The idea of having Out of the Box produce Chicago—the play—was suggested by one of our board members. I had never heard of it and have discovered that this is true about many people! Of course, the musical based on the play has been a great hit on Broadway, but the origins of the story are definitely from this delightful play written in 1926 by reporter Maurine Dallas Watkins about actual criminals and the crimes on which she reported.
Though we are already inundated with stories of crime and violence in our world, somehow this satirical take on some of these events resonates perfectly with today’s dark views of our justice system, honesty in general, and the realities of our fragile democracy. We hope that you will find spending a few hours with these characters of questionable moral and ethical standards to be a delightful experience. We have cut some dialogue to keep the running time snappy and added a narrator, who helps set the scene with Ms. Watkins’s delightful scenic descriptions.
You may miss the amazing Kander and Ebb score but we have been gifted with our own composer, Nicholas Wilson, whose evocative original compositions bring to life the jazz age feel and sound of Chicago in 1920s.
As always, this production has been the result of the incredible talents and wonderful spirits of everyone involved, from the incredible writing of the play itself to the terrific work of our actors, creative and technical staffs, our stage manager, and our producers, particularly Halina Malinowski, who has talked me off the ledge several times! It has been a particular joy to work with each and every person on this production.
We hope you enjoy Chicago—the play!
—Lin Snider, Director
ABOUT OUT OF THE BOX THEATRE COMPANY
Out of the Box Theatre Company (OotB) was founded in 2006 by artistic director Scott Robinson. Scott’s goal for the group’s Equity Showcase productions was to feature working professionals at their peak and in their prime: seasoned actors, directors, and designers primarily past 50 years of age, to provide opportunity and freedom for artists to work outside the restrictions of age, race, sex, and disability and inside the sphere of passion. He also conceived of scoring the plays with live musical performances to enhance the mood and as between-scenes entertainment. Our mission also includes donating a portion of our tickets to local senior centers.
Scott Robinson was diagnosed with cancer in December 2010 and died April 24, 2011. We lovingly dedicate all our performances to his memory and thank our audiences and supporters for helping us keep Scott’s vision alive.
Go to www.outoftheboxtheatre.com for more information
about our history, mission, and upcoming season!
