Mark Hollmann, Greg Kotis, Lisa Loomer Works Set for American Theater Company’s 2009-2010 Season

American Theater Company has announced its 2009-2010 season, which will celebrate the company’s 25th anniversary.

The season will kick off with the Chicago premiere of Yeast Nation (the triumph of life) (September 10-October 18), by the writers of Urinetown: The Musical: Mark Hollmann (music and lyrics) and Greg Kotis (book and lyrics). PJ Paparelli will direct the musical, set 3,000,458,000 B.C. and involving a colony of salt-eating yeasts and the single-celled dreamer that starts an evolutionary chain reaction. The cast will include Barbara Robertson, Gary Houston, Michael Mahler, and Phil Ridarelli. Next up will be the holiday production, It’s a Wonderful Life: The Radio Play (November 27-December 27), based on the Frank Capra film, and directed by Jason Gerace.

In the new year will be the Chicago premiere of Lisa Loomer’s Distracted (January 28-February 28), to be directed by Paparelli. The play deals with a mother trying to determine how best to deal with a son who may have A.D.D. The season will conclude with the world premiere of Kristoffer Diaz’s Welcome to Arroyo’s (April 15-May 16), to be directed by Jaime Castañeda and feature Joe Minoso and Sadieh Rifai. In the work, two DJ narrators spin a tale of two siblings’ desire to transform their family-run bar into New York City’s cultural sensation.

For more information, visit www.atcweb.org.