UIC Theatre opens season with classic ‘Misalliance’

The cast of “Misalliance” rehearses for Friday’s opening night. The 1910 play will be performed onstage through next weekend at the UIC Theatre.

The UIC Theatre presents three classic plays and an American premiere that ask some of life’s biggest questions: How did I get here? How can I get out? What am I fighting for?

Directors Yasen Peyankov of Steppenwolf Theatre and Heidi Stillman of Lookingglass Theatre continue the tradition of giving students the opportunity to work with groundbreaking Chicago professionals.

All performances will take place at the UIC Theatre, 1044 W. Harrison St. Tickets are $17 for general admission and $12 for students at the box office.  Faculty and staff tickets are 2-for-1 with the code “FRIEND.” Call 312-996-2939 for more information.

The first play of the season is “Misalliance” by George Bernard Shaw, directed by Luigi Salerni, professor of theatre.

The play opens Friday and runs through next weekend. Performances are 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and Oct. 9, 10 and 11, and 2 p.m. Sunday and Oct. 8 and 12.

Gender politics, social politics and Shavian wit prevail in this 1910 play. Hypatia, daughter of underwear mogul John, is engaged to nerdy aristocrat Bentley, whose elderly father has also proposed to her. She finds diversion when a handsome pilot literally crashes a party at John’s house, bringing with him a female passenger — a daredevil acrobat — who inspires romance among the guests.

The next play this semester will be “Ivanov” by Anton Chekhov, directed by Yasen Peyankov, associate professor of theatre and Steppenwolf Theatre ensemble member. The play will run Nov. 14 through 23.

This adaptation by Peter Christensen and Peyankov is an exploration of unfulfilled lives and lost souls, woven with comedy as each character struggles to make sense of disillusionment, capture love or simply to endure boredom in the provinces.  Depressed, indebted government official Ivanov learns his wife is dying just as he is pursued by a younger woman and chastised by an idealistic doctor.

Other plays scheduled this year include “The Piano Lesson” by August Wilson, directed by Derrick Sanders, assistant professor of theatre, Feb. 20 through March 1; and “A Matter of Life and Death” adapted by Emma Rice and Tom Morris (rights pending), based on a film by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger and directed by Heidi Stillman of Lookingglass Theatre, April 10 through 19.