Theatre
Ghosts of Whitechapel
by Kate Black-Spence and Chris Brickhouse
Curious Theatre Branch's Rhinofest 2020
directed by Laura Sturm
Appearing as Catherine Eddowes
Wednesdays, January 15th - February 19th, 2020
Ghosts of Whitechapel is a well-researched but fictionalized account of the five women who have been known in history only as "Jack the Ripper's victims." Mary Ann (Polly) Nichols, Annie Chapman, Catherine Eddowes, Elizabeth Stride and Mary Jane Kelly are ready to speak from beyond the grave and ask you to consider the lives they led instead of simply the deaths they suffered.
by Kate Black-Spence and Chris Brickhouse
Curious Theatre Branch's Rhinofest 2020
directed by Laura Sturm
Appearing as Catherine Eddowes
Wednesdays, January 15th - February 19th, 2020
Ghosts of Whitechapel is a well-researched but fictionalized account of the five women who have been known in history only as "Jack the Ripper's victims." Mary Ann (Polly) Nichols, Annie Chapman, Catherine Eddowes, Elizabeth Stride and Mary Jane Kelly are ready to speak from beyond the grave and ask you to consider the lives they led instead of simply the deaths they suffered.
The Luckiest People
by Meridith Friedman
Stage Left Theatre
directed by Co-Artistic Director Jason A. Fleece*
a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere
Appeared as Laura
March 24 – April 29, 2018
"[Nelson Rodriguez is] well-matched by Herceg's acerbic but self-excoriating Laura, and the dialogue between the two provide some of the biggest laughs in the show." - Kerry Reid, Windy City Times
After the matriarch of the Hoffman family passes away, Richard is blindsided when his elderly father, Oscar, demands to leave his assisted living facility. With his sister Laura living in Shanghai, and Richard soon to become a first time father with his partner David, he is less than thrilled at the prospect of housing his–to put it mildly–difficult father. Accusations begin to fly and defenses are raised, drawing father and son, brother and sister, and spouses into a heated game of finger pointing with unintended consequences. The first in a trilogy of plays about the Hoffman family.
by Meridith Friedman
Stage Left Theatre
directed by Co-Artistic Director Jason A. Fleece*
a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere
Appeared as Laura
March 24 – April 29, 2018
"[Nelson Rodriguez is] well-matched by Herceg's acerbic but self-excoriating Laura, and the dialogue between the two provide some of the biggest laughs in the show." - Kerry Reid, Windy City Times
After the matriarch of the Hoffman family passes away, Richard is blindsided when his elderly father, Oscar, demands to leave his assisted living facility. With his sister Laura living in Shanghai, and Richard soon to become a first time father with his partner David, he is less than thrilled at the prospect of housing his–to put it mildly–difficult father. Accusations begin to fly and defenses are raised, drawing father and son, brother and sister, and spouses into a heated game of finger pointing with unintended consequences. The first in a trilogy of plays about the Hoffman family.
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The Invisible Scarlet O'Neil
By Barbara Lhota Based on the 1940s comic strip by Russell Stamm Babes With Blades Theatre Company Directed by Leigh Barrett Appeared as Marcie/Hedy Labarr September 2 - October 14th "Lisa Herceg crackles as both a wise cracking receptionist and a brilliant inventor/movie star modeled on Hedy Lamarr." - Jack Helbig, The Reader "It is tempting to say Lisa Herceg steals the show in a dual turn as brilliant, dry-witted scientist-cum-movie star Hedy Labarr and foul-mouthed, wisecracking newspaper switchboard operator Marcie." - Harold Jaffe, PictureThisPost |
"Lisa Herceg has personality and comic timing to spare in her dual roles as Hedy and Marcie. Moreover, she's virtually unrecognizable as the same woman, thanks to how fully she inhabits each character." - Christine Malcom, Edge Chicago
A mishap in her father’s lab gave Scarlet O’Neil the power of invisibility – a power she promised him she’d never use. But Daddy never knew there’d be days like these….
It’s the 1940s, and Dr. O’Neil’s ex-lab assistant Evanna Keil is desperate to perfect her mind-controlling Ruby Red Lipstick before selling it to the KGB. The ensuing mayhem threatens everything Dr. O’Neil worked for, and everything Scarlet holds dear. Can Scarlet save her deceased father’s reputation, his scientific collaborators, AND their military secrets, plus her kidnapped landlady, a young prodigy, a small dog, the gals at the City News, and all of Chicago – if not the world?
THE INVISIBLE SCARLET O’NEIL to the rescue!
A mishap in her father’s lab gave Scarlet O’Neil the power of invisibility – a power she promised him she’d never use. But Daddy never knew there’d be days like these….
It’s the 1940s, and Dr. O’Neil’s ex-lab assistant Evanna Keil is desperate to perfect her mind-controlling Ruby Red Lipstick before selling it to the KGB. The ensuing mayhem threatens everything Dr. O’Neil worked for, and everything Scarlet holds dear. Can Scarlet save her deceased father’s reputation, his scientific collaborators, AND their military secrets, plus her kidnapped landlady, a young prodigy, a small dog, the gals at the City News, and all of Chicago – if not the world?
THE INVISIBLE SCARLET O’NEIL to the rescue!
Flying* by Sheila Cowley
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Phantom Pain
by Barbara Lhota
Organic Theater Company
At the Greenhouse Theatre Center
Directed by Laura Sturm
Appeared as Marnie
March 15 - April 2, 2016
"The actors' passion and energy provide the extra fuel that makes this quiet, intensely introspective tale so compelling." — Jack Helbig, The Reader
Angela and Marnie met as kids – one black, one white – in a big Catholic neighborhood in Detroit during the turbulent 1970s. They moved together from Detroit to Chicago, got jobs, married, and have been best buddies since God was a boy. But when a third childhood friend shows up for visit, all hell breaks loose. Old wounds are reopened, lies are exposed, and secrets lurking beneath the surface are revealed. Can shared story and love overcome these phantom pains? Join us for the world premiere of this relevant and timely story told with sensitivity and humor by Chicago playwright Barbara Lhota and directed by Laura Sturm.
180 Degree Rule
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A love story wrapped in a mystery, 180 Degree Rule explores the conflicting realities that emerge as history is distorted by passage of time and shifting points of view.
Moving from film to live action, flashback to the present, Professor Katie Dunham struggles to unpack the truth behind the doomed romance between revolutionary film director Ruth Alice Bennett and leading lady Margot Faber… 30 years too late.
Moving from film to live action, flashback to the present, Professor Katie Dunham struggles to unpack the truth behind the doomed romance between revolutionary film director Ruth Alice Bennett and leading lady Margot Faber… 30 years too late.
Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Christmas Goose
Adapted by Michael Menendian & John Weagly
Raven Theatre
Directed by Rachel Edwards Harvith
Appeared as Maggie Oakshott
December 9, 2015 - January 3, 2016
From an original story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Holmes' holiday is interrupted when a precious gem is found inside a Christmas goose ready for the oven. Holmes and Watson take on the case, travelling all over wintry London to find the jewel thief.
Director Rachel Edwards Harvith takes over the helm for the fifth edition of Raven's all-family holiday classic, with a new selection of songs and dances especially chosen for this 2015 edition.
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Jake's Women by Neil Simon
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Angry Fags
Pride Films and Plays as Part of Steppenwolf's Garage Rep
Directed by Derek Van Barham
Appeared as Kimberly Phillips
February 22 - April 26, 2015
"Lisa Herceg’s performance is hysterically, heartbreakingly human." - Aaron Hunt, New City
"Seven splendidly cast, viscerally vital performers." - Lawrence Bommer, Stage and Cinema
Photos courtesy of Pride Films and Plays, copywright 2014
Topher Payne’s comedy Angry Fags illustrates what happens when activism gets angry. Cooper and Bennett are men who feel helpless when their friend is the victim of an assault at a bar. Then, they feel something new: pure, unfiltered rage. Cooper presents the argument that no one is granted the rights they deserve until people are a little afraid of them. And no one is afraid of gay guys. Not yet.
Warped
by Barbara Lhota
Stage Left Theatre
Aug. 30 - Oct. 6, 2013
Directed by Jason A. Fliess
Appeared as: Det. Jules Rossi
"Exceptional turn from Stage Left/Babes With Blades ensemble member Lisa Herceg as the senior detective." - The Dueling Critics
"Herceg is the epitome of tough-talking, yet vulnerable detective – utterly natural." - Lauren Whalen, Chicago Theatre Beat
Two Chicago police officers give a ride home to a young, drunk twenty-something. Several hours later, the young woman emerges from her apartment screaming rape. Influenced by the film Rashomon, Warped presents the contradictory stories from each character’s perspective and asks the question: Is the truth constant, or is it as malleable as our own perceptions?
by Barbara Lhota
Stage Left Theatre
Aug. 30 - Oct. 6, 2013
Directed by Jason A. Fliess
Appeared as: Det. Jules Rossi
"Exceptional turn from Stage Left/Babes With Blades ensemble member Lisa Herceg as the senior detective." - The Dueling Critics
"Herceg is the epitome of tough-talking, yet vulnerable detective – utterly natural." - Lauren Whalen, Chicago Theatre Beat
Two Chicago police officers give a ride home to a young, drunk twenty-something. Several hours later, the young woman emerges from her apartment screaming rape. Influenced by the film Rashomon, Warped presents the contradictory stories from each character’s perspective and asks the question: Is the truth constant, or is it as malleable as our own perceptions?
Pygmalion
by George Bernard Shaw
Directed by Vance Smith with Associate Director Peter Robel
A Co-Production of Stage Left Theatre and BoHo at Theatre Wit
January 5th - February 10th, 2013
Appeared as Mrs. Higgins
"The brilliant Lisa Herceg..steals each scene she is in."
- Michael Roberts, Showbiz Chicago
"[An] aptly caustic Mrs. Higgins." - Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune
"Herceg nearly walks away with the show with her curt
and commandeering performance..." - Scott C. Morgan, Windy City Times
"Lisa Herceg’s proper Mrs. Higgins shines with ingenious heart and strength." - Brian Kirst, Sheridan Road Magazine
In this classic play that inspired the musical My Fair Lady, dialect expert Henry Higgins makes a bet that he can teach Cockney flower-girl Eliza Doolittle to pass as a “proper lady.” Stage Left teams with fellow Theater Wit Resident Company Boho Theatre to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first production of this timeless story.
Photo by Johnny Knight Photo, courtesy of Stage Left Theatre and BoHo Theatre, copywright 2013
January 5th - February 10th, 2013
Appeared as Mrs. Higgins
"The brilliant Lisa Herceg..steals each scene she is in."
- Michael Roberts, Showbiz Chicago
"[An] aptly caustic Mrs. Higgins." - Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune
"Herceg nearly walks away with the show with her curt
and commandeering performance..." - Scott C. Morgan, Windy City Times
"Lisa Herceg’s proper Mrs. Higgins shines with ingenious heart and strength." - Brian Kirst, Sheridan Road Magazine
In this classic play that inspired the musical My Fair Lady, dialect expert Henry Higgins makes a bet that he can teach Cockney flower-girl Eliza Doolittle to pass as a “proper lady.” Stage Left teams with fellow Theater Wit Resident Company Boho Theatre to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first production of this timeless story.
Photo by Johnny Knight Photo, courtesy of Stage Left Theatre and BoHo Theatre, copywright 2013
Susan Swayne and the Bewildered Bride
by Reina Hardy
Directed by Dan Foss
Babes With Blades Theatre Company
August - September, 2012
Appeared as Susan Swayne
"The show's strongest element is Lisa Herceg...It's a hoot of a performance." - Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune
"Lisa Herceg shoulders the play’s dialect...with timing and wit." - Megan Powell, TimeOut Chicago
"In the lead, Lisa Herceg is sensational." - Katy Walsh, The Fourth Walsh
Meet Susan Swayne and the Society of Lady Detectives – aside from their interest in swordplay, they’re all perfectly proper Victorian women. Or are they? When the distraught Isabelle Fontaine-Kite insists that a member of the S.O.L.D. is actually her missing husband, Eric, Susan Swayne is on the case!
Photo by Steven Townsend; courtesy of Babes With Blades Theatre Company. Copywright 2012
Photo by Steven Townsend; courtesy of Babes With Blades Theatre Company. Copywright 2012
The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later
Directed by Greg Kolack
Redtwist Theatre
"Lisa Herceg affects just the right amount of flourish and wry, determined outrage." - Catey Sullivan, Examiner.com
"Particularly strong ...[Herceg] wrung both laughter and tears from the audience with her nuanced performances of multiple characters." - Beth Dugan, Edge
Appeared as Catherine Connolly and other roles
March 4 - April 7, 2012
The sequel is the terrific follow-up to the legendary work produced by the Tectonic Theater Project in 1998 in the immediate aftermath of the Matthew Shepard murder in Laramie, Wyoming. Since that watershed hate crime, Tectonic has reconnected with nearly all the people whom they interviewed (and who appeared as characters in the original play) to assess how they have changed. The results are startling, regarding both growth and stasis. (Synopsis courtesy of Redtwist Theatre)
"Lisa Herceg affects just the right amount of flourish and wry, determined outrage." - Catey Sullivan, Examiner.com
"Particularly strong ...[Herceg] wrung both laughter and tears from the audience with her nuanced performances of multiple characters." - Beth Dugan, Edge
Appeared as Catherine Connolly and other roles
March 4 - April 7, 2012
The sequel is the terrific follow-up to the legendary work produced by the Tectonic Theater Project in 1998 in the immediate aftermath of the Matthew Shepard murder in Laramie, Wyoming. Since that watershed hate crime, Tectonic has reconnected with nearly all the people whom they interviewed (and who appeared as characters in the original play) to assess how they have changed. The results are startling, regarding both growth and stasis. (Synopsis courtesy of Redtwist Theatre)
The Eight: Reindeer Monologues
by Jeff Goode
Stage Left Theatre
Appeared as Blitzen
December 9th - 31, 2011
"From Vance Smith’s masculine, ultra-cool Dasher to Lisa Herceg’s passionately powerful Blitzen and Lindsey Pearlman’s coyly potent Vixen, all the performers and the piece’s multiple directors give the show definition." - Brian Kirst, Sheridan Road Magazine
Scandal erupts at the North Pole when Santa is accused by one of his tiny reindeer of very, very bad things. A profane Christmas show with a seriously funny edge.
Photo courtesy of Stage Left Theatre
Stage Left Theatre
Appeared as Blitzen
December 9th - 31, 2011
"From Vance Smith’s masculine, ultra-cool Dasher to Lisa Herceg’s passionately powerful Blitzen and Lindsey Pearlman’s coyly potent Vixen, all the performers and the piece’s multiple directors give the show definition." - Brian Kirst, Sheridan Road Magazine
Scandal erupts at the North Pole when Santa is accused by one of his tiny reindeer of very, very bad things. A profane Christmas show with a seriously funny edge.
Photo courtesy of Stage Left Theatre
The Double
by Barbara Lhota
Babes With Blades Theatre Company
"Leading the laughter with an ode to Rosalind Russell is
spectacular, wisecracking Lisa Herceg." - Katy Walsh, Chicago Theatre Beat
"Herceg sets the bar high, and the rest of the cast rises to her." - Bob Bullen, Chicago Theatre Addict
Appeared as Rosalind Rollins
August 13th - September 24th, 2011
Screwball comedy meets swashbuckler in this world-premiere tribute to Cyrano de Bergerac and the 1940′s. Featuring single sword and unarmed combat, THE DOUBLE promises laughter, love, and derring-do.
Photo courtesy of Johnny Knight Photography and Babes With Blades Theatre Company, 2011
spectacular, wisecracking Lisa Herceg." - Katy Walsh, Chicago Theatre Beat
"Herceg sets the bar high, and the rest of the cast rises to her." - Bob Bullen, Chicago Theatre Addict
Appeared as Rosalind Rollins
August 13th - September 24th, 2011
Screwball comedy meets swashbuckler in this world-premiere tribute to Cyrano de Bergerac and the 1940′s. Featuring single sword and unarmed combat, THE DOUBLE promises laughter, love, and derring-do.
Photo courtesy of Johnny Knight Photography and Babes With Blades Theatre Company, 2011