Defiant Theatre was a Chicago-based theatre company founded in 1993 by a group of students from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, which included Nick Offerman. The eclectic troupe specialized in productions that emphasized inventive stagecraft, perverse and controversial topics, and skillful stage combat. While the company is highly regarded for original plays such as Action Movie: The Play and Godbaby, Defiant Theatre received notable attention for productions of plays by Caryl Churchill, Alfred Jarry, Sarah Kane, and William Shakespeare. Chicago Magazine named Defiant the "Best Experimental Theatre" in their August 1999 Best of Chicago issue. The company disbanded in 2004.
Production history
1993/1994 season
Hamlet by William Shakespeare directed by Christopher Johnson Opened Friday, November 19, 1993 at The Greenview Arts Center "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern may be dead; Defiant Theatre's Hamlet most certainly is not." - Chicago Reader
Landscape of the Body by John Guare directed by Darren Critz Opened Friday, February 11, 1994 at American Theater Company The Quarantine by Darren Critz directed by Joe Foust CHICAGO PREMIERE at Strawdog Theatre Company "Defiant Theatre has come up with some splendidly gruesome, darkly comic stage images... Defiant Theatre is clearly a company to keep an eye on." - Chicago Reader 1994/1995 season
The Dumb Waiter/Victoria Station by Harold Pinter The Dumb Waiter directed by Joe Foust Victoria Station directed by Rob Kimmel at Angel Island "Kindles with riveting slowness to a small but triumphant climax." - Chicago Reader
Women and Water by John Guare directed by Darren Critz at American Theater Company "What is most thrilling about this production is how well it reveals the subtleties of Guare's play." - Chicago Reader
Apt Pupil based on the novella by Stephen King adapted and directed by Christopher Johnson WORLD PREMIERE Opened Thursday, May 4, 1995 at The Preston Bradley Center "It's given me vivid nightmares for the past two nights (and counting)." - Chicago Reader
1996 season
The Ugly Man by Brad Fraser directed by Linda Gillum & Barb Wruck Thometz CHICAGO PREMIERE Opened Saturday, January 13, 1996 at Strawdog Theatre Company "The Defiant production has just the right tone." - Chicago Tribune Ubu Raw based upon Alfred Jarry's Ubu Roi adapted by Joe Foust & Richard Ragsdale directed by Joe Foust WORLD PREMIERE Opened Saturday, June 1, 1996 at American Theater Company "The most sensational off-Loop show to hit the stage in a very long time... The production is truly remarkable." - Chicago Tribune "Breathtaking disregard for their own safety." - Chicago Reader Red Dragon based upon the novel by Thomas Harris adapted and directed by Christopher Johnson WORLD PREMIERE Opened Wednesday, October 23, 1996 at The Firehouse 1997 season
The Mystery of Irma Vep by Charles Ludlam directed by Jim Slonina Opened Monday, May 5, 1997 at National Pastime Theater Caligula by Albert Camus directed by Richard Ragsdale Opened Monday, July 21, 1997 at The Griffin Theatre The Skriker by Caryl Churchill directed by Linda Gillum CHICAGO PREMIERE Opened Monday, October 13, 1997 at American Theater Company "An ensemble work in every aspect... They've put on one hell of a show." - Chicago Tribune 1998 season
Phaedra's Love by Sarah Kane directed by Lisa Rothschiller AMERICAN PREMIERE Opened Wednesday, June 10, 1998 at American Theater Company "It's punk, pulp fiction classicism, whipped into a frenzy in a tight, stylish production." - Chicago Reader Action Movie: The Play by Joe Foust & Richard Ragsdale directed by Joe Foust WORLD PREMIERE Opened Wednesday, July 22, 1998 at American Theater Company "Unforgettable theatrical thrills." - Chicago Tribune "A visceral, confrontational theatergoing experience... The company has managed to put all the blockbuster films this summer to shame." - Chicago Reader
Dracula by Mac Wellman directed by Richard Ragsdale CHICAGO PREMIERE Opened Monday, October 5, 1998 at Charybdis Multi-Arts Complex "Defiant gives the script's malevolent camp a pointed recklessness." - Chicago Reader 1999 season
Bluebeard by Charles Ludlam directed by Jim Slonina Opened Thursday, March 11, 1999 at Victory Gardens Theater Downstairs Studio "Gleefully indulges Ludlam's cheese-ball side... Gloriously awful." - Chicago Reader Action Movie: The Play: The Director's Cut by Joe Foust & Richard Ragsdale directed by Joe Foust Opened Wednesday, June 16, 1999 at American Theater Company "The play's endless stunts are just as brilliantly executed and breathtaking as they were before." - Chicago Reader Burning Desires by Joan Schenkar directed by Linda Gillum MIDWEST PREMIERE Opened Wednesday, November 3, 1999 at National Pastime Theater 2000 season
The Love Talker by Deborah Pryor directed by Richard Ragsdale at Victory Gardens Theater Downstairs Studio Godbaby by Christopher Johnson directed by Jim Slonina WORLD PREMIERE Opened Friday, June 16, 2000 at American Theater Company Macbeth by William Shakespeare directed by Christopher Johnson Opened Friday, October 27, 2000 at The Viaduct 2001 season
Cleansed by Sarah Kane directed by Lisa Rothschiller AMERICAN PREMIERE Opened Friday, March 16, 2001 at The Viaduct Fortinbras by Lee Blessing directed by Justin Fletcher Opened Friday, September 14, 2001 at The Viaduct Sci-fi Action Movie in Space Prison written and directed by Joe Foust WORLD PREMIERE Opened Saturday, December 8, 2001 at American Theater Company 2002 season
Flaming Guns of the Purple Sage by Jane Martin directed by Linda Gillum CHICAGO PREMIERE Opened Friday, March 29, 2002 at The Viaduct Dope by Christopher Johnson directed by Christopher Johnson & Jim Slonina WORLD PREMIERE Opened Friday, July 5, 2002 at American Theater Company Nicholas DeBeaubien's The Hunchback of Notre Dame by John Kohler, Larry Larson, Levi Lee and Rebecca Wackler directed by Jim Slonina MIDWEST PREMIERE Opened Thursday, September 12, 2002 at A Red Orchid Theatre 2003 season
Titus Andronicus by William Shakespeare directed by Christopher Johnson Opened Friday, January 17, 2003 at The Viaduct Defiant Fabulon featuring Fabulon Historifarcicon by Christopher Johnson directed by Jim Slonina Opened Friday, August 8, 2003 at The Viaduct Dracula by Steven Dietz adapted from the novel by Bram Stoker directed by Richard Ragsdale Opened Sunday, October 12, 2003 at The Vittum Theatre "Defiant Theatre, not a troupe to shy away from the eek, the ook or even the odd "uck," has a spirited blood-sucker now on display, just in time for Halloween." - Chicago Tribune
2004 season
Action Movie: The Play by Joe Foust & Richard Ragsdale directed by Joe Foust Opened Sunday, April 18, 2004 at The Chopin Theatre The Pyrates based on the novel by George MacDonald Fraser adapted by Justin Fletcher & Richard Ragsdale directed by Justin Fletcher Opened Sunday, June 27, 2004 at The Chopin Theatre A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess adapted from his novel directed by Christopher Johnson Opened Thursday, September 9, 2004 at Gallery 37's Storefront Theater Awards
1996 Ubu Raw After Dark Award Overall Technical Achievement
1997 Red Dragon Joseph Jefferson Citations Original Adaptation - Christopher Johnson Actor in a Principal Role - Christopher Thometz Sound Design - Brian & Matthew Callahan Original Music - Sean Sinitski
1998 The Skriker Joseph Jefferson Citations Costume Design - Carol Cox, Jennifer Keller, Sarah Laleman, Beth Nowak, Christine Pascual Puppetry and Masks - B. Emil Boulos, Joe Foust, Andrew Leman, Nick Offerman, Sean Sinitski, Christopher Thometz After Dark Award Overall Technical Achievement Action Movie: The Play After Dark Awards Sound Design - Gregor Mortis, Greg Nishimura, Prank, Sean Sinitski Direction - Joe Foust
2001 Cleansed After Dark Awards Direction - Lisa Rothschiller Outstanding Ensemble
2002 Fortinbras Joseph Jefferson Citation Actor in a Supporting Role - Jim Slonina
Flaming Guns of the Purple Sage After Dark Award Outstanding Production
2005 Action Movie: The Play Joseph Jefferson Citations Outstanding Ensemble Sound Design - Gregor Mortis Fight Choreography - Joe Foust & Geoff Coates
References
PerformInk profile article about Defiant Theatre PerformInk article about Defiant's closing Chicago Tribune review/article of A Clockwork Orange and Defiant's closing