 Following their wildly successful Positively Present cabaret at Mary’s Attic in Andersonville, Brown Paper Box Co. continues their 2017/2018 season with Neil Simon, Marvin Hamlisch, and Carole Bayer Sager’s 1979 classic two-hander (and many-voiced), They’re Playing Our Song. In his directorial debut, Jeff Award nominee Daniel Spagnuolo* helms and choreographs the romantic comedy during Brown Paper Box Co.’s fourth summer residency at Rivendell Theatre (5779 N Ridge Ave, Chicago, IL 60660) July 21 - August 20, 2017.
Hoping to find a new collaborator, award-winning composer Vernon Gersch (Dan Gold) meets the offbeat yet accomplished Sonia Walsk (Carmen Risi) at his luxury Manhattan apartment. Vernon has already written music to one of Sonia's lyrics. The song is exceptional and it’s clear something wonderful can come from this partnership. Before too long, they start a romantic relationship, move in together, and then the trouble begins. Complemented by Neil Simon's comedic writing and the songwriting team of Hamlisch and Bayer Sager, They’re Playing Our Song is a story about the joy of falling in love and creating art. More information - including ticketing, groups sales, and behind-the-scenes insights - can be found at www.BrownPaperBox.org. They’re Playing Our Song stars Carmen Risi (Sonya Walsk) and Dan Gold (Vernon Gersch), & includes Ariana Cappuccitti, Mike Danovich (Vernon u/s), Bradley Halverson, John Marshall Jr., Elissa Newcorn (Sonya u/s), and Deanalís Resto as their Voices. Megan Gill and Joshua A. Peterson Swing the Voices. The production staff and design team include Jeff Award nominee Daniel Spagnuolo* (Director/Choreographer), Ilana Atkins (Musical Director), Rebecca "Becs" Bartle (Lighting Designer), Margaret Baughman* (Asst. Director/Choreographer), Zach Dries* (Photography/Video), David Lipschutz* (Casting Associate), M. William Panek* (Production Manager), Deanna Satin (Stage Manager), Matt Sergot* (Front of House Manager), Kate Setzer Kamphausen (Costume Designer), Charlie Sheets* (Graphic Designer), and Jeff Award nominee Ashley Ann Woods (Set/Prop Designer). *Denotes Brown Paper Box Co. members
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 It is with great excitement Brown Paper Box Co. announces a change-up and addition to their Executive Team as they continue their 2017/2018 season. Co-founding members Anna Schutz and M. William Panek are making the move to Executive Director and Marketing Director, respectively. They are joined by Kristi Szczepanek in the company’s newest Executive role, Director of Community Outreach & Development. Kristi has gone above and beyond as Company Admin and has proven herself as a driven, organized, and forward-thinking leader in her short time as Artistic Associate.
“Anna’s keen sense of business and artistic integrity makes her the perfect person to run the day-to-day logistics of the company,” says Board of Directors President David Lipschutz. “She has been involved since the very beginning, and no one knows the ins and outs of BPBCo. like her. The Board is thrilled to continue this and future seasons with the three of them leading the team.” “I'm very excited by these changes,” adds Board Member Michelle Kritselis. “William has been actively involved in creating the company's ‘voice’ on social media and in promotional materials since the very beginning, so he is a natural choice for Marketing Director. In Kristi’s first year with Brown Paper Box Co., she has quickly established herself as a forward-thinking leader and coordinator. She is an asset to the executive team and the company overall.” Following Positively Present: An Uplifting Cabaret at Mary’s Attic in Andersonville, Brown Paper Box Co.’s 2017/2018 season continues with Neil Simon, Marvin Hamlisch, and Carole Bayer Sager’s They’re Playing Our Song directed and choreographed by Jeff Award nominee & Artistic Associate Daniel Spagnuolo at Rivendell Theatre July 21-August 20, 2017, a special Fall Event in October 2017, and Tony Award winner Stephen Karam’s Speech & Debate directed by Artistic Associate David Lipschutz in January & February 2018.  Chicago Reader"...tightly wound with tension that's inevitably bound to release in explosive fashion." CHicago Theatre Review"It’s a heartfelt, humorous and beautifully written drama by a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright that dances into our memory and remains until the last waltz." Hollywood Chicago"The three person cast create a passionate show of madness and mystery." Chicago Theater Beat"Thanks to Rutherford’s direction, stellar production values and a gifted cast, this Baltimore Waltz is one for the books." Ada Grey Reviews For You"People who would like this show are people who like close siblings, slipper-clogs, and smuggle bunnies. I thought this was a great show. It is a very complicated puzzle but it is a lot of fun to watch. I think people should go see this show. It is funny, heartbreaking, and weird in the best way. I really loved it." Chicago Stage Standard"It pops in and out of direct address at a moment’s notice and bounces around from raunchy comedy to self-discovery journey, dips a toe in some shady dealings, and tops it all off with a hint of absurdity to keep the audience a little bit off. Director Ed Rutherford clearly understood exactly what each of those styles meant and how to get each to play well with his actors." Irish American News"I was feverishly swept into the heart of the play. This is one of those occasions when you are glad that you live in Chicago where there are so many talented theatre companies and this is one to watch."
Brown Paper Box Co. is thrilled to announce their upcoming 2017-2018 season, comprised of They’re Playing Our Song and Speech & Debate. This is the first occasion that the company has announced their season in full, and they are excited to do so. Both directors, Danny Spagnuolo and David Lipschutz, are Chicago-based theatre artists and company members of Brown Paper Box Co. that have worked with the company in several capacities.
This coming summer, They’re Playing Our Song will take on Danny Spagnuolo’s fresh choreography in his directorial debut; Ilana Atkins will serve as music director. EGOT-winner Marvin Hamlisch’s music will be heard from the Rivendell Theatre in July and August of 2017 in the autobiographical musical about the joy of falling in love and making art. Next winter, three teenage misfits in Salem, Oregon will join David Lipschutz in Stephen Karam’s play that uses song to connect the difficulties of growing up. Speech & Debate’s playwright is also known for his play The Humans and Lipschutz for his work at Hell in a Handbag, Underscore Theatre, and Generic Theatre Company. Additionally, the season will include two special events. The first of these events will be a cabaret titled Positively Present, directed and coordinated by Margaret Baughman* and Kristi Szczepanek* in the spring of 2017. Stay tuned for more information about the fall event. The Baltimore Waltz, directed by Ed Rutherford - the final show of their 2016-2017 season - continues until February 17, 2017 at The Frontier. Audition information for They’re Playing Our Song will be announced shortly, and performers should reach out to Margaret Baughman if they wish to participate in Positively Present. More information about each of these productions can be found on their website, which will continue to be updated as details about these productions are finalized. *Denotes Brown Paper Box Co. members  What was your role on the staff of The Baltimore Waltz?
I directed! I'm excited at the chance to collaborate with so many fantastic people on this project. Have you worked on a play by Paula Vogel before? I am a huge fan of Paula Vogel, and have read many of her works, from How I Learned to Drive and The Mineola Twins to some of the more obscure works like And Baby Makes Seven and The Oldest Profession. The Baltimore Waltz is my favorite play of Vogel's because it's so funny and touching and such a personal work of hers. I also have directed it before -- over a decade ago -- and am delighted to have the chance to revisit the piece with a more mature point of view. How many languages do you speak? One well -- English. One poorly -- Spanish. And the barest minimum of a third -- Russian. Tell us about your siblings. I have a twin brother and a younger sister. I adore them both, but we also squabble a lot. The best thing I've done with my sister is every time we hang out on the couch in PJs and watch reality TV or goofy internet videos. Have you ever been to Baltimore, Europe, or the hospital? I have been to all three. I remember the hospital most clearly because I almost died. When I was little, I had a case of chicken pox that developed major complications due to some medicine I was taking. See Ed Rutherford's direction of The Baltimore Waltz, through February 19th at The Frontier. Tickets are on sale now!  Who do you play in The Baltimore Waltz?
I'm understudying for the role of Carl. I'm inspired by the biological significance that the role has to the playwright, and am most excited to be able to watch an actor work through the process of finding that character. Have you worked on a play by Paula Vogel before? I had a professor in college who was a huge advocated of her work, and How I Learned to Drive was a pretty substantial play for us to study during our contemporary unit in Theatre History. How many languages do you speak? I used to speak French, but it's been a while..... Tell us about your siblings. I have one little sister. We fought brutally growing up, which was awful for my parents. However, we're super-tight now and I even get to be my nephew's Godfather. Have you ever been to Baltimore, Europe, or the hospital? I've only been to the hospital. I had an extended stay due to a gnarly case of Lyme's Carditis. They couldn't get my heart rate back up to normal so I started watching the second season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The season finally was so intense that my vitals show right back up! Being confined to a bed for a week was awful, but the hospital food was surprisingly good. See Michael Pfeiffer in The Baltimore Waltz, in a special understudy performance tonight, January 26th. The Baltimore Waltz runs through February 19th at The Frontier. Tickets are on sale now!  Who do you play in The Baltimore Waltz?
I play the Third Man, so I'm also the set/dress/environment changer. Also, I get to have fun. Have you worked on a play by Paula Vogel before? I've read a few of her plays and saw a billion students doing her as scene-work in college, though I've probably absorbed more about her through her former student, Sarah Ruhl. My favorite may have to be Hot 'N Throbbing, just because it deals with such a difficult, unsavory subject and I love imagining it through the lens of its original director, Anne Bogart. How many languages do you speak? I speak HTML, ASCII, meme, some French, and various languages that babies apparently understand. So let's go with 5+. And don't underestimate the importance of BODY LANGUAGE. Tell us about your siblings. 1 sister. There's a line in this show about "bribing" your siblings: I definitely have a lot of memories of shoving presents in her lap or trying to make her laugh in the backseat bucket seats of our Ford Windstar minivan (RIP 1994-2004). The worst is that I was always the reason she was crying in the first place. Have you ever been to Baltimore, Europe, or the hospital? No east coast trips or flights across the Atlantic pond (I crossed the other one), though actually I worked in a hospital for a few years. I think it's memorable because nothing will make you an "old soul" as a teenager like wheeling around new mothers, whiny ER inpatients, or dying people while chugging Maxwell House coffee all day. See Justin Harner in The Baltimore Waltz, opening January 20th. Tickets are on sale now!  What is your role on the staff of The Baltimore Waltz?
Casting Director. It was an especially exciting process seeing and meeting our auditioners since this project is being directed by guest director, Ed Rutherford. The more artists BPBCo. gets to work with, the more new faces we get to meet and build working relationships with. Are you familiar with Paula Vogel's work? Yes! I first read How I Learned to Drive back in college and it remains hauntingly wonderful. And Ms. Vogel once gave me well-deserved side-eye for choke-coughing throughout act 2 of Sarah Ruhl's Passion Play at the Goodman. Sorry! How many languages do you speak? Un. Je conprende Francais pretty well, mais mon verbal skill est pas mal. Tell us about your siblings. One brother, Nick. He's 19 months younger than me. His recent surprise 30th birthday trip to Disney World is a happy standout. Nothing like two sweaty Greeks and 8 other Midwestern boys navigating 12,000 families in the middle of July in Orlando. Have you ever been to Baltimore, Europe, or the hospital? Duex of the trois, oui! Of the two, j'adore Paris! L'histoire, architecture, les ars, et mes amis y vivent, so I love to visit when the time and money allows. The Baltimore Waltz opens January 20th. Tickets are on sale now!  What is your role on the staff of The Baltimore Waltz?
I am understudying The Third Man and I'm incredibly excited at the prospect of getting play so many huge characters with so many different dialects. I'm very excited to dive into what makes all of these characters different and how they can all be -- at their core -- the same person. It's an exciting challenge! Have you ever worked on a play by Paula Vogel before? I had read How I Learned to Drive back in college, but that was really it, until reading this play about a year or so ago. Truthfully, I love this show. There's a ton of heart in every scene and it takes a subject that has been done many times on stage and turns it on it's head in some incredibly fun ways, while never sacrificing its groundedness. How many languages do you speak? Beginner Italian and French. One day I'll be fluent! Tell us about your siblings. I have an older sister, who the play reminds me a lot of. She and I are very close -- due, in largely, to how much we didn't get along when we were younger. I feel like we meet new versions of each other every time we see each other these days. My favorite memories with her were when we both went to Isreal a couple summers ago. You really get to know someone when you're traveling with them for 2 weeks. We hiked Masada together at 4am. You can't top that.. Have you ever been to Baltimore, Europe, or the hospital? I have been to Baltimore and Europe! I grew up in VA so I was never too far from Baltimore and actually got to go with my dad and sister on a trip there when I was younger (maybe 10). We saw an Orioles game and went to the Aquarium. Then I went to Europe during college when I studied abroad in Italy for a semester. Throughout that time I was lucky enough to go to London, Edinburgh, Prague, Berlin, Amsterdam, & Maastricht. Ian will be going on for The Third Man on February 2nd in The Baltimore Waltz, opening January 20th. Tickets are on sale now!  What is your role on the staff of The Baltimore Waltz?
I'm Anna's understudy! This role is both funny and heart breaking! Anna's a wonderfully complex woman- something I love about Paula Vogel's work, there is no room for weak women in her pieces. Have you ever worked on a play by Paula Vogel before? I was familiar with her work - this was actually one of the first plays we worked on in Script Analysis in undergrad, so I'm a big fan. This is my favorite of hers, I love the exploration of sibling relationships and how your whole perception can change when something drastic happens to them or you. How many languages do you speak? 2! I'm Fluent in American Sign Language. Tell us about your siblings. I have one older sister and we're very close, like obnoxiously close, I'm sure. The best thing I've done is pull off surprising her. She's very good at finding out information, no matter how well hidden-she's super intuitive. But during my first year here in Chicago, and I flew back on her birthday as a surprise present, but told her I wouldn't be able to make it home. Her husband had to drop me off around the corner of their house so I could sneak up on her. She cried. I won best birthday present. It was great. Have you ever been to Baltimore, Europe, or the hospital? I'm from Bawlmer, hon! My favorite part of the city is Hampden. It's this kitschy little strip of the city with lots of local business and cute, artsy shops. It's where John Waters and Divine hung out. Caitlin will be going on for Anna on February 9th in The Baltimore Waltz, opening January 20th. Tickets are on sale now! |
 Brown Paper BlogMaking theatre. Writing about it. Maybe some hilarious Youtube cat videos in between.
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