Hyde Park Community Players

Mid-South Side, Chicago Theatre

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The Lady’s Not for Burning

December 2-4 and 9-11

By Christopher Fry

Directed by Paul Baker

Assistant Director: Vanessa Ellis

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“A poetic fantasy of rare splendor and delight…a work of magical humor and deep beauty.” ~ The New York Herald Tribune

It is the dawn of the 15th century in the small English market town of Cool Clary.

The mayor’s family, busy with preparations for an engagement party, find themselves stuck with two uninvited guests — who may have to be executed in the morning!

First a discharged soldier arrives, demanding to be hanged for unspecified crimes. Then comes a young woman, pursued by an angry mob who demand she be tried for witchcraft. In contrast to her coincidental companion, the young woman has no wish to be burned at the stake.

What is going on here? The street’s gone mad, and all’s not well within. It’s enough to make one lose one’s faith in human nature.

One reviewer marveled at Fry’s “insistence on the wonder of human life and the capacities of human beings, individually and collectively, for the growth of soul and conscience.”

Said another: “He mingles drama and poetic language, humor and tragedy, metaphysics and wit in an Elizabethan richness that invites comparison with Shakespeare and T. S. Eliot.”

Read The Lady’s Not for Burning blog posts, written by cast and crew.

 

Only 6 performances!

  • Friday, December 2nd @ 8 pm (opening night reception)
  • Saturday, December 3rd @ 8 pm
  • Sunday, December 4th @ 3 pm
  • Friday, December 9th @ 8 pm
  • Saturday, December 10th @ 8 pm
  • Sunday, December 11th @ 3 pm

Buy tickets!

Performing at: University Church, 5655 S. University Ave, Chicago (Hyde Park), 60637

 

Cast

  • Thomas Mendip, a discharged soldier: Bill Hohnke
  • Jennet Jourdemayne, an accused witch: Gracie Snyder
  • Hebble Tyson, the Mayor: Scott Malpass
  • Richard, the Mayor’s clerk: Jake Smiley
  • Alizon Eliot, Humphrey’s fiancee: Felicia Lee
  • Margaret Devize, the Mayor’s sister: Andrea Holliday
  • Nicholas Devize, Margaret’s son: Victor Panov
  • Humphrey Devize, Nicholas’ older brother: Dan Heinz
  • Chaplain: Leslie Halverson
  • Edward Tapercoomb, the Constable/Justice: James Allen, Jr.
  • Matthew Skipps: Clark Weber

 

Creative Team and Crew

  • Producer: Corinna Christman
  • Stage Manager: Vanessa Ellis
  • Costumer Designer: Mary Beth McCarthy
  • Dramaturg: Nathan Agin
  • Verse Coaching: Nathan Agin and Andrea Holliday
  • Lighting Design: Shonte Wesson, Tess Nugent, and Bill Hohnke
  • Sound Design: Amelia Snoblin
  • Sound and Light Operators: Shonte Wesson
  • House Manager: Liz Horne
  • Ushers: Maryam Hussain, Dave Lashway, Bobbie Lyons
  • Properties: Michel Heinz, Laura Macgregor, Kim Shaw
  • Set Design: Paul Baker
  • Set Build Captain: Leslie Halverson
  • Publicity: Nathan Agin

 

Set Construction: James Allen, Jr., Paul Baker, Corinna Christman, Leslie Halverson, Adam Hammond, Dan Heinz, Michele Heinz, Bill Hohnke, Andrea Holliday, Felicia Lee, Laura MacGregor, Victor Panov, Amelia Snoblin, Dave Lashway, Susan Harris, Vanessa Ellis, Calliope Heinz, Gracie Snyder, Clark Weber, and everyone else.

Special thanks to: The Flying Hammond-MacGregors for all their generosity to the Players, especially the opening up of their home for set construction and storage; Augustana Lutheran Church for their generous provision of space for rehearsals and the loan of a lectern for this production.

 

The Lady’s Not for Burning is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York

Related Posts

Meet the Lady Crew: Costume Designer
Meet the Lady Crew: Dramaturg and Verse Coach
Friday Staged Reading via Zoom
About

Who Are We?

Founded in January of 2009, the Hyde Park Community Players is a non-profit, amateur, volunteer organization whose mission is to create compelling theatre by and for residents of the South Side. Read More »

Support the Players

You can make your contribution to our work here at the Hyde Park Community Players. There are lots of ways to give! Read More »

Friday Staged Readings

In addition to our major productions, the Players present a monthly staged-reading series, typically on the first Friday night of each month.
Read More »

Auditions

Auditions usually take place a few months before a show, in two sessions, one on a weekend afternoon and one on a weekday evening.
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Production History

Since our founding in 2009, the Hyde Park Community Players have been putting on between 2-3 shows per season.
Read More »

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