Synopsis
"a rollicking ride through the underbelly of the acting world"
–Midwest Book Review
In this third novel of the series, Dwayne Finnegan has another crack at the big time as he directs his highly talented (but definitely dysfunctional) actors in King Lear at Chicago’s prestigious Goodman Theatre. However, his lead actor succumbs to terminal confusion, his set designer plans a huge, illegal fire effect on stage, his actors fall in and out of love, his wife Angela consorts with a mysterious curandera, and Dwayne must set everyone straight before opening night.
Advance Praise
“Richard Engling is a Chicago theater guy—actor, director, artistic director. He’s taken his years of experience as the raw material for a trilogy of novels about life in Chicago storefront theaters. His latest book—The Very Last Production of King Lear—is the story of how the director of a small theater company is invited to produce a play at Goodman Theatre…Engling fills his book with so many local theater and Chicago references that it’s a treat for a Chicago theater lover to read…But I think the novel would be interesting for anyone who likes a good story…it is a damn good story.”
—Nancy S. Bishop, Third Coast Review
Praise for Give My Regards to Nowhere
“Richard Engling knows Chicago’s famously chaotic and glorious storefront theater scene like the back of his hand. It’s the perfect setting for absurd comic hi-jinx.”
–Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune
“As Carl Hiaasen does with his Florida-based satirical crime novels, Engling’s gloriously silly narrative allows his readers to witness how the sausage gets made...thoroughly entertaining from start to finish.”
–Karen Topham, ChicagoOnStage
Praise for Romeo and Juliet Keep Their Eyes on the Prize
This “rollicking sequel...lovingly pokes fun at the backstage world of squabbling actors, amateur wannabes, dilapidated stages, financial crises, and chaotic rehearsals that may or may not lead to theatrical magic...hilarious...”
–Maria Carrig, Evanston RoundTable
“It’s funny, yes, and engaging too, but also wise and moving.”
–Liam Heneghan, author of Beasts at Bedtime
About the Author
Richard Engling has spent a lifetime writing and performing, paying his bills as a teacher, truck driver, and copywriter, while performing as an actor, drummer in a jazz quartet, and working as the founding artistic director of an ensemble theatre company in Chicago. His writing career began in high school when his coffee shop theatre group needed material to perform, and they elected him to write it. Richard's books include Body Mortgage, Visions of Anna, and the Dwayne Finnegan novels, Give My Regards to Nowhere and Romeo and Juliet Keep Their Eyes on the Prize. His plays include Ghost Watch and Anna in the Afterlife.Richard holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from Indiana University. He majored in Theatre as an undergraduate at Northern Illinois University. He lives in Evanston, Illinois, with his wife, Gail.
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