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Midwest Premiere The Whaleby Samuel D. Hunter  "★★★★! A big hit!" - Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune
"[A] must-see, powerful production." - Robert Bullen, The Huffington Post Since the death of his boyfriend, morbidly obese 600 pound Charlie has confined himself to his small Idaho apartment and is eating himself to oblivion. With his health quickly failing, Charlie becomes desperate to reconnect with Ellie, his estranged and angry teenage daughter whom he has not seen in 17 years. He would give her anything: his love, his money….maybe even his life. Written by Obie Award-winning playwright Samuel D. Hunter, The Whale is a tough, humorous and emotionally powerful play about how we cope with loss, and how new definitions of family, friends and religion shape our lives. See the production photos from The Whale Read an review of Samuel D. Hunter's play A Bright New Boise, in The New York Times UPCOMING ON THE TABLE AFTER WORDS
PAST EVENTS GROSSED OUT WEDNESDAY NIGHT OUT
OUR ACTIONS HERE ON EARTH
"★★★★! A big hit!"
- Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune "This is unmissable!" - @FrancisSadac via Twitter "Recommended" - Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun-Times "See. This. Show." - @ThtrBob via Twitter "Victory Gardens Harpoons A Hit" - Michael Roberts, Showbiz Chicago "Powerful and Moving" - Michael P. via Facebook "Raw and deftly acted." - @freshroastfilms via Twitter "Impossible to look away." - Noel Schecter, Chicago Splash "Bravo" - @distar via Twitter "An emotionally poignant tour de force" - Anthony Mangini, Chicago Critic "The ending moved me to tears." - Lyndsey R. via Facebook "Extraordinary!" - Katy Walsh, Chicago Now "Poetic beauty" - Al Bresloff, Around The Town "Absolutely Fantastic" - Usman A. via Facebook "[A] must-see, powerful production." - Robert Bullen, The Huffington Post "Extremely powerful." - Adam H. via Facebook "Riveting and profound." - Storefront City "Flawless...brilliant." - Dan Zeff, Chicagoland Theater Reviews "There is no question that the...success of The Whale has, well, supersized Hunter's career."
Creative Team Access Dates: |
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WILL ALLAN (Elder Thomas) is making his Victory Gardens debut. His recent Chicago include Good People, The March, A Separate Peace (Steppenwolf Theatre Co.), The Seagull, Dartmoor Prison (Goodman Theatre), The History Boys (TimeLine Theatre Co. - Jeff Award for Ensemble and Production), The Goat or, Who is Sylvia? (Remy Bumppo Theatre Co. - Jeff Award for Production), Romeo and Juliet and Much Ado About Nothing (First Folio Theatre). He has also worked with Strawdog Theatre and Chicago Children’s Theatre. Regional credits include Red and 24 Hours (Human Race Theatre Co.) and the Heartland Festival. He can next be seen in Speech and Debate at American Theater Company. He is an associate artist with TimeLine Theatre Company, a graduate of North Central College in Naperville, Illinois, and this fall, he will begin working toward his Masters’ Degree in Acting at the Yale School of Drama. 
DALE CALANDRA (Charlie) As an actor, Dale Calandra has appeared in more than 200 productions. Highlights include: Edna in Hairspray the first national Broadway tour 2004–06, Puck in A Midsummer Nights Dream (Festival Theatre), Squeaky Clean in the world premiere of Stephan Daly’s Lifeidreamedof (Center Theater), Otto in The Food Chain (Organic Theatre), Allen Ginsberg in The Chicago Conspiracy Trial (Remains Theater), and several seasons as Mr. Fezziwig in Goodman Theater’s annual A Christmas Carol. TV: Enrico Caruso in The Untouchables. Film: Leo Persini in Joshua with Tony Goldwyn and F. Murray Abraham. Dale has directed more than 100 productions. As a founder/interim artistic director of Center Theater Ensemble in Chicago, he directed, produced, acted, and was creative director for The Training Center for the Working Actor, Chicago’s Top Acting school for 20 years. Center Productions include The Scarecrow, a wireless version of Peter Pan, Kingdom Of Earth, Blithe Spirit, The Marriage of Bette and Boo, and the cult classic Lysistrata 2411, A.D. published by Doubleday (1995) with productions across the country annually. For 12 years, was artistic director of Festival Theatre, Illinois’ oldest outdoor Shakespeare Company. Productions include: a rock-n-roll
Taming of the Shrew, The Tempest starring Tom Mula, Hamlet starring Henry Godinez, and his award-winning adaptation of Cervantes’ The Adventures of Don Quixote. He recently directed the hit production of Sweet Bird of Youth at The Artistic Home. He has specialized in directing one-person shows. A few are Tom Mula’s Circus of Dr. Lao (Next Theater); Rob LaMont’s Wit, Wisdom & Romance (Cuneo Museum Theater); and Denise LaGrassa’s Is There Anything Really Going On Upstairs? (Royal George Cabaret). He also has developed club performances for The Sparkle Sisters, Shane Taylor, Thalia Tarsino and Robin Trilling, Charles West, Carol Moss, and Becky Menzie. In 2008 he created the character Aunt Lola Cabana: “America’s Favorite Aunt!” Aunt Lola is a host for corporate events, special appearances, benefits, “roasts,” and (believe it or not) a Tupperware Party Show (Top 10 Consultants USA). Aunt Lola appears on a regular basis at Mama Mac’s Cabaret in Downers Grove. DaleCalandra.com for more info.
CHERYL GRAEFF (Liz) has worked at regional and Chicago theaters including: Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Victory Gardens, Court Theatre, Missouri Repertory, Piven Theater, Mary-Archie, Folio Theatre, Nebraska Repertory, Trap Door, Kansas City Repertory, Oregon Stage Company, Profiles Theater, Spokane Interplayers, Idaho Theater for Youth, Oregon Stage Company, Milwaukee Repertory, Madison Repertory, Chicago Dramatists, Public Trust, Strawdog, Famous Door, New American Theatre Company, and American Blues Theater Company where she has been an ensemble member since 2002. She has performed at the Kennedy Center several times and toured throughout the U.K. Recent productions include: Waiting for Lefty, Mercy Seat, Rantoul and Die, Body Awareness, and Love Person. TV and film credits include: Chicago Code, Alleyball, Tinsel, Whirleybird, and Stranger Than Fiction.
PATRICIA KANE (Mary) has appeared at Victory Gardens in In the Next Room or the vibrator play and Hannah Free (as well as the film version with Sharon Gless). She has been in numerous productions at About Face Theatre, including What Once We Felt, Pulp, Seven Moves, Fascination, The Terrible Girls, Whitman, Dancer from the Dance, and Cloud Nine. Other credits include productions with the Goodman, Northlight, NYC’s Tectonic Theatre Group, Collaboraction, Live Bait, Stage Left, Bailiwick, and Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. Her playwriting credits include Pulp (Jeff and After Dark awards), Float (Jeff nominated), Seven Moves and Chords.
LEAH KARPEL (Ellie) is thrilled to return to VG for The Whale. Previous VG credits include: We Are Proud To Present A Presentation..., The Shotgun Message (Ignition Festival). Other Chicago credits: The Glass Menagerie, The Hot L Baltimore (Steppenwolf Theatre); Punk Rock (Griffin Theatre); and Feet Of Clay (Last Match Theatre). Regional credits include: Ten Chimneys (Milwaukee Rep); Half And Half (Penguin Rep); The Play About My Dad (CollaborationTown); and Evanston: A Rare Comedy (HERE Arts/PS 122). Leah received her B.F.A. from Boston University and is a graduate of The School At Steppenwolf.
Ticket Prices:
$30 - $60
Run Time:
110 minutes, no intermission
Performance Times:
Tuesday – Saturday, 7:30pm
Saturday, 4pm
Sunday, 3pm
Recommended Age:
14 years +
Tickets:
773.871.3000
TTY: 773.871.0682
tickets@victorygardens.org
Group Sales:
Groups of 10 or more call 773.328.2136
Victory Gardens Biograph Theater 2433 North Lincoln Avenue | Chicago , IL 60614 Administration: 773.549.5788 | Tickets: 773.871.3000 © Victory Gardens 2012 |
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