Jailbait

Profiles Theatre opens its 2010-2011 Season with the Midwest Premiere of the acclaimed new play JAILBAIT by Deirdre O’Connor, directed by Artistic Director Joe Jahraus. The production runs September 1 – October 17, 2010, at Profiles Theatre, 4147 N. Broadway. Previews begin August 27, 2010.

Through the course of one dizzying night at a club, JAILBAIT follows the parallel stories of two fifteen-year-old girls, desperate to grow up, and two thirty-something men who are looking to be twenty-one again. High-school sophomores Claire and Emmy make a game of posing as college students in order to meet older men. Brash bachelor Mark thinks a night out with attractive girls will be just what his friend Robert needs to recover from his recent breakup. When this unlikely foursome collides, they discover some surprising and dangerous compatibilities. Smart, funny, and disturbing, JAILBAIT asks the question: When do you really become an adult?

JAILBAIT was developed by Deirdre O’Connor in 2008 as part of the Cherry Lane Theatre’s Mentor Project, with distinguished playwright Michael Weller serving as her mentor. In March 2009, it received its World Premiere as the inaugural production for its newest venue, the Cherry Pit Theatre. O’Connor is a graduate of Columbia University 's MFA Playwriting program where she received the John Golden Playwriting Award.

“We’re very pleased to bring this witty and perceptive new play to Chicago audiences,” says Artistic Director Joe Jahraus. “Deirdre is a wonderfully talented playwright who tells her story naturally and truthfully. It’s a funny, yet painfully real look at teens who desperately wish they could grow up quicker and the regrets of disillusioned adults who long to be young again.”

The cast of JAILBAIT features Profiles’ ensemble member Eric Burgher (Body Awareness, Graceland) as Robert. The cast also includes Rae Gray (Summer People at The Gift Theatre) as Claire, Zoe Levin (Trust at Lookinglass Theatre) as Emmy and Shane Kenyon (The Tallest Man at Artistic Home) as Mark.

The designers are Sotirios Livaditis (set), Jessica Harpenau (lights), Melissa Ng (costumes), and Jeffrey Levin (sound and original music). The assistant director is Sean Kelly and the stage manager is Corey Weinberg.

Deirdre O’Connor was a 2008 Cherry Lane Mentor Project Fellow mentored by Michael Weller in the development of JAILBAIT. In March 2009, it received its World Premiere as the inaugural production for Cherry Lane’s newest venue - the Cherry Pit Theatre. Deirdre’s other plays include ASSISTED LIVING, developed at The Lark Play Development Center where she was a 2008-2009 Lark Playwrights Workshop Fellow, HERO, performed at Naked Angels as part of Armed and Naked in America and THE DEATH OF MAY MCALLISTER at Northeastern University. Other works that premiered with Naked Angels include PENICILLIN, WHITE ANGELS and WEDNESDAY. Her play, THE ATTIC, premiered at St Ann's Warehouse as part of their Labapalooza festival of new plays. Deirdre is a graduate of Hampshire College, and Columbia University 's MFA Playwriting program where she was the recipient of the John Golden Playwriting Award.  She was nominated for an Emmy Award for her writing on “The Electric Company” on PBS. 

Profiles Artistic Director Joe Jahraus is the director of JAILBAIT. Joe most recently directed Profiles’ Midwest Premieres of THE MERCY SEAT by Neil LaBute, GREAT FALLS by Lee Blessing and THE THUGS by Adam Bock. He also directed the Midwest Premieres of Neil LaBute’s IN A DARK DARK HOUSE, SOME GIRL(S) and FAT PIG, for which he received a Jeff Award Nomination for Outstanding Director. Other directing credits for Profiles include the American Premiere of APPLE by Vern Thiessen, the award-winning Midwest Premiere of BLACKBIRD by Adam Rapp, BABYLON GARDENS by Timothy Mason, THE WATER ENGINE and SEXUAL PERVERSITY IN CHICAGO by David Mamet, and the award-winning Midwest Premiere of CARNAL KNOWLEDGE by Jules Fieffer, among others.

The designers are Sotirios Livaditis (set), Jessica Harpenau (lights), Melissa Ng (costumes), and Jeffrey Levin (sound and original music). The assistant director is Sean Kelly and the stage manager is Corey Weinberg.

The cast of JAILBAIT features Profiles ensemble member Eric Burgher as Robert. He was most recently seen as Jared in Profiles' Midwest Premiere of BODY AWARENESS by Annie Baker, and as Sam in Profiles' World Premiere of GRACELAND by Ellen Fairey. Prior to that, Eric appeared in multiple roles in the U.S. Premiere of THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISSOCIA by Anthony Neilson, and as Fletcher in Profiles' first full Chicago production of MEN OF TORTUGA. He also appeared in THIS IS HOW IT GOES by Neil LaBute and "Land of the Dead" as part of Profiles' Midwest Premiere of LaBute shorts, THINGS WE SAID TODAY as well as Carter in the Midwest Premiere of FAT PIG by Neil LaBute. Eric received an After Dark Award for Outstanding Ensemble in "Bench Seat" as part of Profiles' Midwest Premiere of AUTOBAHN. He was seen in THE GLORY OF LIVING, THE RADIANT ABYSS and NOISE. Eric is a graduate of Columbia College, where he is now on the adjunct faculty.

Making their Profiles debuts, the cast also features Rae Gray as Claire, Shane Kenyon as Mark and Zoe Levin as Emmy.

Rae Gray most recently appeared in SUMMER PEOPLE at The Gift Theatre and Drury Lane Oakbrook's MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS, which also traveled to the Gateway Playhouse in NY. Other credits include INHERIT THE WIND at Northlight Theatre, OLIVER and STATE FAIR at the Marriott in Lincolnshire, Teatro Vista’s FREEDOM, NY at Remy Bumppo’s ThinkTank Festival, Ravinia’s SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE starring Patti LuPone and Audra McDonald, WEDDING BAND at Steppenwolf Theatre as well as STATE FAIR and CHRISTMAS STORY at Theatre at the Center. She appeared in two seasons of Goodman Theatre’s A CHRISTMAS CAROL and two seasons of NUMBER THE STARS at Apple Tree Theatre.

Shane Kenyon most recently appeared in MARY’S WEDDING with Rivendell Theatre Ensemble at Theatre On The Lake. His previous credits include, THE TALLEST MAN at Artistic Home, DAYS OF LATE with Sinnerman Ensemble, DEAD MAN’S CELL PHONE, BETRAYAL, and LAST OF THE BOYS at Steppenwolf Theatre, OUR FATHER and SCENES FROM THE BIG PICTURE with Seanachai Theatre, REWIND at the Side Project, EURYDICE at Victory Gardens and THE TEMPEST with First Folio Shakespeare Festival. Shane was also an understudy for DUBLIN CAROL with Steppenwolf Theatre. His Film/TV credits include RIDE ALONG, DOG JACK, and THE KARI FILES.

Zoe Levin previously appeared as Teresa in THE SHALLOW END at Theatre Seven Chicago and the role of Brittany in TRUST at Lookingglass Theatre. Zoe will also be appearing as Brittany in the film version of TRUST, making her film debut. Zoe was a featured soloist in LES MISERABLES at Actors Training Center at the Wilmette Theatre, directed by Janet Louer.

“JAILBAIT is an expertly written, darkly comic cautionary tale about the illusion of intimacy at any age.”

-TimeOut New York

“Playwright Deirdre O'Connor is amazingly good at rendering the tonal pitch and vocal rhythms of overheard dialogue. What gives her work depth is her insistence on exposing the complex motives behind her characters' rash actions.”

-Variety

“JAILBAIT proves to be one of the most enjoyable things I've seen in a long time. Deirdre O'Connor has given us a show that is at once funny, entertaining, intellectual, endearing, and at times heartbreaking.”

-NY Theatre.com