Trap Door Theatre

Trap Door Theatre

Formation	1990
Type	Theatre group
Purpose	Avant-garde expressionism
Location	Chicago, Illinois, United States
Artistic director(s)	Beata Pilch
Website	trapdoortheatre.com

Trap Door Theatre is an avant-garde theatre company based in Chicago, United States. Its focus is on European and original experimental material. ^[1]

History

Trap Door Theatre, founded by Beata Pilch and Sean Marlow, was incorporated in 1990 as a nomadic company touring theatre in Stockholm, Berlin, Zakopane, and Paris. In 1994, Trap Door brought its European tradition to the United States, creating a permanent home for the company in Chicago. ^[2]

Trap Door Theatre is located in Bucktown in Chicago in a 900-square-foot (84 m²) converted performance space which seats 45. ^[3]

Ensemble

• Maryam Abdi
• Venice Averyheart
• Dennis Bisto
• Abby Blankenship
• Marzena Bukowska
• Holly T. Cerney
• Gary Damico
• Bill Gordon
• David A. Holcombe
• John Kahara
• Lyndsay Rose Kane
• Anna Klos
• Emily Lotspeich
• Miguel Long
• David Lovejoy (Associate Managing Director)
• Leslie Lund
• Michael Mejia (Company Manager)
• Emily Nichelson
• Beata Pilch (Artistic Director, Co-Founder)
• Chris Popio
• Manuela Rentea
• Ann Sonneville
• Keith Surney
• Nicole Wiesner (Managing Director)
• Bob Wilson
• Carl Wisniewski
• Max Truax (Resident Director)
• Kate Hendrickson (Resident Director)
• Richard Norwood (Resident Light Designer)
• Danny Rockett (Resident Sound Designer)
• Zsófia Ötvös (Resident Makeup Artist)
• Rachel Sypniewski (Resident Costume Designer)
• Milan Pribisic (Resident Dramaturg)
• Michal Janicki (Resident Graphic Designer)

Honorary members include Tiffany Bedwell, Danny Belrose, Antonio Brunetti, Summer Chance, Dani Deac, Ewelina Dobiesz, Kristie Hassinger, Sean Marlow (Co-Founder), Kim McKean, Catherine Sullivan, Andrew Cooper Wasser, Michael Garvey, Bob Rokos, Tiffany Joy Ross, Wesley Walker, Michael S. Pieper, and Krishna Le Fan.

Notable productions

• How to Explain The History of Communism to Mental Patients (March 2016, Romania: May 2016)
• La Bête (March 2015)
• First Ladies (March 2011)
• Beholder (May 2008)
• Nana (December 2002)
• Lebensraum (March 2000)
• Porcelain (March 2001)
• Beholder (May 2008)
• Emma (October 2007)
• The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant (September 2006)
• Old Clown Wanted (New York: November 2005; Chicago: November 2005; Romania: May 2007)
• My Liver is Senseless
• AmeriKafka
• The Crazy Locomotive (New York: August 2005; Chicago: June 2005; Romania: May 2007)
• Horses at the Window (March 2009 Romania: May 2009 Virginia, New York: November 2009)
• Me Too, I am Catherine Deneuve (October 2010 Georgia, December 2010 Washington DC, April 2011 France, April 2012)

Awards and honors

Joseph Jefferson Award citations

• Best Original Music (Danny Rockett, How to Explain the History of Communism to Mental Patients) ^[4]
• Best Actor in a Principal Role (Kevin Cox, La Bête) ^[4]
• Best Costume Design (Rachel Sypniewski, La Bête) ^[4]
• Best Original Incidental Music (Ovidiu Iloc, The Word Progress on my Mother’s Lips Doesn’t Ring True) ^[4]
• Best Actress in a Principal Role (Nicole Wiesner, First Ladies) ^[4]
• Best New Work (Ken Prestininzi, Beholder) ^[4]
• Best Ensemble (Nana) ^[4]
• Best Supporting Actress (Sharon Gopfert, Lebensraum) ^[4]
• Best Supporting Actor (Eric Johnson, Lebensraum) ^[4]
• Best Ensemble (Lebensraum) ^[4]
• Best Ensemble (Porcelain) ^[4]

References

1. Jones, Chris (August 17, 1999). "`Bondage' Walks, Talks Streetwalker's Life". Chicago Tribune. Tribune. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
2. Hayford, Justin (April 3, 2013). "Esoteric, demanding Trap Door Theatre is off-Loop and all right". Chicago Reader. No. Arts & Culture. Reader. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
3. Hayford, Justin (January 11, 2017). "Is Trap Door Chicago's greatest theater success of the last quarter century?". Chicago Reader. No. Arts & Culture. Rader. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
4. Jefferson, Joseph. "Jeff Awards- Celebrating Excellence in Theatre". The Jeff Awards. Jeff Awards. Archived from the original on 2 January 2018. Retrieved 1 March 2018.

External links

• Official website