Miss Marx, or The Involuntary Side Effect of Living
A WORLD PREMIERE
BY PHILIP DAWKINS
DIRECTED BY MEGAN SHUCHMAN
Feb 14, 2014–Apr 5, 2014
3829 N. Broadway
Strawdog kicks off 2014 with a world premiere by one of Chicago’s hottest playwrights, based on the true story of Karl Marx’s youngest daughter. Known throughout Victorian England as an actress and political activist, Eleanor finds it far easier to fight for equality on the stage than in the bedroom. Falling into a tempestuous affair with a married man, can she follow her heart without betraying everything she symbolizes?
Philip Dawkins’ critically-acclaimed play The Homosexuals received a Jeff Nomination for New Work after its premiere with About Face Theatre in 2011, and his play Failure: A Love Story premiered at Victory Gardens Theater in 2013. His play Ugly Baby ran in Strawdog’s Hugen Hall in 2006, and we’re thrilled to welcome his work back into our space.
This show marks the Strawdog debut of Megan Shuchman, who has worked as a freelance director and dramaturg for such companies as The Goodman, Northlight, TimeLine and American Theater Company. She’s also the Education Manager at Steppenwolf Theatre.
“★★★★…an enchantingly elevated world …”
— Time Out Chicago
“RECOMMENDED…brainy, witty, passionate and ingenious…”
— Chicago Sun-Times
Cast
Sam Bailey
as Annie/Young Woman
Dana Black
as Eleanor
Pamela Mae Davis
as Nim/Theosophist
John Ferrick*
as Aveling
Sarah Goeden*
as Eva/Musician
Matt Holzfeind
as Engles/Young Man
Benjamin Sprunger
as Freddy
Justine C. Turner*
as Laura/Harry
Creative Team
Philip Dawkins
Author
Megan Shuchman
Director
Alex Lavelle
Assistant Director
Mike Mroch
Set Design
Jordan Kardasz*
Light Design
Aaron Weissman
Light Design
Izumi Inaba
Costume Design
Jamie Karas
Props Design
Mike Przygoda
Composer/Music Director
Chris Kriz
Sound Design
Lindsay Bartlett
Dialects
Eva Breneman
Dialects
Jarrod Bainter
Technical Direction
Lindsay Amer
Dramaturge
Sarah Hoeferlin
Stage Manager
Alex Avery
Ass't Stage Manager
John Kelly*
Master Electrician
Becky Mock
Production Manager
* Strawdog Theatre ensemble member