New Millennium Theatre Company of Chicago

Personal
By Dean K. Engel
Directed by Chad Wise
January 17, 2000 - February 12, 2000
Boxer Rebellion

Ambitious theatre company seeks audience for a unique look behind the personal ads. Married, single, divorced, "other"? All are welcome. Desire for new, exciting theatrical experience a must. World Premiere by hot Chicago playwright promises the evening will be unforgettable.PERSONAL takes the audience on an uncensored journey into the lives of the people who place personal ads, and shows the potential outcomes of an ad's response. Engel's play is comprised of a series of tales, created from actual listings found in Chicago's different newspapers. The stories range from racy to touching to the decidedly bizarre, and prove that you never know what to expect when you come face to face with the voice on the other end of the telephone. With great success Engel has created a host of realistically crafted human characters from only 4 or 5 lines of text and New Millennium brings them to life. For these people, the personal ad is a last ditch attempt at finding that one elusive piece of the puzzle that will make their lives complete...many end up getting much more than they bargained for. PERSONAL is a dynamic new play charged with the energies of sex, love, adventure, desire and hope.

CAST

David Wilder	Matthew Ellegood
Emma Quiver	Stacey Wise
Judge Everett Hardy	Tim Ahlberg*
Jim Dakis	Patrick Sterling
DA / Edward	Brett A. Coy*
Wallace Medill/ Father Mcbride	A. Firestone Mulvaney
Louise Geraci	Alicia Hawkes
Billy	Dana Marini*
Ivana	Heather McCabe*
Susan	Gabrielle Weiss
Steven	Steve Leaver
Fran	Christina Carlson
Sarah	Zenna Gustafson
Chris	Thurston Cobb
Eve	Amy Rath*
Jonnie Preston	Martti Nelson*
Elvin	Victor Solorzano

CREW

Director	Chad Wise*
Assistant Director Technical Director Lightning and Sound Designer	Allison Schaffer*
House Manager	Summer Snow*
Graphic Artist Light and Sound Board Operator	Stacie Long

*Denotes New Millennium Theatre Company Member

DIRECTOR'S NOTE

MULDER SEEKS SCULLY. Tall, dark, college educated SWM seeks intellectually drop dead gorgeous SF who wants to believe. That was my ad. Like everyone else who ever placed or responded to a personal ad, I had good experiences and I had not so good experiences...and I had downright scary experiences. But above all they were experiences, and I never would have met the people I did had I not thrown caution to the wind and placed my ad. The way I see it, what's life without experiences, good and bad? I, like the characters in PERSONAL was looking for something; that elusive piece of the puzzle that will make life complete and along the way it's these experiences that keep us going, that keep the hope alive. I hope you enjoy the characters and their experiences that we've crafted in PERSONAL. Maybe you'll see a little bit of yourself in them. I know I do.
-Chad Wise