoming shows at the Mercury.
Sep 09, 2013•29 min
For two decades, Michael Shannon and Guy Van Swearingen have been making theatre at 1531 N. Wells Street, the home of A Red Orchid Theatre. On this week's podcast, Guy and Michael join Anne Nicholson Weber to discuss their partnership of 20 years and their current collaboration in Sam Shepard's Simpatico.
Aug 26, 2013•33 min
This week on the Talk Theatre In Chicago podcast Tom Williams talks with Erik Gernand - the author of The Beautiful Dark at Redtwist Theatre. Erik explains how and why he chose his topic and how the creative process works for creating a new work for the theatre.
Aug 12, 2013•31 min
How do you make it funny? Director William Brown and cast members Laura Rook and Nate Burger join Anne Nicholson Weber to talk about the comedy - verbal, physical and situational - in Writers Theatre's production of David Ives play, The Liar, adapted from Pierre Corneille's 17th century script.
Jul 29, 2013•31 min
This week on the Talk Theatre In Chicago podcast Tom Williams talks with Chance Bone and Andrew Swanson. They talk about the process they used to co-write Jackalope Theatre's The Casuals playing at the Storefront Theater.
Jul 15, 2013•34 min
The prolific Cole Porter wrote nearly 900 songs. So if you set out to create an original revue of his work, where do you begin? And where do you end up? Theo Ubique Artistic Director Fred Anzevino and music director Aaron Benham join Anne Nicholson Weber to discuss their current revue, A Cole Porter Songbook.
Jul 01, 2013•34 min
This week on the Talk Theatre In Chicago podcast Tom Williams talks with Usman Ally, one of the stars of The Jungle Book at the Goodman Theatre. He talks about the collaborative process in creating a new musical.
Jun 17, 2013•32 min
The Q Brothers' hip-hop adaptation of Othello is bringing new audiences to Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. CST Creative Producer Rick Boynton, who helped develop Othello: The Remix, joins brothers GQ and JQ to discuss their work with Anne Nicholson Weber.
Jun 03, 2013•39 min
This week on the Talk Theatre In Chicago podcast Tom Williams talks with Mary Williamson and Peter Oyloe who star in Redtwist's Reverb. They talk about the physical fight combat and how intense the show is.
May 20, 2013•32 min
What is it like to make a life in the musical theatre? Elizabeth Lanza has been working in Chicago storefront theatre for several years and is now making her equity debut as Nellie in Marriott Theatre's South Pacific. Broadway veteran Stephen Buntrock plays her Emile. They join Anne Nicholson Weber to talk about the challenges and rewards of their collaboration and their careers.
May 06, 2013•31 min
This week on the Talk Theatre In Chicago podcast Tom Williams talks with Gene Weygandt - the star of Barnum. Gene talks all about playing PT Barnum and the production at the Mercury Theater. He also talks about his days in Wicked.
Apr 22, 2013•34 min
What does it mean to a playwright to be a member of an ensemble? Tarell Alvin McCraney joined the Steppenwolf ensemble in 2010 during the run of his trilogy, The Brother/Sister Plays. He's back in Chicago for the world-premiere of his Steppenwolf-commissioned play, Head of Passes. He and Steppenwolf Artistic Director, Martha Lavey, join Anne Nicholson Weber to talk about their current collaboration and on-going relationship.
Apr 08, 2013•29 min
This week on the Talk Theatre In Chicago podcast Tom Williams talks with Gitta Jacobs, the producer of Theo Ubique's Smokey Joe's Cafe that is now remounted at the Royal George Theatre. She talks about shows she has produced and her 19 years on the Jeff Committee.
Mar 25, 2013•31 min
Transformation is both the subject and the central technique of Marie Jones' Stones in His Pockets, currently playing at Northlight Theatre. Director J.R. Sullivan and actors Brian Vaughn and David Ivers join Anne Nicholson Weber to talk about how they created signature gestures and silhouettes to distinguish the 15 characters that Vaughn and Ivers play between them.
Mar 18, 2013•30 min
