Columbia College Chicago Theatre Department alum Katie Ruppert ’17, a graduate of the Theatre Department’s BA Program in Comedy Writing and Performance, has been named managing director of Otherworld Theatre Company, a Chicago theatre dedicated to science-fiction and fantasy genre theatre. Ruppert also continues in her position as Otherworld’s Sketch and Improv Curator, overseeing the company’s late-night comedy sketch and improv programming.
Ruppert is also a graduate of The Second City Conservatory, the professional training program at Chicago-based Second City, the world’s premier comedy theatre and training center. The Second City is Columbia College’s partner in the Theatre Department’s Comedy Writing and Performance BA program.
“I’m so proud to serve Otherworld Theatre Company,” says Ruppert; “when I moved to Chicago I was looking to make work that was bolder, more elaborate, and more technical than the average theatre or comedy show. Whether you are a Science Fiction and Fantasy fanatic like myself, or a more casual theatre goer; whether you are looking for laughs or a night of dramatic tension, Otherworld’s diverse selection of programming is for every audience member.”
Located at 3914 N. Clark in the booming Belmont Theatre District of Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood, Otherworld is the world’s first and only theatrical venue dedicated to the performance of Science Fiction and Fantasy genre. The company was founded in 2012 by Columbia College alum Tiffany Keane Schaefer ’12, a graduate of the Theatre Department’s Theatre Directing program, who serves as Otherworld’s artistic director. All mainstage tickets are pay-what-you-can, allowing people of any and all means to experience live performance. Otherworld uses its venue to create a unique community hub for fans of Science Fiction and Fantasy genres that celebrates geek culture unlike anywhere else in the world. Otherworld describes its target audience as anyone who enjoys live performance, Science Fiction and Fantasy literature, film, and television, and fandoms that fall within “popular geek culture.”
As previously reported in this blog, Otherworld’s current mainstage offering is “The Greeks,” a repertory package of two new plays inspired by Greek mythology, Medusa Undone and Corona. The production runs through May 19. For more information, call 773-857-2116.
