Chicago New Work Festival’s Final Installment Explores The Challenges Of Autism

May 10, 2013, Chicago, IL – Rehearsals are began for Joint Attention, the seventh and last play of Three Cat Productions’ Chicago New Work Festival.  Open rehearsals will be held all week from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. with public attendance encouraged for a $5.00 suggested donation.  The final reading will be performed at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 18 at the Berger Park Coach House Theater at 6205 N. Sheridan Rd, Chicago, IL 60660.  Tickets are available for $10.00.

A young couple faces extraordinary challenges when their two-year-old son is diagnosed with autism.  As they struggle to make sense of conflicting opinions on causes and treatment, their personal relationship is strained.  Joint Attention playwright Pat Curtis drew from her experiences dealing with autism as a psychologist to create this authentic look at a relatively unexplored modern issue.

The Chicago New Work Festival, running through May 18, is part of Three Cat Productions’ efforts to showcase Chicago playwrights, foster relationships between Chicago playwrights and directors, and to bring new work programming to the Edgewater area.  It is also Three Cat’s first run of major programming since partnering with the Chicago Park District’s Berger Park Cultural Center in February.

The previous installments of the Chicago New Work Festival were Sasha Dune by Lisa Scott, Light by Jarrin Davis, Kate’s Dates by Kate Loftus, adapted by JD Ostergaard, Investigate and Protect by Liz Ellison, Endangered by David Alex, and The Newlyweds by Wendy Schmidt.

Three Cat Productions’ 2013 season recently featured Bab Fab, the 6th Annual Barbra Streisand Birthday Concert on April 20, and upcoming events include SOLO Chicago, a showcase for individual performances running June 5 – 15; and Cabaret on the Lake, Fridays in June and July. Three Cat Education (the education arm of Three Cat Productions) will run a spring youth production The Magic Games and Other Storybook Stuff on May 18 and 19, as well as, summer theater camps from June 17 to August 16.

Tickets and more information are available online at www.threecatproductions.com, by emailing jsmith@threecatproductions.com or by calling Three Cat Productions at (312) 970-9840.

###

Three Cat Productions was founded in 2007 with a mission to create connections between theater, music, audience and artists through the production of cabaret concerts, contemporary musicals and plays, the re-invention of classic work, the development of new works and new artists, and by creating educational and outreach opportunities for the Chicagoland community. Visit the web site at www.threecatproductions.com.

PDF >HERE     DOC >  HERE

REHEARSALS BEGIN FOR THE NEWLYWEDS

A Study Of Conformity And Individualism For The Chicago New Work Festival’s Penultimate Installment

May 6, 2013, Chicago, IL – Rehearsals have begun for Wendy Schmidt’s The Newlyweds, the sixth of seven plays being performed for the ChicagoNew Work Festival.  Open rehearsals will be held all week from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.  The public is encouraged to attend.  There will be a $5.00 suggested donation.  Three Cat Productions will present a final reading of The Newlyweds at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 11 at the Berger Park Coach House Theater at 6205 N. Sheridan Rd, Chicago, IL 60660.  Tickets are available for $10.00.

A hapless bridesmaid, inspired by the arrival of a mysterious guest, sets off on a quest to improve her fortunes — triggering everyone involved to question what really makes them happy. Set in a farcical world where people aspire to be members of wedding parties, and brides and grooms sit atop the social hierarchy, Wendy Schmidt’s The Newlyweds explores the power of the status quo and the importance of questioning authority.

The Chicago New Work Festival, running through May 18, is part of Three Cat Productions’ efforts to showcase Chicago playwrights, foster relationships between Chicago playwrights and directors, and to bring new work programming to the Edgewater area.  It is also Three Cat’s first run of major programming since partnering with the Chicago Park District’s Berger Park Cultural Center in February.

The previous installments of the Chicago New Work Festival were Sasha Dune by Lisa Scott, Light by Jarrin Davis, Kate’s Dates by Kate Loftus, adapted by JD Ostergaard, Investigate and Protect by Liz Ellison, and Endangered by David Alex.  The final installment of the Chicago New Work Festival will be Joint Attention by Pat Curtis.

Three Cat Productions’ 2013 season recently featured Bab Fab, the 6th Annual Barbra Streisand Birthday Concert on April 20, and upcoming events include Chicago SOLO, a showcase for individual performances running June 5 – 15; and Cabaret on the Lake, Fridays in June and July. Three Cat Education (the education arm of Three Cat Productions) will run a spring youth production The Magic Games and Other Storybook Stuff on May 18 and 19, as well as, summer theater camps from June 17 to August 16.

Tickets and more information are available online at www.threecatproductions.com, by emailing jsmith@threecatproductions.com or by calling Three Cat Productions at (312) 970-9840.

###

Three Cat Productions was founded in 2007 with a mission to create connections between theater, music, audience and artists through the production of cabaret concerts, contemporary musicals and plays, the re-invention of classic work, the development of new works and new artists, and by creating educational and outreach opportunities for the Chicagoland community. Visit the web site at www.threecatproductions.com.

PDF >HERE     DOC >  HERE

THREE CAT PRODUCTIONS TO BEGIN REHEARSALS FOR ENDANGERED

A Family Dynamic Is Thrown Out Of Balance By A Daughter’s Announcement

April 22, 2013, Chicago, IL – David Alex’s Endangered begins rehearsals next week as the fifth of seven plays being performed for the Chicago New Work Festival. Open rehearsals will be held all week from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and the public is encouraged to attend for a $5.00 suggested donation. Endangered will have its final reading at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 4 at the Berger Park Coach House Theater at 6205 N. Sheridan Rd, Chicago, IL 60660. Tickets are available for $10.00.

Endangered explores the events in Mary’s family when she, home on military leave, announces her engagement to Lizbeth. Her father turns aggressive, while her mother suffers submissively, and it is her grandparents, a zoologist and zoo docent, who ultimately step in with the final word.

The Chicago New Work Festival, running through May 18, is part of Three Cat Productions’ efforts to showcase Chicago playwrights, foster relationships between Chicago playwrights and directors, and to bring new work programming to the Edgewater area. It is also Three Cat’s first run of major programming since partnering with the Chicago Park District’s Berger Park Cultural Center in February.

The coming installments of the Chicago New Work Festival will be The Newlyweds by Wendy Schmidt and Joint Attention by Pat Curtis. Directors Jason Paul Smith, John Glover, Jacque Lueken, Jarrin Davis, Barbe Marshall and John Buranosky will partner with the playwrights to stage the performances.

Three Cat Productions’ 2013 season recently featured Bab Fab, the 6th Annual Barbra Streisand Birthday Concert on April 20, and upcoming events include Chicago SOLO, a showcase for individual performances running June 5 – 15; and Cabaret on the Lake, Fridays in June and July. Three Cat Education (the education arm of Three Cat Productions) will run a spring youth production The Magic Games and Other Storybook Stuff on May 18 and 19, as well as, summer theater camps from June 17 to August 16.

Tickets and more information are available online at www.threecatproductions.com, by emailing jsmith@threecatproductions.com or by calling Three Cat Productions at (312) 970-9840.

###

Three Cat Productions was founded in 2007 with a mission to create connections between theater, music, audience and artists through the production of cabaret concerts, contemporary musicals and plays, the re-invention of classic work, the development of new works and new artists, and by creating educational and outreach opportunities for the Chicagoland community. Visit the web site at www.threecatproductions.com.

PDF >HERE     DOC >  HERE

THREE CAT PRODUCTIONS ANNOUNCES 2013 LINEUP OF KIDS AND TEENS EDUCATIONAL THEATER SUMMER CAMPS

Fourth Year of Educational Youth Programming Is First Year In Partnership With Chicago Park District’s Berger Park Cultural Center

(Chicago, IL) Three Cat Education, the education arm of Three Cat Productions is excited to announce its fourth year of educational youth summer camps.  Ten unique camps will each run from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. for one to two weeks in the Coach House at the Berger Park Cultural Center, 6205 N. Sheridan Rd, Chicago IL 60660.

The six kids theater camps are available to 2nd to 6th graders and range from one to two weeks, with tuition at $195 for one week camps and $350 for two week camps.  The four teens theater camps are available to middle and high schoolers and will run for two weeks with tuition at $350. Each camp will hold a performance showcase on the last day of the program.

Registration and more information are available online at www.threecatproductions.com , by emailing jsmith@threecatproductions.com  or by calling (312) 970-9840.

The ten camps will focus on different elements of stagecraft to nurture young actors’ exploration of theater.  The kids camps and dates are:

• Off of the Page and On to the Stage, Jr! –June 17 – 28

• Improv and Writing and Sketch, Oh, My! – July 8 – 12

• Acting Out: Comic Capers – July 15 – 19

• Acting Out: Space Aliens, Monsters, and Villains – July 22 – 26

• Puppet Masters and Storytelling – July 29 – August 2

• Lights, Camera, Broadway! Live at Berger Park – August 5 – 16

The teens camps and dates are:

• Off of the Page and On to the Stage – June 17 – 28

• Poetry, The Beats and Improv – July 8 – 19

• Shakespeare Intensive for Teenagers – July 22 – August 2

• Musical Theater Intensive for Teenagers – August 5 – 16

Three Cat Education will also run a spring youth production The Magic Games and Other Storybook Stuff on May 18 and 19.  Three Cat Productions’ mainstage season includes the Chicago New Work Festival, running until May 18;  Bab Fab, the 6th Annual Barbra Streisand Birthday Concert on April 20;  SOLO Chicago, a showcase for individual performances running June 5 – 15; and Cabaret on the Lake, Fridays in June and July.

###

Three Cat Productions was founded in 2007 with a mission to create connections between theater, music, audience and artists through the production of cabaret concerts, contemporary musicals and plays, the re-invention of classic work, the development of new works and new artists, and by creating educational and outreach opportunities for the Chicagoland community. Visit the web site at www.threecatproductions.com.

PDF >HERE     DOC >  HERE

THREE CAT PRODUCTIONS HOSTING FREE TEEN OPEN MIC NIGHT

Teens Encouraged To Share Performances In Café-Style Venue

(Chicago, IL) Three Cat Productions will host a free teen open mic night from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Friday, April 26 at the Berger Park Coach House Theater at 6205 N. Sheridan Rd, Chicago, IL 60660.

Teens are encouraged to visit and share a performance or enjoy the show.  The theater will be transformed for the night into a café-style venue for music, poetry, spoken-word, readings, and other presentations.  Performance slots will be allotted on a first come, first serve basis.  Three Cat Productions is excited to offer this opportunity for teens to share a performance, showcase their skills, and express themselves in a cozy, encouraging atmosphere.

Three Cat Education (the education arm of Three Cat Productions) will run a spring youth production The Magic Games and Other Storybook Stuff on May 18 and 19, as well as, summer theater camps from June 17 to August 16.  Three Cat Productions’ mainstage season includes the Chicago New Work Festival, running until May 18;  Bab Fab, the 6th Annual Barbra Streisand Birthday Concert on April 20;  SOLO Chicago, a showcase for individual performances running June 5 – 15; and Cabaret on the Lake, Fridays in June and July.

For inqueries and more information, contact Three Cat Productions Artistic Director Jason Paul Smith at jsmith@threecatproductions.com .  More information is also available online at www.threecatproductions.com , or by calling Three Cat Productions at (312) 970-9840.

###

Three Cat Productions was founded in 2007 with a mission to create connections between theater, music, audience and artists through the production of cabaret concerts, contemporary musicals and plays, the re-invention of classic work, the development of new works and new artists, and by creating educational and outreach opportunities for the Chicagoland community. Visit the web site at www.threecatproductions.com.

PDF >HERE     DOC >  HERE

THREE CAT EDUCATION ANNOUNCES SPRING PRODUCTION, THE MAGIC GAMES AND OTHER STORYBOOK STUFF

Written And Performed By Kids From 2nd To 5th Grades

(Chicago, IL) Three Cat Education, the education arm of Three Cat Productions, has announced its Spring 2013 production, The Magic Games And Other Storybook Stuff.  The story was conceived and the script written by its cast of five children from 2nd through 5th grades.  The final productions will be performed on May 18th and 19th at 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. at the Berger Park Coach House Theater at 6205 N Sheridan Rd, Chicago, IL 60660.  Tickets will be available for $15.00 for adults, and the performance will be free for children aged 12 and under

Inspired by the children’s story The Stinky Cheese Man, the cast devised their own  “Fractured Fairytale” using elements from popular children’s stories and fairytales such as Jack and the Giant Beanstalk, Peter Pan, and The Wizard of Oz.  Their play follows Jack as he clashes with his mother over the sale of his beloved cow, Pep & Company collecting magical items, and a gang of villains conspiring to force a competition of Magic Games upon them.

Tickets and more information are available online at www.threecatproductions.com, by emailing jsmith@threecatproductions.com or by calling (312) 970-9840.

Three Cat Education will also be running summer theater camps for Kids and Teens from June 17 to August 16.   Three Cat Productions’ mainstage season includes the Chicago New Work Festival, running until May 18;  Bab Fab, the 6th Annual Barbra Streisand Birthday Concert on April 20;  SOLO Chicago, a showcase for individual performances running June 5 – 15; and Cabaret on the Lake, Fridays in June and July.

###

Three Cat Productions was founded in 2007 with a mission to create connections between theater, music, audience and artists through the production of cabaret concerts, contemporary musicals and plays, the re-invention of classic work, the development of new works and new artists, and by creating educational and outreach opportunities for the Chicagoland community. Visit the web site at www.threecatproductions.com.

PDF >HERE     DOC >  HERE

THREE CAT PRODUCTIONS BEGINS REHEARSALS FOR INVESTIGATE AND PROTECT 

Victimization And Responsibility Studied In Chicago New Work Festival’s Fourth Installment

(Chicago, IL) Liz Ellison’s Investigate and Protect begins rehearsals this week as the fourth of seven plays being performed for the Chicago New Work Festival.  Open rehearsals will be held all week from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and the public is encouraged to attend for a $5.00 suggested donation.  Investigate and Protect will have its final reading at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 20 at the Berger Park Coach House Theater at 6205 N. Sheridan Rd, Chicago, IL 60660.  Tickets are available for $10.00.

Investigate and Protect follows the struggles of a mother struggling to come to terms with her past addiction.  Now sober, she is still haunted by losses endured during her dependence, and wrestles to take responsibility for her circumstances.  Darkly comic, harsh, and poignant, Ellison’s script is an unrelenting look at coping with mistakes and learning to move forward.

The Chicago New Work Festival, running through May 18, is part of Three Cat Productions’ efforts to showcase Chicago playwrights, foster relationships between Chicago playwrights and directors, and to bring new work programming to the Edgewater area.  It is also Three Cat’s first run of major programming since partnering with the Chicago Park District’s Berger Park Cultural Center in February.

The coming installments of the Chicago New Work Festival will be Endangered by David Alex, The Newlyweds by Wendy Schmidt and Joint Attention by Pat Curtis.  Directors Jason Paul Smith, John Glover, Jacque Lueken, Jarrin Davis, Barbe Marshall and John Buranosky will partner with the playwrights to stage the performances.

Tickets and more information are available online at www.threecatproductions.com, by emailing jsmith@threecatproductions.com or by calling (312) 970-9840.

Three Cat Productions’ 2013 season also includes Bab Fab, the 6th Annual Barbra Streisand Birthday Concert on April 20; SOLO Chicago, a showcase for individual performances running June 5 – 15; and Cabaret on the Lake, Fridays in June and July. Three Cat Education (the education arm of Three Cat Productions) will run a spring youth production The Magic Games and Other Storybook Stuff on May 18 and 19, as well as, summer theater camps from June 17 to August 16.

###

Three Cat Productions was founded in 2007 with a mission to create connections between theater, music, audience and artists through the production of cabaret concerts, contemporary musicals and plays, the re-invention of classic work, the development of new works and new artists, and by creating educational and outreach opportunities for the Chicagoland community. Visit the web site at www.threecatproductions.com.

PDF >HERE     DOC >  HERE

KATE’S DATES, THREE CAT PRODUCTIONS’ THIRD INSTALLMENT IN ITS CHICAGO NEW WORK FESTIVAL, BEGINS REHEARSALS

The Ups and Downs of LA’s Dating Scene As Experienced By A Midwesterner

Chicago, IL – Rehearsals are beginning this week for Kate’s Dates, a new play by J.D. Ostergaard.  The third of seven plays being performed as part of Three Cat’s Chicago New Work Festival, Kate’s Dates will have a final reading at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 13 at the Berger Park Coach House Theater at 6205 N. Sheridan Rd, Chicago, IL 60660.  Tickets are available for $10.00.  Rehearsals will be open and the public is encouraged to attend for a suggestion donation of $5.00.

Playwright J.D. Ostergaard is also directing the play later this spring for Chicago theater company Waltzing Mechanics, of which he is the publicist.  Originally from Naperville, Ostergaard attended Ball State University and worked in television and movie production in LA before returning to the Midwest.  Kate’s Dates was adapted from the blog of Kate Loftus, a Midwestern transplant to LA who catalogued her dating experiences online.  Ostergaard reorganized the blog entries into vignettes exploring how to survive the learning curve of dating.

The Chicago New Work Festival, running through May 18, is part of Three Cat Productions’ efforts to showcase Chicago playwrights, foster relationships between Chicago playwrights and directors, and to bring new work programming to the Edgewater area.  It is also Three Cat’s first run of major programming since partnering with the Chicago Park District’s Berger Park Cultural Center in February.

The coming installments of the Chicago New Work Festival will be Investigate and Protect by Liz Ellison, Endangered by David Alex, The Newlyweds by Wendy Schmidt and Joint Attention by Pat Curtis.  Directors Jason Paul Smith, John Glover, Jacque Lueken, Jarrin Davis, Barbe Marshall and John Buranosky will partner with the playwrights to stage the performances.

Three Cat Productions’ 2013 season also includes Bab Fab, the 6th Annual Barbra Streisand Birthday Concert on April 20; Chicago SOLO, a showcase for individual performances running June 5 – 15; and Cabaret on the Lake, Fridays in June and July. Three Cat Education (the education arm of Three Cat Productions) will run a spring youth production The Magic Games and Other Storybook Stuff on May 18 and 19, as well as, summer theater camps from June 17 to August 16.

Tickets and more information are available online at www.threecatproductions.com, by emailing jsmith@threecatproductions.com or by calling Three Cat Productions at (312) 970-9840.

###

Three Cat Productions was founded in 2007 with a mission to create connections between theater, music, audience and artists through the production of cabaret concerts, contemporary musicals and plays, the re-invention of classic work, the development of new works and new artists, and by creating educational and outreach opportunities for the Chicagoland community. Visit the web site at www.threecatproductions.com.

Submissions Now Being Accepted For Any Type Of Individual Perfomance

April 5, 2013 – Three Cat Productions is now accepting submissions for its SOLO Chicago Festival, a showcase of individual performances running from June 5-8 and 12-15 at the Berger Park Coach House Theater at 6205 N. Sheridan Rd, Chicago, IL 60660.  There is no cost or compensation to participating artists and tickets will be available for $10.00.

Interested artists should submit a description of their performance piece, resumes for all involved artists, and technical requirements.  Multiple artists may be involved in the development and support of the performance, but only one artist may perform.  Due to the limited technical capabilities of Berger Park, artists performing highly technical pieces should be prepared to supply their own equipment.

The  SOLO Chicago Festival is part of Three Cat’s ongoing efforts to reach out to Chicago artists, foster relationships within the theater industry, and provide new work programming to the Edgewater area.  By providing a venue and production resources, Three Cat hopes to encourage performers to hone their craft and offer compelling performances to the neighborhood.

Three Cat Productions’ 2013 season also includes theChicago New Work Festival, running until May 18; Bab Fab, the 6th Annual Barbra Streisand Birthday Concert on April 20; and Cabaret on the Lake, Fridays in June and July. Three Cat Education (the education arm of Three Cat Productions) will run a spring youth production The Magic Games and Other Storybook Stuff on May 18 and 19, as well as, summer theater camps from June 17 to August 16.

Sumbissions and inqueries can be directed to Three Cat Productions Artistic Director Jason Paul Smith atjsmith@threecatproductions.com.  More information is available online at www.threecatproductions.com, or by calling Three Cat Productions at (312) 970-9840.

###

Three Cat Productions was founded in 2007 with a mission to create connections between theater, music, audience and artists through the production of cabaret concerts, contemporary musicals and plays, the re-invention of classic work, the development of new works and new artists, and by creating educational and outreach opportunities for the Chicagoland community. Visit the web site atwww.threecatproductions.com.

PDF >HERE     DOC >  HERE

REHEARSALS BEGINNING FOR CHICAGO NEW WORK FESTIVAL’S SECOND INSTALLMENT, LIGHT BY JARRIN DAVIS 

Script Explores An Inner-city Family’s Struggle 

(Chicago, IL) Three Cat Productions begins rehearsals this week for Light, a new play by Jarrin Davis.  Light is the second of seven new plays being performed in Three Cat’s Chicago New Work Festival.  Rehearsals, taking place all week, are open to the public with a suggestion donation of $5.00.  The final reading will be at 7:00 p.m., Saturday, April 6 at the Berger Park Coach House Theater at 6205 N. Sheridan Rd, Chicago, IL 60660.  Tickets are available for $10.

Playwright, Jarrin Davis, has a long career directing for the stage and his first play Son of a Distant Moon was performed in New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.  Light explores the conflict in an inner-city Omaha family when an estranged sister, gone for two years, returns home to clash with the sister who stayed behind.

The Chicago New Work Festival, running through May 18, is part of Three Cat Productions’ efforts to showcase Chicago playwrights, foster relationships between Chicago playwrights and directors, and to bring new work programming to the Edgewater area.  It is also Three Cat’s first run of major programming since partnering with the Chicago Park District’s Berger Park Cultural Center in February.

The coming installments of the Chicago New Work Festival will be Kate’s Dates by Kate Loftus, adapted by JD Ostergaard, Investigate and Protect by Liz Ellison, Endangered by David Alex, The Newlyweds by Wendy Schmidt and Joint Attention by Pat Curtis.  Directors Jason Paul Smith, John Glover, Jacque Lueken, Jarrin Davis, Barbe Marshall and John Buranosky will partner with the playwrights to stage the performances.

Tickets and more information are available online at www.threecatproductions.com, by emailing jsmith@threecatproductions.com or by calling (312) 970-9840.

Three Cat Productions’ 2013 season also includes Bab Fab, the 6th Annual Barbra Streisand Birthday Concert on April 20; SOLO Chicago, a showcase for individual performances running June 5 – 15; and Cabaret on the Lake, Fridays in June and July. Three Cat Education (the education arm of Three Cat Productions) will run a spring youth production The Magic Games and Other Storybook Stuff on May 18 and 19, as well as, summer theater camps from June 17 to August 16.

###

Three Cat Productions was founded in 2007 with a mission to create connections between theater, music, audience and artists through the production of cabaret concerts, contemporary musicals and plays, the re-invention of classic work, the development of new works and new artists, and by creating educational and outreach opportunities for the Chicagoland community. Visit the web site at www.threecatproductions.com.