Monday, April 29, 2013

BoHo Welcomes Our Newest Artistic Affiliates

We at BoHo Theatre are proud and elated to introduce a wonderful new group of Artistic Affiliates into our Ensemble!

I am very impressed by the amazing artistry and knowledge that each and every new Affiliate brings to the table. Each inductee has partnered with BoHo Theatre in some capacity, working tirelessly to bring each story to life. Whether through the spark of lighting design, the precision of fight choreography, the detailed nuances of a property, or the conveying of a character, each Affiliate brings a distinct and wonderfully unique quality to the BoHo family. BoHo could not be more honored to advance our partnership with each new member, as we continue to tell stories of truth, beauty, freedom and love.

And now, a HUGE WELCOME to our NEW AFFILIATES!

Diane D. Fairchild Diane Fairchild

Diane acted as Lighting AND Set Designer for Floyd Collins and The Spitfire Grill for BoHo Theatre, while also designing lights for Hauptmann, The Rainmaker, and Icarus. Diane's passion for storytelling through lights and set make her an incredibly valuable member of BoHo.


Steve O'Connell in 'Pygmalion' Steve O'Connell

Steve has been an actor for BoHo in many productions including Pygmalion, Floyd Collins, Elephant Man, and Ghosts. While displaying a true "bohemian" spirit during rehearsals, he also has worked as fight choreographer for BoHo. Steve directs and writes projects on his own accord, and we are thrilled to have his eye for precision among the family.


Cassy Schillo

Cassy has designed and managed properties for almost every BoHo show for several years now. She has been on hand for every tech process, and (when not working tirelessly on props) she has assisted with lights, sound, set, costumes, and even stage management. Cassy has been covered in paint for this ensemble (literally), so her willingness to bring a story to life in whatever way possible goes to show her strong work ethic. She is a true renaissance woman.


Jeremy Trager in 'Hauptmann' Jeremy Trager

Jeremy has played a multitude of roles for us now, including Caleb in The Spitfire Grill, and, notably, the title roles in Tartuffe and Hauptmann. His passion for the work is extraordinary, and we're so excited to have him as a part of the family.


Megan Turnquist Megan Turnquist

Megan has been a lighting guru for multiple shows now, and is always willing to come in and lend a hand whenever we need her! She was most recently the Associate Lighting Designer for Hauptmann, and I know will be excited to be working on numerous shows in the future!


Again, we are ever so proud to bring in these impeccable individuals into the Ensemble. They join photographer Brandon Dahlquist, set designer Patrick Ham, costume designer Theresa Ham, founding executive director Tom Samorian, performer Danni Smith, and set designer John Zuiker as part of our BoHo Artistic Affiliate family. It is with sincere pleasure and great pride that we extend our congratulations to each of them.

WELCOME to the BoHo family!

-Peter Marston Sullivan
Artistic Director

Monday, April 15, 2013

Roundtable Talk With the Cast of Hauptmann

During the run of Hauptmann, we were lucky enough to sit down and have a round table discussion with three of our actors&mash; Chris Amos, playing Charles Lindbergh; Sasha Kraichnan, playing Anne Morrow Lindbergh; and Eleanor Katz, playing Bruno Hauptmann’s wife, Anna Hauptmann. These are the excerpts from that conversation.


BOHO: What was it like doing research in order to play these real characters? And how did that research inform what you do onstage?

Sasha Kraichnan as Anne Morrow Lindbergh in 'Hauptmann'

SASHA: I was really lucky because Anne Lindbergh published her journals and letters from almost every year of her life. I didn’t know those existed when I first got the role, but I was looking through the bookstore and in the aviation section I saw Diaries and Letters of Anne Morrow Lindbergh and I said “Alright, I don’t care how much that costs. I’m bringing that home!”

And those diaries and letters gave me a sense of her voice, because she’s very gentle and very demure, but also very direct and to the point. She also writes a lot about grief and processing this whole experience-- or not processing it-- and how her and Charles as a couple did not really process it.

When Anne wrote about it being more difficult to watch her mother’s testimony in the trial than to be on the stand herself-- because she had more room to feel, she said-- I got the sense that she held herself very, very tightly. She held herself as tight as she could just to get through her delivery, and she would not express anything in a public setting. That helped me understand her.

Chris Amos as Charles Lindbergh and Jeremy Trager as Bruno Hauptmann in 'Hauptmann'

CHRIS: In my research, one of the things that struck me was just how much of a private person Lindbergh was. He was this giant public figure, but it wasn’t entirely anticipated by him just how huge flying a plane across the ocean would be to the public. And the way the public went insane about that really turned him inward.

It was right around this time in history that we changed from being a country that celebrated people who did things to a country that instead celebrated people who were just people, like celebrities and the culture of personality. I feel like Charles was one of the first victims of that.

In the play, there’s really only one private moment that Charles has and that’s at the end, and it’s kind of a relief to get to after all of the public figure scenes and the posturing-- just to see him as a human being at the end.

Eleanor Katz as Anna Hauptmann in 'Hauptmann'

ELEANOR: There were a lot of articles written about Anna Hauptmann and her struggle. I’m from the Philadelphia area, which is where she ended up moving after the trial. She worked in a bakery that was run by a friend and she raised her son by herself. She never changed her last name and she never took off her wedding ring, and that helped inform me about who she was.

She also worked until the day she died to clear her husband’s name. And the state of New Jersey, mainly Governor Florio, who was the governor for a long time when I was a kid living in New Jersey, just completely rebuffed her and would never give her audience or reopen the case. So I think for me, when Anna reads Hauptmann’s farewell letter, his final words, to me it’s easy to be emotional. She knows that he’s going to be killed for something that she doesn’t believe that he did and he’s left her with a son. So that knowledge really informed how I deliver that piece.

CHRIS: Overall, it’s a very limited perspective we have on these characters in this play. It’s all seen through Hauptmann’s filter, so we’re not seeing all of who they are throughout the play. We’re just capturing those little bits and pieces that are relevant to his story.



The cast of BoHo's 'Hauptmann'

BOHO: Has doing this show influenced how you see sensational trials in the news?

CHRIS: I’m always skeptical of what I see in the news.

SASHA: And was before this.

ELEANOR: There has been “The Crime of the Century” so many times now that I think we already see how the court of public opinion plays into it-- sometimes more than actual evidence does. In Hauptmann’s case, they HAD to kill him whether he was guilty or not. The public demanded a scapegoat.

CHRIS: I always thought it was interesting how much Charles meddled in the whole investigation. He took charge of it, and was listening to these gangsters who would give him information, because (he said), “they’ve got connections in the criminal world.” They totally took advantage of him.

ELEANOR: I can’t believe he had the police wipe down the fingers prints on the ladder!

SASHA: He may have been part of it!

CHRIS: I don’t think he was part of it, I think he just incredibly mismanaged the whole thing. I think he was a father trying to find his child and took charge and made a bunch of horrible mistakes.

ELEANOR: But they all listened to him!

CHRIS: Yeah, because nobody was going to tell him “no,” and that’s what he really needed. He needed somebody more powerful than him to say, “Look, Charles, I know you’re...”

ELEANOR: Did that exist? Someone more powerful than him?

CHRIS: At the time? (thinks) Maybe the president.



Sasha Kraichnan and Chris Amos as the Lindberghs, with Jeremy Trager as Bruno Hauptmann, in 'Hauptmann'

BOHO: Do you have any favorite moments in the play?

CHRIS: I like to watch the trial scene. I like watching Nate[Randall Miller] as the lawyer just really drilling down on Hauptmann.

ELEANOR (to Chris): I like the beginning of your final scene with Hauptmann, because you’re just like two guys having a conversation.

SASHA: And the handshake at the end!

ELEANOR: You play that so well-- it’s not hateful or vengeful. You’re a human being talking to another human being, and I just love that. I think you were smart not to play the obvious angle.

CHRIS: That scene to me is really two people trying to find resolution-- trying to find closure in some way.

ELEANOR: Yes. I think that’s what’s lovely about it.

CHRIS: And they almost get it…. And then Hauptmann ruins it, like everything! (laughs)


Hauptmann by John Logan closes this coming weekend at The Heartland Studio in Rogers Park. For tickets, videos, photos, and more information, visit www.bohotheatre.com

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

BoHo's Favorite Rogers Park Hangouts

Personal Recommendations From The BoHo Team

BoHo Theatre has been producing theatre at the Heartland Studio for six years now, and the Glenwood Arts district is our home. If you’re going to come visit us at the Heartland (perhaps for our current production, Hauptmann, running through April 21st), consider grabbing a drink, or a bite with friends before or after the show! There’s so much to do in the area, from pre-show dinner to after-show treats and wonderful store-front businesses throughout the neighborhood. We know because we love visiting all these places ourselves! Here’s just some of our favorites.

A Bohemian Experience With BoHo Artistic Director Peter Marston Sullivan

Peter Marston Sullivan

Heartland Café, 7000 N Glenwood Ave, Chicago

One tasty and reliable dining option around Heartland Studio is Heartland Cafe. The menu is full of rustic and hearty food, including a whole bunch of vegetarian and even vegan options. Heartland also has a great bar with a terrific beer list (and daily drink specials!). This charming café also frequently has live music and entertainment.

The décor is truly Bohemian, and if you stop by on a Saturday morning, you can watch them broadcast “LIVE From the Heartland” radio show, a special treat for Rogers Park. We are so proud to partner with the Heartland Café and hope you enjoy your experience there.


Dinner With BoHo Executive Director Kaela Altman

Kaela Altman

Act One Pub in the Mayne Stage, 1330 W Morse Ave, Chicago

I love a good pub, and Act One on Morse is a favorite in Rogers Park. They have a fantastic beer selection, and my personal favorite is their French Onion Soup as well as their Market Chopped salad. The lemon-basil vinaigrette is just heaven, and a fabulous change from some of their heavier fare. If a sandwich is what your palette craves, I recommend any of their burgers or a BBQ Pulled Pork.

It's a fantastic restaurant, and the best part is that it's located a short walk away from BoHo's Heartland Studio. Insider Tip: It's typically very crowded on Fridays and Saturdays, especially when there is a show at the Mayne Stage, but if you go early, you can typically get a table pretty quickly.

We look forward to seeing you around the neighborhood.


Dinner with Company and Board Secretary Mary Kate Robel

Mary Kate Robel

Gruppo di Amici, 1508 W. Jarvis, Chicago

Are you coming from up north and don't mind stopping one station north of the Heartland Studio? Then you’ve got to stop in to Gruppo di Amici! Their crispy wood-fired pizzas are ah-mazing, and their tortellinis will melt in your mouth. I love it there! And it’s all right off the Jarvis stop on the Red Line!


Dog Days With Casting Associate Stephanie Sullivan

Stephanie Sullivan

Rogers Bark Pet Salon, 1447 W. Jarvis Ave, Chicago

On the opposite corner of the street to Gruppo Di Amici (where you’ll find Mary Kate) of the street is a grooming salon called Rogers Bark where the people are extremely nice! I've taken my dogs there several times.



Drinks With Media Director Charles Riffenburg

Charles Riffenburg

The Glenwood Bar, 6962 N Glenwood Ave, Chicago

My favorite place to go for drinks is the Glenwood, one block south of the Heartland Studio on, you guessed it, Glenwood Ave. The staff is friendly, the drinks prices are a steal, the space is open and never cramped, and sometimes the manager orders free pizza for everyone on weekend nights! Drop by after a show and you’ll often find members of BoHo’s cast, crew, and company having a quick drink. We’d love to see you there!

We hope you'll join us up here in Rogers Park, for our current show Hauptmann and our future shows!