Aug. 10--House Theatre of Chicago is creating a new show based on one of the worst air disasters in U.S. history -- the 1989 crash of a Chicago-bound United Airlines DC-10 flight in Sioux City, Iowa. Of the 296 people on board flight 232, 111 died in the crash-landing, while 185 survived. The new piece, titled "United Flight 232," is an adaptation by longtime House collaborator Vanessa Stalling of Laurence Gonzales' book "Flight 232: A Story of Disaster and Survival."
Stalling will also serve as director. Gonzalez' work homes in on the last 44 minutes of the flight, when it seemed that the plane was going to crash and the passengers and crew tried to avert disaster while also contemplating their likely fate. The crash was a result of engine failure, leading to a loss of control of the plane. "United Flight 232" is slated to open in March 2016 at the Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division St. It was the last title to be announced as part of House's 2015-16 season.
