FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2009 Emerging Theatre winner side project expands staff with Dan Granata as Managing Director
Hiring of Chicago Theater Database co-founder rounds out upgraded staff, refocuses company’s mission

CHICAGO – In a move that will free up Founding Artistic Director Adam Webster to focus more on Artistic and Literary Direction, the side project theatre company has announced the hiring of Dan Granata as its first Managing Director. In addition to Managing Director duties, Granata will also be in charge of Marketing and Branding for the company. The hiring comes on the heels of promoting Elliott Fredland to Business Manager (from Box Office Manager) and Jeremy Wilson to Company Production Manager, from Production Coordinator. 

An actor who has appeared onstage with companies including the Right Brain Project, New Leaf Theatre, Signal Ensemble, and Raven Theatre, Granata credits "a long, informal apprenticeship" with TimeLine Theatre Company as his start in theatre management. An advocate for online social networking as a platform for building communities, he is a longtime blogger and co-founder of the Chicago Theater Database (at chicagotheaterdb.com).

Webster credits longtime side project collaborator Nick Keenan – who founded the Chicago Theater Database with Granata – for coordinating the recent hire. “When we met with Dan [through Keenan], we realized that his vision of what this company could achieve, especially in light of our recent successes, would raise us to the next level. We are excited to push forward on what should be a prosperous partnership,” Webster said. 

For his part, Granata added, “I couldn't be more excited about the opportunity – I've long admired the company and its unique place in the community. I'm looking forward to working with Adam, Jeremy, Elliott and Nick – and I hope to bring what I've learned from my own projects to really make the side project a hub of activity for Chicago's storefront theatre scene.”

2009-10 and beyond
The theatre, the 2009 recipient of the Broadway in Chicago Emerging Theatre Award, is now in the throes of finalizing its mainstage 2009-10 season, as well as its children’s season, in partnership with Rascal Children’s 
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Theater, and its Visiting Artists Series, where it will host the seasons of Tympanic Theatre, Idle Muse Theatre and The Ruckus Theater Company.

The company will once again partner with Lifeline and Theo Ubique, as well as Raven Theatre, in offering the Rogers Park Flex Pass, wherein passholders can see one show at each of the four theatres in the 2009-10 season for $50. The pass also comes with year-long dining discounts, including 15% off at The Heartland Café, 10% off at Gruppo Di Amici, Ropa, and Moreseland, and a one-time $2 off any order at Charmer’s Café/Dagel & Beli.

Past praise for the side project:
Over the years, the side project has continually garnered accolades, including 5 Jeff Recommended shows, a Jeff Citation, and various Critic’s Picks and similar press designations. Below is a sampling of the last five years:

On On My Parents’ One Hundredth Wedding Anniversary (2008)
“HIGHLY RECOMMENDED … inspired staging… heart-stoppingly beautiful” – Chicago Reader
“RECCOMENDED… provocative… fine acting… worth a look…” – ChicagoCritic.com
“THREE STARS… dazzling language…flitting whimsy …handsomely gaudy…” – TimeOut Chicago 

On Faster (Jeff Recommended; Jeff Citation: Sound Design) (2008)
“HIGHLY RECOMMENDED… Blistering… creepy…gutsy performances …” Chicago Reader
“FOUR STARS…surrealist nihilism… eerily textured…will make your ticker beat faster” – TimeOut
“RECOMMENDED! A powerful artistic achievement…disturbing…edgy…a must see.” – ChicagoCritic.com
“TIP OF THE WEEK! Phenomenal and gut-wrenching…Reminds you why theater matters.”– New City 

On Slipping (2008)
“HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! A triumph…nuanced performances…as good as it gets.” – ChicagoCritic.com
“…exceedingly honest…” – Chicago Tribune
“disturbing…intense and vivid… psychologically intense…painful…disquieting.” SteadStyleChicago.com
“…spot-on... emotional accuracy. Intriguing…intimate…unsettling…” – Windy City Times

On Perfect (Jeff Recommended) (2008)
“thought-provoking and poetic...” – TimeOut Chicago
“intriguing…sardonic…” – Chicago Tribune
“evocative… an uneasy, claustrophobic atmosphere…” – Chicago Reader
“HIGHLY RECOMMENDED … lively…thought-provoking…tender…edgy…brilliant …” – ChicagoCritic

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On Smart (2007)
 “subversive direction … appealing (cast) …  intriguing (script)” – TimeOut Chicago
“exceptionally detailed performances… emotions that feel universal…” – Chicago Tribune
“Recommended! Terrific cast and strong direction…engaging…” – ChicagoCritic.com

On New Orleans (2006)
One of the Top Five Fringe Shows of 2006 – Chicago Tribune
Spent 4 weeks on TimeOut Chicago’s Don’t Miss list!
“Don't let the small playing space fool you; this ensemble has enormous ambitions” – Chicago Tribune
“FOUR STARS … riveting … engaging… strike(s) a chord.” – TimeOut
“especially funny … draws you in … vividly eviscerating” – Chicago Tribune 
“CRITIC’S CHOICE… quietly despairing performances… well-observed…” – Chicago Reader

On Crave (2005)
“CRITIC'S CHOICE... blistering...unremitting intensity...(like) Steppenwolf doing Sam Shepard.” The Reader
“HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Clockwork-perfect production…rendered with a staggering brilliance” Sun-Times
“DON’T MISS…. An exposed nerve emotional impact…” –  TimeOut Chicago
“a tough…shocker of a show. Astonishingly intense…riveting…” – Chicago Tribune
“CRITIC’S PICK!  mesmerizing…absorbing…flawless…an evening you won’t forget.” – WindyCity Times
“compelling… encompassing and arresting” – Fabrizio Almeida, New City

On Strangers Knocking (2005)
Named by Chris Jones of the Chicago Tribune on his “Top Plays of 2005” list
“RECOMMENDED…powerful…perfectly paced…brief, perfectly structured scenes.” – Chicago Sun-Times
“taut…intense…strikingly resonant…hits home with disarming force… compelling.” – Chicago Tribune
"RECOMMENDED...absorbing...expert sense of timing...the product of great drama." – New City
“Don’t miss! One of the most thoughtful commentaries on love and fear around…” – Windy City Times
"COMPELLING...sophisticated...unexpected depth...raw to the bone..." TimeOut Chicago

On Salome (2005)
“CLEVER … sensual, smart, visually compelling … a real jaw-dropper.” – Chicago Tribune
“RECOMMENDED…emblematic…successful…ambitious.” Sun-Times
“CRITIC’S CHOICE! Clever…” – Chicago Reader

On Maggie: A Girl of the Streets (2004)
Named by the Sun-Times, Windy City Times, PerformInk and GayChicago in their “Best of 2004” lists
“HIGHLY RECOMMENDED… not a single misstep … wonderfully raw and affecting.” – Chicago Sun-Times
“3 ½ STARS…profoundly moving…like a beautiful pencil sketch by a master artist.” – Gay Chicago Magazine
“CRITIC’S PICK…a major achievement…evocative, smart adaptation …Don’t miss it!” – Windy City Times
“CRITIC’S PICK! Recommended…definitely worth seeing…enticing …cleverly staged.” – ChicagoCritic.com

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