The Past’s Present

Erik Sorensen (Video)

Boy meets girl. Girl and boy fall in love. Boy and girl live happily ever after, right? Not quite. Or at least not in Michael Brownlee’s play The Past’s Present, anyway.

Produced by the Speaking Ring Theatre Company and Directed by Mercedes Rohlfs, The Past’s Present delivers an intoxicating rollercoaster ride chalked full of melancholy, blissful thinking and hopeless Romanticism (or lack thereof). Just as intimate as the production’s characters is the theatre itself. Once a “speakeasy” during alcohol prohibition, the venue provides a rich history of its own and provides a unique theatrical setting with its beautiful architecture.

The play centers around its main character, Nathan, a young playwright struggling to find happiness in his current relationship while escaping to imaginary “what if” scenarios involving an almost-lover from his past. Burdened by the guilt of past relationships (represented by a chorus of bitter ex-girlfriends) The Past’s Present bounces from act to act between the harsh reality of Nathan’s current state, the missed opportunities of his past and his increasingly ominous future. The production takes a unique approach to the timeless frustration of relationships and interweaves a multitude of characters in a way that keeps you thinking and just might hit closer to home than you would expect.

The Cast:
Joseph Adamczak, Emily Korff, Sean Leonard, Alicia Sherman, Hattie Davis, Liz Hoffman, Dehlia Miller, Rebecca Miller, Erin Elizabeth Orr, Jamie Orr, Erin Rooney, Sarafina Vecchio and Jehan Whitaker.

The Past’s Present
@ National Pastime Theatre
4139 N. Broadway
Chicago, IL

April 19th – May 12th
Thursday through Sunday
$18 General Admission
$12 for students/seniors (with ID)
Group Discounts Available for
groups of ten or more
Show starts at 8pm
Tickets available by calling
312.458.9374 & leaving a message
or emailing http://www.speakingringtheatre.org

http://www.SpeakingRingTheatre.org

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