The year is 0. A brand new star appears in the sky. Three religious scholars thrust together by fate must embark on a race against time to catch the birth of God (or, wait, is it the Son of God. Both? Neither?). To get there, they’ll have to endure perilous deserts, cutthroat bandits, the mad puppet king of Judea, and most of all… each other. It’s Bethlehem or Bust in this road trip comedy 2,023 years in the making.
Info
$ 99
Per MonthPerformed at The Factory Theater1623 W Howard St., Rogers Park, Chicago
Written By: Chase Wheaton-Werle
Directed By: Becca Holloway
Performance Schedule: November 3 – December 16, Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays @ 8:00pm, Sundays @ 3:00pm.
*No shows Thanksgiving weekend
Tickets: $25
Run Time: 2 hours, with a 10 minute intermission
Cast
$ 99
Per MonthAdriano/Herod – Harrison LampertRhys – Lizzy Mosher
Melchior – Josh Razavi *
Balthazar – Michael Jones ~
Gaspar – Shail Modi
Gabriel – Ashley Yates ~
Mary/Balthazar U/S – Amber Washington *
Jubair/Ensemble & Gaspar U/S – Sripadh Pulligilla
Ubar/Melchior U/S – Rachel A. Kim
Adriano/Herod & Gabriel Swing – Liam Ryan
Rhys/Mary Swing – Lynda Cortez
Ubar & Jubair Ensemble Swing – Elyssa Treviño
~ Denotes Factory Ensemble
* Denotes Factory Artistic Associate
Crew
$ 99
Per MonthPlaywright – Chase Wheaton-Werle ~Director – Becca Holloway ~
Assistant. Director – Emily Marrazzo
Stage Manager – Amanda Grissom
Production Manager – Shelby Burgus *
Scenic Designer – Manny Oritz *
Lighting Designer – Ellie Humphrys *
Sound Designer – Isaac Mandel
Prop Designer – Henry Bender
Costume Designer – Cindy Moon
Technical Director – Carl Herzog
~ Denotes Factory Ensemble
* Denotes Factory Artistic Associate
Playwright’s Notes
Director’s Notes
This has been an interesting play to categorize. It’s a Christmas story, though not particularly “Christmas-y.” It’s a tale from the Gospels, though it’s hardly a “Christian” play. And despite being titled Wise Guys, it has nothing to do with the mafia (much to the confusion of my father).
To further add to the irony, faith has never been a prominent part of my life. Go figure. But the untold story of these three characters (present in every nativity scene, yet so little known about) felt ripe for exploring.
As such, I’ve aimed to strike a “Veggie Tales” balance for this story: enjoyable and relevant to the devout and the secular in equal measure. Whatever your beliefs, I’m grateful you’ve chosen to spend your evening (or matinee) here with us.
From Playwright and Director:
We’ve always felt this show carried some relevancy, even with its first draft over four years ago. And recent events have made its themes of multiculturalism and empathy resonate even stronger.
If you need to take away a good laugh this holiday season, we hope we can provide. If it’s faith in humanity, we hope we can give that, too. But of all the things to take away, we hope among them is the importance of those small kindnesses to your fellow human.
Happy Holidays! (Maybe I’ll do the mafia play next time, dad)
When I first read the script, I struggled to think of how to bring this epic story to stage. The primary locations were throughout the desert, full of adventures with thieves, Roman Guards, and ending in a peaceful Nativity under the legendary star.
It clicked for me when I thought of the Christmas pageants at church growing up. That, in combination with the story within a story element, led me to create this storybook on stage. Along with my incredible design team, we’ve crafted this immersive environment to make you feel like you’re stepping into a picture book from your youth.
From Playwright and Director:
We’ve always felt this show carried some relevancy, even with its first draft over four years ago. And recent events have made its themes of multiculturalism and empathy resonate even stronger.
If you need to take away a good laugh this holiday season, we hope we can provide. If it’s faith in humanity, we hope we can give that, too. But of all the things to take away, we hope among them is the importance of those small kindnesses to your fellow human.
Happy Holidays! (Maybe I’ll do the mafia play next time, dad)
