Robert Falls is returning to directing in the Chicago theater, this time not at the Goodman, his artistic home for decades, but at Redtwist Theatre, a tiny venue located at 1044 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. with fewer than 50 seats.
“It’s my return to the Chicago storefront,” a typically ebullient Falls said in a telephone conversation, noting that his new show will follow his restaging of the Mozart opera “Don Giovanni” in June at the Lyric Opera — which has single rows of seating bigger than the entire capacity of Redtwist. The show, a world premiere by Chicago’s L.C. Bernadine, is called “Flying Monkeys,” and it follows two agents in the so-called “troubled teen” transportation industry, wherein teenagers are whisked away from their families, sometimes in the dead of night. The run is slated for Dec. 6 to Jan. 17, 2027.
Falls described the show as a “pop-up” fitted between Redtwist’s previously arranged plans. Bernadine, a producer as well as a writer, has been involved with the New Theatre Project, a rising Chicago company associated with the writer-director Spencer Huffman that has worked in non-traditional theater spaces, often to great effect. Falls said he was enthusiastic about Bernadine’s work and wanted to be supportive.
Casting has not yet been announced. Redtwist is a non-Equity theater, potentially offering emerging actors a rare chance to work with one of Chicago and the nation’s most acclaimed directors.
Looking towards Broadway
Bruce Norris’ “Downstate”
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will play Broadway’s Booth Theatre for a limited engagement this fall, directed by Joe Mantello (who just completed work on “Death of a Salesman”) and produced by Scott Rudin. The brilliantly written and inevitably controversial play, set in a home for sex offenders, will have a cast that includes the Chicago actors Francis Guinan and K. Todd Freeman, although this will be a separate production from the one seen in 2018 at Steppenwolf in its world premiere.Numerous Chicagoans are making their Broadway debuts Tuesday night as “Paranormal Activity” opens at the August Wilson Theatre in New York. Previously seen at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, the show is the work of DePaul University graduate (and frequent Red Orchid collaborator) Levi Holloway, and features Cher Álvarez, Travis A. Knight and Shannon Cochran. Kate Fry, who was in the production in Chicago, chose not to go to New York with the show. My review will post Tuesday night. Last Sunday night, a big crowd of stage door admirers waited for these Chicago actors, newly thrust into a Broadway spotlight.
Shattered Globe season
Shattered Globe Theatre has announced its 36th season. Shows include the fall Midwest premiere of “Vladimir” by Erika Sheffer, directed by Lou Contey and featuring Rebecca Jordan, Adam Schulmerich, Drew Schad and Steve Peebles; the winter Midwest premiere of “The Waterfall” by Phanésia Pharel, directed by Jasmine B. Gunter and, in the spring, “Brace Brace” by Oli Forsyth, directed by Elizabeth Margolius. Shattered Globe is in residence at the busy Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave.
In casting news
The full cast of “Kowalski,” the Broadway-aimed show coming to Lookingglass Theatre’s Water Tower Water Works next month, has been announced. Joining the previously announced Johnny Galecki as Tennessee Williams and Jacob Moskovitz as Marlon Brando are Alison Cimmet as Margo Jones, Reece Dos Santos as Pancho and Ellie Ricker as Jo.
Nora Dunn has exited from the previously announced cast of “The Humanities” at the Victory Gardens Theater next month. A spokesman for the theater cited schedule conflicts.
In memory
Finally, the Chicago theater community is mourning the loss of Kurt Ehrmann, who died Aug. 10 at the age of 58 following a heart attack.
Ehermann was a superb yet self-effacing actor, always vibrant, intellectually vigorous and emotionally rich on a variety of off-Loop Chicago stages.
I well remember such Ehermann performances as Roy Cohn in the 2006 Hypocrites production of “Angels in America,” Hamm in Samuel Beckett’s “Endgame” for Hypocrites (a company with which Ehermann worked often, including a memorable turn as Peachum in director Sean Graney’s staging of “The Threepenny Opera” at the Steppenwolf Garage Theatre in 2008).
Ehermann also worked with the House Theatre of Chicago, showing up as “Old Ran’l” McCoy in that company’s distinctive musical version of “Hatfield & McCoy” in 2006. I remember saying at the time that House had cast a “designated adult” in Ehermann, who always seemed a little older than his actual years on the stage. That is perhaps because his work came with such sophistication and depth of feeling.
Most of all, though, I remember Ehermann’s deeply empathetic Lopakhin in Graney’s staging of “The Cherry Orchard.” How much an audience should like that particular Chekhov character is open to question, but not when Ehermann was playing the role.
Chris Jones Recommends
“Theater of the Mind” in an open run by the Goodman at the Reid Murdoch Building; “Pandemonium, Please Hold” in an open run on the Second City Mainstage; “Marble” through Aug. 30 by Gift Theatre at the Copernicus Center; “Vape! The Grease Parody” through Jan. 3 at Apollo Theater.
Chris Jones is a Tribune critic.