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Objects in the Mirror
Objects in the Mirror
By Charles Smith
Directed by Chuck Smith
A World Premiere
April 29 – June 4, 2017 in the Albert
“It was in the ‘hell’ of a refugee camp in the African republic of Guinea that Shedrick Yarkpai first dreamed about a career as an actor” (The Australian)—a path that eventually acquainted him with Chicago native playwright Charles Smith, who has now chronicled the Liberian refugee’s gripping story in his newest play, Objects in the Mirror. The playwright’s longtime collaborator Chuck Smith (no relation) directs the world premiere production, which explores identity, survival and the sacrifices of assimilation inspired by the true events of Yarkpai’s escape from his war-torn homeland.
Chicago actor Daniel Kyri makes his Goodman debut as Shedrick Yarkpai, who hopes to begin life anew in Australia, but must first confront the ghosts of his past—and potentially expose a dangerous family secret. The five-member cast also includes Breon Arzell (Zaza Workolo), Allen Gilmore (John Workolo), Ryan Kitley (Rob Mosher) and Lily Mojekwu (Luopu Workolo), who reprises her role from the 2015 New Stages developmental production. The creative team includes Riccardo Hernandez (sets), Birgit Rattenborg Wise (costumes), John Culbert (lights), Ray Nardelli (sound) and Mike Tutaj (projections).
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE SHOW TRAILER
PRESS RELEASES
May 8, 2017 | “Objects in the Mirror” Opens Tonight
April 20, 2017 | “Objects in the Mirror” Performances Begin Next Week
PHOTOS
High resolution photos are below, please scroll down to view (photo credit Liz Lauren). For more information about the show, including cast head shots and bios, please visit the show page here.
VIDEO
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Web Quality B-Roll
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Press Items
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Poster_185x230 Author: Goodman Theatre Email: press@goodmantheatre.org |
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Director
CHUCK SMITH is a member of Goodman Theatre’s Board of Trustees and is Goodman Theatre’s Resident Director. He is also a resident director at the Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe in Sarasota, Florida. Goodman credits include the Chicago premieres of Pullman Porter Blues; By the Way, Meet Vera Stark; Race; The Good Negro; Proof and The Story; the world premieres of By the Music of the Spheres and The Gift Horse; James Baldwin’sThe Amen Corner, which transferred to Boston’s Huntington Theatre Company, where it won the Independent Reviewers of New England (IRNE) Award for Best Direction; A Raisin in the Sun; Blues for an Alabama Sky; August Wilson’s Two Trains Running andMa Rainey’s Black Bottom; Ain’t Misbehavin’; the 1993 to 1995 productions of A Christmas Carol; Crumbs From the Table of Joy; Vivisections from a Blown Mind and The Meeting. He served as dramaturg for the Goodman’s world-premiere production of August Wilson’s Gem of the Ocean. He directed the New York premiere of Knock Me a Kiss andThe Hooch for the New Federal Theatre and the world premiere of Knock Me a Kiss at Chicago’s Victory Gardens Theater, where his other directing credits include Master Harold… and the Boys, Home, Dame Lorraine and Eden, for which he received a Jeff Award nomination. Regionally, Smith directed Death and the King’s Horseman (Oregon Shakespeare Festival), Birdie Blue (Seattle Repertory Theatre), The Story (Milwaukee Repertory Theater), Blues for an Alabama Sky (Alabama Shakespeare Festival) and The Last Season (Robey Theatre Company). At Columbia College he was facilitator of the Theodore Ward Prize playwriting contest for 20 years and editor of the contest anthologiesSeven Black Plays and Best Black Plays. He won a Chicago Emmy Award as associate producer/theatrical director for the NBC teleplay Crime of Innocence and was theatrical director for the Emmy-winning Fast Break to Glory and the Emmy-nominated The Martin Luther King Suite. He was a founding member of the Chicago Theatre Company, where he served as artistic director for four seasons and directed the Jeff-nominated Suspenders and the Jeff-winning musical Po’. His directing credits include productions at Fisk University, Roosevelt University, Eclipse Theatre, ETA, Black Ensemble Theater, Northlight Theatre, MPAACT, Congo Square Theatre Company, The New Regal Theater, Kuumba Theatre Company, Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre, Pegasus Players, the Timber Lake Playhouse in Mt. Carroll, Illinois and the University of Wisconsin in Madison. He is a 2003 inductee into the Chicago State University Gwendolyn Brooks Center’s Literary Hall of Fame and a 2001 Chicago Tribune Chicagoan of the Year. He is the proud recipient of the 1982 Paul Robeson Award and the 1997 Award of Merit presented by the Black Theater Alliance of Chicago. Author: Goodman Theatre Email: press@goodmantheatre.org Category: Headshots |
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Charles Smith, Playwright
CHARLES SMITH returns to Goodman Theatre. His Black Star Line was commissioned and produced by Goodman Theatre and his play Objects in the Mirror appeared at the 2015New Stages Festival. As a former member of the Victory Gardens Theater Playwrights Ensemble, Smith’s world premiere works include Knock Me a Kiss (directed by Chuck Smith); Freefall, Jelly Belly, Denmark, The Sutherland and Cane (all directed by Dennis Zacek); Takunda and the Jeff Award-winning Free Man of Color (directed by Andrea J. Diamond). His plays Gospel According to James (also directed by Chuck Smith), Sister Carrie and Les Tois Dumas were all commissioned and produced by Indiana Repertory Theatre. His play Pudd’nhead Wilson was commissioned and produced off-Broadway by The Acting Company after a national tour. His work has also been produced at various theaters nationally and in Australia, and may be obtained through Samuel French, Dramatic Publishing, Northwestern Press, Swallow Press and other publishers. Smith currently teaches playwriting at Ohio University. Author: Goodman Theatre Email: press@goodmantheatre.org Category: Headshots |
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Objects_Reh01
Playwright Charles Smith in rehearsal for Objects in the Mirror, directed by Chuck Smith at Goodman Theatre (April 29 – June 4). GoodmanTheatre.org/Objects Author: Liz Lauren Email: press@goodmantheatre.org Category: Rehearsal Photos |
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Objects_Reh02
Daniel Kyri (Shedrick Yarkpai) and Allen Gilmore (John Workolo) in rehearsal for the world premiere of Objects in the Mirror by Charles Smith and directed by Chuck Smith at Goodman Theatre (April 29 – June 4). GoodmanTheatre.org/Objects Author: Liz Lauren Email: press@goodmantheatre.org Category: Rehearsal Photos |
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Objects_Reh03
Breon Arzell (Zaza Workolo), Director Chuck Smith and Daniel Kyri (Shedrick Yarkpai) in rehearsal for Objects in the Mirror by Charles Smith at Goodman Theatre (April 29 – June 4). GoodmanTheatre.org/Objects Author: Liz Lauren Email: press@goodmantheatre.org Category: Rehearsal Photos |
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Objects_Reh04
Allen Gilmore (John Workolo) and Lily Mojekwu (Luopu Workolo) in rehearsal for Objects in the Mirror by Charles Smith and directed by Chuck Smith at Goodman Theatre (April 29 – June 4). GoodmanTheatre.org/Objects Author: Liz Lauren Email: press@goodmantheatre.org Category: Rehearsal Photos |
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Objects_Reh05
Ryan Kitley (Rob Mosher), and Daniel Kyri (Shedrick Yarkpai) in rehearsal for Objects in the Mirror by Charles Smith and directed by Chuck Smith at Goodman Theatre (April 29 – June 4). GoodmanTheatre.org/Objects Author: Liz Lauren Email: press@goodmantheatre.org Category: Rehearsal Photos |
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Objects_Reh06
Director Chuck Smith in rehearsal for Objects in the Mirror by Charles Smith at Goodman Theatre (April 29 – June 4). GoodmanTheatre.org/Objects Author: Liz Lauren Email: press@goodmantheatre.org Category: Rehearsal Photos |
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Objects_reh07
Daniel Kyri (Shedrick Yarkpai) in rehearsal for Objects in the Mirror, written by Charles Smith and directed by Chuck Smith at Goodman Theatre (April 29 – June 4). GoodmanTheatre.org/Objects Author: Liz Lauren Email: press@goodmantheatre.org Category: Rehearsal Photos |
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Objects_01
Daniel Kyri (Shedrick Yarkpai) in the world premiere of Charles Smith’s Objects in the Mirror, directed by Chuck Smith at Goodman Theatre (April 29-June 4). GoodmanTheatre.org/Objects Author: Liz Lauren Email: press@goodmantheatre.org Category: Production Photos |
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Objects_02
Lily Mojekwu (Luopu Workolo) and Daniel Kyri (Shedrick Yarkpai) in the World premiere of Charles Smith’s Objects in the Mirror, directed by Chuck Smith at Goodman Theatre (April 29-June 4). GoodmanTheatre.org/Objects Author: Liz Lauren Email: press@goodmantheatre.org Category: Production Photos |
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Objects_03
Ryan Kitley (Rob Mosher) and Daniel Kyri (Shedrick Yarkpai) in the world premiere of Charles Smith’s Objects in the Mirror, directed by Chuck Smith at Goodman Theatre (April 29-June 4). GoodmanTheatre.org/Objects Author: Liz Lauren Email: press@goodmantheatre.org Category: Production Photos |
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Objects_04
Breon Arzell (Zaza Workolo), Allen Gilmore (John Workolo), and Daniel Kyri (Shedrick Yarkpai) in the world premiere of Charles Smith’s Objects in the Mirror, directed by Chuck Smith at Goodman Theatre (April 29-June 4). GoodmanTheatre.org/Objects Author: Liz Lauren Email: press@goodmantheatre.org Category: Production Photos |
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Objects_05
Ryan Kitley (Rob Mosher) and Allen Gilmore (John Workolo) in the world premiere of Charles Smith’s Objects in the Mirror, directed by Chuck Smith at Goodman Theatre (April 29-June 4). GoodmanTheatre.org/Objects Author: Liz Lauren Email: press@goodmantheatre.org Category: Production Photos |
| Download File |
Objects_06
Breon Arzell (Zaza Workolo) and Daniel Kyri (Shedrick Yarkpai) in the world premiere of Charles Smith’s Objects in the Mirror, directed by Chuck Smith at Goodman Theatre (April 29-June 4). GoodmanTheatre.org/Objects Author: Liz Lauren Email: press@goodmantheatre.org Category: Production Photos |
| Download File |
Objects_07
Lily Mojekwu (Luopu Workolo) in the world premiere of Charles Smith’s Objects in the Mirror, directed by Chuck Smith at Goodman Theatre (April 29-June 4). GoodmanTheatre.org/Objects Author: Liz Lauren Email: press@goodmantheatre.org Category: Production Photos |
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Objects_08
Allen Gilmore (John Workolo) and Daniel Kyri (Shedrick Yarkpai) in the world premiere of Charles Smith’s Objects in the Mirror, directed by Chuck Smith at Goodman Theatre (April 29-June 4). GoodmanTheatre.org/Objects Author: Liz Lauren Email: press@goodmantheatre.org Category: Production Photos |
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Objects_09
Breon Arzell (Zaza Workolo), Allen Gilmore (John Workolo) and Daniel Kyri (Shedrick Yarkpai) in the world premiere of Charles Smith’s Objects in the Mirror, directed by Chuck Smith at Goodman Theatre (April 29-June 4). GoodmanTheatre.org/Objects Author: Liz Lauren Email: press@goodmantheatre.org Category: Production Photos |
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Objects_10
Daniel Kyri (Shedrick Yarkpai) in the world premiere of Charles Smith’s Objects in the Mirror, directed by Chuck Smith at Goodman Theatre (April 29-June 4). GoodmanTheatre.org/Objects Author: Liz Lauren Email: press@goodmantheatre.org Category: Production Photos |
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Objects_11
Allen Gilmore (John Workolo) in the world premiere of Charles Smith’s Objects in the Mirror, directed by Chuck Smith at Goodman Theatre (April 29-June 4). GoodmanTheatre.org/Objects Author: Liz Lauren Email: press@goodmantheatre.org Category: Production Photos |
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Objects_12
Lily Mojekwu (Luopu Workolo), Daniel Kyri (Shedrick Yarkpai) and Breon Arzell (Zaza Workolo) in the world premiere of Charles Smith’s Objects in the Mirror, directed by Chuck Smith at Goodman Theatre (April 29-June 4). GoodmanTheatre.org/Objects Author: Liz Lauren Email: press@goodmantheatre.org Category: Production Photos |