Podcast with Aston Rep Artistic Director ROBERT TOBIN

Embarking on it’s 2012/2013 season, AstonRep Theatre Company is very excited to open with Yasmina Reza’s wonderfully cynical and dynamic Tony Award-winning hit play God of Carnage, October 18 through Novemeber 17. God of Carnage will run Thursdays through Saturdays @ 8pm and Sundays at 2pm at The BoHo Theatre at Heartland Studio, 7016 N Glenwood Ave. Chicago, Illinois 60626. The show previews on Thursday, October 18 and will open on Friday, October 19. The production will close on Saturday, November 17. Press and industry are welcome anytime and especially welcome to attend performances opening weekend: Friday, October 19, Saturday, October 20, and Sunday, October 21. Preview tickets are $10. Tickets for the regular run are $20, $10 for students/seniors and may be purchased at www.astonrep.com or 773-828-9129. The BoHo Theatre at Heartland Studio is easily accessible just off the CTA Red Line train (Morse). Parking information and further directions can be found at www.astonrep.com.

After a schoolyard altercation between two 11-year-old boys, the parents meet for a civilized discussion of the incident. Societal armor is stripped away and brutish, animalistic madness between the parents erupts. With AstonRep’s recent development of bringing fresh life to acclaimed newer works and giving them an intimate and honest treatment, this dynamic play is an excellent candidate.

Yasmina Reza (Playwright) is a French playwright and novelist, based in Paris, whose works have all been multi-award-winning, critical and popular international successes. She has written seven plays (Conversations after a Burial, The Passage of Winter, ‘ART,’ The Unexpected Man, Life X 3, A Spanish Play, God of Carnage, How You Talk the Game) and six novels. Her films include Le Pique-Nique de Lulu Kreutz, directed by Didier Martiny, and Chicas, written and directed by Ms. Reza herself.

God of Carnage will be directed by veteran Chicago director Doug Long and will feature AstonRep ensemble members Amy Kasper, Ray Kasper, and Robert Tobin and Jeff Award- winning actress Kelly Lynn Hogan. Doug Long has directed more than 100 plays and readings, and has worked at numerous Chicago and area theatres including Bailiwick, Victory Gardens, Emerald City, Village Players, and Chicago Dramatists. Recent productions include Amadeus, The Glass Menagerie, The Elephant Man, and his own adaptation, Alive and Dead in Indiana.

Produced by AstonRep Theatre Company. Assistant Director will be Rebecca Aronson. Stage Management will be by Samantha Barr. Lighting design is by Samantha Barr. Set design is by Jeremiah Barr. Graphic design is by Lea Tobin.

AstonRep Theatre Company is an ensemble of artists focused on keeping theatre relevant by producing new works, revisiting and re-imagining classics, and uncovering timely, rarely- produced works of the past. Recent productions include Doubt, Rabbit Hole, Closer, 4Pinter (Chicago Reader Pick of the Week) and Labour and Leisure – The Joe Orton Plays. AstonRep is also committed to developing theatrical programs designed to introduce and inspire up and coming generations of creative professionals and supporters of the arts in Chicago and beyond. Visit the website at www.astonrep.com.

AstonRep Theatre Company – 1217 W. Lunt Ave Chicago, IL 60626 – (773)828-9129 – www.astonrep.com