Displaying items by tag: Scooter Pietsch

Saturday, 25 April 2026 16:30

Fault Shakes Up Chicago Shakespeare Theater with Fierce, Funny Chaos

Presenting the world premiere dark comedy Fault, by Scooter Pietsch and directed by Jason Alexander. Starring Enrico Colantoni (Jerry) and Rebecca Spence (Lucy). April 18– May 24, 2026, in The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare.

Dark comedies built around relationship dynamics have always drawn me in because they reveal conflict with a kind of honesty that feels both familiar and unpredictable. When couples clash, the humor isn’t just situational; it’s rooted in history, habit, and the tiny emotional landmines only long-term partners know how to trigger. Fault fits squarely into that tradition, taking the everyday rhythms of a long marriage and pushing them just far enough to expose the raw, funny, and uncomfortable truths beneath the surface. That blend of recognition and surprise is exactly what makes this kind of comedy so compelling, and why Fault lands with such a specific charge.

That sense of intimate volatility is exactly what Jason Alexander explores in his return to Chicago Shakespeare Theater. With Fault, he brings the sharp directorial instinct he showed in his earlier CST production Judgment Day and applies it to a far more contained emotional landscape. In this world premiere written by Scooter Pietsch, he shapes the play’s tightening grid of tension and moral uncertainty with a touch that feels both precise and unexpectedly humane. The result is a tightly focused piece driven by tension that sparks almost instantly - less an explosive outburst than a controlled shift in the room - with the personal fractures between the characters steering the story toward its breaking point.

Pictured are Enrico Colantoni (Jerry), Playwright Scooter Pietsch, Rebecca Spence (Lucy), Nick Marini (Shaun), and Director Jason Alexander. April 18– May 24, 2026, in The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare. Photo by Justin Barbin.

In Fault, the night detonates the moment Jerry Green walks in expecting to celebrate a career defining merger and instead finds his wife, Lucy, in an intimate moment with a young man she has just met, Shaun. What could have ended in a single, stunned confrontation instead becomes the spark for a long, spiraling night in which no one is allowed to leave, and nothing stays contained. The shock of the discovery quickly gives way to a volatile mix of accusations, shifting alliances, and long suppressed grievances, turning their home into a closed-door standoff where every truth feels like a trap and every explanation opens a deeper wound. Jerry and Lucy have long operated as a high functioning power couple, relying on professional unity to keep their marriage steady; once that balance collapses, the cracks at home widen just as quickly. It is interesting that Pietsch also underscores the irony that Jerry’s career‑defining merger has just made the couple newly minted billionaires after a long string of failures, and yet - proving that all the money in the world can’t change some people - they still behave like high‑achieving narcissists, turning their blame and abuse on each other and on the young stranger they’ve invited into their lavish home.

As the hours stretch on, the situation tilts from chaotic to revealing, exposing the fractures that have been quietly shaping this marriage for decades. Jerry’s need for control, Lucy’s hunger for something unspoken, and Shaun’s unexpected presence collide in ways that force each of them to confront what they’ve been avoiding. What begins as a moment of betrayal becomes a full-scale excavation of loyalty, resentment, and the stories couples tell themselves to stay intact. The play’s dark humor emerges from this escalating tension - how quickly a single mistake can unravel a life, and how a marriage can be tested most brutally not by the act itself, but by everything it brings to the surface. And just to remind you, this is a comedy - and a hilarious one at that.

Jerry even admits at one point that arguments never really have winners, a truth he delivers with the weary certainty of someone who has spent years circling the same conversational battlegrounds. Yet the play understands something deeper and more uncomfortable: that couples can become strangely addicted to the very banter that exhausts them. The back‑and‑forth may bruise, but it also affirms a shared language, a familiar rhythm, a way of feeling alive inside a relationship that has otherwise gone quiet. In Fault, that warped need becomes both a source of comedy and a mirror held up to the audience, revealing how easily love and combat can blur when two people know each other too well.

For all its blistering comedy, Fault is threaded with the quieter, more unsettling realizations that come with aging - what it means to feel your desirability slipping, to lose track of the person you married, or to crave the parts of yourself you fear have vanished. The betrayals at the center of the play aren’t just about infidelity; they’re about the desperate need to feel seen, wanted, and alive again. Beneath the chaos and sharp-edged humor runs a steady pulse of vulnerability, as each character confronts the version of themselves they’ve been avoiding. And just when the night seems like it can’t twist any further, the play barrels into a smash bang ending that lands with real force - the kind that sends audiences out buzzing, debating, and replaying the final moments long after the curtain comes down.

Presenting the world premiere dark comedy Fault, by Scooter Pietsch and directed by Jason Alexander. Featuring Enrico Colantoni (Jerry) and Nick Marini (Shaun). Photo by Justin Barbin.

The cast of Fault features three principal performers, each driving a different charge in the play’s volatile, rapidly escalating night. Enrico Colantoni gives Jerry Green a grounded, lived in presence, letting decades of pent up frustration surface through tightly controlled physical choices and a dry comic timing that makes his smallest shifts register. Opposite him, Chicago favorite Rebecca Spence shapes Lucy Green with a blend of wit, restraint, and emotional clarity; her sharp physical beats and instinctive timing keep each exchange taut while still allowing the humor to flicker through. Shaun, whose chance encounter with Lucy at the bar leads him into the Green household, played by Nick Marini, adds a destabilizing charge to the night, using quick, reactive movement and an agile sense of timing to tilt the dynamic just enough to expose the deeper fractures beneath the couple’s carefully maintained surface.

Their combined work is strengthened by the breadth of experience each actor brings to the stage. Colantoni’s long career in film and television, including standout turns in Veronica Mars and Galaxy Quest, gives his performance a steady, lived in weight. Spence, a Chicago mainstay with a Jeff Award and recent visibility in The Madison, brings sharp focus and emotional clarity to Lucy. Marini adds a younger charge to the trio, drawing on credits like Cobra Kai and Dropout TV to shape a presence that subtly disrupts the relationship dynamic.

The action unfolds inside a tastefully appointed luxury home crafted by scenic designer Paul Tate DePoo III, who gives the Greens a space that gleams with success without ever feeling sterile. A streamlined bar sits at the rear of the room, and the warm finishes, refined furnishings, and subtle touches make the environment inviting rather than ostentatious - a polished retreat that still feels lived in. It’s the kind of setting that should radiate comfort and control, yet under Alexander’s direction it gradually sharpens, its clean lines and curated surfaces taking on a quiet tension as the night begins to break down.

Alexander’s own trajectory mirrors that same level of craft, extending far beyond the stage. Although Jason Alexander is widely known for his television work on Seinfeld and film roles ranging from Pretty Woman to Shallow Hal, he brings none of that celebrity shorthand to Fault. Instead, his decades in front of the camera seem to refine his instincts behind the table. His sense of timing, character shaping, and emotional pacing reflect the precision of someone who has lived inside stories of every scale. It’s a résumé that could easily overshadow a production, yet here it deepens his approach, grounding the play’s volatility in choices that feel thoughtful rather than showy.

Running just ninety minutes without an intermission, Fault maintains a tight, steady pulse that matches the tightening chamber of its late-night unraveling. Chicago Shakespeare Theater presents the world premiere through May 26, offering audiences a sharply observed look at a marriage pushed past its breaking point. What stays with you isn’t only the tension or the humor, but the clarity of the production itself, which recognizes how a single, seismic domestic shift can rattle everything a couple has built, sending shockwaves through a foundation that once seemed unshakeable.

Highly recommended.

For tickets and/or more show information, click here.

This review is proudly shared with our friends at www.TheatreInChicago.com.

Published in Theatre in Review

FAULT - Chicago Shakespeare Theater - Through May 24th

left to right) - Enrico Colantoni, Teri Hatcher and Jason Alexander to star in Fault at Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) announces Fault, an exciting addition to the 2025/2026 season starring film and television star Enrico Colantoni (English Teacher, Galaxy Quest, Veronica Mars) and Golden Globe winner Teri Hatcher (Desperate Housewives), and directed by Emmy and Tony Award winner Jason Alexander, who returns to Chicago Shakespeare Theater after 2024's smash-hit Judgment Day. The cast also features Jack Ball (Broadway's The Book of Mormon, Falsettos, Dunsinane). Written by Scooter Pietsch, Fault is a wickedly dark comedy, full of blistering humor and searing revelations. All's fair in love and marital warfare as Lucy and Jerry Green go head-to-head after 30 years of marriage in a late-night tangle of lies, ambition, and betrayal. Fault makes the case that being honest with ourselves might just be the trickiest game we play in life and love... but whose fault is that anyways? This world-premiere production runs April 18-May 24, 2026 in The Yard.

Fault replaces the previously announced spring production of Ain't Misbehavin', which has been postponed to a later date.

"We're delighted to have Jason Alexander back at CST to helm this hilarious and thought-provoking new play by Scooter Pietsch, and thrilled to welcome Enrico Colantoni, Teri Hatcher, and Jack Ball to Chicago with a top-rate creative team," shared Artistic Director Edward Hall. "Chicago audiences love a smart comedy, and we're excited to give them the chance to enjoy this entertaining world premiere this spring."

"I remember very well the joys of debuting a brand-new work at CST," shared director Jason Alexander. "That's why I'm thrilled to debut this new play with a superb creative team and a glorious cast for the Chicago audience that made me feel so welcome and appreciated. I can't imagine launching it anywhere else."

"I'm honored to have the world premiere of my play Fault in Chicago," said playwright Scooter Pietsch. "I love to write about edgy and outrageous but relatable subjects, and we are definitely not going to disappoint with this one. Fault is about marriage. The love. The passion. The pitfalls. The booby traps. The fact that no one ever wins an argument. EVER. And to have the brilliant comedic mind of Jason Alexander directing our fabulous actors? On the stage at Chicago Shakespeare? I didn't think I could love Chicago any more than I already do, but yes, I do."

Enrico Colantoni is an actor and director known for portraying Principal Grant Moretti in English Teacher, Mathesar in Galaxy Quest, Elliot DiMauro in the sitcom Just Shoot Me!, Keith Mars on the television series Veronica Mars, Louis Utz on the sitcom Hope & Gloria, crime lord Carl Elias on Person of Interest, Vincent Brambilla on the CBC TV program Allegiance, and Sergeant Greg Parker on the television series Flashpoint. He has also had supporting roles in such series and films as Westworld, Station Eleven, SUITS LA, The Wrong Guy, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Contagion, Full Frontal, Outstanding, Humane and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, and guest appearances on Monk, Numb3rs, Party Down, iZombie, Madame Secretary, Stargate SG-1, and Bones. Colantoni has an illustrious theatre background as well, after graduating from the Yale School of Drama, where he received their prestigious Carol Dye Award. He also won a Theatre World Award for his Broadway debut in the original drama Birthday Candles opposite Debra Messing. Colantoni's other notable theatre credits include the premiere of Neil LaBute's The Distance from Here at the Almeida in London, The Merry Wives of Windsor at the New York Shakespeare Festival's Delacorte Theater in Central Park, Arabian Nights at the Manhattan Theatre Club, The Triumph of Love at the Guthrie Theatre, and Dracula at San Diego's famed Old Globe Theatre. He also played the title role in Shakespeare's Macbeth at the Matrix Theater and Uncle Vanya at the Lillian Theatre in Los Angeles.

Teri Hatcher's acting career has spanned movies, television, and stage. She is known around the world for her starring roles in Lois & Clark and Desperate Housewives, for which she won a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy. She starred most recently in the holiday movies, Christmas at the Chalet, How to Fall in Love by the Holidays and the true-life drama The Killer Inside: The Ruth Finley Story, and voiced Muthr in the Apple TV+ animated series WondLa. She showcased her comedic skills hosting a standout episode of Saturday Night Live in 1995 and making her stand-up comedy debut in Showtime's 2021 comedy special Even More Funny Women of a Certain Age. Her feature film credits include The Big Picture, Soapdish, Spy Kids, Tomorrow Never Dies, and the Oscar-nominated animated film Coraline. She starred as Sally Bowles in the 1999 touring company of Cabaret and starred as Morticia Addams in the regional premiere of the musical comedy The Addams Family in 2022. Her first book, a funny and inspiring look at a woman finding balance between family, career and self, entitled Burnt Toast and Other Philosophies of Life, was a New York Times Bestseller in 2006. She is a health advocate and an avid cook, having studied at the world-famous Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, and won The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer and Chopped. Her digital series, #Sandwiched, focuses on being "sandwiched" between caring for aging parents and your own children, and still prioritizing your own self-care. @OfficialTeriHatcher. In September, Hatcher launched Desperately Devoted, a podcast she hosts with her Desperate Housewives TV daughter Andrea Bowen and her real-life daughter Emerson Tenney, bringing fresh perspectives and personal insights to the iconic series. In addition to rewatching the series, the hosts use its themes as a springboard for broader conversations on women's issues, relationships, parenting, sex, identity, and more.

Jack Ball returns to Chicago Shakespeare after appearing in Dunsinane (with The Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre of Scotland). His other stage credits include The Book of Mormon on Broadway, Falsettos (Court Theatre/TimeLine Theatre), Little Shop of Horrors (Paramount), Hansel and Gretel (Broadway in Chicago), The Coast Starlight (Milwaukee Rep), and Hit the Wall (Inconvenience). His film and television credits include Chicago P.D., Chicago Fire, Chicago Justice, Somebody, Somewhere, Sirens, Henry Gamble's Birthday Party, An Acceptable Loss, Kill the Monsters, Room Six, and What Rhymes with Magdalena.

Over his acclaimed 50-year career as a Tony Award winning actor and entertainer, Jason Alexander has also maintained a noted career as a director across the multiple mediums of film, television, and theater. On Broadway, he made his directing debut with Sandy Rustin's The Cottage. He served as the Artistic Director of the Los Angeles based Reprise Theatre Company for five years and directed Sunday in the Park with George, The Fantasticks, and Damn Yankees for the company. He also directed Sam Shephard's The God of Hell, starring Bryan Cranston for the Geffen Playhouse; Neil Simon's Broadway Bound, starring Gina Hecht for the Odyssey Theatre; Karen Zacarias' Native Gardens starring Bruce Davison and Francis Fisher at the Pasadena Playhouse; the world premiere of the musical comedy revue When You're in Love The Whole World is Jewish; the world premiere of The Joy Wheel at the Ruskin Theater; the production of Steven Levenson's If I Forget at the Fountain Theater; and the world premiere of Windfall by Scooter Pietsch at Arkansas Repertory Theater and Bay Street Theatre. Most recently, Jason directed the critically acclaimed new production of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd for La Mirada Theatre. On television, Alexander directed "The Good Samaritan" episode of the hit sitcom Seinfeld, and other series television episodes including Til Death, Campus Ladies, Franklin and Bash, Everybody Hates Chris, Mike and Molly, Criminal Minds and Young Sheldon. He has directed two feature-length films: For Better or Worse and Just Looking. His upcoming directing projects include the feature film adaptation of The Cottage (2026). Alexander is a proud member of AEA, SAG, and DGA.

Scooter Pietsch is a playwright and Emmy-nominated composer/songwriter. His play, Windfall, was produced in London (directed by Mark Bell), Bay Street Theater in New York, and Arkansas Repertory Theatre (both directed by Jason Alexander). As a composer and songwriter, Pietsch has written music for over 200 TV shows and movies, some of which include Pretty Little Liars, Burn Notice, All Dogs Go To Heaven, Greek, American Idol, Sex And The City, Deal Or No Deal, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, So You Think You Can Dance, Divorce Court, Sanctuary (starring Margaret Qualley), Van Wilder, Urban Legends, Getting to Know You, Persons Unknown, Run, and The Marrying Man. He's also written hundreds of songs for various artists.

Joining Alexander on the creative team is Scenic Designer Paul Tate dePoo III (The Great Gatsby, Spamalot, The Cottage on Broadway), Costume Designer Mara Blumenfeld (Metamorphoses on Broadway, King Charles III, Sunday in the Park with George, As You Like It, and many more at CST), Lighting Designer Greg Hofmann (Cats, Frozen, Billy Elliot at Paramount Theater, Nell Gwynn, Love's Labor's Lost, Road Show at CST), and Sound Designer Ray Nardelli (Lookingglass Alice at Lookingglass Theatre Company and Off-Broadway, Shakespeare in Love, Sense and Sensibility, The Tempest and more at CST).

CST thanks Principal Production Sponsor Old National Bank for supporting this production.

Tickets (starting at $64) are on sale now. More information at chicagoshakes.com/fault or on social media at @chicagoshakes.

Fault

By Scooter Pietsch
Directed by Jason Alexander
April 18-May 24, 2026
The Yard

PERFORMANCE LISTING

Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m.
Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. 7:30 p.m. (no matinee April 22)
Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.
Fridays at 7:30 p.m.
Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. (no matinee April 18)
Sundays at 2:30 p.m.

Chicago Shakespeare strives to make its facility and performances accessible to all patrons. Accessible seating, assistive listening devices, large-print and Braille programs, and sensory tools are available at every performance. Enhanced performances include:

ASL interpreted performance – Friday, May 8 at 7:30 p.m.
All dialogue and lyrics are translated into American Sign Language by two certified interpreters

Audio-described performance – Sunday, May 10 at 2:30 p.m.

A program that provides spoken narration of a play's key visual elements for patrons who are blind or have low vision.

Open captioned performance – Wednesday, May 13 at 1:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
A text display of the words and sounds heard during a play, synced live with the action onstage.

CREATIVE TEAM

Scooter Pietsch - Writer

Jason Alexander - Director

Paul Tate dePoo III - Scenic Designer

Mara Blumenfeld - Costume Designer

Greg Hofmann - Lighting Designer

Ray Nardelli - Sound Designer

CAST

Enrico Colantoni - Jerry

Teri Hatcher - Lucy

Jack Ball - Shaun

CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER (CST)

CST is a leading international theater company and the nation's largest year-round theater dedicated to the works of Shakespeare. Under the visionary leadership of Artistic Director Edward Hall and Executive Director Kimberly Motes, the Regional Tony Award recipient is committed to creating vivid, entertaining theatrical experiences that invigorate and engage people of all ages and identities by illuminating the complexity, ambiguity, and wonder of our world. Each year, nearly a quarter of a million people experience CST's artistry through more than 12 productions. With Shakespeare at the heart of the artistic work, CST also produces compelling, contemporary stories from fresh voices of today. CST brings the world to Chicago and sends Chicago out into the world as Chicago's foremost presenter of international theater, and consistent producer of North American and world premieres. Serving more students and teachers than any theater in the city, CST annually welcomes more than 20,000 students to performances and programs like Chicago Shakespeare SLAM, alongside professional development opportunities for teachers. CST activates its campus with three venues: 700-seat The Yard; the 500-seat Jentes Family Courtyard Theater; and the 200-seat Carl and Marilynn Thoma Upstairs Studio. Free programs like Shakes in the City bring performances to parks and community spaces across Chicago's 77 neighborhoods. Shared humanity and unforgettable stories—now THIS is Chicago Shakespeare. www.chicagoshakes.com

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