Theatre of Western Springs Opens 86th Season With 'The Dinner Party'

The Theatre of Western Springs presents the firstt Mainstage play to open its 86th season, “The Dinner Party,” written by iconic playwright Neil Simon and directed by David Knezz. Performances take place from Sept. 11 – Sept. 21, 2014, at TWS, 4384 Hampton Ave., Western Springs. The play is suitable for adult audiences.

Audience members will enjoy the work of America’s most successful playwright, Pulitzer Prize winner Neil Simon. In trademark Simon style, this play tackles a dramatic subject with hilarity from the master of comedy.

A mysterious invitation brings six divorcees together for dinner at a fancy restaurant in Paris where they wonder about their absent host, the apparent secrecy surrounding the invitation and the real reason for the staging of the party. Together in a private dining room, they have a sneaking suspicion that this experience will forever change their lives.

“Neil Simon is the master comedic tactician of our time,” said Director David Knezz, “and he doesn’t disappoint here. Yet as he takes on a subject dear to his heart - his own five marriages - his writing is poignant as well as hilarious.”

The cast includes Debbie Angelillo of Oak Brook, Michael Bolton of La Grange, Billy Hyland of Glen Ellyn, Mary Kuhn of Naperville, Laurie Lister of Chicago and Dave Romito of Clarendon Hills.

Performances

• 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays – Sept. 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, and 20
• 2:30 p.m. Sundays, Sept. 14 and 21
• 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20
• 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 14

Tickets are $18 and $20. Call the box office at 708-246-3380 or go to: http://www.theatrewesternsprings.com. Free parking is available.

The director

David Knezz received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from National-Louis University in 1992 after enjoying a successful, decade-long career as a trader on the Chicago Board of Options Exchange.

He studied theatre and improvisation at Second City and Victory Gardens Theatre. Today, he works as a Chicago actor and director and continues to serve as resident faculty member at the Children’s Theater of Western Springs where he has taught creative drama to children since 1992.

In 1998 he was awarded a Legacy Award for excellence in teaching, and in 2009 the Illinois Theatre Association (ITA) honored him with its annual award for Excellence in Creative Dramatics.

Knezz was a founding member and director of the improv troupe Laughing Gas as well as director and designer of his own puppet company, Znkster Puppets. For more than a decade, Knezz has created props, puppets and theatrical special effects for numerous theaters in Chicago and New York.

A mask-training workshop he attended in New York in 1998 unleashed his passion for the power of mask work to inform character. Unwilling to settle for the dismal supply of Halloween-style masks available, he harnessed his own abilities as an accomplished sculptor and started making his own masks.

Today he is a respected international mask maker (http://www.mask-maker.com/) who creates masks for theatres and university drama programs around the world. He also teaches acting with masks as well as the art of mask-making.

The playwright

Neil Simon is an American playwright and screenwriter whose style ranges from romantic comedy to farce to more serious dramatic comedy. He has been nominated for more combined Oscar and Tony awards than any other writer and is regarded as one of the most influential figures in twentieth century American entertainment.

A resident of New York City, Simon is well-known for his prolific output and has written more than fifty plays and screenplays. He has won Tony Awards, Emmys, a Golden Globe and a Pulitzer Prize for his work. His succession of Broadway hits and all-round importance to American theatre led to the Alvin Theatre being renamed in his honor in 1983.

With “The Dinner Party,” Simon wanted to write a play that created farce only to turn into something serious. He patterned this play after his own marriages, five in total, to analyze breakups and the meaning of relationships.

CAST

Yvonne Fouchet - Debbie Angelillo of Oak Brook

Andre Bouville - Michael Bolton of La Grange

Albert Donay - Billy Hyland of Glen Ellyn

Gabrielle Buonocelli - Mary Kuhn of Naperville

Mariette Levieux - Laurie Lister of Chicago

Claude Pichon - Dave Romito of Clarendon Hills

CREW

Director – David Knezz of Homer Glen

Stage Manager – Bill Rotz of Woodridge

Assistant Stage Manager – Tom Gess of Indian Head Park

Assistant Stage Manager – Courtney Neal of LaGrange Park

Tech Director – Thad Hallstein of Chicago

Costumes – Arlene Bibbs of West Chicago

Dramaturg – Bill Love of La Grange

Hospitality – Nicole Leatherwood of Darien

Lights – Tammy White of Lisle

House Manager - Mike Janke of Downers Grove

Makeup – Stacy McCargo of Western Springs

Makeup –Bernadette Boyle of Wheaton

Production Coordinator – Mary Ellen Schutt of Westmont

Program Editor – Ed Barrow of Hinsdale

Program Bios – Denise D’Asto of Darien

Props – Suzy Krueckeberg of Oak Park

Publicity – Billy Hyland of Glen Ellyn

Set Construction – Tim Gannon of LaGrange Park

Set Construction – Mike Huth of LaGrange Park

Set Design – Archie Benfield of Downers Grove

Set Dresser – Suzy Krueckeberg of Oak Park

Set Painting – Sue Wisthuff of La Grange

Sound – Pat Politano of Brookfield