The Wonderful
World of Dissocia

Profiles Theatre continues its 20th Anniversary Season with the U.S. Premiere of the acclaimed new dark comedy THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISSOCIA by Anthony Neilson, directed by Profiles Associate Artistic Director, Darrell W. Cox. The production opens on March 26 and runs through May 10, 2009, at Profiles Theatre, 4147 N. Broadway.

THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISSOCIA is a colorful and exciting off-kilter trip that follows Lisa Jones in search of one lost hour that has tipped the balance of her life. The inhabitants of the wonderful world she finds herself in - Dissocia - are a curious blend of the funny, the friendly and the brutal. This is a hugely original play, both magical and moving, that confirmed Anthony Neilson as one of the major voices in contemporary British theatre.

Profiles’ production will be the American premiere of THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISSOCIA. It received its lauded World Premiere at the Edinburgh International Festival and went on to win every major category at the Critics’ Awards for Theatre in Scotland including Best New Play and Best Production. Mr. Neilson’s award-winning play subsequently played to sold-out houses and wowed audiences and critics alike at the National Theatre of Scotland and at the Royal Court in London.

“THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISSOCIA is one of the most unique, unorthodox and surprising pieces of theatre I have ever read,” says Profiles Associate Artistic Director Darrell W. Cox. “I have long been an admirer of Anthony Neilson's work--a fearless Scotsman, who was at the forefront of the revolutionary British in-yer-face theatre movement in the early '90's. With 'Dissocia', one of his most recent plays, Mr. Neilson is no longer content with expanding the boundaries of experiential theatre. This new work now brings a blast of fresh, emotionally truthful and physically alive theatre to the stage that is truly remarkable. We are honored to be introducing this play to American audiences and promise an experience that will be unlike anything in our twenty year history at Profiles.”

This is the fourth production of Profiles Theatre’s 20th Anniversary Season following their acclaimed productions of GREAT FALLS by Lee Blessing, THE THUGS by Adam Bock and MEN OF TORTUGA by Jason Wells. The final production of the season will be the World premiere of GRACELAND by Ellen Fairey.

Anthony Neilson (playwright) is a writer/director and is currently a Literary Associate for the RSC. His first stage play, WELFARE MY LOVELY was performed at the Traverse Theatre. His second play, NORMAL, performed at The Edinburgh Festival and transferred to the Finborough Arms. PENETRATOR (originally commissioned by Colin Ludlow as a BBC Screenplay) played the Edinburgh Festival '93, transferred to the Finborough and then to the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs in January '94. Further works include THE YEAR OF THE FAMILY (Finborough 1994), HEREDITY (Royal Court) and WHITE TRASH (National Theatre Studio). He directed his play THE CENSOR at the Finborough Theatre in April 1997 which transferred to the Royal Court, Duke of Yorks, had a third run at The Ambassadors and won the Writers Guild Award for Best Fringe Play 1997. Television credits include DEEPER STILL, a 10 minute film for C4 which he wrote and directed, A TERRIBLE COLDNESS (60') for the Granada Crime Story series, BIBLE JOHN an influential episode of “In Suspicious Circumstances”, a commission to write the screenplay for CRACKER (spin-off from Granada series for theatrical release) and a 2 hour Prime Suspect film, also for Granada. His film debut THE DEBT COLLECTOR was released in 1999 and won the Fipresci Award at the Troia International Film Festival in the same year. In 2002 the Theatre Royal Plymouth produced EDWARD GANT'S AMAZING FEATS OF LONELINESS which he also directed. He wrote and directed STITCHING for The Bush/Red Room which played at the Traverse at the Edinburgh Festival, transferred to The Bush and toured England and Scotland afterwards and for which he was nominated Evening Standard Most Promising New Playwright. His third new play in 2002, THE LYING KIND played in the main house, Royal Court. In Sept 2004, his play THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISSOCIA played at the Tron Theatre and Royal Lyceum Edinburgh as part of the Edinburgh International Festival and then at the Theatre Royal, Plymouth. Currently he is working on a television commission for BBC Northern Ireland and is adapting the screen version of THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, to be called USED TO SNOW for Vestry Films/Tartan Video, which he will also direct. Anthony directed the UK premiere of the John Adams opera THE DEATH OF KLINGHOFFER for Edinburgh International Festival/Scottish Opera which won a Herald Angel Award. His most recent productions include GOD IN RUINS (2008), RELOCATED (Royal Court) and THE SÉANCE for NT Connections. He will direct a production of THE DRUNKS for the RSC is 2009 and his play EDWARD GANT will go on national tour with Headlong Theatre.

Profiles’ Associate Artistic Director Darrell W. Cox is the director for THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISSOCIA. Recently, Mr. Cox directed Profiles’ highly praised Midwest premiere of THIS IS HOW IT GOES by Neil LaBute. Prior to that, he directed “Coax” and the titular piece of Profiles’ acclaimed Midwest premiere of THINGS WE SAID TODAY as well as Profiles’ long running hit, AUTOBAHN, both by Mr. Labute. Other directing credits for Profiles include the Midwest Premieres of THE RADIANT ABYSS and WONDER OF THE WORLD. The designers are Thad Hallstein (set), Jessica Harpenau (lights), Ricky Lurie (costumes), Kevin O’Donnell (sound and original music), Allison Daniel (puppet design), and Erik Friedman (musical director). The assistant director is Profiles ensemble member Tyler Gray and the stage manager is Jackie Woodward.

The cast of THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISSOCIA features Profiles’ ensemble member Somer Benson as Lisa. Ms. Benson was most recently seen as Diane in Profiles’ critically acclaimed production of THE THUGS by Adam Bock. She also appeared in “Coax”, one of the plays from Profiles’ evening of Neil LaBute’s short works entitled THINGS WE SAID TODAY. Profiles ensemble members Eric Burgher and Joe Jahraus also appear in multiple roles as citizens of “Dissocia”. Mr. Burgher was last seen as Fletcher in Profiles' first full Chicago production of MEN OF TORTUGA by Jason Wells. Mr. Jahraus was recently seen in the titular play from Profiles’ Midwest premiere of THINGS WE SAID TODAY by Neil LaBute.

Profiles Theatre welcomes back Bob Pries, Jessie Fisher and Barb Stasiw in multiple roles. Mr. Pries returns to Profiles Theatre after appearing as Bart in the Midwest premiere of THE THUGS by Adam Bock earlier this season. Jessie Fisher was last seen as Tyler in SOME GIRL(S) by Neil LaBute during Profiles’ “Season of LaBute” last year. Barb Stasiw was last seen as Karla in the Midwest Premiere of WONDER OF THE WORLD by David Lindsay-Abaire. Making their Profiles’ debuts are Jeremy Lee Cudd and Sarah Loveland. Mr. Cudd was last seen in a new work, ROCK AND ROLL: THE REUNION TOUR at Actors Theatre of Louisville and appeared in TWELFTH NIGHT with City Lit Theatre. Ms. Loveland’s most recent credits include Helen in DESIGN FOR LIVING for First Folio Theatre and a tour of MACBETH and ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL with Montana Shakespeare in the Parks.

“THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISSOCIA is the most outrageous show in Chicago! Like a twisted blend of ‘Alice Through the Looking Glass’ and a Monty Python episode, the disturbed DISSOCIA is a very visceral script that features gutsy and fascinating performances!"

-Chris Jones, CHICAGO TRIBUNE

 

“Recommended! THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISSOCIA is boldly directed by Darrell W. Cox. Somer Benson is extraordinary in a performance of devastating honesty. The whimsy escalates to raunchy horror in what becomes an increasingly insane journey into a bizarre underworld. It is one of the largest, most elaborate productions in Profiles’ history and you will not be disappointed!"

-Hedy Weiss, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

 

"Highly Recommended! Playwright Anthony Neilson gives an interesting experiment in form as he takes us to the land of DISSOCIA, which resembles an extra-lurid Lewis Carroll creation, and then blindsides us with the simple force of real-world emotion. Somer Benson is terrific!”

-Kris Vire, TIMEOUT CHICAGO

 

"In this beguiling and alluring darkly comic fable, director Darrell W. Cox and his resourceful collaborators conjure up Dissocia’s bizarre geography. The cast finds a terrific sense of momentum. It captures the spirit of Chicago store front theater at its most exuberant!"

-Leon Hilton, CHICAGO READER

 

“In Darrell W. Cox’s stunning staging DISSOCIA becomes an enthralling, song-strewn topsy-turvy playland, its delicious dialogue teeming with wordplay and all-skewering satire. Profiles’ captivating staging gives Neilson’s fever dream mass, momentum and a ton of truth!”

-Lawrence Bommer, CHICAGO FREE PRESS

 

“With its dream-like milieu, songs, oddball characters and absurd costumes, this award-winning smash is a first-rate play and the cast is wonderful itself!”

-John Biederman, CENTERSTAGE

 

“Take a hilarious trip into the world of Dissocia. I’ve not seen finer use of Profiles’ intimate space than this whirlwind journey. The energy from the cast was infectious!”

-Tom Williams, CHICAGOCRITIC.COM

 

"The ensemble is extremely talented, and contains an equal ability to surprise. The play offers a one two punch of fast paced lunacy as Profiles lets their freak flag fly high!"

-Andrew Swanson, CHEEKYCHICAGO.COM