Vote for Dream Theatre for Best of Chicago 2014!

It's time to vote for the Chicago Reader's Best of 2014! Here are our suggestions: 

Best long-running play: ANNA, IN THE DARKNESS

Best new play: AMLETH, PRINCESS OF DENMARK

Best off-Loop theatre company: DREAM THEATRE COMPANY

Best stage director: ANNA & JEREMY MENEKSEOGLU

Best actor: JEREMY MENEKSEOGLU

Best actress: MEGAN MERRILL (for ANNA, IN THE DARKNESS)

Best performing arts festival: CHICAGO FRINGE FESTIVAL

Click here to go to the poll, and remember Dream Theatre in your Arts&Culture votes!

VIDEO: Ismene Day Twenty

A short scene from rehearsal.

Anna - The Journey to find Ismene

There are so many traits and events in Ismene’s life that are so personal to me, so playing her should be easy, right? The answer is not that simple. Ismene’s life is her own, and cannot be burdened by my own personal struggles. In the Dream Theatre style of acting we have this saying “raise up into the character, do not bring them down to you”. Jeremy taught me this and though it seems to be a simple phrase, it is one of the most difficult things I have ever done. I will say that in the past 8 years that I have been part of Dream Theatre I am continuing to explore and strive to understand and implement this particular part of our method. When acting, it is easy to get caught up in my own personal emotions, my own personal dramas and stresses and especially my own personal fears. It is so tempting to take a character’s revelations or catharsis and pull my own emotions into it so I can get the feeling of that revelation or catharsis for myself. If I feel all my own emotions of stress, fear, sadness and joy and put them into Ismene, then it will not let the audience feel these things, it will not be for them, it will be for me.

The most amazing discovery I have made in acting happened in Dream Theatre when I found those moments of completely letting go of Anna and raising up into Ismene. In 2008, when I played Ismene for the first time, I was so terrified. I thought, “How can I ever live up to this girl? She is so smart, strong, brave and innocent!”. And then it happened it wasn’t about living up to her; it was just knowing her and admiring her. And the magic moment happened not when I felt Ismene’s feelings in front of the audience, but when I introduced what I knew and admired of Ismene to the audience. And for the first time, I felt the audience raise up with me. And the most amazing thing about that is that I did get to feel personal joy. It wasn’t my feelings that went into Ismene, but her feelings and the audience’s feelings that went into me.

This time around, when we started and I knew I wanted to play Ismene again, I had all these other motives and agendas that I wanted to put on Ismene. But again, what does this accomplish? Who does it inspire? So again, I remind myself, Ismene is not for me. We joined with this production as part of a world-wide community of theatre makers to raise awareness and hope for those struggling with their fate of having breast cancer or having a loved one with breast cancer. And I say that Ismene is for you Audience, I am committed to introducing you to Ismene along with Rachel as Procne, Alicia as Philomena, Mishelle as Erin and Annelise as Iphegenia so that you can find the inspiration, courage and hope to fight against the wrongs of this world that steal away innocence. Then when we leave the story and go back to our lives, we find that we have all “risen up”.

VIDEO: The Ismene Interview

Scott Stantis of WGN radio talks again with the company, this time about "Ismene" and the Ismene Project.

VIDEO: The Grisly/Glorious Radio Interview

WGN's Scott Stantis is very good at interviews.

VIDEO: Ismene Promo (2)

Jeremy - Ismene Chicago

http://theismeneproject.com/

Te Vegas: Illustration by Spent Pencils Toronto

The Chicago Production of ISMENE will be something very special. This will be our fourth time bringing ISMENE to Chicago, and each time we explore new interpretations and dive deeper into this mythos of this fascinating play. ISMENE is the show that started all of my Greek re-imaginings and has always been at the center of their universe. Every play that further expanded on the new rules of our Greek Theatre had to answer one simple question, "Does this stay in the context of ISMENE?" And yet, after producing the new ANTIGONE, MEDEA, THE AGON TRILOGY (AGAMEMNON, ELECTRA and ORESTES) and MEDEA (there is a new MEDEA also on the horizon, but we'll talk about that later) Ismene's world has been completely fleshed out. The rules of this universe are now set in stone.

We (and our Audience who has taken this long journey with us) have walked along so many of these characters. We've stood on the black beach with Medea, we've walked on water and into the ship of death of Agamemnon and Cassandra, we've stood covered in blood, hair and dust in the ruins of Thebes with Antigone, we've crawled into the chorus filled swamp with Electra, and we have even gone to the dead center of Hell and witnessed the very end of everyone and everything...

Although ISMENE was the first play written, to me it has always been the true ending to this long story. And for the first time, we are going to bring our Audience the full realization of that ending. From the earthquake till the final confrontation with fate, we hope that you will leave the theatre truly satisfied with the story's conclusion. I am so happy to bring this show to you.

This time - we are going for our most raw production yet. The Dream Theatre style has changed so much from ISMENE'S now archaic beginning back in 2004. As such a young company it was very clear from the start that we truly didn't know just what the Hell we were doing and what we had discovered. It would take several years before the ISMENE would be realized, and that discovery would open the door to the Dream Theatre style. And so, dear audience, with fresh eyes and years of laboratory style training, we are going to explore the school of Arktoi in all of its shadows and deepest secrets like never before. And you will be right there with us. What should you expect? (Wicked smile.) Trust us. How exactly are we accomplishing this? It's much better if I don't divulge any more. Just know that this is the perfect play to throw open the doors of the New Dream Theatre. From its shaky start to its short lived triumph as part of the ANTIGONE PROJECT (almost 3 years ago now), I promise that this will be our definitive production of ISMENE.

And I for one, can't wait.

-Jeremy


About The Ismene Project...

7 cities -- Chicago, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York, Dublin (Ireland), St. John's (Newfoundland, Canada), Toronto (Ontario, Canada).

8 women directors -- Liz Bragg, Heather Chamberlain, Amy Flood, Sharon King-Campbell, Megan Murphy, Aislinn Ní Uallacháin, Ruth Pe Palileo and Anna Weiler.

1 play -- "Ismene" by Jeremy Menekseouglu of Dream Theatre Company.

1 goal -- Raise awareness and funds to support the heroines who battle breast cancer every day.

The play "Ismene" will open in May 2011 in cities all over the world.

Bil - Ever the Student

Fresh from our newly-redesigned website comes some info on Dream Theatre's most ambitious undertaking besides a ten-show season: school.

DREAM THEATRE SCHOOL

Dream Theatre is now offering classes with Artistic Director Jeremy Menekseoglu. Drawing from techniques originally developed at the Moscow Art Theatre, classes cover the basics of the Dream Theatre Style, such as Ground/Grand Gesture, the Four Actions, and more. Students will learn skills from the Russian, Greek, and British theatrical traditions - developing their physical, analytical, and vocal techniques through practice, discussion, and observation.

Enrollment includes one free, personalized evaluation with Jeremy Menekseoglu. Classes are three hours long and held once a month on Saturdays. Individual classes are $20; packages of 6 classes are available for $100 dollars (packages include a student voucher entitling the holder to 10 free shows in our 2011-2012 season*). To enroll in your first class and schedule an evaluation, email dreamtheatreclasses@gmail.com with your name and phone number.

*Does not include Theatre of Women, Special Events, or Opening/Closing.

Having been acting almost exclusively with Dream Theatre since 2008, I can personally vouch for Jeremy Menekseoglu's teaching abilities.  I am 100% certain I'm a better actor because of the Dream Theatre style.  I can't recommend a class with him highly enough.

I also can't recommend Dream Theatre as a company highly enough.  It's a wonderful group of people – hard working and incredibly passionate about putting on a good show.  Any knowledge and experience an actor can get at Dream Theatre will help in any avenue.  I guarantee it.  If you're serious about acting as an art form, take this class.  Jeremy will not just teach you things about the style; he'll teach you how to make your own discoveries, and therefore you will continue to learn long after the class is over.

If there's one thing I want to say about the Dream Theatre style to differentiate it, it's this: acting goes up, not down.  If you want to raise your mind and body up to a higher level of art instead of bringing a character in a play down to a lower state of being, come to Dream Theatre.  This is where actors play.

If you're not interested in acting but would like to see some acting in action, I recommend coming to see a show!  "Downward Facing" is now playing, and will be through February 20.  Audiences have been telling us that this show seems familiar, but – true to the spirit of Dream Theatre Company – also lets them make a discovery or two.

Courtney - If You Do Nothing, There Will Be No Result- A Hippy Dippy take on Downward Facing

As the opening weekend of Downward Facing comes to a close and we prepare for the continuation of a beautiful run, I find myself being sucked into the world of spiritual, yoga-centric musings in which Lilly-Anne no doubt lives. It's not that these thoughts are entirely new to me. I spent three months at this time last year Wwoofing in Hawaii at an eco-friendly retreat. During my stay, I was surrounded by people that consistently consulted astrologers about their year to come, twisted themselves into knots on a yoga mat before breakfast, and regularly referred to people and places as "magical". I guess we were in a paradise of sorts, so why wouldn't they be enthusiastically optimistic? But still, it's a new world to be thrown into for a habitual city dweller.

However, I can't deny that these type of philosophies and influences have had an impact on me since coming back. And playing Lilly-Anne has made some of that resurface, so forgive me for diving into hippy dippy talk at this time, but I feel it's relevant to our show.

Specifically, I'd like to address a quote from the Bhagavad Gita that I feel addresses both our play and the idea of making/presenting art in one. It goes as follows:

You have the power to act only
You do not have the power to influence the result
Therefore you must act without anticipation of the result
Without succumbing to inaction


The Gita goes on to say, "you may never know what results come of your action, but if you do nothing, there will be no result."

Though there are characters who take strong action from the start of the play (Dasher travels whenever he gets the urge, Jenna acts on her desire to have a child, and Lilly-Anne creates her dream business), I find that the conflict arises from the two characters who are more reluctant to take action: Janna and Flax.

Janna has trouble committing to her relationship because the idea of Jenna's child scares her. Flax does not want to leave her stoop, perhaps because this is the life she wants to live but also because she is probably afraid to change after living the way she has for so long. So I love that in the end of the play, Janna does take action and commits to Jenna, and Flax takes action by finding her own path, though we don't necessarily know what that path is. Essentially, these characters cease stagnancy and embark on taking action, whatever the result may be. The Gita also emphasizes that "action conquers fear," and in both of these situations, it clearly does.

And as I said before, I feel that these quotes apply strongly to putting on a show or creating art as well. We can't know what the result of our efforts will be. But we are taking action in a way that makes sense to us, and that way is creating. And we are brave enough to share what we are creating. So I am reiterating in my mind that I "have the power to act only," and yes, I'm aware of the double meaning due to the fact that I'm an actor in this show.  I guess I'm just saying that I often tend to focus on the results of my efforts. But according to this philosophy, that isn't really important at all.

PS- this might all be crazy talk because I think Lilly-Anne has hijacked my brain.

Bil - A Handy Guide to Dream Theatre Company's Auditions for "Downward Facing"

Despite cold weather outside and a construction site inside, Dream Theatre is sallying forth this week.  On Wednesday is a reading of our 2011 Season opener, Mishelle Apalategui's "Downward Facing" (which "Theatre of Women" fans should recognize).  Thursday and Friday are actual auditions.

I know there's a lot of audition advice out there for actors, and I'm sure some of it's good, but because we're about to audition a specific show at this specific company, let me throw out some specific advice that really will help...

• Bring a headshot and resume.  I know it seems like a no brainer, but there are a surprising amount of actors out there who actually have no brain.
• Reach out to Dream Theatre Company in advance.  Facebook is a great place to start.
• If there are sides available ahead of time, read them.  If you are able to read the whole script ahead of time, do so.
• If you have a monologue, be prepared to show all your intensity AND all your subtlety in one go.  You will only have one chance.
• If you have a monologue, be emotionally prepared to not get a chance at all.  Again, read those sides in advance.
• Connect with the director.  If the director gives you direction, use it.
• Impress the director.  If the director gives you direction, go above and beyond.  If the director does NOT give you direction, do something different anyway.  Show some range.
• Leave your ego at home.
• Leave your dog at home.
• Do not talk about Fight Club.
• Understand the English language.  The dialogue in "Downward Facing" is both transcendentally poetic and absurdly hip.  It's not like a Shakespeare play, where language is heightened upwards, or a Mamet play, where language is smashed downward.  It's more like "Juno," where language is shifted to the side a bit.  It's different from everyday language, but the emotions behind the words are all very human.  If you have questions about what something means, ask someone.
• Talk about how handsome Jeremy Menekseoglu is.
• Bring enough chewing gum to share with everyone.

Don't be this guy.

Break a leg, everyone.  We're all very excited to meet the cast, whoever they may be!

Bil - Ass

I was thinking about assumptions recently in a rehearsal, and it dawned on me all of a sudden that our little social clique of Devilish Children makes an assumption in the beginning, when we first encounter Little Karl and his Vati (father). It can't be helped, everybody makes assumptions when we first meet new people.

So, in the course of the rehearsals, I had decided subconsciously that we all (or at least I) hated Vati right away and would sympathize with Little Karl, him being a poor young boy being scolded by his mean father.

But it occurred to me the other day that it makes more sense if the Devilish Children immediately assume that Vati is correct, and consequently we'd immediately assume that Little Karl is an asshole. This is why we take it upon ourselves to torment him with education.

It's okay for the audience to decide that Vati is an asshole, but we children must think of him as the proper way to be. Vati's cold demeanor and strict adherence to proper society's rules is what we believe we ought to strive for, and the bad things happen when we break the rules.

"Devilish kinder are not tolerated in civilized society."

It takes the show's "prison" element to a whole new level. We see so often, especially in American literature and cinema, the prisoners' tendency to band together against "the man."  It would have been easy and boring for us to fall into that mentality, so to make things more watchable, we're now taking this question with us: "What happens if the prisoners agree that they ought to be imprisoned, and try to emulate their wardens?" We use our unique story talents to convince the new prisoner that he's wrong about his situation.

What we get when we do this is a society of prisoners teaching each other, and the wardens – adults, in this case – become absent and irrelevant.  Can't say at this point whether the absence begets the irrelevance, or vice-versa; for now, though, it doesn't matter.  The important part is that we children teach another child how to behave the way we believe is correct.  (Think "Lord of the Flies" here.)  We don't try to escape, and we don't cry up about our own innocence.  Because when you assume your own innocence...you make an ass out of you and me. (Right? Right.)

Bil - Meine Kleinie Katze

I've said it before and I'll say it again: YouTube is what separates this century from the last one.  Previously, in order to do some outside research on what German children are like to help prepare for the upcoming auditions for "Devilish Children & the Civilizing Process," I might have had to fly to Germany, find a children's park, and (at the risk of seeming to strangers around me like some sort of pedophile) sit and watch the kids.  Nowadays, I can get what I need without all those costly, creepy risks.  I can even do it at my day job.

To answer the question I know you are asking, this very first video you find when you search YouTube for "German children"...



My immediate reaction was to move on from this video.  I was actually hoping to see some movement, to help me move like a German child.  But after watching this the whole way through, I find it's probably even more beneficial.  For one thing, I get a sense of how German children sound, and that's probably going to help shape how I move.

But even more importantly, I get something that I know this play is going to need: whimsy.  Childlike innocence is one thing...but this focus, this profound appreciation for something we adults tend to throw away as "cute" and "meowdorable" is something that will help the actors take our play to a much more interesting level.  "Devilish Children" is a play about children interacting with other children, and the best thing we will do for our audiences is to help them feel like children, too.

We're going to need more YouTube before we're done...