Displaying items by tag: Jayita Bhattacharya

Friday, 24 April 2026 13:44

Curious Theatre Branch Announces Beau O'Reilly's TALKING ABOUT GODARD, May 29 - June 28

Curious Theatre Branch, launches its 38th Season, with the revival of Talking About Godard, written by Beau O’Reilly and directed by Beau O’Reilly with Briavael O’Reilly, May 29 - June 28, at Facility Theatre, 1138 N. California Ave. The opening night is Friday, May 29 at 8 p.m. The performance takes place Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. The running time is currently 90 minutes with no intermission. Tickets are priced on a “pay what you can” scale, with a suggested price of $25. For more information about Talking About Godard visit CuriousTheatreBranch.com.

In Talking About Godard, three restless artists live awkwardly together. Helen chain smokes, has sex with whomever and talks straight. Mary Barnes is obsessed with the films of Jean Luc Godard and is determined to make her own Godard film in Super 8. A neighborhood thug named Leon helps Chrissy by stealing suitcases from O’Hare and adds to the spoils of the household. Then a French caller comes looking for love. The play examines female friendship and cohabitation in the 90s, the artistic process and how groups do and don’t satisfy our needs.

Talking About Godard was originally produced by The Curious Theatre Branch in 1996 and its cast included Jenny Magnus (Helen), Vicki Walden (Mary Barnes) and Paul Leisen (Leon), who repeat their original roles in this revival. New cast members include Kristin Garrison (Chrissy) and Jayita Bhattacharya (Leon). Directed with Briavael O'Reilly, and using a production committee of Paul Brennan and Jeffrey Bivens on video and images, Julia Williams on tickets and set design, David Isaacson on script for the video, Andy Soma on art consultation, Vesna Grbovic and Graciella Garcia on production assistance and Beau O’Reilly on outside eye.

ABOUT BEAU O’REILLY, PLAYWRIGHT and DIRECTOR

Beau O’Reilly is a founding member and co-artistic director of the Curious Theatre Branch and the bands Maestro Subgum and the Whole and The Crooked Mouth, as well as a curator of the Rhinoceros Theater Festival for 30 years. His work has appeared at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, the Poetry Foundation and on “This American Life.” The author of more than 80 original plays, O’Reilly is also a working actor who teaches playwriting at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. His latest solo album, “Thrifty,” was released on Uvulittle Records in 2021.

ABOUT BRIAVAEL O'REILLY, DIRECTOR

Briavael O'Reilly has been a theater kid her whole life, at least since her dad got her into shows at the Woodstock Opera House as an elementary schooler. She was a member of Theater @ First and PMRP in Boston in the late aughts. In Chicago, she's been in the booth for Rhinofests, BeauTowns, This is Not a Churchill; Evanston, Which is Over There; To End to Seem to End and many a Crooked Mouth show. Onstage appearances include Rung, March!, The Skriker and Hit Me Like a Flower. This marks O’Reilly’s directorial debut.

ABOUT CURIOUS THEATRE BRANCH

Curious has been holding up their end of the Chicago theater scene since 1988, creating new works of the imagination, works focused on language and creatively expressing the difficulties of being human. Curious Theatre Branch is dedicated to the creation of new plays and performances and to the production of its annual Rhinoceros Theater Festival. Curious aims to promote innovative works of the imagination in the performing arts from a broad and inclusive spectrum of artists and are also devoted to mentoring programs that engage emerging artists as a way to enrich and expand our artistic community. Curious is committed to creating and producing new plays and performances in a collaborative manner, encouraging our members as artists to share decision making and responsibilities, while expanding their skills as writers, actors, designers, directors and arts administrators. Curious also is committed to the idea that a pay what you can pricing policy is sustainable and will suffice over the long term as an economic model.

Curious Theatre Branch, launches its 38th Season, with the revival of Talking About Godard, written by Beau O’Reilly and directed by Beau O’Reilly with Briavael O’Reilly, May 29 - June 28, at Facility Theatre, 1138 N. California Ave. The opening night is Friday, May 29 at 8 p.m. The performance takes place Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. The running time is currently 90 minutes with no intermission. Tickets are priced on a “pay what you can” scale, with a suggested price of $25. For more information about Talking About Godard visit CuriousTheatreBranch.com.

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