WHEATON – Wheaton native Emily Casey, an actress and playwright, will soon have her work displayed on stage.

Casey, a 2002 graduate of Wheaton North High School, has co-adapted Chicago theater company The Hypocrites' upcoming world premiere of "Johanna Faustus" with Hypocrites Artistic Director Sean Graney. The production will be staged from May 20 to 29 at The Den Theatre's Heath Main Stage, 1329 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago.

Tickets are available at the-hypocrites.com.

Suburban Life reporter Eric Schelkopf recently had the chance to talk to Casey about the upcoming show.

Schelkopf: I understand that this is your first professional production as a playwright, and the first time that Sean Graney has collaborated with another writer on a play. How did you get involved in the production, and what was that experience like?

Casey: I have been involved with The Hypocrites as an actor for the past two years. Sean has adapted a lot of plays. He is really brilliant at adaptations. ... He wanted me to modernize the play. The script has gone through a lot of changes, and I've learned a lot. ... Now it's what it is, and people are going to see it. It's the first play that I've completed. In the last couple of years, I've become interested in playwriting. Finishing is always harder than starting. This is my first finished product.

Schelkopf: Is that what you want to do now, be a playwright?

Casey: I would love to include that in what I do. As an actor, you don't always get to use your creative impulses.

Schelkopf: What would you like people to come away with from this production?

Casey: First of all, it's funny. So I hope that people have fun. ... And secondly, it deals with the idea of religion, and our modern take at Faust. Faust is set on a mission to destroy religion. ... The play is sort of wondering if there is validity to religion in this day and age. So I think I would like audiences to walk away with sort of a new respect for religion. Or if they already are very religious, maybe a new respect for people who are not religious themselves and an understanding for different perspectives.