Chris Lysy
News
3/30/21
Big thanks to everyone who tuned in for Ernest! The show was a lot of fun and the most technically sophiticated show SAS has put on yet! While I had a lot of fun with my first Wilde show, I hope I get a chance to do some Wilde again soon, on stage this time.
Speaking of classic playwrights, SAS has now moved on to one I've got a lot more experience with: good ol' William Shakespeare! We've just started rehearsals for A Midsummer Night's Dream last week and I really like this cast. There are a lot of new people on this one and it feels good to be getting back into the Shakespeare saddle. I'm playing Demetrius, which is not a character I would typically expect to be cast as, and it's been fun to get into that different headspace. Honestly, Shakespeare is easier for me to work with in some ways just because I know how to do text work and that gives me a pretty solid jumping off point for whatever else I want to do with the character. The lines being in verse also helps the memorization process move along a bit faster as well. This is gonna be a good one, so get your tickets here! We'll be streaming this one, so you've got a whole week to check it out!
Speaking of classic playwrights, SAS has now moved on to one I've got a lot more experience with: good ol' William Shakespeare! We've just started rehearsals for A Midsummer Night's Dream last week and I really like this cast. There are a lot of new people on this one and it feels good to be getting back into the Shakespeare saddle. I'm playing Demetrius, which is not a character I would typically expect to be cast as, and it's been fun to get into that different headspace. Honestly, Shakespeare is easier for me to work with in some ways just because I know how to do text work and that gives me a pretty solid jumping off point for whatever else I want to do with the character. The lines being in verse also helps the memorization process move along a bit faster as well. This is gonna be a good one, so get your tickets here! We'll be streaming this one, so you've got a whole week to check it out!
2/10/21
Show's all taped! We finished up our final filming this weekend, now all that's left is to watch it! I feel pretty good about my performance in this one. Acting over Zoom has definitely been a challenge, and I'd certainly prefer to get a crack at this role on a stage (God I miss being able to physically interact whit my fellow actors!), but I think I've managed to adapt to the limits of the medium fairly well. See for yourself on Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon right here!
And I'll be getting even more opportunities to stretch those Zoom muscles coming up. I've just been cast in two more shows with SAS: A Midsummer Night's Dream and Standing On Ceremony: The Gay Plays. I think they might like me...
Last time I did Midsummer's was back in 2016 when I got to play Theseus. This time, I'll be playing Demetrius, so I'll be getting another opportunity to play around as a character I don't think I'd usually play. I'm really eager to get back into the Shakespeare grove and I'm looking forward to working with a whole new group of actors and seeing what they've got.
As for The Gay Plays, I'll be playing a guy named Jerry who's recounting getting married to his boyfriend. Pretty simple love story, but the surrounding context casts the whole thing in a much darker tone. It's Neil LaBute, so of course it's grim. Still the straightforward, interview-like style of the show lends itself well to a virtual format, so adapting to it should be easy.
For both shows, I'll have dates and time (and ticket links) in a future update. Watch this space!
Show's all taped! We finished up our final filming this weekend, now all that's left is to watch it! I feel pretty good about my performance in this one. Acting over Zoom has definitely been a challenge, and I'd certainly prefer to get a crack at this role on a stage (God I miss being able to physically interact whit my fellow actors!), but I think I've managed to adapt to the limits of the medium fairly well. See for yourself on Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon right here!
And I'll be getting even more opportunities to stretch those Zoom muscles coming up. I've just been cast in two more shows with SAS: A Midsummer Night's Dream and Standing On Ceremony: The Gay Plays. I think they might like me...
Last time I did Midsummer's was back in 2016 when I got to play Theseus. This time, I'll be playing Demetrius, so I'll be getting another opportunity to play around as a character I don't think I'd usually play. I'm really eager to get back into the Shakespeare grove and I'm looking forward to working with a whole new group of actors and seeing what they've got.
As for The Gay Plays, I'll be playing a guy named Jerry who's recounting getting married to his boyfriend. Pretty simple love story, but the surrounding context casts the whole thing in a much darker tone. It's Neil LaBute, so of course it's grim. Still the straightforward, interview-like style of the show lends itself well to a virtual format, so adapting to it should be easy.
For both shows, I'll have dates and time (and ticket links) in a future update. Watch this space!
1/30/21
Rehearsals are underway for Importance of Being Ernest an we've stepped our game up! I've got myself a green screen and I can already see the difference in rehearsal. Before, our use of Zoom backgrounds meant that my visuals were occasionally clipping out, but with my green screen, along with the ring light I've been using for self tape submissions, I've had no problems at all.
I'm playing the role of Algernon and it's been a lot of fun! He's definitely not the sort of character I'd typically play, Jack is more of my wheelhouse, so getting to play around in this guy's head has been a lot of fun! Oscar Wilde gave him all the best lines! Tickets should be going on sale soon, so be sure to check here soon!
Rehearsals are underway for Importance of Being Ernest an we've stepped our game up! I've got myself a green screen and I can already see the difference in rehearsal. Before, our use of Zoom backgrounds meant that my visuals were occasionally clipping out, but with my green screen, along with the ring light I've been using for self tape submissions, I've had no problems at all.
I'm playing the role of Algernon and it's been a lot of fun! He's definitely not the sort of character I'd typically play, Jack is more of my wheelhouse, so getting to play around in this guy's head has been a lot of fun! Oscar Wilde gave him all the best lines! Tickets should be going on sale soon, so be sure to check here soon!
12/15/20
Well, got some bad news. My scene from Chicago Med got cut. So I will not be appearing on TV, which is a bummer, but at least I already got paid and, silver lining, I don't have to wait two years before I can be cast again in another Chicago show! Hopefully in an even bigger role! Also, the on-set experience was invaluable and I hope I get some more of it soon!
In other news, A Christmas Carol went well. We got some positive reviews in our inboxes and we all got a little holiday cheer when we could all definitely use some! And, since SAS can't get enough of me apparently, I've been cast as Algernon in The Importance of Being Ernest! That'll be going up in February, so watch this space for more details as we start filming.
Well, got some bad news. My scene from Chicago Med got cut. So I will not be appearing on TV, which is a bummer, but at least I already got paid and, silver lining, I don't have to wait two years before I can be cast again in another Chicago show! Hopefully in an even bigger role! Also, the on-set experience was invaluable and I hope I get some more of it soon!
In other news, A Christmas Carol went well. We got some positive reviews in our inboxes and we all got a little holiday cheer when we could all definitely use some! And, since SAS can't get enough of me apparently, I've been cast as Algernon in The Importance of Being Ernest! That'll be going up in February, so watch this space for more details as we start filming.
11/12/20
What a day! I got some big news about today but first, some housekeeping! Dracula went great! Thanks to everyone who tuned in and enjoyed the spooky good times! We start recording A Christmas Carol next week so be sure to get your tickets here. I'll be working with a lot of the same folks from Dracula only this time on camera! You know you want to see all out gorgeous faces!
Now onto that big news! I couldn't really say anything until now, but I'm going to be on Chicago Med! I can't go into many details without getting into spoilers territory, but we shot my scene today and the episode (Season 6 Episode 3) will be airing when the show returns from hiatus in January. This was my first time on a major set and I loved it! First things first, I got a rapid COVID test and when it came back negative, I got a wristband and was taken to my trailer! I got into wardrobe and then was off to hair and makeup. From there we had lunch and then I spent the rest of my downtime waiting to be taken to the location in my trailer.
When they were ready, a driver was sent to take me to the shoot location and then it was go time! I got to meet Yaya DaCosta, Oliver Platt, and Brian Tee, and get roughed up by a SWAT team! Yaya DaCosta said I did a good job! Look for me in the credits some Wednesday at 8pm on NBC soon!
What a day! I got some big news about today but first, some housekeeping! Dracula went great! Thanks to everyone who tuned in and enjoyed the spooky good times! We start recording A Christmas Carol next week so be sure to get your tickets here. I'll be working with a lot of the same folks from Dracula only this time on camera! You know you want to see all out gorgeous faces!
Now onto that big news! I couldn't really say anything until now, but I'm going to be on Chicago Med! I can't go into many details without getting into spoilers territory, but we shot my scene today and the episode (Season 6 Episode 3) will be airing when the show returns from hiatus in January. This was my first time on a major set and I loved it! First things first, I got a rapid COVID test and when it came back negative, I got a wristband and was taken to my trailer! I got into wardrobe and then was off to hair and makeup. From there we had lunch and then I spent the rest of my downtime waiting to be taken to the location in my trailer.
When they were ready, a driver was sent to take me to the shoot location and then it was go time! I got to meet Yaya DaCosta, Oliver Platt, and Brian Tee, and get roughed up by a SWAT team! Yaya DaCosta said I did a good job! Look for me in the credits some Wednesday at 8pm on NBC soon!
10/13/20
The hits keep coming! In addition to Dracula, I've been cast by SAS Performing Arts Company's production of A Christmas Carol! I guess these folks like me! I'll be playing a variety of characters in this one, including Fred the nephew and Peter Crachit, so I guess I better start working on voices...
As for Dracula, we are rapidly approaching recording time and I'm eager to share this one with all of you! It's been a very fun group to work with and I can't wait to hear how the final product sounds. Don't miss this one folks! It's gonna be spooky!
As for Dracula, we are rapidly approaching recording time and I'm eager to share this one with all of you! It's been a very fun group to work with and I can't wait to hear how the final product sounds. Don't miss this one folks! It's gonna be spooky!
9/30/20
Not been much to report lately, but now I got something to talk about! I've been cast for the role of Jonathan Harker in an audioplay version of Dracula! We had our first rehearsal tonight and the initial read through sounds good. More than anything, it felt good to get performing again! Harker isn't a particularly difficult character for me, he is exactly in the middle of my wheelhouse, but the medium of Zoom audioplay is a new one for me. We'll be recording in a few weeks and the show will be available to listen October 30 and 31st. Get your virtual tickets here!
6/24/20
2020 just keeps on getting wilder, huh? So much has happened in the last few months, that I have a hard time even remembering being on stage last March! I will say, I've been surprised (and pleased) to see people all around the world responding to the latest entry in our long list of examples of police brutality. Honestly, I think the pandemic has played a role in why now. With so many people out of work and economically pressed, there's less leverage that those in power have against those who don't right now. After all, what are they gonna do? Fire us?
Add to that the fact that this virus has made abundantly clear how much we depend on those we exploit the hardest under capitalism, and the utter incompetence of the national leadership, and then we all saw agents of that power brutally muder a man right in front of us and a match was thrown onto all that kindling.
This quarantine has had me thinking hard about my art. The usual avenues for me as a performer are going to be closed for a long time, and I don't know exactly how to open new ones in the near term. But however I do, I hope I am able to find a way for that art to have some greater meaning in the world. Even before all this, I was making a point of being more selective in my projects and trying to pick work that I cared more about. Hopefully, I am able to find an avenue to channel my abilities and those passions into some sort of work of my own.
As you can tell, not having a project in front of me has put me in a bit more of a philosophical place than I usually am here. I can only imagine how it will look here a few months from now.
This quarantine has had me thinking hard about my art. The usual avenues for me as a performer are going to be closed for a long time, and I don't know exactly how to open new ones in the near term. But however I do, I hope I am able to find a way for that art to have some greater meaning in the world. Even before all this, I was making a point of being more selective in my projects and trying to pick work that I cared more about. Hopefully, I am able to find an avenue to channel my abilities and those passions into some sort of work of my own.
As you can tell, not having a project in front of me has put me in a bit more of a philosophical place than I usually am here. I can only imagine how it will look here a few months from now.
5/17/20
Well, Cymbaline is canceled, at least for this year. I can't say I'm surprised, it doesn't look like live theatre is coming back anytime soon. Fortunately, Midsommer Flight is going to be mounting this production next year, and we are all invited back, so I have plans for next summer I guess. This now means I have no further plans for the remainder of the year. It's just extra frustrating, since this was the first time I've had gigs planned out this far in advance. Still, I know that we will see the other side of this and theatre will come back. Until then, I just need to find ways to stay connected to my larger theatre community and not let my skills get soft.
4/30/20
I've honestly been putting off this update for as long as possible, but seeing as it's the end of the month, I guess I can't any longer. The whole world has changed since last month and we're all enduring a prolonged lockdown. It is ultimately for the best, but that doesn't really soften the sting of having to shut down our theaters. The Country Girl has canceled it's run and I don't blame them. At this point Redtwist, like most theatre companies, is focused on company survival, and I look forward to getting another chance to see them on the other side of this.
As for Cymbaline, so far our rehearsal are still scheduled to begin later in May, though we will see how that goes when that time comes closer. The longer timeline allows me a bit more hope that we actually will go on this summer, though certainly in some kind of modified audience configuration.
As for me, I've been trying to keep busy in quarantine, though I admit, motivation has been difficult to maintain. Not knowing when this will end has made it hard to get excited for projects that may never happen, even if I do manage to get cast.
Still, it's not all doom and gloom. I've been slowly but surely improving my self-tape set up, as I've been getting plenty of practice! I suspect this may be how auditions are conducted for the foreseeable future and it's been a chance to reach out to old friends and read for each other over Zoom. I've long wanted to set up a network of other actors I know and have worked with in the past to provide readers for each other for self-tapes and, if nothing else, I will come out of the other end of all this having finally assembled such a group! Stay healthy everyone, and I'll see you on the other side!
I've honestly been putting off this update for as long as possible, but seeing as it's the end of the month, I guess I can't any longer. The whole world has changed since last month and we're all enduring a prolonged lockdown. It is ultimately for the best, but that doesn't really soften the sting of having to shut down our theaters. The Country Girl has canceled it's run and I don't blame them. At this point Redtwist, like most theatre companies, is focused on company survival, and I look forward to getting another chance to see them on the other side of this.
As for Cymbaline, so far our rehearsal are still scheduled to begin later in May, though we will see how that goes when that time comes closer. The longer timeline allows me a bit more hope that we actually will go on this summer, though certainly in some kind of modified audience configuration.
As for me, I've been trying to keep busy in quarantine, though I admit, motivation has been difficult to maintain. Not knowing when this will end has made it hard to get excited for projects that may never happen, even if I do manage to get cast.
Still, it's not all doom and gloom. I've been slowly but surely improving my self-tape set up, as I've been getting plenty of practice! I suspect this may be how auditions are conducted for the foreseeable future and it's been a chance to reach out to old friends and read for each other over Zoom. I've long wanted to set up a network of other actors I know and have worked with in the past to provide readers for each other for self-tapes and, if nothing else, I will come out of the other end of all this having finally assembled such a group! Stay healthy everyone, and I'll see you on the other side!
3/11/20
Happy birthday to me! Labyrinth is all done and I already miss it. This has been a truly special show and even though I only got two chances to perform it, it will stay with me for a very long time. The audiences for both understudy performances were fantastic; thank you so much to everyone who came out! Needless to say, I can't wait for another opportunity to work with Broken Nose again!
Onto new business. Next up I begin rehearsals at the end of this month for The Country Girl with Redtwist Theatre. It's another understudy role and my first time taking on Clifford Odets, so I'm intrigued as to how this process goes. Honestly, I have very little information at this point, but I look forward to getting started.
After The Country Girl, I'll join Midsommer Flight to (again) understudy for their upcoming production of Cymbaline. I look forward to doing Shakespeare in the summertime again, I didn't realize how much I'd missed it since Muse of Fire closed up shop a couple of years ago. The show will be outside and in parks all over the city (including Touhy Park, up around my neck of the woods) so it'll even be a bit of a throwback to when I used to do Theatre-Hikes, but thankfully without the long drives to Pullman or the Morton Arboretum. We go up in July and run through August, so keep your eyes peeled for more updates!
Onto new business. Next up I begin rehearsals at the end of this month for The Country Girl with Redtwist Theatre. It's another understudy role and my first time taking on Clifford Odets, so I'm intrigued as to how this process goes. Honestly, I have very little information at this point, but I look forward to getting started.
After The Country Girl, I'll join Midsommer Flight to (again) understudy for their upcoming production of Cymbaline. I look forward to doing Shakespeare in the summertime again, I didn't realize how much I'd missed it since Muse of Fire closed up shop a couple of years ago. The show will be outside and in parks all over the city (including Touhy Park, up around my neck of the woods) so it'll even be a bit of a throwback to when I used to do Theatre-Hikes, but thankfully without the long drives to Pullman or the Morton Arboretum. We go up in July and run through August, so keep your eyes peeled for more updates!
2/25/20
Tomorrow is the big day! Our understudy performance is tomorrow and it looks like we have a big crowd. The reviews and crowds for the main cast have been fantastic! So fantastic, in fact, that we've extended another week, until March 7th. In addition to that, we have a second understudy performance on March 4th! Having a second show feels great and it hopefully means more of you will get a chance to see me on stage. Be sure to get your tickets here and I hope to see you tonight or next week!
In other news, I've been receiving more and more understudy offerings from more well-established theatre companies lately. I don't know where this will lead, but I'm hoping this is a sign of things to come and I will have more to report to you on this front next month.
In other news, I've been receiving more and more understudy offerings from more well-established theatre companies lately. I don't know where this will lead, but I'm hoping this is a sign of things to come and I will have more to report to you on this front next month.
1/20/20
Welcome to 2020! Starting off the new year right with rehearsals for Labyrinth. I'm feeling a lot better than I was last month and I'm eager to get into tech week, when the understudy rehearsals get going. So far, just observing rehearsals, I'm seeing so much great work being done and it has made me all the more appreciative of Spenser Davis's directing style. I can't wait to see this with all the tech bells and whistles laid on top of the performances in the rehearsal room. I only hope we understudies can do this show justice. I guess we'll find out next month!
12/31/19
Happy New Year! Closing out 2019 and a full decade of this site! Looking back, it's amazing how different my life and career look now compared to back then. I can only hope the next ten years take me even half as far as I've come, though obviously I'll be pushing for much more than that.
As for right now, I'm in the thick of understudy rehearsals for Labyrinth, and the pace is intense! We start previews at the end of next month and I don't feel even close to ready! Still, I'm confident I'll be there by the time we open and seeing how hard everyone else is working drives to keep up. It's exactly how I expected a company of Broken Nose's caliber to operate.
Next year we begin the 2020's and I don't know what they will hold. I do know that whatever it is, I can't wait to find out!
11/30/19
It's been just over a year since I've updated this page, so there's plenty to talk about! Like I said last time, I got to work with Three Crows Theatre on Terra Nova this spring, and it was outstanding! There was a real camaraderie among this cast and crew. Part of that was probably the fact that being onstage and in rehearsal together every night will really bring a group of guys together, part of it was probably the sub-zero temperatures we faced to get to rehearsal. No matter the reason, I feel like we bonded a great deal as a cast and I'd be proud to work alongside any of them again!
After that, I took the rest of the spring off, but come summer, I was involved with Intrinsic Theatre Company and their Chicago premier of Now or Later, a tight, politically-driven one act that takes place on the eve of an alternate 2008 Presidential election night. The victorious Democratic candidate's son is involved a breaking scandal after being caught on camera dressed as Mohammad at a party at his Ivy League school. The son then has to face the political and personal consequences as he battles his family and their political advisors trying to run damage control. I played Marc, a campaign aide trying to get the son to agree to issue a public apology and running headfirst into his stubborn refusal on the principle of free speech. The play itself fast-paced and well constructed and I enjoyed to boxing ring-like conflict in my scenes. I also got the chance to work with one of my old teachers from Act One, Scott Olson! It's always a lot of fun running into my teachers out in the "real world" and this is the first time I got the opportunity to act alongside one!
As soon as Now or Later was up, it was straight into rehearsals for Macbeth in the Inferno! This is my second time playing Macbeth in three years, and I've got to say, it certainly helped having a head start on the character! This wasn't another production of Macbeth, however, it took Macbeth and cut in text from Dante's Inferno to tell a story of the demons tormenting him in Hell. In this show, I not only took on the exhausting role of the Red King, but it was also the first time I had to sing in front of an audience. Even though I accidentally got stabbed in the head during one of the fights, that was honestly the most nerve-wracking part. Odd's Bodkins was a fun group to work with and this show definitely stretched me in some areas I haven't flexed in a while.
Finally, we get to what's coming up, and this is very exciting! Ann and I are going on vacation for a little over a week, but when we get back I get to start work on the U.S. premiere Labyrinth with Broken Nose Theatre. I'll be understudying the role of Charlie and I've been wanting to work with Broken Nose for a long time! The play itself is about the 1980's Latin American sovereign debt crisis and I can't wait to get started! Just like Now or Later or Terra Nova, I'm really enjoying these plays dealing with politics and history in a realistic style. I guess it only makes sense given my interests outside of acting. Find a way to work Magic: the Gathering in and I'll be set I suppose!
After that, I took the rest of the spring off, but come summer, I was involved with Intrinsic Theatre Company and their Chicago premier of Now or Later, a tight, politically-driven one act that takes place on the eve of an alternate 2008 Presidential election night. The victorious Democratic candidate's son is involved a breaking scandal after being caught on camera dressed as Mohammad at a party at his Ivy League school. The son then has to face the political and personal consequences as he battles his family and their political advisors trying to run damage control. I played Marc, a campaign aide trying to get the son to agree to issue a public apology and running headfirst into his stubborn refusal on the principle of free speech. The play itself fast-paced and well constructed and I enjoyed to boxing ring-like conflict in my scenes. I also got the chance to work with one of my old teachers from Act One, Scott Olson! It's always a lot of fun running into my teachers out in the "real world" and this is the first time I got the opportunity to act alongside one!
As soon as Now or Later was up, it was straight into rehearsals for Macbeth in the Inferno! This is my second time playing Macbeth in three years, and I've got to say, it certainly helped having a head start on the character! This wasn't another production of Macbeth, however, it took Macbeth and cut in text from Dante's Inferno to tell a story of the demons tormenting him in Hell. In this show, I not only took on the exhausting role of the Red King, but it was also the first time I had to sing in front of an audience. Even though I accidentally got stabbed in the head during one of the fights, that was honestly the most nerve-wracking part. Odd's Bodkins was a fun group to work with and this show definitely stretched me in some areas I haven't flexed in a while.
Finally, we get to what's coming up, and this is very exciting! Ann and I are going on vacation for a little over a week, but when we get back I get to start work on the U.S. premiere Labyrinth with Broken Nose Theatre. I'll be understudying the role of Charlie and I've been wanting to work with Broken Nose for a long time! The play itself is about the 1980's Latin American sovereign debt crisis and I can't wait to get started! Just like Now or Later or Terra Nova, I'm really enjoying these plays dealing with politics and history in a realistic style. I guess it only makes sense given my interests outside of acting. Find a way to work Magic: the Gathering in and I'll be set I suppose!
11/18/18
Well, I've got some good news! I'll be working with Three Crows Theatre on Terra Nova starting in January! It's the story of the doomed Scott expedition to the South Pole and I'll be playing Oates, a Boer War veteran on this journey. I'm really looking forward to getting started on this project and I can't wait to update you on this show I get more details to share with you here. For now, get your tickets here.
10/14/18
Just got back from an incredible trip to Japan with my wife and while right now, I'd love nothing more than to gush about this amazing, horizon broadening experience, this in my acting website and we're staying on-topic dammit! Suffice to say, I'm very happy right now.
For the first time in a while, I find myself with no new projects coming up. Part of that is to do with the aforementioned Japan trip being this huge thing I've needed to work my schedule around, but now that I'm on the other side of it, I'm diving headfirst into auditions again. I'll hopefully have good news on that front come next month!
In other news, Cockeyed closed. This show was a lot of fun and I hope I get a chance to work with this crew again sometime. Just maybe not all the way down in Hammond...
Also, Level 2 of On-Camera was great! Like I said last month, this group was pretty tight and I feel more ready than ever at the auditions I've been to since finishing the class. I'm looking forward to going on to Level 3, probably next year.
For the first time in a while, I find myself with no new projects coming up. Part of that is to do with the aforementioned Japan trip being this huge thing I've needed to work my schedule around, but now that I'm on the other side of it, I'm diving headfirst into auditions again. I'll hopefully have good news on that front come next month!
In other news, Cockeyed closed. This show was a lot of fun and I hope I get a chance to work with this crew again sometime. Just maybe not all the way down in Hammond...
Also, Level 2 of On-Camera was great! Like I said last month, this group was pretty tight and I feel more ready than ever at the auditions I've been to since finishing the class. I'm looking forward to going on to Level 3, probably next year.
9/9/18
Just got back from opening Cockeyed down in Hammond and, man, what a crowd! I was blown away by the support this community has given Towle Theater and the love we got from that opening weekend crowd! I love working with the rest of this cast and crew! Now if only the commute weren't so rough. Oh well, price of fame right?
In other news, I've started Level 2 of my On-Camera classes at Vagabond. As ever, Robyn continues to be an excellent teacher and this class feels closer than my Level 1 class did. I'm not sure I can explain why, but whatever the reason, I've really enjoyed having to up my game in the face of these excellent performers!
In other news, I've started Level 2 of my On-Camera classes at Vagabond. As ever, Robyn continues to be an excellent teacher and this class feels closer than my Level 1 class did. I'm not sure I can explain why, but whatever the reason, I've really enjoyed having to up my game in the face of these excellent performers!
8/20/18
I just had one heck of a weekend! First of all, the reading of This is Not A True Story was amazing! I feel so privileged to have been allowed to participate in this process! It felt like I was part of something important when we finished the reading, and the questions and comments from the audience really confirmed that. This was the perfect audience for it too, a room full of Asian-American theatre makers for whom the pain of these stories and the stereotypes they've perpetuated was very real. The very first comment was directed at me when a young lady said, "When I saw a white man walk on stage, I was so angry" but then when she saw how I was utilized as this outside presence imposing the stories of Madame Butterfly, Miss Saigon, and Kumiko the Treasure Hunter on these three Asian women, and how they fought back and reclaimed their own narrative, it really moved her. It moved me too. That was the very much the tone of the room. And on top of all the love in that room for this script, it looks like it might be headed for a full production up in Minnesota! Congrats to Preston Choi on the phenomenal script and thanks to Peter J Kuo for allowing me the chance to play with you guys! I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention the stellar performances from Jin Park, Carolyn Hu Bradbury, and Julia Cho! I hope I get a chance to work with all of you again in the future!
The other big happening this weekend also involved new work! On Sunday, we held a production meeting for a new scripted podcast series, Fisticuffs Jones: The Man With the Left Hook! I can't get into too many details just yet as I don't want to risk messing up the company's social media strategy, but I can say I've been cast in the series and the scripts are fantastic! Everyone go follow Fisticuffs Jones and the production company behind it, Bagels and Fried Chicken on all the various social media platforms to keep up to date on this one, it's gonna be good!
Finally, Cockeyed. We open next month and rehearsals are now beginning to pick up steam. This show is extremely silly and one thing that strikes me is how strange it is that something written in 2009 already feels like a period piece. That's not a knock against it, mind you, just how a "contemporary" play like this one can already seem so long ago because the world is changing so quickly. Come see what I mean down at the Towle Theater from September 7-23rd!
The other big happening this weekend also involved new work! On Sunday, we held a production meeting for a new scripted podcast series, Fisticuffs Jones: The Man With the Left Hook! I can't get into too many details just yet as I don't want to risk messing up the company's social media strategy, but I can say I've been cast in the series and the scripts are fantastic! Everyone go follow Fisticuffs Jones and the production company behind it, Bagels and Fried Chicken on all the various social media platforms to keep up to date on this one, it's gonna be good!
Finally, Cockeyed. We open next month and rehearsals are now beginning to pick up steam. This show is extremely silly and one thing that strikes me is how strange it is that something written in 2009 already feels like a period piece. That's not a knock against it, mind you, just how a "contemporary" play like this one can already seem so long ago because the world is changing so quickly. Come see what I mean down at the Towle Theater from September 7-23rd!
7/30/18
Cockeyed rehearsals are underway and they've been extremely smooth! Admittedly, I've had a fairly light schedule, but still, almost as soon as I'm in, we get right to my scenes and I'm right back out. So far it's been mostly blocking work, and as I'm not exactly playing the deepest character in the world, I doubt there will be too much intense character work (not none, mind you, it's just... this guy ain't exactly Macbeth). Next month we get into a more intense schedule, so we'll see how the show develops.
Also, thanks to my friend Cary (from Cowboy vs. Samurai and A-Squared Theatre Workshop), I'll be participating in a staged read of This Is Not A True Story for the National Asian American Theatre Conference and Festival (ConFest) on August 18th. I'll be reading the stage directions and embodying all the white men who've taken it on themselves to tell Asian American's stories for them. I think I may have found my type (or maybe just when it comes to Cary), Condescending White Guy! I can't say I disagree with the assessment, when you look up "nondescript white dude", I feel like my picture is probably the first thing to pop up. I'm really looking forward to this reading, be sure to check it out on the 18th!
Finally, I've signed up for Level 2 of the On-Camera class at Vagabond. The class starts on the 25th and in a pure coincidence, I'll once again be being taught by Robyn Coffin! I swear I'm not stalking her or anything, it's just the only Saturday class available. Of course, there's worse things than getting to get up in front of the camera for Robyn again.
Finally, I've signed up for Level 2 of the On-Camera class at Vagabond. The class starts on the 25th and in a pure coincidence, I'll once again be being taught by Robyn Coffin! I swear I'm not stalking her or anything, it's just the only Saturday class available. Of course, there's worse things than getting to get up in front of the camera for Robyn again.
6/11/18
On camera continues to roll along and TV has been fascinating. I've managed to see how much extra stuff I'm still doing that I can drop. It's just about refining down to a simple, clear choice and going with that. We've only got one week left, so I need to get set up for Level 2!In other news, I've been cast in Towle Theater's production of Cockeyed! Our first production meeting is on the 18th, so I'm looking forward to getting started on that. The space down in Hammond is very nice, I'm just hoping that the commute won't be too grueling. We perform in September (and close the weekend before Ann and I are going to Japan, yikes!) so I'll have lots more to add in future updates!
5/19/18
I'm so glad I signed up for this class! I've largely managed to avoid the usual funk I slide into when I'm between shows and that's not even addressing what I've learned! We just finished our unit on commercials and will be starting TV next week. Overall, a lot of it is remembering the basics of acting, but in a different context. Making sure your tiny little audience (the camera) sees what it needs and how little you have to do for it to read you. I'm reminded of what my last on camera teacher, Julian Grant, used to say, "the camera can read your mind." It's true!
I'm still auditioning around, but if I can, I'm definitely going for the Level 2 course once it's available.
4/20/18
And just like that, the understudy run is done. The performance went great and was sold out! I was really happy I finally got a chance to share this work with an audience. Big thanks to everyone who came out and hope to see everyone else in this last weekend. Gotta say, I'll be sad to see this one go. I don't have any shows lined up after this one, so I don't really know what comes next.
Well, that's not entirely true. I've lined up an on-camera class at Vagabond with Robyn Coffin, the director of The Next Big Thing! I'm just not leaving this show! I'm looking forward to getting back in front of a camera. I haven't had an on-camera class since Act One (almost ten years ago!) so I'm a bit rusty and want to polish up those skills! It's also my first class at Vagabond and I'm interested to see how I like it. I'm thinking I'll start getting into more classes going forward as I've been letting my skills slide lately. I regularly get these stretches between shows and rather than stewing, developing my skills will do a lot more for me.
3/17/18
Opening night was awesome! We had a packed crowd last night and the show was fantastic! If you haven't already got your tickets to The Next Big Thing, then get your butt over here right now! Aside from a great show, the other thing I got from last night was the understanding that I've definitely got my work cut out for me if I want to live up to this cast. I can't wait to get going on our understudy rehearsals! Those will be getting going next week and they're kind of what I've been waiting for this whole time. Understudy run is on April 19, so make sure to get those tickets and I'll see you there!
2/27/18
I've been having a great time working on The Next Big Thing! As an understudy, most of my time has been watching rehearsals and taking lots of notes, but I recently got to go in for a few rehearsals. Don't worry, Jake, my overstudy, is fine. He was just on vacation. But the opportunity to actually get up on stage and rehearse my characters was great. This is the first time I've understudied in over ten years, so the process has been unusual for me. Over the course of the three days I went on, I was able to get the character to a place where I finally felt like I was really acting with him rather than just doing a bad impression of Jake's work. On top of that, Evan, my primary character in this show, is such a departure from my usual type that the stretching into an energy I usually don't get to play in has been a lot of fun/totally nerve-wracking. The last few days of rehearsal have helped me work on that and find a way to make that feel truthful for me.
All in all, this opportunity has left me feeling much more confident about the understudy performance on April 19th (I'll see you there, right?) and my ability to perform should I need to step in. Get your tickets to The Next Big Thing here. Previews start next week!
I've been having a great time working on The Next Big Thing! As an understudy, most of my time has been watching rehearsals and taking lots of notes, but I recently got to go in for a few rehearsals. Don't worry, Jake, my overstudy, is fine. He was just on vacation. But the opportunity to actually get up on stage and rehearse my characters was great. This is the first time I've understudied in over ten years, so the process has been unusual for me. Over the course of the three days I went on, I was able to get the character to a place where I finally felt like I was really acting with him rather than just doing a bad impression of Jake's work. On top of that, Evan, my primary character in this show, is such a departure from my usual type that the stretching into an energy I usually don't get to play in has been a lot of fun/totally nerve-wracking. The last few days of rehearsal have helped me work on that and find a way to make that feel truthful for me.
All in all, this opportunity has left me feeling much more confident about the understudy performance on April 19th (I'll see you there, right?) and my ability to perform should I need to step in. Get your tickets to The Next Big Thing here. Previews start next week!
1/22/18
Have I got news for you! I've just been cast as an understudy in The Factory Theater's next production, The Next Big Thing! In addition to the auspicious name, this is particularly awesome for a number of reasons!
First, I've been wanting to work with Factory for quite a while! They do great, original work and the company is jam-packed with talented folks, who I've been itching to work with again! On top of that, it's the first time I've booked a gig via a video self-submission, a welcome sign that I might just be getting better at this increasingly common type of audition. Finally, it'll be the first time in a while I've understudied for a company of this size and the first time I'm getting a guaranteed understudy performance (April 19th), so I'm looking forward to this new challenge!
Our first rehearsal is tomorrow, so I'm eager to get started and will have more info as the project progresses! Let's hope the rest of 2018 is as good to me as this first month of it has been!
Have I got news for you! I've just been cast as an understudy in The Factory Theater's next production, The Next Big Thing! In addition to the auspicious name, this is particularly awesome for a number of reasons!
First, I've been wanting to work with Factory for quite a while! They do great, original work and the company is jam-packed with talented folks, who I've been itching to work with again! On top of that, it's the first time I've booked a gig via a video self-submission, a welcome sign that I might just be getting better at this increasingly common type of audition. Finally, it'll be the first time in a while I've understudied for a company of this size and the first time I'm getting a guaranteed understudy performance (April 19th), so I'm looking forward to this new challenge!
Our first rehearsal is tomorrow, so I'm eager to get started and will have more info as the project progresses! Let's hope the rest of 2018 is as good to me as this first month of it has been!
12/31/17
Happy (impending) New Year! Nothing new to report show-wise, but I figured an end of the year reflection would be alright. I mean everyone else does them, why not me?
2017 has been an interesting year. I've done fewer shows than usual, but I feel like it's been a (small) step up. I hasn't been the big strides like I feel I've made in other years like 2011 (first show with Commedia Beauregard and Halcyon) or 2013 (connected with the La Ronde people and joined AGMA), but it does feel like to plateau I've been on the last few years is beginning to slope slightly up. I got my first paying gig through my new agency (Lori Lins) to start the year (a really welcome distraction for an otherwise pretty awful January 20th...) and started the year off getting to play freaking Macbeth! On top of that, I got to work with the outstanding Conner Wilson, my first new director at Muse of Fire, who pushed me to new heights in Pericles! All in all, it's been a solid year. Here's to accelerating those gain in 2018!
Happy (impending) New Year! Nothing new to report show-wise, but I figured an end of the year reflection would be alright. I mean everyone else does them, why not me?
2017 has been an interesting year. I've done fewer shows than usual, but I feel like it's been a (small) step up. I hasn't been the big strides like I feel I've made in other years like 2011 (first show with Commedia Beauregard and Halcyon) or 2013 (connected with the La Ronde people and joined AGMA), but it does feel like to plateau I've been on the last few years is beginning to slope slightly up. I got my first paying gig through my new agency (Lori Lins) to start the year (a really welcome distraction for an otherwise pretty awful January 20th...) and started the year off getting to play freaking Macbeth! On top of that, I got to work with the outstanding Conner Wilson, my first new director at Muse of Fire, who pushed me to new heights in Pericles! All in all, it's been a solid year. Here's to accelerating those gain in 2018!
11/12/17
Thank you so much to everyone who came out for Paragon yesterday! It was a jam-packed, chaotic, and crazy fun time putting A Very Zombie Christmas Carol up on that tiny Public House stage for you! Especially doing (limited) stage combat in that close quarters the second time I'd ever laid eyes on the space! Still, everything went off (more or less) without a hitch and I had a blast! Having an game enough to play along with us was a huge help too! And the support from Otherworld Theatre to clean up all that stage blood (so. much. stage blood.)
Now, I really don't know what comes next. I realize that didn't last too long last time, and hopefully, I've got something to tell you about next month, but as for right now, I think I'm going to take another shower to get the rest of this off of me.
Thank you so much to everyone who came out for Paragon yesterday! It was a jam-packed, chaotic, and crazy fun time putting A Very Zombie Christmas Carol up on that tiny Public House stage for you! Especially doing (limited) stage combat in that close quarters the second time I'd ever laid eyes on the space! Still, everything went off (more or less) without a hitch and I had a blast! Having an game enough to play along with us was a huge help too! And the support from Otherworld Theatre to clean up all that stage blood (so. much. stage blood.)
Now, I really don't know what comes next. I realize that didn't last too long last time, and hopefully, I've got something to tell you about next month, but as for right now, I think I'm going to take another shower to get the rest of this off of me.
10/17/17
Well, nevermind about that whole "not sure what comes next" thing. I get to put that off for at least another couple months because I've been cast in A Very Zombie Christmas Carol. There's actually a bit of symmetry to this particular casting as I'm playing Bob Crachit and have been cast by Christopher Kidder-Mostrom. This has happened before. Way back in 2013, when I'd been cast in my first show with the Lyric Opera, Parsifal, I'd been cast in that year's production of A Klingon Christmas Carol as Q'achit. I had to bow out of that show because of the opera gig and I suppose Chris just really wanted me to play Crachit!
The show is part of Otherworld Theatre's Paragon festival, a collection of over 40 sci-fi and fantasy plays over two days. It's ridiculous and hilarious and I hope you can make it! Click here to get your tickets!
Well, nevermind about that whole "not sure what comes next" thing. I get to put that off for at least another couple months because I've been cast in A Very Zombie Christmas Carol. There's actually a bit of symmetry to this particular casting as I'm playing Bob Crachit and have been cast by Christopher Kidder-Mostrom. This has happened before. Way back in 2013, when I'd been cast in my first show with the Lyric Opera, Parsifal, I'd been cast in that year's production of A Klingon Christmas Carol as Q'achit. I had to bow out of that show because of the opera gig and I suppose Chris just really wanted me to play Crachit!
The show is part of Otherworld Theatre's Paragon festival, a collection of over 40 sci-fi and fantasy plays over two days. It's ridiculous and hilarious and I hope you can make it! Click here to get your tickets!
9/3/17
Today we closed Pericles and boy was it a heckuva run! We've had excellent audiences all around and I couldn't be happier with how this show went! This was the rare Shakespeare play I came into completely blind, having never even read the play before, and this cast made me love it! Thank you to all of you who came out to support us!
I currently have nothing lined up for the rest of the year, and while that is on the one hand a little frightening, the break will likely do me some good. I've also become better about being confident in my ability to get work and that more will come. Of course, check in on me in a few months when there's still nothing and I may be a bit less calm about the whole thing. Let's find out!
Today we closed Pericles and boy was it a heckuva run! We've had excellent audiences all around and I couldn't be happier with how this show went! This was the rare Shakespeare play I came into completely blind, having never even read the play before, and this cast made me love it! Thank you to all of you who came out to support us!
I currently have nothing lined up for the rest of the year, and while that is on the one hand a little frightening, the break will likely do me some good. I've also become better about being confident in my ability to get work and that more will come. Of course, check in on me in a few months when there's still nothing and I may be a bit less calm about the whole thing. Let's find out!
8/17/17
And we're off! Just got home from our first performance of Pericles in Glenview. The conditions weren't the best (loud train station across the street and lights that were not what we'd been told to expect) but I'm really proud of the show we put up. We've got a couple shows this weekend in the Evanston Public Library and then it's off to our regular stomping grounds at Ingraham Park.
The rehearsal process of this one has been great! Conner has helped draw choices out of my Simonides that I never would have arrived at myself. On top of that, I've gotten to work with an outstanding cast. Every time I work with Muse of Fire, I meet new talents that push me to up my game and this time has been no exception. It's also the first year Jemma (the artistic director) isn't directing a production and it's great to see the company on such firm footing.
We've got three weeks of this one,folks. Get up to Evanston and see it!
The rehearsal process of this one has been great! Conner has helped draw choices out of my Simonides that I never would have arrived at myself. On top of that, I've gotten to work with an outstanding cast. Every time I work with Muse of Fire, I meet new talents that push me to up my game and this time has been no exception. It's also the first year Jemma (the artistic director) isn't directing a production and it's great to see the company on such firm footing.
We've got three weeks of this one,folks. Get up to Evanston and see it!
7/18/17
And Alone with Friends is in the bag, but no time to rest on those laurels, time for Pericles!
We just had our first read through last night and I'm excited to report the our director, Conner Wilson, is a disciple of Paul Barnes! Paul was (and I believe still is) the producing director at the Great River Shakespeare Festival in WInnona Minnesota. GRSF was my first project after graduating college and was foundational in my approach to verse Shakespeare, one of the best actor experiences of my life, and working there in the main company is one of my actor bucket list items! Needless to say, I'm pretty pumped to be working with a director with such a similar outlook to the text. The show opens on the 18th and is free, so check out Muse of Fire's website for locations and details and mark your calendars now!
And Alone with Friends is in the bag, but no time to rest on those laurels, time for Pericles!
We just had our first read through last night and I'm excited to report the our director, Conner Wilson, is a disciple of Paul Barnes! Paul was (and I believe still is) the producing director at the Great River Shakespeare Festival in WInnona Minnesota. GRSF was my first project after graduating college and was foundational in my approach to verse Shakespeare, one of the best actor experiences of my life, and working there in the main company is one of my actor bucket list items! Needless to say, I'm pretty pumped to be working with a director with such a similar outlook to the text. The show opens on the 18th and is free, so check out Muse of Fire's website for locations and details and mark your calendars now!
6/30/17
Man, I am cutting it close on this entry! I just got home from opening Alone with Friends, and we had a great crowd! Big thanks to all who attended! This cast and crew has been a pleasure to work with and I can't wait to see how this show grows now that we have an audience. Not a lot to say aside from opening this show. I've been auditioning around (trying not to fall into my usual pattern of not auditioning until I have nothing lined up) and hope to have more to post here after Pericles wraps up in September. Speaking of which, those rehearsals begin as soon as Alone with Friends closes. Never a dull moment ladies and gentlemen.
Man, I am cutting it close on this entry! I just got home from opening Alone with Friends, and we had a great crowd! Big thanks to all who attended! This cast and crew has been a pleasure to work with and I can't wait to see how this show grows now that we have an audience. Not a lot to say aside from opening this show. I've been auditioning around (trying not to fall into my usual pattern of not auditioning until I have nothing lined up) and hope to have more to post here after Pericles wraps up in September. Speaking of which, those rehearsals begin as soon as Alone with Friends closes. Never a dull moment ladies and gentlemen.
5/22/17
Into the swing of Spring! Just got home from my first rehearsal of Alone with Friends and I'm really looking forward to get deeper into rehearsals on this one. It's been awhile since I got the chance to do a new work, but like my last opportunity, Hoist, I'm getting another shot at develop and flesh out a new character. I feel like David (my role) has an easy trap into playing like a cliche (The Closet Case), but I ought to be able to create a three dimensional human being. And I want to be clear, I in no way think the playwright did a bad job or anything, I actually really enjoy Lee's script. I just think I see to attract roles that need an actor to look at their humanity rather than their function to the plot. Like I said, I can't wait to get started!
4/10/17
And April! Well, my empty calendar sure didn't last long! I've auditioned for three plays since Macbeth and been cast three times! I had to turn one down due to a schedule conflict, but still! I need to go out for more and bigger shows apparently, cause I'm on a hot streak!
First up, is a show called Alone with Friends. It's a new work and will be getting a workshop production at the Prop Theatre this summer. My character's name is David and he's another charismatic smooth talker. I sense I have a type. I'm eager to get going on this one as it's the one that I know the least about going in. I'll post here as I learn more.
The other project is a bit more of a know quantity. I'm going to working with Muse of Fire again this summer! This time the show is Pericles and I'll be playing Simonides and other ensemble roles. It's always great to work with Muse and it should be a really fun summer. As always, the shows are free and in the lovely Evanston out of doors!
Until we get started, I'm likely going to be laid up from the surgery I just underwent on Wednesday (nothing major, I'll just not be at full strength for the next few weeks or so) but I'll still be out there trying to ride this current hot streak. Stay tuned here for details!
3/13/17
Macbeth was amazing! Thank you so much to everyone who came out to see it, I don't think I've ever seen so many friendly faces in the crowd as I did closing weekend of this show!
Thanks also, the Shakespeare All-Stars for the opportunity and especially our ludicrously talented director, Ellen Cribbs! Sadly, she's moving away from the Chicago area this summer, but if you want to see her perform here in the Chicagoland area one more time, be sure to click that link from earlier to get you tickets to their one-night-only performance of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)! It'll also feature two more of our brilliant ladies of the cast Arin Mulvaney and Jill Matel (who blew me away with her Lady Macbeth! I'm one lucky sap to have gotten to share the stage with her in such a role!).
I could keep gushing about how happy I was t do this show and how great each and every cast member was (seriously, I couldn't have been luckier to get such a group!), but this update is getting long and I haven't even gotten the chance to recognize two stellar shows I saw that same weekend I closed Macbeth.
The first was Broken Nose Theatre Co's At the Table. This was an incredibly smart piece of art, directed by Spenser Davis and starring some of my more of my favorite people, Elise Spoerlin, Benjamin Brownson, and David Weiss that really dragged up a lot of complicated discussions about race, gender, sexuality, and all sorts of other fun-dinnertime talk in such a way that none of the issues felt like they got neatly wrapped up or put away by the end. I liked that a lot. The most important thing about this play was that every character felt real and grounded and I cared a great deal about what happened to them. Plus, the play was really funny, which is always a plus. It's going to be remounted this summer, so keep your eyes open for it because this run sold out, quick!
The other bit of spectacular I got to see was Circle Theatre Co's Venus in Fur. This one was literally blocks away from my home and starred a good friend of mine, Zach Livingston (a guy who has, a fight choreographer, made me look far more badass than I have any right to more times than I can recall) so I had absolutely no excuse to miss this one. I'm glad I didn't. This play was jaw dropping. Done in the tiny, Heartland Studio space, and started with no announcement or curtain speech, it really felt like we were just watching a cramped, New York office. This made all the intrusions of magical realism all the more theatrical and the staging made it so there was nowhere for the audience to run when the show really started driving forward. I've heard of other companies putting this on, and it always seems to be in some big auditorium space. After seeing this version, I honestly cannot imagine it being done in any other way. Zach was outstanding and his co-star, Arti Ishak, stunned me with her performance.
As for me, well, with Macbeth closed, I've got a big open space ahead of me. Lots of auditions lined up so hopefully it won't stay blank for long!
2/19/17
Show opened! Thanks to all the great audiences we've had this weekend for Macbeth (especially Friday's outstanding opening night crowd!). I'm so proud of the work this cast has put in and grateful for the chance to work with so many excellent artists! I also think this might be some of the best work I've ever put out there and I really hope you get a chance to share it with me. Seriously folks, do yourself a favor and get your tickets now!
1/15/17
A lot has happened since I last updated this site. New headshots, a few shows, a new agency. And through all of it I couldn't drag myself to update this section. It's hardly a new pattern, but this year I'm going to do something about it. I've decided rather than updating this section as news occurs, I will instead be updating every month.
As for this update, I've been cast as Macbeth by the always amazing Ellen Cribbs (fellow Klingon alum and writer of one of my favorite short plays I've ever gotten to act in, Smoke Em If You Got Em) for an upcoming production with the Shakespeare All Stars! We've already begun rehearsals and I'm really looking forward to seeing what this cast can do! The challenge ahead is daunting, and I can only hope not to disappoint!
2/7/16
Well Die Hard was fun! Had a great crowd and we managed to raise some money for Commedia Beauregard. Now I've got two new projects lined up! First, I'm going to be in Der Rosenkavalier playing Baron Ochs' (the antagonist) idiot, bastard son, Leopold. Come and see me play against type in this one folks! In all seriousness, it's been a huge pleasure to work with this amazing group of people and has really inspired me to up my game. It's really a whole new level to work on and I'm loving it!
The other big news is that I'll be working with Muse of Fire again this summer in A Midsummer Night's Dream! I'll be playing Theseus and the cool part is, in honor of the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death, we'll be doing a Renaissance rehearsal process. We won't have a director (as directors didn't come along until the 19th Century) and we'll be directing each other. I'm really looking forward to getting started and I'm very excited to bring free Shakespeare to Evanston again!
11/15/15
Hey gang! Seems my last update got eaten somehow, so a bit of a recap fist. I just finished up my run of Hoist with The Foundlings Theatre Company at Profiles' Alley space and man, what a show! I particularly want to give a shout out to my phenomenal co-star, Sydney Genco, for not only her amazing and powerful work, but also for being an all-around spectacular lady. I can't wait to work with her again! Really, the entire cast and Foundlings crew were great and I'm really proud of this one. Thanks to everyone who came out!
In other news, I'll be helping Commedia Beauregard celebrate the holiday season with a staged reading/drinking game of one of the greatest Christmas movies of all time: Die Hard! I've done one of these before (Clue last Fall) and it was a big hit! Keep an eye on this site for more details!
8/2/2015
Well, today was our last performance of Bard Fiction. We had a good crowd and it was a fine way to end a good run! I really loved working on this one and with so many fantastic people! Big thanks to everyone who came out to see it!
As for what's next, I'll be re-joining the HoboJunction gang for An Awful Night of Crap IV: Shit, On Ice! as part of this year's Abbiefest! We had a rehearsal after today's show and it's gonna be a lot of fun! You can check it out here (or on the front page), don't miss it!
7/11/2015
So, two quick updates! First, thanks to everyone that came out to Cowboy vs. Samurai! It was a fun show and I'm glad so many of you got to come out and see it!
Second, we opened Bard Fiction last night to a phenomenal crowd! The house was packed and they loved it! I'm really looking forward to the rest of this run! Seriously, do not miss this one! Pick up your tickets here and donate to our Indiegogo here!
5/5/2015
Oh! That's were I put my website! Hey guys! It's been awhile, huh?
OK, so first things first, I want to thank all the people who came out to see Masterworks Series: The Intuit Plays! We had a great turnout and it gave us some solid momentum going into Bard Fiction. Oh yeah, this summer, Commedia Beauregard will be remounting their 2012 hit, Bard Fiction, and this time I'll be a part of it! I'll be playing, Marvin, Norman, and... The Gimp! Now I know you you're hooked, so don't you dare miss this one!
In more immediate news, I'm also working with A-Squared Theatre Workshop on their upcoming production of Cowboy vs Samurai. It's an adaptation of Cyrano de Bergarac set in modern day, small town Wyoming, with Asian-American heritage taking the place of the famous schnoz. My character Del (the white guy/pretty boy), has been a lot of fun to explore! We've already done an excerpt reading at the Japanese American Service Committee last month to a great response, and I can't wait to share this one with you!
Finally, a little housekeeping. I added a link to the entirety of Hamlet: the Series in my Photos/Clips section, so don't worry! Just because it's not on the front page anymore doesn't mean you won't get your Hortatio fix!
9/22/2014
Been a pretty packed last four months, but things look like they might slow down a bit in the next week or so. With that in mind, I though I'd bring ya'll an update on what I'm up to. Don't you question my counterintuitive strategy!
First things first, thanks to everyone who came out to see Degas Plays, Come Blow Your Horn and Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em. All three were awesome experiences and had great audience support! We may not have won Art of Adaption (congrats to Pachelbel on that), but we had a great audience both nights who was clearly enthralled (I heard a quiet "oh no" during the climactic point of the play)! On top of that, Degas beat our Indiegogo campaign and one of the two plays I was in won audience favorite! Thanks guys! No one plays a corpse like me!
Finally, the biggest of the three, Come Blow Your Horn broke Oil Lamp records for both attendance and box office! I'm so grateful for all the support for my first time out as the lead in a show and I can't wait to work with Oil Lamp again!
Also on the old news front, I also got a chance to work with the wildly talented Spenser Davis and the fine Folks at Hobo Junction on An Awful Night of Crap III: Jew Tycoons for this year's Abbiefest! I only made it to one rehearsal and the entire cast never met before the one performance! It was a blast! The audience was great and even when things went wrong, we still got huge cheers!
Finally, what I'm currently up to! I've been playing the role of Mellersh in Theatre-Hikes' production of Enchanted April (while rocking a sweet goatee, baby!) out at Morton Arboretum. The crowds have been consistently large and enthusiastic and we've had pretty good weather the whole run (minus last Saturday, but hey, that's what the picnic shelter's for!). We've got one weekend left, so don't miss it!
As for upcoming stuff, there's a Cold Reads and Cold Brews staged reading of The Station this Wednesday (details on the front page) and a Ghostbusters staged reading/drinking game at Fritzy's Tavern coming up in October. That second one is in development and I'll be posting updates once I got them right here. Say tuned!
5/30/2014
Holy cats but it's been busy round these parts! First off, The Degas Plays opened last night to a nearly sold out crowd! We've still got some tickets left, so be sure to get them here while you still can! Also, be sure to contribute to our Indiegogo campaign to help make sure Commedia Beauregard can continue to bring work like this to the stage. The perks are all pretty sweet, but my favorite is the remote viewing of our June 1 performance available at the $30 level!
In other news, I've been cast in the role of Alan in Oil Lamp's production of Come Blow Your Horn by Neil Simon! It's great to be working with Oil Lamp again and the rehearsals have been a lot of fun! I also recently realized this is the first time I've taken on the lead role in a full length play (no, Ceasar in Caesar doesn't count. He dies halfway through). I'm definitely honored and hope to rise to the challenge. As far as the character goes, I'm a cocky womanizer who learns a valuable lesson. Hmm. La Ronde, Alone Together, and now this. I think I may be developing a type.
Also on the stage front and rapidly approaching, I've been cast in the role of David in Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em, CommBeau's entry in to City Lit's 7th Annual Art of Adaptation. This is an awesome script that I'm really excited to be a part of! It comes to us via Ellen Cribbs (a fellow Klingon alum) out of last year's Master Works series, The Van Gogh Plays. I'll be joined onstage by the lovely Ms. Greta Weber and our fearless director is fellow CommBeau company member, Jacqueline Davies! Don't miss it!
Finally, the last three episodes of Hamlet: the Series have been released! I've linked to all six episodes on the front page, so be sure to click on over to check out some of the finest Shakespeare (that has me in it) on the Internet!
4/4/2014
I've finally made it past the pile of tumbleweeds and back to my site! For the amount of time it's been, I don't have that many updates, but boy are some of them doozies!
First, some housekeeping. I'll be majorly redesigning the currently underutilized Resume section into something a bit more worthwhile (details to come soon. And I mean, like, actually-soon, not next-summer soon!) and my Photos/Clips section will finally include my super sweet VO demo! Stay tuned!
When last you heard from me, I was about to embark on my adventures at The Lyric Opera of Chicago. Well, it was amazing! A big shout out to my comrades-in-litter-bearing Jeremy, Wes, MacArthur, and Xander for being awesome, and to Joe Biden's motorcade for stopping traffic long enough to let me go on stage in front of 3500 people!
Speaking of widespread audiences, Hamlet: The Series is now live on YouTube and has been broadcast on Evanston Community Television! The first three episodes are up, and I've linked to them on the front page. I will continue to update as they are released.
Now with Parsifal over, I've been hunting for the next gig (while regrowing my hair). I did pick up my AGMA membership card, which has allowed me greater access to Equity auditions! Hooray for sister-unions! I'm still figuring out the lay of this new land, but it has forced me to step up my (lately stagnant) game as I enter a new level of competition. Hopefully, I will have good news on this front soon!
In more concrete developments, I have been made a company member of Commedia Beauregard! You may remember them from such past hits as Corleone and A Klingon Christmas Carol. This company has consistently been one of my favorites to work with and I a greatly honored to join them as their (now our, I guess) company grows! My first chance to perform as a company member, will be in this year's Master Works Series: The Degas Plays. It will be a series of six short plays based on six paintings by Edgar Degas. I don't have much in the way of details yet, as auditions have yet to occur, but as soon as I get them, they go up here!
And with that, I'm off the clean cobwebs out of my old contact section!
10/5/13
A lot has happened since I last posted here! Some good, some bad, some great! First off, I want to thank everyone who came out to see Taming of the Shrew this past summer. We got some great reviews and great crowds every weekend! It was a fantastic experience and I'm so glad I got to share it with so many of you.
In bad news, I have had to bow out of A Klingon Christmas Carol due to a scheduling conflict. I'm really disappointed as I was really looking forward to working Commedia Beauregard again, but I know I'll get a chance to again some day. I highly recommend everyone go see this show as this year's promises to be a great one!
As to the reason I had to bow out, well that's definitely not bad news. I have been hired by the Lyric Opera to fill the understudy position in their production of Parsifal this November. This job will represent more money than I have ever been paid for any job I have ever held, showbiz or otherwise. It is also going to get me membership into the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA), my first union! Come next Monday, I will be a full time actor for at least the next seven weeks and I'm really excited!
Finally, we've finished shooting for Hamlet: the Series. I'm really looking forward to seeing just how this turns out and I've been having a great time shooting it. I'll be sure to link to the series once post is finished!
7/18/13
Been way too long since I've updated this site! First off, thank you to everyone that came out to see Alone Together! It was a really fun show and I'm so happy so many people came out to see it.
In other news, rehearsals for Taming of the Shrew are in full swing. We are already in a really good place and we still have the rest of July ahead of us. Be sure to follow @MuseofFireThtr on Twitter to stay updated on our progress!
On top of that, I've got yet another new project in progress: Hamlet: the Series! It's a six-part webseries of Shakespeare's Hamlet that should be going up this fall or so. I am Horatio and we have the lovely Kitty Mortland playing the Dane. The casting of a lady Hamlet definitely shakes things up and I've had a lot of fun shooting already! I'll be sure to link up to it once it's online.
Finally, I'll be re-uniting with Commedia Beauregard to play QachIt' in this year's production of A Klingon Christmas Carol! Can't wait to get back to bringing glory and honor back to this great play! Been a busy few months! So stay tuned!
4/22/13
Spring has sprung and I am just now able to come up for air! A huge thank you to everyone who came out to see La Ronde! I had more fun on this show than I have in a long time and am immensely proud of the show and all my castmates! I'm really looking forward to seeing/working with each and every one of them in the future.
Of course, I had no time to just sit back and relax. The closing weekend of La Ronde was also the start of tech week for Alone Together, which had a fantastic opening this past weekend! Oil Lamp has been a great company to work with and this show has been selling like something that sells a lot faster the hotcakes! Make sure to get your tickets here soon, before it sells out!
On top of all that, I just found out I'll be working with Muse of Fire once again! In what is quickly becoming a pattern for me with this company, they had someone need to drop out of Taming of the Shrew fairly early on, and the director called me to offer me a role (Vincentio/Huntsman/Curtis). Now I just need to get to the point where other companies realize they should just give me parts in their work without having to audition, I'll be set!
3/11/13
Happy birthday to me! It's been quite the exciting week! First, La Ronde opens this Wednesday and I hope you all get a chance to come out to see it! It has been phenomenal working with this cast and I'm extremely proud of this one. Tickets are on sale now so go buy them!
In addition to the rapidly approaching opening of my current show, I've just been cast in another show: Alone Together with Oil Lamp Theater. I'll be playing the role of Elliot, a womanizer who cheats on his wife. Yeesh, two plays in a row, hope this doesn't end up as my "type." I swear I'm a much better husband in real life! The show runs up in Glenview and rehearsals should begin soon, just as La Ronde goes into performance. Couldn't have timed that better if I'd tried! I'll be sure to keep you updated as the process continues.
1/31/13
I'm back! After what has been my longest dry spell since I became a professional actor, I have returned! That's not to say I haven't been busy. After Julius Caeser closed it's fantastic run, I worked in Brookfield Zoo's Trail of Terror as part of their Creatures of the Night celebration for the month of October. I was a scientist in a genetics lab about to be overrun with souped-up bugs. You can see me at about the 1:00 mark here.
After that, I began work on my brand-new Voice Over Demo! I've linked it off my resume on Casting Networks (which you can find in my Contact section) and should have it up on this sight proper soon. Stay tuned!
Finally, and the main reason for this update now as opposed to earlier, I am going to be playing the Husband in Street Tempo Theatre's production of La Ronde! I am very excited about this show as I get to be directed by one of my old Act One teachers, the superbly-talented Tim Curtis. I have to say this one was a definite boost to the old ego as Tim specifically sought me out to audition for this role. We've already begun rehearsals and the process has been a lot of fun. I am very lucky to get to share my scenes with two fantastic ladies, Elise Spoerlein and Stacie Barra Tourins as well a great cast all around. Don't miss this one!
8/4/12
So, I think there was some chicanery with my updates, as I'm, sure I had one posted around late June and it seems to have disappeared. Well, to summarize what was lost (or at least what I remember from between now and the 6/4 update) Corleone was phenomenal and I feel immensely privilaged to have gotten to work with such a great cast! In addition to that, I have been cast in and finished rehearsals for a new show, Julius Caesar with Muse of Fire, in which I will be playing Caesar! Our opening performance was today and though we got rained out halfway though (an auspicious start, I know) the crowd was great and I feel good about the rest of the run! Anyway, we'd just finished with the assassination of me, so the rest of the play is all downhill from there. After all, the play is called Julius Caesar not Brutus and Cassius Yell at Each Other for Another Hour. Kidding! In all seriousness, the play is great, and I've even been reunited with a bunch of my Tom Jones castmates! On top of all that, we've been written up in the Evanston Review. Here is the story, featuring a picture of me looking far more badass than I actually am, throwing an unfortunately misidentified Gary Henderson. It runs until the second weekend in September at Ingraham Park in Evanston. Show starts at 3pm and admission is free. See you all there!
6/4/12
Happy June everybody! Just finished the opening weekend of Corleone: The Shakespearen Godfather and it was great! We had a phenomenal opening night show and I'm really eager to see how this one develops. I am immensely proud of this work and this cast and can't wait to share it with you. Tickets are available for the remainder of the run here.
One final bit of news, HR: the Series is now up in its entirety on YouTube, here's a link to the channel. It has been weird to see the whole thing completed. For some perspective, I was heading out to opening weekend of repeat w/Madeline the day we recorded my part in the series. It's like finding a time capsule from me right out of the Conservatory. That's kind of science fictiony right?
4/11/12
Tonight we had our first rehearsal for Corleone and I am pumped! Not only is it fantastic to work with Commedia Beauregard again, but the group that has been assembled for this show promises to be a good one, including both Phil Zimmerman and Christina Romano from Klingon Christmas Carol as well as Jovan King from The Comfort Station Plays! Also, if you click on that link above, you'll find info for Commedia Beauregard's current production, Bard Fiction, which I saw last week and highly recommend! Only one weekend left!
Speaking of shows you need to see, Tom Jones still has three more weeks in it run and the reviews have started pouring in! I'm pretty sure this is the most widely reviewed show I've been in to date, with reviews from Time Out, the Tribune, and the Reader, among others! Check them out and be sure to come see the show! It runs Fridays and Saturdays at 8, and Sundays at 3 for three more weeks. See you there and tell them I sent you!
3/15/12
Greetings on the Ides of March! I've got some news that kinda sorta ties in with the date (not really). I've been cast in the role of Sonny (among other characters) in Commedia Beauregard's upcoming production of Corleone! If the company's name looks familiar, that's because they are the same awesome people behind last winter's equally awesome A Klingon Christmas Carol. This time, I'll get to actually speak some English with them (Shakespeare no less!) How does that tie into the date? Well, playing Freddo will be one Mr. Phil Zimmerman (also a fellow Klingon). In addition to Klingon, Phil and I previously worked together in Julius Caesar up at Great River Shakespeare, where he played Caesar and I was Marc Antony! OK, I admit it's a bit of a stretch. I just wanted to tie into the date somehow, is that so wrong?
In other news, we'll soon be opening Tom Jones over at the Josephium. First preview is in just five days! Be sure to click that link to learn more, and buy tickets of course, and I'll see you there!
3/1/12
Back from the dead baby! Sorry for the prolonged absence; life has been a bit busy, and I have allowed this site to go unattended. Still, there is news to report! I will be appearing as Mr. Thwackum in Polarity Theatre Ensemble's production of Tom Jones. It's a pretty fun part, and definitely a change of pace from marlI'! For one, it actually took me a bit of time to get back into the flow of learning my lines in English. Some things haven't changed at all though, I get an awesome fight! I am rapidly discovering that violence is one of my favorite parts of being an actor. I wonder at times what this says about my personal character, but not too hard, there's more fighting to do! As for the show itself, I've put all the relevant details on the front page, so be sure to check it out. And if you do see the show, and I know you will because you're a classy theatre goin' crowd, mention my name at the box office so I can makes some monies! If you do, I'll give you a high-five after the show! Who wouldn't want that?
12/30/11
Big thanks to everyone who has already come out the see A Klingon Christmas Carol! And to those of you who haven't, you've got two more chances, and they're both tomorrow night! First, we have our regular kickass show at 7:30, then at 10:30, you can ring in the new year with honor! A special New Year's Eve performance will include a champagne toast at midnight and a live performance by Il Troubador as The Klingon Music Project! I'm really looking forward to it and to ending this great year with a bang! Hope you all have a great New Year's no matter what your plans and I'll see you all in 2012!
11/18/11
Just a couple of quick updates! First, you can now follow me on Twitter (@ChrisLysy)! I've also added it to my Contacts section. I'll be using my account to smaller, more frequent updates, while using this site for when I have bigger news (or at least more than 140 characters worth).
The other bit of news, also somewhat Twitter related, is that we had our second preview performance of A Klingon Christmas Carol, our Twitter preview. It was awesome to see just how much buzz we actually managed to generate! We told the audience to tweet and take pictures during the show, and boy did they! I'll be including some of the pictures on my Photos/Clips section soon, so keep an eye open for that. There's still one more preview to go! Make sure to come out for Warrior's Night! Tickets are $10 and, as a salute to our brave and mighty warriors, only $5 for police, firefighters, and veterans. Regular tickets are also still available on both Commedia Beauregard's website and the Greenhouse's! Check them out! After all, batlh qeldI' thlIngan, lumbe' (A Klingon does not postpone a matter of honor, or in this case, ticket purchasing). See you there!
11/16/11
What a day it has been! First of all, we had our first preview of A Klingon Christmas Carol tonight! Fairly small crowd (which is hardly that surprising for a first preview) but they had a great energy and were really responsive. A perfect first audience for us! There's still two more previews to go before opening including this Friday, Twitter night. It's the only night in which the audience is actually encouraged to tweet during the show! Tickets for the regular run are also on sale as well and the Adopt-a-Klingon drive is still in full swing as well. marlI' is still in need of some parents, won't you please give him a home?
In other news, Human Resources (been a while right?) has put it's first episode up on the website and Youtube. Check it out! More episodes will be released on the Youtube channel and on the website and I'll make sure to post the updates here as they come. Stay tuned!
10/22/11
So I've been rehearsing with the Klingons for about three weeks now, and it has been awesome! As expected the language has been tough, but I'm starting to get it. Honestly, translating my script has reminded me a lot of doing text work on Shakespeare. It's weird where those sorts of connections crop up in this line of work. This past week, we've been doing mostly fight choreography, of which there is plenty. As marlI' my scene is almost entirely fight choreography! Between that and the colossal axe I wield (seriously you should see this thing) I've been sore all week. Worth it though, because the fights are awesome! When else do you get to learn how to use a bat'leth?!
The show goes up at the end of November. Here is the Commedia Bearegard's official website if you want more info, including the Adopt-a-Klingon drive (which I highly encourage you to check out). I'll have more updates as the show approaches. tlhIngan maH!
9/22/11
Sorry I've been so late in updating this. A lot has happened in these last two and a half months. First of all, The Wizard of Oz has completed it's run. I had a fantastic time and I want to thank everyone who came out to show their support. The cast and crew were all truly wonderful individuals I was proud to work with and I know our paths will cross again!
In other news, rehearsals for A Klingon Christmas Carol will be starting up on the 3rd. I cannot wait! I've been looking forward to this since the day I was cast last July and I feel ready to embark on this difficult, but I suspect rewarding, journey. That's all I have for now, but I'll be sure to update as soon as I have more info for you.
7/12/11
Quite the weekend we've had! The Invaders just closed and it was good to go out with a bang. Our biggest crowd and best performance of them all. Big thanks to everyone who came out to support and to everyone in the Alcyone Festival; I'm really proud of both the work I did and the chance to share it alongside such a talented group of artists. Thank you.
In other really big news, I have been cast as marlI' in Comedia Beauregard's A Klingon Christmas Carol this winter at the Greenhouse! I'm extremely excited about this one, last year's production was a huge success, being written up in the Wall Street Journal and mentioned by Conan O'Brien on The Tonight Show, and this year, members of last years cast will be performing live at the 2011 Official Star Trek Convention. Be sure to check back for more updates and to check to the links i provided for more news!
6/24/2011
Well, I haven't gotten back to you as soon as I had hoped, and for that I do apologize. However, a lot has been going on, and this website has, unfortunately, been neglected in the shuffle. Here we go:
The Invaders opened on the 9th and performed again on the 19th. After some initial technical problems and last minute casting switch-ups (due to an unfortunate medical issue) the show went on, and it was great. I'm really looking forward to our up coming performances (see the front page for times and location) and as I said last time, I'm really proud of the work I've done and that of my castmates on this production. Be sure to check out the rest of the Alcyone Festival line up here (with a particular shout out to my fellow Hokie
And April! Well, my empty calendar sure didn't last long! I've auditioned for three plays since Macbeth and been cast three times! I had to turn one down due to a schedule conflict, but still! I need to go out for more and bigger shows apparently, cause I'm on a hot streak!
First up, is a show called Alone with Friends. It's a new work and will be getting a workshop production at the Prop Theatre this summer. My character's name is David and he's another charismatic smooth talker. I sense I have a type. I'm eager to get going on this one as it's the one that I know the least about going in. I'll post here as I learn more.
The other project is a bit more of a know quantity. I'm going to working with Muse of Fire again this summer! This time the show is Pericles and I'll be playing Simonides and other ensemble roles. It's always great to work with Muse and it should be a really fun summer. As always, the shows are free and in the lovely Evanston out of doors!
Until we get started, I'm likely going to be laid up from the surgery I just underwent on Wednesday (nothing major, I'll just not be at full strength for the next few weeks or so) but I'll still be out there trying to ride this current hot streak. Stay tuned here for details!
3/13/17
Macbeth was amazing! Thank you so much to everyone who came out to see it, I don't think I've ever seen so many friendly faces in the crowd as I did closing weekend of this show!
Thanks also, the Shakespeare All-Stars for the opportunity and especially our ludicrously talented director, Ellen Cribbs! Sadly, she's moving away from the Chicago area this summer, but if you want to see her perform here in the Chicagoland area one more time, be sure to click that link from earlier to get you tickets to their one-night-only performance of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)! It'll also feature two more of our brilliant ladies of the cast Arin Mulvaney and Jill Matel (who blew me away with her Lady Macbeth! I'm one lucky sap to have gotten to share the stage with her in such a role!).
I could keep gushing about how happy I was t do this show and how great each and every cast member was (seriously, I couldn't have been luckier to get such a group!), but this update is getting long and I haven't even gotten the chance to recognize two stellar shows I saw that same weekend I closed Macbeth.
The first was Broken Nose Theatre Co's At the Table. This was an incredibly smart piece of art, directed by Spenser Davis and starring some of my more of my favorite people, Elise Spoerlin, Benjamin Brownson, and David Weiss that really dragged up a lot of complicated discussions about race, gender, sexuality, and all sorts of other fun-dinnertime talk in such a way that none of the issues felt like they got neatly wrapped up or put away by the end. I liked that a lot. The most important thing about this play was that every character felt real and grounded and I cared a great deal about what happened to them. Plus, the play was really funny, which is always a plus. It's going to be remounted this summer, so keep your eyes open for it because this run sold out, quick!
The other bit of spectacular I got to see was Circle Theatre Co's Venus in Fur. This one was literally blocks away from my home and starred a good friend of mine, Zach Livingston (a guy who has, a fight choreographer, made me look far more badass than I have any right to more times than I can recall) so I had absolutely no excuse to miss this one. I'm glad I didn't. This play was jaw dropping. Done in the tiny, Heartland Studio space, and started with no announcement or curtain speech, it really felt like we were just watching a cramped, New York office. This made all the intrusions of magical realism all the more theatrical and the staging made it so there was nowhere for the audience to run when the show really started driving forward. I've heard of other companies putting this on, and it always seems to be in some big auditorium space. After seeing this version, I honestly cannot imagine it being done in any other way. Zach was outstanding and his co-star, Arti Ishak, stunned me with her performance.
As for me, well, with Macbeth closed, I've got a big open space ahead of me. Lots of auditions lined up so hopefully it won't stay blank for long!
2/19/17
Show opened! Thanks to all the great audiences we've had this weekend for Macbeth (especially Friday's outstanding opening night crowd!). I'm so proud of the work this cast has put in and grateful for the chance to work with so many excellent artists! I also think this might be some of the best work I've ever put out there and I really hope you get a chance to share it with me. Seriously folks, do yourself a favor and get your tickets now!
1/15/17
A lot has happened since I last updated this site. New headshots, a few shows, a new agency. And through all of it I couldn't drag myself to update this section. It's hardly a new pattern, but this year I'm going to do something about it. I've decided rather than updating this section as news occurs, I will instead be updating every month.
As for this update, I've been cast as Macbeth by the always amazing Ellen Cribbs (fellow Klingon alum and writer of one of my favorite short plays I've ever gotten to act in, Smoke Em If You Got Em) for an upcoming production with the Shakespeare All Stars! We've already begun rehearsals and I'm really looking forward to seeing what this cast can do! The challenge ahead is daunting, and I can only hope not to disappoint!
2/7/16
Well Die Hard was fun! Had a great crowd and we managed to raise some money for Commedia Beauregard. Now I've got two new projects lined up! First, I'm going to be in Der Rosenkavalier playing Baron Ochs' (the antagonist) idiot, bastard son, Leopold. Come and see me play against type in this one folks! In all seriousness, it's been a huge pleasure to work with this amazing group of people and has really inspired me to up my game. It's really a whole new level to work on and I'm loving it!
The other big news is that I'll be working with Muse of Fire again this summer in A Midsummer Night's Dream! I'll be playing Theseus and the cool part is, in honor of the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death, we'll be doing a Renaissance rehearsal process. We won't have a director (as directors didn't come along until the 19th Century) and we'll be directing each other. I'm really looking forward to getting started and I'm very excited to bring free Shakespeare to Evanston again!
11/15/15
Hey gang! Seems my last update got eaten somehow, so a bit of a recap fist. I just finished up my run of Hoist with The Foundlings Theatre Company at Profiles' Alley space and man, what a show! I particularly want to give a shout out to my phenomenal co-star, Sydney Genco, for not only her amazing and powerful work, but also for being an all-around spectacular lady. I can't wait to work with her again! Really, the entire cast and Foundlings crew were great and I'm really proud of this one. Thanks to everyone who came out!
In other news, I'll be helping Commedia Beauregard celebrate the holiday season with a staged reading/drinking game of one of the greatest Christmas movies of all time: Die Hard! I've done one of these before (Clue last Fall) and it was a big hit! Keep an eye on this site for more details!
8/2/2015
Well, today was our last performance of Bard Fiction. We had a good crowd and it was a fine way to end a good run! I really loved working on this one and with so many fantastic people! Big thanks to everyone who came out to see it!
As for what's next, I'll be re-joining the HoboJunction gang for An Awful Night of Crap IV: Shit, On Ice! as part of this year's Abbiefest! We had a rehearsal after today's show and it's gonna be a lot of fun! You can check it out here (or on the front page), don't miss it!
7/11/2015
So, two quick updates! First, thanks to everyone that came out to Cowboy vs. Samurai! It was a fun show and I'm glad so many of you got to come out and see it!
Second, we opened Bard Fiction last night to a phenomenal crowd! The house was packed and they loved it! I'm really looking forward to the rest of this run! Seriously, do not miss this one! Pick up your tickets here and donate to our Indiegogo here!
5/5/2015
Oh! That's were I put my website! Hey guys! It's been awhile, huh?
OK, so first things first, I want to thank all the people who came out to see Masterworks Series: The Intuit Plays! We had a great turnout and it gave us some solid momentum going into Bard Fiction. Oh yeah, this summer, Commedia Beauregard will be remounting their 2012 hit, Bard Fiction, and this time I'll be a part of it! I'll be playing, Marvin, Norman, and... The Gimp! Now I know you you're hooked, so don't you dare miss this one!
In more immediate news, I'm also working with A-Squared Theatre Workshop on their upcoming production of Cowboy vs Samurai. It's an adaptation of Cyrano de Bergarac set in modern day, small town Wyoming, with Asian-American heritage taking the place of the famous schnoz. My character Del (the white guy/pretty boy), has been a lot of fun to explore! We've already done an excerpt reading at the Japanese American Service Committee last month to a great response, and I can't wait to share this one with you!
Finally, a little housekeeping. I added a link to the entirety of Hamlet: the Series in my Photos/Clips section, so don't worry! Just because it's not on the front page anymore doesn't mean you won't get your Hortatio fix!
9/22/2014
Been a pretty packed last four months, but things look like they might slow down a bit in the next week or so. With that in mind, I though I'd bring ya'll an update on what I'm up to. Don't you question my counterintuitive strategy!
First things first, thanks to everyone who came out to see Degas Plays, Come Blow Your Horn and Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em. All three were awesome experiences and had great audience support! We may not have won Art of Adaption (congrats to Pachelbel on that), but we had a great audience both nights who was clearly enthralled (I heard a quiet "oh no" during the climactic point of the play)! On top of that, Degas beat our Indiegogo campaign and one of the two plays I was in won audience favorite! Thanks guys! No one plays a corpse like me!
Finally, the biggest of the three, Come Blow Your Horn broke Oil Lamp records for both attendance and box office! I'm so grateful for all the support for my first time out as the lead in a show and I can't wait to work with Oil Lamp again!
Also on the old news front, I also got a chance to work with the wildly talented Spenser Davis and the fine Folks at Hobo Junction on An Awful Night of Crap III: Jew Tycoons for this year's Abbiefest! I only made it to one rehearsal and the entire cast never met before the one performance! It was a blast! The audience was great and even when things went wrong, we still got huge cheers!
Finally, what I'm currently up to! I've been playing the role of Mellersh in Theatre-Hikes' production of Enchanted April (while rocking a sweet goatee, baby!) out at Morton Arboretum. The crowds have been consistently large and enthusiastic and we've had pretty good weather the whole run (minus last Saturday, but hey, that's what the picnic shelter's for!). We've got one weekend left, so don't miss it!
As for upcoming stuff, there's a Cold Reads and Cold Brews staged reading of The Station this Wednesday (details on the front page) and a Ghostbusters staged reading/drinking game at Fritzy's Tavern coming up in October. That second one is in development and I'll be posting updates once I got them right here. Say tuned!
5/30/2014
Holy cats but it's been busy round these parts! First off, The Degas Plays opened last night to a nearly sold out crowd! We've still got some tickets left, so be sure to get them here while you still can! Also, be sure to contribute to our Indiegogo campaign to help make sure Commedia Beauregard can continue to bring work like this to the stage. The perks are all pretty sweet, but my favorite is the remote viewing of our June 1 performance available at the $30 level!
In other news, I've been cast in the role of Alan in Oil Lamp's production of Come Blow Your Horn by Neil Simon! It's great to be working with Oil Lamp again and the rehearsals have been a lot of fun! I also recently realized this is the first time I've taken on the lead role in a full length play (no, Ceasar in Caesar doesn't count. He dies halfway through). I'm definitely honored and hope to rise to the challenge. As far as the character goes, I'm a cocky womanizer who learns a valuable lesson. Hmm. La Ronde, Alone Together, and now this. I think I may be developing a type.
Also on the stage front and rapidly approaching, I've been cast in the role of David in Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em, CommBeau's entry in to City Lit's 7th Annual Art of Adaptation. This is an awesome script that I'm really excited to be a part of! It comes to us via Ellen Cribbs (a fellow Klingon alum) out of last year's Master Works series, The Van Gogh Plays. I'll be joined onstage by the lovely Ms. Greta Weber and our fearless director is fellow CommBeau company member, Jacqueline Davies! Don't miss it!
Finally, the last three episodes of Hamlet: the Series have been released! I've linked to all six episodes on the front page, so be sure to click on over to check out some of the finest Shakespeare (that has me in it) on the Internet!
4/4/2014
I've finally made it past the pile of tumbleweeds and back to my site! For the amount of time it's been, I don't have that many updates, but boy are some of them doozies!
First, some housekeeping. I'll be majorly redesigning the currently underutilized Resume section into something a bit more worthwhile (details to come soon. And I mean, like, actually-soon, not next-summer soon!) and my Photos/Clips section will finally include my super sweet VO demo! Stay tuned!
When last you heard from me, I was about to embark on my adventures at The Lyric Opera of Chicago. Well, it was amazing! A big shout out to my comrades-in-litter-bearing Jeremy, Wes, MacArthur, and Xander for being awesome, and to Joe Biden's motorcade for stopping traffic long enough to let me go on stage in front of 3500 people!
Speaking of widespread audiences, Hamlet: The Series is now live on YouTube and has been broadcast on Evanston Community Television! The first three episodes are up, and I've linked to them on the front page. I will continue to update as they are released.
Now with Parsifal over, I've been hunting for the next gig (while regrowing my hair). I did pick up my AGMA membership card, which has allowed me greater access to Equity auditions! Hooray for sister-unions! I'm still figuring out the lay of this new land, but it has forced me to step up my (lately stagnant) game as I enter a new level of competition. Hopefully, I will have good news on this front soon!
In more concrete developments, I have been made a company member of Commedia Beauregard! You may remember them from such past hits as Corleone and A Klingon Christmas Carol. This company has consistently been one of my favorites to work with and I a greatly honored to join them as their (now our, I guess) company grows! My first chance to perform as a company member, will be in this year's Master Works Series: The Degas Plays. It will be a series of six short plays based on six paintings by Edgar Degas. I don't have much in the way of details yet, as auditions have yet to occur, but as soon as I get them, they go up here!
And with that, I'm off the clean cobwebs out of my old contact section!
10/5/13
A lot has happened since I last posted here! Some good, some bad, some great! First off, I want to thank everyone who came out to see Taming of the Shrew this past summer. We got some great reviews and great crowds every weekend! It was a fantastic experience and I'm so glad I got to share it with so many of you.
In bad news, I have had to bow out of A Klingon Christmas Carol due to a scheduling conflict. I'm really disappointed as I was really looking forward to working Commedia Beauregard again, but I know I'll get a chance to again some day. I highly recommend everyone go see this show as this year's promises to be a great one!
As to the reason I had to bow out, well that's definitely not bad news. I have been hired by the Lyric Opera to fill the understudy position in their production of Parsifal this November. This job will represent more money than I have ever been paid for any job I have ever held, showbiz or otherwise. It is also going to get me membership into the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA), my first union! Come next Monday, I will be a full time actor for at least the next seven weeks and I'm really excited!
Finally, we've finished shooting for Hamlet: the Series. I'm really looking forward to seeing just how this turns out and I've been having a great time shooting it. I'll be sure to link to the series once post is finished!
7/18/13
Been way too long since I've updated this site! First off, thank you to everyone that came out to see Alone Together! It was a really fun show and I'm so happy so many people came out to see it.
In other news, rehearsals for Taming of the Shrew are in full swing. We are already in a really good place and we still have the rest of July ahead of us. Be sure to follow @MuseofFireThtr on Twitter to stay updated on our progress!
On top of that, I've got yet another new project in progress: Hamlet: the Series! It's a six-part webseries of Shakespeare's Hamlet that should be going up this fall or so. I am Horatio and we have the lovely Kitty Mortland playing the Dane. The casting of a lady Hamlet definitely shakes things up and I've had a lot of fun shooting already! I'll be sure to link up to it once it's online.
Finally, I'll be re-uniting with Commedia Beauregard to play QachIt' in this year's production of A Klingon Christmas Carol! Can't wait to get back to bringing glory and honor back to this great play! Been a busy few months! So stay tuned!
4/22/13
Spring has sprung and I am just now able to come up for air! A huge thank you to everyone who came out to see La Ronde! I had more fun on this show than I have in a long time and am immensely proud of the show and all my castmates! I'm really looking forward to seeing/working with each and every one of them in the future.
Of course, I had no time to just sit back and relax. The closing weekend of La Ronde was also the start of tech week for Alone Together, which had a fantastic opening this past weekend! Oil Lamp has been a great company to work with and this show has been selling like something that sells a lot faster the hotcakes! Make sure to get your tickets here soon, before it sells out!
On top of all that, I just found out I'll be working with Muse of Fire once again! In what is quickly becoming a pattern for me with this company, they had someone need to drop out of Taming of the Shrew fairly early on, and the director called me to offer me a role (Vincentio/Huntsman/Curtis). Now I just need to get to the point where other companies realize they should just give me parts in their work without having to audition, I'll be set!
3/11/13
Happy birthday to me! It's been quite the exciting week! First, La Ronde opens this Wednesday and I hope you all get a chance to come out to see it! It has been phenomenal working with this cast and I'm extremely proud of this one. Tickets are on sale now so go buy them!
In addition to the rapidly approaching opening of my current show, I've just been cast in another show: Alone Together with Oil Lamp Theater. I'll be playing the role of Elliot, a womanizer who cheats on his wife. Yeesh, two plays in a row, hope this doesn't end up as my "type." I swear I'm a much better husband in real life! The show runs up in Glenview and rehearsals should begin soon, just as La Ronde goes into performance. Couldn't have timed that better if I'd tried! I'll be sure to keep you updated as the process continues.
|
2/28/13 |
 |
I'm back! After what has been my longest dry spell since I became a professional actor, I have returned! That's not to say I haven't been busy. After Julius Caeser closed it's fantastic run, I worked in Brookfield Zoo's Trail of Terror as part of their Creatures of the Night celebration for the month of October. I was a scientist in a genetics lab about to be overrun with souped-up bugs. You can see me at about the 1:00 mark here.
After that, I began work on my brand-new Voice Over Demo! I've linked it off my resume on Casting Networks (which you can find in my Contact section) and should have it up on this sight proper soon. Stay tuned!
Finally, and the main reason for this update now as opposed to earlier, I am going to be playing the Husband in Street Tempo Theatre's production of La Ronde! I am very excited about this show as I get to be directed by one of my old Act One teachers, the superbly-talented Tim Curtis. I have to say this one was a definite boost to the old ego as Tim specifically sought me out to audition for this role. We've already begun rehearsals and the process has been a lot of fun. I am very lucky to get to share my scenes with two fantastic ladies, Elise Spoerlein and Stacie Barra Tourins as well a great cast all around. Don't miss this one!
8/4/12
So, I think there was some chicanery with my updates, as I'm, sure I had one posted around late June and it seems to have disappeared. Well, to summarize what was lost (or at least what I remember from between now and the 6/4 update) Corleone was phenomenal and I feel immensely privilaged to have gotten to work with such a great cast! In addition to that, I have been cast in and finished rehearsals for a new show, Julius Caesar with Muse of Fire, in which I will be playing Caesar! Our opening performance was today and though we got rained out halfway though (an auspicious start, I know) the crowd was great and I feel good about the rest of the run! Anyway, we'd just finished with the assassination of me, so the rest of the play is all downhill from there. After all, the play is called Julius Caesar not Brutus and Cassius Yell at Each Other for Another Hour. Kidding! In all seriousness, the play is great, and I've even been reunited with a bunch of my Tom Jones castmates! On top of all that, we've been written up in the Evanston Review. Here is the story, featuring a picture of me looking far more badass than I actually am, throwing an unfortunately misidentified Gary Henderson. It runs until the second weekend in September at Ingraham Park in Evanston. Show starts at 3pm and admission is free. See you all there!
6/4/12
Happy June everybody! Just finished the opening weekend of Corleone: The Shakespearen Godfather and it was great! We had a phenomenal opening night show and I'm really eager to see how this one develops. I am immensely proud of this work and this cast and can't wait to share it with you. Tickets are available for the remainder of the run here.
One final bit of news, HR: the Series is now up in its entirety on YouTube, here's a link to the channel. It has been weird to see the whole thing completed. For some perspective, I was heading out to opening weekend of repeat w/Madeline the day we recorded my part in the series. It's like finding a time capsule from me right out of the Conservatory. That's kind of science fictiony right?
4/11/12
Tonight we had our first rehearsal for Corleone and I am pumped! Not only is it fantastic to work with Commedia Beauregard again, but the group that has been assembled for this show promises to be a good one, including both Phil Zimmerman and Christina Romano from Klingon Christmas Carol as well as Jovan King from The Comfort Station Plays! Also, if you click on that link above, you'll find info for Commedia Beauregard's current production, Bard Fiction, which I saw last week and highly recommend! Only one weekend left!
Speaking of shows you need to see, Tom Jones still has three more weeks in it run and the reviews have started pouring in! I'm pretty sure this is the most widely reviewed show I've been in to date, with reviews from Time Out, the Tribune, and the Reader, among others! Check them out and be sure to come see the show! It runs Fridays and Saturdays at 8, and Sundays at 3 for three more weeks. See you there and tell them I sent you!
3/15/12
Greetings on the Ides of March! I've got some news that kinda sorta ties in with the date (not really). I've been cast in the role of Sonny (among other characters) in Commedia Beauregard's upcoming production of Corleone! If the company's name looks familiar, that's because they are the same awesome people behind last winter's equally awesome A Klingon Christmas Carol. This time, I'll get to actually speak some English with them (Shakespeare no less!) How does that tie into the date? Well, playing Freddo will be one Mr. Phil Zimmerman (also a fellow Klingon). In addition to Klingon, Phil and I previously worked together in Julius Caesar up at Great River Shakespeare, where he played Caesar and I was Marc Antony! OK, I admit it's a bit of a stretch. I just wanted to tie into the date somehow, is that so wrong?
In other news, we'll soon be opening Tom Jones over at the Josephium. First preview is in just five days! Be sure to click that link to learn more, and buy tickets of course, and I'll see you there!
3/1/12
Back from the dead baby! Sorry for the prolonged absence; life has been a bit busy, and I have allowed this site to go unattended. Still, there is news to report! I will be appearing as Mr. Thwackum in Polarity Theatre Ensemble's production of Tom Jones. It's a pretty fun part, and definitely a change of pace from marlI'! For one, it actually took me a bit of time to get back into the flow of learning my lines in English. Some things haven't changed at all though, I get an awesome fight! I am rapidly discovering that violence is one of my favorite parts of being an actor. I wonder at times what this says about my personal character, but not too hard, there's more fighting to do! As for the show itself, I've put all the relevant details on the front page, so be sure to check it out. And if you do see the show, and I know you will because you're a classy theatre goin' crowd, mention my name at the box office so I can makes some monies! If you do, I'll give you a high-five after the show! Who wouldn't want that?
12/30/11
Big thanks to everyone who has already come out the see A Klingon Christmas Carol! And to those of you who haven't, you've got two more chances, and they're both tomorrow night! First, we have our regular kickass show at 7:30, then at 10:30, you can ring in the new year with honor! A special New Year's Eve performance will include a champagne toast at midnight and a live performance by Il Troubador as The Klingon Music Project! I'm really looking forward to it and to ending this great year with a bang! Hope you all have a great New Year's no matter what your plans and I'll see you all in 2012!
11/18/11
Just a couple of quick updates! First, you can now follow me on Twitter (@ChrisLysy)! I've also added it to my Contacts section. I'll be using my account to smaller, more frequent updates, while using this site for when I have bigger news (or at least more than 140 characters worth).
The other bit of news, also somewhat Twitter related, is that we had our second preview performance of A Klingon Christmas Carol, our Twitter preview. It was awesome to see just how much buzz we actually managed to generate! We told the audience to tweet and take pictures during the show, and boy did they! I'll be including some of the pictures on my Photos/Clips section soon, so keep an eye open for that. There's still one more preview to go! Make sure to come out for Warrior's Night! Tickets are $10 and, as a salute to our brave and mighty warriors, only $5 for police, firefighters, and veterans. Regular tickets are also still available on both Commedia Beauregard's website and the Greenhouse's! Check them out! After all, batlh qeldI' thlIngan, lumbe' (A Klingon does not postpone a matter of honor, or in this case, ticket purchasing). See you there!
11/16/11
What a day it has been! First of all, we had our first preview of A Klingon Christmas Carol tonight! Fairly small crowd (which is hardly that surprising for a first preview) but they had a great energy and were really responsive. A perfect first audience for us! There's still two more previews to go before opening including this Friday, Twitter night. It's the only night in which the audience is actually encouraged to tweet during the show! Tickets for the regular run are also on sale as well and the Adopt-a-Klingon drive is still in full swing as well. marlI' is still in need of some parents, won't you please give him a home?
In other news, Human Resources (been a while right?) has put it's first episode up on the website and Youtube. Check it out! More episodes will be released on the Youtube channel and on the website and I'll make sure to post the updates here as they come. Stay tuned!
10/22/11
So I've been rehearsing with the Klingons for about three weeks now, and it has been awesome! As expected the language has been tough, but I'm starting to get it. Honestly, translating my script has reminded me a lot of doing text work on Shakespeare. It's weird where those sorts of connections crop up in this line of work. This past week, we've been doing mostly fight choreography, of which there is plenty. As marlI' my scene is almost entirely fight choreography! Between that and the colossal axe I wield (seriously you should see this thing) I've been sore all week. Worth it though, because the fights are awesome! When else do you get to learn how to use a bat'leth?!
The show goes up at the end of November. Here is the Commedia Bearegard's official website if you want more info, including the Adopt-a-Klingon drive (which I highly encourage you to check out). I'll have more updates as the show approaches. tlhIngan maH!
9/22/11
Sorry I've been so late in updating this. A lot has happened in these last two and a half months. First of all, The Wizard of Oz has completed it's run. I had a fantastic time and I want to thank everyone who came out to show their support. The cast and crew were all truly wonderful individuals I was proud to work with and I know our paths will cross again!
In other news, rehearsals for A Klingon Christmas Carol will be starting up on the 3rd. I cannot wait! I've been looking forward to this since the day I was cast last July and I feel ready to embark on this difficult, but I suspect rewarding, journey. That's all I have for now, but I'll be sure to update as soon as I have more info for you.
7/12/11
Quite the weekend we've had! The Invaders just closed and it was good to go out with a bang. Our biggest crowd and best performance of them all. Big thanks to everyone who came out to support and to everyone in the Alcyone Festival; I'm really proud of both the work I did and the chance to share it alongside such a talented group of artists. Thank you.
In other really big news, I have been cast as marlI' in Comedia Beauregard's A Klingon Christmas Carol this winter at the Greenhouse! I'm extremely excited about this one, last year's production was a huge success, being written up in the Wall Street Journal and mentioned by Conan O'Brien on The Tonight Show, and this year, members of last years cast will be performing live at the 2011 Official Star Trek Convention. Be sure to check back for more updates and to check to the links i provided for more news!
6/24/2011
Well, I haven't gotten back to you as soon as I had hoped, and for that I do apologize. However, a lot has been going on, and this website has, unfortunately, been neglected in the shuffle. Here we go:
The Invaders opened on the 9th and performed again on the 19th. After some initial technical problems and last minute casting switch-ups (due to an unfortunate medical issue) the show went on, and it was great. I'm really looking forward to our up coming performances (see the front page for times and location) and as I said last time, I'm really proud of the work I've done and that of my castmates on this production. Be sure to check out the rest of the Alcyone Festival line up here (with a particular shout out to my fellow Hokie
