Production history Defiant Theatre




1 production history

1.1 1993/1994 season

1.1.1 hamlet
1.1.2 landscape of body
1.1.3 quarantine


1.2 1994/1995 season

1.2.1 dumb waiter/victoria station
1.2.2 women , water
1.2.3 apt pupil


1.3 1996 season

1.3.1 ugly man
1.3.2 ubu raw
1.3.3 red dragon


1.4 1997 season

1.4.1 mystery of irma vep
1.4.2 caligula
1.4.3 skriker


1.5 1998 season

1.5.1 phaedra s love
1.5.2 action movie: play
1.5.3 dracula


1.6 1999 season

1.6.1 bluebeard
1.6.2 action movie: play: director s cut
1.6.3 burning desires


1.7 2000 season

1.7.1 love talker
1.7.2 godbaby
1.7.3 macbeth


1.8 2001 season

1.8.1 cleansed
1.8.2 fortinbras
1.8.3 sci-fi action movie in space prison


1.9 2002 season

1.9.1 flaming guns of purple sage
1.9.2 dope
1.9.3 nicholas debeaubien s hunchback of notre dame


1.10 2003 season

1.10.1 titus andronicus
1.10.2 defiant fabulon
1.10.3 dracula


1.11 2004 season

1.11.1 action movie: play
1.11.2 pyrates
1.11.3 clockwork orange







production history
1993/1994 season
hamlet

by william shakespeare

directed christopher johnson

opened friday, november 19, 1993 @ greenview arts center



rosencrantz , guildenstern may dead; defiant theatre s hamlet not. - chicago reader



landscape of body

by john guare

directed darren critz

opened friday, february 11, 1994 @ american theater company



smoother, more consistent presentation might not have been able reach emotional heights of defiant theatre s landscape of body. - newcity



the quarantine

by darren critz

directed joe foust

chicago premiere

at strawdog theatre company



defiant theatre has come splendidly gruesome, darkly comic stage images... defiant theatre company keep eye on. - chicago reader




have taste? check @ door. - gay chicago magazine



1994/1995 season
the dumb waiter/victoria station

by harold pinter

the dumb waiter directed joe foust

victoria station directed rob kimmel

at angel island



kindles riveting slowness small triumphant climax. - chicago reader



women , water

by john guare

directed darren critz

at american theater company



thrilling production how reveals subtleties of guare s play. - chicago reader



apt pupil

based on novella stephen king

adapted , directed christopher johnson

world premiere

opened thursday, may 4, 1995 @ preston bradley center



s given me vivid nightmares past 2 nights (and counting). - chicago reader



1996 season
the ugly man

by brad fraser

directed linda gillum & barb wruck thometz

chicago premiere

opened saturday, january 13, 1996 @ strawdog theatre company



defiant production has right tone. - chicago tribune




becomes disgustingly irresistible. - gay chicago magazine



ubu raw

based upon alfred jarry s ubu roi

adapted joe foust & richard ragsdale

directed joe foust

world premiere

opened saturday, june 1, 1996 @ american theater company



sensational off-loop show hit stage in long time... production remarkable. - chicago tribune




breathtaking disregard own safety. - chicago reader




simultaneously assaulting , seductive, , violently metaphoric. - newcity



red dragon

based upon novel thomas harris

adapted , directed christopher johnson

world premiere

opened wednesday, october 23, 1996 @ firehouse



defiant theatre pulls no punches in production have tumbled on camp. - windy city times



1997 season
the mystery of irma vep

by charles ludlam

directed jim slonina

opened monday, may 5, 1997 @ national pastime theater



blisteringly intelligent comedy. - chicago sun-times




nonstop laugh riot. - newcity




s way fun! - nightlines



caligula

by albert camus

directed richard ragsdale

opened monday, july 21, 1997 @ griffin theatre



defiant presents plenty of philosophy fornication. - nightlines



the skriker

by caryl churchill

directed linda gillum

chicago premiere

opened monday, october 13, 1997 @ american theater company



ensemble work in every aspect... ve put on 1 hell of show. - chicago tribune




defiant theatre has created dark puppet extravaganza. - chicago sun-times




***1⁄2 eerie tale wrapped in keen , inspired visual design. - gay chicago magazine



1998 season
phaedra s love

by sarah kane

directed lisa rothschiller

american premiere

opened wednesday, june 10, 1998 @ american theater company



s punk, pulp fiction classicism, whipped frenzy in tight, stylish production. - chicago tribune




**** re appalled heinous clan — but, boy, loved going party. - gay chicago magazine



action movie: play

by joe foust & richard ragsdale

directed joe foust

world premiere

opened wednesday, july 22, 1998 @ american theater company



unforgettable theatrical thrills. - chicago tribune




action movie charms audience sly nods predictability. - chicago sun-times




visceral, confrontational theatergoing experience... company has managed put blockbuster films summer shame. - chicago reader



dracula

by mac wellman

directed richard ragsdale

chicago premiere

opened monday, october 5, 1998 @ charybdis multi-arts complex



defiant gives script s malevolent camp pointed recklessness. - chicago reader




healthy dose of both heaving bosoms , good-old fashioned shtick. - newcity



1999 season
bluebeard

by charles ludlam

directed jim slonina

opened thursday, march 11, 1999 @ victory gardens theater downstairs studio



gleefully indulges ludlam s cheese-ball side... gloriously awful. - chicago reader




shared culture of b-movie proportions while being lovingly, , skillfully, over-the-top theatrical. - newcity




colorful diversion. or perversion?... full of wit , energy, s worth checking out. - windy city times



action movie: play: director s cut

by joe foust & richard ragsdale

directed joe foust

opened wednesday, june 16, 1999 @ american theater company



veritable feast of outstanding stage combat, fantastic puppets, inventive directorial ideas... s more fun summer film. - chicago tribune




play s endless stunts brilliantly executed , breathtaking before. - chicago reader




defiant has set nice franchise. - newcity



burning desires

by joan schenkar

directed linda gillum

midwest premiere

opened wednesday, november 3, 1999 @ national pastime theater



interesting play serious intellectual heft... there s no doubting troupe s stellar theatrical chops. - chicago tribune




defiant folks prove once again why among creative companies working in chicago. - windy city times



2000 season
the love talker

by deborah pryor

directed richard ragsdale

at victory gardens theater downstairs studio



rich storytelling make-believe. - citysearch



godbaby

by christopher johnson

directed jim slonina

world premiere

opened friday, june 16, 2000 @ american theater company



manic production 1 local company lives name--defiant theatre. - chicago sun-times




godbaby s scholarship alone accomplishment worthy of commendation. defiant company makes fun additional blessing. - windy city times



macbeth

by william shakespeare

directed christopher johnson

opened friday, october 27, 2000 @ viaduct



whole production has rough, raw air of medieval mystery play, charged violence , spiritualism. - chicago tribune




if shakespeare exciting in school, d bigger harry potter. - chicago free press




if there s 1 word describe defiant theatre s macbeth, s wow! - lerner booster



2001 season
cleansed

by sarah kane

directed lisa rothschiller

american premiere

opened friday, march 16, 2001 @ american theater company



contemporary night of living dead. - chicago sun-times




in production, light designer each of actors, takes big risks. risks pay off in poetry. - newcity



fortinbras

by lee blessing

directed justin fletcher

opened friday, september 14, 2001 @ viaduct



defiant s well-crafted production exceptionally well-acted. - chicago tribune



sci-fi action movie in space prison

written , directed joe foust

world premiere

opened saturday, december 8, 2001 @ american theater company



comic-strip overkill amusing , invigorating. - chicago tribune




defiant ones have worked asses off produce mind-blowing show. - chicago free press



2002 season
flaming guns of purple sage

by jane martin

directed linda gillum

chicago premiere

opened friday, march 29, 2002 @ viaduct



defiant gothic redneck pulp far better most... s great tacky fun. - chicago tribune




**** defiant hits bulls-eye. - gay chicago magazine




evening of good, clean, slam-bang messy fun. - windy city times



dope

by christopher johnson

directed christopher johnson & jim slonina

world premiere

opened friday, july 5, 2002 @ american theater company



wild ride on crazily off-kilter roller coaster. - chicago sun-times



nicholas debeaubien s hunchback of notre dame

by john kohler, larry larson, levi lee , rebecca wackler

directed jim slonina

midwest premiere

opened thursday, september 12, 2002 @ red orchid theatre



well-versed actors commit material. - gay chicago magazine



2003 season
titus andronicus

by william shakespeare

directed christopher johnson

opened friday, january 17, 2003 @ viaduct



mixed-up contemporary shebang, full of unruly life... of violence plain fabulous. - chicago tribune



defiant fabulon

featuring fabulon historifarcicon

by christopher johnson

directed jim slonina

opened friday, august 8, 2003 @ viaduct



gas... defiant has built reputation on excess , outrage. - chicago tribune



dracula

by mac wellman

adapted novel bram stoker

directed richard ragsdale

opened sunday, october 12, 2003 @ vittum theatre


2004 season
action movie: play

by joe foust & richard ragsdale

directed joe foust

opened sunday, april 18, 2004 @ chopin theatre



replication of , commentary on clichés of testosterone-fueled genre timely product mocks. - windy city times



the pyrates

based on novel george macdonald fraser

adapted justin fletcher & richard ragsdale

directed justin fletcher

opened sunday, june 27, 2004 @ chopin theatre



textbook example of chicago pop-fusion theater. - chicago sun-times



a clockwork orange

by anthony burgess

adapted novel

directed christopher johnson

opened thursday, september 9, 2004 @ gallery 37 s storefront theater



there s more enough here remind of why ll miss historically important theater company. - chicago tribune









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