Berwyn's theater history from Alexander

Thanks to Alexander for setting the record straight about the history of theater in Berwyn!

"I wanted to say, once again, how much we enjoyed the play Saturday night. I was really affected by the characters and I can't quite get them out of my mind. I felt an empathy with them, and it makes you want to fall in love all the time. The use of music between scenes was very effective and the selections were perfect. I haven't heard "Let's all go to the Lobby" since I was about eight years old at the Ritz Theater.

For your information, the 16th Street Theater is not the first in Berwyn ( I hope you don't get mad at me). The Berwyn Theater (originally the Parthenon) at Ridgeland and Cermak and the Ritz Theater on Roosevelt and Ridgeland were originally legitimate theaters for many years, long before they started showing movies. They even had dressing rooms for all the actors. I guess you can say that 16th Street is the first theater in town in 75 years or the first in the "Modern Era."

There were actually four theaters in town: the Ritz, the Roxy, the Oakwyn and the Berwyn (Parthenon). The Oakwyn was on Roosevelt and Grove and was owned by a friend of our family. My father and uncle's ice cream parlor was right next door (where Homescape is today). The Roxy was in the Depot area on 33rd and Grove (across the street from Salerno's). I don't know if the Oakwyn and the Roxy had live theater. It is possible that they did. For sure the Ritz and the Berwyn ( Parthenon) were legitimate theaters. The Parthenon was built by a friend of my father's named Andrew Karzis. He is the one who built the Aragon Ballroom on the north side.

You know that the Olympic Theater on Cermak and Lombard in Cicero has been remodeled and looks the way it did in the 30's. This was also built as a theater and remained so for many years before movies were shown. This is a beautiful place."
- Alexander Rassogianis

You may say I'm a dreamer

Below is my response to Catey Sullivan, a writer whom I very much respect and admire, and a Berwyn resident no less! Thanks Catey for the inspiration! I am hoping this opens up a dialogue. Those of you that have seen the play, feel free to weigh in.

You may first want to read Catey's review of The Ascension of Carlotta in the Windy City Times

IMPORTANT! If you have not seen the play yet, some secrets may be revealed below. You have been warned!

Catey,

So sad to read you didn't like our play.

Since reading American Theatre's recent issue on criticism I finally feel comfortable having a dialogue about the work I present with professionals whom I respect, such as yourself. So here I am responding to you. This is actually my first time! (And now it will be quite obvious my skill is not as a writer!!)

Romeo is an innocent. He just happens to come from a family of robbers and feels pressured to follow his destiny. But our intention is that it should be clear from the first moment that Romeo is incapable to pull off such an act and hence can't even get the unloaded squirt gun out of his pocket! He is not a robber. He is a dreamer. And a planner.

Alice Kowalski is not quiet or introverted. Instead she is simply a young woman with no dreams. No plans. Going about her life doing what she is supposed to do. Until love and possibility sweeps in and knocks her over and makes her start doing things she has never done before. She has been awakened yet turned inside out by love. Yes, it's irrational. Yes, it's messy. It's love.

So I must defend that nonsense the characters utter. It is due to them being drunk on love.

It starts out as an immature love, where one loves the FEELING of being in love more than seeing the very real human being on the other side of the sheets. But by the end, after they have both been hurt by broken dreams and confronted very real danger, they maybe begin to find a more mature love and more mature dreams. And though they are unsure of where they are headed and how they will get there, they choose to commit to the journey. Ah, a semi-happy ending. If anything, I would call it an urban fairy tale.

I chose to open our first season with The Ascension of Carlotta because to me it is about dreams and destiny and finding oneself. I am intrigued by the robbery theme too. Stealing is an act perpretrated by humans and animals alike. We have all stolen at some point. Maybe it was a piece of candy, an expensive jacket, or someone's heart, but we have all done it. (See this month's Sun Magazine Reader's Write section on "stealing.")

So I was most surprised by your analogy of the horrible incident at the Lane Bryant store. That was an act of violence where innocents were killed by a real gun by a real person. Possibly a person with no dreams. I just don't see the connection at all. No character in our play has the capacity to harm anyone, let alone end someone's life.

Thank you for opening up a dialogue on the play. It helps me articulate why I believe it's beautiful and worthy.

With much respect,
Ann Filmer

oh... a quick fact correction (can't help myself!): Though Act Two may have seemed long and over an hour, it is actually 58 minutes. Sorry to be a stickler!