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Event
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow 2011
THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW
RETURNS TO CITY LIT FOR HALLOWE'EN
For the second year in a row, City Lit Theater will produce its critically acclaimed world premiere adaptation of Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow as a special Hallowe'en addition to its season. The adaptation by Stephen F. Murray and Brian Pastor will play twelve performances only. The production will begin performances on Friday, October 14 and will run through Sunday, October 30. Press opening is Monday, October 17 at 7:00 pm. The production, a re-imagining of last year's version, is once again directed by Murray and stars Pastor in a one-man portrayal of all the characters in Irving's story. It features original music composed by Matthew Bivins and live Foley sound effects created by Shawn Goudie.
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is one of Irving's most influential and lasting pieces. It tells the story of Ichabod Crane, a school teacher in Sleepy Hollow who fancies Katrina, the daughter of the wealthy Baltus Van Tussel. As he courts her, he discovers his rival in Brom Bones. As the two fight for Katrina's attentions, the townspeople tell tales of the Headless Horseman that instill a great fear in Ichabod. One fateful night, after a fall dance, his fear of the Horseman is realized on a shadowy path in Sleepy Hollow.
"The Headless Horseman is the first ghost to appear in American literature," Murray said, "and he still does a good job of haunting us. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is the best-ever Hallowe'en story, and our goal with this show is to scare the audience, pure and simple."
Washington Irving is frequently called the father of the American short story, and he is heavily identified with those places in New York State he used as locales in his writing. His A History of New York from the Beginning of the World to the End of the Dutch Dynasty, written under the name of Diedrich Knickerbocker in 1809, is Irving's comic history of the Dutch in New York and made the word Knickerbockers a nickname for New Yorkers. Two years earlier, he had affixed the name Gotham the Anglo-Saxon word for "Goat's Town"to the city. In 1819 he published The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, a collection of short stories inspired by German folklore that contained Irving's two best known stories, "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Irving died in 1859 and is buried in Sleepy Hollow, New York.
Stephen F. Murray most recently produced and directed his script Laer's Last Prayer. He is Promethean Theatre Ensemble's former artistic director, and directed their productions of Frank Wedekind's Spring Awakening and Timberlake Wertenbaker's Our Country's Good. At the 2008 New York Fringe Festival he directed Ivan Faute's The Darling Children. That same year his staging of Faute's adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher won City Lit's first Art of Adaptation festival.
Brian Pastor appeared last season in Volpone and The Sign of the Four in addition to The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, as well as in six City Lit shows in previous seasons. He co-adapted Mark Twain's Pudd'nhead Wilson for City Lit with artistic director Terry McCabe. He has also acted with The Mime Company, Chicago dell'Arte, Bailiwick Repertory, Strawdog Theatre, Arts/Lane, Authentic Theatre and Promethean. He is City Lit's managing director.
The design team for The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is Matthew Cummings (props), Liz Cooper (lighting), and Amy Julia Cheyfitz (costumes). The music director is Matthew Bivens; the musician is David Fink.
Preview performances for The Legend of Sleepy Hollow are Friday and Saturday, October 14 and 15, at 8:00 pm. Press opening is Monday, October 17 at 7:00 pm. Thereafter, the schedule for the regular run is as follows: Fridays at 8:00 pm, Saturdays at 3:00 and 8:00 pm, and Sundays at 3:00. The show closes Sunday, October 30 at 3:00 pm.
Ticket prices are $18 for previews and $25 after opening. Discounts are available for seniors, students, and groups of ten or more. Tickets may be purchased by 773-293-3682 or visiting www.citylit.org. Tickets for the October 19 free performance must be reserved in advance, either by calling 773-293-3682 or by emailing boxoffice@citylit.org.
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City Lit specializes in literate theatre, including stage adaptations of literary material.
City Lit Theater is located in the historic Edgewater Presbyterian Church building at 1020 West Bryn Mawr Avenue, one block west of Sheridan Road and a block and a half east of the Bryn Mawr Red Line L stop. The 84 Peterson bus, the 147 Lake Shore Express bus, and the 151 Sheridan bus all stop near City Lit.
Valet parking is available for theatre customers through the Valet Metro service at Francesca's Bryn Mawr restaurant across the street from City Lit. Discounted parking is available for theatre customers, with validation from the Edgewater Beach Café, in the Edgewater Beach Apartments' underground parking lot located one block east of the theatre. That Little Mexican Café, one block west of City Lit, offers free parking to City Lit patrons who make reservations to dine there before the show.
City Lit receives funding from the Alphawood Foundation, the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the MacArthur Fund at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs CityArts program, and the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency. Its outreach program is sponsored in part by A.R.T. League.
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LocationCity Lit Theater
1020 W. Bryn Mawr Ave.
Chicago, IL 60660
United States
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