CST Unleashes the Monster Within

Jekyll-and-HydeThis Halloween, The Chicago Street Theatre invites audiences to unleash the monster within with their exciting new retelling of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher running October 18 through November 2. The play, based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1886 novella: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; promises some twists and surprises for those who love a good monster story for this time of year.

Director Bob Cooley, who loves a good monster story, says that working on the play has taken him back to his childhood and begging his parents “to stay up late on Saturday nights to watch Creature Features on Chicago’s WGN.” Cooley who has a definitive love for the Universal Monster movies of the 30’s, added that Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is different than many of the other movie monsters “because Jekyll makes a choice to be Hyde and then has to live with the consequences of what he’s become.”

The Hatcher adaptation that CST is presenting was originally commissioned and produced by The Arizona Theatre Company. Cooley says that the play wrestles with Jekyll’s choices as well as “the nature of good and evil.” He shared that he thinks that audiences will like the “modern sensibility” that make this version: “smart, sexy and edgier.” One of the challenges of the script is that it uses an ensemble of only 7 actors to play the over twenty characters in the story. Taking on the numerous roles in the play are Andrea Bertch, Kat Lutze, Dan Matern, Matt McCann, Tom O’Neill, David Pera and Don Taylor. The script has required them to slip seamlessly from role to role and make each character different. Because of the mature nature of the play, the actors have also had to take special care in staging the violence and the murders required in the script. Kat Lutze has served as “Gore Mistress” in creating some of the props for the show. Fight choreography has been developed by Jason Kaplan.

Due to the success of last year’s Halloween production of Dracula, Chicago Street Theatre recommends that those wanting to see Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde make reservations to one of the eight performances offered. Tickets are available online at www.chicagostreet.org or by calling the CST Box Office at 219-464-1636 Ext.1. FLEX Passes for Chicago Street’s entire 2013/2014 Season are also available. Show times are 8 PM Friday and Saturday nights with Matinee performance at 2:30 PM on Sunday the 20th and 27th. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde opens on October 18 with an opening night gala following the show at Restaurante Don Quijote. Chicago Street Theatre and Pikk’s Tavern will also host a Happy After Hours Party following the performance on Friday, October 25th.

In addition to the regular Friday, Saturday, and Sunday performances of the show, Chicago Street has two other events planned in conjunction with the play. On Monday, October 28 Chicago Street Theatre and the Red Cross will be holding a Blood Drive between 2:30 to 7:30 PM at the theatre.

Like with last year’s production of Dracula, Chicago Street, will again be holding a Spooktacular Halloween Party presentation on Thursday, October 31 at 6:30 PM with a cash bar of Spooky Spirits furnished by Martini’s, Creepy Cuisine, A Costume Contest, Ghoulish Games and Devilish Door Prizes. The party will be followed by a performance of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Patrons can RSVP and reserve their place for this special event by contacting the CST Box Office or online.

Next month: Chicago Street Theatre will celebrate the start of the Christmas Holidays with their Naughty or Nice Double Feature: The Santaland Diaries and Junie B. Jones in Jingle Bells Batman Smells opening November 29 and 30.