EVANSTON, IL - This Valentine's weekend, theatre goers are invited to a special party celebrating love. Unlike most events honoring couples, this party is all about friendship and the power it has to change our lives. 

Together an award winning cast and crew, including David Catlin, Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi, Jeremy Sonkin, Samuel Taylor, Javen Ulambayar, and Lindsey Noel Whiting, has assembled to create Marnie & Phil: A Circus Love Letter. They are sharing this love letter with the public Saturday night in the special benefit performance The Long-Awaited Debut of Marnie & Phil: A Circus Love Letter.

"With 18 Jeff awards and scores of nominations between them, this is the creative dream team. Extraordinary artists from Lookingglass, House Theatre and Actors Gymnasium are combining their talents to create an exciting and charming show that is family friendly and features a multi-generational cast. This show really embodies our motto of building creativity, confidence and community." says Actors Gymnasium Executive Director, Virginia Nugent.

For $50 each, attendees will be the first to see this exciting new show, dine on food provided by Union Pizzeria and 27 Live, imbibe on local brews from Temperance Beer Co. and have their "debut" photos taken against a Marnie & Phil themed backdrop with cast and crew. The event, which will take place at the Noyes Cultural Arts Center after the 7:30 show, supports the community, creativity and confidence integral to The Actors Gymnasium.

For tickets to this event, interested patrons should follow this link.  http://www.actorsgymnasium.org/shows/past-productions/marnie-phil-a-circus-love-letter/

About Marnie and Phil: A Circus Love Letter

A new, original work of circus theatre, Marnie & Phil: A Circus Love Letter is written and directed by Chris Mathews (ensemble member of The House Theatre of Chicago), and features a cast of Actors Gymnasium and Lookingglass favorites including David Catlin (founding ensemble member of Lookingglass), Jeremy Sonkin ( Rose and The Rime, Side Show, Princess Mary Demands Your Attention, Some Men), Samuel Taylor ( Lookingglass Alice, Back Room Shakespeare Project), Lindsey Noel Whiting ( Lookingglass Alice, Lost & Found, The Magical Exploding Boy and The Invisible Circus), Javen Ulambayar ( The Magical Exploding Boy and The Invisible Circus, Moby Dick) and AG Artistic Director Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi, as well as the premier students of the Actors Gymnasium Teen Ensemble.

The show features original songs by Lindsey Noel Whiting and music by award-winning Chicago composer Kevin O'Donnell (The House Theatre of Chicago, Andrew Bird), as well as lighting design from Maggie Fullilove-Nugent (The Hypocrites, The Ruffians). Jaw-dropping circus choreography is led by Artistic Director Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi.

About The Actors Gymnasium:

The Actors Gymnasium is dedicated to bringing a new physicality to the American Theatre. Encouraging ground-breaking theatrical exploration, The Actors Gymnasium teaches circus arts, physical theatre and multi-disciplinary performance to children and adults; produces original, daring works of circus-theatre; and serves as a talent resource, providing performance opportunities to our students and innovative professional event entertainment for a wider audience. At The Actors Gymnasium, people Learn To Fly - physically, emotionally, and creatively. For more information, please visit www.actorsgymnasium.org