Soweit nichts neues.
Wer etwas über billys sicht auf das Stück lesen will, hier Time Out Chicago
http://chicago.timeout.com/articles/theater/75993/william-petersen-in-blackbird-interview
Dienstag, 30. Juni 2009
Sonntag, 28. Juni 2009
Sonntag
No Billy in Da Vinci oder Harry Caray :)
Natürlich leben wir in einer großen Stadt.
Trotzdem eine kleine Info.
Billys Haar ist dunkler als in Cannes. Er hat es wohl getönt. Ich finde, dass er gut aussieht.
im Stück wird er wohl in normalen Hosen, Hemde und Kravatte auftreten. Aber wie gesagt, dass sind so Sachen die man in Gespräch erfährt.
Natürlich leben wir in einer großen Stadt.
Trotzdem eine kleine Info.
Billys Haar ist dunkler als in Cannes. Er hat es wohl getönt. Ich finde, dass er gut aussieht.
im Stück wird er wohl in normalen Hosen, Hemde und Kravatte auftreten. Aber wie gesagt, dass sind so Sachen die man in Gespräch erfährt.
Samstag, 27. Juni 2009
Samstag in Chicago
Der dritte Tag hier. Superwetter. Perfekte Tage.
Wie versprochen ein enig mehr über Blackbird.
Die Proben finden 5 Mal in der Woche statt. Jeweils 5 Stunden. Das ist unheimlich viel, wie ich finde. Dennis Z. der regisseuur wurde gefragt, ob er den Autor gesprochn hat. Nein, aber er hat andere Inszenierungen gesehen. Und sie verlassen sich ganz auf Billy und Matties Schauspielkunst. Keine Effekte.
Es wird auf jeden Fall eine Liebesgeschichte erzählt. Zum Glück, weil ich das Buch so gelesen habe.
Mir fallen vielleicht noch mehr Einzelheiten ein, aber hier erstmal Bilder.
Donnerstag, 25. Juni 2009
Chicago, 25. Juni 2009
Wie versprochen meine Meldung aus Chicago. Der Flug war lang und anstrengend. aber das wetter und unser hotel super. präsidental suite. wir hatten ein angebot von hotel.com genutzt, aber das ist echt wahnsinn. fílm folgt später.
aber wahrscheinlich interssiert das niemanden, oder ?
ihr wollt wissen, ob wir billy gesehen haben. haben wir. 12 minuten des stücks haben er und matti gespielt, dann gab es eine frage und antwort für 30 minuten. er hat seine idee der rolle erläutert, der regisseur dennis zacek as er sich vorstellt. sie sehen es eindeutig als liebesgeschichte. billy was funny. i love him smiling and joking.
dann war eine art empfang in der lobby, wo billy fragen beantwortet ht, fotos und autogramme gab. alles part of the job. ok, ich war wieder ein stiller beobachter, aber trotzdem. ein toller erster tag. ich versuche mal zwei bilder zu laden. aber das internet ist recht langsam.
die bilder müssen nicht unbedingt woanders auftauchen. Bitte fragen, wenn ihr sie woanders posten wollt.
Mittwoch, 24. Juni 2009
TV Highlights
Die neue Ausgabe hat CSI (Billy und Marg) on the cover. Und eine Porträt von Billy über mehrere Seiten.
Dienstag, 23. Juni 2009
Sarah Siddons Awards Gala
On June1, 2009, the Sarah Siddons Society held an Awards Gala at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel at Water Tower Place in Chicago. The evening honored two remarkable actors for their distinguished achievements. William Petersen was honored with the 2008-09 Sarah Siddons Award as Chicago's Actor for All Seasons. Hollis Resnik was the recipient of a Chicago's Leading Lady Award for her performance in Northlight Theatre's production of Grey Gardens.
Chicago likes to think of him as one of its own, but William Petersen has received world-wide fame for his riveting performances and character portrayals. From his early days in Chicago theatre to his award-winning performances on stage and in television and movies, Petersen has received great critical acclaim, along with a legion of adoring fans. For nine seasons, Petersen starred as Dr. Gil Grissom in the CBS hit show, "CSI, Crime Scene Investigation." Recently, he left the show to return to the stage. It was Chicago's good fortune to see him in the Steppenwolf producton of A Dublin Carol. This summer of 2009, Petersen will return to Chicago's Victory Gardens Theater, the theater where he earned his first Equity card, to star in the play, Blackbird, directed by his friend, Dennis Zacek. The Sarah Siddons Society is proud to honor the distinguished William Petersen with the Sarah Siddons Award.
Auf nach Chicago
Ich werde am Donnertstag in Chicago landen. Wenn alles gut klappt. Und ich werde dann auch gern darüber berichten.
Sonntag, 21. Juni 2009
TV direkt
In der neuen Ausgabe mit Michelle Hunzinger auf dem Cover gibt es einen 2seitigen Artikel über CSI, NCIS und Criminal Intentent.
Nr. 13/2009 vom 20.6. - 3.7. 2009
Nr. 13/2009 vom 20.6. - 3.7. 2009
Mittwoch, 10. Juni 2009
"Drop Dead Diva"
Jorja's Episode von "Drop Dead Diva" wird im August 2009 auf Lifetime zu sehen sein.
SAG
Billy und SAG
http://membershipfirst.blogspot.com/2009/06/support-membership-first.html
SAG members ratify new pact
Two-year TV/theatrical contract approved by 78% of the vote
By Jay A. Fernandez
June 9, 2009, 09:36 PM ET
Updated: June 9, 2009, 11:31 PM ET
The people have finally spoken. Or rather, shouted.
The membership of SAG officially ratified its proposed new two-year TV/theatrical contract Tuesday by a margin of 78% to 22%. SAG members had been working under the terms of the previous contract since June 30 as negotiations stopped and started during the past year.
SAG's national board recommended the contract to the membership for ratification April 19 by a mere 53% to 47%. Ballots went out May 19 to the 110,000 or so members in good standing.
Of those eligible to vote, 35.3% turned in ballots, a slightly higher percentage than usual. The votes were compiled and counted after Tuesday's 5 p.m. deadline. The new contract went into effect at 12:01 a.m. today and expires June 30, 2011.
"This decisive vote gets our members back to work with immediate pay raises and puts SAG in a strong position for the future," interim national executive director David White said. "Preparation for the next round of negotiations begins now. Our members can expect more positive changes in the coming months as we organize new work opportunities, repair and reinvigorate our relationships with our sister unions and industry partners and continue to improve the guild's operations."
Among the terms of the new deal are a 3% wage increase and a 0.5% pension and health plan contribution increase. In its second year, the contract triggers a 3.5% wage increase.
Jurisdiction and compensation for new-media work, which sparked much of the internal and external debate, were established for the first time, as they were in the DGA, AFTRA and WGA contracts negotiated last year.
The guild will benefit from $105 million in increases and contributions in the new pact, though it meant passing up close to another $100 million in raises while the contract remained unresolved.
The vote count in the Hollywood Division was 70.7% to 29.3% in favor. In the New York Division, it was 85.7% to 14.3% in favor. And in the Regional Branch Division, the count was 89.1% to 10.9% in favor.
"The ratification vote by SAG members is good news for the entertainment industry," the AMPTP said. "This concludes a two-year negotiating process that has resulted in agreements with all major Hollywood guilds and unions. We look forward to working with SAG members, and with everyone else in our industry, to emerge from today's significant economic challenges with a strong and growing business."
Well-wishers from the DGA and AFTRA followed suit.
With SAG's contract debate decided, much of the industry -- and film production in particular -- can breathe a sigh of relief as the threat of an actors strike has been put to rest. The past 18-22 months -- since the lead-up to the WGA strike in fall 2007 -- have seen a substantial contraction in opportunities for above- and below-the-line talent in Hollywood.
The 100-day writers' walkout early in 2008, followed by the uncertainly generated by the SAG standoff, prompted studios and networks to shave production deals, trim slates, squeeze fees, experiment with the Web and shrink development in TV and film. The upshot has been a tougher environment for actors and other performers to get work.
In addition, while factions within SAG argued over its approach to the contract fight, the guild saw nearly all the current season's network pilots move to AFTRA coverage.
That internal SAG battle, raging for most of the past year, now immediately shifts its focus to fall elections, the results of which will be announced Sept. 24.
MembershipFirst, which has adamantly opposed the just-passed contract as well as a merger with sister union AFTRA, plans a fundraiser as early as tonight, hosted by William Petersen and Melissa Leo, to jump-start momentum on its campaign. The party also has hired a political consultant to help manage its message.
Unite for Strength, which formed in the summer in opposition to MembershipFirst and picked up vital SAG board seats in September, will continue to campaign for consolidation and affiliation with AFTRA. That prospect always has been controversial and has only become more so in recent weeks as a SAG board member put forth a resolution to explore "the acquisition of actors of AFTRA" and several MembershipFirst partisans won seats on AFTRA's board.
"I think it's imperative that there be a letup of that internal battle," said Adam Arkin, a national board member and U4S supporter. "I think this vote was an indication that that's part of what people are weary of, and it's incumbent upon us to find ways to start to communicate better with one another."
SAG president Alan Rosenberg, who has consistently pushed for a harder stance against the networks and studios, has not indicated whether he will run for re-election. He is in his second two-year term.
Of the new contract, Rosenberg said: "The membership has spoken and has decided to work under the terms of this contract that many of us who have been involved in these negotiations from the beginning believe to be devastatingly unsatisfactory. (Wednesday) morning I will be contacting the elected leadership of the other talent unions with the hope of beginning a series of prenegotiation summit meetings in preparation for 2011. I call upon all SAG members to begin to ready themselves for the battle ahead."
Although nobody has formally announced a candidacy for SAG president, speculation has focused on James Cromwell, Seymour Cassel and Martin Sheen. Nominating petitions for SAG national officer positions and board seats will be made available Monday.
"I do feel like the Churchill quote: 'It's the end of the beginning,' " said Ken Howard, a national board member and U4S supporter. "My hope is that this expression will also show itself in the members that get elected to the national board in the fall -- and to the new presidency -- that then we'll be able to, with this endorsement, move forward."
AFTRA, which bargained jointly with SAG until spring 2008, ratified its own TV/theatrical contract last year, and SAG and AFTRA jointly ratified new commercials contracts in May.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i6fda8a789c0468eb7c167521c036aef5
http://membershipfirst.blogspot.com/2009/06/support-membership-first.html
SAG members ratify new pact
Two-year TV/theatrical contract approved by 78% of the vote
By Jay A. Fernandez
June 9, 2009, 09:36 PM ET
Updated: June 9, 2009, 11:31 PM ET
The people have finally spoken. Or rather, shouted.
The membership of SAG officially ratified its proposed new two-year TV/theatrical contract Tuesday by a margin of 78% to 22%. SAG members had been working under the terms of the previous contract since June 30 as negotiations stopped and started during the past year.
SAG's national board recommended the contract to the membership for ratification April 19 by a mere 53% to 47%. Ballots went out May 19 to the 110,000 or so members in good standing.
Of those eligible to vote, 35.3% turned in ballots, a slightly higher percentage than usual. The votes were compiled and counted after Tuesday's 5 p.m. deadline. The new contract went into effect at 12:01 a.m. today and expires June 30, 2011.
"This decisive vote gets our members back to work with immediate pay raises and puts SAG in a strong position for the future," interim national executive director David White said. "Preparation for the next round of negotiations begins now. Our members can expect more positive changes in the coming months as we organize new work opportunities, repair and reinvigorate our relationships with our sister unions and industry partners and continue to improve the guild's operations."
Among the terms of the new deal are a 3% wage increase and a 0.5% pension and health plan contribution increase. In its second year, the contract triggers a 3.5% wage increase.
Jurisdiction and compensation for new-media work, which sparked much of the internal and external debate, were established for the first time, as they were in the DGA, AFTRA and WGA contracts negotiated last year.
The guild will benefit from $105 million in increases and contributions in the new pact, though it meant passing up close to another $100 million in raises while the contract remained unresolved.
The vote count in the Hollywood Division was 70.7% to 29.3% in favor. In the New York Division, it was 85.7% to 14.3% in favor. And in the Regional Branch Division, the count was 89.1% to 10.9% in favor.
"The ratification vote by SAG members is good news for the entertainment industry," the AMPTP said. "This concludes a two-year negotiating process that has resulted in agreements with all major Hollywood guilds and unions. We look forward to working with SAG members, and with everyone else in our industry, to emerge from today's significant economic challenges with a strong and growing business."
Well-wishers from the DGA and AFTRA followed suit.
With SAG's contract debate decided, much of the industry -- and film production in particular -- can breathe a sigh of relief as the threat of an actors strike has been put to rest. The past 18-22 months -- since the lead-up to the WGA strike in fall 2007 -- have seen a substantial contraction in opportunities for above- and below-the-line talent in Hollywood.
The 100-day writers' walkout early in 2008, followed by the uncertainly generated by the SAG standoff, prompted studios and networks to shave production deals, trim slates, squeeze fees, experiment with the Web and shrink development in TV and film. The upshot has been a tougher environment for actors and other performers to get work.
In addition, while factions within SAG argued over its approach to the contract fight, the guild saw nearly all the current season's network pilots move to AFTRA coverage.
That internal SAG battle, raging for most of the past year, now immediately shifts its focus to fall elections, the results of which will be announced Sept. 24.
MembershipFirst, which has adamantly opposed the just-passed contract as well as a merger with sister union AFTRA, plans a fundraiser as early as tonight, hosted by William Petersen and Melissa Leo, to jump-start momentum on its campaign. The party also has hired a political consultant to help manage its message.
Unite for Strength, which formed in the summer in opposition to MembershipFirst and picked up vital SAG board seats in September, will continue to campaign for consolidation and affiliation with AFTRA. That prospect always has been controversial and has only become more so in recent weeks as a SAG board member put forth a resolution to explore "the acquisition of actors of AFTRA" and several MembershipFirst partisans won seats on AFTRA's board.
"I think it's imperative that there be a letup of that internal battle," said Adam Arkin, a national board member and U4S supporter. "I think this vote was an indication that that's part of what people are weary of, and it's incumbent upon us to find ways to start to communicate better with one another."
SAG president Alan Rosenberg, who has consistently pushed for a harder stance against the networks and studios, has not indicated whether he will run for re-election. He is in his second two-year term.
Of the new contract, Rosenberg said: "The membership has spoken and has decided to work under the terms of this contract that many of us who have been involved in these negotiations from the beginning believe to be devastatingly unsatisfactory. (Wednesday) morning I will be contacting the elected leadership of the other talent unions with the hope of beginning a series of prenegotiation summit meetings in preparation for 2011. I call upon all SAG members to begin to ready themselves for the battle ahead."
Although nobody has formally announced a candidacy for SAG president, speculation has focused on James Cromwell, Seymour Cassel and Martin Sheen. Nominating petitions for SAG national officer positions and board seats will be made available Monday.
"I do feel like the Churchill quote: 'It's the end of the beginning,' " said Ken Howard, a national board member and U4S supporter. "My hope is that this expression will also show itself in the members that get elected to the national board in the fall -- and to the new presidency -- that then we'll be able to, with this endorsement, move forward."
AFTRA, which bargained jointly with SAG until spring 2008, ratified its own TV/theatrical contract last year, and SAG and AFTRA jointly ratified new commercials contracts in May.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i6fda8a789c0468eb7c167521c036aef5
Dienstag, 9. Juni 2009
Jorja und Billy auf der Emmy-Liste
Hier ein pdf-Dokument mit allen Namen.
Sehr groß.
http://cdn.emmys.tv/ballots/pdf/performers.pdf
Sehr groß.
http://cdn.emmys.tv/ballots/pdf/performers.pdf
Sonntag, 7. Juni 2009
Samstag, 6. Juni 2009
Freitag, 5. Juni 2009
Blackbird - Press release
WILLIAM PETERSEN AND MATTIE HAWKINSON STAR IN CHICAGO PREMIERE OF BLACKBIRD, JULY 3-AUGUST 9 AT THE VICTORY GARDENS BIOGRAPH
Chicago, May 6, 2009 – Victory Gardens Theater’s Chicago premiere of Blackbird starring William L. Petersen and Mattie Hawkinson promises to be one of the most anticipated theater events of the summer.
Tickets are now on sale for British playwright David Harrower’s searing two-person drama about the destructive cycle of desire and illicit love. Victory Gardens Artistic Director Dennis Zacek directs Blackbird, winner of the 2007 Laurence Olivier Award, Britain’s equivalent of the Tony.
Previews start July 3, press opening is July 13, and performances run through August 9 at the Victory Gardens Biograph Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago. Tickets are $30-$58. Call the Victory Gardens box office, 773.871.3000, or purchase tickets online at victorygardens.org.
With Blackbird, Petersen, former star of CBS-TV's CSI, returns to the theater where he first earned his Equity card to tackle a role that echoes his earliest work on Chicago's stages playing morally damaged characters in In the Belly of the Beast, The Night of the Iguana, and Flyovers.
British vernacular for "jailbird," Blackbird is a real-time account of the awkward reunion of Ray and Una, 15 years after a passionate affair when he was 40 and she was a minor. Ray is confronted with his past when Una arrives unannounced at his workplace. Guilt, rage and raw emotions run high as they recollect their forbidden relationship. In the end, Blackbird has a devastating effect that will leave audiences stunned.
Commissioned in 2005 by the Edinburgh International Festival, Blackbird was the surprise winner of the 2007 Olivier Award, beating stiff competition like Tom Stoppard's Rock 'n' Roll and Peter Morgan's Frost/Nixon. Blackbird premiered in the U.S. in April 2007 at Manhattan Theater Club, directed by Broadway veteran Joe Mantello, starring Alison Pill and Jeff Daniels. The reviews were stellar:
"The gifted David Harrower's intense Blackbird promises to be the most powerful drama of the season...masterly, mesmerizing...extraordinary...a miracle." - The New York Times
"Four stars! This haunting, powerful, incendiary work is the sort of daring theater far too absent from our stages these days." - The New York Post
"A fascinating and unnerving ninety-minute cat and mouse tale of revenge and sexual intrigue, with genuine theatricality and undeniable shock value." - Associated Press
Full performance schedule
Previews of Blackbird are July 3-12, 2009: Tuesday through Thursday at 7:30 pm; Friday and Saturday at 8 pm; Sunday at 3 pm. Press opening is Monday, July 13 at 7:30 pm (sold out!) Previews are $30 - $48. Regular performances are July 15 through August 9: Tuesday through Thursday at 7:30 pm; Friday at 8 pm; Saturday at 5 pm and 8:30 pm; Sunday at 3 pm. Performances are $39 - $58. Added matinees are Wednesday, July 29 and August 5 at 2 pm. No evening performance Tuesday, July 14 or July 28.
The Victory Gardens Biograph Theater is located at 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago. For tickets and information, call the Victory Gardens box office - 773.871.3000 - or visit victorygardens.org.
Parking: $11 valet parking is available for all performances. Discounted parking is available one block south at Children's Memorial Hospital for all shows except weekday matinees (no overnights). Metered and street parking is available, but mind the Neighborhood parking restrictions.
Dining: Go to victorygardens.org/boxoffice for a list of Victory Gardens dining partners. Each is within walking distance of the Biograph, and all offer a special discount to patrons who present a Victory Gardens ticket stub (day of show only.)
Public transit: By CTA train, take the Red, Purple and Brown lines to the Fullerton stop. Walk east on Fullerton to Lincoln, then north 1/2 block to the theater. The #8 Halsted, #11 Lincoln, #37 Sedgwick/Ogden, and #74 Fullerton CTA buses all stop at the corner of Fullerton and Halsted, 1/2 block south of the theater. See transitchicago.com for times and routes.
Group discounts: Gather a group of 15 or more to take advantage of discounted group rates - perfect for book clubs, corporate nights out, universities, residence groups, fundraisers and family gatherings. Call Shannon O'Neill, (773) 549-5788 ext. 2131, for group information.
10 @ $20: Victory Gardens has 10 seats on sale for every performance of Blackbird for only $20. "10 @ $20" tickets can be purchased in advance, not just day-of. Limit 4 per customer. Subject to availability. Not valid with other discount offers. Phone sales only.
Cast biographies
William Petersen (Ray) last performed at Victory Gardens in the 1998 premiere of Jeffrey Sweet's Flyovers. He earned his Equity card in 1978 when Victory Gardens Artistic Director Dennis Zacek cast him as a relative unknown in the title role of William Norris' Dillinger. One year later, Petersen founded Remains Theater Ensemble in Chicago with a group of fellow actors, including Gary Cole and Amy Morton. He went on be one of the top talents of Chicago's Off-Loop theater scene, and became a national star in the motion picture To Live and Die in L.A. His Steppenwolf appearances include Balm in Gilead, Fool for Love, and earlier this season, Dublin Carol. In 1983, he starred as Jack Henry Abbott in In the Belly of the Beast which he performed at Chicago's Wisdom Bridge Theater, at the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland and at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. In 1996, Petersen made his Broadway debut in a revival of Tennessee Williams' The Night of the Iguana. He serves as executive producer on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and was nominated in 2004 for a Golden Globe Award for his portrayal of Gil Grissom, the lead investigator.
Mattie Hawkinson (Una) has a long list of Chicago credits including The Snow Queen, Half and Half and Hanging Fire at Victory Gardens; Rock ‘n’ Roll (Goodman), I Never Sang for My Father (Steppenwolf), A Winter's Tale, A Little Night Music, A Flea In Her Ear (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre), Hillbilly Antigone (Lookingglass Theatre), Vincent In Brixton (Apple Tree Theatre), The Importance of Being Earnest (First Folio Theatre), The Maids (Exigent Theatre), and A Boston Marriage (Roadworks Productions, After Dark Award). Regional credits include Magnolia, The Legend of Minnie Willet (O'Neill), A Little Night Music (Centerstage), Third (Denver Center Theatre Company), and Inherit the Wind (Indiana Repertory). TV and film credits include As the World Turns, and Everybody's Fine with Robert De Niro, coming out in the fall of 2009.
The playwright
David Harrower was born in Edinburgh in 1966. He first rose to prominence with Knives in Hens, which premiered at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, in 1995. He is also the author of such plays as Kill in the Old, Torture their Young (1998), Presence (2001) and Dark Earth (2003). Harrower is also a prolific adaptor whose works include versions of Pirandello’s Six Characters in Search of an Author, first staged at the Young Vic in 2000; Chekhov’s Ivanov, performed at the National Theatre in 2002; and Buchner’s Woyzeck, performed at the Edinburgh Lyceum in 2002. He has also written a new version of Odon von Horvath's Tales from the Vienna Woods (2003) for the National Theatre in London. He has also translated The Girl on the Sofa (2002), a new play by Jon Fosse, presented in a joint production by the Edinburgh International Festival and the Schaubuehne, Berlin, and Purple (2002), also a Jon Fosse original play. His latest plays are an adaptation of Schiller’s Mary Stuart (2006) and a new translation of Brecht’s The Good Woman of Szechuan (2008). One of his most recent original work, 365, was presented at the Edinburgh International Festival in 2008. Blackbird was shortlisted for the Saltire Book of the Year Award, 2005, and won the 2007 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play.
About Victory Gardens Theater
One of Chicago's most respected Off-Loop theaters, Victory Gardens is primarily devoted to new work, and since its founding in 1974, has produced more world premiere mainstage productions than any other Chicago theater. The company emphasizes the work of Chicago writers and its own 14-member Playwrights Ensemble, a relationship that helped Victory Gardens receive the 2001 Tony Award for Regional Theatre.
Working with a $3.1 million annual budget in 2008/09, Victory Gardens continues to expand its artistic and institutional boundaries under the guidance of Artistic Director Dennis Zacek, Executive Director Jan Kallish, Associate Artistic Director Sandy Shinner, Board President Jeffrey Rappin, a dedicated staff and board, and the support of its loyal subscribers.
Victory Gardens Theater is supported by the Illinois Arts Council (IAC), a stage agency, and is partially supported by a CityArts Program 4 Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs. Major funders include the Wallace Foundation, Shubert Foundation, Chicago Community Trust, Joyce Foundation, Polk Bros. Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, USG, Ford Foundation, Kraft Foods, Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Alphawood Foundation, Arie & Ida Crown Memorial, Illinois Tool Works, Prince Charitable Trusts, Association of Performing Arts Presenters, Exelon Corporation, Mayer & Morris Kaplan Family Foundation, Pick Fund, Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, Wrightwood Neighbors Association, and Boeing Company.
For complete information, visit victorygardens.org.
# # #
Chicago, May 6, 2009 – Victory Gardens Theater’s Chicago premiere of Blackbird starring William L. Petersen and Mattie Hawkinson promises to be one of the most anticipated theater events of the summer.
Tickets are now on sale for British playwright David Harrower’s searing two-person drama about the destructive cycle of desire and illicit love. Victory Gardens Artistic Director Dennis Zacek directs Blackbird, winner of the 2007 Laurence Olivier Award, Britain’s equivalent of the Tony.
Previews start July 3, press opening is July 13, and performances run through August 9 at the Victory Gardens Biograph Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago. Tickets are $30-$58. Call the Victory Gardens box office, 773.871.3000, or purchase tickets online at victorygardens.org.
With Blackbird, Petersen, former star of CBS-TV's CSI, returns to the theater where he first earned his Equity card to tackle a role that echoes his earliest work on Chicago's stages playing morally damaged characters in In the Belly of the Beast, The Night of the Iguana, and Flyovers.
British vernacular for "jailbird," Blackbird is a real-time account of the awkward reunion of Ray and Una, 15 years after a passionate affair when he was 40 and she was a minor. Ray is confronted with his past when Una arrives unannounced at his workplace. Guilt, rage and raw emotions run high as they recollect their forbidden relationship. In the end, Blackbird has a devastating effect that will leave audiences stunned.
Commissioned in 2005 by the Edinburgh International Festival, Blackbird was the surprise winner of the 2007 Olivier Award, beating stiff competition like Tom Stoppard's Rock 'n' Roll and Peter Morgan's Frost/Nixon. Blackbird premiered in the U.S. in April 2007 at Manhattan Theater Club, directed by Broadway veteran Joe Mantello, starring Alison Pill and Jeff Daniels. The reviews were stellar:
"The gifted David Harrower's intense Blackbird promises to be the most powerful drama of the season...masterly, mesmerizing...extraordinary...a miracle." - The New York Times
"Four stars! This haunting, powerful, incendiary work is the sort of daring theater far too absent from our stages these days." - The New York Post
"A fascinating and unnerving ninety-minute cat and mouse tale of revenge and sexual intrigue, with genuine theatricality and undeniable shock value." - Associated Press
Full performance schedule
Previews of Blackbird are July 3-12, 2009: Tuesday through Thursday at 7:30 pm; Friday and Saturday at 8 pm; Sunday at 3 pm. Press opening is Monday, July 13 at 7:30 pm (sold out!) Previews are $30 - $48. Regular performances are July 15 through August 9: Tuesday through Thursday at 7:30 pm; Friday at 8 pm; Saturday at 5 pm and 8:30 pm; Sunday at 3 pm. Performances are $39 - $58. Added matinees are Wednesday, July 29 and August 5 at 2 pm. No evening performance Tuesday, July 14 or July 28.
The Victory Gardens Biograph Theater is located at 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago. For tickets and information, call the Victory Gardens box office - 773.871.3000 - or visit victorygardens.org.
Parking: $11 valet parking is available for all performances. Discounted parking is available one block south at Children's Memorial Hospital for all shows except weekday matinees (no overnights). Metered and street parking is available, but mind the Neighborhood parking restrictions.
Dining: Go to victorygardens.org/boxoffice for a list of Victory Gardens dining partners. Each is within walking distance of the Biograph, and all offer a special discount to patrons who present a Victory Gardens ticket stub (day of show only.)
Public transit: By CTA train, take the Red, Purple and Brown lines to the Fullerton stop. Walk east on Fullerton to Lincoln, then north 1/2 block to the theater. The #8 Halsted, #11 Lincoln, #37 Sedgwick/Ogden, and #74 Fullerton CTA buses all stop at the corner of Fullerton and Halsted, 1/2 block south of the theater. See transitchicago.com for times and routes.
Group discounts: Gather a group of 15 or more to take advantage of discounted group rates - perfect for book clubs, corporate nights out, universities, residence groups, fundraisers and family gatherings. Call Shannon O'Neill, (773) 549-5788 ext. 2131, for group information.
10 @ $20: Victory Gardens has 10 seats on sale for every performance of Blackbird for only $20. "10 @ $20" tickets can be purchased in advance, not just day-of. Limit 4 per customer. Subject to availability. Not valid with other discount offers. Phone sales only.
Cast biographies
William Petersen (Ray) last performed at Victory Gardens in the 1998 premiere of Jeffrey Sweet's Flyovers. He earned his Equity card in 1978 when Victory Gardens Artistic Director Dennis Zacek cast him as a relative unknown in the title role of William Norris' Dillinger. One year later, Petersen founded Remains Theater Ensemble in Chicago with a group of fellow actors, including Gary Cole and Amy Morton. He went on be one of the top talents of Chicago's Off-Loop theater scene, and became a national star in the motion picture To Live and Die in L.A. His Steppenwolf appearances include Balm in Gilead, Fool for Love, and earlier this season, Dublin Carol. In 1983, he starred as Jack Henry Abbott in In the Belly of the Beast which he performed at Chicago's Wisdom Bridge Theater, at the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland and at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. In 1996, Petersen made his Broadway debut in a revival of Tennessee Williams' The Night of the Iguana. He serves as executive producer on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and was nominated in 2004 for a Golden Globe Award for his portrayal of Gil Grissom, the lead investigator.
Mattie Hawkinson (Una) has a long list of Chicago credits including The Snow Queen, Half and Half and Hanging Fire at Victory Gardens; Rock ‘n’ Roll (Goodman), I Never Sang for My Father (Steppenwolf), A Winter's Tale, A Little Night Music, A Flea In Her Ear (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre), Hillbilly Antigone (Lookingglass Theatre), Vincent In Brixton (Apple Tree Theatre), The Importance of Being Earnest (First Folio Theatre), The Maids (Exigent Theatre), and A Boston Marriage (Roadworks Productions, After Dark Award). Regional credits include Magnolia, The Legend of Minnie Willet (O'Neill), A Little Night Music (Centerstage), Third (Denver Center Theatre Company), and Inherit the Wind (Indiana Repertory). TV and film credits include As the World Turns, and Everybody's Fine with Robert De Niro, coming out in the fall of 2009.
The playwright
David Harrower was born in Edinburgh in 1966. He first rose to prominence with Knives in Hens, which premiered at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, in 1995. He is also the author of such plays as Kill in the Old, Torture their Young (1998), Presence (2001) and Dark Earth (2003). Harrower is also a prolific adaptor whose works include versions of Pirandello’s Six Characters in Search of an Author, first staged at the Young Vic in 2000; Chekhov’s Ivanov, performed at the National Theatre in 2002; and Buchner’s Woyzeck, performed at the Edinburgh Lyceum in 2002. He has also written a new version of Odon von Horvath's Tales from the Vienna Woods (2003) for the National Theatre in London. He has also translated The Girl on the Sofa (2002), a new play by Jon Fosse, presented in a joint production by the Edinburgh International Festival and the Schaubuehne, Berlin, and Purple (2002), also a Jon Fosse original play. His latest plays are an adaptation of Schiller’s Mary Stuart (2006) and a new translation of Brecht’s The Good Woman of Szechuan (2008). One of his most recent original work, 365, was presented at the Edinburgh International Festival in 2008. Blackbird was shortlisted for the Saltire Book of the Year Award, 2005, and won the 2007 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play.
About Victory Gardens Theater
One of Chicago's most respected Off-Loop theaters, Victory Gardens is primarily devoted to new work, and since its founding in 1974, has produced more world premiere mainstage productions than any other Chicago theater. The company emphasizes the work of Chicago writers and its own 14-member Playwrights Ensemble, a relationship that helped Victory Gardens receive the 2001 Tony Award for Regional Theatre.
Working with a $3.1 million annual budget in 2008/09, Victory Gardens continues to expand its artistic and institutional boundaries under the guidance of Artistic Director Dennis Zacek, Executive Director Jan Kallish, Associate Artistic Director Sandy Shinner, Board President Jeffrey Rappin, a dedicated staff and board, and the support of its loyal subscribers.
Victory Gardens Theater is supported by the Illinois Arts Council (IAC), a stage agency, and is partially supported by a CityArts Program 4 Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs. Major funders include the Wallace Foundation, Shubert Foundation, Chicago Community Trust, Joyce Foundation, Polk Bros. Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, USG, Ford Foundation, Kraft Foods, Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Alphawood Foundation, Arie & Ida Crown Memorial, Illinois Tool Works, Prince Charitable Trusts, Association of Performing Arts Presenters, Exelon Corporation, Mayer & Morris Kaplan Family Foundation, Pick Fund, Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, Wrightwood Neighbors Association, and Boeing Company.
For complete information, visit victorygardens.org.
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Montag, 1. Juni 2009
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