Why are the Boys in the Basement?

Boys in the Basement is a story about divorced men trying to cope, often badly, with the pain and loss that divorce brings. It’s an unapologetic look at divorce from a man’s perspective, one rarely if ever conveyed on the stage before. The characters all live in the same suburban apartment building and get together […]

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Boys in the Basement — how it began

Boys in the Basement is a very personal story for me, as have been all my plays. I went through a divorce in the 1990s after 16 years of marriage. The divorce process took 18 months, from the spring of 1993 and ending in December 1994 with a divorce settlement. It then continued as I […]

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Boys in the Basement show program a big draw for sponsors

Boys in the Basement opens Friday, Nov. 6 and when it does, it’s show program will be filled with a record-number of sponsor ads. “Basically we sold out the program,” says 2nd Act Players cofounder John N. Frank. “We’d have to add more pages at this point to accommodate any additional sponsors for this show.” […]

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Special tickets for divorced theater-goers

“This is the least we can do for anyone who has suffered the living hell of a divorce,” says playwright John N. Frank, himself the survivor of a divorce in 1993.

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2nd Act Players reach 48% of fund-raising goal — put us over the top!

The 2nd Act Players began this year with an ambitious fund-raising goal. Its founders pledged to match all contributions up to a total of $2,000. Money raised will be used to not only fund this year’s production of Boys in the Basement, but also to back our first-ever One-Act Play Competition in 2016! Thanks to […]

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2nd Act Players hosting Evanston improv night, Sept. 23!

The Evanston-based 2nd Act Players will hold a night of all-star improv at Smylie Brothers Brewing Co. in downtown Evanston, Wednesday, Sept. 23, beginning at 9 p.m. Featured improv groups will include Wizards & Oz and Snow, along with the 2nd Act Players improv wing. All three groups wowed the crowds at their first show in August at Little […]

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Rehearsals have begun for Boys in the Basement

Rehearsals have begun for the 2nd Act Players first show of its inaugural season, Boys in the Basement. A unique look at divorce from the perspective of men who have lost their families and everything they once held dear. How do they rebuild their lives? By becoming cynical users of women who can no longer […]

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Ad sales have begun for our 2015-2016 season’s programs

Ad sales have begun for the 2nd Act Players’ 2015-2016 season show programs. Advertising in one or both of our show programs is a great way to reach the affluent North Shore theater-going community. Businesses that serve the North Shore and Chicago can get a great deal by advertising in both show programs which will […]

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2nd Act Players announce first fund-raiser — a night of all-star improv

The 2nd Act Players will hold a night of all-star improv at Little Ricky’s in downtown Winnetka, Thursday, August 20 beginning at 9 p.m. Featured improv groups will include Wizards & Oz and Snow, along with the 2nd Act Players improv wing. All three groups wowed the crowds at the 2015 Piven Theatre improv showcase […]

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2nd Act Players to be featured on 1680AM Saturday, July 25

2nd Act Players cofounders John Frank and Carolyn Calzavara will be special guests Saturday, July 25 on Flabby Hoffman’s Radio Extravagonzo on 1680am at http://que4.org. The pair will tell the inspirational story of how John’s near fatal heart problems led him to seek out his life’s second act and so turn to his twin passions […]

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