Signal Ensemble Theatre Closes 2013-14 Season with the World Premiere of THE NEXT THING, May 1 - June 7

Signal Ensemble Original Musical Production has Book by Member and Co-Artistic Director Ronan Marra and Music and Lyrics by Member Jon Steinhagen

CHICAGO – Signal Ensemble Theatre presents the final production of their 11th Season with the world premiere of the Signal Ensemble Theatre original musical The Next Thing, playing at their home, 1802 W. Berenice Ave. Founded in 2003, award-winning Signal Ensemble Theatre uses a deeply collaborative method to produce work never-before-seen in Chicago. The Next Thing has its book by Signal Ensemble Member and Co-Artistic Director Ronan Marra and music and lyrics by Signal Ensemble Member Jon Steinhagen. The production is directed by Marra and features music direction by Jon Steinhagen. Preview performances are on Thursday, May 1 and Friday, May 2, both at 8 p.m. Opening/press night is Saturday, May. 3 at 8 p.m. Performances will run Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. and ticket prices are $20 for single tickets, $15 for industry/students/seniors/groups and $10 for previews. Tickets may be purchased by calling 773.698.7389 or by visiting www.signalensemble.com.

Kate and Conor, ambitious actors from opposite sides of the Atlantic, meet while co-starring in a Hollywood blockbuster and take an immediate disliking to each other. Naturally, they are paired together for more films. The Next Thing is a new musical that spans six years, five movies, four deals, three significant others, two Oscars, and one combustible relationship.

The cast and production team for The Next Thing includes: 

CAST: Courtney Jones (Kate), Christopher Selefski (Conor), Eleanor Katz (Laura), Joseph Stearns*(Sam), Vincent Lonergan* (Herbert/Kate’s Father), Elizabeth Bagby (Annika/Lexi/Elizabeth), Stephanie Wohar (Ensemble), and Taylor Okey (Ensemble)

*Indicates Signal Ensemble Theatre Member, ^Indicates Signal Ensemble Artistic Associate

CREW: Ronan Marra* (director), Jon Steinhagen* (musical director), Brigitte Ditmars^ (choreographer), Melania Lancy* (set designer), Elsa Hiltner^ (costume designer), Anthony Ingram* (sound designer), Julie Ballard^ (lighting designer), Mary O’Dowd^ (properties designer) Elise Kauzlaric (dialect coach) and Stephanie Ingram* (stage manager)

*Indicates Signal Ensemble Theatre Member, ^Indicates Signal Ensemble Artistic Associate

ABOUT THE WRITERS
Ronan Marra (book, director) is a founder and Co-Artistic Director of Signal Ensemble Theatre. Directing credits with the company include Hostage Song, East of Berlin/The Russian Play (Jeff Award), Aces, Aftermath, The Real Inspector Hound, The Ballad of the Sad Cafe, 1776 (Jeff Award - Best Production, Musical, Jeff Nomination - Best Director), The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Six Degrees of Separation, Fool For Love, Hamlet, Closer, The Zoo Story, Seascape (Jeff Award), Waiting for Godot, (Jeff Recommended), Landslide (two Jeff Award nominations), She Stoops to Conquer, Much Ado About Nothing and Learning to Fly. Playwriting credits with the company include Motion, Aftermath, Landslide (Jeff Nomination - New Work) and Learning to Fly. Marra’s plays have been produced or workshopped in Chicago, NYC, LA and Cleveland. He is a 2012 finalist for the Woodward/Newman Drama Award (Motion) and recipient of the 2006 Illinois Arts Council Finalist Award in Scriptworks (Landslide). 

Jon Steinhagen (music and lyrics, musical director) has been a Signal Ensemble member since 2009 and has appeared as John Dickinson in 1776, Flan in Six Degrees of Separation, Birdboot in The Real Inspector Hound, and Jack in ACES; recently, he was the musical director of Hostage Song and also authored ACES. He wrote Successors and played the role of Lou Tedesco. Furthermore, Steinhagen has written ACES Wild, a sequel to ACES.

Steinhagen is also a Resident Playwright at Chicago Dramatists, a past winner of the Julie Harris Playwriting Award, a finalist for the first Noël Coward Award, member of the Dramatists Guild, and has received four Jeff Awards and six nominations (AEA and non-AEA), recently for Blizzard ’67 (Best Play – Equity). Recent productions of his plays and musicals include Blizzard ’67 (Chicago Dramatists), Dating Walter Dante (Raven Theatre), The Analytical Engine (Circle Theatre), Something More Comfortable (Syracuse University), and The Teapot Scandals (Porchlight). Other plays include Ponzi on Sunday, Deb and Debra, The Hundred Acres, and The Acceleration of Addison Crouch. Current projects include Neptune’s Pool (play) and Great Lover (musical).

Street parking available on Ravenswood and Berenice (runs one way going west) CTA Brown line EL stops Irving Park and Addison. CTA busses #80-Irving Park, #152-Addison, #50-Damen, #11-Lincoln. The theatre is handicapped accessible. 

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