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Toward the end of August, 2001 I was visiting a friend in NYC.  She had an internship for the summer so I went out and visited, saw some shows and walked around.

Ever since I was a kid, New York City held some sort of magic for me.  I don’t know if it was due to the fact that it was the complete opposite of the small town I grew up in or if it was because so many of my favorite films seem to take place there.  One day, while my friends went to some exhibit at a museum, I hopped the train and became a typical tourist.  I had been there before but I loved walking through the village and going to battery park to see the Statue of Liberty (I had been up in it once….it takes forever so this time I decided against taking the ferry.  I went to the Empire State Building and the World Trade Center before rejoining my friends.

A few weeks later was 9-11.  I remember waking up and seeing that a plane had hit the World Trade Center.  Naively I wondered why they were focusing on it.  Planes had hit buildings before and the news reports were fairly vague.  My phone rang and a friend asked me if I was watching the news…that’s when the second plane hit.

We all have stories about where we were and what we were feeling that day.  We all have the images etched into our minds…the debris and dust…the firefighters…the news reports…the growing list of missing people…as the years pass it all becomes one huge blur and, even though we remember it,  it becomes an anecdote..”Where were you?”, or “I had a friend in NYC that day who says”..

I think that’s what drew me to WTC View.  9-11 happens right before the curtain opens so, by default it is a 9-11 play.  However, it’s much more personal than that.  It details what it was like to live in the wake of such a monumental disaster.  It’s not a story about firefighters or politics.  It’s a story of a group of people trying to come to grips with unspeakable tragedy and still move on while remaining whole. It immediately takes the audience back and helps them remember.

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Name: Caleb Probst

Hometown: Okemos, MI

Thoughts after first reading Our Leading Lady: "It sure is great to be taking a break from performing this fall.  I sure hope nobody calls me to replace an actor in their show."

Favorite book: 1984 or The Butter Battle Book by Dr. Seuss

Favorite Movie: Currently, The Fisher King, but it changes often.

Favorite moment in “Waiting for Guffman”: "Who's on top, and who's on bottom, now!"

Count Chocula, Frankenberry or Boo Berry: Count Chocula

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Name:  Mary Anne Bowman

Hometown:  Cleveland, Ohio

Thoughts after reading Our Leading Lady:  After the first time I read the play, I immediately thought 'I REALLY want to play Laura Keene.'  That hasn't changed.  I think it's a tremendous role and I feel privileged to be given the opportunity to play it.  My other thoughts have largely revolved around the very significant change that happens between Acts I and II and how best to navigate that.
 
Favorite Book:   I don't think I can narrow it down to one favorite.  Some books I've deeply enjoyed are "The Blind Assassin" (Margaret Atwood) "Passage" and "The Doomsday Book" (Connie Willis), "The Death of Ivan Illych" (Leo Tolstoy) "The Fellowship of the Ring" (JRR Tolkien) The Song of Fire and Ice series (George Martin) and Sense and Sensibility (Jane Austen).
 
Favorite Movie:  A toss-up between Singing in the Rain and Soapdish.
 
Favorite moment in “Waiting for Guffman”:  The interview of Fred Willis and Catherine O'Hara -- especially the part where she says that her husband is training her to ignore her instincts.
 
Count Chocula, Frankenberry or Boo Berry:   Count Chocula.

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Name: Jason Nykiel

Hometown: Colorado Springs, CO

Thoughts after first reading Our Leading Lady:  Though not everything was perfect in that time period, I'm a little jealous of the actor's lifestyle in the time of Our Leading Lady.  Even with all the hardship and uncertainty it seems exciting. 

Favorite book: MiddleSex

Favorite Movie: I Heart Huckabees

Favorite moment in Waiting for Guffman: Midnight at the Oasis audition

Chocula, Frankenberry or Boo Berry: Count Chocula (they brought back Frankenberry and Boo Berry out of pity)

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Name: Laura Korn

Hometown: Miami, florida

Thoughts after first reading Our Leading Lady: God I love this play. "there are leprechauns feasting behind my eyeballs"

Favorite book:  Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Sirius black is a dope character. I love Harry potter....

Favorite Movie: American beauty

Favorite moment in Waiting for Guffman: the part when  Catherine o'hara is on stage and her scene partner is reciting their line; she does that bad actor thing and moves her lips while they are talking.  

Chocula, Frankenberry or Boo Berry: Count Chocula, duh

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On this day in 1858. Our American Cousin had its Broadway premiere.

Of course, a few years later, a more historical production would take place, not in New York City, but at Ford’s Theatre in Washington DC.

Flash forward 146 years and in a small rehearsal room at Loyola University, Project 891 Theatre Company is in rehearsals for a comedy that tries to re-create that fateful night.

Our Leading Lady is a difficult play to categorize.  Of course, it’s a backstage comedy.  Charles Busch has outdone himself with this play and has truly shown his love for both theatre and history.  Yet there is also a strong dramatic undertone.  As Act One ends and the fateful  performance at Ford’s theatre is abruptly cut short, the actors, and the nation as a whole, must decide how to move forward.

I think thats is what initially drew me to this play.  In September, 2011 I was in rehearsals for the David Ives comedy All in the Timing.  I remember arriving at rehearsal that night stunned as we all were.  Why were we doing this?  How could we even think about performing in a play when no one knew what tomorrow would bring?  All these thought and feelings came rushing back to me as I read Our Leading Lady. 

Theatrical people are extremely adaptable, I feel, and, at the risk of sounding pretentious, are usually able to help others see the world around them and move forward.  Even if the theatre is used as pure escapism, it serves a point and can be a tremendously healing influence on an audience.

So a few weeks ago, I attended a rehearsal and was blown away.  Project 891 Theatre Company started three years ago, which was about the time I read the play.  We all knew it was something we wanted to do but also realized that we needed some time to grow.  Judging by what I saw at rehearsal, we were right! 

Michael Rashid (who has directed several productions in Chicago such as Never the Sinner, Gross Indecency and Terre Haute) has assembled an amazingly talented group of people who can play the show's rhythms brilliantly.  Costume Designer Liz Hoffman has hand made dozens of 1860's era hoop dresses, robes, girdles, dressing gowns….and on top of that has also thrown herself into her onstage role as Verbena.

It is due to this fact that I feel confident in saying that a donation (however large or small) will be money well spent.    Our Kickstarter fundraiser is going in full force!  We currently have $1,726 pledged and, if we hit the $2000 mark by Friday Oct 28, a donor has agreed to donate $500. 

As a rule, Project 891 does not actively seek donations.  Most of our fundraising comes from trivia nights and shows.  However, the monolithic items needed to stage this show have led us to this necessity. 

You have my word, however, that you will not regret it.  This show is something to be proud of.

Please click here and make a donation.  Any amount helps!

Thank you

Ron Popp

Artistic Director
Project 891 Theatre Company

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Name: Liz Hoffman

Hometown: Grand Blanc, MI

Thoughts after first reading Our Leading Lady: 'This play is pretty funny,' shortly followed by 'hmmm maybe hummus for lunch.'

Favorite book: The Sound and the Fury

Favorite Movie: Right now Bridesmaids is pretty high on my list of favs

Favorite moment in “Waiting for Guffman”: The "ballet" for 'Penny for your Thoughts'

Count Chocula, Frankenberry or Boo Berry: Count Chocula

To help bring Lady to life (and help fund the amazing costumes being built by Liz Hoffman) please click here
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Name: Danne W. Taylor

Hometown: Dayton,Ohio

Thoughts after first reading Our Leading Lady: Hilarious! But some lovely emotion amidst the hilarity.

Favorite book: The Color Purple

Favorite movie: So many, but given that we're doing a comedy and since I'm the old character woman I'll go with "His Girl Friday". Oh. And maybe "Goodfellas".

Favorite moment in "Waiting For Guffman": Corky, simply Corky.

Count Chocula, Frankenberry or Boo Berry: Ick.

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Project 891 Theatre Company is proud to announce the second show of the 2011-2012 Season, WTC View by Brian Sloane.

WTC View tells the story of Eric, a resident of New York City who places an ad in the Village Voice for a new room mate.  His apartment is great and, to up the value, he mentions that the apartment has a stunning view of the World Trade Center.    The ad runs on September 10, 2001.

WTC View presents a panoramic view of a people coming to terms with the unspeakable.  As each potential roomate views the apartment and tells their story, Eric slowly begins to realize that he is not alone in his grief, nor in his desire to continue on.

For our third season, we are honored to present two Chicago premiers (Our Leading Lady and WTC View)  as well as a world premier (Homefront with the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs).

To help us bring these shows to life, click here.
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Name:   David Besky

Hometown:   Fergus Falls, MN

Thoughts after first reading Our Leading Lady:  I couldn't wait to start

Favorite book:  To Kill a Mockingbird

Favorite Movie:  Young Frankenstein

Favorite moment in Waiting for Guffman: Whenever Corky has a hissyfit.

Count Chocula, Frankenberry or Boo Berry:  Count Chocula!!
To help fund this production of Our Leadinclick here.
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