The Chicago Literary Hall of Fame and Working In Concert invite you to the Hyde Park house where Edgar Lee Masters wrote the classic Spoon River Anthology. Three different shows take place in a 2-weekend festival celebrating this iconic work from the 1910s. Let the ghost of Edgar Lee Masters take you on an poetic journey to Spoon River, Illinois!
Spoon River Characters—directed and curated by Iris Lieberman, eight leading lights of Chicago theatre spin a tale of characters from honest, hardworking, chaste, and churchgoing to corrupt bankers, abusive husbands, unfulfilled wives, sexual deviants, and failed dreamers… brought by from the dead byJerry Bailey, Mary Bonnett, Sharon Carlson, John Green (and his guitar), Gary Houston,, Adjora Stephens and Joanie Winter.
Spoon River Classical—song settings by composer Lita Grier and art songs from the period, curated by Carl Ratner, with pianist and music director Dana Brown, sopranos Michelle Areyzaga and Marissa Howard, baritone Carl Ratner, and tenor Seth Johnson with narrator Paul Geiger as Edgar Lee Masters.
Spoon River Cabaret—Jonathan Lewis brings together the songs and the cast of Ruth Fuerst, Claudia Hommel, Daniel Johnson, Jace McCloy, Barbara Smith, David Stephens, and Joanie Winter, with music director Howie Pfeifer to share what the Spoon River folk would have sung had they lived long enough!
CHARACTERS — Fridays, September 13 and 20
CLASSICAL — Saturdays, September 14 and 21
CABARET — Sundays, September 15 and 22
All shows begin at 7 PM and are followed by artist talk-back and reception with light refreshments.
This historic home has several steps and no banister leading to the entrance. Please call in advance for special accommodations. Virtual concert versions will go online from October through December.