Hello, my enormously loyal fanbase. I thought I should take a minute to reflect on the past year and the growth of 906. To say it was a big year for us would be an understatement as we weren't even a thing last year. As a company we are actually only eight months old. But do not let that fool you. In eight months we have managed to stage one full production, one staged reading, two podcasts, and have auditioned and cast our first 2015 production. I dare you to find another eight-month-old with as much ambition.
Back in April, when this whole crazy ride started, we formed with the idea that we would stage a production in order to see if we actually could. If it worked, then we would consider doing more. If it failed, we would be able to say that we tried. I don't think any of us expected it to be as much fun as it actually was. We had no money, no name, and no idea if we wouldn't just end up hating the whole thing.
If you managed to see, or take part in, our production of The Importance Of Being Earnest (directed by Emma Couling), you know that nobody hated anything about it (save for that one matinee when like...3 people showed up. Those people did, however, get a great show). It was a really good production and more than that, it was fun. We made our money back, paid our actors (a far too uncommon occurrence in Chicago), and we were able to put aside some profit in order to finance future productions. I call that a win.
Dracula was also an unmitigated success. And I do not use the word "unmitigated" lightly. I managed to write a script, my wife managed to direct it, our actors managed to perform it, and an audience managed to show up (so many that we had to get extra chairs). Did I mention that we did all of this in two months? If you want to create a challenge for yourself do the following: Find a great old book, adapt it into a stage play, find someone to direct it, find actors to read it, find a venue to perform in, rehearse, market the show so that people will actually show up, perform, and do it all in two months. I couldn't be more proud of us.
Our podcasts have also been successfully unmitigated (I feel like I used that wrong and I don't use "unmitigated" in the wrong way...lightly). We have managed to record and edit two roundtable discussions on theatrical topics amidst all of the other work that we have been doing. True, I have only managed to add the first half of one of them to our website...but that it my problem. But that is my unmitigated problem (nailed it). Check them out on our YouTube channel. You will be pleasantly supplied with something more or less to your expectations.
Lastly but far from leastly. We had auditions for and cast our next production "Boeing Boeing". (Note: I had to look up the convention rule on the period after those quotation marks. Turns out that because it is not an actual quote, the period goes after...crazy!!!!) If you do not know this show than I suggest you watch some clips on the YouTube. It is delightful. 906 co-founder Ashley Stein will be directing and we will be gracing the top floor of Hamburger Mary's in mid/late February and running through early/mid March. I have the great honor to actually be in this production along with a couple of actors (Billy Sullivan and my wife, Sarah) that I have worked with before. But even more exciting to me, is the addition of new-blood into both our little 906 family but also our own general circle of insanely talented Chicago actors. Kaelea, Christine, and T'Arah...welcome to the family. I know that I am excited to see what you have to offer in the coming months. You are all going to fit in just fine.
It is easy to fit in with 906 Theatre Company. We work hard, but we never take ourselves too seriously. We try to be professional, but we don't sacrifice the fun. We forget that it is called a "play" for a reason. We have spent the past 8 months shaping something of which we can be proud. I know that I am proud (unmitigatedly).