We just wanted to give an quick update regarding some plans we have for The WPAP over the coming months.
We do have a brand new layout in the works, it is something we have been wanting for some time and we hope this will make everything on the site easier to find, it’s a big site and very easy to miss sections that are definitely worth checking out . We also have plenty of images to upload to The Gallery, so we will be spreading those out over the next few months.
Flyovers on CD was due to be released yesterday, unfortunately it doesn’t look like Amazon have received their stock yet. Do let us know what you think of it once you receive your copy.
We did receive some feedback from Billy regarding our Victory Gardens Fundraiser, as you all know the theatre means a great deal to him and he thanked everyone for their donations.
Lastly, we have received several emails from concerned fans regarding a profile on Facebook claiming to be Billy, we did check with the Petersens directly over the weekend and they confirmed that Billy does not have a Facebook page, they are also aware of the profile. We hope that clears that issue up.
Enjoy your summers everyone!
Source : Broadway World
Artistic Director Dennis Zacek today announces plans for his retirement from Victory Gardens, after 34 years at its artistic helm. Zacek will continue his tenure through spring 2011, as the board conducts a national search for his successor. He will remain with the company as Artistic Director Emeritus and plans to remain active as an actor, director and board member.
William Peterson comments :
“For almost forty years Dennis Zacek has been at the center of Chicago Theatre. His encouragement, influence and development of Chicago playwrights, actors, directors and designers has been an immense gift to our city. He was my mentor. Without him, I would very likely not have become an actor. Because of him, I have certainly become a better man.”
On March 1st, Victory Gardens held a special evening celebrating the opening of their Richard Christiansen Theater. Photos from the event can be found on the Victory Gardens Flickr page. You can view them all by clicking the image below.
Image copyright - Victory Gardens
As per our tweet yesterday (we do recommend you follow us on Twitter because we usually post news there first) the new Richard Christian Theater at Victory Gardens opened. Billy was at the opening ceremony and gave a speech.
The actor William Petersen followed with an equally moving and self-effacing speech, remarking on how generously Christiansen treated the famous opening-night fiasco of David Mamet’s “Glengarry Glen Ross” when the great Joe Mantegna went up on his lines. Petersen had a similar story to Cleveland’s. Christiansen told him, in print, that he was a great actor. And from that point, he believed it himself.
The full article is available via the Chicago Tribune : Now open for business: The Richard Christiansen Theater
As per our Tweet yesterday, Billy has written a wonderful tribute to Chicago Theater Critic, Richard Christiansen. In our February 5th update we mentioned that Victory Gardens Theater are naming their new theater after the very well respected Mr Christiansen. Below is a snippet, but you can read Billy’s full tribute here.
I’ll never forget his review of In the Belly of the Beast at Wisdom Bridge Theatre in 1983. He wrote in the review that he was so moved he had to “pull over to collect himself”. That review became famous among us actors. When a review would run, we’d ask, “was it a pull-over review”. That play was a powerful. It was a hard piece. The next day I read all the reviews by Glenna Syse, and Rick Kogan and Richard’s. I read Richard’s twice. I was so touched and moved. Richard got it.
