{"id":1234,"date":"2014-04-15T23:49:58","date_gmt":"2014-04-16T04:49:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jaredmcdaris.com\/?page_id=1234"},"modified":"2020-09-26T19:56:47","modified_gmt":"2020-09-27T00:56:47","slug":"recent-work","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/www.jaredmcdaris.com\/?page_id=1234","title":{"rendered":"Recent Work"},"content":{"rendered":"

COMING SOON<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"August: Twelfth Night<\/strong>. I’ll be playing everyone’s favorite coward: Sir Andrew Aguecheek! Odd’s Bodkins presents Twelfth Night, August 30 to September 15.<\/p>\n

September: Julius Caesar<\/strong>. Beware the Ides of September when this crowd-pleasing politico-philosophical drama thrusts its way between the ribs of the proletariat!\"\"<\/p>\n

December: MacBeth 10th Anniversary Special<\/strong>. Please join the Unrehearsed Shakespeare Company as we celebrate our tenth anniversary with the show that started it all!<\/p>\n

Spring, 2020: The Wayward War<\/strong>. Odd’s Bodkins will debut The Wayward War<\/em> as part of its ’19-’20 season. A prequel to The Wayward Women<\/em>, Wayward War<\/em> tells the story of the Duchess Penti Celia’s ascension through civil war.<\/p>\n

Summer, 2020: The Passion of Boudicca<\/strong>. We Three is remounting the story of the ancient British queen and her rebellion against the invading Roman Empire. Coming to Chicago in August.<\/p>\n

=============================================<\/p>\n

2019<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/h1>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

TWELFTH NIGHT<\/span><\/a>
\nJanuary: <\/strong>Unrehearsed Shakespeare opened its Tenth Season with our seventh annual Twelfth Night! So many numbers! Some of our biggest and most responsive audiences, followed by our season announcement.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>STARLIGHT RADIO DREAMS<\/span><\/strong><\/a>
\nJanuary:<\/strong> I got to hang out with the rocktacular voices of Starlight Radio Dreams<\/a> for their season closer. My involvement was very minor (I just helped sing chorus in a song); I just really like Starlight Radio Dreams<\/a>. You should check ’em out!<\/p>\n

\"\"THE PALL OF MEDUSA<\/a>
\nFebruary: <\/strong>Greenhouse Theatre hosted a staged reading of my latest verse script.<\/p>\n

ACT FIVE! ROMEO & JULIET<\/a>
\nApril: <\/strong>Unrehearsed Shakespeare joined with Babes with Blades, Quicksilver Shakespeare, Odd’s Bodkins, and the Shakespeare All-stars to birth an artistic Frankenstein’s Monster! Each company performed one act of this classic tale!<\/p>\n

GHOST TO GHOST<\/strong>
\nApril<\/strong>: Master exorcist Father Doviculus joins the Ghost Bros, Blake Mathias and Tommy Summerset on their new ghost-hunter podcast.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Comedy of Errors<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

COMEDY OF ERRORS<\/a><\/strong>
\nMay<\/strong>: Unrehearsed kept the good times rolling with a fan-favorite. Welcome to new directors Sarah Franzel and Kaelea Rovinsky!<\/p>\n

TIMON OF ATHENS<\/a><\/strong>
\nMay<\/strong>: A rarely-performed anti-Christmas-Carol, which teaches us the virtues of hoarding money and spurning the needy. The Alcibiades subplot was been cut for maximum Scroogeness.<\/p>\n

=============================================<\/p>\n

2018<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/h1>\n
\"\"<\/a>

Twelfth Night<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

TWELFTH NIGHT<\/span><\/a>
\nJanuary: <\/strong>Unrehearsed kicked off the new year with our sixth annual Twelfth Night<\/a>. We witnessed a resurgence in our audience-size, perhaps thanks to our new venue: the Atlantic Bar & Grill. Stay tuned for more new-to-Chicago plays.<\/p>\n

JOAN OF ARC<\/span><\/a>
\nJanuary – February: <\/strong>Abaisses Theatre debuted with the world premier of Alexandra Renieri’s Joan of Arc<\/em> at RhinoFest. I performed as Bishop Pierre Cauchon, Joan’s judge and chief persecutor.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Two Gents<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA<\/span><\/a>
\nApril:<\/strong>\u00a0Unrehearsed Shakespeare presented the classic Comedy of two horrible men who experience zero consequences for their horrible behavior. Also, a bit with a dog! Two Gents may well be the first play Shakespeare ever wrote, and we gave it its due on two twosdays.<\/p>\n

THE TRAGEDY OF TOM RIDDLE<\/span><\/strong>
\nMay:<\/strong> I fulfilled my destiny by portraying a Clown version of Peter Pettigrew in this verse rendition of Voldemort’s rise and fall.<\/p>\n

SKOOCH TAP PRESENTS: SCOTCH TAPE<\/span>
\nMay:<\/strong>\u00a0Sketch duo Skooch Tap presented their variety hour Scotch Tape<\/a>. Unrehearsed and We Three joined forces for the first time, presenting an Unrehearsed performance of Act 2 Scene 1 from The Wayward Women<\/em>!<\/p>\n

UNREHEARSED MASTER CLASS<\/span>
\nJune:<\/strong>\u00a0The first time! Unrehearsed Shakespeare<\/a> held a Master Class covering in-performance techniques with immediate feedback.<\/p>\n

\"\"

5 Robots<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

FIVE ROBOTS WORKING THAT HUSTLE<\/span><\/a>
\nJune: <\/strong>My new farce about American Neo-Puritanism premiered as part of the St. Sebastian Players’ first annual ten-minute play festival! Yaaay!<\/p>\n

KING JOHN<\/a>
\nJuly: <\/strong>Hubert the villager and Richard the Bastard are highlights in this History play, the story of a happy ending run afoul when everyone thinks maybe they can get a little bit more.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

This Prison Where I Live<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

THIS PRISON WHERE I LIVE<\/a>
\nAugust:\u00a0<\/strong>Angela Iannone’s second play in the Edwin Booth cycle was a hit with critics and audiences! Check out some the praises here<\/a>!<\/p>\n

ROMEO & JULIET<\/a>
\nOctober<\/strong>:\u00a0Unrehearsed Shakespeare<\/a> closed its 2018 season with the famous Tragedy of bad decisions and stubborn self-righteousness.<\/p>\n

\"\"FIVE ROBOTS WORKING THAT HUSTLE<\/span>
\nNovember<\/strong>: My jaunty little parable about Neo-Puritanism’s destruction of all life returns! This time, presented as part of Otherworld Theatre’s annual PARAGON play festival!<\/p>\n

\"\"STARLIGHT RADIO DREAMS<\/span>
\nNovember: <\/strong>I joined\u00a0Starlight Radio Dreams<\/a> as a guest performer, voicing a Shakespearean Scholar, a Pokemon Professor, a Catholic standup comic, Greek god Pan, and a chisel-jawed TV hero who thinks the only real monster… is man.<\/p>\n

=============================================<\/p>\n

2017<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/h1>\n

\"\"TWELFTH NIGHT<\/span><\/a>
\nJanuary<\/strong>: After a late King Lear<\/a>,\u00a0Unrehearsed<\/a> jumped right back into it with our fifth\u00a0annual Twelfth Night<\/a> on Twelfth Night!<\/p>\n

\"\"SHERLOCK HOLMES: ALMOST GOT HIM<\/span>
\nFebruary<\/strong>: Sherlock Holmes<\/strong>: Almost Got Him<\/strong><\/em><\/a> returned, this time at the Devonshire Playhouse in Skokie. “When five of Holmes’ fiercest adversaries come together, they decide on the ultimate wager: who has the best Almost-got-him Sherlock story?” Directed by Orion Couling.
\n|<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Measure For Measur<\/a>e<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

UNREHEARSED SHAKESPEARE WORKSHOP<\/span>
\nMarch – April<\/strong>: Unrehearsed Shakespeare<\/a>\u00a0held\u00a0new classes, welcoming ten new Apprentices into our ranks.<\/p>\n

MEASURE FOR MEASURE<\/a>
\nApril<\/strong>: Unrehearsed<\/a> presented the classic problem play, whose commentary on sexual harassment, assault, and human agency seems remarkably more relevant today than when it was written.<\/p>\n

BARD PARTY<\/strong><\/span><\/strong><\/a>
\nApril:<\/strong> Unrehearsed joined other Shakespeare companies in Chicago for Fury Theatre’s Bard Party<\/a>, a commemoration of the 401st anniversary of Shakespeare’s shuffling off this mortal coil. In tune with the evening’s spirit motif, we presented two of the Ghost scenes from Hamlet<\/em>.<\/p>\n

RICHARD III<\/span><\/a>
\nJune: <\/strong>I performed as Buckingham in Fury Theatre’s production of the classic tale of Tricky Dickie and how he stole the election\/throne.<\/p>\n

\"\"RICHARD II<\/a>
\nJuly<\/strong>: <\/strong><\/em>Shakespeare’s classic history of a weak, thin-skinned monarch taught us about empathy, power, and pragmatism’s dominion over emotion.<\/p>\n

|
\n|<\/p>\n

\"\"THE WAYWARD WOMEN<\/a>
\nJuly: <\/strong>Milwaukee’s TheaterRED staged the sophomore production of The Wayward Women<\/em>. Love, lies, and fisticuffs abound in this new Elizabethan comedy.<\/p>\n

\"\"LET WOMEN WAR: THE PASSION OF BOUDICCA<\/a> & THE WAYWARD WOMEN<\/a>
\nSeptember:<\/strong>\u00a0We Three<\/a> returned to premier the epic tragedy of the Queen of the Britons, paired with the remount of a personal favorite.<\/p>\n

“A shout out… to playwright\/director Jared McDaris, for hoodwinking me completely into thinking I was watching the genuine article, a “forgotten” Elizabethan play that had escaped my attention all these years.” – Herb Metzler<\/h6>\n
“Exhilarating and inspiring Historical fiction!” – Mark Anthony Child<\/h6>\n

CORIOLANUS<\/a>
\nOctober: <\/strong>Unrehearsed <\/a>closed its eighth season with Coriolanus, the Roman tragedy that pits elitism against ignorance.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"STEAMPUNK CHRISTMAS CAROL<\/a>
\nDecember: <\/strong>Tinker Tim, Barb Ratchet, and the swash-buckling Ghost of Christmas Present returned in EDGE Theatre’s annual Steampunk Christmas Carol.<\/p>\n

=============================================<\/p>\n

2016<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/h1>\n

TWELFTH NIGHT ON TWELFTH NIGHT<\/span>
\nJanuary<\/strong>: Unrehearsed commemorates the 400th Anniversary of Shakespeare’s stumbling off! We opened with our annual Twelfth Night on Twelfth Night<\/em>. After working on this play seven times, I am still<\/em> learning new things about it!<\/p>\n

MESSINA3004 (Much Ado About Nothing)<\/span><\/a>
\nFebruary:<\/strong> I joined Otherworld Theatre for MESSINA3004<\/a>: A Dystopian Retelling of Much Ado About Nothing<\/em>. I played an especially nebbishy Leonato.<\/p>\n

\"WW<\/a>

The Wayward Women<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

THE WAYWARD WOMEN (Or: Nothing To Do)<\/span><\/a>
\nMarch-April<\/strong>: We Three <\/a>debuted\u00a0The Wayward Women (or: Nothing To Do)<\/a><\/em>, a new Elizabethan Comedy about gender roles, post-war peacetime, and good ol’ fashioned doin’ it!<\/p>\n

\u201c\u00a0I cannot recommend this show enough\u2026 It is original, playful, hilarious\u2026 A solid 4 out of 4 stars.<\/span>\u201d \u2013 Patrick Bushnell<\/h5>\n

AS YOU LIKE IT<\/span>
\nApril<\/strong>: Unrehearsed<\/a> staged\u00a0As You Like It<\/em> for the first time in Chicago. For the second time in my life, I got to perform “All the world’s a stage,” this time with the Duke Senior as a visual aid!<\/p>\n

[THUS DIE I]<\/span>
\nApril<\/strong>: Unrehearsed<\/a> joined Two Pence Theatre for [Thus Die I], a celebration of all things Shakespeare and Death. April 23rd, in commemoration of the 400th Anniversary of Shakespeare’s lamented demise. After an evening of depressing death scenes, we were happy to add some levity with Pyramus & Thisbe. And I got to fulfill a twenty-year ambition by portraying Wall!<\/p>\n

UNREHEARSED SHAKESPEARE WORKSHOP<\/span>
\nMay – June<\/strong>: Back by popular demand,\u00a0Unrehearsed Shakespeare<\/a>\u00a0held another workshop, recruiting student performers for Hamlet Unrehearsed.<\/p>\n

\"Elizabeth<\/a>

Countess Bathory<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

COUNTESS BATHORY<\/span><\/a>
\nJune<\/strong>: We Three<\/a>\u00a0struck\u00a0again with\u00a0Countess Bathory<\/a>, <\/em>an Elizabethan tragedy about the infamous “Blood Countess,” who allegedly bathed in the blood of her virgin serving girls to maintain her legendary beauty.<\/p>\n

\u201cGO SEE THIS PLAY!!\u00a0Gorgeous writing and truly exceptional acting. Mary Kate Arnold brings the \u00a0countess fully to life, imbuing her with a humanity and beauty that \u00a0makes her actions all the more believable and horrifying. A wonderful evening at the theater!\u201d \u2013 Laura S.<\/h6>\n
\u201cDark subject matter handled deftly, surprising moments of humor and pathos\u2026 it was very pleasant to hear non-Shakespearean verse that was just as passionate and fiery as the Bard\u2019s.\u201d \u2013 Jeremiah Barr<\/h6>\n
\u201cAnd, of course,\u00a0the play would be nothing without the expertly crafted writing.\u201d \u2013\u00a0Stephanie Plus Verb<\/a><\/h6>\n
\u201cLadies and gentlemen, you have to see the show! But you might wanna leave the kiddies at home. It is brutal, intense, tension so thick you could cut it with a knife (might take a couple passes even). One HELL of a show!\u201d \u2013 Dylan Crow<\/h6>\n
\u201cOne hell of a show\u2026 It is not very often you can see a bold performance like that even in a\u00a0place like Chicago.\u201d \u2013 Artur Michalowicz<\/h6>\n

HAMLET<\/a>
\nJuly – August<\/strong>: Unrehearsed<\/a> staged\u00a0Hamlet<\/em> <\/a>for the first time in Chicago.<\/p>\n

\"hb\"TO BE OR NOT TO BE? Unrehearsed Hamlet finally came to\u00a0Chicago! Featuring a completely different cast each night, three different Hamlets helped created three markedly different performances of this, the greatest of Shakespeare’s masterpieces.<\/p>\n

\"ElginShakes\"THE HOUR OF ERRORS
\nAugust<\/strong>: Unrehearsed<\/a> headed out to Elgin, IL to perform Comedy of Errors<\/em> with Janus Theatre!
\n|
\n|<\/p>\n

POETRY TALK
\nSeptember<\/strong>: A scene from The Wayward Women<\/em><\/a>\u00a0was featured on Peter Storey’s Poetry Talk<\/a>, a monthly show discussing contemporary poetics.<\/p>\n

\"PoetryTalk\"<\/p>\n

Guests included Jacob Saenz, Robyn Shanae, and myself. Immediately following my interview, The Wayward Women<\/em>‘s Act 2, Scene 1 was performed, featuring Adrian Garcia, Gilly Guire, Alexandra Boroff, and Katy Jenkins reprising their original roles. My interview featured some gratifyingly boisterous laughter (especially from one particularly appreciative audience member), though this was soon dwarfed by the reaction to the scene itself. Admittedly, it’s easy to get a reaction in a scene where the characters talk almost exclusively about sex.<\/p>\n

POLYXENA IN ORBIT \/ BUTCHER BOGGLE
\nOctober<\/strong>: Otherworld Theatre<\/a> hosted its 2nd annual PARAGON play festival, the largest Sci-Fi\/Fantasy play festival in the world! My play\u00a0Butcher Boggle, <\/em>a parable about moral relativism, was\u00a0just one of the 40 plays that were staged. I also directed\u00a0Stuart Bousel’s Polyxena in Orbit<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"hel\"HELL
\nOctober<\/strong>: The Accidental Shakespeare<\/a> Company presented a staged reading of Upton Sinclaire’s Hell<\/a>,<\/em> a darkly comic indictment of contemporary capitalism that is still sadly relevant today. I was blessed to double as Mammon, the devil of Greed who takes over the management of Earth, and “Big” Bill Haywood, a coal miner and socialist revolutionary.<\/p>\n

STEAMPUNK CHRISTMAS CAROL<\/a>
\nDecember<\/strong>: EDGE Theatre<\/a> produced my Steampunk Christmas Carol<\/em> (and this time, I got to direct!) in rep with Commedia Beauregard’s A Klingon Christmas Carol<\/em>. Much sci-fi! So Holiday! It was a remarkably warm and reassuring production with many of my favorite artists.<\/p>\n

KING LEAR UNREHEARSED<\/a>
\nDecember<\/strong>: Unrehearsed<\/a> closed its fourth season with King Lear! Two very different but equally exciting audiences made each performance an incredible and unique experience, as did our brief fore into larger venues with the Public House Theatre.
\n\"lear-banner-a\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

=============================================<\/p>\n

2015<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/h1>\n

TWELFTH NIGHT ON TWELFTH NIGHT<\/u>
\nJanuary<\/strong>:\u00a0Unrehearsed Shakespeare<\/a>\u00a0opened its\u00a0third full season\u00a0with\u00a0Twelfth Night on Twelfth Night<\/em>\u00a0’15<\/a>.
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

UNREHEARSED SHAKESPEARE WORKSHOP<\/span>
\nJanuary – February<\/strong>: Back by popular demand,\u00a0Unrehearsed Shakespeare<\/a>\u00a0held its second workshop in half a year.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The Illusion<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

THE ILLUSION<\/span>
\nMarch\u00a0–\u00a0April<\/strong>: At long last I returned to\u00a0The Right Brain Project<\/a>, for a dream role in a dream play. The RBP opened its tenth season with Tony Kushner’s\u00a0The Illusion<\/em>, in which I played the lunatic braggadocio, Matamore. Ever since I saw the Court’s production back in 2010, I have longed to be a part of this show, so that’s one bucket-lister down.<\/p>\n

\u201cMcDaris is this deliciously melodramatic doofus.\u201d \u2013 Katy Walsh, The Fourth Walsh<\/a><\/h6>\n
\u201cJared McDaris makes a swashbuckling Matamore, with all the wink-and-nudge humor of Inigo Montoya.\u201d \u2013 Colin Douglas, Chicago Theatre Review<\/a><\/h6>\n
\u201cJared McDaris\u2019 pompous pirate\/plot device [scores]\u00a0the biggest laughs.\u201d \u2013 Kerry Reid, The Chicago Tribune<\/a><\/h6>\n

TITUS ANDRONICUS UNREHEARSED<\/span>
\nApril:<\/strong> Unrehearsed Shakespeare<\/a> finally returned to Black Rock Pub (home of Twelfth Night 2013) to stage a remarkably successful Titus Andronicus<\/a>. The audience’s freedom to voice their opinions on the characters’ actions allowed for a strong personal investment and interpersonal connection. It was nifty.<\/p>\n

UNREHEARSED WORKSHOP IN MICHIGAN’S AACTFEST<\/span>
\nApril<\/strong>: Zack Meyer and I traveled taught an Unrehearsed Shakespeare <\/a>workshop in Midland, Michigan for the Regional Festival Conference for the American Association of Community Theatres (AACTFest). It was a small class, but the director of the festival was kind enough to join us and seemed very happy with the experience. So, win-win.<\/p>\n

RICHARD III UNREHEARSED<\/strong><\/span>.\"cropped-William_Hogarth_-_David_Garrick_as_Richard_III_-_Google_Art_Project\"<\/a>July<\/strong>: Zack Meyer<\/a> starred as the hunchback king in his (possibly) final performance with Unrehearsed Shakespeare<\/a>. Tricky Dicky lies, cajoles, and charms his way into England’s highest office, and often wins the audience over along the way. We had some of our most enthusiastic audiences to date, giving Zack and his horse a great send-off into the wild beyond of grad school. Good luck Zack!<\/p>\n

\"Ifrit<\/a>

A Thousand Times Goodnight (2015)<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

A THOUSAND TIMES GOODNIGHT<\/span><\/strong><\/a>
\nJuly – August<\/strong>: My first Elizabethan comedy, which premiered in Milwaukee <\/a>back in 2013, was finally brought to Chicago.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had an awesome time!!\u00a0<\/span>Brava\/Bravo to all the actors, playwright, and production team! I love seeing theatre that leaves you energized at the end.<\/span>\u201d \u2013 Emily Brantz, audience member (via social media, unsolicited)<\/h6>\n
\u201cSuch a great show! Laughed a lot, booed, cheered, hissed, clapped, all sorts of good feels.\u201d \u2013 Peter Hammer, audience member (via social media, unsolicited)<\/h6>\n
\"All<\/a>

All Stars!<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

THE SHAKESPEARE ALL-STARS GO ON TOUR!\u00a0KINDA!<\/span>
\nAugust: <\/strong>Independence Park Farmer’s Market (Aug 9), Goldberg Playlot (Aug 12), Cubano Fest (Aug 16), and the Portage Park Farmer’s Market (Aug 16).<\/p>\n

TWELFTH NIGHT!<\/strong><\/span>
\nAugust<\/strong>: TheaterRED<\/a> in Milwaukee produced an outstanding Unrehearsed performance of Twelfth Night. I got to play Malvolio again after seven years, and it was a highlight of a very full and very excellent month.<\/p>\n

\"Twelfth<\/a>

Twelfth Night Unrehearsed (MKE)<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

THE THESPIS PROJECT<\/span>
\n<\/strong>August: <\/strong>Inspired by his studies of natural speech and conversation (and how we actors tend to abandon those natural proclivities once we’re given a script), Dr. Christopher Aruffo set four short plays in Mrs. Murphy & Sons Irish Bistro, demonstrating natural speech in given circumstances.<\/p>\n

PARAGON PLAY FESTIVAL<\/span>
\n<\/strong>August<\/strong>: Otherworld Theatre<\/a> hosted their first annual\u00a0PARAGON: A Science Fiction and Fantasy Play Festival. I\u00a0directed\u00a0Amanda Carson (A Thousand Times Goodnight<\/a>) and Katy Jenkins (EDGE Theatre<\/a>) in the short plays Queens of the Realm<\/em> and A Dream of Two Moons<\/em>. August was a busy, fruitful month.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The Tempest, 2015<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

THE TEMPEST, UNREHEARSED<\/u>
\nOctober:<\/strong> Five years ago, Unrehearsed Shakespeare premiered in Chicago with The Tempest<\/em>. Now at long last, we’ve brought the magic back!<\/p>\n

\"11999568_904331352986135_6730147437368289245_o\"<\/a><\/strong>STEAMPUNK CHRISTMAS CAROL
\nDecember:<\/strong>\u00a0A one weekend event in conjunction with the EDGE Youth Theater production.\u00a0\u2018Steampunk\u2019 is a retelling that follows Dickens\u2019 classic story with modern humor, lots of heart\u2026and steam-powered robots.<\/p>\n

=============================================<\/p>\n

2014<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/a><\/h1>\n
\n

AMADEUS<\/span>
\n<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\"Photo<\/a>

Amadeus<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

February and March:<\/strong>\u00a0I performed with World’s Stage Theatre (Milwaukee) in\u00a0Amadeus<\/i><\/a>, playing Mozart.<\/h4>\n

“Jared McDaris is intoxicating as a show-stealing Mozart: brash, crude and shamelessly egotistical, but also charming, funny and passionate. Even more impressive, McDaris captures the emotional depth of a character who rightly tells us that while ‘my tongue is stupid, my heart isn’t.<\/i>‘ ” –\u00a0Mike Fischer, JS Online<\/b><\/h4>\n

Fischer later gave my performance an honorable mention in his list of the top ten Milwaukee performances of 2014<\/a>.\u00a0Good Milwaukee debut.<\/h4>\n

ROMEO & JULIET (UNREHEARSED)
\n<\/span>May<\/span><\/strong>:\u00a0Unrehearsed Shakespeare<\/a>\u00a0moved to Mary’s Attic, where we performed\u00a0Romeo & Juliet<\/em><\/a>\u00a0for the first time (directed by Zack Meyer). I performed as Mercutio to some of our largest and especially most appreciative audiences to date.<\/h4>\n
\""What<\/a>

Romeo & Juliet, 2014<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

LOVE’S LABOURS LOST
\n<\/span>June-July<\/span><\/strong>: The Right Brain Project’s\u00a0<\/span>Labours of Love\u00a0<\/em>opened in late June, featuring\u00a0diverse pieces and musical performances\u00a0from local artists. The centerpiece of this project was a performance of\u00a0<\/span>Love’s Labours Lost<\/em>, which I directed.<\/span><\/h4>\n

UNREHEARSED SHAKESPEARE WORKSHOPS
\n<\/strong><\/span>July<\/strong>
\n\"Classes<\/a>The Unrehearsed Shakespeare Company<\/a>\u00a0finally brought\u00a0Workshops back to Chicago. On July 15, 17, 22, and 24, students learned\u00a0the basics of the Unrehearsed technique, as well as some pointers on how to focus your preparation, how to be a good scene partner, and how to approach verse with a sense of discovery.
\nJULY 15: BASICS: Intro to the Unrehearsed Rules and Guidelines.
\nJULY 17: BOOTCAMP: Incorporating all the Rules into small scenes.
\nJULY 22: STORY-TELLING: Learn to actively listen and work as a group.
\nJULY 24: MASTER’S COURSE: Work on full scenes with veterans, and join a discussion with experienced performers on the best methods.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
“Unrehearsed Shakespeare has opened up a new world for me as an actor and a director.<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Jared McDaris, Zack Meyer, and their colleagues at Unrehearsed Shakespeare are on to something \u2013 and they are wonderful teachers!<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/em>Their passion, playfulness, and dedication to this approach is infectious<\/em>.”<\/span><\/div>\n
–Dr. Jonathan Shailor, Founder and Director,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>The Shakespeare Prison Project<\/i><\/span>: A Partnership Between the University of Wisconsin-Parkside and Racine Correctional Institution, Sturtevant, Wisconsin.<\/span><\/h5>\n
\n

TWELFTH NIGHT (MKE)<\/span>
\n<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Twelfth<\/a>

Twelfth Night (Milwaukee, 2014)<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

July-August<\/strong>: I spent July in\u00a0Milwaukee directing\u00a0Twelfth Night<\/em><\/a>, the inaugural production of the newly formed H+D Productions, in collaboration with Story Teller Theatre; performed outdoors and hosted by Saint Thomas More High School.
\nCAST: Hayley Cotton, Ethan Hall, Stuart Mott, Eric Scherrer, Sasha Sigel, Shanna Theiste, Tawnie Thompson, Bridgette Well, Glenn Widdicombe, and Rachel Zembrowski.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

“Masterfully delivered… Director Jared McDaris staged each scene with purpose, allowing the actors to thrive… a brilliant overall production<\/em>.” –\u00a0Local Trolley<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

\"12N-147\"<\/a>

Twelfth Night (Milwaukee, 2015)<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

“Under the direction of Chicago-based Jared McDaris… they capture something about the play that more respectful productions don’t always: it’s really, really\u00a0funny… As broad as their characterizations are, the players understand what they’re saying, know what they’re feeling, and they show it<\/em>.” – Jeff Grygny,\u00a0Milwaukee Theatre Examiner<\/a>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Jeff Grygny also made brief mention of Twelfth Night<\/a> during his entry for the Examiner<\/a> on Milwuakee’s recent upswing in risk-taking theater.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

DOUBLE FEATURE UNREHEARSED (COMEDY OF ERRORS & DOUBLE FALSEHOOD)<\/span>
\nAugust<\/strong>:\u00a0The Unrehearsed Shakespeare Company<\/a>\u00a0presented our Double Feature: The Hour of Errors (an hour-long cutting of\u00a0Comedy of Errors<\/em>), directed by\u00a0Emma Couling<\/a>; and\u00a0Double Falsehood<\/em>, the allegedly-Elizabethan play of dubious origin, directed by\u00a0Danny Pancratz<\/a>.<\/div>\n
\n
\"Double<\/a>

Double Feature, 2014<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Comedy<\/a>

Comedy of Errors<\/p><\/div>\n

SHAKESPEARE ALL-STARS<\/span>
\nSeptember – December<\/strong>: I joined\u00a0the\u00a0Shakespeare All-Stars<\/a>\u00a0for their Fall 2014 season. The Shakespeare All-Stars presents accessible and interactive vignettes from the Bard’s most popular works to schools and theaters in the Chicagoland area.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"I<\/a>

I did not scorn to wear the leek!<\/p><\/div>\n

HENRY V UNREHEARSED<\/span>
\nOctober<\/strong>:\u00a0The Unrehearsed Shakespeare Company<\/a>\u00a0wrapped up its second full season with\u00a0Henry V<\/em>. We few, we happy few, may sit amidst the action and the passion. War! Romanticism! Nationalism! Leeks!\u00a0Henry V<\/em>\u00a0has it all!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Cuckoo's<\/a>

Cuckoo’s Theater Project<\/p><\/div>\n

November<\/strong>: I acted as text coach for The Cuckoo’s Theater Project’s production of\u00a0The Tempest<\/em><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

October-November<\/strong>: I rejoined Accidental Shakespeare for their sophomore production of\u00a0MacBeth<\/em><\/a>. Once again, I found myself playing\u00a0Duncan and the Porter, but with a little Old Man and Doctor thrown in for good measure.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMcDaris is an extremely dynamic actor, switching convincingly and quickly through majestic, hilarious, frantic, and quietly concerned through each of the roles he plays<\/em>.\u201d \u2013\u00a0ailelie<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Courtesy<\/a>

Courtesy of Benjamin Dionysus<\/p><\/div>\n

=============================================<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u00a02013<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/h1>\n

Back in 2013, my work began with Accidental Shakespeare’s debut performance of The\u00a0Tempest<\/i><\/a>. I played Ariel (in addition to playing mandolin, tabor, and finger cymbals).<\/h4>\n
\n

“McDaris radiates magic as sprite Ariel, bringing whimsy to each syllable and completely comfortable jumping around and making mischief<\/i>.” –\u00a0Chicago Theater Beat<\/b><\/h4>\n

“Only Jared McDaris – as the duke’s magical slave, Ariel – has the vocal chops needed for Shakespeare’s rich poetry<\/i>.” –\u00a0Chicago Reader<\/b><\/h4>\n
\"Ariel<\/a>

The Tempest, 2013<\/p><\/div>\n

April – May<\/strong>: I have also worked with Red Theater, both in their debut production of Brecht’s\u00a0Schweyk in the Second World War\u00a0<\/i>(as Lieutenant Bullinger, 2012), and more recently in their Chicago transplant of\u00a0Red Hamlet<\/i><\/a>, as Polonius.<\/h4>\n

“McDaris… has an AMAZING vocal quality for Shakespeare<\/i>.” –\u00a0Chicago Stage Standard<\/b><\/h4>\n

“The command of range shown by the cast is formidable<\/i>.” –\u00a0Chicago Theater Beat<\/b><\/h4>\n

Unrehearsed Shakespeare<\/strong>
\nTwelfth Night on Twelfth Night<\/em> (in association with TheaterRED), Twelfth Night in Chicago<\/a><\/em>, Much Ado About Nothing<\/a><\/em>, A Thousand Times Goodnight<\/em> (staged reading), Two Gentlemen of Verona<\/em> (in association with TheaterRED), Midsummer Night\u2019s Dream<\/a><\/em>, King Saul Part I<\/em> (staged reading), Merry Wives of Windsor<\/em> (in association with TheaterRED), and MacBeth<\/em>.<\/h4>\n

October-November<\/strong>:\u00a0I worked as the resident playwright for the newly formed TheaterRED<\/a> in Milwaukee. After hosting four of our Unrehearsed Shakespeare productions, they chose for their first fully-produced show,\u00a0A Thousand Times Goodnight<\/i>: a new Elizabethan-style comedy.<\/h4>\n

“McDaris’ use of language and quick wit closely conjures the rhythm of Elizabethan comedy, a literary feat worth hearing alone… acted with complete confidence by an accomplished, brave cast<\/i>.” –\u00a0Postscript: Performing Arts<\/b><\/h4>\n
\"A<\/a>

A Thousand Times Goodnight, 2013<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

==========================================================<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n

Please don’t hesitate to contact me<\/a> with any further inquiry. Thank you very much.<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

COMING SOON August: Twelfth Night. I’ll be playing everyone’s favorite coward: Sir Andrew Aguecheek! Odd’s Bodkins presents Twelfth Night, August 30 to September 15. September: Julius Caesar. Beware the Ides of September when this crowd-pleasing politico-philosophical drama thrusts its way … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":7615,"menu_order":3,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1234","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P9u111-jU","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.jaredmcdaris.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1234","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.jaredmcdaris.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.jaredmcdaris.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.jaredmcdaris.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.jaredmcdaris.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1234"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"http:\/\/www.jaredmcdaris.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1234\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7367,"href":"http:\/\/www.jaredmcdaris.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1234\/revisions\/7367"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.jaredmcdaris.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7615"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.jaredmcdaris.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1234"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}