Theatre authority Rikki Lee Travolta lends his endorsement and support as he profiles The Gurnee Theatre Company in the September 2002 issue of The Lowdown.

Published September, 2002 in The Lowdown

By Rikki Lee Travolta

The Goodman, Steppenwolf, and Second City have made the city of Chicago famous around the world for quality theatre. That level of excellence has spread to Lake County in the form of The Gurnee Theatre Company.

Beyond the scope of traditional local or community theatre, the Gurnee Theatre Company was founded as a regional theatre targeted at realizing the goal of being recognized as the premier performing arts organization in the area.

For its Fall mainstage production, the company presents George Bernard Shaw’s brilliant satire “The Devil’s Disciple” throughout the month of October. Gurnee Theatre Company has pulled out all the stops in making this production a must-see, recruiting a cast of the area’s top actors under the talented leadership of the company’s artistic director Mark Heller.

“The idea of theatre is to let people forget where they are for a few hours and get lost in a story. The only way to do that is to have the very best actors, costumers, designers, directors, and scripts,” says Heller. “People really appreciate good plays done well.”

Heller has earned a reputation as one of the Midwest’s top artistic minds over the past 25 years, adding his distinct style as the Artistic Director of the respected Bowen Park Theatre Company of Waukegan throughout the 1990’s including heralded stagings of “Marty,” “The Front Page,” “What the Butler Saw,” and “True West.” A name synonymous with creativity and dramatic flair, Heller is well known for his directorial work with such other companies as Barat College (home of the annual Equity Shakespeare on the Green program), PM&L Theatre of Antioch, Deerfield Stagers, Highland Park Players, Potawatomi Theatre Company at the Genesseee Theater, and the Waukegan Community Players.

“The Devil’s Disciple” should be a familiar title, bound to attract more than the typical theatergoer. In 1959 the story of a roughish black-sheep son who gets caught up in the War of Independence via mistaken identity was made into a classic film starring the prototype of all men’s men: Kirk Douglas, the everyday hero: Burt Lancaster, and the consummate actor: Sir Laurence Olivier. More recently, Patrick Stewart of “Star Trek The Next Generation” and “X-Men” fame brought the play to television audiences to rave reviews.

“The action just leaps off the page,” says Heller with enthusiastic praise of the play. “It’s a great plot that reads very modern and it moves very quickly. It’s very fun and everything has a purpose, there’s no extraneous dialogue.”

In the revolutionary war comedy, the swashbuckling hero has labeled himself the devil’s disciple not for any satanic allegiances, but simply to get a stir out of the religious hypocrites surrounding him. When he is mistaken for not only a rebel, but a Reverend rebel at that, the black-sheep accepts his misprescribed death sentence as an example of the true type of hero it will take to make America a nation of free men. It’s a story any modern patriot will be proud to watch.

“The play works in a variety of ways,” explains Heller. “It’s inherently dramatic, but it’s also a silly show with serious undertones. The main thing is that it is really entertaining. It makes people happy. It’s very special.”

The Gurnee Theatre Company was founded in 2001 by Heller and Managing Director Doug McDade. Complementing Heller’s stellar resume of directorial accomplishments, McDade brings with him multiple Joseph Jefferson theatrical awards committee acknowledgements; work with Emmy-winning actor Kelsey Grammer and Oscar-winner David Mammet; membership in the award-winning Shattered Globe Theatre Company in Chicago, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, and Screen Actors Guild; past affiliation with Actors Equity; and private study under Sir Geoffrey Connor of The National Theatre of Great Britain and tutelage at the London Shakespeare Studio.

Fans of Drew Carey’s “Whose Line is it, Anyway” will also enjoy Gurnee Theatre Company’s interactive improv troupe Pop’s Players that lets the audience help craft sketch comedies such as “Unlikely Superheroes” and “Death in a Minute” while enjoying complimentary food and beverages from a popular Gurnee Mills eatery. For a schedule of improv events call (847) 623-7788, ext. 4910.

“The Devil’s Disciple” by George Bernard Shaw is presented Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8:00 PM and Sundays at 3:00 PM throughout October at the Gurnee Theatre Company, located in the Gurnee Mills Mall (at the intersection of I-94 and Grand Avenue in Gurneee, Use entry door “B”). Student, senior, and military discounts are available. Group rates are available. For ticket reservations call (847) 775-1950.