“Soon I Will Be Invincible”
Several current theatre productions involving Columbia College Chicago alumni and faculty members were featured in a RedEye newspaper article highlighting science-fiction and fantasy shows on Chicago stages. Headlined “6 Sci-Fi and Fantasy Plays to Geek Out Over,” the story by reporter Samantha Nelson (published June 17, 2015) noted, “With Avengers: Age of Ultron and Mad Max: Fury Road bringing in huge box office numbers, and millions tuning in to Game of Thrones each week, it’s clear that superheroes, science fiction and fantasy are hotter than ever. That’s true on local stages too, where theaters are providing a different way to geek out.” Among the shows spotlighted by RedEye:
“Queen Amarantha”
Queen Amarantha, presented by Otherworld Theatre Company–an ensemble founded and led by Columbia College Chicago Theatre Department alumni. Charles Busch’s science-fantasy epic “mixes Viking, Welsh and Celtic mythology and explores themes of sexual fluidity through the title character, who is attracted to both genders and is trying to rule in a society dominated by men,” noted the RedEye article. Queen Amarantha is directed by Otherworld’s founder and artistic director Tiffany Keane, who graduated from the Columbia College Chicago Theatre Department’s Directing Program in 2012. “It’s a pretty sexy show,” Keane told RedEye. “There’s also huge battles and sword fighting. It’s Game of Thrones with powerful women.” Other Columbia alumni involved in the production are cast members Grace Gimpel (a 2012 graduate of the Theatre Department’s BA Program in Musical Theatre), Dylan Schaefer (a 2012 graduate of the Theatre Department’s BA Program in Acting), and David Servillo (who is also the show’s technical director); assistant director Bennett Decker Bottero; and fight director Kai Young (a 2012 graduate of the Theatre Department’s BA Program in Acting). City Lit Theater, where the production is running, is led by Columbia Theatre Department faculty member Terry McCabe. Queen Amarantha runs through June 28. For tickets, click here or call 815-277-7855.
“Soon I Will Be Invincible”
“Game of Thongs”
Game of Thongs: A Game of Thrones Burlesque, presented by Gorilla Tango Burlesque, which promises “provocative parody for the discerning nerd.” This hour-long comedy features an all-woman cast spoofing Game of Thrones–only with “a little less violence, a little more sex,” according to a Columbia College Musical Theatre BA Program alumna in the show, who goes by the stage name Bailey Irish. The cast also includes a senior in Columbia College’s BFA Program in Musical Theatre Performance who uses the stage name Rosie Roche. The late-night show is in an open run at Gorilla Tango Theatre, 1919 N. Milwaukee, in Chicago’s Bucktown community. For tickets, click here or call 773-598-4549.
