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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
| 3 | Representatives are pleased to remember Etel Billig for her | ||||||
| 4 | many years of service to the south suburban community, her | ||||||
| 5 | dedication to local theatre, and her love for her family and | ||||||
| 6 | friends; and
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| 7 | WHEREAS, Etel Billig was born on December 16, 1932, in New | ||||||
| 8 | York City; she was the daughter of Anthony and Martha Papa; she | ||||||
| 9 | earned her bachelor's and master's degrees at New York | ||||||
| 10 | University; Etel lived in Park Forest since 1964, with the | ||||||
| 11 | exception of the years 1974 to 1976, when she lived in Omaha, | ||||||
| 12 | Nebraska while performing at a dinner theater; and
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| 13 | WHEREAS, Etel Billig had a theatrical career of more than | ||||||
| 14 | 50 years, which included performances at the Goodman Theatre, | ||||||
| 15 | the Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook Terrace, the Candlelight | ||||||
| 16 | Dinner Playhouse, and the Court Theatre; she also performed in | ||||||
| 17 | productions at the Wisdom Bridge Theatre in Chicago, the Forum, | ||||||
| 18 | and the Body Politic Theater; and
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| 19 | WHEREAS, Etel Billig and her husband, Steve Billig, founded | ||||||
| 20 | the Illinois Theatre Center in 1976; during her 36 years with | ||||||
| 21 | the theatre, she appeared in or directed more than 120 | ||||||
| 22 | productions; and
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| 1 | WHEREAS, Etel Billig was a cherished mentor to many actors, | ||||||
| 2 | including Michael Shannon, an Academy Award nominee for best | ||||||
| 3 | actor for his role in "Revolutionary Road", who got his first | ||||||
| 4 | acting role at ITC, and Sally Murphy, who appeared on the TV | ||||||
| 5 | shows "The Good Wife" and "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" and | ||||||
| 6 | now is starring in "Time Stands Still" at the Steppenwolf | ||||||
| 7 | Theatre; and
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| 8 | WHEREAS, Etel Billig taught theater at Prairie State | ||||||
| 9 | College; she served as the president of the Southland Regional | ||||||
| 10 | Arts Council and as a member of the Theatre Advisory Panel of | ||||||
| 11 | the Illinois Arts Council; she participated in many area | ||||||
| 12 | charity events in her area and received numerous awards for her | ||||||
| 13 | contributions to the arts, including the Women Together Award | ||||||
| 14 | from the Abby Foundation, the Risk Taking Award from the | ||||||
| 15 | National Organization for Women, the Linda Morgan Award from | ||||||
| 16 | the Chicago Southland Convention & Visitors Bureau, and the | ||||||
| 17 | Athena Award; she was also elected to the Park Forest Hall of | ||||||
| 18 | Fame; and
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| 19 | WHEREAS, Etel Billig passed away on March 28, 2012, after | ||||||
| 20 | suffering a brain aneurysm at her desk at her beloved theater | ||||||
| 21 | on the previous day; and
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| 22 | WHEREAS, Etel Billig was preceded in death by her parents, | ||||||
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| 1 | Anthony and Martha Papa, and her husband, Steve Billig; and | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, Etel Billig is survived by her sons, Curt and | ||||||
| 3 | Jonathan; therefore, be it
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| 4 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | ||||||
| 5 | NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 6 | we remember and honor Etel Billig for her great influence on | ||||||
| 7 | theatre in Chicago and her great dedication to her community, | ||||||
| 8 | family, and friends; and be it further
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| 9 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 10 | presented to the family of Etel Billig as a symbol of our | ||||||
| 11 | esteem and respect.
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