COURT THEATRE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR CHARLES NEWELL
DEFIES EXPECTATIONS WITH AN UNCONVENTIAL, BOLD
APPROACH TO CHEKHOV’S UNCLE VANYA.
JANUARY 11- FEBRUARY 11, 2007

CHICAGO, December 15, 2006 – Court Theatre, in association with the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA), continues it’s 52nd season of bold classics with Artistic Director Charles Newell’s wildly imaginative and richly muscled production of Anton Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya. Like his revisionist productions of The Glass Menagerie and last season’s multiple Jeff Award winning Man of La Mancha, Newell plans to defy audience expectations and ask theatergoers to rethink everything they know about this masterpiece by focusing on Chekov’s often overlooked comic brilliance—illuminating the play’s quiet desperation by juxtaposing it with moments of the ridiculously funny.

Uncle Vanya begins previews Thursday, February 3, 2005. Press opening is Saturday, January 20, at 8:00 p.m. Tickets to Uncle Vanya range from $28-$54, and are on sale now. Performances run Wednesday to Sunday through February 11, 2007 at the Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago Ave. in Chicago. Tickets are on sale now at the Court Theatre Box Office, (773) 753-4472, or can be purchased online at CourtTheatre.uchicago.edu .

Newell’s production will challenge audiences to see Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya in a new way visually as well: the play features a scenic design created by famed Chicago Architect Leigh Breslau of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP. The intricate set—an elaborate series of levels—takes inspiration from the MCA itself and from the famous “Tatlin Tower” designed by early 20th century Russian architect, Vladimir Tatlin. The set will be the first theatrical set design by Breslau, whose previous work includes serving as master planner for Chicago’s Millennium Park. The design has been created to specifically fit into the performance space at the MCA and according to Artistic Director Charles Newell, “this production of Uncle Vanya could only be possible in this space.”

Chekhov’s masterpiece mixes farce and desperation to reveal hopeless infatuations, old grudges and ironic humor. Central to the proceedings are Vanya and his niece who have spent their lives caring for the country estate of a relative they regard as a great man, but whose summer stay at the estate with his young wife leads to their painful awakening to the fact that they've wasted their lives on a man who is as untalented as he is uncaring.

Uncle Vanya marks the fourth partnership for Court with the Museum of Contemporary Art following last years acclaimed co-presentation of Mabou Mines Dollhouse.

Site Design by
The Stage Channel