Help The Mary-Arrchie Theatre Co.

The Mary-Arrchie Theatre Co.

Chicago, Illinois

Cause Description:
Mary-Arrchie Theatre Co. was established in 1986 and is currently in its 22nd full season of theater. We are committed to producing theater as an ensemble including actors, directors, and designers who are intimately involved in the process. We approach material, published and original, dealing with the fears and passions of the human condition involving characters who are often misunderstood, societal outcasts, and victims of their own exile. We have garnered a reputation for making risky choices by embracing challenging material for both our audience and the artists involved. We are dedicated to bringing light to controversial subjects and presenting alternative viewpoints of these subjects giving our audience different information to consider as they walk away from the theater. These qualities were definitely evident in our last season of theater, which included The Altruists by Nicky Silver and a world premier by a local playwright, David Hauptschein, When The Walls Have Ears. Together with our last production from the season before, The Hot l Baltimore by Lanford Wilson, our last three productions all have been recommended by the Joseph Jefferson Committee and garnered us two best supporting actress nominations and one recipient of a Jefferson Citation. Other examples of our work include Eugene O’Neill’s The Hairy Ape, David Greig’s Europe, our original adaptation of Edward Louis Wallant’s The Pawnbroker, our ever popular production of Bertolt Brecht’s The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui and our multiple Jeff cited productions of Brian Friel’s The Freedom of the City and John DiFusco’s Tracers. All of these productions have helped heighten our visibility in the theater community and have stayed true to our vision and mission. We want to continue to be as diverse and original with our choices as we can be. Our decisions as to what plays to produce are always based on what social, psychological, and/or philosophical thoughts they provoke. Above all criterion is the quality of the writing. If we are working on a new play, we hone it and shape it with heavy involvement from the playwright. If we are working on an established play, we find our own personal edge, which adds another level to the material to keep it fresh and exciting for audiences familiar with the piece and inspiring for those who are unfamiliar. Other productions of ours that exemplify these attributes can be sighted on our enclosed company history.

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