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ITC Drama By Pulitzer Winning Author


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Park Forest, IL—(ENEWSPF)— The Illinois Theatre Center of Park Forest will start 2008 with the critically acclaimed play COLLECTED STORIES by Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Donald Marguilies. The play opens Friday, January 11 for a three-week run.

This provocative drama traces the relationship of a famous author and the adulatory fan who becomes her protégé, disciple, friend, colleague, and ultimately, threatening rival. The Hollywood Reporter praised this exciting play as “…an affecting character study… with sharply written and incisive dialogue.”

Donald Marguilies was born in Brooklyn in 1954. He studied visual arts at the Pratt Institute before transferring to State University of New York to pursue a degree in playwriting. During the early 80s, he collaborated with Joseph Papp, and his first Off-Broadway play, FOUND A PEANUT, was produced at the Public Theatre. In 1992, Margulies’ career really began to take off when SIGHT UNSEEN won an Obie Award for Best New American Play. His other plays include THE LOMAN FAMILY PICNIC, LUNA PARK, WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?, THE MODEL APARTMENT, BROKEN STEPS, COLLECTED STORIES, THE GOD OF VENGEANCE, and DINNER WITH FRIENDS, which won the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and was later filmed by HBO. He lives in New Haven, Connecticut, where he teaches playwriting at the Yale School of Drama.

Judy Rossignuolo-Rice portrays Ruth, the veteran writer. Judy has been performing and directing at ITC for over 20 years. Her recent onstage appearances include THE PRICE, THE TALE OF THE ALLERGIST’S WIFE, PICNIC, and WAITING FOR THE PARADE. For the past three years, she has also been directing plays and performing in Stuttgart, Germany as part of a U.S. Army program to provide entertainment for military personnel stationed in Europe.

Laura Lodewyck, who portrays Lisa, the young protégé, made her Illinois Theatre Center debut a year ago in CANDIDA. She earned her MFA in Drama from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. Her numerous stage credits include roles at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Court Theatre, New Jersey Shakespeare Festival, and Hothouse Theatre in St. Louis.

The production is directed by Bernard Rice. Mr. Rice has been working with ITC as an actor, director, composer and musician since 1978. His recent credits inlcude THAT CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON, KUNI-LEML, ART, PICNIC, and FIDDLER ON THE ROOF.

COLLECTED STORIES runs from Friday, Jan. 11 through Sunday, Jan. 27. Performances are Wednesday thru Saturday evenings at 8 PM, and Sundays at 2:30 & 7:30 PM. Tickets are priced at $21 on Fri. & Sat., $19 at all other times. There is a $1 discount for students & seniors. The Illinois Theatre Center is located in downtown Park Forest at 371 Artists Walk (off Indianwood Blvd, next to Village Hall). For tickets, call (708) 481-3510.

Image and Release Souce: Illinois Theater Center


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