Attendees of the upcoming Chicago SOF Conference, October 12-15, 2017 are being offered not one, but two, very different theatrical events. Conference goers may attend a major new production of Taming of the Shrew at Chicago’s leading Shakespeare company, the Chicago Shakespeare Theater. And Robin Phillips will present O Mistress Mine: The Secrets, Lies, Loves & Wives of Edward de Vere, the REAL Shake-speare!!, her new one-woman show about Edward de Vere, at the conference.
The Shrew production is a paid option for conference goers, with tickets available for $58 each (that’s a $20 discount from the regular price). The performance will be Friday night, October 13th at 7:30pm. O Mistress Mine is being offered free as a video/live presentation by its creator, Robin Phillips, who will be presenting it from 5 to 7 on Saturday, the 14th. Reservations are necessary for Shrew. O Mistress Mine will be part of the regular conference program.
Robin Phillips in O Mistress Mine
For those not familiar with Robin Phillips, she is an actress and an Oxfordian and a member of SOF. She has performed her new play most recently in Washington, DC, where it garnered a great deal of positive attention. Robin will be available after the showing to answer questions about the script and her work on it. No additional reservation is required for conference attendees to see this premiere showing of the video/live presentation.
The Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Taming of the Shrew Set in Suffragette Era
After New York, Chicago is probably the most active theater city in the United States, and one of its most prestigious theaters is the Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier. Operating since 1986, CST is staging during the upcoming SOF conference a shape-shifting new production of Taming of the Shrew at Navy Pier, a short walk from both our hotel and the Loyola Corboy Law Center, where the conference is taking place.
In this new, all-female production, the company’s Artistic Director, Barbara Gaines, re-examines Shrew by setting it in 1919, on the eve of the passing of the 19th Amendment, which recognized women’s right to vote. In this version, the play is being done by a band of Suffragettes. Framed with additional text by Ron West, a long-time performer and writer at Chicago’s Second City, this new interpretation looks at men through the eyes of women, exploring both sexual politics and power as well as human rights and the nature of love.
Reserve Your Tickets Now!
To reserve seats for Taming of the Shrew, please go to the SOF website as soon as possible. You can pay using the Paypal button, which also allows you to charge by using your credit card.
Please note: we are holding only 75 seats, and we expect them to go fairly quickly. We may be able to add additional seats if necessary, but we cannot guarantee it. Any seats not purchased by September 30 will be returned to the theater. So, please book as soon as you can.
Barbara Gaines is both the founder and artistic director of the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, where she has directed most of Shakespeare’s plays (some several times). She was the winner of a 2008 Tony Award for her work with CST.
You can reserve your tickets for Taming of the Shrew HERE.
You can register for the conference HERE. (Register by Aug. 31 to get the EarlyBird Discount!)
We hope to see you in Chicago in October!
[posted July 5, 2017]
