Lake Zurich native juggles admin, acting roles in Chicago theater

Elise Spoerlein knew as a teenager that she wanted to be an actress.

Still, knowing how hard it is to make a living that way, the Lake Zurich native studied theater education in college. But she was miserable, and the theater kept calling.

Finally, she listened.

“I really decided that's what I wanted to do,” she recalls.

Spoerlein is part of the ensemble cast of Broken Nose Theatre's “At the Table.” The remount is running through July 28 at Chicago's Den Theatre.

The original critically acclaimed production, which ran this past winter at the Berger Park Coach House, was a huge hit and sold out. In early June, it earned four non-Equity Jeff Awards, including Best Production of a Play and Best Ensemble.

The play centers on a group of friends who head out of the city on their annual weekend retreat. With no social media, cellphones and internet allowed, the alcohol begins to flow and no topic is off-limits.

The production is a bold and timely comedy that explores what happens when those who are marginalized speak up and those who are privileged find themselves challenged. The play encourages audiences to think about who's invited to the table for what discussions — and who's not.

Spoerlein, who plays Chris in the show, juggles acting with roles as Broken Nose's associate artistic director and casting director. She also works at a data analytics company, so her days are full.

“It's a good balance, and I'm happy with where I am in life and where I want to go,” she says.

In “At the Table,” her character “exudes aspects of white feminism,” she says. Though she has strong opinions about topics including abortion, she also has a blind spot of sorts, Spoerlein says.

“It's a huge wake-up call for Chris as a white woman to think about times she may not have fully included everyone in the conversation and was cutting off (certain groups) without realizing it,” she says. “My character has a lot of learning to do as a person.”

The production touches on many of the divisive topics apparent in today's society. “We all need to do a better job of communicating and listening to each other,” she says.

Working with the ensemble cast has been one of the most rewarding experiences of the play, Spoerlein says, though the controversial topics have been a conversation starter at times even for the actors.

During early rehearsals, cast members did a table reading and noted how they felt about certain issues — not an easy discussion. “It's been such a wonderful experience but also empowering and vulnerable to say, 'Hey, what you said hurt me,'” Spoerlein said.

Cast members put their heart and soul into the play, resulting in a tremendous amount of “love, dedication and vulnerability shown,” she says.

Spoerlein says she hopes the audience walks away with new perspectives. “I hope everyone realizes that all sides have felt hurts, and all have had their own perspectives on issues colored by how they were raised and their own individual life experiences,” she says. “The bigger idea is that we need to make sure we're all hearing each other.”

“At the Table”

<b>Location:</b> Den Theatre, 1333 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, <a href="http://brokennosetheatre.com">brokennosetheatre.com</a>

<b>Showtimes:</b> 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday; through July 28

<b>Tickets:</b> Pay what you can