World Premiere of New Play to Open Nov. 7 at Illinois State

“Relatively Close,” a new work by playwright James Sherman, will not only have its world premiere when it opens at Illinois State University’s Center for the Performing Arts Theatre Nov. 7, but it will mark the first time the School of Theatre has collaborated on a production with Chicago’s Tony Award-winning Victory Gardens Theater.

Victory Gardens Theater, of which Sherman is ensemble member and resident playwright (he has been called the Neil Simon of Lincoln Avenue), will give “Relatively Close” its professional world premiere June 6 to July 13. 

The Illinois State production, directed by Don LaCasse, will run Nov. 7 to 10 at 7:30 p.m. plus a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, Nov. 11.  Tickets are available at the CPA box office from noon to 5 p.m. weekdays, by phone at (309) 438-2535 or through Ticketmaster.  There will be a talkback session with Sherman and others following the Nov. 7 and Nov. 10 performances.

“Relatively Close” is a comedy about three sisters who, following the death of their father, return to their family vacation home on the shores of Lake Michigan, where they spent the summers of their childhood.  Now the sisters are grown and the house is just sitting there. What should they do with the property? One sister wants to keep it, one sister wants to sell it and one sister just wants everyone to get along. The sisters, with their respective spouses and one teenager in tow, just hope to make it through the week.

Sherman is a native of the Chicago suburbs who was a theatre student at Illinois State in the early 1970s before answering the call of Second City in Chicago.  His first play, though, was presented in ISU’s Allen Theatre.

“The training and experience I received there,” Sherman said of Illinois State, “was an essential component of my ability to go on to a professional career in the theatre.”  Eventually, he completed a master of fine arts degree at Brandeis University. 

Among his plays are “Magic Time,” “The God of Isaac,” ‘Beau Jest,” “Jest a Second!,” “Romance in D,” “Door to Door” and “Affluenza!”  In addition to writing, Sherman is a teacher of playwriting and acting on the faculties of The Second City Training Center, Chicago Dramatists Workshop and Victory Gardens Theater.

"Relatively Close” is a very funny play about a dysfunctional family,” said director LaCasse, “but it does ask the question: if we can’t get along as families, how can we get along as human beings?”

John Stark of the School of Theatre is designing the “Relatively Close” set, which will be moved to Victory Gardens Theater for the Chicago production.  A new cast will be assembled.  Master of fine arts student Sarah Hamilton will design lights for the CPA Theatre production and School of Theatre’s Julie Mack will design the Chicago lighting.  Master of fine arts student Caitlin Entwistle is costume designer for the ISU production.

Dennis Zacek, longtime artistic director at Victory Gardens Theater, will direct the summer 2008 production.  Zacek has directed two productions at the Illinois Shakespeare Festival, including “Twelfth Night” in the inaugural year of 1978.