Building an FAQ

One thing I've been thinking about as we get ready for "The Last Unicorn" is what information people who might be interested in seeing the show would need to know if they visited our website. With that in mind I've been working on an FAQ to add to the site. Take a look- do any of you have questions about the show that aren't being answered here?

FAQ for The Last Unicorn

“The Last Unicorn?” What the heck is this?

This is a staged adaptation of “The Last Unicorn,” the beloved fantasy novel by Peter S. Beagle, adapted to the stage by Ed Rutherford and presented by Promethean Theatre Ensemble.

“The Last Unicorn.” You mean the animated movie?

Nope. The animated version was an adaptation of the novel as well. Peter S. Beagle wrote the screenplay for that, so it is a well done and fairly faithful screen adaptation, but it is distinct from the novel. This is a stage adaptation of the novel and doesn’t draw on the movie version at all.

Why are you doing this adaptation?

Our adapter and director, Ed Rutherford, is a fanatic for this story. He loves it, thinks you would love it, and wants anyone and everyone to experience it. Since he’s a theatre artist, his preferred way to share this story with everyone is through live performance. The script he has developed is also an excellent fit with our company’s mission.

Is it true that Peter S. Beagle is coming to see the show?

Yes! We’ve already made arrangements for him to attend opening weekend. He will be at the opening night performance, Saturday 10/17 at 8 p.m., and at the Sunday 3 p.m. matinee the next day (10/18). He’ll also participate in a post show discussion

I want to find out more about the original story. How do I buy the book (or the movie)?

We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Please click here for more information on ordering books or DVDs.

How did you get permission to do this?

This production is being offered as a one-time event by special arrangement with Conlan Press and with Peter S. Beagle’s approval.

Can I license a production?

UPDATED- Yes, this is now possible! If you are interested please email lastunicornchicago@yahoo.com.

Let’s talk nuts and bolts. How long is the show?

The show runs about two hours and thirty minutes (subject to change- we haven‘t finished rehearsals yet!), including a fifteen minute intermission about halfway through.

When are performances?

The show runs from October 16-November 14, with performances Thursdays and Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 3 p.m. Official opening is on Saturday 10/17 at 8 p.m., so there is no Saturday matinee that day.

How can I get tickets?

Starting July 15, you can go here to buy tickets online. You can also make a reservation by phone by calling (773) 305-2897. Please wait until July 15- we can’t honor phone reservations made prior to that date.

Where is the performance space?

City Lit is located at 1020 W Bryn Mawr Ave in Chicago, on the 2nd floor of Edgewater Presbyterian Church.

How do we get to your performance space?

The venue is very accessible to public transportation; the Bryn Mawr Red Line el stop is only a couple of blocks away, and the Sheridan and Broadway bus lines make stops near the venue as well. The venue is very close to the Bryn Mawr exit on Lake Shore Drive too. Parking in the immediate area of the theatre is metered and can be difficult to find; for those who are driving, we recommend the following options:

-Look for parking in the residential area west of Broadway. Parking there is free and relatively easy to find, and it’s still a pretty short walk east to the theatre.
-For evening performances only, valet parking is available across the street through Francesca’s, the Italian restaurant across the street at 1039 W. Bryn Mawr. Their fee is $8; let them know you’re there to see a show at City Lit Theater. While their food is excellent and we highly recommend them, dining at their restaurant isn’t required. Make sure you pick your car up before 11 p.m.

Unicorns? This is a kid’s show, right?

No! This piece (and its humor) is designed for grownups to enjoy, with grownup themes and ideas. It isn’t children’s theatre.

But is it still appropriate for my kids?

We welcome kids, but they must have their own ticket and be able to behave appropriately during the show. As far as potentially offensive content goes: the d-word and the h-word do get used a few times, and some of the scenes (with the Harpy or the Red Bull, for example) may be a little intense or violent for very young children. Otherwise it’s pretty kid-safe.

This project is beyond awesome. I want to support it. How can I help out?

We hope you’ll consider Adopting a Unicorn. (more on this in a later post!)

A leetle announcement....

Hey everyone,
Sorry it's been a while since the last post. I've been helping to get Measure for Measure closed first. Also, this past weekend we had auditions to figure out who in Promethean's ensemble is going to be in The Last Unicorn. And we've decided! Without further ado, let me introduce you to...









Kyla Embrey- she'll be playing Amalthea and others.








Derek Jarvis- he'll be playing Captain Cully and others.








Nick Lake- he'll be playing Schmendrick.








Brian Pastor- he'll be playing Lir and others.

They and approximately ten other awesome actor/storytellers (auditions in July!) will be helping tell this great story. Stay tuned for more info!

What was Mabruk about to do?

I wanted to talk real quick about another moment from "The Last Unicorn" that I've been working on: Mabruk. As a reminder, he's the old evil wizard that Haggard already has in his employ when Schmendrick, the Unicorn and Molly arrive at the castle. When Haggard realizes that despite Mabruk's undeniable power he actually might be made happier by Schmendrick's incompetence, Mabruk is summarily dismissed. Mabruk isn't happy about that- so he starts to work some terrible magic to get revenge. Now, the question (not really answered in the book) is, what exactly was Mabruk going to do? He gets interrupted by Amalthea, so we never find out. This is one of the parts of the play where I think a little mask and puppet design would help:




















First you can see the mask- this is an old sketch and though I like the bushy eyebrows I might not include the moustache- I'm thinking I want to use the same mask for both Nikos (yes, Nikos actually appears onstage in this adaptation!) and Mabruk- just use different beards. So I can highlight similarities between the two- both are masters of the trade to which Schmendrick aspires- just one is nice, and one is...not-so-nice.

As you might be able to tell from the sketch, here's my idea for what Mabruk was about to do- in our adaptation, he turns himself into a huge, horrible monster. He's vindictive enough that he wants to get his revenge on Haggard personally. So we've got these monster arms I've started work on that other actors will manipulate, while we give the actor playing Mabruk a little extra height as well by hoisting him up. The third component of this moment is some sort of monstrous face that Mabruk will put on as well- a second mask on top of the first one. I'm still mulling over what I want it to look like, but I'll post a sketch when I've decided. Cool, huh?

Cut Scene Comic 5: A Hero is Born

At long last, here is the (probably final) cut scene comic: A Hero is Born. It's about Hagsgate, and Lir. It made me a bit melancholy to work on this one, because it signifies something some of you may have already been suspecting: we had to cut Hagsgate from the script. I felt bad about it, but there is precedent- Peter also cut that sequence from the animated version too. Anyway, we'll all know what was really going on with Lir's backstory. This comic will be in the lobby of the show too, to give the audience more detail during intermission if they want. Here goes:

Cha-ching!

Good news! I got my actual grant check from the city of Chicago today. That means I can go out and buy the materials I need to keep working on the puppets and masks for "The Last Unicorn." Preparations continue apace. In the meantime, here's a deeper look at the current project my company's working on- a scene clip (video by Jill Vanc) of Shakespeare's "Measure for Measure."




In this scene, Angelo (Brian Pastor) puts the moves on Isabella (Beth Wolf). Enjoy!

"Measure for Measure"

Last night we just had a lovely opening for Promethean's current show, "Measure for Measure." I'm not in this one, but have been working on it extensively behind the scenes and am really pleased with it. Thought I'd share some additional photos from the show (taken by Radim Rotek) here:

A few fun photos

Hey everybody,
So I continue to study mask and puppet making, and I wanted to share with you some of the results my training is yielding- first, the butterfly puppet- the photo quality isn't great, but it should give you an idea of what it looks like. This is probably the actual puppet we'll use in the show:
























It's pretty looking and also very sturdy (believe me, I've tried to shake it apart) but it also has a simple enough design that you can figure out its component parts, which is important to me in this case since simplicity of design is part of my theatre company's mission.

Here are two masks- a Butterfly and a Satyr- that I've also been building in mask class.
















They probably won't be used in "The Last Unicorn," - or at least, not in this production of it- but I'm really pleased with how they came out. I've started initial clay sculpting to build the shape of the Mommy Fortuna mask next- I look forward to showing you those results as well!