Flanagan's Wake
Encyclopedia
Flanagan’s Wake is an interactive, partly improvised environmental comedy in the vein of Tony n' Tina's Wedding
.
The show is set in the fictional village of Grapplin, County Sligo, Ireland
. Audience members are treated as mourners who have come to the wake of a noted local roustabout, Flanagan (first name unknown). The cast interweaves scripted and improvised stories as the basis for comedic fodder.
Flanagan's Wake has garnered praise from theatrical critics around the United States
.
in Chicago
. It was conceived and originally directed by Jack Bronis. The holders of copyright (and incidentally, original performers) were Jimmy Binns, Amy Binns-Calvey, Geoff Binns-Calvey, Jack Bronis, Mark Czoske, Phil Lusardi, Patricia Musker, and Bonnie Shadrake (who also served as musical director). Paul Chapman was also in the original cast. Later in 1994, the show moved to the Royal George Theatre, where it ran for several years. The show has been performed continuously in the Chicago
area since the initial run.
In addition to the writers and performers listed above, the list of actors having performed in the Chicago cast of Flanagan's Wake reads like a Who's Who of Chicago's comedic talent. Longtime cast members have included Rick Almada, Jason Ball, Jimmy Callahan, Joanne Cloonan, Paul Connell, James Cook, Scott Danielson, Erica Elam, Kera Evans, Mary Fahey, Kevin Fox, John Gawlik, Alexis Gladd, Tom Hanigan, Norah Helling, Mick Houlahan, James Houton, Tasha Anne James, Chuck Karvalas, Brendan Kelly, Alison Laker, Naomi Landman, Jimmie Meader, Debra Miller, Anna Mitcham, Neil McNamara, Jethro Nolen, Kristy Entwistle Nolen, Andrew Pond, Tim Schueneman, Lynda Shadrake, Lydia Berger, Michael Patrick Thornton
, Matt Tiegler, and Jean Winkler, among others.
Flanagan’s Wake has additionally been performed in:
Tony n' Tina's Wedding
-Film adaptation:The play was "freely" adapted for film by writer-director Roger Paradiso— "filmed primarily from the point of view of a lisping videographer"—with Joey McIntyre and Mila Kunis playing the title characters...
.
The show is set in the fictional village of Grapplin, County Sligo, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. Audience members are treated as mourners who have come to the wake of a noted local roustabout, Flanagan (first name unknown). The cast interweaves scripted and improvised stories as the basis for comedic fodder.
Flanagan's Wake has garnered praise from theatrical critics around the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
History
Flanagan’s Wake opened on March 19th, 1994 at the Improv InstituteImprov Institute
The Improv Institute was a improvisational comedy company in Chicago from 1984 until 1994. The mainstage show was improvised following audience suggestions. The troupe had two storefront-theaters, both on West Belmont Avenue on Chicago's North side, first at 2939 W. Belmont , and later at 2319 W...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. It was conceived and originally directed by Jack Bronis. The holders of copyright (and incidentally, original performers) were Jimmy Binns, Amy Binns-Calvey, Geoff Binns-Calvey, Jack Bronis, Mark Czoske, Phil Lusardi, Patricia Musker, and Bonnie Shadrake (who also served as musical director). Paul Chapman was also in the original cast. Later in 1994, the show moved to the Royal George Theatre, where it ran for several years. The show has been performed continuously in the Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
area since the initial run.
In addition to the writers and performers listed above, the list of actors having performed in the Chicago cast of Flanagan's Wake reads like a Who's Who of Chicago's comedic talent. Longtime cast members have included Rick Almada, Jason Ball, Jimmy Callahan, Joanne Cloonan, Paul Connell, James Cook, Scott Danielson, Erica Elam, Kera Evans, Mary Fahey, Kevin Fox, John Gawlik, Alexis Gladd, Tom Hanigan, Norah Helling, Mick Houlahan, James Houton, Tasha Anne James, Chuck Karvalas, Brendan Kelly, Alison Laker, Naomi Landman, Jimmie Meader, Debra Miller, Anna Mitcham, Neil McNamara, Jethro Nolen, Kristy Entwistle Nolen, Andrew Pond, Tim Schueneman, Lynda Shadrake, Lydia Berger, Michael Patrick Thornton
Michael Patrick Thornton
Michael Patrick Thornton is an American actor and theater director. He currently plays the character of Dr. Gabriel Fife in the ABC drama series Private Practice. He is a native of Jefferson Park, a neighborhood on Chicago's northwest side.- Career :...
, Matt Tiegler, and Jean Winkler, among others.
Flanagan’s Wake has additionally been performed in:
- Aurora, (IL),
- BostonBostonBoston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, - BuffaloBuffalo, New YorkBuffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, - Cleveland,
- Detroit,
- Green BayGreen Bay, WisconsinGreen Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
, - Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, - Milwaukee,
- Minneapolis,
- New Orleans,
- New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, - Philadelphia,
- PittsburghPittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, - Rochester (NY)Rochester, New YorkRochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
, - St. Charles (IL)St. Charles, IllinoisSt. Charles is a Chicago suburb in Kane and DuPage counties of Illinois, United States, and is roughly west of Chicago on Illinois Route 64. According to a 2004 census estimate, the city has a total population of 32,134. The official city slogan is Pride of the Fox, after the Fox River that runs...
, - St. LouisSt. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, - St. PaulSaint Paul, MinnesotaSaint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
, - ToledoToledo, OhioToledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
.