The Official Schedule of 50 Plays by Joe Janes

All shows are at Strawdog Theater, 3829 North Broadway. Tickets are only $10 and are available at the door or by clicking HERE.

Thursday, June 16 8PM

We Reach With Radio (1) – director: Brea Hayes - cast: Kai Young, Max Lapine

Cheddar Moon – director: Danni Parpan - cast: Alex Marcus, Conor McCahill, Ike Holter, David Seeber

WRWR (2) – director: Brea Hayes - cast: cast: Kai Young, Brendan Buckley

Baby Blue Sedan – director: J. Cody Spellman - cast: Jonathan Wallace, Torian Miller, Ryan Hake

Sleeping Handsome – director: Tyler Wilsey - cast: Danni Parpan, Joe Barlow

WRWR (3) – director: Brea Hayes - cast: cast: Kai Young, Max Lapine, AJ Ware

Burka Betty – director: Kyra Lewandowsky - cast: Dana Black

The 50th Play - Joe will meet with director Jason Fleece and his cast and interview them in front of the audience. He will take what he learns and write them a play that will premiere Saturday, June 18th at 8pm.

Friday, June 17 8PM

Breakfast with Burt and Birdie – director: Rebekah Walendzak - cast: Michael Gellman, Deborah Ann Smith, Noah Ginex

Bounders – director: Nathan Robbel - cast: Danielle Gennaoui, Colby Sellers, Jøel Vining

Grandpapa’s Keys – director: Michael Gellman - cast: Rebekah Walendzak, Kimmie Companik-Warner

Mango Mouth – director: Emily Darlington Cooke - cast: Jon Beal, Zan Rosenthal, Maggie O'Keefe

Salmon Falls – director: Dawn Renee Jones - cast: Kayla Graham, Alex Farrington, Will Casey

Friday, 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

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

Saturday, June 18 8pm

Butterfly Collector – director: Ben Harpe - cast: Melissa Fricke, Zach Zimmerman

The 50th Play – director: Jason Fleece - cast: Debbie Ruzicka, Trey Hanks, Ian Maxwell, Andy Quijano, Derrick Gaetke

A Love That Lasts Forever – director: Jen Ellison - cast: Patrick Brennan, Mary Jo Bolduc, Dave Stinton, Kevin Gladish

A Place Where Two Rivers Meet – director: Jake Schneider - cast: Ray Mees, Colleen Breen, Aaron Caponigro, Aaron Alonzo, Justin Howard

Summer Kisses, Winter Tears – director: John Hildreth - cast: Mary Jo Bolduc, John Mobley, Erin Kathryn Morrill, Janna Sobel, C.J. Tuor, Rudy Voit.

Saturday, June 18, 2011 10:30pm

Dreaming Beauty – director: Scott Olson - cast: Meg Harkins, Cassie Ahiers, Liz Siedt, Dylan James Hackworth, Daniel Planz, J.M. Bourgeois

Express Yourself – director: Cassie Ahiers - cast: Kaitlin Larson , Molly Ruthenberg, Shannon Noll, Jack Gallagher

The Pie Man – director: Jeff Ginsberg - cast: Nathan Paul, Gillian Hastings, Marvin Quijada Special thanks: Zander Schneider

Lube – director: Brooke Johnson - cast: Grace Wagner, Jason Nykiel, Julia Daubert, Liz Siedt, Megan Caccamo, Mickey Stegall, Mike Newquist, Nora Broz, Spencer McCurnin Fight Choreography: Mickey Stegall Music: Emme Williams Sound Effects: Zach Thostesen

The Film of My Love – director: Emma Peterson - cast: Natalie DiCristofano, Megan Wildebour, Jeffery Brown, David Mitchell, Don Hall?

Thursday, June 23 8PM

Suddenly Stupid – director: George Lyons – cast: David Gibbons and Monica Gilley

The Saddest vacant Lot In All The World - director: Jay Steigmann – cast: Allison Black, Katie Dufresne , Liz Reuss

Custard with Ukulele – director: Kayla Mae Anderson – cast: Kathryn Acosta, Provvidenza Catalano, Robert Francis Curtis, Zan Rosenthal

Belmont – director: Hank Hilberth – cast: Peyton Daley, Michael Pieper

Bunny – director: Kaiser Ahmed – cast: Kristen Anderson

Friday, June 24 8pm

Jazz Hands and Gypsy Heart – An Evening with Harmony Bell – director: Jessica Hutchinson – cast: Marsha Harmon

Chet and the Devil I – director: Ric Walker – cast: Lily Stephens, Julia Lippert, Demian Krentz, Harrison Pak, Sarah Soskin, Michael Menconi

Creepy That Way – director: Marissa McKown – cast: Brian Shaw, Blayne Greiner, Anne Sunseri, Elizabeth Vanderhoof

Chet and the Devil 2 – director: Ric Walker – cast: cast: Lily Stephens, Julia Lippert, Demian Krentz, Harrison Pak, Sarah Soskin, Michael Menconi

Rover from Dover – director: Rich Cotovsky – cast: Rudy Galvan,

Chet and the Devil 3 – director: Ric Walker – cast: cast: Lily Stephens, Julia Lippert, Demian Krentz, Harrison Pak, Sarah Soskin, Michael Menconi

W.R.Y. –director: Jonathan Hirsch – cast: John Mobley, Brittany Townsley, Breanan Roach

Friday June 24 10:30pm

Forgotten Dreams – director: David Rocco Facchini – cast: Maureen Allen, Bryan Dawidowicz, Brian Hurwitz

The Machine Breaks Down – director: Don Hall – cast: Erin Orr, Greg Wenz VO: Paul Friedman, Peter Sagal, Carl Kasell, Melba Lara, Don Hall

Luna Teak and Tong – director: Rinska Prestinary – cast: Lacy Katherine Campbell, Rinska Prestinary

Jughead – director: Brian Posen – cast: Teagan Walsh Davis, Lisa Duke, Jonathan Hymen, Ryan Brinkerhoff

Automatic Teller Machine Machine – director: Michael Rose – cast: Megan Captaine, Stacey High, Keith Gatchel, KaCee J Hudson

Saturday, June 25 8pm

Butterfly Knife – director: John Pierson – cast: Eric T. Roth, Paige Saliba, Clifton Frei, Mathew Hope, Erin Orr

Scratch’d – director: Hank Boland – cast:

Peter Pain – director: Dina Marie Klahn – cast: Brooke Johnson, Erin Morrill, Emme Williams

Effluvia Falls – director: Regan Davis – cast: Patrick Kelly, Mikayla Brown, Brenda Kelly, Jonathan Sales, Aaron Pagel, Craig Rennak

All Things Foul – director: Patrick Kelly – cast: Laurens Wilson, Erin Wilson, Alex Farrington

Saturday, June 25 10:30pm

Hogan's Real Piesca – director: Megan A. Smith – cast: Bekki Anderson, Kurt Lewis, Dustin Levell, Bruce Phillips

Derek Is An Asshole – director: Jeff Bouthiette – cast: Allen Doederlein and Maria Margaglione

Violent Femmes – director: Letitia Guillard – cast:

Butterfly Jar – director: Sydney Chatman – cast:

Steampunk Moonstomp – director: Rebecca Langguth – cast: Kim Boler, John Sundholm, Audery Naomi Smith

All shows are at Strawdog Theater, 3829 North Broadway. Tickets are only $10 and are available at the door or by clicking HERE.

50 Plays - June 18, 2011 10:30pm

Here's the line-up for the show closing out our first weekend of 50 Plays...

June 18, 2011 10:30pm

Dreaming Beauty – director Scott Olson - cast: Meg Harkins, Cassie Ahiers, Liz Siedt, Dylan James Hackworth, Daniel Planz, J.M. Bourgeois

Express Yourself – directors Cassie Ahiers - cast: Kaitlin Larson , Molly Ruthenberg, Shannon Noll, Jack Gallagher

The Pie Man – director Jeff Ginsberg - cast: Nathan Paul, Gillian Hastings, Marvin Quijada Special thanks: Zander Schneider

Lube – director Brooke Johnson - cast: Grace Wagner, Jason Nykiel, Julia Daubert, Liz Siedt, Megan Caccamo, Mickey Stegall, Mike Newquist, Nora Broz, Spencer McCurnin Fight Choreography: Mickey Stegall Music: Emme Williams Sound Effects: Zach Thostesen

The Film of My Love – director Emma Peterson - cast: Natalie DiCristofano, Megan Wildebour, Jeffery Brown, David Mitchell, Don Hall?

The Directors

Scott Olson was a director last year at 365 Sketchfest and remounted his evening of sketches at Gorilla Tango last fall. He most recently directed MIKE IN THE WOODS for Cold Basement Dramatics. Scott is on the faculty of Columbia College where he has been teaching for 14 years and is the core acting teacher at the Conservatory at Act One Studios. Also an actor, Scott will be appearing in MEMOIR at the Greenhouse this August.

Cassie Ahiers is a directing student at Columbia College Chicago. She had the pleasure of working with Joe Janes last year as a part of the 365 Sketches and feels lucky to be a part of two shows in this year’s festival as well. Cassie will be attending the Comedy Studies Program next fall at Second City, and she really loves sloths.

Jeff Ginsberg is an actor, director and educator and the coordinator of the Acting Program of the Theater Department of Columbia College Chicago where he has been on the faculty for 25 years. As co-artistic Director of the National Jewish Theater for four years, he supervised, directed or acted in over twenty classics, as well as Chicago and world premieres. He was also co-artistic director of the Immediate Theater Company where he directed Jeff recognized productions of Seduced, Two Small Bodies, Apocalyptic Butterflies and Ragged Dick. Jeff received a Presidential Scholar in the Arts Teaching Award and has twice been nominated for an Excellence in Teaching Award from Columbia College. He is a graduate of Boston University’s School of the Arts and the Yale School of Drama.

Brooke Johnson has BA in Theater from Columbia College Chicago and has written, directed, and performed shows in the Chicago area for the past 3 years. She is happy to be working with Joe Janes again and will be performing in another of Joe Janes‘ 50 PLAYS ‘Peter Pain’. Brooke will next appear with Dandelion Arts at the 23^rd annual ‘Abbie Hoffman Died For Our Sins Festival‘, August 19-21 at Mary Archie Theater.

Emma Peterson is the Co-Artistic Director of The Right Brain Project. Currently, she is directing RBP's The Archivist, which premieres July 21, 2011 at the RBP Rorschach. Next, she will be directing Titus Andronicus for RBP’s 2012 season. She is also a proud Artistic Associate of Chicago Fusion Theatre which is currently running Big Love. Thanks to Joe for letting her play with these fine folks and to everyone involved in this crazy wonderful project.

My Thoughts On This Shindig

Dreaming Beauty - Fun to be working with the certifiably insane Scott Olson and his cast. This is one of the first pieces I wrote. I initially thought I'd be able to build the different shows around themes. Schedules and inspiration altered that. But this is a product of when I thought there would be fairy tale themed show. I'm fascinated by Sleeping Beauty. Not much is told about what happened while she slept. This is Sleeping Beauty's nightmare.

Express Yourself - This is one of the few pieces where I found a cast first and asked them to find a director to work with so I could write a piece for them. I remember having a difficult start to this one, but it finally clicked for me when I determined what I wanted to do with Kaitlin's character, changing her from an estranged sister to the ghost of two sister's father who visits them while they are making funeral arrangements.

The Pie Man - Another fairy tale. Really quite coincidental that it's in the same show as Dreaming Beauty and that is also directed by another Columbia teacher, Jeff Ginsberg. Jeff assembled a wildly creative cast well versed in silent theater so I made sure to give them lots of fun stuff to do.

Lube - Crazy piece. Brooke assembled the largest cast I had to work with. A total of nine. Hard to be equitable with lines with such a large cast so I just strove to make sure everyone had something cool to do. I hope I succeeded. Inspired by the recent remount of the original Grease at ATC. This is a clash of context between high school of the 50s and high school of today.

The Film of My Love - This is the only previously produced piece, debuting last year as a part of 365 Sketches. The title comes from a 10cc song and is a satire on Hollywood rom-coms.

For more information and to buy tickets click HERE!

50 Plays - June 18, 2011 8:00pm

Here's the line-up for Saturday, June 18 at 8pm...

June 18 - 8pm

Butterfly Collector – director Ben Harpe - cast: Melissa Fricke, Zach Zimmerman

To Be Written – director Jason Fleece - cast: ooooh, mystery cast!

A Love That Lasts Forever – director Jen Ellison - cast: Patrick Brennan, Mary Jo Bolduc, Dave Stinton, Kevin Gladish

A Place Where Two Rivers Meet – director Jake Schneider - cast:Ray Mees, Colleen Breen, Aaron Caponigro, Aaron Alonzo, Justin Howard

Summer Kisses, Winter Tears – director John Hildreth - cast: Mary Jo Bolduc, John Mobley, Erin Kathryn Morrill, Janna Sobel, C.J. Tuor, Rudy Voit. Stage Combat by R & D Choreography. Fight Captain: John Mobley. Special Thanks to Columbia College.

The Directors

Ben Harpe. Recent directing credits include the sketch revue An Overhead Project and the one-man show Just Kidding, which was a featured production at ACTF 2010, Midwest region. Ben has also performed in the sketch revues Sketches with Wolves, Grandpa Hands and last summer's 365 Sketches. Ben would like to thank Joe, Zach and Melissa.

Jason A. Fleece is thrilled to be working with Joe Janes again, the subject of his manliest of man-crushes. Jason participated in last year's 365 Sketches with Joe, as well as various and sundry other projects. Jason is a member of Stage Left Theatre's artistic ensemble, and recently directed Arthur Miller's adaptation of An Enemy of the People for them. Also at Stage Left, Jason directed the workshop production of Underneath by Rob Smith as part of LeapFest 8, currently running.

Jen Ellison has been performing, writing and directing in Chicago for 13 years. Recent directing credits include The Lost Shakespeare Play (by Dave Stinton), Metaluna and the Amazing Science of the Mind Revue (by Joe Janes) for WNEP, Hackneyed for the Collaboraction 2008 Sketchbook, Funsplosion and Single Entendre (which most recently appeared at the TBS Just for Laughs Festival in Chicago) with Kerpatty!. Jen also wrote and directed Let There Be Light..! (Co-written with Dave Stinton in 2003) and Invasion of the Minnesota Normals, which had its Chicago premiere with WNEP in 2006 and was produced by Buzzworks of Los Angeles in March 2008. Jen currently teaches Screenwriting at DePaul University.

Jake Schneider is thrilled to be working with Joe Janes and Straw Dog again. Jake was previously in Joe's 365 Sketches last year. Since moving to Chicago in 2000 from Florissant Missouri, Jacob Schneider has improvised with Improvised Shakespeare Company, iO Theater's Armando Diaz & Del Tones, Comedy Sportz Chicago Ensemble, Second City Theatricals, and every Tuesday 10:30pm he joins his friends The Reckoning at iO. He has directed Black George, 9/11 Was An Inside The Actors Studio, and this Fall he will be directing Old Rasputin the Musical at the Annoyance. Jacob has a BFA in Theater from Webster in St. Louis. He does other stuff too.

John Hildreth is delighted to direct for the 50 Plays festival as he did last summer for the 365 Sketches festival. Recent directing credits include: Lifeline Theatre, the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, Live Bait Theater, Emerald City Theatre, Theatre on the Lake, iO, Donny's Skybox Studio, The Athenaeum, and Columbia College as part of the Freshman Performance Project. John teaches in the theater department at Columbia College and for The Second City Training Center.

My Thoughts On All This

This show is made up of all original pieces written for the director and their cast.

Butterfly Collector - This is a new piece. Many of my plays have to do with either radio - being a dj or it's a piece designed for audio - or teaching. These are two things I have done for a living and now well. This one deals with the prickly issues that arise when a college student and teacher might be interested in things other than their professional relationship. This is also the second piece to reference a butterfly. There's a third. Not sure what that means about my writing. Either something about metamorphosis of myself as a writer or I just think they're pretty.

To Be Written - This is the 50th Play! After the opening night show, the audience is invited to stick around and watch me interview Jason Fleece and his cast. I'll then head hoe and write their play which they will perform Saturday, June 18th at 8pm.

A Love That Lasts Forever - This is a very silly piece written for some of my favorite comedic actors. Patrick Brennan cracks me up. And while I have been warned about his tendencies to have a casual relationship with scripts, I went for it any way and made him the lead. The stage directions describe him as wearing a unitard and having very pronounced testicles that are clearly outlined. If I can't get my words coming out of his mouth, I'll at least have his scripted balls.

A Place Where Two Rivers Meet - This is a serious piece with comic elements. The bittersweet parting of ways of a married couple and who they turn to for a shoulder to cry on. Jake had expressed wanting to do something that was definitely theater - not TV or film on stage. I think this piece does it with it's unusual structure and presentation.

Summer Kisses, Winter Tears - I won't give away the "twist" in this piece. Suffice it to say, this is a loving jab at overwrought family dramas with strong, possibly insane, mothers.

For tickets and more logistical info, click HERE!

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.

50 Plays - Friday Night June 17, 2011 8pm

Here's the line-up for the second show of 50 Plays...

Friday, June 17 - 8PM

Breakfast with Burt and Birdie – director Rebekah Walendzak - cast: Michael Gellman, Deborah Ann Smith, Noah Ginex

Bounders – director Nathan Robbel - cast: Danielle Gennaoui, Colby Sellers, Jøel Vining

Grandpapa’s Keys – director Michael Gellman - cast: Rebekah Walendzak, Kimmie Companik-Warner

Mango Mouth – director Emily Darlington Cooke - cast: Jon Beal, Steve Casillas, Maggie O'Keefe

Salmon Falls – director Dawn Renee Jones - cast: Kayla Graham, Alex Farrington, Will Casey

The Directors

Rebekah Walendzak directed Joe Janes' Dried and Cured Meats in last year's 365 Sketches and is proud to return to direct Breakfast with Burt & Birdie. A faculty member at The Second City Training Center, Rebekah is an actor, writer, director with a B.A. in Theatre Arts from San Jose State University. She is a proud ensemble member of the Process Theatre Group and co-founder of Bare Boned Theatre. Thanks to her gentleman friend for everything.

Nathan Robbel is a founder and co-artistic director of the Right Brain Project. For the RBP, Nathan has directed My Filthy Hunt, Hesperia, Pretty Penny, And They Put Handcuffs on the Flowers, Franz Kafka's The Castle, and The Empire Builders, among others. He has also had the pleasure of directing for the side project, the Bailiwick, Chicago Sable Ensemble, Dream Theatre Company, and New World Center for the Arts. Much love to Emma!

Michael Gellman was a Resident Company member of The Second City Chicago for three years and he has directed at The Second City since 1980. He was nominated for Outstanding Director for the national Dora Mavor Moore Award in Canada and the Joseph Jefferson Award in Chicago, and he won the Detroit Free Press Award for Best Comedy. Michael served as Artistic Director of Chicago Theatre Works and Wavelength and as an Artistic Associate of Organic Theater. In addition to The Second City Training Center, Michael has taught at Columbia College, Northern Illinois University and Artistic New Directions.

Emily Darlington Cooke graduated in May with an Interdisciplinary Studies degree in theatre directing and psychology from Columbia College Chicago; directing credits include Sheila Callaghan’s Dead City, John Patrick Shanley’s Dirty Story, and a site-specific piece for Manifest. She will spend her summer basking in Suzanne Thompson’s glow as the Feldenkrais T.A. at the School at Steppenwolf, directing a stage reading of Joel Rich’s Proustian Trilogy at the Newberry Library, and fooling around at Stage 773.

Dawn Renee Jones began her career as a director in 1983 in Minneapolis at At The Foot of the Mountain Theatre. Since then she has directed for many Minneapolis/St. Paul theatres including Actors Theatre of St Paul, Penumbra, Women’s Theatre Project, and Starting Gate. She is the founder and former Artistic Director of Alchemy Theater in Minneapolis. Jones is currently Assistant to the Theatre Department Chair at Columbia College Chicago.

My Notes On This Show

This show has four plays written for 50 Plays and one piece that premiered at the last Columbia College 24-Hour New Plays Festival I participated in. What's most exciting to me about this set is the participation of mentor and friend Michael Gellman not only as a director, but also as a performer in a piece with his wife, Deborah. Michael and I both love Old Time Radio, which is the style with which his piece is written. Gellman even worked for CBS radio as a writer and performer in the last days of their producing original radio dramas. Nathan Robbel is directing Bounders, the - perhaps - hallucinogenic adventure of a slacker inspired by The Men Who Stared At Goats and the for reals psychopath test. I love Nathan's work with The Right Brain Project and look forward to seeing what he and his cast will do with this play. Grandpapa's Keys was inspired by an incident that really happened to a friend of mine where she found a set of keys that should not have been where they were, several states away from where they belonged. It is also a nod to the ladies of Gray Gardens and you get to see Kimmie on a pair of roller skates! Mango Mouth was the first piece I wrote for 50 Plays where I went for full on absurdism. It's a great cast and the director is a little touched, but in a good way. Salmon Falls is my dip into 1950s Men-In-Black at a remote outpost in northern California in the winter. The original director and lead actress reprise their roles. It's worth coming to see this just to see and hear Kayla play the cello.

For more information or to buy tickets for this show click HERE!

50 Plays - Opening Night June 16, 2011 8pm - updated 6/7/11

In case you were wondering why my blog updates have been rare, it's because I have been busy working on 50 Plays. It's this year's 365 Sketches. 50 directors, 50 casts, 50 ten minute(ish) plays. All at the Strawdog. Tickets can be purchased at Brown Paper Tickets.

Unlike 365 where I wrote a comedy sketch a day for a year, this has been about assembling 50 ten minute plays. Some have been previously produced. Most of them have been written for this event. Directors cast their piece, I met with them and asked them some questions, then I went off and wrote a piece with that cast and director in mind. It's a fun process and allowed me to confidently add things to a script and not worry about whether or not the director could find someone who played ukulele or juggled or roller skated.

Here's what's playing opening night. Still in the process of gathering information from the directors. Info like, who their cast is! Quite a task getting 50 directors to give you what you need in a timely fashion.

Here's the first five plays to be present at 50 Plays with my comments about them below. One piece, WRWR, has been split up into three parts.

We Reach With Radio (1) – director Brea Hayes - cast: Kai Young, Max Lapine

Cheddar Moon – director Danni Parpan - cast: Alex Marcus, Conor McCahill, Ike Holter, David Seeber

WRWR (2) – director Brea Hayes - cast: cast: Kai Young, Brendan Buckley

Baby Blue Sedan – director J. Cody Spellman - cast: Jonathan Wallace, Torian Miller, Ryan Hake. Special Thanks to David Woolley, Sam Hubbard, Kathryn Acosta

Sleeping Handsome – director Tyler Wilsey - cast: Danni Parpan, Joe Barlow

WRWR (3) – director Brea Hayes - cast: cast: Kai Young, Max Lapine, AJ Ware

Burka Betty – director Kyra Lewandowsky - cast: Dana Black. Special Thanks to Sally Akrawe (dialect help), Jennifer Kincaid (rehearsal space), John Pierson (wheelchair)

Directors' Bios

Brea Hayes is a very nice girl who sometimes directs plays and makes theater throughout the Chicago area. She is a graduate of the theater program at Columbia College Chicago. Her day job is at Court Theater. She is motivated by cupcakes and cute animals.

Danni Parpan is thrilled to be working on Joe Jane's 50 Plays! She graduated from Columbia College Chicago in 2010 where she received her BA in Theater-acting. Danni directed for Joe Jane's 365 Sketches last year and has assistant directed several shows at Act One Studios under under the direction of Kimberly Senior and Steve Merle. She also assistant directed "Zombies Attack Chicago" with Anna Rose Epstein for NWaC and "Uncle Vanya" at Strawdog Theater Company under the direction of Kimberly Senior. Her acting credits include Ilse in "Spring Awakening", Hattie in "Laundry and Bourbon", Roberta in "Jack, or the Submission", Bree, in NWaC's "Corner Critics" and Mystical Mary in NWaC's first ever "Spooktaular". Special thanks to Joe Janes, Tyler Wilsey, NWaC, and Jack Bourgeois for letting me use his internet to write this in the middle of moving!

J. Cody Spellman is a Junior Directing Theatre Major at Columbia College. His previous works include assistant directing The Normal Heart, Equus, and Floyd Collins, where he also was the dramaturg. Right now he is directing a film with Postmark Productions, stage managing the Neapolitan Theatre Co's Off Chekhov Fest, and will be assisting Brian Posen on This Is Our Youth, as well as Dramaturg for Columbia's next mainstage show Splendora.

Tyler Veronica Wilsey is very excited to be directing something on her home turf. She was recently hired as the Production Manager for Strawdog's 24th season. She is also a graduate of Columbia College's Directing Program, and has worked as a stage manager for several companies around town. She hasn't gotten to write music in a hot minute, and had a great time working on the show. Love to the Fifis, Garbo, and Danni Lee.

Kyra Lewandowsky: Kyra met Joe while directing for WNEP’s Nighthawk Sandwich last year and is tickled to be working with him again on this awesome project. Previous directing credits include Verse Chorus Verse with Tympanic Theatre, Curse of the Starving Class with New Leaf Theatre, Polaroid Stories with Village Players Theatre as well as work with Rivendell Theatre, Teatro Vista, the side project, Griffin Theatre, Collaboraction, Infusion Theatre, Hobo Junction Productions, Appetite Theatre and 20 % Theatre.

Here are my notes about these pieces and why I think you should see this show.

We Reach With Radio was previously produced as part of 365 Sketches. WRWR is biographical about my days working at a local radio station when I was a year out of high school, but not yet in college. The scenes represented really happened. I cherish those days.

Cheddar Moon was previously produced for Columbia College's 24-Hour Plays festival and Chicago Dramatist's and The Second City Training Center's 10-Minute Play festival. Cheddar Moon is one of my all time favorite pieces. I wrote it a few years ago (2007?) for the Columbia College 24-Hour Plays Festival. It was the first festival I ever did of that nature and I was so happy with the results, I did more of them. It put me on the path that led to doing 365 Sketches, for sure.

Baby Blue Sedan is a world premiere. Baby Blue Sedan was written for actors from Columbia College that I enjoyed having as students. It's a thrill to have Ryan in the piece because I flunked him. He's talented, but abused the tardy/attendance policy. I felt bad about it. I'm glad he doesn't hold a grudge. Or he does, and he's going to take it out in this play. Worth seeing, either way.

Sleeping Handsome is a world premiere. It's a mini-musical and gender swap on the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale.

Burka Betty is a world premiere.The evening ends with one of my favorite actresses, Dana Black, in Burka Betty. She worked with Don Hall and I on our Sketchfest show. She's as brilliant at comedy as she is drama. I took writing her piece very seriously. She plays an Iraqi woman who takes to the airwaves at night a la Tokyo Rose. There's more to her pain, but I don't want to spoil it.

UPDATE!!!

There is now a post-show event added to opening night of 50 Plays. The bulk of 50 Plays was written through meeting with directors and then casts and then writing a play with them in mind. Right after the first five plays, the audience is invited to stick around and watch Joe interview Jason Fleece and his cast before writing their 10 minute play which will go up two days later on Saturday, June 18th in the 8pm show. Good times.