50 Plays - June 17, 2011 10:30pm

Here's what's going down for our Friday 10:30pm show on June 17th.

June 17, 10:30PM

Chuck and Randy in the Morning (6:15am) – director Rose Freeman - cast: Brian Posen, Joe Mack

Party Like It's Thursday – director Rachel Staelins - cast: Amanda Dodge, Samay Gheewala, Sarah Mikayla Brown, Tracy Wray, Vinnie Lacey. Special Thanks to Nicci Schumacher.

Once Upon a Time in a Church Basement – director Jessica Wright - cast: Catherine Price, Aileen McGroddy, Brittney Love Smith

Chuck and Randy in the Morning (6:45am) – director Rose Freeman - cast: Brian Posen, Joe Mack

Beat Noir – director Bina Martin - cast: Jeff Hedges, Jen Malinsky, Vanessa Menton, Matt Malinsky

Moving Box – director Rob Colletti, assistant director Adam Ston - cast: John Reynolds, Sarita Scherpereel, Zach Rebich, Steve Hund, Eric Oren Special Thanks to Joe Janes, Don Hall, Second City, and to you! Thanks for supporting the shows!

Chuck and Randy in the Morning (6:59am) – director Rose Freeman - cast: Brian Posen, Joe Mack, Donna June Ray, Bill Boehler, David Fink

THE DIRECTORS

Rose Freeman directs stage manages and writes for theatre around Chicago and is honored to be collaborating with such a wonderful cast. She is excited to be working on another Joe Janes piece and looks forward towards her accreditation as a "Joe Janes Scholar" any time now. Freeman is currently the production manager for Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre and would like to thank her beautiful wife, Jenn for her patience love and support.

Rachel Staelens directs and stage manages around town. Most recently she directed Minutia in Point of Contention's 6th Annual ChAos Festival at Lincoln Square Theatre and production stage managed Redmoon's 1st ever Youth Spectacle at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. Rachel is the Production Manager for the Chicago Fringe Festival (Pilsen, September 1-11, 2011 - http://www.chicagofringe.org/). She is also a strong believer in nap time and snacks.

Jessica Wright's writings have been performed by Tooth and Nail Ensemble (Under Ground), the Whiskey Rebellion (Sign of Rain), and members of Lifeline Theatre (as part of their 2010 Benefit). Locally, she has directed (Owl Theatre’s A New Nation: The American Civil War in Letters, Speeches, and Song), designed props (Lifeline Theatre’s Treasure Island), and worked as a dramaturg (Lookingglass Theatre's Our Future Metropolis). She has been the resident assistant stage manager at Lifeline since 2008.

Bina Martin (Director) is a faculty member at The Second City Training Center and Artistic Director of CarniKid Productions whose improvised play, Chairs, has appeared in theaters around Chicago and in festivals around the world. Bina has also directed Reel, Cathcart & Olson, Off-Book, Segue and Better Off Wed (all at Donny’s Skybox at Second City) and several of Joe Janes's 365 Sketches. As an improviser, Bina has performed Off-Broadway in Lifegame, played on numerous teams at iO and appeared in sketches on "Late Night with Conan O’Brien" (the original).

Rob Colletti is a recent graduate of Columbia College, receiving his Bachelor's Degree in Theater. You can currently see him as Roger in American Theater Company's Revival of "The Original Grease." Directing/Production Credits include: "Graceland" (Profiles Theatre - 2010 Jeff Award "Best New Work"), "The Good Soul of Szechuan" (Strawdog Theater, Jeff Recommended), and "Blood Wedding" (ACT ONE Conservatory, directed by Kimberly Senior).

My Thoughts On This Show

I am very much looking forward to this batch.

Chuck and Randy in the Morning - This piece has its origins going way back to the early 90s when Don Hall and I did a truncated version of it in our Level 5 show at Second City. I took it and developed it further into the script you'll see here. It was also in the first WNEP scripted production, Silence of the Frogs. AND, it features none other than Brian Posen! Looking forward to seeing him act.

Party Like It's Thursday - A world premiere written for 50 Plays. This one is a tribute to one of the best/worst bands I remember seeing when I was in college in Dayton, Ohio - Dale Walton's Second Wind. I like this because Mykala gets to be pompous and sing a party anthem. To be clear about the song, I wrote the lyrics, these cats figured out the music.

Once Upon A Time In A Church Basement - This piece appeared last year in 365 Sketches, but, for a sketch, it's longer than most sketches and gets into some detailed history with the characters, so I opted to have it in 50 Plays. It's three women who fall into a tangle of mistrust in the aftermath of a church rummage sale. Have to love that!

Beat Noir - Another world premiere written for this cast and director. I'm really looking forward to seeing what they do. The title tips what's going on. It's a film noir story involving a female detective, a femme fatale and a murder, with elements of beat poetry. It was a lot of fun to write.

Moving Box - Again, a world premiere written for this cast and director. At the initial interview with the cast and director, I asked "What would you like to do on stage that you've never had the chance to do?" Sarita said "Nudity!" I missed the part where she said, "Just kidding." We compromised. It's a sweet play, even without nudity.