Eclipse Theatre is proud to feature the works of celebrated playwright and poet Naomi Wallace in the 2011 Season.
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One Flea Spare
Directed by Ensemble Member The 2011 Naomi Wallace season begins with one of her most captivating plays. Set in plague-ravaged 17th Century London, a wealthy couple is preparing to flee their home when a mysterious sailor and a young girl appear sneaking into their boarded up house. Now, quarantined together for 30 days, the only thing these strangers fear more than the Plague is each other. The definition of morality is up for grabs and survival may take many forms in this fiercely intense & humorous play from Naomi Wallace. Winner of the 1997 Obie Award for Best Play. Ensemble member and former Artistic Director Anish Jethmalani returns to direct this award winning piece. Jethmalani has previously directed the critically acclaimed and award winning productions of Rebecca Gilman's Spinning into Butter in 2006 and Blue Surge in 2009 for Eclipse in addition to the 2005 Jeff Award winning production of The Masrayana for Rasaka Theatre Company. The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek
Directed by guest artist High atop a railroad trestle that spans a bone dry creek, two teenagers plan to race across the bridge against an oncoming locomotive. At first their scheme adds excitement to their life in a small factory town during the Great Depression, but their sensual experience, dawning sexuality and confusion awakens dangerous passions in an era of stifled ambitions. With theatrical flourish, humor and lyrical finesse, Naomi Wallace delves into a world where people struggle to change lives that bear down upon them. Guest artist and revered director Jonathan Berry makes his directorial debut with Eclipse. Berry received a Jeff Nomination for directing Time and the Conways at the Griffin Theatre in 2006. He recently directed the critically acclaimed production of Suicide Incorporated for The Gift Theatre Company and is currently directing the upcoming Griffin Theatre revival of Company. The Fever Chart: Four Visions of the Middle East
A Chicago Premiere! 
Co-directed by ensemble members The 2011 Naomi Wallace season concludes with the Chicago premieres of The Fever Chart: Four Visions of the Middle East - four multi-faceted works exploring the urgency and complexity of the Middle East's political landscape, through the voices and experiences of the people who inhabit it. In A State of Innocence, an Israeli soldier encounters a mysterious Palestinian woman in a dreamscape of the Rafah Zoo. Between this Breath and You takes place in a clinic in West Jerusalem, where a Palestinian father, after the death of his son, connects with a young Israeli woman with whom he shares more than either thought. In The Retreating World, an Iraqi bird collector tells of his conscription into Saddam's army and life in the aftermath of the surrender to US forces. No Such Cold Thing explores the American war in Afghanistan in human terms through the story of two afghan teenage sisters divided by conflict, and the US serviceman who finds an intimately human connection to their tragedy. Ensemble member & Jeff Award winning director Steven Fedoruk recently directed Eclipse's critically acclaimed production of Arthur Miller's A Memory of Two Mondays. He will be joined by Ensemble member Sarah Moeller who directed Eclipse's Jeff nominated production of Pearl Cleage's A Song for Coretta in 2008. The Playwright Scholar Series
TBA at the Greenhouse Theater2257 N. Lincoln Ave. Chicago IL As a subscriber, you'll also get to learn more about the life and works of Naomi Wallace, with free readings and events throughout the season. Details regarding our scholar series events will be announced in 2011. |
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"Naomi Wallace commits the unpardonable sin of being partisan, and,
the darkness and harshness of her work notwithstanding, outrageously
optimistic. She seems to believe that the world can change. She certainly
writes as if she intends to set it on fire." - Tony Kushner (in article on
Naomi Wallace written by Lyn Gardner from The Guardian.)
