New writing team emerges at Walkabout

Local playwright/acting duo team up for fractured fairy tale
By Jack Helbig, Daily Herald Correspondent

What happens when a standard fairy tale ending (happily ever after) turns out to be more "ever after" than happy? That question is at the center of the new short comedy "Forever and Never: Walt Stubs his Toe" by playwright/actors Debbi Dennison and Marc Jolley.

"We wanted to show Prince Charming and his princess about 15 years after their fairy tale wedding, long after the honeymoon is over. It's a very fractured fairy tale," Dennison says of the show, running as Vex Theatre's entry in the Walkabout festival in Elgin.

Dennison and Jolley were commissioned to write the show by the folks at Vex Theater. "They knew they wanted to do a comedy with a middle-aged prince and princess," Dennison says.

The powers that be at the Palatine-based Vex contacted Dennison and Jolley because they are becoming a writing and performing team of note in the suburbs.

"Mark Jolley and I work together a lot," Dennison says. "We are part of the same improv troupe, the Time Travelers; we perform monthly in Schaumburg. Plus, I work for EGTV Channel 6 in Elk Grove Village, where we do 'The New Ralph the Robot Show.'"

'The New Ralph the Robot Show' is an occasional low-budget children's show Dennison, Jolley and a host of others put together for Channel 6. "Mark is the voice of Ralph the Robot," Dennison says.

"We have a blast with Ralph the Robot," Jolley says, "It is pretty cheesy but it is fun - like we are in Pee Wee Herman's universe."

Jolley, a native of Romeoville, had done a little theater in high school. But it wasn't until he was in the U.S. Navy that he started to take theater seriously. When he was at Great Lakes Naval Base, he took classes in acting and improv at Second City.

"I started taking theater classes because I was kind of morbidly shy," Jolley says.

Later, Jolley was stationed at the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay. "I was director of the theater group there," Jolley says, adding that theater was one of the things people did on the base for recreation.

When he left the Navy, it was natural for Jolley to continue his work in theater. Currently, he works for the Schaumburg Park District where, among other things, he is responsible for classes in improv and heads The Time Travelers.

It was through The Time Travelers that Jolley met Dennison. Dennison, a graduate of Schaumburg High School, continued her education after getting her degree in communications from Northern Illinois University by studying improvisation at Second City. She joined The Time Travelers five years ago. The two hit it off, and they began working together on other projects at EGTV and the Vex Theatre.

"We work together so much its like we are married," Dennison says. So it comes as no surprise that in "Forever and Never" Jolley plays the aging prince and Dennison plays the fading princess.

"Every character in the show is heightened," Jolley says, "We made everyone in the play crazy except the Evil Queen."

"We ask 'Is the Evil Queen really evil?'" Dennison says, "Or is she just realistic?"

• "Forever and Never" is part of Elgin's Walkabout: Theatre on Your Feet, running Saturdays, Aug. 15 and 22, starting at 1 p.m. (tours every 20 minutes until 2:20 p.m.). Admission is $14. The starting location is the Elgin Public House, 219 East Chicago St., Elgin. Tickets can be purchased by paying cash at the door, but reservations are essential. Call (847) 841-1713.

An Interview to Remember

For anyone who thinks they've gone through the worst job interview ever, you ain't seen nothin' yet. "The Questionnaire," a new play by Neil Shaw presented by Nothing Special Productions at this year's Walkabout, puts audiences in the middle of a job interview that goes horribly and hilariously awry. From the moment the audience steps off the elevator and into the Elgin Art Showcase, they are thrust into the scene of a job interview that no one has prepared for.

Nothing Special Productions, a resident Elgin theatre company, excels at edgy works and "The Questionnaire" does not disappoint. Be sure to experience their specialty at this year's Walkabout. Or catch NSP's mainstage show "True Accounts of Maddening Fiction" at the Elgin Art Showcase through August 16th. For more information, visit www.nothingspecialproductions.com

Anaphora Ensemble, Live at Walkabout

Anaphora Ensemble, the hippest new classical music group around, is playing a FREE concert this Saturday afternoon as part of Walkabout. Look for them as they play their unique classical/contemporary/jazz fusion in DuPage Court, right near the Alley of Art.

Check out the video above from their recent concert at the Green Mill in Chicago. And for more information, videos, and music from Anaphora Ensemble, visit their website: www.anaphoraensemble.com

Local Artist Brings Color to Elgin

"Painting is everything for me," says Agnes Pociecha, an artist who works on canvases both large (murals) and small (portraits). She studied art in her native Poland, including the Royal Academy of Art in Krakow, before relocating to the USA twelve years ago. "I chose the beautiful City of Elgin, with its unique atmosphere, as home town for my atelier," Agnes explains." Her atelier is now located in the Professional Building at 164 Division Street in Elgin. "I do not like to comment my paintings and drawings - expressing myself with colors and shapes is my way of communicating with the world."

You can meet Agnes and view some of her amazing work at the Alley of Art this Saturday, August 8th. For more information, visit her website at www.bestmurals.com

Neither Rain, Nor Wind, Nor Downtown Construction...

It was a day of rain spitting, wind blowing, and construction saw horses providing a series of obstacles that threatened to stall the first day of the second-annual Walkabout.

But fortunately, the show, or rather shows, did go on to nice size crowds on a Saturday in August that felt like a day in October.

The Elgin Courier News sent photographer David Ham out to catch some live action shots of the plays in progress. See a few below.

PHOTO: Scott and Jocelyn Mills, from Envision Theatre, share a tender moment in the production of "The Loveliest Afternoon of the Year."

PHOTO: Matt Kerrigan shows Robert Quinlan his true self in "The Questionnaire," from Nothing Special Productions.

PHOTO: Leah Rae, from A Tower of Strength Players takes a drag off of a cigarette to simulate smoking during a production of "Smoke Scenes" at Elgin Books.

A New Perspective on Downtown Elgin

Thanks to the Daily Herald for today's great article on Walkabout!

Theater walk provides new perspective on downtown Elgin
By Emily Jurlina, Daily Herald Staff Writer

The Elgin Cultural Arts Commission invites you to get up, lace up your shoes, head outside - and take in some theater.

This weekend is the kickoff for the second annual "Walkabout: Theater on Your Feet" theater walk that will take audience members on a tour through downtown Elgin.

The first Walkabout tour begins at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 1 and every Saturday thereafter until Aug. 22. The tour starts at the Elgin Public House at 219 E. Chicago St. Tours start every 20 minutes until 2:20 p.m. Reservations are essential and can be made by calling (847) 841-1713.

According to Elgin Cultural Arts Commissioner Sean Hargadon, last year's Walkabout was so popular a few more shows were added but people still had to be turned away as demand surpassed show capacity.

For the $14 admission fee audience members get the chance to see seven different short plays, each lasting anywhere from seven to 10 minutes. Many of the production companies are performing shows written just for the Walkabout, tailored to complement their performance venue.

Hargadon estimates that each tour will last about 90 minutes, give or take. The tours will take audience members to all sorts of venues, from Villa Verone restaurant on Douglas Avenue to the Elgin Art Showcase on Division Street.

"Downtown Elgin is like its own set ... with all the wonderful architecture. All its characteristics are interesting in their own way," Hargadon said.

Hargadon, an Elgin native himself, started the Walkabout last year. The theater production group he works with, the Janus Theatre, will be performing there again this year.

Hargadon hopes the Walkabout will be an engaging experience for the audience, and also show them a side of downtown Elgin many have probably never taken the time to stop and see.

"Elgin is a very urban town for a suburb and we can take advantage of that. There are so many nooks and crannies to it and people will see different parts of Elgin that they've never seen before or things that have changed," he said.

"The best thing is that the plays are short and the audience will get a nice mix and variety of performances throughout the afternoon. It's a very engaging experience, instead of sitting passively on your feet you get to be active and involved."

The tours will conclude at DuPage Court and Spring Street at the Alley of Art Show, which will also include live music.

Besides Janus Theatre, Nothing Special Productions of Elgin, Vex Theatre Company of Palatine, Tower of Strength Players of South Elgin, GreenRoom Productions of Elgin, Envision Theatre of Carol Stream and Independent Players of Elgin will be performing at the Walkabout.

When Your Co-Star Goes Home With You At Night

Putting on a play can take a lot of work. You have to pick the play, cast it, rehearse it, learn the lines, and then hope the audience likes it.

What’s more challenging is finding chemistry on stage with your scene partner. But what if that partner is your wife, or your husband? Well Janus Theatre Company is presenting “The DMV One” by Nick Zagone, which chronicles one man’s encounter with a government worker. It’s a comedy. Really.

The show is directed by the husband and wife team, Joe and Tara Schuman and featured in the play are newlyweds Chris Agos and Patricia True-Agos. Also starring in the play is Elgin’s own Katie Robnett.

The play is being performed at the Elgin Public House (EPH) in their new upstairs space – Pub 217. And according to Tara and Joe things have been going great. “The production is coming along well so far and we are very happy to be taking part in “Walkabout” again this year,” says Tara.

But we wanted to see how the newlyweds were getting along. The last time they worked together was in a play in 2002. Since then, Chris has made a name for himself acting in voice-overs, commercials and industrial films. And Trish has performed with many Chicago-area theaters and is a company member with Janus Theatre.

We caught up with Trish and Chris to see how things were going.

How does it feel performing in the Nick Zagone play?

TRISH: It's a cute piece. Everyone can relate to at least some part of it. Not ALL of it of course.

CHRIS: Feels good to be acting in front of a live audience again. Cameras and microphones generally don't clap.

Have you ever had a bad experience at the DMV or any other government service agency? Care to elaborate?

TRISH: Last time I was at the DMV, it was to get my new license and registration for my Jeep. After waiting for-e-v-e-r I was sent to a lady who could really care less about me. I wanted it to go smoothly, so I complimented her ring and by the end I think we were best friends. Otherwise, for all my government related DMV items, I go to our local branch in my home town of Mt. Vernon. With a lobby of 5 chairs and a woman that probably knew me as a child, it's MUCH easier.
CHRIS: Let's just say our various government agencies seem to be very efficient producers of long lines.

What is it like to perform together again after so many years?

TRISH: Pretty cool. Little did I know that between then and now we would fall in love and the next time we would perform together he would be my hubby! Everything happens for a reason.
CHRIS: I'm reminded that this is how we met. Glad I'm into acting and not something else. Like, say, Civil War reenactments. I never would have met Trish in battle.

What do you think about doing a play at Elgin Public House in the loft?

TRISH: I like performing in places that are off the beaten path. It's one of the things that drew me into Janus Theatre in the first place. Theater doesn't have to be contained to the stereotypical "stage". Theater is anywhere you have an audience.
CHRIS: Are there any perks, like free beer?

What can the audience expect from your performance?

TRISH: I hope the audience can expect to laugh. I mean the audience WILL laugh. (Or we’ll lock the doors and they can't get out.)
CHRIS: I guarantee that no actual DMV employees were harmed in the production of this play.

And no members of the audience will be harmed either. This play will be first-up in this year’s Walkabout.