Ben Dawson News

Haven Theatre Chicago will present the company's inaugural production, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, July 5 - August 11, at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. Hedwig and the Angry Inch, written by John Cameron Mitchell, with lyrics and music by Stephen Trask is directed by Kyle Trent with music direction by Kory Danielson. The newly formed Haven Theatre strives to conserve, renew and reinvent theatre traditions while providing ongoing support and mentorship to emerging artists. The performance schedule is Fridays and Saturdays at 10:30 p.m. and Sundays at 6 p.m. Preview performances areFriday, July 5 and Saturday, July 6 at 10:30 p.m. and Sunday, July 7 at 6 p.m. Opening night is Monday, July 8 at 7:30 p.m. Preview performance tickets are $20 and the all other tickets prices are $32. Tickets may be purchased by visiting www.theaterwit.org or by calling the box office at 773.975.8150. For more information, please visit www.haventheatrechicago.org.

Haven Theatre Chicago presents the company's inaugural production, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, July 5 - August 11, at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. Hedwig and the Angry Inch, written by John Cameron Mitchell, with lyrics and music by Stephen Trask is directed by Kyle Trentwith music direction by Kory Danielson. The newly formed Haven Theatre strives to conserve, renew and reinvent theatre traditions while providing ongoing support and mentorship to emerging artists.

Haven Theatre Chicago will present the company's inaugural production, Hedwig and the Angry Inch,July 5 - August 11, at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. Hedwig and the Angry Inch, written by John Cameron Mitchell, with lyrics and music by Stephen Trask is directed by Kyle Trent with music direction by Kory Danielson.

Sideshow Theatre Company concludes its 2012/13 season with the world premiere of THE BURDEN OF NOT HAVING A TAIL, by Carrie Barrett, directed by ensemble member Megan Smith, playing June 29 - August 4, 2013 at Chicago Dramatists, 1105 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago. This darkly comical, one-woman tour-de-force features ensemble Karie Miller. Tickets are available at www.sideshowtheatre.org. The press performance is Tuesday, July 2 at 8 pm.

The Strange Tree Group presents the world premiere of the elaborate time travel comedy THE HALF-BROTHERS MENDELSSOHN by Elizabeth Bagby, directed by Thrisa Hodits, playing June 18 - July 20, 2013 at Signal Ensemble Theatre, 1802 W. Berenice Ave. in Chicago.

Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre offers up two home-grown productions for the holiday season, with Martha Wilkinson's It's A Wonderful Wife, running November 18 through December 31 on the mainstage of the venerable dinner theater, and John Chaffin's The Late, Late Show in residence on the Backstage at the Barn stage November 23-December 31.

Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre offers up two home-grown productions for the holiday season, with Martha Wilkinson's It's A Wonderful Wife, running November 18 through December 31 on the mainstage of the venerable dinner theater, and John Chaffin's The Late, Late Show in residence on the Backstage at the Barn stage November 23-December 31.

Jennifer Richmond, Dietz Osborne, Ben Dawson, Debbie Kraski and Charlie Winton star in Squabbles, the next show opening at Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre in Nashville on Thursday, October 14. In Squabbles, Jerry Sloan is a successful jingle writer of commercial jingles married to an equally successful lawyer. Living with the happy couple is Jerry's not so happy father-in-law, Abe. When Jerry's mother Mildred is also forced to move in, the fur flies between Abe and Mildred in a succession of confrontations.

Jennifer Richmond, Dietz Osborne, Ben Dawson, Debbie Kraski and Charlie Winton star in Squabbles, the next show opening at Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre in Nashville on Thursday, October 14. In Squabbles, Jerry Sloan is a successful jingle writer of commercial jingles married to an equally successful lawyer. Living with the happy couple is Jerry's not so happy father-in-law, Abe. When Jerry's mother Mildred is also forced to move in, the fur flies between Abe and Mildred in a succession of confrontations.

In Chaffin's comedy, an inept private detective (whose car breaks down on a lonely stretch of country road late at night in a rain storm) seeks shelter in a secluded country mansion, only to be greeted at the door by a beautiful yet strange young woman - and a corpse lying on the foyer floor. It's the butler and hes been stabbed to death!

Starring a whole slew of Barn regulars hamming it up, The Butler Done It is cliche-filled romp -- and while it covers no new ground, Chaffin, Wilkinson and company are clearly in on the joke and make certain to include their audience in the fun. That's an essential part of the show's hard-won success: Some of the situations are groan-inducing, some of the lines are cringe-worthy and the plot is, well, predictable. But Wilkinson's keen eye for what works onstage and what's really funny, coupled with the estimable efforts of her hard-working cast result in a pleasantly diverting night of theatre. They get it - and they make sure you (the audience member) get it too!

In Chaffin's comedy, an inept private detective (whose car breaks down on a lonely stretch of country road late at night in a rain storm) seeks shelter in a secluded country mansion, only to be greeted at the door by a beautiful yet strange young woman - and a corpse lying on the foyer floor. It's the butler and hes been stabbed to death!

In Chaffin's comedy, an inept private detective (whose car breaks down on a lonely stretch of country road late at night in a rain storm) seeks shelter in a secluded country mansion, only to be greeted at the door by a beautiful yet strange young woman - and a corpse lying on the foyer floor. It's the butler and hes been stabbed to death!

Led by the superb Mike Baum and Lydia Bushfield, it's a fast-paced comic tour de force for Wyckoff's talented players who deliver the goods with charm and wit. First presented on Broadway in the 1990s - to much critical acclaim and audience ardor - the script for Rumors is given the requisite tweaking by Wyckoff and company to make it relevant to 2010, updating some of the cultural references to make it more timely. Thankfully, Simon's script remains as sparkling and funny as ever and its look at rumor-mongering and the accompanying hoopla is as relevant today as it ever was, perhaps even more so now thanks to 24/7 media coverage.

Bobby Wyckoff directs the 2010 season opener at Chaffin's Barn - Neil Simon's Rumors - set for a January 7-February 6 run at Nashville's venerable dinner theatre. Produced by Janie and John Chaffin, Rumors features Mike Baum, Trin Blakely, Lydia Bushfield, Ben Dawson, Kelly Lapczynski, Christina Spitters, Judy Tamble, Derek Whittaker and Charlie Winton in Simon's hilarious farce.