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Trap Door Theatre

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Trap Door Theatre
Formation1990
TypeTheatre group
PurposeAvant-garde expressionism
Location
  • Chicago, Illinois, United States
Artistic director(s)
Beata Pilch
Websitetrapdoortheatre.com

Trap Door Theatre is an American, Jeff Award-winning,[1] avant-garde theatre company based in Chicago. Its focus is on European and original experimental material.[2]

History

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Trap Door Theatre, founded by Beata Pilch and Sean Marlow, was incorporated in 1990 as a nomadic company touring theatre in Stockholm, Berlin, Zakopane, and Paris. In 1994, Trap Door brought its European tradition to the United States, creating a permanent home for the company in Chicago.[3]

Trap Door Theatre is located in Bucktown in Chicago in a 900-square-foot (84 m2) converted performance space which seats 45.[4]

Ensemble

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  • Maryam Abdi
  • Venice Averyheart
  • Dennis Bisto
  • Abby Blankenship
  • Marzena Bukowska
  • Holly T. Cerney
  • Gary Damico
  • Bill Gordon
  • David A. Holcombe
  • John Kahara
  • Lyndsay Rose Kane
  • Anna Klos
  • Emily Lotspeich
  • Miguel Long
  • David Lovejoy (Associate Managing Director)
  • Leslie Lund
  • Michael Mejia (Company Manager)
  • Emily Nichelson
  • Beata Pilch (Artistic Director, Co-Founder)
  • Chris Popio
  • Manuela Rentea
  • Ann Sonneville
  • Keith Surney
  • Nicole Wiesner (Managing Director)
  • Bob Wilson
  • Carl Wisniewski
  • Max Truax (Resident Director)
  • Kate Hendrickson (Resident Director)
  • Richard Norwood (Resident Light Designer)
  • Danny Rockett (Resident Sound Designer)
  • Zsófia Ötvös (Resident Makeup Artist)
  • Rachel Sypniewski (Resident Costume Designer)
  • Milan Pribisic (Resident Dramaturg)
  • Michal Janicki (Resident Graphic Designer)

Honorary Members include Tiffany Bedwell, Danny Belrose, Antonio Brunetti, Summer Chance, Dani Deac, Ewelina Dobiesz, Kristie Hassinger, Sean Marlow (Co-Founder), Kim McKean, Catherine Sullivan, Andrew Cooper Wasser, Michael Garvey, Bob Rokos, Tiffany Joy Ross, Wesley Walker, Michael S. Pieper, and Krishna Le Fan.

Notable productions

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  • How to Explain The History of Communism to Mental Patients (March 2016, Romania: May 2016)
  • La Bête (March 2015)
  • First Ladies (March 2011)
  • Beholder (May 2008)
  • Nana (December 2002)
  • Lebensraum (March 2000)
  • Porcelain (March 2001)
  • Beholder (May 2008)
  • Emma (October 2007)
  • The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant (September 2006)
  • Old Clown Wanted (New York: November 2005; Chicago: November 2005; Romania: May 2007)
  • My Liver is Senseless
  • AmeriKafka
  • The Crazy Locomotive (New York: August 2005; Chicago: June 2005; Romania: May 2007)
  • Horses at the Window (March 2009 Romania: May 2009 Virginia, New York: November 2009)
  • Me Too, I am Catherine Deneuve (October 2010 Georgia, December 2010 Washington DC, April 2011 France, April 2012)

Awards and honors

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Joseph Jefferson Award citations

  • Best Original Music (Danny Rockett, How to Explain the History of Communism to Mental Patients)[5]
  • Best Actor in a Principal Role (Kevin Cox, La Bête)[5]
  • Best Costume Design (Rachel Sypniewski, La Bête)[5]
  • Best Original Incidental Music (Ovidiu Iloc, The Word Progress on my Mother’s Lips Doesn’t Ring True)[5]
  • Best Actress in a Principal Role (Nicole Wiesner, First Ladies)[5]
  • Best New Work (Ken Prestininzi, Beholder)[5]
  • Best Ensemble (Nana)[5]
  • Best Supporting Actress (Sharon Gopfert, Lebensraum)[5]
  • Best Supporting Actor (Eric Johnson, Lebensraum)[5]
  • Best Ensemble (Lebensraum)[5]
  • Best Ensemble (Porcelain)[5]

References

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  1. ^ Award, Jeff. "Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre and The Hypocrites Take Top Honors at Non-Equity Jeff Awards". Jeff Awards. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  2. ^ Jones, Chris (August 17, 1999). "`Bondage' Walks, Talks Streetwalker's Life". Chicago Tribune. Tribune. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  3. ^ Hayford, Justin (April 3, 2013). "Esoteric, demanding Trap Door Theatre is off-Loop and all right". Chicago Reader. No. Arts & Culture. Reader. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  4. ^ Hayford, Justin (January 11, 2017). "Is Trap Door Chicago's greatest theater success of the last quarter century?". Chicago Reader. No. Arts & Culture. Rader. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Jefferson, Joseph. "Jeff Awards- Celebrating Excellence in Theatre". The Jeff Awards. Jeff Awards. Archived from the original on 2 January 2018. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
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