A PAPER ORCHESTRA BY MICHAEL JAMIN
Lazy Susan Theatre Co. is welcoming the Emmy nominated screenwriter of: King of the Hill, Beavis & Butt-Head, Just Shoot Me, Wilfred, Maron, Rules of Engagement, Brickleberry and Tacoma FD to the Chicago stage!
“Audaciously funny yet achingly poignant," A Paper Orchestra will change the way you think about life. Perfect for fans of Neil Simon and David Sedaris.
In his critically acclaimed one-man show, writer/performer Michael Jamin poses the question: "What if it’s the smallest, almost forgotten moments that are the ones that shaped us most?”
Based on his bestselling book, Michael performs 2 stories each performance. October 24/25 and October 26/27 will have a different set of stories. Book signing after the show.
60-80 minutes. No intermission. Appropriate for ages 15 and up.
Madam & Steve
Synopsis:
“Madam & Steve” ,written by co-founder Hannah Loessberg, was our sophomore production exploring womanhood and queerness in comedy. It is a full-length reimagining of the creation story as if the woman was created before the man. On the 7th day, God rests. And by “rests”, we mean, no one really knows where he is. Left to their own devices, these characters try just about anything to get God’s attention back. This world is crawling with absurdity and antics. Love triangles, seeing double, shapeshifting animals, and a great search for God’s attention.
The play first debuted as a senior showcase for playwriting students at Columbia College Chicago. This opportunity allowed for one staged reading at Chicago Dramatists. The show was met with tremendous support and eagerness for more. The show took place on December 2nd, 2022 at noon and it was the only showcase that day to sell out the show.
‘Madam & Steve’ has a three week run at the Greenhouse Theater Center in Studio 44 from April 4th-April 20th. Each matinee performance came with free mimosas!
Cast:
Madam-Jordan Baker
Steve-Pierce Howard
Flux-Aidan Henri
SeaSea-Nicki Rossi
Eden-Megan Haenni
Adam-Jimmy Piraino
Eve-Alexsia Acosta
God-Jorge Salas
Crew:
Directed by Cléo Flores
Written by Hannah Loessberg
Assistant Directed by Magdalena Pogue
Produced by Nealie Tinlin and Hannah Loessberg
Intimacy Directed by Merry Marshall
Fight Coordinator-Quinton Walker
Stage Manager-Sarah Schorle
Scenic Design-Elly Burke
Lighting Design-Amina Gilbert
Costume Design-Ray Jones
Sound Design-Cléo Flores
OUR DEBUT PROJECT
“If the Moon Never Came Back” was our debut production and took place from October 5th through the 7th at the Greenhouse Theater Center.
OUR PROCESS
Inspired by the Solo Performance class that each of our Ensemble members took at Columbia College Chicago, we wondered what a show might look like in the Solo Performance category outside of college and in our post-grad lives. We rehearsed at The Edge Theater in the Flex Space. We each brought in Solo Performance pieces that we had written, read them aloud, gave each other feedback, and started the devising process. Each rehearsal was filled with trial and error. However, we implemented a devising system we coin as “The Grape System”.
In devising, it is common to have a rush of ideas, to have a chaotic collective brain. In attempt to bring organization to our thoughts as a group, one could say “I have a grape!” in which we would hold our process and listen to the idea. There are many ways in which to respond to the grape. Since each performer had agency in their own pieces of writing, if the “grape” was liked, they would respond with “I like that, let’s try it.” And we would attempt to use the grape. If the grape is not so much what the performer had in mind they could either say “Let me hold onto that grape”, meaning it’s an idea we can keep in our back pocket. Or if the idea is not liked, they could say “I’m not hungry”. This was the biggest asset to our devising process.
Attempting to marry devising and solo performance is sort of contradictory. However, we were careful to only add elements to someone’s piece if it could aid telling the story without distracting from the solo performer. It was a careful balance of the two.
In the end, we had a very successful run of the show at The Greenhouse Theater Center.
The pieces in our show are as follows:
An Ode to a Hometown by Emma Close
The Moon is a Witness by Merry Marshall
Egg by Eric Hinkle
Copy of Tub by Quinton Walker
Hour of the Tremor by Emma Younger
Starcatcher by Sean Cunningham
Love, Dad by Audrey Busbee
A Prayer for the Girl Swinging Her Legs in Her Mother’s Linoleum Kitchen by Nealie Tinlin
Saved Via iCloud Notes; Last Updated Today by Hannah Loessberg
Photos by Mollie Menuck
Stage Managed by Sarah Schorle and Morgan Jahnke
