Friday, June 18, 2010

Why I Do Theatre - Reason #342

That chubby guy right in the middle? That's me. The fellow next to me, with the shaggy hair, standing at a jaunty angle? Yeah, that's Neil Gaiman. Oh, and the guy three heads down from me, with the glasses and blue sports coat? Added bonus: Lenny Henry, who co-created the BBC miniseries of Neverwhere with Neil. Also one of the funniest men in England. They came to see our production last Sunday, June 13th, and were just two of the coolest guys you could ever hope to meet.

Lifeline Theatre did a fine job of keeping their visit a secret as long as they could, but they couldn't clamp down on actors running out for a cigarette before the show. Sean Sinitski (Mr. Croup - the fellow looming above and behind Neil in the picture) came up to me backstage about fifteen minutes before the start and just said, "Yes or no?" Yes, I said. "Neil's here." I spent about four seconds wondering if I was going to either barf or crap my pants, but then reigned it in enough to give, I believe, a respectable performance for one of my all-time favorite authors. I'd like to think we are doing justice to the work, while accomplishing something all-together new and exciting.

And I got Neil's autograph. He signed one of Croup & Vandemar's prop business cards. First though, he had to search his many pockets because he knew he had an appropriate "evil pink sharpie." And he did. He signed it, "With extra teeth." I'm gonna have it framed.

Thursday, June 03, 2010

Press... and Extension!

NEVERWHERE has come close to selling out ever performance so far. It's going so well that we are extending the run for an entire month. Our new closing date is July 18, 2010. Click here for ticket info.

We've also been getting some great reviews. The folks at Lifeline have collected the best of them here, but I thought I might excerpt a few of my personal favorite quotes:

"Chris Hainsworth and Christopher M. Walsh have the comedy cavern down cold." - Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune
"There is sharp character work by Chris Hainsworth (neatly ambiguous as the Marquis); Sean Sinitski and Christopher M. Walsh (terrific as the sadistic duo); Kyra Morris (as a sleek, unreliable huntress); Patrick Blashill (as the raven stew-eating Old Bailey); and Phil Timberlake (an eerie Angel)." - Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun-Times
"And the villain brothers, Croup and Vandemar? Terrifically funny. Vile. Wear cravats." - C.S.E. Cooney, Centerstage Chicago
"Sinitski and Walsh are a killer comedy duo." - Katy Walsh, Chicago Now
"Sean Sinitski and Christopher M. Walsh, playing the hilariously sadistic duo Croup and Vandemar, are an absolute delight, their dry banter and garish demeanor heightening a menace that's nothing but playful." - Randall Colburn, Gapers Block
And just for fun: