THE GOAT, OR WHO IS SYLVIA?

 
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By Edward Albee
Directed by Co-Artistic Director James Yost

September 7 – October 6, 2018
Press Opening: Tuesday, September 11 at 8 pm

Martin is an accomplished architect living the American dream. He has a loving wife, a devoted son, and an acclaimed career. But an explosive revelation threatens to destroy everything he has built, and forces Martin to reconcile the man the world has come to know with the man he has become. Shocking theatergoers when it first premiered, The Goat deftly lambastes liberal acceptance, fidelity and family as one man painfully traverses the ultimate taboo.

The Goat won the 2002 Tony Award for Best Play, the 2002 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play, and was a finalist for the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

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Press 

“ …once the action fires up, and Elyce gets going, you see how well this play works in the living room-sized quarters on Ridge Avenue. Jansson is very credible - and Liddell is, in the right moments, the perfect blend of judgment and pain. But it’s Elyce who offers a take unlike anything I’ve seen before in goat land: this is by far the hardest role in the play and Elyce’s Stevie, you immediately intuit, has a lot of flayed marital skin in the game. If you’ve never seen this play before, and you’re courageous, you won’t regret your experience.”
— Chris Jones (Chicago Tribune)
“…the heroic efforts of director James Yost and the company assembled for this Interrobang Theater Project production render its 90 minutes in Rivendell’s Edgewater storefront a provocative and surprisingly funny symposium on the evolution of our cultural policies.”
— Mary Shen Barnidge (Windy City Times)
“This strangely fascinating look illustrates how Absurdist Theatre becomes an unconventional examination of the modern society. Albee’s dramatic experimentations, in particular, look at growing older, sexual relationships and the mythology behind marriage. All of these elements rile and rage in this play, one of the playwright’s final dramas. While this adult play may not be for everyone’s taste, Interrobang’s new production, which is both raw and relevant, makes Edward Albee’s work about taboos, unspoken desires and what’s normal feel as contemporary as today’s news.””
— Colin Douglas (Chicago Theatre Review)
“Interrobang Theatre Project gives Albee’s play a solid, absorbing production with excellent direction by James Yost. The 90-minute four-character play sometimes proceeds at a high-pitched volume, which becomes necessary as the story unfolds.”
— Nancy Bishop (Third Coast Review)

The Artists

CAST

Elana Elyce - Stevie
Ryan Liddell - Billy
Tom Jansson - Martin
Armando Reyes - Ross

 

PRODUCTION TEAM

James Yost, director
Jyreika Guest, assistant director


Kerry Chipman, scenic design
Melissa Perkins, costume design
Erik Siegling, sound design
Max Spitz, house manager
Brian Sprague, technical director
Richard Vavrina, lighting design
Claire Yearman, intimacy & violence design

Christopher Aaron Knarr, design associate
Matthew Nerber, marketing associate
Nancy Payne, marketing manager
David Rosenberg, press relations
Zoë Verdin, creative design

Emily Scwartz, production photographer
Salar Ardebili, rehearsal photographer  

CAST BIOS

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ELANA ELYCE, Stevie

Elana acts, directs, writes, coaches and produces. ITP Credits include Still (2016) and The Argument (2011). She also produced Here Lies Henry (2012), Hot N’ Throbbing (2012) and Speaking in Tongues (2013). Elana has been in two separate productions of the acclaimed United Flight 232, which won a Jeff award for best ensemble, with The House Theatre of Chicago.  She is now a company member with The House.  Other theaters that have welcomed her in recent years include Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre, Eclipse, Remy Bummpo, Stage Left & Theatre Seven, and The Yard/Raven Theatre. She is also the Business Manager of The Chicago Inclusion Project. www.elanaelyce.net

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TOM JANSSON, Martin

Tom most recently appeared as Simon Stimson in Redtwist Theatre's production of Our Town. Before that, he was seen field-dressing a deer in Steep Theatre's Jeff-Award winning production of Bobbie Clearly. Other Chicago credits include George in The One and Only Ivan, Lyle in Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile. , and Kenny in Brave Potatoes, all at Lifeline Theatre. Additional Chicago credits include Walkabout, Prologue, Incurable, New Tuners, Emerald City, and Splinter Group. In Portland, OR, Tom worked with Stark Raving, New Rose, Dreadnought, and Paris Theatres, The Greek Theatre Project, and Shakespeare in the Parks. Tom is a graduate of Reed College, as well as The Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theatre and of The School at Steppenwolf. He is represented by Actor's Talent Group.

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RYAN LIDDELL, Billy

Ryan is taking a break from his stage combat and Renaissance Faire work to make his ITP debut, and couldn’t be more excited! Not having to worry about rain in the middle of the show is so refreshing—and so weird. Ryan is a graduate of Columbia College and when he’s not onstage or lost in the woods, you can bet he will be soon. Previous credits include: Hank in Marvin’s Room, Cliff in Cabaret - Dunes Summer Theatre; Pete Galen in Booby Trap, Galen Grey in Anatomy of Grey - Husky Moon Theatre Company. He wishes to thank Sarah and Jim for this opportunity, Cate and Tara for their guidance, and his family for, um, everything, really. www.RyanJLiddell.com

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ARMANDO REYES, Ross

Armando is thrilled to be joining this production of The Goat, or Who is Sylvia, and to be making his debut at Interrobang Theatre Project! Armando is a Chicago based actor who most recently appeared in The Odd Couple at Oil Lamp Theater. He has performed with Silk Road Rising, Pride Film and Plays, The Agency Theater Collective, Urban Theatre Company, Teatro Vista, and many others. Film and television credits include Chicago Med, Nowhere Mind, The Origins of Wit and Humor and When Icarus Fell. Armando is represented by Gray Talent Group.

PRODUCTION TEAM

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JAMES YOST, Director (Co-Artistic Director)

James Yost is a Joseph Jefferson Award nominated director and the co-artistic director of Interrobang Theatre Project. He previously served as the producing artistic director for BareBones Theatre Group, a company he co-founded in 1998. Selected credits include: Mr. Marmalade, Psycho Beach Party, Debbie Does Dallas: The Musical, Skylight, The Graduate, The Play About the Baby, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Drift, Bash: Latter-Day Plays, Squirrels, The Wizard of Oz, Lend Me A Tenor, Orson's Shadow, Glengarry Glen Ross, The Pitchfork Disney and Noises Off. Regional: Shattered Globe: True West; The Gift Theater: Ten. ITP credits include Orange Flower Water (Jeff nomination for Best Supporting Actor, Joseph Wiens), Ibsen is Dead, The North Pool (Jeff nominated for best production and best director), the critically acclaimed REALLY REALLY (named one of the best shows of 2015 by the Chicago Tribune), Falling (Justin Tsatsa and Amy Johnson won Jeff awards for their roles) and the Chicago premiere of Lee Blessings play For the Loyal. Yost teaches Theatre and film.

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GEORGETTE VERDIN, Co-Artistic Director

Georgette Verdin has been working with ITP since 2014 and has served as Co-Artistic Director since 2015. She is also a freelance director, theater and speech educator, and arts integration specialist. She was the founding theater teacher at Polaris Charter Academy, an Expeditionary Learning School in West Humboldt Park, where she taught full-time for 8 years. For Interrobang, Georgette directed Season Six’s KATRINA: MOTHER-IN-LAW OF ‘EM ALL and Jeff Recommended RECENT TRAGIC EVENTS, as well as last season’s production of the 2013 Yale Drama Series Winner STILL by Jen Silverman. Other recent credits include Jeff Recommended TIME STANDS STILL (AstonRep), a staged reading of LAUNCH DAY by Michael J. Higgins (Chicago Dramatists) and Tennessee Williams’ TALK TO ME LIKE THE RAIN AND LET ME LISTEN as part of AstonRep’s FOUR BY TENN festival. She is currently assistant directing 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEAS at Lookingglass Theatre Company. Georgette holds a Bachelor of Arts in theatre performance from McNeese State University in Lake Charles, LA and a Master in Directing from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University.

KERRY LEE CHIPMAN, Scenic Design
Kerry Lee is a freelance scenic designer and the Assistant Professor of Scenic Design at Ball State University. Chicago designs: No Home for Bees- Collaboraction Studios. New York designs (selected): That Which Isn't and Strays at the Brick Theatre, Coney at the New Ohio Theater, Time is the Mercy of Eternity at the West End Theater, Departures and The Most Wonderful Love at the Access Theater. Regional: Clarence Brown Theatre, Knoxville: The Merry Wives of Windsor, Little Shop of Horrors, Flyin’ West, Speech and Debate, and The Story of Opal. Children’s Theatre of Charlotte: The Borrowers and Pinkalicious: the Musical. In addition to scenery, she also designs and creates masks for regional dance and theatre productions. Examples of her work can be seen at www.kerryleechipmandesign.com. She would like to thank James and Interrobang Theatre for this wonderful opportunity.

JYREIKA GUEST, Assistant Director
Ms. Guest boldly made Chicago home five years ago. Thrilled to be working with Interrobang Theatre as Assistant Director! She's an active performer in the Chicago area and has been seen in a number of shows including Redlined, Have a Great Summer, Incendium with formerly Chicago Slam Works. Other credits include columbinus (Adult Track) with The Yard Theatre Company, I Saw Myself (Ladder) at Red Tape Theatre, The Wiz (Addeperle U/S, Dance Captain), Octagon (Asst. Director and watcher named pen U/S), The Adventures of Robin Hood (Robin Hood), Piece of My Heart (Steele) Strong Women (Woman Two), Rhinoceros (Boss of Cafe/ Fireman), Once on This Island (Peasant/Storyteller), Children of Eden (Storyteller), Freedom Speaks (Rosetta), and  for colored girls (Lady in Blue). She is proudly represented by Shirley Hamilton Talent! 

MELISSA PERKINS, Costume Design
Melissa Perkins is a freelance costume designer in Chicago from Dallas, Texas. She is thrilled to be working with ITP again on The Goat. Some of her recent credits include Curves and Edges (Three Things Productions and Interrobang Theatre Project), Clearing (Commission Theatre), A Home on the Lake (Piven Theatre), The Foxfinder (Interrobang Theatre Project). You can see more of her work and full resume at perkinscostumedesign.com.

ERIK SIEGLING, Sound Design
Erik is glad to be back with Interrobang for this production of The Goat... Here in Chicago, Erik composed and designed for Interrobang’s spring production of Grace and Oakton Community College’s original production of Powerless Gods. He has previously designed for Seattle Shakespeare Company and Fantastic Z Theatre. An accomplished actor as well, Erik has guest-starred on the TV show Z Nation, performed in theatres across the country, and has a B.A. degree in Theatre from Principia College.

MAX SPITZ, House Manager
Max Spitz is a proud member of the Northwestern Class of 2016, where he graduated with a BA in Theatre having dipped his feet in acting, directing, and set design. Since graduating, he has been a part of 2nd Story as their Communications Coordinator, as well as a Producer and Director, and is so grateful for the family they’ve created. He’s so very excited to be a part of the ITP team as well!

BRIAN SPRAGUE, Technical Director
Brian Sprague is a Chicago based Freelance Theatre Artist. He received his Master of Fine Arts in Acting from Northern Illinois University and has studied/performed internationally at the Moscow Art Theatre and Adana State Theatre in Adana, Turkey. Some past Technical Directing credits include: Harvest (Griffin Theatre Company), Invisible Hand, Birdland, and Earthquakes in London (Steep Theatre), You Can't Take it With You, Fair Maid of the West, Macbeth, African Company Presents Richard III (Oak Park Festival Theatre), and Grace (Interrobang Theatre Project)

RICHIE VAVRINA, Lighting Design
Richie travels the country doing theatrical and corporate shows. He loves coming home to work on engaging theatre. His most recent credits in the Chicago area include Firebrand Theatre's Lizzie, and Circle Theatre's Condition of Femme, and Elgin Community College's She Kills Monsters. He'll probably go get a beer with you if you ask. 

CLAIRE YEARMAN, Fight/Intimacy Choreographer
Claire is an ITP company member, actor, SAFD certified teacher, and fight & intimacy choreographer. She has an MFA in Acting from Western Illinois University. Some theatres she’s worked with include: Interrobang Theatre Project, Buffalo Theatre Ensemble, Williams Street Rep, AstonRep, Red Tape Theatre, Piccolo Theatre, 20% Theatre, and Metropolis Performing Arts.