Last fall, after an eight-year search, director Peter Hobert held a coffee-stained handwritten script in his hands and knew that he had found an historic artifact well-worth viewing.

The Theatre School Showcase, DePaul University, announces the world premiere of Clifford Odets' I GOT THE BLUES, directed by Peter Hobert from the author's original handwritten script, April 17 - May 3, 1998 (previews 4/15 & 4/16), at the Victory Gardens Studio, 2257 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago. The play features scenic design by Natasza Naczas, costume design by Jessica Anest, lighting design by Jeremy Getz and sound design by Jeffrey Webb. For tickets and information, call the Victory Gardens Box Office at (773) 871-3000.

I Got the Blues is the original, unpublished version of Clifford Odets' classic drama Awake and Sing, the work that galvanized the Group Theatre and rocketed Odets to acclaim. The play follows a Jewish working-class family in New York City as they face the problems of the Great Depression and the daily dilemmas of three generations living in the same small apartment.

Eight years ago, Mr. Hobert read of this version's existence while researching a role for Awake and Sing. He became consumed with finding a copy of the author's early draft, scouring books and searching the Internet for any sign of its whereabouts.

He learned its fascinating history: Written in 1932, the play was deemed impossible to produce by the leaders of New York's Group Theatre -- Harold Clurman, Cheryl Crawford and Lee Strasberg. Following their suggestions, Odets rewrote the script several times. In 1935 it premiered as Awake and Sing, becoming a huge box office hit and an American classic. I Got the Blues -- with its original beginning and a different third act -- was never seen by the other members of the Group Theatre.

Mr. Hobert's perseverance paid off when he found the long-lost script locked in Box 57 of the Billy Rose Collection at the New York Public Library. His extraordinary find and The Theatre School's subsequent obtainment of the rights to present the previously unperformed piece have generated interest in academic, theatre and literary circles around the country. "The important thing to remember is the historical significance of Odets' original vision of this play," Mr. Hobert says. "I Got the Blues represents Odets' desire to write 'what he knew.' So this version is even more of Odets' personal story than what Awake and Sing eventually became."

Performances of I Got the Blues are April 17 Ð May 3 (previews 4/15 & 4/16). The performance schedule is: Wednesdays through Fridays at 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m; and Sundays at 2 p.m. Post-show discussions are scheduled for Thursday, April 23 and Sunday, April 26.

Ticket prices are $6 - $10. Student, senior (over 60), Corporate Partner, DePaul employee and DePaul alumni discounts are available. Performances are held at the Victory Gardens Studio, 2257 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago. Discount parking is available at the Children's Memorial Hospital garage. The theatre is close to public transportation. To purchase tickets, call the Victory Gardens Box Office at (773) 871-3000.

Playwright CLIFFORD ODETS (1906 - 1963) is considered a leading dramatist of the theatre of social protest that became prevalent during the 1930s. An original member of New York's famous Group Theatre, he was a major contributor to that company's considerable influence on the American stage. His plays Waiting for Lefty (1935), Till the Day I Die (1935), Paradise Lost (1935), Golden Boy (1937) and Awake and Sing all premiered at the Group Theatre. Later he enjoyed success as a writer and director in Hollywood. Mr. Odets is also the author of the plays The Big Knife (1949), The Country Girl (1950) and The Flowering Peach (1954), among others.

Director PETER HOBERT received his B.F.A. in Acting from The Theatre School in 1989 and has spent time working in Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles. His acting credits include roles in Awake and Sing, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Macbeth, Fool for Love, and Your Home in the West at Steppenwolf Theatre Company. As a director, Mr. Hobert's credits include Awake and Sing, Our Town, SubUrbia, The Innocents' Crusade, Metropolitan Opera and The Diviners. His film and television credits include Backdraft, A Tree with Arms, House Apart and G.I. Joe. In 1995, Mr. Hobert became an adjunct faculty member of The Theatre School, where he teaches Acting.

Scenic designer NATASZA NACZAS is an advanced student in Scenic Design Program at The Theatre School, where she was recently the assistant scenic designer for the Chicago Playworks production of The Secret Garden. Costume designer JESSICA ANEST is an advanced student in the school's Costume Design Program. She designed costumes for the Chicago Playworks production of Bridge to Terabithia. Lighting designer JEREMY GETZ is an advanced student in the Lighting Design Program. He was assistant lighting designer for The Secret Garden. Sound designer JEFFREY WEBB is the resident sound designer at DePaul's Merle Reskin Theatre.

Further information about I Got the Blues and The Theatre School is available via the Internet on The Theatre School's Website, located at http://theatreschool.depaul.edu .

The Theatre School, DePaul University, was founded as the Goodman School of Drama in 1925 and is a member of the League of Chicago Theaters, the Illinois Arts Alliance and the Illinois Alliance for Arts Education.