Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) will be presenting An Evening with Chekhov from Tuesday, Oct. 28 through Friday, Oct. 31 at 7:30 p..m. Two short plays, The Bear and The Proposal, written by Anton Chekhov, adapted by Michael Frayn and directed by Kyle Martin, have been produced for the Studio Series, and are performed in F-109.
The Bear stars Robert Babcock as Luka, Mindy Youroukos as Popova and Michael Wagman as Smirnov. “Mrs. Popova, widow of a landowner, has vowed never to remarry and abjures the company of men forever. Then Smirnov, one of her late husband’s creditors, forces himself into her presence — they seemed groomed for quarreling and they do to the point of…a duel.” (Samuel French, Inc.)
The Proposal stars Miles Smith as Chubukov, Jenn Miller as Natalya and Robert Babcock as Lomov. “The story tells the efforts of a nervous and excitable man who starts to propose to an attractive young woman, but who gets into a tremendous quarrel over a boundary line.” (Samuel French)
Actors’ bios:
Robert Babock was most recently seen on stage as Mark in Thymely Theatre’s production of Taking Steps in the summer of 2008. A favorite past role is Cassio from Othello.
Mindy Youroukos is a graduate of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale with a Bachelors Degree in the Liberal Arts. This is her first production at NEIU, but has been seen as Lucy in Dracula, Regan in King Lear, Queen Gertrude in Hamlet, The Three Weird Sisters in Macbeth, Sappho in Sappho and has also performed in the Vagina Monologues. She has also done a few music videos and independent films, including one that is currently on the indie film circuit, The Art of Pain, which has won numerous awards and credits.
Michael Wagman was born and raised in St. Petersburg, Florida. He has a BFA in Playwriting from the Theatre School at DePaul University where he wrote the play Dracula: The Return of Harker and the short screenplay Super Jew!. His acting credits include a Loyal Hunsman in Hippolytus at The Athens Center, and was an Ensemble Player in Jimmy Langa’s Anybody Ordinary? at DePaul Theatre School.
Miles Smith is a 21-year-old musician-turned-actor with several good years of theatre under his belt. Until recently he lived in Traverse City, Michigan, a small city in the state’s lower peninsula. He now lives in the city of Chicago and attends NEIU majoring in English.
Jenn Miller, a chicago native, is making her Stage Center debut. She completed her Theatre Bachelor’s Degree at Huntington University in Huntington, Indiana. Favorite roles at HU included Marmee in Little Women, the Musical, Ronnette in Little Shop of Horrors, and Sonia in Godspell Tour 2006. She has worked professionally as Tour Actor/Director with Missoula Children’s Theatre as Mrs. Merman/Starfish/Professor in The Little Mermaid.