The Mary-Arrchie/ISU Connection

You should already know that Chicago's Mary-Arrchie Theatre will be hosting a cadre of ISU students (recent grads and undergrads) when they bring Euripides "Electra" to their stage in July.

Matt Bausone, Caitlin Boho, Terrence Budnik, Kelsey Bunner, Gwen de Veer, Matthew Hallahan, Frank Huber, Keith Jackewicz, Russell Krantz, Emily Nichelson, Paula Nowak, Lauren Pfieffer, Danny Rice, Dustin Rothbart, Kadyn Walther and special guest Bert Matias form the "Electra" ensemble under the direction of Sonja Moser, performing July 6 to 29 at Mary-Arrchie Theatre, 735 W. Sheridan Road in Chicago.

Tickets are now available if you want to reserve your spot.

In addition to tickets, you can also support Mary-Arrchie's 60 Seat Campaign on Indiegogo, as the theater seeks to replace its Angel Island seating. As part of that effort, Mary-Arrchie is looking to raise upwards of $3,000 in order to "purchase 60 brand, new cushion-y audience holders for our 27th season." If you are planning to support ISU's "Electra" venture by going to see the show, it is in your best interests to help them out with their chairs venture. Just thinking of your comfort!

They are also offering "perks" for your donations, like shout-outs on Facebooks, high fives from Mary-Arrchie troupe members, a child's drawing of Artistic Director Richard Cotovsky, and, as the numbers rise, T-shirts, posters, season tickets, and dinner out with Cotovsky.

You can see all the details and contribute right here.

So there's "Electra," and there's the 60 Seat Campaign, which will benefit the ISU actors performing in "Electra," and now we also have a new ISU/Mary-Arrchie connection, as Tori Allen, who just graduated from the ISU School of Theatre, is also doing a Mary-Arrchie performance.

Allen wrote and starred in a one-woman show called "If You Like it Then You Should’a Put Some Gin in It" at ISU as part of its Freestage program in April. That show was directed by another alum, Johnny Oleksinski.

Allen announced today that she and Oleksinski are bringing her "Gin" show to Mary-Arrchie for its annual Abbie Fest, with performances scheduled for August 17, 18 and 19. Abbie Fest, which is a three-day celebration of the anniversary of the Woodstock Music and Art Fair that took place in 1969, is now 24 years old. And Tori Allen and her "Gin" will be part of the festivities.