NorthEastern Theatres / Theaters

ONE FINE DAY
(formerly titled Any Day Now)
by David Rush
directed by Drew Martin

Stage Left Theatre’s
25th Anniversary Season continues
with the World Premiere of

Chicago , January 16, 2007 – Stage Left Theatre (SLT) continues its 25 th Anniversary Season with the world premiere of the award-winning play One Fine Day by Jeff Award-winning playwright and SLT ensemble member David Rush. This poignant, funny and very personal story about the limits of free speech highlights the current and emerging campus controversies across the nation. When tenured Professor Fred Miller shows up to class dressed as Adolf Hitler, he is accused of racism by a Jewish student, and embarks on a fight for his career. But how far is he willing to go to rattle the institutional cage one last time?

One Fine Day was originally titled Any Day Now, and was listed as such in previous Stage Left press releases and marketing materials. However, the Bob Dylan estate recently approached Mr. Rush about changing the name. Since the play contains several songs written by Mr. Dylan (including “The Times They Are A-Changing”) and “Any Day Now” is also the title of a Joan Baez album of songs written by Dylan (released on the Vanguard label in 1969), the estate voiced concerns that the play might be seen as based on Bob Dylan. Although that is not the case, Mr. Rush decided not to press the matter further and agreed to change the title of the play while still keeping the songs as part of the play’s content.

Performances/times are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 PM and Sundays at 3:00 PM February 27 through April 7, 2007. Previews begin February 17, 2007 (details below). Press opening is Tuesday, February 27 at 7:30 PM.

Founded in 1982, Stage Left Theatre is committed to nurturing voices for the American theatre by developing and producing plays that bring fresh perspective to the stories of today’s world. Stage Left has a proven track record with new work and world premieres. Over the last five years,Stage Left has produced five Joseph Jefferson nominees and three winners for Best New Work.

The Play

Has Fred Miller gone too far? A popular and tenured professor, he shocks his students by showing up to class dressed up as Adolf Hitler. When a Jewish student voices her displeasure to the campus newspaper, Miller finds himself in a fight for his career. But how far is he willing to go to rattle the institutional cage one last time? Join Stage Left’s ensemble for this poignant, funny and very personal story about the limits of free speech. One Fine Day is the winner of the Fulton Opera House New Play Contest, and was a runner-up for this year's Ojai Playwrights' Conference.

The People

David Rush (playwright) has won several major awards, including the Los Angeles DramaLogue, several Jeffs and Emmys, and three AfterDark Awards. Among his award-winning works are five produced by Stage Left – Cuttings, Prairie Lights (with Susan Lieberman and Rosalie Gerut), Police Deaf Near Far, Leander Stillwell, and Dapples and Grays. Recently, his play Estelle Singerman won first place in the Dayton Playhouse Future Fest, Germinous Seeds won first prize in the Fremont Theater Center New Play Contest and was a semi-finalist for the Ashland New Plays Festival. One Fine Day won the Fulton Opera House New Play Contest, was a runner-up for this year's Ojai Playwrights' Conference, and will be produced by Southern Illinois Unversity Carbondale this spring. The Chicago Dramatists production of his play The Prophet of Bishop Hill was Jeff nominated. Last year, the Chicago Jewish Theatre produced his musical Feathers in the Wind (with music by Errol Pearlman), which was Jeff recommended, and his new musical, with Susan Lieberman and Jeff Bouthiette, Whirlybirds, is scheduled for a workshop production in this year's LeapFest. He is a resident playwright with Chicago Dramatists and an ensemble member of Stage Left. He currently heads the Playwriting Program at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and was named Playwrighting Teacher of the Year, 2002-2003. His textbook, “A Student Guide for Play Analysis” has been adopted by nearly two dozen schools and colleges across the country. He is represented in New York by Robert A. Freedman Dramatic Agency.

Drew Martin (director) has worked for over 20 years in professional theatre as a director, producer, designer, technician and educator. Shows he has directed in Chicago have been nominated for nine Joseph Jefferson Awards, winning five, including Outstanding Director for David Rush’s Leander Stillwell. His work includes the world premieres of Prairie Lights, Police Deaf Near Far, Sing For Your Supper, Watchdog, Tasters Choice, Dapples and Grays, Rage of the Ages, Arthur’s Dream and Maxwell Street. Other directing work includes, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night, Julius Caesar, Out Of Spite: Tales of Survival in Sarajevo, Escape From Happiness, In White America, Theatre II, Bocon, We The People and Kid Dinosaur. He has also managed finances for several commercial and non-profit producers, including Court Theatre, Performing Arts Chicago and Perkins Productions/Royal George Theatre (including the Broadway production of I Hate Hamlet). He was Producer of two episodes of Magic Door Television Theatre. Drew was Artistic Director of Stage Left until 2000 and remains an active Ensemble Member. He studied in London with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

The cast includes Walter Brody (Dean Reynolds), Tim Curtis (Ken), Kate Harris (Helen), Erin Reitz (Betty Redman), Scotty Rowe (Fred Miller), Joseph Sherman ( Harrison), Lisa Stevens (Ginny), Lindsay Weisberg (Rivkah) and Angelique Westerfield (Ms. Winston).

The staff includes Alan Donahue (set), Tim Hill (sound), Amy Jahnke (graphic design), Michelle Lilly (stage management), Ashley Pausig (costumes), Ron Seely (lights), Kevin Heckman and John Sanders (producers).

Tickets & Information

One Fine Day runs Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM, Sundays at 3 PM 2/27/07 through 4/7/07. . Tickets may be purchased by calling the box office at (773) 883-8830 or online at www.stagelefttheatre.com.

Street, metered and paid lot parking is available. The theatre is handicapped and CTA accessible via the Belmont El (Red & Brown) & Addison El (Red) stops. Media comps, photos, videos and interviews are available from 773.883.8830 or john@stagelefttheatre.com. Streaming video will be available at www.stagechannel.com.

Upcoming Shows, 25 th Anniversary Season

Live Girls by Victoria Stewart (directed by SLT Producing Artistic Director Kevin Heckman)
April 24 – June 2, 2007
When an African-American performance artist interviews a self-described porn star for a piece on injustice, her preconceptions of art, sex and truth are shattered.

LeapFest 4 – Our annual festival of new works
June 12 – June 30, 2007
Stage Left Theatre teams up with the Department of Cultural Affairs to bring audiences an expanded version of Chicago’s most compelling festival of new plays at the Chicago Cultural Center. Cultural Center events will include the festival’s kick-off celebration First Night, a plyawrighting master-class, and the first ever Bad Play Benefit.

Stage Left Theatre Company ● 3408 N. Sheffield, Chicago IL 60657
773.883.8830 phone ● 773.472.1336 fax ● www.stagelefttheatre.com
Press Contact: John Sanders, 312.493.0729, john@stagelefttheatre.com