WORLD PREMIERE OF FRANK GALATI’S
THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE
OPENS CITY LIT’S 27TH SEASON
The world premiere of Frank Galati’s adaptation of the 19th century horror classic The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson will begin previews at City Lit Theater on Friday, September 22 and open on Monday, September 25. The production runs through November 5.
“Frank is the one true genius in Chicago theatre,” stated City Lit artistic director Terry McCabe, “and we at City Lit are delighted to be producing the premiere of his stirring version of this powerful story. We are also pleased to be kicking off this season’s unofficial GalatiFest: Jekyll and Hyde here at City Lit, then The Pirate Queen at the Cadillac Palace, The Snow Queen at Victory Gardens, and Oedipus Complex at the Goodman. It’s quite a lineup.”
Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in the autumn of 1885, the basic idea having come to him in a nightmare from which his wife woke him when she heard his cries of horror. The novella was controversial enough at the outset that many bookstores refused to stock it, but today the names of its protagonist are standard shorthand for a central concept of Western culture: the inner conflict between good and evil. The story has been adapted for stage, screen, radio, and television hundreds of times since the first theatrical version in 1887, and has been a showcase for actors as diverse as Spencer Tracy, John Malkovich, and Mel Blanc voicing Tweety Bird. It resonates throughout popular culture, being the direct inspiration of such varied characters as The Incredible Hulk, The Nutty Professor, Fight Club protagonist Tyler Durden, vampire-with-a-soul Angel, and Batman villain Two-Face.
Galati’s adaptation differs from most re-tellings of the story in that it is remarkably faithful to Stevenson’s original, refusing to create a love interest for Jekyll, for instance, or to have either him or Hyde killed by someone else at the end. It also uses two actors to portray Jekyll and Hyde, instead of combining the roles as has been common, in order to hew to the narrative’s vision of Hyde as both smaller and younger than Jekyll. Galati wrote the adaptation in 1979 for a student project at Northwestern University where he taught at the time, but it has never had a full production. He first granted McCabe permission to stage it in the early 1990s at the old Wisdom Bridge Theatre, where McCabe was resident director, but Wisdom Bridge went out of business before the show could be scheduled.
Frank Galati is associate director of the Goodman Theatre and an ensemble member of Steppenwolf Theatre Company. He has won two Tony Awards for adapting and directing The Grapes of Wrath, and a third Tony nomination for directing Ragtime. He has won nine Joseph Jefferson Awards, including three for adaptations: Boss at the old Forum Theatre, She Always Said, Pablo at the Goodman, and The Grapes of Wrath at Steppenwolf. He was Oscar-nominated for his collaboration on the screenplay of The Accidental Tourist. He co-authored the 5th edition of the classic textbook Oral Interpretation with Charlotte I. Lee, and he is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
The production is directed by McCabe. Sheldon Patinkin, originally scheduled to direct, had to withdraw for personal reasons. Terry McCabe has been City Lit’s artistic director since February 2005, and has directed plays professionally in Chicago for 26 years. Most recently he staged City Lit’s Jeff-recommended Holmes and Watson, his own adaptation of two Sir Arthur Conan Doyle short stories.
George Seegebrecht, last seen as one of the lizards in City Lit’s production of Edward Albee’s Seascape and a Jeff Citation winner for his performance at City Lit in Alan Ayckbourn’s Taking Steps, plays Dr. Henry Jekyll. Brian Plocharczyk, last seen at City Lit as the killer in Douglas Post’s Somebody Foreign, plays Mr. Edward Hyde. The rest of the cast are Jerry Bloom, Gerard Dedera, Susie Griffith, Brian Pastor, Will Schutz and Andrew Whatley.
The design team for The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde consists of Grant Sabin (Set Design), Jacob Snodgrass (Lighting Design), Branimira Ivanova (Costume Design), and Robert Steel (Original Music and Sound Design). The vocal coach is Clare C. Hane.
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde will play Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 PM and Sundays at 3:00 PM, September 22 through November 5. Press opening is Monday, September 25 at 7:00 PM. Ticket prices are $18.00 for the weekend of previews September 22-24, and $25.00 after opening. Discounts are available for seniors, students and groups of ten or more. Tickets can be reserved by going to www.citylit.org or by calling (773) 293-3682.
City Lit’s production of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is the first production of its twenty-seventh season. City Lit specializes in literate theatre, including stage adaptations of literary material.