The Dastardly Ficus is Back and on the Attack in 2009

Greetings and Salutations Folks,

My it's cold outside. Don't you think? Let this news warm your heart.

We're getting ready for a remount our first ever Strange Tree production:

(Trumpets Sound)

The Dastardly Ficus and Other Comedic Tales of Woe and Misery

written by Emily Schwartz
directed by Amanda Berg Wilson
Featuring:
Carol Enoch
Nancy Friedrich
and Scott Cupper


Yes, folks. It's back! For all you new strange tree friends and fans we wanted to dig our roots out of the dirt, brush them off and put them on stage. This is the play that started it all. The strangeness. The cobwebs. The lantern lights. The Chair forts. The Cat Funerals. And The most evil of potted plants. Produced at the Bizarrely beautiful Chopin Theatre, Ficus will open just after valentine's day (so you can bring your sweet heart!) February 18th. Chopin Theatre. We'll be waiting for you!

The Mysterious Elephant is The Best of 2008!

Hello Comrades!

Well, here we are together again and a new new year has begun. We at Strange Tree want to thank you for all of your love and support over the past 5 years. Things are getting bigger and better all the time and we look to 2009 with much joy and anticipation!

2008 was another great year for the Trees. Our Company Playwright, Ms. Emily Schwartz, picked up a Best Playwright of 2008 nod from the kind folks at the Chicago Reader and our jolly production of The Mysterious Elephant and the Terrible Tragedy of the Unlikely Addington Twins (Who Kill Him) was just selected by the Chicago Tribune as one of the Top 5 Fringe Shows of the year. (That's 3 years in a row, dear friends! Huzzah!) The Windy City Times end of year just recognized Mysterious Elephant as a Theatrical Highlight of 2008 and Kris Vire listed the Elephant in Performink as one of his top four productions of the year. There were beautiful reviews, wonderful articles, heartwarming parties, and surprising spectacles that we were so thankful to be able to share with all of you. To be able to create such happy memories and moments is a lucky thing. And we are indeed a very lucky group.

Keep your ears to the ground for information about our upcoming production of:
The Dastardly Ficus and Other Comedic Tales of Woe and Misery
Written by Emily Schwartz
Directed by Amanda Berg Wilson

(The team that brought Cowboy Birthday Party to Collaboraction's Sketchbook at the Steppenwolf Garage)

This is the show that started it all, folks. In celebration of our 5 year anniversary we're bringing the Ficus to the Chopin Theatre opening on February 19th 2009. So, if you missed out way back in 2004 or you have fondest memories of those devious Derbyshire sisters and can't wait to see them again, you're in luck! After this short run we'll be tucking this special show back into the stg vault and locking it away for many years to come. If you love to escape into theatre, if you love severed heads and cat funerals, if you love lemon pound cake, if you hate the month of February and are looking for something truly devious to take your mind off of the cold gray days...plan on making a date with the Ficus.

Below are links to articles that praise the work of the Trees in 2008.

Thank you everyone who has mentioned us, attended a show, worked on a piece, donated their time, and come out to give support. This is a special thing, this. And we cannot express how much we appreciate being able to share it with you.

Very Humbly,

Los Trees

http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/arts/chi-best-2008-fringe-1226dec26,0,6319129.story
http://windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=20146
http://www.performink.com/12.19.08/_html/Critics_Vire.htm
http://www.fromtheledge.com/theater/ten-indelible-memories#more-317
http://www.timeout.com/chicago/articles/theater/31251/deadpans-labyrinth
http://robkozlowski.blogspot.com/2008/06/mysterious-elephant-and-terrible.html