Displaying items by tag: Todd Frugia

Signal Ensemble Theatre presents the United States premiere of Nicolas Billon’s “Butcher”, a thrilling mystery of revenge and dark secrets. Directed by Signal Ensemble Member Bries Vannon, “Butcher” is a gripping nail-biter and will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat. 

On a rainy Christmas Eve in Toronto, an old man decked out in a military uniform and a Santa hat is left at the front door of a police station. A meat hook hangs around the man’s neck with a note attached - “Arrest Me”. Christmas Eve seems to last forever, as a lawyer, a police officer, and a translator search for answers. 

The Signal Ensemble Theatre has a small stage with limited seating, and a small cast in this production. But that is overshadowed by the brilliant playwright and director, the powerful stage presence, and the intimacy of the play. “Butcher” is electric, dramatic, and horrific. Completely engrossing. 

Playwright, Nicolas Billon, wrote an exciting, thrilling script. A script which could easily be filmed and turned into a series on Netflix. The blackouts during the performance were the passing of episodes as the audience binged-watched the entire series in one evening. 

Todd Frugia gives the most passionate performance as the energetic inspector– and that is not taking anything away from the rest of this talented cast. The officer cracks lighthearted jokes mixed with playful sarcasm at the beginning of the play, and as the plot thickened, Frugia’s heart spills onto the stage. When he is in pain, the audience is in pain. 

Vincent Londergan, who plays the mysterious old man, actually learned Lavinian. This new language was created by Dr. Christina Kramer and Dragana Obradović. Billon had asked Kramer to create a Slavic language to use in his play. He named the new language after Lavinia, a character in Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus. The cast learned this new language, and training paid off, as their accents are very convincing.

“Butcher”, also starring Joseph Stearns and Simone Roos, is a suspenseful thriller with all the right ingredients – powerful acting performances and an engaging plot with just the right amount of twists and turns.  

Where: Signal Ensemble Theatre, 1802 W. Berenice Ave. 

When: September 17 - October 24. Performances are Thursday - Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m.

Ticket Sales: Prices are $23 for single tickets, $15 for industry/students/seniors/groups.

Contact Info: Tickets may be purchased by calling 773.698.7389 or by visiting www.signalensemble.com 

Travel Info: Street parking is available on Ravenswood and Berenice (runs one way going west) CTA Brown line EL stops Irving Park and Addison. CTA busses #80-Irving Park, #152-Addison, #50-Damen, #11-Lincoln. The Theatre is handicapped accessible.