Dr. Who play to debut at Pickwick

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• Publication: Des Plaines Times
• Date: 1985-12-18
• Author: Anne Lunde, Renee Enna
• Page: 24
• Language: English

For fans who can't get enough of the British science fiction television program. "Dr. Who," there's a special treat coming to Park Ridge next spring. "The Inheritors of Time—Dr. Who. The Play" will open May 14 at the Pickwick Theatre, at the comer of Prospect, Touhy and Northwest Hwy.

The script, approved by the British Broadcasting Company, was authored by John Ostrander, who brought selected members of the fledgling cast to introduce the work Nov. 30 to fans at "Tardis 22," the "Dr. Who" convention held at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.

The television program has lasted to celebrate its 22nd anniversary because its title character, the Doctor, a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. Is able to regenerate. The series currently stars Doctor No. 6, Colin Baker, but there is an imposed limit of 12 regenerations for any Gallifreyan.

Rather than conflict with any of the previous Doctor characterizations, Ostrander chose to deal with the last of the Doctor's lives. The play begins with the Doctor's final body in stasis, not quite dead only because of a technicality from the past. Revived for a limited time, the Doctor discovers that his race is dying, killed or sterilized by a plague.

As the last of the Time Lords searched for a race worthy to inherit the knowledge and legacy of time travel. Earth, a planet where the Doctor spent many of his lives, is the optimum choice. But something recently jolted the time stream, and Earth's human race disappeared far before its time. The Doctor must investigate the disturbances, resolve the problems, and restore the human race so it can become the inheritors of time.

The production will star Roger Mueller. a Chicago actor and the first American to officially "play" the Doctor. Mueller appears as Bob Crachitt in the Goodman Theatre's "A Christmas Carol." William Norris, the Scrooge in the same production, will direct "The Inheritors of Time." Special effects will be by Lee Ditkowsky, who also designed effects for "Warp" and "Dungeon Master."

"I'm very proud of the high quality of the cast," Ostrander told the Tardis audience. We've made a commitment to quality. Our first job is to get it up in Chicago—then we may do a tour or a satellite production to centers that have high fan concentrations!'

The first challenge is to prepare for the May opening.

"Theater is different than TV. We don't know what we have until the au thence is there," Ostrander explained.

Previews will begin May 5 before the May 14 opening. but tickets for the previews and the first two weeks of the show will be available from Ticketmaster, beginning in January. The tickets will range from $17 or $18 to $22. The length of the run depends on the loyalty and support of fans coming to see the show.

Ostrander said that his Doctor 13 was drawn from different aspects of the first five Doctors, the only ones available during the writing process. Pieces reminiscent of each of these distinct characters will be included in the script.

Mueller, a Monty Python fan who is scanning "Dr. Who" tapes from each of the five models, said he doesn't plan to mold his character on any one prior actor.

"Any rubber stamp won't be as pleasing. Looking through them. I'm fascinated by the basic foundation these men started with. I'll try to get back to a combination of the advanced scientific technology and the childlike capacity for fun."

Caption: Roger Mueller will star in the Dr. Who play, which is scheduled to premiere at the Pickwick in May, 1986.

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Pickwick owner excited with venture into live theater

Dino Vlahakis, owner of the Pickwick Theater, is excited about the prospect of introducing live evening theatrical performances at his Art Deco playhouse.

"The theater was originally intended for live theater," Vlahakis said. "But it was built when vaudeville was dying in the 1930s. So it has been a movie house since then."

For the past few years. the Pickwick has been staging morning children's plays while screening films at night. The "Dr. Who' drama will be its first attempt at launching evening theater.

Vlahakis had previously been approached with other plays, but found the scripts unsuitable.

"The first evening show is a very important show," he said. "(Playwright) John Ostrander, (general manager) John Economos, and (attorney) Mark Rubin came to me one day and asked If I was interested.

Vlahakis was. With an established weekly audience of 400,000 in the Chicago area. "Dr. Who" seems to be a promising venture for everyone involved.

Vlahakis said that the promoters narrowed their choices to the Pickwick and Centre East in Skokie. Administrators of the British Broadcasting Company in England saw pictures of both venues, and gave their blessing to the Pickwick.

Vlahakis emphasized, however, that he is not turning his back on the movie business, which is still successful. Live theater, he said, will offer a change of pace.

"I do love the movie industry," he said. "but I wanted to do something else. There's something about the excitement of live theater—I can't describe it. You don't get that kind of thrill in movies."

Disclaimer: These citations are created on-the-fly using primitive parsing techniques. You should double-check all citations. Send feedback to whovian@cuttingsarchive.org

• APA 6th ed.: Enna, Anne Lunde, Renee (1985-12-18). Dr. Who play to debut at Pickwick. Des Plaines Times p. 24.
• MLA 7th ed.: Enna, Anne Lunde, Renee. "Dr. Who play to debut at Pickwick." Des Plaines Times [add city] 1985-12-18, 24. Print.
• Chicago 15th ed.: Enna, Anne Lunde, Renee. "Dr. Who play to debut at Pickwick." Des Plaines Times, edition, sec., 1985-12-18
• Turabian: Enna, Anne Lunde, Renee. "Dr. Who play to debut at Pickwick." Des Plaines Times, 1985-12-18, section, 24 edition.
• Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Dr. Who play to debut at Pickwick | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Dr._Who_play_to_debut_at_Pickwick | work=Des Plaines Times | pages=24 | date=1985-12-18 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=2 April 2025 }}</ref>
• Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Dr. Who play to debut at Pickwick | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Dr._Who_play_to_debut_at_Pickwick | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=2 April 2025}}</ref>