Written by Caitlin Parrish
Story by Caitlin Parrish and Erica Weiss
Directed by Erica Weiss
FEBRUARY 17, 2011 ↔
MARCH 26TH, 2011
Joseph Jefferson Award nominee Best New Work
Joseph Jefferson Award Winner Video/Projections design
"10 Best Shows of 2011" - Chicago Tribune
"10 Best Shows of 2011" - Time Out Chicago
"Best Box Office Hit of 2011" - Chicago Magazine
"A Twist of Water" centers on Noah, a gay, widowed history teacher, raising his adopted African-American daughter Jira alone in the wake of his husband’s death in a car accident. When Jira decides that she wants to seek out her birth mother, Noah’s already grief-stricken and strained relationship with his child is pressed to the breaking point. As he struggles to hold on to and rebuild his family, a burgeoning new romance with a younger man serves to complicate matters, but may also be a saving grace. This world premiere introduces us to a seemingly non-traditional family, and at the heart of their story is our beloved city of Chicago, whose history and progress is the centerpiece of the play.
A Twist of Water is a love letter to the Windy City, a deeply funny and profoundly touching story of fathers and daughters, and what it means to be a family.
BY SCOTT T. BARSOTTI
DIRECTED BY DAMON KIELY
OCTOBER 7, 2010 ↔ NOVEMBER 14, 2010
In the fall of 2010, Route 66 produced its fifth Chicago premiere and second world premiere, MCMEEKIN FINDS OUT by Scott T. Barsotti. This laugh-out-loud dark comedy played at the Victory Gardens Richard Christian Theater, starred Randy Steinmeyer and Kate Buddeke, and was directed by Artistic Associate Damon Kiely. This working-class tale told the story of proud Pittsburgh natives Guy and Pam McMeekin, who's uneventful Sunday is turned upside down by bad news from their seventeen year-old daughter. A chaotic day ensues an interrogation, a taser, a hammer, a lot of duct tape and an unshaken love of football as the family sorts out the uncomfortable truth the best way they know how. With this world premiere comedy, Route 66 continued its commitment to fostering new work.
HIGH FIDELITY
MUSIC BY TOM KITT
LYRICS BY AMANDA GREEN
BOOK BY DAVID LINDSAY ABAIRE
Directed by Peter Amster
August 8, 2009 ↔ October 9, 2009
In August of 2009, we produced our fourth production in just over a year with the Chicago premiere of HIGH FIDELITY. This 14- person Equity musical was the first major production of HIGH FIDELITY outside of the initial Broadway run and garnered national press for its undertaking. Route 66 took over the Piper’s Alley theater space on North Ave and Wells that had been home to TONY ‘N TINA’S WEDDING for over 16 years and transformed every inch of the space into a night club. The show ran for nine weeks, was "Jeff Recommended" and sold out performances. NPR "Dueling Critics" called it a "Must See" production, it was "Highly Recommended" in the Chicago Sun-Times and was named “One of the Top Ten Shows of 2009” by the Chicago Sun-Times and Broadwayworld.com. But most importantly, our audiences had a rockin' good time--proving that a musical is something Route 66 should commit to every season.
The winner of the 2009 jeff award for sound design. Also nominated for best solo performance. This production helped launch our educational outreach program lead by ashley bishop.a summertime ghost story about redemption and a young girl's haunting kiss
An entire small town in western Ohio is vividly brought to life in this riveting fable. After a reckless driver kills her twin brother, Charlotte McGraw becomes a supernatural wonder to others when it appears she has received an eerie power from his dying kiss. A poignant summertime ghost story, this quirky and touching play offers the unexpected perspective of a child on the big questions of life, death and redemption.
Under the direction of Scott Cummins, I’m Spiritual, Dammit! (Climbing the Mountain of Enlightenment with a Martini in One Hand and My Pumps in the Other…) is a continuation of Jenniffer Weigel's humorous, irreverent, and often poignant exploration of all things spiritual. From her encounters with spiritually attuned celebrities, to her interviews with renowned psychics and mediums, to her struggle to come to terms with the death of her father, Chicago sports casting legend Tim Weigel, Jen is on a mission to find the answer to one of life's most burning questions - "What happens when we die?"
BY JOHN KOLVENBACH
Directed by Ron Klier
July 31, 2008 ↔ September 6, 2008
Our inaugural production of John Kolvenbach’s ON AN AVERAGE DAY debuted at the Elephant Theatre Lab in Los Angeles, California in collaboration with the Los Angeles based, V.S. Theatre Company. Starring Founder and Artistic Director Stef Tovar alongside V.S. Theatre Company's Artistic Director Johnny Clark, ON AN AVERAGE DAY was met with critical acclaim and enjoyed a sold-out, five week run, an L.A. Ovation nomination, and several LADCC nominations. Upon closing, Route 66 Theatre Company brought the entire production along “The Mother Road” for the Chicago premiere in August of 2008 at the then Victory Gardens Greenhouse Theater. ON AN AVERAGE DAY was once again met with acclaim by critics and audiences alike. The show ran for six weeks, was named “Critic’s Choice” in the Chicago Tribune, and received a Jeff Award Nomination for Outstanding Fight Choreography. An emotionally harrowing yet subtly compassionate work, ON AN AVERAGE DAY recalled the brutal family-dysfunction dramas of Sam Shepard coupled with the enigmatic subtext of Harold Pinter. Chris Jones of the Chicago Tribune called it "An auspicious and hopeful debut" for Route 66 and a new Chicago-based theatre company was born.
