Distinguished Villa
Irish playwright and novelist Kate O’Brien's first play Distinguished Villa premiered in London in 1926. However, despite accolades, it never received another production. O’Brien later broke ground as a novelist — a medium she entered because a novel is something you can “carry on your own back.” In Distinguished Villa, we see the seeds of what later became a hallmark of her work — groundbreaking depictions of the sexual frustrations of young women, and an understanding of the wide diversity of sexuality and gender expression.
Distinguished Villa was written by Kate O’Brien and directed by Elizabeth Lovelady.
Tickets are available via the link below.
Biographies
Kate O’Brien
Kathleen Mary Louise "Kate" O'Brien (Playwright) was an Irish novelist and playwright. Born in 1897, O’Brien tackled feminist and queer concerns during her distinguished writing career that covered a number of genres including plays, novels, short fiction, travel writing and journalism. Spanning nearly fifty years, O'Brien's literary career commenced in 1926 with Distinguished Villa. Several other plays followed, including The Silver Roan, The Bridge and Set in Platinum. However it was her novels that established O'Brien as a significant Irish writer.
ElizabethLovelady
Elizabeth Lovelady (Director) is a director, playwright and arts administrator. Chicago companies she has worked with include Strawdog Theatre, Babes with Blades, Wildclaw and Red Theater Chicago, where she is also a company member. Her adaptation of the noir film DOA, which she also directed, won the 2016 Non-Equity Jeff Award for Best Adaptation. As an arts administrator, Elizabeth has worked with Theater Wit and The House Theatre of Chicago. She recently received an MFA in Directing from The Lir Academy at Trinity College Dublin.
Cast
Christian Cook
Christian Edwin Cook [he, him](Alec) is delighted to be working with Ghostlight Ensemble. Last seen in The Boys in the Band at Windy City Playhouse, Christian earned his Master of Fine Arts in Acting from the Theatre School at DePaul University and is proudly represented by Shirley Hamilton Talent.
Micah Figueroa
Micah Figueroa (John) is a Chicago actor, director, playwright and choreographer. Most recently seen in The Very Hungry Caterpillar at Chicago Children’s Theatre, as well as 20,000 Leagues Under the Seas, and Moby Dick at Lookingglass Theater. Other local credits: Tall Girl and the Lightning Parade (Walkabout Theatre), The Winter Pageant (Redmoon Theater), Distance to the Moon (First Floor Theater). Regional theatre credits include: Moby Dick (Alliance Theatre, Arena Stage, South Coast Repertory), In the Beginning, Henry IV (Dallas Theater Center), The Farnsworth Invention, Wild Oats (Theatre Three), Coriolanus, Cyrano de Bergerac, Macbeth (Shakespeare Dallas), Titus Andronicus (Kitchen Dog Theatre), Sense and Sensibility (Stolen Shakespeare Guild). He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Southern Methodist University and attended the British American Drama Academy.
Jordan Ford
Jordan Marie Ford (Gwen) is a transplant from Texas where she graduated from the Bachelor of Fine Arts acting program at Texas State University. There, she performed in Five Women Wearing The Same Dress (Frances), and Belleville (Amina) She is also an early-career playwright, with her plays Five Men Wearing the Same Suit premiering at the Texas State University MainStage and Amherst, Maine premiering at her theatre company The Sarah Street Collective’s Festival. She was also a finalist for the KCACTF Region Six Ten Minute Play competition, for her play Afterlife. Her most recent play, American Carnage was featured in the Woman’s Theater Alliance’s New Play Development Workshop and in a reading at the Chicago Dramatists.
August Forman
August Forman (Natty) is an actor, playwright, voiceover artist and educator. Originally from the small town of Tiffin, Iowa, they received their BFA in Acting from Minnesota State University of Mankato in 2014. Since moving to Chicago in the summer of 2014, August has performed with several companies including: TimeLine Theatre; Victory Gardens Theater; Diversionary Theatre (CA); Oak Park Festival Theatre; American Blues Theatre; Broken Nose Theatre; Babes With Blades and Midsommer Flight. August received a Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Supporting Actor for their work as Gina in Broken Nose Theatre’s production of Girl in the Red Corner. They are a Core Ensemble Member and Facilitator with Imagination Theater, a touring company addressing social issues with young people. They are also an Artistic Associate with Oak Park Festival Theatre and an Ensemble Member with Broken Nose Theatre. As a playwright, their plays have premiered throughout the country.
Kim Fukawa
Kim Fukawa (Frances) is a native Chicagoan and has been seen with such companies as Lifeline Theatre, TimeLine Theatre, The House Theatre and The Gift Theatre. She also appears regularly onstage with Babes With Blades Theatre Company, where she is an Artistic Associate and occasional fight designer.
Allison McCorkle
Allison McCorkle (Mabel) is thrilled to be playing with Ghostlight again! A graduate of Texas Wesleyan University, she’s been in Chicago for 13 years and worked with various theaters, including Black Ensemble Theater, Red Tape Theatre and GreatWorks. She was last seen onstage in Bury Me with Dandelion Theatre and An Ideal Husband with Ghostlight Ensemble. The pandemic has brought some great play readings and an exploration of voiceover work. Thanks and love to Zach.