This weekend, see Reader-recommended “Sweet Confinement” and support NoStigmas, a Chicago-based nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness and erasing the stigmas of suicide and mental illness by sharing stories of hope and inspiration from those touched by suicide and mental illness and educating the general public about mental health issues.

It’s SiNNERS Care weekend!  Come see SiNNERMAN’s critically acclaimed “Sweet Confinement” on Dec. 2 or 3 (both shows beginning at 7:30 p.m.) and 25 percent of the ticket price will go straight to this great organization. Afterward, join us for a talkback concerning some of the issues brought up in the show with the cast of “Sweet Confinement” and NoStigmas founder Jacob Moore.

Click here to buy tickets to the NoStigmas benefit shows or any of the other eight — yes, only eight! — performances of the show’s run that remain.

Meanwhile, the show received one more fantastic rave of a review from the blog Eric & Andy’s Reviews You Can Iews to throw on the heap of critical praise the production has already received.

As John Moran wrote in his review of the show, which he gave an A+: “The acting is only augmented by the clean white tile of the bathroom set, created by John Ross Wilson … Brea Hayes has the relationships between characters, past and present, perfectly clear and relatable to any audience. Carini also captures the dramatic weight of the situation, but also peppers the scenario with timely humor. If you enjoy a keyhole view into someone’s world, be sure to check out this show.”

Tickets are still available for the 12 remaining performances of the show’s run both online by clicking here or by calling 773-296-6024. For those of you in the industry, performance will take place Monday, Nov. 28 at 7:30 p.m. Please bring evidence (headshot, business card) of your industry status (industriousness?) to qualify for the special $12 reduced-price admission.

Writes Justin Hayford of the Chicago Reader in his rave: “It’s a condensed, grotesque variation on Chekhov, and Carini’s astute orchestration of telling behaviors renders it pathetic, absurd, and harrowing. The restrained performances that director Brea Hayes gets from her stellar Sinnerman Ensemble cast make Amy’s ultimate breakdown—played with horrifying intensity by Cyd Blakewell—seem all the more volcanic. … [T]heater doesn’t get much better than this.“

Nina Metz of the Chicago Tribune wrote in her three-star review: “Ultimately, Sweet Confinement is worth seeing for the quality of Cyd Blakewell’s turn as Amy, who is the kind of mild-mannered woman who keeps it together until she doesn’t. But her breakdown doesn’t take the usual path. Blakewell lets it build gradually without snacking on the scenery along the way. The character isn’t meant to be a drama queen, and Blakewell’s understated approach suggests there’s more going on with this woman than meets the eye.”

Writes Kris Vire of Time Out Chicago in his three-star review: “Playing out over the course of a single, ultra-tense day, Sweet Confinement deftly depicts the fluid loyalties and giddy gallows humor that can be triggered by tragedy. … Carini displays skillful plotting, parcelling out the reveals of the friends’ histories carefully and organically. … John Wilson’s sharply detailed set provides a vivid backdrop.”

According to Lawrence Bommer of Chicago Theater Beat in his four-star review: “Pulling against the occasionally elegiac style of the valedictory dialogue are the actual activities that people undergo after a crisis or a crime. This essentially human urge to put things right brings decency and depth to this one-act amply reinforced by Hayes’ perfect casting, tonal control and committed cast.“

Neal Ryan Shaw of NewCity Stage wrote in his review that the show is “something of a sentimental juggernaut. … [t]he production features superb acting from the entire cast, in particular Blakewell, who derive convincing action even from the play’s talkier moments. The broken shower rod might serve as a metaphor for the show as a whole; if only our bigger life problems were solved by a trip to Target.”

Officially opening Thursday, Anna Carini’s 2008 play follows a group of five young adults brought together in an unexpected and complicated reunion after Amy (Cyd Blakewell)’s husband William attempts suicide in an outrageous effort to win her back. With hilarity and heartbreak, Amy’s friends and brother try to cheer her up and help clean up the mess.

In its original production in 2008, this script received raves and was recognized with several After Dark Awards. In this re-imagined production, directed by Brea Hayes, SiNNERMAN Ensemble hopes to inspire audiences once again.

The show has been selected as this week’s spotlight pick in the Windy City Times.

“It’s a family drama about blood family, as well as about family who aren’t blood-related,” Carini explained this week. “You’re going to see people who love each other and care about each other trying to help each other deal with life and the crises that come up.”

The show’s featured cast also include the playwright Anna Carini (Ginger), Howie Johnson (Caleb), Amelia Lorenz (Amy/Ginger US), Keith Neagle (Josh), Calliope Porter (Amelia), Gavin Robinson (Josh/Caleb US) and AJ Ware (Amelia US).

Tickets are on sale for this gripping production either online or by calling 773-296-6024.

And for those of you into getting a little something extra out of life, be sure to check out the ensemble’s cheese and chat opening gala this Saturday, Nov. 19 (7:30 p.m.). Your $30 admission to Saturday’s show includes s a post-show discussion and reception with the director and cast (plus cheese and crackers, naturally).

“Sweet Confinement” opens Thursday, Nov. 17 and runs through Saturday, Dec. 17 at the Viaduct. Call 773-296-6024 or click here for tickets and more information.

Playwright, actor and SiNNERMAN co-artistic director Anna Carini.

How is the show’s rehearsal production coming along, Anna?
It’s going great. We are chugging along and everybody is really pleased with how things are coming along. I’m especially excited to see the set and other technical aspects coming together because that is not my strong suit, so I personally really enjoy watching those aspects of the show really bring the play to life.

How has the process of this production compared with the process for the previous production of the script in 2008? I understand the cast — which includes you this time around — is almost entirely new, the production team is quite different and the script has also been revised significantly.
The process has been completely different on many levels. The most different thing for me is that the first time around I was just a playwright sitting on the outside looking in and was still really working on the script, making a lot of changes depending on what worked when the scenes were being worked on. This time, I made a lot of changes before we went into rehearsal and I feel like I’ve fleshed out the characters more, especially the girls and especially Amy. She feels like a stronger, more well-rounded character to me than the first time around.

It’s also a completely different experience being on the inside this time, being in the cast. It’s really fun and a little trippy too. But the entire look and feel of the show is completely different. There’s only one original cast member in the production and one of the cast members never even saw the first production of it. As a playwright, one of the most fun things has been to create these characters and see the cast bring them to life with their own talent. I recently almost missed one of my entrances because I was so caught up in watching the story happening on stage.

That sounds like a good thing, so long as it doesn’t happen in front of an audience. But seriously, as the playwright of this work, a cast member and a co-artistic director of the ensemble, is it overwhelming to have all of those different priorities in the back of your head?
It has been overwhelming and in fact, like I said, a little bit trippy. I have had a couple moments in rehearsals where we all laughed and Brea [Hayes, director] would ask me, “Anna, do I have to remind you? You wrote this play.” I felt like I didn’t understand Ginger [Carini's character] until I started attacking her role. She was the character that I understood the least. But that was pretty grounding and funny. It’s been a great challenge and one that I’m really enjoying.

The production feels very personal in a lot of ways. What originally inspired you to write it?
The first draft was written in 2006, which was a while ago and I was at a different place in my life then. It was the first play I ever wrote. I had never written anything before, though writing was always something I loved and did a lot in college, through technical writing and editing because I majored in journalism and public relations. I just got to a point where I wanted another creative outlet.

"Sweet Confinement" cast members Howie Johnson, Cyd Blakewell and Keith Neagle.

At the time, I wasn’t getting a lot of acting work. I was getting frustrated I felt like I had no control over my career and life. I also had a bit of free time so I started writing it then. I wanted to write something that had a lot of strong female characters, women who were not just the girlfriend or just the wife or just the prostitute. There’s a lot of really great plays written by men with women in them but I don’t see the kind of roles I want to play on stage all that often. I tried to make it an all-female play at first, but that didn’t work — I realized I needed the tension of some males in there too, and it’s been great especially with the guys that are in the cast. I love what Keith [Neagle, as Josh] and Howie [Johnson, as Caleb] are doing.

Were there any particular other playwrights or even filmmakers that you feel inspired how you approached writing “Sweet Confinement”? Or would you say you derived more inspiration from your own life and experiences?
I think it came more from my own life than anything, though I’m hesitant to say that because I don’t want to say that it’s anything that happened directly to me. The opening night after the first production, people came up to me and said things like, “Wow, it sounds like you’ve had a crazy life, what’s your relationship to suicide?” For the record, I’ve never known anyone who has committed suicide, but I went with the idea and let my imagination take me from there.

The relationships in the play were somewhat based on personal experience. I like family dramas and comedies and seeing stories about family dynamics. The brother-sister relationship that is central in this production is not something that I see represented that often either, even in movies.

The play, besides exploring blood family relationships, such as that bond between a brother and a sister, also showcases “chosen” family relationships. Why was that important to you to include?

"Sweet Confinement" director Brea Hayes joins Calliope Porter, Cyd Blakewell, Keith Neagle, Anna Carini and Howie Johnson.

I think that’s again something that came from where I was in my life in my mid-20s, when I was writing this play. I think that’s something that’s happened with my generation, where more and more of us move away from home, especially artists. We go out and look for something else that’s not often near our blood families. And we’re starting our own blood families later and later. My mom always tells me that “life is relational” and that that’s the bottom line, and I agree with that. The people you’re spending all your time with are the people you’re leaning on emotionally and creating those bonds with like they’re your own family.

That’s something that’s been a strong theme in my own life, which I’m very blessed and grateful for. The other people in SiNNERMAN are that for me, so it’s great to do a play about that with those same people.

Speaking of the ensemble, I know this is a time of transition for SiNNERMAN, as some folks have left for new cities and other endeavors, others have joined, and it’s the company’s fifth anniversary season. Tell me about the significance of the ensemble presenting this show at this point of time for the company. What do you all hope to accomplish with this production?
It is kind of bittersweet. We’re definitely in a time of change now, as some people have moved to L.A. and gone different ways. When we were trying to decide our season, we were trying to come up with something that would best showcase our ensemble and that the whole theatre company could get behind. We were all sitting around one day and someone — Cyd [Blakewell] — mentioned “Sweet Confinement.” We had continually talked about producing it again ever since we first did it, but it hasn’t felt like the right time until all of a sudden here we were at that right time. It felt very much like something we had ownership over during this time of change.

I’m hoping we can bring a beautiful story to life. It’s one that we’ve told before, together as a group, and we just felt it would be another great bonding experience as an ensemble to tell it again. We had a pretty good reception for it the first time, so I’m hoping that people will be moved by it again.

Anything else you want to tell people that they can expect from the production?
It’s a family drama about blood family, as well as about family who aren’t blood-related. It’s a very realistic play written in real time, and the audience will watch it all play out as it plays out in real time in these characters’ lives. You’re going to see people who love each other and care about each other trying to help each other deal with life and the crises that come up.

I know that’s kind of vague, but that’s the way life is. We run up against things that are difficult to deal with and we turn to the people we love to deal with it. In seeing “Sweet Confinement,” the audience will watch a group of people enjoying each other while laughing together, hurting together, loving together and, hopefully, healing together.

Keith Neagle, Cyd Blakewell, Anna Carini and Calliope Porter in "Sweet Confinement."

 
All photos by Ben Chandler.

Now, as you can imagine, theatre is not cheap to produce. All of those pretty costumes, lights, scenery and, yes, even the programs, posters and space rental add up to a pretty penny. With the hopes of making the ensemble’s production as strong as it possibly can be, SiNNERMAN has unleashed a Kickstarter campaign upon the world.

Thanks to a metric ton of support from friends, colleagues and strangers, in just under a week the ensemble has received pledges getting them about halfway to their $2,850 goal. And now, with just over one more week to go, they need your help to make it the rest of the way there. In return, you can receive souvenirs from the set, tickets to the show, official SiNNERMAN gear or, if you’re especially generous, lunch at Morton’s the Steakhouse with two ensemble members.

Click here to check out the ensemble’s Kickstarter page and enjoy a sneak preview of their latest production below.

And, good news for you early birds out there, the show’s pre-sale tickets are available for only $12 — a considerable discount from the show’s regular $20 price tag. Get them while they’re hot (and cheap)!

Click here to purchase tickets to the show date (or dates!) of your choice.

Also, in line with their ensemble’s mission, SiNNERMAN is also happy to announce the production’s charity partnership with NoStigmas, a phenomenal Chicago-based grassroots project dedicated to raising awareness and erasing the stigmas of suicide and mental illness by collecting and sharing stories of hope and inspiration. A portion of the ensemble’s proceeds will benefit NoStigmas’ work in the community.

Directed by Brea Hayes, the show’s monthlong run begins Thursday, Nov. 17 at the Viaduct Theatre. Featured among the cast are four SiNNERMAN ensemble members — Cyd Blakewell, Howie Johnson, Calliope Porter and, the playwright herself, Carini. Keith Neagle, as well as understudies Amelia Lorenz, Gavin Robinson and AJ Ware round out the production’s cast.

On the production side, costumes for Sweet Confinement will be designed by SiNNERMAN ensemble member and co-artistic director Stefin Steberl. Tim Schoen is designing the production’s lighting, while John Wilson is taking on the set design. Also on board are: Darcy McGill (assistant director), Bill Paton (production manager), Tara Malpass (stage manager), Amanda Rozmiarek (technical director), Jon Cohen (dramaturg) and Joe Razza (graphic designer).

Sweet Confinement, which was recognized with four After Dark Award wins when SiNNERMAN originally produced it in 2008, tells the evocative story of five young adults brought together in an unexpected reunion in a bathroom, as they cope with an unexpected crisis. An ensemble favorite, the production represents a homecoming of sorts for SiNNERMAN.

Click here for more details on performance dates and ticket sales, in addition to other production information.

All pre-production photos by Ben Chandler, the production’s photographer.

In the weeks since SiNFest, SiNNERMAN has been hard at work on Sweet Confinement, your guaranteed* favorite play that you have yet to see. The cast and crew have been chosen, design renderings have been presented and rehearsals are very much underway.

Sweet Confinement opens its monthlong run Thursday, Nov. 17 at the Viaduct Theatre and — this is where you come in, folks — we would love for you to come and see it. And then we’ll want you to tell everyone you know about it.

Still not quite enticed? Click here to see what we have in store for you, Chicago, and stay tuned to this website for more updates and sneak peeks into the creative process of turning one of our favorite plays into a magical, before-your-very-eyes reality.

Photo by Ben Chandler.

*What do we look like, a big box electronics store? While we can’t officially guarantee Sweet Confinement will be your new favorite play, our limited research to date suggests our odds aren’t too shabby.

First, let’s get some details out of the way: The party is Sunday, Sept. 4 at The Den, 1333 N. Milwaukee Ave. (2nd Floor) in Chicago. Things get underway at 7 p.m.

What things, you ask? First, there’s a packed musical lineup: Sad Brad Smith will kick off the night with some jams you might recognize from the Up in the Air soundtrack. Next, a SinFest favorite, Jon Drake & the Shakes, will take to the stage, followed by Dick Wolf. DJ Josie Bush and friends will provide the jams (new wave, soul, pop tarts) before, between and after.

And then there’s the raffle and silent auction, which offers up your chance to win prizes including an Ernie Banks-signed baseball, great tickets to the Chicago Cubs and the Milwaukee Brewers, tickets to see Erasure’s reunion show at Congress Theater, a HARK Designs purse, a vintage record player, gift certificates to restaurants (Morton’s the Steakhouse, Lettuce Entertain You), theatre shows and more.

Finally, did we mention the free booze and food? Our sponsors here include Chipotle, Goose Island. Beer and wine will be complimentary until midnight, with some boozy shots available as well.

Admission costs $25– or $20 if you buy your ticket in advance from Eventbrite. Proceeds from all ticket sales help make SiNNERMAN’s theatrical dreams come true.

Photo by Ben Chandler, who will also be offering up his mad photobooth photo-takin’ skills all night long.

Other sponsors of SinFest include Bumped.in, Benjamin Porter Panoramics, Brown Elephant and Do312.com.

Since we produced Too Much Memory last fall, we’ve brought on a number of new SiNNERS, announced our new season and are planning quite the Labor Day weekend party as well.