Bailiwick Chicago Theater Presents the World Premiere of MAHAL By Resident Playwright Danny Bernardo June 26-Aug. 2
Bailiwick Chicago Theater concludes its 2012/13 season with the world premiere of the family drama MAHAL by Resident Playwright Danny Bernardo, directed by Erica Weiss, playing June 26 – August 2, 2013 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. Tickets are available at www.stage773.com, in person at the Stage 773 Box Office or by calling(773) 327-5252.
The cast of MAHAL includes F. Karmann Bajuyo, Patrick Byrnes, Joseph Anthony Foronda, Collective Member Kate Garassino*, Jillian Jocson, Kevin Matthew Reyes, Blair Robertson and Dominique Worsley.
MAHAL is a new play about how one Filipino American family redefines itself after loss and reclaims their culture. One of the first plays about a Filipino American family, MAHAL centers on the Reyes family dealing with the loss of their matriarch. As new relationships blossom and family bonds are tested, a long forgotten secret from the homeland threatens to tear the family apart. Dealing with themes of cultural identity, assimilation, homophobia, interracial and inter-generational relationships, MAHAL examines what it truly means to be an American family.
“At its core, Mahal is a family story that all audiences will be able to relate to, laugh at and be touched by,” comments Bailiwick Chicago Artistic Director Lili-Anne Brown. “We all appreciate the quirks and treasures of ‘family,’ and Resident Playwright Danny Bernardo understands the need for powerful dialogue with a refreshing flair for creating the dramatic, comedic and poignant moments that surround the family dynamic. We are truly excited to be presenting an insightful new work by a Filipino American artist that features true-heritage casting. Audiences will leave feeling like they know a little bit more about a culture that's not represented on stage very often, and to us that is one of the most powerful aspects of this piece,” adds Brown.
The production team for MAHAL includes Stephen H. Carmody (Scenic Designer), Christine Pascual (Costume Designer), Charles Cooper (Lighting Designer), Christopher Kriz (Sound Designer), Christopher Kristant (Technical Director), Mallory Bass (Stage Manager), Ezra Bookman (Assistant Director/Dramaturg) and Melissa Young & Geoffrey Bleeker (Associate Producers).
Danny Bernardo (Resident Playwright) is Social Media Manager and a resident playwright at Bailiwick Chicago. He has worked as actor or on production with such companies as the Goodman, About Face Theatre Co., Victory Gardens, Lifeline Theatre, Silk Road, Oak Park Festival Theatre, Collaboraction, Emerald City, Rasaka and Porchlight Music Theatre. He has also served on faculty with After School Matters/Gallery 37, The Chicago Academy for the Arts and Metropolis Performing Arts Center: School of the Arts. Bernardo serves on the League of Chicago Theatres' Diversity Committee, for which he recently moderated a panel on Asian American inequities in theatre featuring David Henry Hwang and Chay Yew. His training comes from Columbia College Chicago, Second City, American Conservatory Theater and the Las Vegas Academy of the Arts.
Erica Weiss (Director) is a freelance director and also the Associate Artistic Director of Chicago's Route 66 Theatre Company. She is the director and co-creator of the hit world premiere production of A Twist of Water, written by Caitlin Parrish, and made her off-Broadway debut directing the play’s New York premiere at 59E59 Theaters. Along with playwright Parrish, she was nominated for a Joseph Jefferson Award for “Best New Work” for A Twist of Water. Her work with Route 66 Theatre has included NEXT STOP: A New Chicago Musical, which she directed and co-conceived with composer Diana Lawrence with workshop performances at Theater Wit and The Steppenwolf Garage. As a freelance director, recent projects include Making Noise Quietly at Steep Theatre Company and Vigils at The Gift Theatre. She served as Assistant Director to Barbara Gaines on Timon of Athens and the Chicago Premiere of Elizabeth Rex at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Erica was the founding Artistic Director of Hypatia Theatre Company, where she produced four world premiere productions, two of which she directed. As a director, new play dramaturg and assistant director, she has worked with many of Chicago’s biggest Equity houses and smaller storefront companies, including Victory Gardens Theater, where she was the dramaturg for the workshop and world premiere of The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, Northlight Theatre, American Theater Company, Chicago Dramatists, Stage Left Theatre, MPAACT, and more. Erica is a graduate of The Theatre School at DePaul University, where she earned her degree in Theatre Studies with an emphasis on directing and new play development.
Bailiwick Chicago is a non-profit professional company with a mission to produce contemporary musicals and plays, reinvent classic musicals and develop new work, while sharing a powerful and authentic theatrical experience. We celebrate and engage our community through diverse programming, artistic partnerships and outreach opportunities. In just two seasons, Bailiwick Chicago has garnered 28 award nominations, including 10 Non-Equity Jeff Award Nominations in their first Jeff-Eligible season (2011-12).