The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow
Instant Message with Excitable Music
Written By Rolin Jones
Directed By Cecilie Keenan
April 12-July 01, 2007
Thursday- Saturday at 8 pm; Sundays at 2 pm
at The ChicagoCenter for The Performing Arts
WestTown Studio//N. Green St
$30 General Admission
$22 for students with ID
$15 Industry Nights Thursdays and Sundays with headshot, resume or business card
Tickets can be purchased via telephone by calling 312.733.6000 or CLICK HERE
Immediately embraced upon its Chicago opening by audiences and critics alike, this hilarious and heartfelt new play centers on 22-year-old Jennifer Marcus, an obsessive-compulsive agoraphobic young woman with a
genius-level IQ and a remarkable love of technology. She spends her entire life in her bedroom, in front of her computer screen, with only her adoptive parents, her online friends, and an occasional visit from the pizza guy for company. In a quest to learn more about her biological parents, she builds a fully functioning robotic replica of herself, “Jenny Chow,” who helps Jennifer make the “virtual” connections she needs to discover her Chinese birth mother and eventually her own sense of self.
The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow was greeted by unanimous critical accolades upon its opening
in March 2007 at Chicago Dramatists. Hedy Weiss of the Chicago Sun-Times raved, “Brilliant on all counts. The show, now in its Midwest debut in a Collaboraction production that might well be the best work this company has done in all of its own intelligently designed 11 years, is supremely winning from start to finish.” Chris Jones, of the Chicago Tribune, called the production “A must see. A fabulous little Collaboraction show… this hip, smart and insightful play roars to life.”
“The response to this production has been simply overwhelming,” said Moseley. “It has been both thrilling and profoundly gratifying to see how audiences have been moved by Rolin Jones’ richly multifaceted
and fascinating contemporary themes and dialogue. Cecile Keenan’s passionate direction, the stellar
cast and Collaboraction’s mad scientist design team have come together perfectly for this production.”
The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow
Written by Rolin Jones and Directed by Cecilie Keenan
CLICK HERE
WATCH BackStage: The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow
A short film created by Ian Forester
CLICK HERE
Playwright, Rolin Jones’ The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow was a finalist for the 2006 Pulitzer Prize in Drama. It received the 2006 Obie Award for Excellence in Playwriting, the Elizabeth Osborne Award for an Emerging Artist (American Theatre Critic’s Association) and OC Weekly's 2004 “Best New Play” Award. enny Chow has previously been produced at South Coast Repertory (world premiere), Yale Repertory and Atlantic Theater Company, among others. His full-length play, The Jammer, received a Fringe First Award for Best New Writing at 2004's Edinburgh Fringe Festival and was also produced at the 2004 New York International Fringe Festival. His ten-minute play, Sovereignty, was produced at the Actor's Theater of Louisville's 2006 Humana Festival. He has been commissioned by South Coast Repertory, was one of four Americans in London and was an NEA/TCG playwright-in-residence at Yale Repertory Theatre. Currentlywriting on his second season for Showtime's award-winning series, Weeds, Jones graduated from the Yale School of Drama in 2004.
Director, Cecilie D. Keenan most recently directed Another Part of the House for Teatro Vista,
Sextet for Eclipse Theater and Living Out for Teatro Vista/ATC. Currently she is resident director for Teatro
Vista and their development consultant. She has been a frequent director at ATC where she was a company member some years ago and directed Toys in the Attic and Bus Stop. Keenan also directs in Minneapolis for Theater Mu where she directed 99 Histories and Falling Flowers. Other recent work includes adapting the novel The Messenger by Mayra Montero for Teatro Vista, presented at the International Latino Festival at Goodman Theater. She has worked on staff with many theaters in Chicago including serving as producing director at Chicago's Apple Tree Theater where she directed Anna Christie,The Birthday Party and Private Eyes and as assistant artistic director for Northlight Theater. At Bailiwick Repertory, she served as Artistic Director and she started the Director’s Festival, 11 Minutes Max, and with David Zak, the Deaf
Artists Program. Keenan has received many awards for directing and ensemble work as well as a TCG Observership to Mexico and several NEA Foundation Grants to develop or produce new plays.
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SPECIAL THANKS
Nick Santillan @ Live/Right Concierge, Christine, Mike and Ryan and ILC, Michael Bencic, Caliope Porter, Duncan Anderson, Chris Whoten, Jacob, Brad and the whole CCPA family, Adam Belcoure, Erica Daniels, Luther Goins, Rolin Jones, Brian Loevner and the Chicago Dramatists, Lookingglass Theatre, Loyola University Chicago, Sarah Moeller, Marney OâReilly and Mike Lill at Northside Prep, Rasa, Techno Source, University of Chicago, Jesse Weinberg, Josh Vendetti.
This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Art Council, a state agency. COLLABORACTION also receives generous support from Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, The Alphawood Foundation, The Lloyd A. Frye Foundations, and the City Arts Assistance Program, Department of Cultural Affairs Artworks Fund.
