The Mars Assignment (Collaboraction, October 2016)

Thrilled to be writing and directing this play for Collaboraction, in collaboration with Collaboraction company member and good friend/colleague Elsa Hiltner.

The play focuses on six people who are either suffering from mental illness (primarily depression) or dealing with a loved one who is, and how they intersect over the course of one day. It is inspired in part by several interviews Elsa conducted with people living with depression.

The official blurb:

Today, a young girl presents a school project. An ad executive is pitching a new client. A standup comedian prepares for a tour. Everyone is feeling it, but no one wants to talk about it. 

Ronan Marra, former Co-Artistic Director of Signal Ensemble Theatre, teams with noted Chicago theater artist and Collaboraction Company Member Elsa Hiltner to create a theatrical exploration of depression and its many forms. Drawn from research and interviews, The Mars Assignment will shine a light on the presence of depression in contemporary society and the stigmas that continue to keep our friends and loved ones from seeking treatment for their mental illness.  

October 20 - November 20, 2016

The Consultant (Signal Ensemble Theatre, January 2016)

Looking forward to directing the Chicago premiere of Heidi Schreck's THE CONSULTANT.

After a series of brutal layoffs at Sutton, Feingold and McGrath, a precocious young consultant is brought in to save a middle-aged ad man's job, and maybe his life.  Following the world premiere at Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, The Consultant is an incisive, hilarious and dark look at contemporary corporate culture.

Opens January 23rd, 2016

Unnecessary Farce (Fox Valley Repertory, April 2015)

I'll be returning to Fox Valley Rep in the spring to direct this Paul Slade Smith door farce.

In an economy hotel room, an embezzling mayor is supposed to meet with his female accountant. In the room next door, two undercover cops are supposed to catch the meeting on videotape. But there's some confusion as to who's occupying which room, who's watching the video, who's taken the money, who's hired a hit man, and why the accountant keeps taking off her clothes.

Opens April 4th, 2015

Push Button Murder (The Side Project, World Premiere January 2015)

I'll be making my Side Project debut directing this World Premiere by Steve Spencer.

Deep inside the Military Industrial Complex, Becky and Roy have access to our information, our coordinates, and licenses to kill. The darkest of comedies about revolution, drones, extra-governmental operations, mass surveillance and other things you probably shouldn't worry about.

Opens January 10th, 2015

Brighton Beach Memoirs by Neil Simon (Fox Valley Repertory, September 2014)

I'll be making my Fox Valley Rep debut this summer and I'm bringing several Signalites with me. Looking forward to directing Neil Simon for the first time.

Devil's Day Off by Jon Steinhagen (Signal Ensemble Theatre, World Premiere October 2014)

My third time at the helm of a Steinhagen premiere, this time on a play with fifty short scenes, over one-hundred characters and no assigned lines.  All of the dialogue is written, but without character names and only occasional references to how many people are in a given scene.  We are building an ensemble of ten to twelve actors and customizing the piece from there.