Pay-What-You-Can At The Midwest Premiere of LANGUAGE ROOMS Via Broken Nose Theatre April 19 – May 18, 2019 at The Den Theatre

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Midwest Premiere!

Broken Nose Theatre Presents

LANGUAGE ROOMS

By Yussef El Guindi

Directed by Kaiser Zaki Ahmed

April 19 – May 18, 2019 at The Den Theatre

All Performances Pay-What-You-Can!

(left to right) Bradford Stevens, Bassam Abdelfattah, Salar Ardebili and Bilal Dardai in a publicity image for Broken Nose Theatre’s Midwest premiere of LANGUAGE ROOMS. Photo by Spenser Davis.

I'll be ChiILin' at The Den with Chi, IL's Broken Nose Theatre for the press opening April 22nd, so check back soon for my full review. Broken Nose Theatre is pleased to continue its seventh season with the Midwest premiere of Yussef El Guindi’s dark comedy LANGUAGE ROOMS, directed by Kaiser Zaki Ahmed, playing April 19 – May 18, 2019 at BNT’s resident home, The Den Theatre (2A), 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood. Tickets are currently available at www.brokennosetheatre.com. Tickets for all Broken Nose Theatre productions are available on a “pay-what-you-can” basis, allowing patrons to set their own price and ensuring theatre remains economically accessible for all audiences. 

LANGUAGE ROOMS features Bassam Abdelfattah, Salar Ardebili, Bilal Dardai and Bradford Stevens.

Ahmed loves America, and he’s proud to prove his patriotism whenever possible. He pays his taxes, he dresses for success at the office, and he’s made a point to be the best interrogator at this particular government detainment facility. So when a rumor swirls around the water cooler calling his loyalty into question, he works to do whatever’s necessary to maintain his reputation as one of “the good ones.” But when you’re an immigrant, can you ever truly be at home in a country always ready to view you as an enemy? Part The Office, part 1984, LANGUAGE ROOMS examines the paranoia polluting our political climate.

Comments Artistic Director Elise Marie Davis, “We at Broken Nose are consistently looking for plays that center around characters, or are set in worlds, that rarely have the opportunity to make it onstage, and Yussef's play is no different. Language Rooms is a dark comedy about state-sanctioned torture, a hilarious and horrifying balancing act in which the belly laughs are immediately followed by gut punches. After admiring the work he's done at his home company of Jackalope Theatre for years, we're thrilled to be working with director Kaiser Zaki Ahmed for the first time. We cannot wait for Chicago audiences to see what this cast and production team have in store.”

* Denotes BNT company member   ^ Denotes BNT artistic associate      

Cast (in alphabetical order): Bassam Abdelfattah (Nassar), Salar Ardebili (Ahmed), Bilal Dardai (Samir) and Bradford Stevens (Kevin).

Location: The Den Theatre (2A), 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago
Dates: Previews: Friday, April 19 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, April 20 at 7:30 pm
Opening: Sunday, April 21 at 3 pm
Press performance: Monday, April 22 at 7:30 pm
Regular run: Thursday, April 25 – Saturday, May 18, 2019
Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 3 pm
Industry night: Monday, May 6 at 7:30 pm
Understudy night: Wednesday, May 15 at 7:30 pm
Tickets: Pay-what-you-can. Tickets are currently available at www.brokennosetheatre.com.

About the Artists

Yussef El Guindi’s (Playwright) productions include The Talented Ones at Artists Repertory Theatre in Portland; Our Enemies: Lively Scenes of Love and Combat at Golden Thread Productions; An Evening with Activists at Cutting Ball Theater; Collaborator at Macha Monkey Productions; Threesome at Portland Center Stage, ACT and at 59E59 (winner of a Portland Drammy for Best Original Script); Pilgrims Musa and Sheri in the New World (winner of the Steinberg/ American Theater Critics Association’s New Play Award in 2012; and the 2011 Gregory Award) also at ACT and at Center Repertory Company (Walnut Creek, CA) 2013; and Language Rooms (Edgerton Foundation New American Play Award), co-produced by Golden Thread Productions and the Asian American Theater Company in San Francisco; at the Wilma Theater in Philadelphia (premiere), and at the Los Angeles Theater Center. Our Enemies: Lively Scenes of Love and Combat was also produced by Silk Road Theater Project and won the M. Elizabeth Osborn award. His plays Back of the Throat, Pilgrims Musa and Sheri in the New World, Jihad Jones and the Kalashnikov Babes, Such a Beautiful Voice is Sayeda’s and Karima’s City have been published by Dramatists Play Service. His play Ten Acrobats in an Amazing Leap of Faith is included in Salaam/Peace: An Anthology of Middle Eastern-American Playwrights, published by TCG, 2009. Our Enemies: Lively Scenes of Love and Combat is included in the anthology Four Arab American Plays published by McFarland Books. And Threesome is published by Broadway Play Publishing Inc. Yussef is the recipient of the 2010 Middle East America Distinguished Playwright Award, and Seattle’s 2015 Stranger’s Genius Award.

Kaiser Zaki Ahmed (Director) is a Chicago-based theatre director, actor and teacher. An alum of Columbia College Chicago’s Theatre Directing program, Kaiser specializes in actor-driven new American plays. Most recently, he assistant directed Guards at the Taj (Steppenwolf) and Hand to God (Victory Gardens). Kaiser was the Founding Artistic Director of Jackalope, from its inception in May of 2008 through the end of 2011, and continues to serve as the Associate Artistic Director. At Jackalope, Kaiser has directed the Jeff-Nominated 1980 (or Why I'm Voting for John Anderson), The Raid, The Killing of Michael X, Long Way Go Down, Slaughter City, The Last Exodus of American Men, and countless readings and short plays. Kaiser is also an Artistic Associate at The Artistic Home Theatre Company. A member there since 2005, he directed the Jeff-Nominated Midwest Premiere of The Late Henry Moss, House of Yes and assistant directed several others. Kaiser also directed Vanya (or That’s Life!) and Washer/Dryer at Rasaka Theatre. Kaiser is a 2015-16 Eugene O’Neill National Directors Fellowship Finalist, a 2016-17 Victory Gardens Directors Inclusion Initiative recipient and an Associate Member of SDC. Favorite acting work includes Ideation and Lunacy! (Jackalope Theatre), A Nice Indian Boy (Rasaka Theatre) and The Seagull (Artistic Home Theatre), The Awake (First Floor Theatre) and several film and commercial spots. He is represented by Gray Talent.

About Broken Nose Theatre:

Broken Nose Theatre is a Pay-What-You-Can theatre company. Founded in 2012, BNT was this year's recipient of the Emerging Theater Award, presented by the League of Chicago Theatres and Broadway in Chicago. The company has produced and developed 15 full-length plays (including 8 Chicago or World Premieres) and over 40 new womencentric short plays through their annual Bechdel Fest. We strive to spark conversation, cultivate empathy, and amplify underrepresented voices, and are committed to making new, exciting and relevant theatre that is economically accessible to all audiences. For more information, please visit www.brokennosetheatre.com.

OPENING: Chicago Premiere of I’M GONNA PRAY FOR YOU SO HARD Via First Floor Theater April 20 – May 18, 2019 at The Den Theatre

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Chicago Premiere!

First Floor Theater Presents

I’M GONNA PRAY FOR YOU SO HARD

By Halley Feiffer

Directed by Cole von Glahn


April 20 – May 18, 2019 at The Den Theatre

Tim Kidwell and Amanda Caryl Fink in a publicity image for First Floor Theater’s Chicago premiere of I’M GONNA PRAY FOR YOU SO HARD. Photo by Sam Doyle Photography.

I'll be out for the press opening April 24th, so check back soon for my full review. First Floor Theater is pleased to conclude its seventh season with the Chicago premiere of Halley Feiffer’s blisteringly funny play I’M GONNA PRAY FOR YOU SO HARD, directed by Cole von Glahn, playing April 20 – May 18, 2019 at FFT’s resident home, The Den Theatre (2B), 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago. Tickets are currently available at firstfloortheater.com. 

Ella is a precocious and fiercely competitive actress with a desperate need to make her father David, a famous playwright, proud. Over the course of a boozy, drug-fueled evening, Ella and David pass the time digging into family history, artistic passion and unspoken fears as they wait for the reviews, but what is unearthed can't simply be reburied. This daring play pulls the audience into the middle of a deeply complicated relationship, exploring how we build and break idealized versions of our loved ones.

The production team for I’M GONNA PRAY FOR YOU SO HARD includes: Joy Ahn (scenic design), Alexis Chaney (costume design), Becca Jeffords (lighting design), Sarah Espinoza (sound design), Claire Stone (properties design), Carrie Hardin (dialect coach), Anastar Alvarez (stage manager) and Caitlin McCarthy (production manager).


Cast: (in alphabetical order): Amanda Caryl Fink (Ella) and Tim Kidwell (David).

Location: The Den Theatre (2B), 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago
Dates: Previews: Saturday, April 20 at 7:30 pm, Sunday, April 21 at 3 pm and Tuesday, April 23 at 7:30 pm.
Press Performance: Wednesday, April 24 at 7:30 pm
Regular Run: Friday, April 26 – Saturday, May 18, 2019
Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 3 pm.
Industry Nights: Monday, April 29 at 7:30 pm and Monday, May 13 at 7:30 pm.
Tickets: Previews: $8. Regular Run: $25. Students $20. Tickets are currently available at firstfloortheater.com.

About the Artists
Halley Feiffer (Playwright) Halley Feiffer is a New York-based writer and actress. Her plays have been produced, commissioned and developed by Manhattan Theatre Club, Second Stage, New York Theatre Workshop, LAByrinth Theater Company, The O’Neill, The Orchard Project, Berkshire Theatre Group, Naked Angels, Cape Cod Theatre Project, SPACE on Ryder Farm, Keen Company, Partial Comfort Productions and the Amoralists. She is currently working on a stage adaption of THE BOY KINGS, Kate Losse's memoir about working at Facebook during its rising year. Halley is an alumna of terraNOVA’s Groundbreakers Playwrights’ Group, a former resident writer for Blue Man Group, former Playwright in Residence at Stella Adler Studio and a winner of the Young Playwrights Competition and the Lotos Foundation Prize. She is currently under commission by Manhattan Theatre Club/The Sloan Foundation, Jen Hoguet Productions and Playwrights Horizons. Her work is published by Dramatists Play Service, Overlook Press, Vintage Books, Applause Books, and Smith & Kraus. Halley co-wrote and starred in the 2013 film HE'S WAY MORE FAMOUS THAN YOU, and co-created and stars in the web series WHAT'S YOUR EMERGENCY for Stage17.tv (both directed by Michael Urie). She holds a BA from Wesleyan University.

Cole von Glahn (Director) Cole von Glahn is a Chicago-based director and production manager. He has been working with First Floor since moving to Chicago in 2015 before becoming the Director of Production in 2016. In that time, he has produced over a dozen company shows and events. Additionally, Cole serves as the Production Manager at Raven Theatre. In the past, he has administered and managed with Cherry Lane, Neverbird Project, Cleveland Play House, Northlight Theatre, and Marin Theatre Company. Outside of theatre, Cole is a board game designer and collaborative storyteller. He holds degrees in Drama and Sociology from Tufts University.

About First Floor Theater
Founded in 2012, First Floor Theater stages stories of individuals facing moments of radical change. Through a process of collaborative dramaturgy, FFT expands these stories to ask urgent social questions. For more information on First Floor Theater, visit firstfloortheater.com.

OPENING: HANNAH AND MARTIN Via Shattered Globe Theatre April 11 – May 25, 2019 at Theater Wit

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Shattered Globe Theatre Presents

HANNAH AND MARTIN

By Kate Fodor

Directed by SGT Ensemble Member Louis Contey

April 11 – May 25, 2019 at Theater Wit

Shattered Globe Theatre is pleased to conclude its 2018-19 Season with Kate Fodor’s drama HANNAH AND MARTIN, directed by SGT Ensemble Member Louis Contey*. This World War II drama in which a passionate love affair is abruptly interrupted by political realities will play April 11 – May 25, 2019 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. Single tickets are currently available at www.shatteredglobe.org, by calling (773) 975-8150 or in person at the Theater Wit Box Office. 

HANNAH AND MARTIN features SGT Ensemble Member Christina Gorman* as Hannah Arendt and guest artist Lawrence Grimm as Martin Heidegger with Ensemble MembersDoug McDade*, Daria Harper*, Cortney McKenna*, Steven Peebles* and Drew Schad*, and former Protégé Jazzma Pryor+.  

Based on the tumultuous love affair between German-Jewish political theorist Hannah Arendt and her mentor, the celebrated German philosopher Martin Heidegger, this emotionally intense drama focuses on the crisis that erupts when Arendt discovers that her former teacher is using his brilliance and fame to help further the goals of the Nazi Party. HANNAH AND MARTIN is a provocative exploration into the activity of thinking and its relation to passion, love, and politics.

Comments Director Louis Contey, “Is it a sin to take a hand outstretched for help or to refuse, if it comes from one who has sinned? This is the central question of Kate Fodor’s play Hannah and Martin. Since I saw the original production, it has been a passion of mine to explore Hannah Arendt’s question, that is also our question, a very personal one worthy of exploration. Is it a matter of forgiveness or of politics? What happens when we as human beings divorce our compassion from our ideas and philosophies about society and civilization? Add to the mix fame, ego, an illicit affair and cold intellect against the backdrop of the Nuremberg Trials and we have a powerful confrontation of moral conscience and elitism.”

The production team for HANNAH AND MARTIN includes: Nick Mozak (scenic design), Hailey Rakowiecki^ (costume design), Simean Carpenter (lighting design), Christopher Kriz^ (music and sound design), Jonathan Berg-Einhorn (props design), Lucille Schuh (production manager), Judy Anderson* (executive production manager), Denise Savas(stage manager) and Ayanna Wimberly^ (assistant stage manager). 

Cast (in alphabetical order): Christina Gorman* (Hannah Arendt), Lawrence Grimm (Martin Heidegger), Daria Harper* (Gertrud Jaspers, Judge), Doug McDade* (Karl Jaspers, Prosecutor), Cortney McKenna* (Elfride Heidegger), Steve Peebles* (Günther Stern, Radio Announcer), Jazzma Pryor+ (Alice, Seminar Student) and Drew Schad* (Baldur von Schirach).

Location: Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago
Dates: Previews: Thursday, April 11 at 8 pm, Friday, April 12 at 8 pm and Saturday, April 13 at 8 pm
Press Performance: Sunday, April 14 at 3 pm
Regular Run: Thursday, April 18 – Saturday, May 25, 2019
Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 8 pm; Sundays at 3 pm. Please note: there will not be a performance on Friday, May 17; there will be an added matinee on Saturday, May 25 at 3 pm.
Touch Tour/Audio Description Performance: Friday, May 3 – 6:30 pm touch tour, 8 pm performance with audio description. $20 tickets available with code “ACCESS.”
Global Perspectives: SGT will be hosting post-show discussions immediately following 3 pm performances on Sundays.

Tickets: Previews: Pay-what-you-can (April 11), $20 (April 12-13) Regular Run: $15 - $39. Student Rush tickets available day of performance for $15. $15 industry tickets on Thursdays with code “INDUSTRY.” Single tickets are currently available at www.shatteredglobe.org, in person at the Theater Wit Box Office or by calling (773) 975-8150. Group discounts are currently available by contacting groupsales@shatteredglobe.org or by calling (773) 770-0333.

*Denotes SGT Ensemble Member  ^Denotes SGT Artistic Associate  +Denotes SGT Protégé Alumna

About the Artists:

Kate Fodor (Playwright) is a 2013 Guggenheim fellow in playwriting. Her comedy Rx was produced Off-Broadway by Primary Stages and will had its Los Angeles premiere in January 2014. Her plays have also been produced by Playwrights Horizons, Epic Theatre Ensemble, San Jose Repertory Theatre, London’s Courtyard Theatre and Chicago’s TimeLine Theatre Company, among others. She has been a resident playwright at New Dramatists since 2008. Kate’s play Hannah and Martin received the Kennedy Center’s Roger L. Stevens Award, a Joseph Jefferson Citation, an After Dark Award and a finalist position for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. 100 Saints You Should Know received the National Theatre Conference’s Stavis Award and was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award, as well as being named one of the 10 Best Plays of the year by Entertainment Weekly and Time Out New York. The plays are published by Dramatists Play Service and have been anthologized and excerpted in a number of volumes from Smith & Kraus. Kate’s work has been developed at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Hartford Stage and Centre Theater Group. She has been named one of “Eight to Watch” by The New York Times and has received commissions from Chautauqua Theater Company, Center Theater Group and The Playwrights’ Center, where she was the recipient of the 2011-2012 McKnight National Residency.  

Louis Contey (Director) marks his 24th SGT collaboration with Hannah and Martin. For SGT, Lou has also directed Crime and Punishment, The Heavens are Hung in Black ,The Tall Girls, In the Heat of the Night, A View From The Bridge, The Manchurian Candidate, A Streetcar Named Desire, All My Sons, Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?, Peter Pan, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Warhawks and Lindberghs, Holy Ghosts, Judgment at Nuremberg, Requiem for a Heavyweight, The Whaleship Essex, Meet John Doe, The Lower Depths, Escape From Happiness, Real Classy Affair, Rocket to the Moon, Anna Karenina and Brilliant Traces. He has directed over 75 plays, among them The Master & Margarita, Marriage Play, The Diviners, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth and Hamlet. He is an Associate Artist at TimeLine Theatre, where he directed Frost/Nixon, Awake And Sing!, The General from America, Lillian, Copenhagen, It’s All True, Pravda, Paradise Lost, A House With No Walls, The Apple Family Plays and The Price. He has also worked at The Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Strawdog Theatre, Theatre at the Center, Buffalo Theatre Ensemble, Provision Theatre, Eclipse Theatre and American Theater Company. He is a twelve-time Jeff nominee and has received seven Jeff Citations, as well as an After Dark Award. He teaches part-time at The Theatre School/DePaul University where he received his MFA in Directing.



About Shattered Globe Theatre

Shattered Globe Theatre (Sandy Shinner, Producing Artistic Director; Doug McDade, Managing Director) was born in a storefront space on Halsted Street in 1991. Since then, SGT has produced more than 60 plays, including nine American and world premieres, and garnered an impressive 42 Jeff Awards and 106 Jeff Award nominations, as well as the acclaim of critics and audiences alike. Shattered Globe is an ensemble driven theater whose mission is to create an intimate, visceral theater experience that challenges the perspective of audience and artist alike through passionate storytelling. Shattered Globe is inspired by the diversity of our city and committed to making the theater available to all audiences. Through initiatives such as the Protégé Program, Shattered Globe creates a space which allows emerging artists to grow and share in the ensemble experience.
Shattered Globe Theatre is partially supported and funded by generous grants from The Shulman-Rochambeau Charitable Foundation, The James P. and Brenda S. Grusecki Family Foundation, Alphawood Foundation, The Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, The MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, The Illinois Arts Council, a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events, The Shubert Foundation, The Bayless Family Foundation, The Blum-Kovler Family Foundation, and The Robert J. & Loretta W. Cooney Family Foundation.

For more information on Shattered Globe Theatre, please visit www.shatteredglobe.org.

$25 DIGITAL LOTTERY AND RUSH TICKET POLICY FOR JERSEY BOYS AT CHICAGO'S AUDITORIUM THEATRE APRIL 2-7, 2019

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

BROADWAY IN CHICAGO ANNOUNCES DIGITAL LOTTERY AND RUSH

TICKET POLICY FOR JERSEY BOYS

THE TONY® AWARD-WINNING BEST MUSICAL IS BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND FOR ONE WEEK ONLY

PRESENTED BY BROADWAY IN CHICAGO AT THE AUDITORIUM THEATRE

APRIL 2-7, 2019

I'll be out for the press opening, so check back soon for my full review. Broadway In Chicago is delighted to announce there will be a digital lottery and rush tickets for Tony Award ®- winning JERSEY BOYS. Back by popular demand, JERSEY BOYS will return to Chicago for a limited one-week engagement April 2 – 7, 2019. Broadway In Chicago presents the show at the Auditorium Theatre (50 E. Ida B. Wells Dr.).

The digital lottery will begin April 1 at 9AM, and 26 tickets will be sold for every performance at $25 each. The lottery will happen online only the day before each performance.  In addition, a limited number of day-of-show rush tickets will be offered for each performance at $39 each. These will be available at all performances of the run for purchase in-person at the Auditorium Theatre box office beginning when the box office opens daily.  Seat locations vary per performance for the digital lottery and day-of show tickets.

HOW TO ENTER THE DIGITAL LOTTERY
·Visit https://www.broadwayinchicago.com/show/jersey-boys/
·Follow the link “Click here for details and to enter the lottery”
·Click the “Enter Now” button for the performance you want to attend.
·Fill out the entry form including the number of tickets you would like (1 or 2). Patrons will receive a confirmation email once they have validated their email (one time only) and successfully entered the lottery.
·After the lottery closes, patrons will be notified via email within minutes as to whether they have won or not.
·Winners have 60 minutes from the time the lottery closes to pay online with a credit card.
·After payment has been received, patrons can pick up tickets at the Auditorium Theatre box office (50 E. Ida B. Wells Dr.) no sooner than 30 minutes before show time with a valid photo ID.

DIGITAL LOTTERY ADDITIONAL RULES
Limit 1 entry per person, per performance. Multiple entries will not be accepted. Patrons must be 18 years old and have a valid, non-expired photo ID that matches the names used to enter. Tickets are non-transferable. All lottery prices include a $3.50 facility fee. Ticket limits and prices displayed are at the sole discretion of the show and are subject to change without notice. Lottery prices are not valid on prior purchases. Lottery ticket offer cannot be combined with any other offers or promotions. All sales final - no refunds or exchanges.  Lottery may be revoked or modified at any time without notice. No purchase necessary to enter or win.  A purchase will not improve your chances of winning.

ABOUT JERSEY BOYS
Directed by two-time Tony® Award-winner Des McAnuff, JERSEY BOYS won the 2006 Tony® Award for Best Musical, the 2006 Grammy Award® for Best Musical Show Album, the 2009 Olivier Award for Best New Musical, the 2010 Helpmann Award for Best Musical (Australia). JERSEY BOYS is written by Academy Award® -winner Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, with music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe and choreography by Sergio Trujillo.

JERSEY BOYS is the behind-the-music story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons.  They were just four guys from Jersey, until they sang their very first note. They had a sound nobody had ever heard… and the radio just couldn’t get enough of. But while their harmonies were perfect on stage, off stage it was a very different story – a story that has made them an international sensation all over again. The show features all their hits including “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Oh What A Night,” “Walk Like A Man,” “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” and “Working My Way Back To You.”

For more information, visit the JERSEY BOYS website at www.JerseyBoysTour.com.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Tuesday, April 2 at 7:30PM 
Wednesday, April 3 at 2PM and 7:30PM
Thursday, April 4 at 7:30PM 
Friday, April 5 at 7:30PM 
Saturday, April 6 at 2PM and 8PM
Sunday, April 7 at 2PM

TICKET INFORMATION
Individual tickets will are on-sale now and range in price from $30-$115, with a select number of premium tickets available. Tickets are available now for groups of 10 or more by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710 or emailing GroupSales@BroadwayInChicago.com.  For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com. 

ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO
Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 19 years has grown to be one of the largest commercial touring homes in the country.  A Nederlander Presentation, Broadway In Chicago lights up the Chicago Theater District entertaining more than 1.7 million people annually in five theatres. Broadway In Chicago presents a full range of entertainment, including musicals and plays, on the stages of five of the finest theatres in Chicago’s Loop including the Cadillac Palace Theatre, CIBC Theatre, James M. Nederlander Theatre, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place and presenting Broadway shows at the Auditorium Theatre.

Broadway In Chicago proudly celebrates 2019 as the Year of Chicago Theatre.

For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

Facebook @BroadwayInChicago ● Twitter @broadwaychicago ● Instagram @broadwayinchicago ● #broadwayinchicago

GIVEAWAY: WIN 4 Tickets ($176) for THE FIRESTORM Via First Folio Theatre through April 28, 2019

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

FIRST FOLIO THEATRE PRESENTS 

THE FIRESTORM 

MARCH 27- APRIL 28

Enter Below for your Chance to 

WIN 4 Tickets ($176) 

for THE FIRESTORM Via First Folio Theatre through April 28, 2019 

(winner's choice of any performance Wednesday-Sunday). Enter through midnight 4/12.

Ready for a double date at a mansion, girls' night out, family fun with the teens...?! ChiIL Live Shows is partnering with First Folio on another fabulous ticket giveaway for our readers. Grab 3 friends and catch a great show on us! Enter early & often. We'll announce our winner Saturday, April 13th.

In its 23rd season, First Folio Theatre (Mayslake Peabody Estate, 31st St. & Rt. 83.) is exploring the consequences of today’s info-saturated environment with Meridith Friedman’s politically-charged production THE FIRESTORM. Directed by Artistic Associate Rachel Lambert, THE FIRESTORM highlights the repercussions “call-out culture” has on relationships, explores the challenges and triumphs of interracial relationships, and notes how couples can navigate the world together in a highly-politicized society. THE FIRESTORM runs through April 28, 2019.

THE FIRESTORM follows Gaby and Patrick, an interracial political power couple hot on the campaign trail. The couple is thrust into the center of a media frenzy when a racially charged incident from Patrick’s past surfaces. As the pressure intensifies, the political becomes explosively personal and the foundation of their seemingly picture-perfect marriage begins to fracture. The stunning production leaves audience members begging the question: when the past comes to haunt us, what do we do with the ghosts?

“We are excited to present The Firestorm to audiences at First Folio Theatre,” said Artistic Associate Rachel Lambert. “With focus on personal integrity, internal struggles with identity, and one’s moral compass, The Firestorm is an incredible, timely play. We are particularly thrilled to offer audiences an abstract experience that leans into the personal experiences of each of the characters in a rapidly moving and surprising way, while acknowledging the political climate of today’s society.”

Starring in THE FIRESTORM are Melanie Loren as Gaby and Steve O’Connell as Patrick, with Samuel Campbell III as Jamal, and Kayla Kennedy as Leslie. The production and design crew include Angela Weber Miller (Scenic and Lighting Design), Christopher Kriz (Original Music and Sound Design), Cassy Schillo (Properties Design) and Stephanie Nguyen (Costume Design) with Colleen Layton (Stage Manager) and Wallace Craig (Assistant Stage Manager).

Performances take place at the Mayslake Peabody Estate, located at 1717 31st St., off Rt. 83, in Oak Brook. First Folio is easy to get to from via the East-West Tollway (I-88) or the Stevenson Expressway (I-55). Free parking is available on the grounds. 

Preview tickets are $25. Regular priced tickets are $34 Wednesdays and Thursdays (seniors and students are $29), and $44 on Fridays through Sundays (seniors and students are $39). Tickets are on sale now and may be purchased by calling the box office at 630.986.8067 or online at www.firstfolio.org.

Enter Here for your Chance to 

WIN 4 Tickets ($176) 

for THE FIRESTORM Via First Folio Theatre through April 28, 2019 

(winner's choice of any performance Wednesday-Sunday). Enter through midnight 4/12.

ENTER HERE

Disclosure: It's our pleasure to partner up with First Folio Theatre once again, on a giveaway for our readers. They have given us complimentary tickets for our giveaway and for review purposes. As always, all opinions are my own.

ONE NIGHT ONLY: All-woman cast to perform staged reading of TWELVE ANGRY MEN

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

All-woman cast to perform staged reading of 

TWELVE ANGRY MEN 

at Pride Arts Center on April 8 at 7:30 pm

Reading is one of hundreds to be performed across the US from April 5 -8 to promote gender equality and voter engagement

An all-star cast of women will lend their impassioned voices to a staged reading of the classic play, TWELVE ANGRY MEN by Reginald Rose, Pride Films and Plays Executive Director David G. Zak announced today. The reading will take place on Monday, April 8 in the  Broadway Theatre of the Pride Arts Center at 4139 N. Broadway. All seats are $10.00 and are available at www.pridefilmsandplays.com.

Top row L-R: Dana N. Anderson, Debbie Banos, Brook Celeste, Colleen DeRosa.

Middle row L-R:  Julia Germeroth, Samie Jo Johnson, Jacquelyne Jones, Diana Kaiser.

Bottom row L-R: Whitney Masters, Joan McGrath, Roxane Saylor, Shannon Leigh Webber.

The reading is one of many such readings across the country from April 5 – 8, as part of an initiative produced by the organization 12,000 Voices, to promote gender equality. The organization’s website notes that 12 ANGRY MEN was written in 1954, 19 years before women were permitted to serve on juries in all 50 states. 12,000 Voices producer Lauren Class Schneider says, “The readings will take place in every nook & cranny of the country: red, blue and purple communities in all 50 states! And after each staged reading there will be the opportunity to update voter registration and learn about voter engagement.  Voter suppression is real. Gerrymandering is real. Our voices and our votes matter. We can increase awareness and participation through the medium we all love.”

For the reading at Pride Arts Center, Brittany Gillespie will direct a cast to include Colleen DeRosa (Juror 1, the foreman), Samie Jo Johnson (Juror 2), Shannon Leigh Webber (Juror 3),  Diana Kaiser (Juror 4), Debbie Baños (Juror 5), Brook Celeste (Juror 6), Julia Germeroth (Juror 7), Dana N. Anderson (Juror 8), Joan McGrath (Juror 9), Roxane Saylor (Juror 10), Whitney Masters (Juror 11), and Jacquelyne Jones (Juror 12).

Following the staged reading on April 8,  audience members, cast, and staff will have the opportunity to update their voter registration,  Information will also be given about how to increase voter registration and voter turnout.

About TWELVE ANGRY MEN

The play was adapted from Reginald Rose’s 1954 teleplay of the same name for the CBS Studio One television series. The success of the made-for-television courtroom drama resulted in a film adaptation directed by Sidney Lumet. TWELVE ANGRY MEN was Lumet's first feature film, and the only producing credit for Henry Fonda, who also starred in the film. Viewed as a classic, the film was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Director, Best Picture, and Best Screenplay. The Broadway debut of TWELVE ANGRY MEN came 50 years after CBS aired the play, opening on October 28, 2004 at the Roundabout Theatre Company’s American Airlines Theatre where it ran for 328 performances and was nominated for three Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Play, Best Actor in a Play, and Best Direction of a Play.

In the story, a 19-year-old man has just stood trial for the fatal stabbing of his father. It looks like an open and shut case until one of the jurors begins opening the others' eyes to the facts. Sequestered in a small room, each juror reveals their own character as the various testimonies are re-examined, and the murder is re-enacted. Tempers get short and arguments grow heated The jurors' final verdict and how they reach it is shown in tense and electrifying scenes.

Brittany Gillespie (Director) is a Chicago based freelance director, casting director, and storyteller. She is proud to be casting director and artistic associate of Stage Left Theatre. Directing credits include: UN-LIKEABLE (Ski-Productions); PASQUINADE PARADE (Crowd Theater); THE VELVETEEN RABBIT (Millbrook Playhouse); and various pieces for Drekfest (Stage Left Theatre) & Big Shoulder Festival (American Theatre Company). Assistant director credits: THE SOURCE (Route 66); WHAT OF THE NIGHT?  (Stage Left & COR); THE BODY OF AN AMERICAN (Stage Left Theatre); BRUISE EASY (American Theatre Company); and LOVE IN THE TIME OF BUMBLEHIVE (Leapfest). Brittany spends her time outside the theater working as a bicycle tour guide and scavenger hunt host. She is a graduate of the University of Arkansas, where she majored in theatre with a concentration in directing and a minor in German.

Monday, April 8 – 7:30 pm
All seats $10.00
Pride Arts Center – the Broadway, 4139 N. Broadway, Chicago
Tickets available by phone at 866-811-4111 or 773-857-0222 or online at www.pridefilmsandplays.com



ABOUT PRIDE FILMS AND PLAYS

Pride Films and Plays is working to produce year-round theater and film projects that change lives through the generation of diverse new work (or work that is new to Chicago) with LGBTQ+ characters or themes that are essential viewing for all audiences. The company produces a five-play season of full productions, shoots one short film each year, and continues our famed play developmental projects. Pride Films and Plays is the principal tenant in Pride Arts Center. 

Pride Arts Center produces events complimenting the PFP vision, including dance, cabaret, film, and more. Events can be one-night or limited run productions or feature national treasures like Charles Busch.  PAC occupies The Broadway at 4139 N. Broadway, which has 85 seats, and The Buena, which has 50 seats at 4147 N Broadway.

Pride Films and Plays is supported by The MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at The Richard Driehaus Foundation, The Illinois Arts Council, City of Chicago’s City Arts Fund, the Elliott Fredland Charitable Trust, Proud to Run, The Pauls Foundation, The Heath Fund, The Service Club of Chicago, the AmazonSmile Foundation, Arts and Business Foundation, Tap Root Foundation, Arts and Business Council, and Alphawood Foundation. 

Pride Films and Plays is a member of the Smart Growth Program of the Chicago Community Trust. Pride Arts is a member of the LGBT Chamber of Commerce of Illinois, Northhalsted Business Association, Uptown United, and The League of Chicago Theatres.

$25 DIGITAL LOTTERY AND RUSH TICKET POLICY FOR CRUEL INTENTIONS: THE ‘90s MUSICAL AT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO’S BROADWAY PLAYHOUSE APRIL 2-14, 2019

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

BROADWAY IN CHICAGO ANNOUNCES DIGITAL LOTTERY AND RUSH TICKET POLICY FOR 

CRUEL INTENTIONS: THE ‘90s MUSICAL

BROADWAY IN CHICAGO’S BROADWAY PLAYHOUSE AT WATER TOWER PLACE

APRIL 2-14, 2019

I'll be out for the press opening April 3rd, so check back soon for my full review.
Broadway In Chicago is delighted to announce there will be a digital lottery and rush tickets for CRUEL INTENTIONS: THE ‘90s MUSICAL, which will play for a limited two-week engagement at Broadway In Chicago’s Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place (175 E. Chestnut) from April 2-14, 2019.

The digital lottery will begin April 1 at 9AM, and 16 tickets will be sold for every performance at $25 each. The lottery will happen online only the day before each performance.  In addition, a limited number of day-of-show rush tickets will be offered for each performance at $39 each. These will be available at all performances of the run for purchase in-person at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place box office beginning when the box office opens daily. Seat locations vary per performance for the digital lottery and day-of show tickets.

HOW TO ENTER THE DIGITAL LOTTERY

· Visit https://www.broadwayinchicago.com/show/cruel-intentions-the-90s-musical/
· Follow the link “Click here for details and to enter the lottery”
· Click the “Enter Now” button for the performance you want to attend.
·Fill out the entry form including the number of tickets you would like (1 or 2). Patrons will receive a confirmation email once they have validated their email (one time only) and successfully entered the lottery.
·After the lottery closes, patrons will be notified via email within minutes as to whether they have won or not.
·Winners have 60 minutes from the time the lottery closes to pay online with a credit card.
· After payment has been received, patrons can pick up tickets at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place (175 E. Chestnut) no sooner than 30 minutes before show time with a valid photo ID.

DIGITAL LOTTERY ADDITIONAL RULES
Limit 1 entry per person, per performance. Multiple entries will not be accepted. Patrons must be 18 years old and have a valid, non-expired photo ID that matches the names used to enter. Tickets are non-transferable. All lottery prices include a $3.50 facility fee. Ticket limits and prices displayed are at the sole discretion of the show and are subject to change without notice. Lottery prices are not valid on prior purchases. Lottery ticket offer cannot be combined with any other offers or promotions. All sales final - no refunds or exchanges.  Lottery may be revoked or modified at any time without notice. No purchase necessary to enter or win.  A purchase will not improve your chances of winning.

ABOUT CRUEL INTENTIONS: THE ‘90s MUSICAL
Set to the greatest pop and rock hits of the ‘90s, CRUEL INTENTIONS: THE ‘90s MUSICAL is an exhilarating and deceptively funny musical that pulls you into the manipulative world of Manhattan’s most dangerous liaisons: Sebastian Valmont and Kathryn Merteuil. Seduced by revenge and fueled by passion, the two diabolically charming step-siblings place a bet on whether or not Sebastian can deflower their incoming headmaster’s daughter, Annette Hargrove. As the two set out to destroy the innocent girl – and anyone who gets in their way – they find themselves entangled in a web of secrets, temptation, and the cruelest game of all: love. Audience members experience the intoxicating story full of hilarity and heart, set to the greatest throwback hits of the decade by such artists as Goo Goo Dolls, No Doubt, R.E.M., Ace of Base, Jewel, ‘NSYNC and more – in addition to songs from the film's iconic soundtrack such as "Bittersweet Symphony” by The Verve and “Colorblind” by Counting Crows.

Coinciding almost perfectly with the 20th anniversary of the Roger Kumble film from which it is based, the new Off-Broadway musical uses hit songs from the 1990s as its central motif. Cast members pay tribute to the decade with stellar performances of The Verve’s “Bittersweet Symphony,” Christina Aguilera’s “Genie In a Bottle,” the Cardigans’ “Lovefool” and the lead single “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” originally by Deep Blue Something. As previously announced, a cast recording featuring the original Off-Broadway company has been released on CD and all digital formats on ABKCO Records. http://www.smarturl.it/cruelmusical

“Everybody loves me and 20 years later I intend to keep it that way, with the support of the exquisite Cruel Intentions Musical and soundtrack. Not that I need support. I don’t, because I’m fabulous,” says Sarah Michelle Gellar.

CRUEL INTENTIONS: THE ‘90s MUSICAL debuted at The Rockwell Table & Stage in Los Angeles in 2015, where it ran for 38 sold-out performances, before being remounted for a second sold-out run at LA’s Prospect Theatre in November 2016. In February 2017, the musical played a sold-out “pop-up” engagement at (le) Poisson Rouge and returned in November 2017 to play a successful twenty-one-week engagement at the downtown NYC nightspot before its final performance on April 8, 2018.

CRUEL INTENTIONS: THE ‘90s MUSICAL was created by Jordan Ross (“The Royals”), Lindsey Rosin and Roger Kumble (“Cruel Intentions”) with original direction by Lindsey Rosin (The Unauthorized OC Musical), Kenneth Ferrone (“RENT Live!”) is the tour director. The production features Choreography by Jennifer Weber (West End: & Juliet), Set Design by Jason Sherwood (“RENT Live!”), Costume Design by Tilly Grimes (Small Mouth Sounds), Lighting Design by Jeanette Yew (The Idiot), and Sound Design by Matt Kraus (Kathy Griffin Wants a Tony).

The CRUEL INTENTIONS: THE ‘90s MUSICAL national tour is produced by Eva Price, Sucker Love Productions, Marty Bowen, Neal Moritz, Hunter Arnold, Blood Orange Pictures, Mark Lonow & Joanne Astrow, Tom McGrath, Rachel Weinstein and Sara Beth Zivitz.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Tuesdays at 7:30PM 
Wednesdays 7:30PM
Thursdays at 7:30PM 
Fridays at 7:30PM 
Saturdays at 2PM and 8PM
Sundays at 2PM and 7:30PM

TICKET INFORMATION
Individual tickets are currently on sale and range in price from $35-$72 with a select number of premium tickets available. Tickets are available now for groups of 10 or more by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710 or emailing GroupSales@BroadwayInChicago.com.  For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com. 

ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO
Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 19 years has grown to be one of the largest commercial touring homes in the country.  A Nederlander Presentation, Broadway In Chicago lights up the Chicago Theater District entertaining more than 1.7 million people annually in five theatres.  Broadway In Chicago presents a full range of entertainment, including musicals and plays, on the stages of five of the finest theatres in Chicago’s Loop including CIBC Theatre, James M. Nederlander Theatre, Cadillac Palace Theatre, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place and presenting Broadway shows at the Auditorium Theatre.


For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

Facebook @BroadwayInChicago ● Twitter @broadwaychicago ● Instagram @broadwayinchicago ● #broadwayinchicago

OPENING: Hell in a Handbag's THE GOLDEN GIRLS: The Lost Episodes, Vol. 3 is Back at Mary's Attic

Hell in a Handbag Productions Presents

THE GOLDEN GIRLS: 

The Lost Episodes, Vol. 3

By Artistic Director David Cerda

Directed by Miles Brindley

(left to right) Adrian Hadlock, Ed Jones, David Cerda and Grant Drager in a publicity image for Hell in a Handbag Productions’ parody THE GOLDEN GIRLS: The Lost Episodes, Vol. 3. 

Photo by Rick Aguilar Studios.

April 25 – August 31, 2019 at Mary’s Attic

Don't miss this! Chicago’s self described geriatric “Fab Four” return in 
THE GOLDEN GIRLS: The Lost Episodes – Vol. 3! 

I'll be ChiILin' with these comedic queens, for the Opening/Press performance: Saturday, April 27 at 7:30 pm, so check back soon for my full review. I adore Hell in a Handbag's fabulous parody tributes to the adventures of Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, and Sophia and I catch every show I can. 

This little gem came across my facebook feed last week and cracked me up, with it's absolute truthiness. 

Wise words for all of us regardless of age, gender, or marital status... I want in, and I'm starting that mission with a spring dose of inspiration via GOLDEN GIRLS: The Lost Episodes!

Join Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, Sophia and their whacky friends and relatives for all new adventures – including the first-ever musical episode. Written by Artistic Director David Cerda and directed by Miles Brindley, the latest installment of Handbag’s hit sitcom parody will play April 25 – August 31, 2019 at Mary’s Attic, 5400 N. Clark St. in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood. Tickets are currently available at www.handbagproductions.org or by calling (or by calling (800) 838-3006. The press opening is Saturday, April 27 at 7:30 pm.

THE GOLDEN GIRLS: The Lost Episodes – Vol. 3 will feature Adrian Hadlock* as Sophia, Ed Jones* as Rose, David Cerda* as Dorothy and Grant Drager* as Blanche with Chazie Bly*, Lori Lee*, Michael Rashid, Danne Taylor and Robert Williams as various silly characters.

Episode One: Caged Miami Heat – Find out what happens when the girls are arrested and thrown in jail for the murder of their long-lost cook, Coco (Michael Rashid).

Episode 2: Singing in the Pain – Can Rose (Ed Jones) overcome her crippling stage fright and perform a duet with her idol, Lyle Waggoner for the big Miami’s Ladies’ Auxiliary fundraiser? This is the first Golden Girls musical episode, so be prepared for songs like, ‘Back in St. Olaf’, ‘You’re a Tramp, Blanche’, and many more.

THE GOLDEN GIRLS: The Lost Episodes series began in 2017 and has been going strong ever since. Chicago loves Handbag’s long-running parody of the classic TV sitcom with original scripts.

The production team includes Christopher Rhoton (scenic design), Gregory Graham (costume design), Danny Rockett (sound design), Keith Ryan* (wigs design), Pam Berman (props design) and Noah Watkins (technical director).

*Denotes Handbag ensemble member.


Cast (in alphabetical order): Chazie Bly* (Baby/Ensemble), David Cerda* (Dorothy), Grant Drager* (Blanche), Adrian Hadlock* (Sophia), Ed Jones* (Rose), Lori Lee* (Host/Ensemble), Michael Rashid (Coco/Ensemble), Danne Taylor (Lottie) and Robert Williams (Miss Jenkins/Ensemble)

Location: Mary’s Attic, 5400 N. Clark St., Chicago

Dates: Previews: Thursday, April 25 at 7:30 pm and Friday, April 26 at 7:30 pm

Regular run: Thursday, May 2 – Sunday, August 31, 2019

Curtain Times: Thursdays at 7:30 pm (through May 30); Friday and Saturday at 7:30 pm (through June 29, plus Friday, August 30 & Saturday August 31); Sundays at 5 pm (June 16, plus June 30 – August 25). Please note: there will be added performances on Sunday, May 26 at 5:30 pm, there will not be a performance on Sunday, July 7 or Sunday, August 4.

Tickets: Previews: $19. Regular run $27 in advance, $31 at the door. Group rates $20 for 10 or more. Tickets are currently available at www.handbagproductions.org or by calling (or by calling (800) 838-3006.

About the Artists
David Cerda (Playwright) is the Artistic Director and co-founder of Hell in a Handbag Productions. Cerda has written or collaborated on POSEIDON! An Upside Down Musical, Caged Dames, Sexy Baby, Lady X: The Musical, Christmas Dearest, Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer, SCARRIE-The Musical, The Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes (Volumes 1 & 2), The Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes: The Holiday Edition, The Halloween Edition, and many others. He has also worked as a songwriter with Amazon Studios and as an actor around Chicago. In 2016, Cerda was in inducted into the Chicago GLBT Hall of Fame and in 2017 he received a Lifetime Achievement Jeff Award for his contributions to the Chicago theater community and philanthropic efforts.

Miles Brindley (Director) is a director, actor and stage manager originally from South Dakota. After graduating from the University of South Dakota with a BFA in Acting, Miles has worked as a stage manager for Long Beach Opera, a company actor for The Black Hills Playhouse, a music theatre director for the International Music Camp, a drama instructor for both Campbell County High School and Freeman Academy, as well as various rolls with several community theaters. Miles' most recent directing projects include Steel Magnolias, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Beauty and the Beast Jr. and The Music Man.




About Hell in a Handbag Productions

Hell in a Handbag is dedicated to the preservation, exploration, and celebration of works ingrained in the realm of popular culture via theatrical productions through parody, music and homage. Handbag is a 501(c)(3) Not for Profit.

Ike Holter's Lottery Day Concludes Acclaimed Seven-Play “Rightlynd Saga” at Goodman Theatre Through APRIL 28, 2019

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

THE WORLD PREMIERE OF LOTTERY DAY CONCLUDES IKE HOLTER’S SEVEN-PLAY “RIGHTLYND SAGA”



MARCH 29 - APRIL 28, 2019

**LILI-ANNE BROWN DIRECTS AN ALL-CHICAGO ENSEMBLE CAST—INCLUDING AURORA ADACHI-WINTER, J. NICOLE BROOKS, SYDNEY CHARLES, MCKENZIE CHINN, ROBERT CORNELIUS, JAMES VINCENT MEREDITH, TOMMY RIVERA-VEGA, TONY SANTIAGO, MICHELE VAZQUEZ AND PAT WHALEN**

I'll be out for the press opening April 8th, so check back soon for my full review. I've caught just about all of Ike Holter's brilliant and compelling seven-play “Rightlynd Saga” over the past 5 years, and can't wait to see what's next with Lottery Day. All of the productions in the saga are set in Rightlynd, a fictitious 51st Chicago ward that has long undergone political corruption and gentrification. Holter's Rightlynd feels like present day Chicago reality, with the freedom of works of fiction. It's a compelling mix!

“Not everyone will go home a winner” in Goodman Theatre's world-premiere production of Lottery Day by Ike Holter, which appears through April 28 in the Owen Theatre. Holter concludes his seven-play “Rightlynd Saga”—the first play of which premiered five years ago, and has been hailed as “one of the most significant literary achievements in modern-day Chicago” (Chicago Tribune)—with a raucous theatrical bash, directed by Chicago native Lili-Anne Brown. Commissioned by the Goodman and developed through its New Stages Festival of new plays, Lottery Day takes place in a Rightlynd backyard where new characters and returning characters from the saga come together to create a work about the cost of belonging and the gift of community. Lottery Day appears through April 28 in the Owen Theatre. Tickets ($15 - $49; subject to change) are now on sale at GoodmanTheatre.org/LotteryDay, by phone at 312.443.3800 or at the box office (170 North Dearborn). The National Endowment for the Arts is the Major Production Sponsor and Laurents/Hatcher Foundation is the Institutional Partner.



“Lottery Day serves as the perfect capstone for our 2018/2019 Owen Theatre Season, as it invites newcomers and Ike Holter veterans alike into its realm, exploring the socioeconomics of a gentrifying neighborhood by acquainting (or reacquainting) the audience with 10 of its citizens with unusually high stakes,” said Artistic Director Robert Falls. “In addition to welcoming Ike for his Goodman debut, I am also pleased to welcome director Lili-Anne Brown, a longtime Chicago theater artist who has worked at Bailiwick Chicago, where she served as artistic director, and 16th Street Theatre, Kokandy Productions and American Theatre Company.”

J. Nicole Brooks (Mallory) in the Goodman world premiere of Lottery Day by Ike Holter, directed by Lili-Anne Brown (March 29 – April 28, 2019). GoodmanTheatre.org/LotteryDay

The production follows the matriarch, Mallory (J. Nicole Brooks), of a quickly gentrifying neighborhood, who invites the lonely residents, hardcore activists and starving artists of her block to what she hopes will go down as a legendary barbeque—thanks to a special surprise. Her mysterious plan to revitalize her community, however, may just be the very thing that tears it apart. Brown assembled an all-Chicago cast—some of whom originated their roles in previous productions within the cycle—including Aurora Adachi-Winter as Tori; Sydney Charles as Zora; McKenzie Chinn as Cassandra; Robert Cornelius as Robinson; James Vincent Meredith as Avery; Tommy Rivera-Vega as Ezekiel; Tony Santiago as Nunley; Michele Vazquez as Vivien; and Pat Whalen as Ricky. The creative team includes Arnel Sancianco (Set Designer), Samantha C. Jones (Costume Designer), Jason Lynch (Lighting Designer), Andre J. Pluess (Sound Designer). Nikki Blue is the Production Stage Manager.

Pat Whalen (Ricky), Mckenzie Chinn (Cassandra), Sydney Charles (Zora), Aurora Adachi-Winter (Tori) and Tommy Rivera-Vega (Ezekiel) 

J. Nicole Brooks (Mallory) and James Vincent Meredith (Avery) 

All of the productions in the saga are set in Rightlynd, a fictitious 51st Chicago ward that has long undergone political corruption and gentrification. The saga includes Rightlynd, Victory Gardens Theater (2018); Exit Strategy, Jackalope Theatre (2014); Sender, Red Orchid Theatre (2016); Prowess, Jackalope Theatre (2016); The Wolf at the End of the Block , Teatro Vista (2017); and Red Rex, Steep Theatre (2019).



Ike Holter (Playwright, Lottery Day) is a 2017 winner of the Windham-Campbell Prize, one of the highest awards for playwriting in the world. Holter is a resident playwright at Victory Gardens Theater, and has been commissioned by The Kennedy Center, The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, South Coast Repertory and The Playwrights’ Center. His work has been produced at the Steppenwolf Garage, The Philadelphia Theater Company, off-Broadway at Barrow Street Theatre and Cherry Lane Theatre, The Lily Tomlin Center in Los Angeles, True Colors in Atlanta, Forward Theater in Wisconsin, Water Tower Theater in Dallas, 3oaks in Michigan and Jackalope Theatre Company, Teatro Vista, A Red Orchid and The Inconvenience in Chicago. He is the artistic director of The Roustabouts and is a regular performer at Salonathon in Chicago.



Lili-Anne Brown (Director, Lottery Day) is a native Chicagoan who works as a director, actor and educator, both locally and regionally. She is the former artistic director of Bailiwick Chicago, where she directed Dessa Rose (Jeff Award), Passing Strange (BTA Award and Jeff nomination for Best Director of a Musical), See What I Wanna See (Steppenwolf Theatre Garage Rep) and the world premiere of Princess Mary Demands Your Attention by Aaron Holland. Other directing credits include The Wolf at the End of the Block (16th Street Theatre), Marie Christine (Boho Theatre), Peter and the Starcatcher (Metropolis Performing Arts), The Wiz (Kokandy Productions),  Xanadu (American Theatre Company), Jabari Dreams of Freedom by Nambi E. Kelley (Chicago Children’s Theatre), American Idiot (Northwestern University); the national tour of Jesus Snatched My Edges; and Little Shop of Horrors, Hairspray, Unnecessary Farce, Cabaret, Sweet Charity, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story at Timber Lake Playhouse. She is a member of SDC, SAG-AFTRA and a graduate of Northwestern University.

 McKenzie Chinn (Cassandra), Sydney Charles (Zora), Pat Whalen (Ricky), Michele Vazquez (Vivien) and Aurora Adachi-Winter (Tori)

TICKETS, DISCOUNTS AND SPECIAL EVENTS

Tickets ($15-$49) – GoodmanTheatre.org/LotteryDay; 312.443.3800; Fax: 312.443.3825; TTY/TDD: 312.443.3829
Box Office Hours –12noon - 5pm; on performance days, the box office remains open until 30 minutes past curtain
MezzTix – Half-price day-of-performance mezzanine tickets available at 10am online (promo code MEZZTIX) 
$10Tix – Student $10 advance performance tickets; limit four, with valid student ID (promo code 10TIX)
Group Sales are available for parties 10+; 312.443.3820
Gift Certificates – Available in any amount;
GoodmanTheatre.org/GiftCertificates

ARTIST ENCOUNTER – April 5 at 6pm | The Alice Center
Tickets are $35, including a pre-show reception, conversation and 8pm performance. Artist Encounters bring together audiences and Goodman artists in an intimate environment for a behind-the-scenes look at the plays and the playmaking process. Join playwright Ike Holter and director Lili-Anne Brown as they discusses the process of bringing Lottery Day to life.

LOTTERY DAY SCENE NIGHT – April 10 at 5:30pm |Catch 35 (35 W. Wacker Dr.) and Goodman Theatre
Tickets are $65. Join Goodman Theatre’s Scenemakers Board to mix-and-mingle with young professionals from around Chicago to support new work. The pre-show reception includes complimentary drinks, hors d’oeuvres and live jazz music at Catch 35, followed by the 7:30pm performance.

POST-SHOW DISCUSSION – April 3, 11 and 14 | immediately following the performance 
FREE. Audiences are encouraged to stay after select performances for a conversation led by members of the Artistic Team, often including artists from the show, over a complimentary glass of wine. GoodmanTheatre.org/DrinksDiscussion

ACCESSIBILITY AT THE GOODMAN

Touch Tour, April 21 at 12:30pm – A presentation detailing the set, costume and character elements
Audio Described Performance, April 21 at 2pm – The action/text is audibly enhanced for patrons via headset
ASL Interpreted Performance, April 27 at 2pm – Professional ASL interpreter signs the action/text as played 
Open Captioned Performance, April 28 at 2pm – An LED sign presents dialogue in sync with the performance

Visit Goodman Theatre.org/Access for more information about Goodman Theatre’s accessibility efforts.



ABOUT GOODMAN THEATRE
AMERICA’S “BEST REGIONAL THEATRE” (Time magazine), Goodman Theatre is a premier not-for-profit organization distinguished by the excellence and scope of its artistic programming and civic engagement. Led by Artistic Director Robert Falls and Executive Director Roche Schulfer, the theater’s artistic priorities include new play development (more than 150 world or American premieres), large scale musical theater works and reimagined classics (celebrated revivals include Falls’ productions of Death of a Salesman and The Iceman Cometh). Goodman Theatre artists and productions have earned two Pulitzer Prizes, 22 Tony Awards, over 160 Jeff Awards and many more accolades. In addition, the Goodman is the first theater in the world to produce all 10 plays in August Wilson’s “American Century Cycle;” and its annual holiday tradition A Christmas Carol, which recently marked its 41st production, has created a new generation of theatergoers. The Goodman also frequently serves as a production partner with local off-Loop theaters and national and international companies by providing financial support or physical space for a variety of artistic endeavors.

Committed to three core values of Quality, Diversity and Community, the Goodman proactively makes inclusion the fabric of the institution and develops education and community engagement programs that support arts as education. This practice uses the process of artistic creation to inspire and empower youth, lifelong learners and audiences to find and/or enhance their voices, stories and abilities. The Goodman’s Alice Rapoport Center for Education and Engagement is the home of such programming, most offered free of charge, and has vastly expanded the theater’s ability to touch the lives of Chicagoland citizens (with 85% of youth participants coming from underserved communities) since its 2016 opening.

Goodman Theatre was founded by William O. Goodman and his family in honor of their son Kenneth, an important figure in Chicago’s cultural renaissance in the early 1900s. The Goodman family’s legacy lives on through the continued work and dedication of Kenneth’s family, including Albert Ivar Goodman, who with his late mother, Edith-Marie Appleton, contributed the necessary funds for the creation of the new Goodman center in 2000.

Today, Goodman Theatre leadership also includes the distinguished members of the Artistic Collective: Brian Dennehy, Rebecca Gilman, Henry Godinez, Dael Orlandersmith, Steve Scott, Chuck Smith, Regina Taylor, Henry Wishcamper and Mary Zimmerman. David W. Fox, Jr. is Chairman of Goodman Theatre’s Board of Trustees, Denise Stefan Ginascol is Women’s Board President and Megan McCarthy Hayes is President of the Scenemakers Board for young professionals.

James Vincent Meredith (Avery), Tony Santiago (Nunley), Michele Vazquez (Vivien), Pat Whalen (Ricky), J. Nicole Brooks (Mallory), Robert Cornelius (Robinson), Tommy Rivera-Vega (Ezekiel), Sydney Charles (Zora) and Aurora Adachi-Winter (Tori)