Latest news with #LookingglassTheatreCompany
Newsweek
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Trailblazing Play 'Iraq, But Funny' Is Both Hilarious and Heartfelt
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. It is not every day that the Assyrian language, the modern version of what Jesus Christ spoke, is heard in theatres, but "Iraq, But Funny," a satirical play showing at Chicago's Lookingglass Theatre, is changing that. The unique production, written by Second City alum and Chicago native Atra Asdou and directed by Forbes 30 Under 30 recipient Dalia Ashurina, two female Assyrian Americans, is showing through July 20, and is making its mark in more ways than one. "I wrote this play to get some of the stories that have lived in my family out and onto paper, and because there was a lack of comedies in traditional American theatre about Iraq and Assyrians, written by Assyrians or Iraqis. I wanted to show a side of our people audiences here rarely get to see, and I wanted to make us all laugh, too," Asdou told Newsweek. She also stars in the play. Atra Asdou in "Iraq, But Funny," by Ensemble Member Atra Asdou and directed by Dalia Ashurina, from Lookingglass Theatre Company, now playing through July 20 at The Joan and Paul Theatre at Water Tower Water... Atra Asdou in "Iraq, But Funny," by Ensemble Member Atra Asdou and directed by Dalia Ashurina, from Lookingglass Theatre Company, now playing through July 20 at The Joan and Paul Theatre at Water Tower Water Works, 163 E. Pearson St. at Michigan Ave. in Chicago. More Photo Courtesy of Sandro Miller Through Asdou's smart and hilarious re-telling of world history narrated by TEG or The English Gentleman, she takes the audience through a crash-course of the Brits' mess of an involvement in Western Asia, also known as the Middle East, via multiple jabs at the British Empire—notorious for its colonization and dismal human rights record. "Iraq, But Funny"—four and a half years in the works and voted into this season by the Lookingglass Ensemble—fixates on five generations of Assyrian women (no, they're not the same thing as Syrian), who take ownership of their own stories throughout the play. "I joke and say it took me four and a half years to write, but this is a story 100, even 6,775 years in the making. We cover over 100 years in the play, and my [Assyrian] ancestors have been around for 6,775 years," Asdou said. Assyrians are indigenous to the Middle East and the play covers their survival of genocide in the early 20th century to the modern era. James Rana, Susaan Jamshidi, Gloria Imseih Petrelli, and Sina Pooresmaeil in "Iraq, But Funny," by Ensemble Member Atra Asdou and directed by Dalia Ashurina, from Lookingglass Theatre Company, now playing through July 20 at The... James Rana, Susaan Jamshidi, Gloria Imseih Petrelli, and Sina Pooresmaeil in "Iraq, But Funny," by Ensemble Member Atra Asdou and directed by Dalia Ashurina, from Lookingglass Theatre Company, now playing through July 20 at The Joan and Paul Theatre at Water Tower Water Works, 163 E. Pearson St. at Michigan Ave. in Chicago. More Photo Courtesy of Ricardo Adame "I hope audiences have a greater understanding of how we got to where we are politically and socially, and how they can choose better for their own lives, even in small ways. I hope Assyrians feel a sense of freedom from the ways they've been taught life has to be," director Dalia Ashurina told Newsweek. "I hope non-Assyrians feel seen in people they may have never heard of before. I hope everyone laughs." Asdou's quick wit and razor-sharp dialogue (she integrates audience members into the show) are both entertaining and refreshing. One moment theatregoers are laughing and the next they are faced with heartfelt scenes featuring jinaneh, which Asdou described as "mournful folk songs a singer improvise[s] and sings at a funeral, to help people grieve through their loss." The jinaneh you hear during the play sound like you're listening to prayers. "I wrote them as poems with the intention for them to be jinaneh. Our Assyrian language coach, Ninawa Chimon, helped to edit my Assyrian translations. And our brilliant musical composer, Avi Amon, composed the music for the show. With the help of our director Dalia Ashurina and sound designer Christie Chiles Twillie, we made sure the songs were delivered as intended. Turns out, it takes a village to deliver a folk song," Asdou said. Atra Asdou in "Iraq, But Funny," by Ensemble Member Atra Asdou and directed by Dalia Ashurina, from Lookingglass Theatre Company, now playing through July 20 at The Joan and Paul Theatre at Water Tower Water... Atra Asdou in "Iraq, But Funny," by Ensemble Member Atra Asdou and directed by Dalia Ashurina, from Lookingglass Theatre Company, now playing through July 20 at The Joan and Paul Theatre at Water Tower Water Works, 163 E. Pearson St. at Michigan Ave. in Chicago. More Photo Courtesy of Ricardo Adame Humor becomes the means to which some communities make sense of their challenging circumstances, especially through war and conflict. How else does one mentally combat constant warfare than to find the humor in it all? According to one study, humor has been found to help alleviate mental health issues post-conflict and is considered to be an "effective coping mechanism, a way of fighting back and taking control." Taking control of one's narrative is a central theme highlighted in IBF. The play's stellar cast includes Gloria Imseih Petrelli, Susaan Jamshidi, James Rana, and Sina Pooresmaeil, whose pronunciation of Assyrian words are praiseworthy aside from their powerful acting. The play is predominantly in English. This isn't Chicago's first theatre production showcasing contemporary Assyrian voices and stories, a rare feat in a city home to the world's largest population of Assyrians outside their homeland, an estimated 100,000—forced to leave their ancestral land due to ongoing religious and ethnic persecution. Esho Rasho's solo coming of age show "Dummy in Diaspora," (directed by Karina Patel) at the Jackalope Theatre in February 2025, highlighted his queerness in a usually conservative Assyrian upbringing. And Iraqi-born Assyrian Martin Yousif Zebari's "Layalina," (directed by Sivan Battat) debuted at the Goodman Theatre in March 2023, taking audiences from Baghdad, Iraq, to Skokie, Ill. through the lens of an Assyrian family making sense of their newfound home. Assyrian culture is being re-introduced to the arts through these stories taking life on stage—moving audiences past the iconic stone-carved lamassu (protective deities) of antiquity—and humanizing an ancient people that have endured a great deal. Next to take center stage is "Gilgamesh, the Opera," inspired by the world's oldest work of literature, "The Epic of Gilgamesh." The production, commissioned by The Assyrian Arts Institute and produced by Nora Betyousef Lacey, is set to premiere on March 28, 2026, at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, in Los Angeles, Calif. "I hope 'Iraq, But Funny' continues to be there for audiences all over—to remind us all of our humanity and allow us to feel seen and see others, as we belly-laugh through the horrors," Asdou said. "Iraq, But Funny" runs until July 20 at Chicago's Lookingglass Theatre.
Chicago Tribune
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
TimeLine Theatre Company announces the first show in its new Uptown space
Chicago's TimeLine Theatre has announced its transitional 2025-26 season, including the first production scheduled for its new home, currently under construction in the city's Uptown neighborhood. The three-show slate includes the fall world premiere of 'Hundreds and Hundreds of Stars' (October to November) by longtime Chicago writer and performer Sandra Delgado, directed by Kimberly Senior and presented at the Lookingglass Theatre Company's Water Tower Water Works, 163 E. Pearson St. This will mark the first time Lookingglass has rented its Magnificent Mile space to an external resident company. The second show, slated for the winter, is the recent Broadway hit 'Eureka Day' (February to March 2026), a satire about a progressive preschool with entitled parents. Jonathan Spector's play will be directed for TimeLine by Lili-Anne Brown and staged at a Chicago venue yet to be announced. The plan changed, but TimeLine Theatre finally begins construction on its new Uptown homeThe third show, the debut of TimeLine's new space, will be Amy Herzog's adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's 'An Enemy of the People' (May to June 2026), also recently seen on Broadway. Ron OJ Parson will direct a production that TimeLine plans to open in June at the new TimeLine Theatre, a black-box space seating 250 patrons and located at 5035 N. Broadway. Specific run dates for all three shows have yet to be determined.
Chicago Tribune
27-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
David Schwimmer says he is ‘doubling down' on Lookingglass Theatre
On Thursday, after an existential crisis and a hiatus of close to two years, Chicago's famous Lookingglass Theatre Company officially returns to public performances in its Michigan Avenue theater in the city-owned Water Tower Pumping Station. Aptly for a company known for its physically oriented performances, the new production is 'Circus Quixote,' as devised and developed by longtime ensemble member David Catlin and his wife, Kerry Catlin, with a circus-based assist from Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi. Prior to that, on Monday morning, Lookingglass also cuts the ribbon on a new lobby, cafe and bar space, funded by a grant from the State of Illinois and with an entrance at 163 E. Pearson St. Founded in 1988 by former classmates at Northwestern University, Lookingglass has many illustrious long-time ensemble members, including Joy Gregory, Laura Eason, Mary Zimmerman and J. Nicole Brooks, many of whom now work mostly in film and TV. But the most famous of all is David Schwimmer, who shot to global fame with 'Friends,' one of the most popular TV sitcoms of all time. Schwimmer is expected Monday at the ribbon cutting and spoke to us from his home in New York. The following conversation has been edited for clarity and length. Q: You grew up in Los Angeles. How is your family doing? A: Everyone is OK but going through a lot. We know so many people who have had to evacuate their homes. Q: It's been a while since you were back in Chicago and also a while since Lookingglass performed. A: It has. But I am really glad to come back. I am hoping the return of our company will be as exciting to the city as it is to me. Listen, I think what transpired over the last four years with the pandemic and our having to shut our doors and lay off some 70% of our staff was just incredibly difficult for us. First, we weren't able to produce, then we came back with an original show only for us to have to close it up again. And the Magnificent Mile has had difficulties too, as have so many other theaters and arts groups. Q: I, like many, was worried Lookingglass was gone for good. A: I'm not going to lie. Over the last few years, there has been significant burnout and things became a bit demoralizing, especially when it comes to finding new sources of contributed income at a time when people are not giving much to the arts. There were times when we all asked each other whether we should just fold up shop, be glad for the 30-plus years we've been doing this, all the work we'd done and all the jobs we'd created. Or do we dig in, put on our big-boy pants and ask, can we figure out a new way forward in this climate while still sticking to our mission of original work? I thought we just do it, try for a return and give it everything we've got. Q: You are a very famous and a very busy person beyond Lookingglass and Chicago. So what does this comeback mean for you? A: I decided I'm going to lean in and double down on Lookingglass. I've joined our board of directors for the first time. I am donating myself, of course, but I am also trying to meet new people in Chicago and get more investment in us from the business community. We want to revitalize this whole corridor on Michigan Avenue and make Lookingglass a fun destination for parties, speakers, classes, even stand-up comedy. This has to be a vibrant space, even when we don't have a show running, and that is our goal now. We're talking to Hubbard Street Dance, Broadway in Chicago, the Museum of Contemporary Art. We want to transform our space into a shared arts hub and also work ourselves in other, bigger spaces. That is the dialogue we have been having. Q: Admirably ambitious. A: We have to start slow and ramp up over the next three to five years as we figure out our new producing model. We have some incredibly new shows in the pipeline but one show I'd love us to bring back is Mary Zimmerman's 'The Odyssey,' a wonderful story about returning home. But that's a big show and we cannot do that in our space and hope to break even, so we need to find new producing partners. Q: The ensemble has changed some over the years. A: Yes. Some have wanted to pull back. But we want our return to be all about the new guard and the best of the old guard. We have new leadership and they are fantastic and we really hope we can get people to come back downtown. That's the key. Q: Are you going to direct or act in a show? A: I definitely am. I can't wait to get back on the stage at Lookingglass, where I have not performed since I did 'Our Town' (in 2009). We might fall flat on our faces but we really need the whole community to help us rise to this challenge. We need the governor, the mayor, this whole neighborhood, too. Q: I know there long has been a struggle to get signage on Michigan Avenue, where so many people once walked by. A: We have to get that foot traffic back to where it once was. And we need the city's help in letting people know there is a theater here.
