ChiIL Mama's Chi, IL Picks List:
Chicago’s premiere parent-centric show:
“…Because I Love You: A Comedy About Parenting”
Accessible Theatre for Hard Working Parents
Take a night off from diaper changing and baby burping; ask the sitter to read “Everyone Poops” for the seventeenth time or play the Fart Game with your kids before putting them in the bath; Gorilla Tango Originals has a show just for you! “...Because I Love You: A Comedy About Parenting,” by Jenny Seidelman and directed by Jessica Rae Olsen, performs Saturdays at 6pm, March 4-April 22, 2017, at Gorilla Tango Theatre (1919 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago IL 60647). Tickets are $20; visitwww.gorillatango.com or call 773-598-4549 for tickets and more information.
“…Because I Love You: A Comedy About Parenting” celebrates the many different methods of child-rearing. The show centers on five different families working for the greater good of their children; including putting their all into the sometimes insufferable PTA meetings and fundraisers to create the best damn show for their kids! So grab your organic kombucha or your full-bodied Cab (no judgement here), sit back, and embrace the comedy of this crazy rollercoaster of life. To top it all off, the show is only an hour, so you have time to watch a show, grab drinks, dinner, and get home before you have to go straight to bed because you're too exhausted …that’s right, Gorilla Tango has your back!
To make this show even more accessible for parents, Gorilla Tango is excited to announce a partnership with Chicago Super Sitters (www.chicagosupersitters.com) who will provide discounted babysitting options with purchase of two tickets to “...Because I Love You: A Comedy About Parenting”! Please visit www.gorillatango.com/becauseiloveyou for more information.
Created FOR parents BY parents (and anyone who works with kids or has young children in their family), “...Because I Love You: A Comedy About Parenting” embraces the idea that there is no one way to raise a child. Author Jenny Seidelman writes: “In the short time that I’ve been a parent (2 years) I had yet to write about parenting specifically. I thought it would be an interesting idea to explore. Something I’ve come to realize is that parenting is such a personal experience, with lots of different ways to do it. There’s no right or wrong way, even if some people will tell you otherwise. Some of the moments that keep me going as a parent are when I share my frustrations or my joys with my husband, or parent-friend, or even a mom or dad in line at the grocery or at my kid’s music class. We’re all in this together, for the greater good of our children.” (Portions of Ms. Seidelman’s quote appear in a previous interview with Auditioningmom.com.)
Gorilla Tango Original Executive Producer, Ellen Domonkos White – a parent herself to a one year old super kid – deliberately set about creating an outlet for creative parents. “As a parent, time is so precious and as much as we all would love to work on a show or go to that three-hour play, the idea of spending that much time away from your kid, plus the babysitter cost, is daunting. So often, we sacrifice our love of theatre, whether that be attending or performing, because priorities shift. This show allows parents (audience and creatives) to juggle parenting and their love of theatre.”
Ellen adds, “I hired (Director) Jessica Rae Olsen who set about making rehearsals parent-friendly, including but, not exclusively, allowing parents to bring their child if that is what is needed. We deliberately put the show in an earlier time slot, and kept it at only an hour long, so parents have time to leisurely enjoy the show, catch drinks or dinner afterwards, and still get home in time to relieve the babysitter at a reasonable hour and unwind for a bit before passing out.”
Says Director Jessica Rae Olsen, “The particular superstars of the show are the moms: juggling parenthood, work, and theatre. There are four working moms involved in this show, not including (Executive Producer) Ellen. We have the amazing, well-established Chicago playwright Jenny Seidelman who works at the Lyric Opera as their Associate Director of Corporate Partnerships. We also have performers Gabrielle Lott-Rogers, professional performer; Mercedes Rohlfs, Feldenkrais Practitioner, former Development Director at Theater Wit, and currently Ravinia Festival’s Associate Director of Development, Major Gifts; and Jennifer A. Ryder, bartender/supervisor at Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery.” She continues, “This show is for all the parents – and the parent supporters because it takes a village – out there. We are not all cookie cutter people. We all have different beliefs and viewpoints. We all come from different backgrounds. We all love, no matter the race or gender and this show is not afraid to point that out. This world still is a beautiful place with beautiful people in it and this piece showcases what love really looks like without stereotype or judgement.”
Gorilla Tango Theatre (GTT) exists to provide entertainment people actually want to see. GTT believes that every theatre person is a business person; it seeks to educate, foster, and provide resources to theatre practitioners so that each theatre production is treated as an entrepreneurial venture. GTT is conveniently located at the intersection of Western and Milwaukee in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood and is easily accessible by public transportation (just steps away from the Western Blue Line stop and the #49 Western, #73 Armitage and #56 Milwaukee buses). Street parking is also readily available. GTT offers a variety of affordable beer and wine for purchase. Consult the website for show rating information, tickets, and details.
www.gorillatango.com | 1919 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, IL 60647 | 773-598-4549
