The Cast
 |
Raymond L. Chapman (Mike) Chicago credit include: In My Father’s
House at Apple Tree
Theatre; The The
Winter’s Tale, The Rover,
A Flea in Her Ear, A
Christmas Carol at the Goodman Theatre; The
Paradise Hotel, The Caucasian Chalk Circle at
Court Theatre; Still Waters at Victory
Gardens Theatre; Nothing Sacred at
Northlight Theatre; Dealer’s Choice at
Shattered Globe Theatre; Henry V at
Shakespeare Project of Chicago; and
Oedipus at The Feltre Center.
Other Credits include: Oregon Shakespeare
Festival, Denver Center Theatre Company,
Actor’s Theatre of Louisville, Utah
Shakespearean Festival, A Contemporary
Theatre-Seattle, Pioneer Theatre Company-Salt Lake City, Arizona Theatre Company,
Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Meadow
Brook Theatre, Delaware Theatre Company.
Film/TV credits include: A League of Their
Own and Prison Break. For Bob and Joyce
Chapman.
|
 |
Michelle Courvais (Lisa) was a long-time
student of the Group
Theatre’s Phoebe
Brand in NYC, is a
graduate of the
School at Steppenwolf
in Chicago and is
thrilled to be here at Apple Tree Theatre.
Credits include Theresa in Boy Gets Girl at
Eclipse Theatre Company (Jeff Citation);
Rosemary at Prop Theatre (Jeff Citation); Lisa
in Private Eyes (Jeff Nomination);Dolly in
Bailegangaire (Irish Rep); the world-premieres
of Accidental Rapture and Vintage Red and the Dust of the Road with the late,
great Visions & Voices Theatre Company; as
well as her second run in Rosemary at
InterAct Theatre in Philadelphia (Barrymore
Nomination & Philadelphia Critics
Nomination). Michelle is an Artistic
Associate at Chicago Dramatists, can be
seen in numerous independent films, and
TV credits include All My Children, Another
World and some really embarrassing commercials.
Big thanks to Julie Mills, AC, and
the ever-amazing Steve Scott. For Dad &
Matt. Carpe diem, baby!
|
 |
Mark Douglas-Jones (Tobi) is honored to
make his Apple Tree
Theatre debut after
having just ended the
run of Midsummer
Nights Dream as
Theseus and Oberon
for the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company.
In Chicago he appeared in the Jeff
Recommended The Devil’s Desciple with
ShawChicago; Goodman Theatre (The Beard
of Avon); Drury Lane-Oakbrook (Sherlock’s
Last Case); Irish Rep (Making History);
Buffalo Theatre Ensemble(Salieri in
Amadeaus); Chicago Jewish Theatre (The
Golem); Fine Arts Enterprises (Final Angel);
Metropolis Performing Arts Centre
(Scrooge in A Christmas Carol); and Red Hen
Productions’ A Dybbuk for which he
received a Jeff nomination. Regional work
includes Actor’s Theatre of Louisville
(Amadeus); Cincinnati Playhouse In The
Park (The Wizard of Oz); Alliance Theatre (A
Christmas Carol, The Wind in the Windows);
Alabama Shakespeare Festival (King Lear,
The Beggars Opera);Maine State Music
Theatre (1776) and the Georgia
Shakespeare Festival (Troilus and Cressida, Twelfth Night-The Musical). Mark is a graduate
of the University of Alabama/Alabama
Shakespeare Festival/Professional Actor
Training/Master of Fine Arts Program,
Indiana State University and is a proud
member of Actors’ Equity. For Ken Brelsford
and Judy Joseph who taught me second
position and how to let go.
|
cast | press | photos | director's notes| tickets
Press
Chicagocritic.com review
Chicago Tribune review
Copley News Service review
Pioneer Press review
Daily Herald review
Highlights from the Chicagocritic.com review by Tom Williams
Apple Tree Theatre, under the tight direction by Steve Scott has mounted a most compelling production of Stephen Belber's 2004 hit Broadway play, Match. This is one terrific show! It is a touching, comedic mystery about three people searching to make a real connection in their lives.
With a realistic, detailed set depicting a small Manhattan walkup (set design by J Branson); Match is the home to a flamboyant, flaming ballet dance instructor, Tobi Powell, played in a terrific performance by Mark Douglas-Jones. The 62 year old is anxiously awaiting the visit by a couple working on a PhD dissertation about classical dance. Douglas-Jones propels biting humor and empathy from his cute preparation for the visit as he frets over every detail.
His verbal banter delights the Davis' as Lisa (Michelle Courvais) and her uptight husband Mike (Raymond L. Chapman) record his life story from his 1959 dance debut in NYC through his illustrious dance and dance instructor European career. Douglas-Jones delights us with his charming, blunt and sensual story about the sexual antics of the ballet world where men and women all have sex with each other freely.
Tobi appears to be a flippant sarcastic old queen but he is also a lonely, frustrated soul desperate to connect with people. The clever and surprise script has twists and revelations that are moving. Tobi is one of those memorable characters that Mark Douglas-Jones deftly lands as he demonstrates Tobi's comic, witty side as well as his vulnerable, human weakness. How he quietly commands the stage is wonderful to witness. Douglas-Jones deftly gave one of the strongest performances of the year.
Raymond L. Chapman suppresses Mike's angst and his psychopathic tendencies in a smoothly paced performance. Michelle Courvais has her moments in scenes with Tobi in act two.
Without giving away the plot, let me say that Match has stinging humor and it unfolds as a nicely paced mystery with terrific character sketches that amount to a terrific play. As they mystery reveals itself, we see how everyone involved has their lives changed forever. The ending is clever and satisfying.
Highly Recommended
cast | press | photos | director's notes| tickets
Highlights from the Chicago Tribune review by Chris Jones
[Raymond L.] Chapman, who plays the wound-tight Mike, is positively terrifying. After one of his sudden moves toward intermission, a woman seated near me jumped, shrieked and literally threw her arms into the air. Chapman takes this play deadly seriously and turns in a spectacularly intense performance.
cast | press | photos | director's notes| tickets
Highlights from the Copley News Service review by Dan Zeff
Stephen Belber's "Match" had a brief five-week run on Broadway in 2004. Apparently audiences that season weren't interested in serious plays with humor, explosive passion, suspense, and entertaining characters. The Apple Tree Theatre is reviving "Match" in a superior production includes at least one performance which should be in the forefront of Jeff Award nominations later this season.
The Broadway production was not a box office success but reviewers still heaped ribbons of praise on Frank Langella for his brilliant portrayal of Tobi. The Apple Tree Theatre doesn't have Langella, but the company does have Mark Douglas-Jones and that is sufficient. Douglas-Jones starts out as arch, witty, and affected, and then deepens into pathos, anger, regret, and sad self-knowledge. Tobi has most of the play's lines, including some set pieces that are mesmerizing. It's a performance of enormous depth and humanity and it carries the play. An attractive young actress named Michelle Courvais contributes a marvelously shaded portrait of Lisa, though the character spends much of the play reacting silently to Tobi and Mike. As Mike, Raymond L. Chapman has the bluntest of the three roles... Chapman's physical bulk makes him appropriately intimidating next to Tobi's slender vulnerability and the audience eyes him anxiously throughout the play as a ticking mental time bomb.
Steve Scott directs with perfect pitch, balancing the tensions of the action with its warmth and yearning and humor. J. Branson designed just enough set in the intimate stage space to convey Tobi's seedy life in his Manhattan apartment. Carol J. Blanchard designed the costumes, Robert Steel designed the sound and composed the original music, and Gina Patterson designed the lighting.
The show gets a rating of 3 1/2 stars.
cast | press | photos | director's notes| tickets
Highlights from the Pioneer Press review by Myrna Petlicki
Tobi flutters around his small New York City apartment, preparing for visitors, in the speechless opening moments of Stephen Belber's "Match" at Apple Tree Theatre. The way Tobi almost pirouettes as he places candlesticks and snacks prepares the audience for the knowledge that he has devoted his life to dance -- first as a performer, and then as an opera choreographer and teacher. We also learn before a word is spoken that Tobi has his share of eccentricities, like saving his fingernail clippings.
Slender and graceful Mark Douglas-Jones is physically perfect for the role of Tobi, exhibiting both delicacy and strength with each movement.
His eyes project both the excitement of the character's past and the loneliness of Tobi's present. It is fascinating to observe the actor's changes in voice and attitude as Tobi's excitement turns to something closer to terror by the closing moments of the first act.
Michelle Courvais plays Lisa as both a mediator, hoping to build bridges, and a woman whose spirit has been broken. It is easy to cheer for Courvais' Lisa when Tobi finally breaks through her facade.
Raymond L. Chapman's Mike is a powder keg set to explode at any moment. His character is singularly responsible for the tension in the play and Chapman takes full advantage of that obligation. You can almost visualize smoke coming from his collar.
Under Steve Scott's direction, the show plays like a ballet, with characters dancing around issues and each other. The playwright created a pas de deux for Tobi and Lisa, which Scott has staged as a sexually-charged, tender, revelatory moment.
J. Branson's spare set and Gina Patterson's effective lighting enhance the moods of the play.
…Particularly satisfying is a moment near the end of the play when the audience shares a secret with Mike that reveals his true character.
cast | press | photos | director's notes| tickets
Highlights from the Daily Herald review by Barbara Vitello
Director Steve Scott, a Goodman Theatre artistic associate, clearly knows his way around a relationship drama. And in Raymond L. Chapman, Michelle Courvais and Mark Douglas-Jones, he has assembled a very good cast.
cast | press | photos | director's notes| tickets
Photos
cast | press | photos | director's notes | tickets
Director's Notes
On with the dance! Let joy be unconfined;
No sleep till morn, when Youth and Pleasure meet
To chase the glowing hours with flying feet.
--Lord Byron, Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage
Dancing is the loftiest, the most moving, the most beautiful of the arts, because it is
no mere translation or abstraction from life; it is life itself.
--Havelock Ellis,The Dance of Life
TOBI: Do you like being a cop?
MIKE: Sure.
TOBI: Why?
MIKE: Why?
TOBI: Yes—W-H-Y.
MIKE: I like the certitude. Knowing that there are consequences.To our actions.
--Stephen Belber,Match cast | press | photos | director's notes| tickets
|
