Friday, November 22, 2013

From the Desk of the Executive Director: Welcome to New Faces

Welcome to November, er…rather, halfway through November. I’m hoping that as the cold air rushes in, and we prepare to kick off the holiday season, our loyal Bohemians are finding themselves toasty warm and enjoying all the wonderful holiday shows and installations that the City of Chicago has to offer.

We certainly have a lot to be thankful for this year.

CAST LIST ANNOUNCED FOR AMADEUS:

Up Next for BoHo Theatre will be Amadeus by Peter Shaffer. This dramatic masterpiece tells the story of genius, jealousy, and lies, and captures the story of Antonio Salieri as he explores his tempestuous rivalry with the boorish but brilliant Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. BoHo is pleased to welcome home several familiar faces, as well as welcome new friends to our artistic family.

Directed by Peter Marston Sullivan
Produced by Kaela Altman
Set Designer: Patrick Ham
Costume Designer: Theresa Ham
Lighting Designer: Megan Turnquist

Salieri.........................................Steve O'Connell (BoHo Artistic Affiliate)
Mozart.........................................Chris Ballou
Constanze.........................................Amanda Jane Long
Joseph II.........................................David Tibble (BoHo Company Member)
Rosenberg.........................................Scott Danielson
Strack.........................................Russell Alan Rowe
Van Swieten........................................Sean Thomas (BoHo Company Member)
Venticelli 1, u/s Mozart...........................Jeff Kurysz
Venticelli 2.........................................Sasha Kraichnan
Ensemble, u/s Venticelli 1.................Patrick Byrnes
Ensemble.........................................Chelsea Taylor
Ensemble.........................................Kaitlin Henderson
Ensemble.........................................Jim Heatherly

Look for updates on the production, design team, and cast in the coming weeks! Tickets are on sale now through STAGE 773. We look forward to seeing you in February.


BOHO WELCOMES NEW COMPANY MEMBER:

DAVID TIBBLE

This month, the BoHo Company welcomed a brand new Company Member, David Tibble. David certainly isn’t a new face to BoHo, having appeared in multiple shows including Dirty Blonde, Floyd Collins, and will appear in the February, 2013 production of Amadeus. Throughout his pilot period, he tackled house managing with enthusiasm and was quick to give our guests the five-star treatment each time he greeted them. Additionally, David has joined the team of BoHo’s who will be participating in our Strategic Planning Initiative, our joint venture with the Arts & Business Council of Chicago.  Keep your eyes peeled for David throughout the rest of the season and beyond!


BOHO WELCOMES NEW BOARD MEMBER:

DIANA WENDT

Diana Wendt joined the BoHo Board of Directors this month and brings with her a dynamic background in writing, public relations, and marketing. Diana was a frequent patron of BoHo this past season, having seen Pygmalion, Hauptmann, and Kiss of the Spider Woman and decided to reach out and officially join our leadership team. We look forward to introducing everyone to Diana as we work to get her up and running in her new role.


A TIME TO GIVE THANKS

It’s important that I stop for a moment and just say a simple thank you to our Community for all the love and support they have given us this past year. 2013 has been a magical year: We produced four fantastic shows, including our first partnership with STAGE LEFT THEATRE; we celebrated 14 Joseph Jefferson nominations, and most recently received 15 BroadwayWorld Chicago nominations.

We hope we can count on the support of our community to cast their votes for BoHo.

We have added two new Company Members, two new Board Members, and a whole host of Artistic Affiliates. It’s with a truly grateful heart that I say to our Company, our Board, and our Affiliates who all work tremendously hard throughout the year to support our mission:

THANK YOU

Wishing you all a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Being Bohemian: Stephanie Sullivan

BoHo Theatre's Casting Associate Stephanie Sullivan, on what it means to be bohemian:

I’ve heard and seen several variations on the definition of Bohemian, all of which speak to me in positive ways. Our theatre company’s “new” mission and vision statements do a great job of capturing how we collectively feel about being Bohemian, so when asked to speak about this from a personal standpoint the first thought that came to mind was to talk about how it FEELS to be bohemian.

One source describes Bohemianism as “the practice of an unconventional lifestyle, often in the company of like-minded people, with few permanent ties, involving musical, artistic, or literary pursuits. In this context, Bohemians may be wanderers, adventurers, or vagabonds.”

To me, being Bohemian is a way of life and it’s something you feel/experience.

Being bohemian means constantly pursuing truth, love, freedom, and beauty; it means living honestly and genuinely, and it means honoring who you are, no matter what others may say (thereby foregoing conventional norms at times.) I am always in pursuit of the things that bring me the most joy in life. Interpersonal relationships and human connections are the most important thing in my world, which is a huge part of why this theatre company has become my home. I also try to live my life to its absolute fullest; for me, this means experiencing as many things in this world as possible; it also means incorporating art and creativity into every day.

“They laugh at me because I’m different. I laugh at them because they are all the same.”

“When you show up authentic, you create the space for others to do the same. Walk in your truth.”

“When she transformed into a butterfly, the caterpillars spoke not of her beauty, but of her weirdness. They wanted her to change back into what she had always been. But she had wings.”

Throughout BoHo Theatre's milestone 10th Season, BoHo company members will be revealing what being "bohemian" means to them. What does Bohemianism and BoHo Theatre mean to you? Let us know in the comments or on Facebook!