Founded in 2018 by Denise Hoeflich and Ted James, Compass Theatre was created with the goal to optimize professional performance and leadership opportunities for the diverse array of array of artists in Chicago.
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OUR VISION
By remaining non-ensemble based, Compass Theatre maximizes casting opportunities for Chicago based actors to work in a Professional Equity Setting.
Compass Theatre aims to launch or further careers in artistic leadership for the diverse community of artists in Chicago. We accomplish this by offering artistic leadership positions at Compass with designated term limits. Those who serve as artistic leaders at Compass gain invaluable collaborative working skills including season planning, fiscal responsibility and working with a Board of Directors at a Professional Equity Theatre. Those persons then take these skills and experiences and expand their careers, perhaps opening doors that were previously closed.
We are committed to only performing in smaller venues. This allows us to focus on its goal to optimize opportunities for others rather than growing for its own namesake.
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Compass Theatre is committed to the standards and practices of Not In Our House. Learn more by visiting their website.
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Wellesley Girl
By Brendan Pulse
A Chicago premiere
Directed by James Fleming
In this bizarrely prescient play, America has been quarantined inside a walled citadel that was previously Wellesley College. Humans and AI disagree, as the country contemplates what to do next. An army has shown up at the border. They've come from Texas and claim to be the real America.
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(This play about America being be divided from a brutal pandemic was delayed due to a brutal pandemic.)
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Wellesley Girl held its world premiere as part of the Humana Festival of New American Plays at Actors Theatre of Louisville. ​
Cast
Marie - Allyce Torres
Max - Brandon Boler
Garth - Denise Hoeflich*
Hank - Ted James*
Scott - Tod Wojcik
RJ - Darren Jones
Donna - Deanna Reed-Foster*
Mick - Grant Lewis
Donny - Noah Villarreal
​U/S Max - Faiz Siddique
U/S Scott - Thomas Tong
U/S RJ - Eric Roberts
U/S Garth - Caroline Kidwell
U/S Hank - John dooley
U/S Donna - Noelle Klyce
U/S Marie - Maria Clara Ospina​
*Member of Actors' Equity Association, a Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers.
Production Team
Director - James Fleming
Technical Director - Evan Sposato
Stage Manager - Caitlin Body*
Costume Design - Rachel Sypniewski
Scenic Design - Sotirios Livaditis
Lighting Design - Cat Davis
Sound Design - Stefanie M. Senior
Production Manager - Robert Salazar
Assistant Stage Manager - Sunniva Holmulund
Property Design - Bren Coombs
Associate Director - Isabel Brodsky
Covid Safety Manager - Sunniva Holmulund​​
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In The Press
Wellesley Girl is "one incredibly dystopian piece of political theater"
Wellesley Girl is "a sharp 90 plus minutes of seeing what could happen to our world” ... "an interesting work that will have you thinking about where we are today and what we might do to make sure we head in the right direction.”
Interviews
Background photo by Joe Mazza from the Compass Theatre production of Wellesley Girl