Tympanic Theater Company Blog

Last night was our first read-thru of MUERTE DEL MAESTRO, the first play in our 4th season written by the all around stellar Joshua Mikel.  Director, actors, and designers all piled into the Ainslie Street basement to share thoughts, ideas, and general excitment for this ruckus play. 

Dustin Pettigrew,whipped out a set model that had the works…and then some.  Seriously, dudes.  This thing even LIT UP!  Literally.  So sweet.  Lizi Breit's sketches for the the SIX FOOT TALL bull puppet also received it's well deserved "hoots n' hollers."  All in all it was an excellent kick off to what is sure to be a perfectly baller show for our 4th season. 

Without any further ado, we'd like to officially announce our cast and crew for MUERTE DEL MAESTRO!!

MUERTE DEL MAESTRO
Playwright: Joshua Mikel

Check out www.tympanictheatre.org for more info.

Thanks for reading!

Missed the critically acclaimed Extinction Fantasies the first time around? 

DON'T WORRY FAIR FRIENDS!

This Saturday, August 21st at 1:45a.m. (or is that Sunday?) Tymapanic will preform Extinction Fantasies as part of Mary-Archie's  Abbie Hoffman Festival.  Go to HERE to see the full line-up.

"You could call it the Lollapalooza of drama!" - Redeye Chicago
"Weekend's Best Best"-Metromix
"Must See!" -Timeout Chicago
"Recommended!"- Chicago Reader

The 22nd annual performance mashup celebrates the anniversary of the Woodstock Music and Art Fair of 1969. Three days of non-stop entertainment include more than 50 theater groups and performers on the Angel Island stage. Festivities begin at 2 p.m. Friday at Daley Plaza, where participants gather for a peaceful march to the theater's home in Lakeview.

Ticket options:Passes include access to unlimited performances and "come-and-go" privileges during one day ($10) or the entire weekend ($25).

Aug. 20: 7 p.m. through August 22: Midnight

Price: $10-$25

Box office: 773-871-0442
Tickets available at the door.
A limited number of Weekend Passes available online at Ticketweb.com

ALSO… feeling hungry?

On Sunday, September 29th we will announce officially announce our 4th season with our LAUNCH DINNER. Tickets are $20.00 donation which will help us produce this totally spectacular season. We'll be providing dinner, drinks, music, a sneak peek of our next show, and a very big thank you for all of your help.  There is loads to be excited about this season and we can't wait to share it all with you!  Because after all, we can't do it without you.

Where: Strawdog Theatre's Hugen Hall

When: 8:00 – 10:00p

Who: You, us, and friends!

Thanks for reading!

With the completion of the 3rd season and planing of the 4th you'd think the Tympaniacs would take a breather this summer.  Right………..
When AD Dan Caffrey was offered some FREE theatre space he pounced on the chance without even having a project in mind!   Now 6 weeks later (seriously like Dan talked to us about this first week of May) we are producing a night of apocalyptic romance fantasies written by Dan, directed by Jamie  Bragg and myself.

Personally, I am really enjoying just watching it all come together right now and watching everyone involved in Extinction Fantasies pull everything off as a team.  The company members (only a few of us can even work on the show because everyone else is working on other cool theatre projects in Chicago or out of town!) and the associate actors and designers  are all doing a phenomenal job and have been extremely professional in a short amount of time.  I'm particularly pleased to be working with two actors who I've seen grow over the past year, Jared Nell and Jenn Betancourt, as we hit the ground running to work on the intimate one act The Deer Callers.  Dan basically wrote this one on a napkin 6 weeks ago and it's now a fully developed one act ready to open next Friday July 2nd!

I love it when a plan comes together which is why I welcomed the opportunity to join Tympanic this spring.  When you get the right crew together and you are part of an fearless artistic team, you really get a chance to create quality theatre.  It's kinda like being part of the A-Team.  You never really know how you're going to pull it off but as long as you stick together it all works out in the end.    I don't want to give too much away about Extinction Fantasies:  Two Apocalyptic Romances by Daniel Caffrey.  But I do need to express how excited I am about every artist that is involved, as well as our run in July at the side project and our participation in this year's Abbie Hoffman Festival at Mary-Arrchie in August.  I pitty the fool who don't see this show!

Mr. T (imothy Bambara)

Jared Nell is honored to be a part of another show with Tympanic after his tour de force in Ozma and Harriet. After graduating from Southern Illinois University (the real one), he spent two years in St. Louis before taking the scenic I-55 North to Chicago to pursue his dream of one day appearing in the first act of a show at The Side Project. Unfortunately it seems he will have to continue the fight for that dream. Favorite roles include Renzo in The Green Bird, Angelo in Comedy of Errors, Alex in A Clockwork Orange, and Steve in Ozma and Harriet. He'd like to thank Dan and Tim for the opportunity and Obama for…well, he knows. 
 

Which show/part are you in?
I play Gary Nitropower in Deer Callers (last name pending playwright approval)

If you met your character in real life would you be their friend? Why/why not?
Honestly I probably already am. He is very relatable and not too different from my existing friends. I think it is easy to empathize with him, and I understand his problems, his priorities, his tactics and even his mistakes.

If the world ended tomorrow what would you do with your day today?
I would probably sleep. I need to conserve my energy so I can start out my next life well rested, because who knows what I'll be? What if im a warrior or soldier of some kind? If im exhausted then ill be dragging ass during battle and no way am I being that guy. Also I have a $2 off coupon for quiznos that I would have to use before its no good.

What aspect of this project are you most excited for?
I'm looking forward to the subtle changes and character growth that happen when the scripts are set down. Big casts are always lots of fun but Ive always been a fan of working with one or two other actors when the characters' relationships and problems are deep rooted and the stakes are so high.

Tell us two truths and a lie
I realized my calling in theater by playing the mouse at Chuck E Cheese during high school
I can stop eating frosted flakes whenever I choose to stop. But it will be MY choice, no one elses
I hate Paul E. Martinez

EXTINCTION FANTASIES: two apocalyptic romances
by Daniel Caffrey
directed by Timothy Bambara and Jamie Bragg
July 4th through July 18th
Sundays at 7:00pm, Thursdays at 9:00pm
The Side Project (1439 W. Jarvis Ave.)
For tickets and more information, visit www.tympanictheatre.org

Thanks for reading!

Susan

Heather Moats was born in Tampa, Fl, one hot, humid, August morning. She would stay in this flat, sweaty city for the next 18 years of her young life. Upon her high school graduation she would journey to Tallahassee, another sweltering town, only this time, with hills. At Florida State University, she studied theatre and only theatre, much to future-post-graduate-job-seeking Heather’s chagrin*. Her senior year, she jetted over the pond and studied yet more theatre in London, traveling to such places as Italy and France. Early May 2009, she graduated with a BA in (you guessed it) theatre. Late May 2009, she packed her cat in the back of her car and moved up to Chicago, Il. Since then she has worked with Red Tape’s Fresh Eye’s project and has been the dramaturge for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest with Consortium Project, and Ozma and Harriet with Tympanic Theatre Company. She is thrilled that she will be making her Chicago stage debut with Tympanic in Dark Horse.    
 
*Future-post-graduate-job-seeking Heather is no longer job seeking and is in love with her theatre degree once more

Which show/part are you in?
I play Sable in Dark Horse.
If you met your character in real-life, would you be their friend?  Why/why not?
Heck yes I would! She’s got this really sweet and silly side to her that I’m very drawn to. She’s honest and open and empathetic, all things I strive to be.
If the world ended tomorrow what would you do with your day today?
I would go to the Field museum to see Sue. There’s something rather poignant about the idea of greeting my imminent extinction by examining the extinctions of animals 65 million years ago. 
What aspect of this project are you most excited for?
I love premiering new work. Knowing that our audience is going to witness the birth of theatre and that I’m a part of that birth is exhilarating.
Tell us two truths and a lie.
I have a cat named after Fay Wray.
I’ve hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
I’m a terrible photographer.

EXTINCTION FANTASIES: two apocalyptic romances
by Daniel Caffrey
directed by Timothy Bambara and Jamie Bragg
July 4th through July 18th
Sundays at 7:00pm, Thursdays at 9:00pm
The Side Project (1439 W. Jarvis Ave.)
For tickets and more information, visit www.tympanictheatre.org

Thanks for reading!

Susan