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Current Season

Dear Theatre Patrons,

New worlds are being built! With unprecedented growth at Lewis University, there are new buildings going up like the new science wing that you pass on your way to the theatre. There are also renovations of some of the oldest buildings

on campus, including the Oremus Fine Arts Building. Within the year you will see the lobby of the theatre updated, a new art gallery, conference room, student lounge, and a new theatre shop and black box theatre. These new areas will benefit our students greatly and enable our departments to expand our offerings for both our students and audience. We couldn't be more excited.

We are also thrilled about presenting the new worlds of the five plays chosen for this season. Although you may not recognize the titles, they are all marvelous shows that will not only entertain our patrons but also challenge our students with diverse styles and subject matter. You'll visit a lavish American estate (just before the crash), a Russian theatre during Gorbachev's "glasnost," all of the American presidents, New York during the turn of the last century, and an English country manor house in 1700.

All of these exciting worlds created on the stage of the Philip Lynch Theatre, which, by the way, will not be altered. Why change a world as perfect as the PLT. The students, staff and faculty hope you will join us for another exciting year of visiting new locations.

See you at the theatre, Keith J. White Chair, Director of Theatre

Lewis University’s Philip Lynch Theatre presents “The Beaux’ Stratagem”

Lewis University’s Philip Lynch Theatre (PLT) presents Thornton Wilder and Ken Ludwig’s adaptation of "The Beaux’ Stratagem," by George Farquhar. The show opens Friday, April 12 and runs until Sunday, April 21. Theplay tells story of two young London bucks, Aimwell (Matt Carlson of Lockport) and Archer (Mike Wall of Waconda), who roam from town to town in search of love and fortune. In order to find a wealthy hieress for at least one of them, they pose as master and servant - exchanging roles from one town to the next. InLichfield, Aimwell sets his sights on the eligible bachelorette Dorinda (Nicole Reidy of Darien) and Archer angles for the unhappily married Mrs. Sullen (Victoria Vega of Burbank). The pair set out to take hold of the ladies’ wealth before they can be exposed for their true identities. The play is a new adaptation that dips one stockinged toe in the 18th century and another in the 21st.

Jo Slowik of Joliet directs the cast of 16 Lewis University students. Other members of the cast include: Greg Rossbach of Crete, Jordin Richards of Tinley Park, Bryan Lochner of Essex, Briana Reidy of Darien, Kamil Borowski of Stickney, Kate O’Neil of Yorkville, Melanie Gillies of Lombard, Rachel Tau of Wood Dale, Matt Dutton of Chicago, Zachary Guzan of Cleveland, OH, Adam Smetana of Racine, WI, and international student, Carlos Alberto Rojas Avila of Bolivia.

Student members of the design team include Mary Bradley of Palos Heights (stage manager), Melissa Chicola of Lockport (set design), Stephanie Lipinski of Oak Forest (assistant stage manager), JessieRichey of McHenry (lighting design) Ross Reed of Country Club Hills (light board operator), Annie Martello of Morris (sound design and operator), Melanie Gilles of Lombard (properties), and Jenni Beck of Rock Falls and Cat Levins of Bolingbrook (properties assistants). Faculty members Celeste Mackey of Joliet (costume design), Harold McCay of Joliet (set and lights mentor) and Dave Pomatto of Naperville (assistant technical director) provide artistic collaboration.

The show is recommended for patrons 13 years old and up and will run April 12-14 and April 18-21. Evening performances begin at 8 p.m. Sunday matinees begin at 2:30 p.m. A matinee will also be performed at 4 P.M. on Saturday, April 20. Advanced ticket purchases are strongly encouraged. Tickets are $10 for adults, $9 for seniors and students and $2 for Lewis students with their student IDs. Tickets are $8 for groups of fifteen or more, a savings of more than 10 percent off the original ticket price. Tickets are non-refundable. For more information, call the PLT box office at (815) 836-5500, Monday thru Friday from 1-4:30 p.m., or by emailing at boxoffice@lewisu.edu. The Philip Lynch Theatre is located on the main campus of Lewis University, Oremus Fine Arts Building on Route 53 in Romeoville.

Lewis University’s student directing class presents “Ten Shades of Ten Minute Plays”

Lewis University theater students are preparing for the 10 minute play festival, entitled as “10 Shades of Plays”. The two-night festival will take place in the new “Studio Theatre” on May 1 and 2 at 7 p.m.

The event is free and open to the public. The seating is general admission and is recommended for patrons ages 16 yr. old and up. For more information call the Philip Lynch Theater box office (815) 836-5500. The box office hours are Monday through Friday 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The directing class is the capstone course for theater majors, offered at Lewis every two years in the spring. The students get to create their unique interpretations of the scripts they’ve chosen to stage.

The class this year has chosen very colorful and varied plays to produce. Matthew Carlson (Lockport) chose a play where a jock’s hot date is interrupted by a lonely spider. Melissa Chicola (Lockport) decided on a play showing a woman’s struggle with a very sinful addiction to chocolate. Jessie Richey (McHenry) chose a drama where a reporter must negotiate her freedom from her captors.

Greg Rossbach (Crete) chose a relatable comedy about a married couple having an extreme argument over a movie title. Adam Smetana (Racine, Wisconsin) chooses an unorthodox comedy where a simple trip to the DMV becomes a whirlwind relationship in a matter of minuets. Sabra Thomas (Bolingbrook) is directing a piece entailing a newlyweds’ dilemma of telling her husband about her pregnancy. Jillian Tschetter's (Romeoville) play explores a woman’s desire for self-acceptance.

Mike Wall’s (Wauconda) play surrounds a couple madly in love but faced with the dilemma-the first kiss. Mallory Petronzi’s (Romeoville) play is about a married couple trying to get a possum problem under control before the mother-in-law comes for a visit. Finally Melanie Gillies' (Lombard) production features a rookie police officer’s attempts to subdue an out of control playwright who has set up siege in a theater and is threatening to deliver his monologue.