Old-Fashioned Theater Meets Modern Themes in Beyond the Garden Gate.

On April 12, 2024, The Imposters Theatre Company debuted their new production, BEYOND THE GARDEN GATE, written by Mallory Swisher and directed by Stefan Rosen.

Composer, Instructor and Pianist

Monsieur Chopin, A Play with Music

It’s Paris, March 4, 1848, and class is in session. Sit comfortably and get ready for your masterclass music lesson provided by a gifted composer, instructor and piano virtuoso. For the next two hours, Frederic Chopin will offer a fascinating education in the creation and performance of his own classical music. However, lest you think that this class might be boring and too scholarly for the average audience member to appreciate, nothing could be further from what you’re about to experience.

Change Partners and Dance

Cock

There was a popular song written by Irving Berlin in 1938 for the musical film, “Carefree.” It was sung by Fred Astaire and entitled “Change Partners and Dance.” The song referred to the indecision of dancer Ginger Rogers to accept a marriage proposal and she eventually ends up with Astaire. This Oscar-nominated ballad could also be used as the theme song for this bold battle of the sexes, now playing in a brilliant production on Chicago’s North Side.  

Confusion and Absurdity

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead

Sent for by Claudius to discover the reason for his nephew’s madness, Hamlet’s two childhood friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, find themselves in a world of confusion and absurdity. They’ve been told to find Hamlet, their childhood friend, and figure out what’s bothering him. The young men run into a troupe of actors who are playing roles in a production of HAMLET. A line between reality and theatricality merge and separate and, while there’s no real plot in this 90-minute performance, there’s a score of images that come and go throughout. Tom Stoppard’s fascinating and perplexing one-act explores free will, how fate plays a role in everyone’s lives and the inevitability of death that comes to each of us.

Welcome to the Jungle

The Choir of Man

Step into the Apollo Theater and you’ll suddenly be conveyed across the Atlantic to a British pub called The Jungle. The stage has been totally transformed into a comfy locale that blends immersive theatre with a more traditional form of musical. Walking through the doors, theatergoers will immediately meet nine of the pub’s most faithfully devoted regulars who spend their nonworking hours telling jokes and stories, comforting each other, and downing beer and the occasional shot. The genuine bonhomie emanating from this amiable group of guys creates a family of choice, a “Choir of Man,” that extends all the way into the audience. Opening with the rousing Axl Rose hit, “Welcome to the Jungle,” the fun and festivities commences from the moment that the doors open.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time – Skokie Theatre

Another beautiful performance at the Skokie Theatre telling the story based on the 2003 mystery novel by British writer Mark Haddon.  The story is about Christopher, a 15-year-old boy with behavioral difficulties living in Swindon, Wiltshire, with his father, Ed.  Christopher is somewhat of a mathematician, an outsider due to his disorder, and sees the world in a revealing way although he is ill-equipped to interpret everyday life.  

Happy Tastes Good

Inanimate

Your local Dairy Queen strives to show customers how “Happy Tastes Good.” The drive-in’s menu of mouth-watering hot foods and delicious treats are perfect for any occasion. Choosing from a variety of customized flavors, most patrons actually find the tasty Blizzard to be their favorite frozen treat. However, a 30-year-old loner named Erica has her own favorite DQ treat. You see, Erica only tastes Happy when she’s lingering in the drive-in parking lot. It’s there that the lit Dairy Queen sign radiates its warmth and affection upon Erica because she’s in love with the red and blue beacon, or at least sexually attracted to it.