CHICAGO: Mary Zimmerman will have some company. Lookingglass Theatre Company has announced the remaining lineup for its 2015–16 season. In addition to the previously announced world premiere of Zimmerman’s adaptation of Treasure Island, Lookingglass will also produce a world premiere adaptation of Federico García Lorca’s Blood Wedding and an original show written by ensemble member Kevin Douglas.
“We are thrilled not only to debut Mary Zimmerman’s next world premiere adventure, but also to herald Dan Ostling’s singular vision of Federico García Lorca’s seductive tale to the stage, and to introduce Kevin Douglas’s hilarious but provocative vaudeville play to Chicago,” said artistic director Andrew White in a statement. “The characters in these plays place everything on the line without compromise. They risk it all in the name of adventure, wealth, passion, revenge, fame and infamy. I simply cannot wait to share these three captivating stories with our audiences.”
The season will open with Zimmerman’s adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island (Oct. 7–Jan. 17, 2016), in a coproduction with Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Zimmerman, a Lookingglass ensemble member, will direct the swashbuckling tale of adventures on the high seas. Following its Chicago engagement, Treasure Island will travel to Berkeley Rep.
Next will be an adaptation of Lorca’s Blood Wedding by Michael Dewell and Carmen Zapata (March 2–April 24, 2016). The tale of passion and revenge takes place on a young bride’s wedding day, when her former lover pays her a visit. Blood Wedding will be directed by ensemble member Ostling.
The final production, and world premiere, of the season will be Thaddeus and Slocum: A Vaudeville Adventure by ensemble member Kevin Douglas (June 1–Aug. 7, 2016). The play takes place in 1908 in Chicago, and is about a two friends—one black, the other white—who are determined to be stage stars despite racial boundaries. Ensemble members Nicole Brooks and Krissy Vanderwarker will direct.
Lookingglass Theatre Company was founded in 1988. It has staged 62 world premieres and is currently home to a multi-disciplinary ensemble of artists
