FEST ALERT: Lifeline Theatre Presents 28th Annual Fillet of Solo Festival November 8 - November 17, 2024

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Lifeline Theatre presents 28th Annual 

Fillet of Solo Festival 

two-week festival of storytelling performances

November 8 - November 17, 2024

Lifeline Theatre presents the 28th Annual Fillet of Solo Festival, a vibrant celebration of Chicago's premiere storytelling and live lit scene. The festival spans from November 8- November 17, 2024 at Lifeline Theatre (6912 N. Glenwood Ave.) and Rhapsody Theater (1328 W Morse Ave.) in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood. Featuring a diverse array of performers, including a dozen storytelling collectives and numerous solo artists, the festival offers two weeks of powerful personal stories. Spanning comedy, drama, and more – the festival makes up a rich tapestry of Chicago's storytellers.

Fillet of Solo performances take place on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at both venues. See the full festival schedule at www.lifelinetheatre.com. Tickets are $12 for single entry and $60 for a Festival Pass, granting access to any performance

Festival performance returning favorites include 80 Minutes Around the World: Immigration Stories with Nestor Gomez, featuring stories of Immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers; Sweat Girls, Chicago’s mighty monologue mavens’ performance of Don’t Rush Me; and Goodman's GeNarrations. 

I've been storytelling with GeNarrations myself for 3 sessions now, and it's been a joy to get to know fellow storytellers. The talent pool is deep! I'm sure the storytellers chosen for Fillet of Solo will be spectacular. Though I didn't submit a piece for this one, I was thrilled to recently have one of my GeNarrations pieces selected for Lobby Stories, during Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

ABOUT THE SHOW 

Join this year’s GeNarrations cohort as they dare to confront schoolyard bullies, dastardly sheep, life changing loss, and at least one very famous dog. 

16 storytellers spread across 2 unique shows. Join us on November 9 at 1:00PM to see performances by Regan Burke, Shirley Fastner, Norman Field, Doris Laser, Lefty Lyons, BJ Parker, Pamela Schumacher, and George Szostkowski. Then come back on November 17 at 2:30PM to hear from Robert Collin, Kathy Cunningham, Susan Carlotta Ellis, Kathy Moroz, John Norris, Bettina Rousos, Andy Solomon, and E.J. Wade.

I do plan to catch my current GeNarrations instructor's one woman show, Michiganderish. Julie Ganey will be performing at Lifeline November 10th and 15th as part of Fillet of Solo. Don't miss this! 

Other noteworthy performances this year include Hand, Foot, Hand by Deborah Kent, the first blind student who had ever been enrolled at her 8th grade school, who tells a story about searching for footholds in a world that is not always welcoming and discovering handholds in the most unexpected places; Between Two Poles by Klaudia Siczek discusses a daughter being pulled between her two ideologically opposite families from Poland. Patrick Curtin’s Who Do You Think You Are? starts off with Patrick as a young boy who wants to be a priest, experiences rejection and then works to find community and purpose. 

I've also seen Eileen Tull's fabulous Too Fat To Run, when she performed at Scratch Night earlier this year, and recommend checking it out.  

A FREE Kick-Off Event will also take place on November 6, 2024 at Rhapsody Theater at 7:00pm where. The event will provide insights into the festival's history, storytelling forms, and Chicago's dynamic storytelling nights. Festival Passes are available at a discounted rate of $45 during the Kick-Off event (regularly $60).

For more information, contact the Lifeline Theatre Box Office at 773.761.4477 or www.lifelinetheatre.com.

ABOUT LIFELINE THEATRE

Lifeline Theatre is located at 6912 N. Glenwood Ave. in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood. Lifeline is easily accessible by CTA (Red Line Morse stop/buses) and free parking is available at Sullivan High School (6631 N Bosworth Ave, lot located on the corner of Albion and Bosworth) with free shuttle service before and after the show. Street parking is also available. Lifeline is accessible to wheelchair users and visitors who need to avoid stairs.

Founded in 1982, Lifeline Theatre is known for staging innovative adaptations of great works of fiction as well as commissioning original work. In 1987, Lifeline Theatre added KidSeries plays for children and families, and has been producing full seasons of programming for both adults and children ever since.  Over the course of forty seasons and over two hundred productions, Lifeline Theatre has made not only an indelible mark on the Chicago theatre scene, but an invaluable contribution to the theatre world at large. Lifeline’s dedicated artistic ensemble has developed one hundred and forty-six world premiere literary adaptations and original plays, nearly forty of which have had a life beyond their Lifeline premieres, with over three hundred subsequent productions spread across over forty U.S. states, six Canadian provinces, plus productions in England, Ireland, Australia, South Africa, and Guatemala. Additionally, four scripts developed at Lifeline Theatre have gone on to U.S. national tours, and over a dozen have been published. Lifeline Theatre has garnered a total of fifty-three Jeff Awards (Equity and Non-Equity), including sixteen for New Adaptation, New Musical, or New Work.

Chicago Premiere of Perfect Pie Via The Gwydion Theatre Company November 1st-November 23rd, 2024

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Gwydion Theatre Company presents

Perfect Pie 

by Judith Thompson

Directed by Ensemble Member, Maddie Hillock

Running at The Greenhouse Theatre Center’s ‘Studio 44’ space 

Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30 and Sundays at 2:30pm 

from November 1st-November 23rd

Content Advisory: mentions of sexual violence and abuse ; depictions of seizures

About the show: Set in rural Ontario, "Perfect Pie" follows the revisitation of the childhood friendship between two women; one who has chosen to stay on her
farm and the other who, driven by small town torment as a child, chose to
escape. While the adults are recollecting their past, the story of the girls at
both ten and fifteen drives inexorably forward to the same event which scarred
and shaped the lives of the adult women. When the past meets the present, realizations are made that will force these women to question everything they previously thought to be true. Click here for more show information and tickets.

Cast:

Patsy: Tricia Rogers Francesca: Talia Langman Patsy (Young): Ellory Jezuit* Marie: Sydney Feldman

Directed by Maddie Hillock* Assistant Directed by Ellie Thomson* Lighting Design by Sam Bessler* Sound Design by Morgan Wilson* Set Design by Grayson Kennedy*+

* - Denotes Ensemble Member +- Denotes Artistic Director

About Gwydion: The Gwydion Theatre Company was formed in Los Angeles, CA by a group of actors following their completion of training in 2019. It started with doing Shakespeare in parking lots, apartments, parks, to then tackling full scale productions during the Hollywood Fringe Festival. Following the pandemic, a decision was made to move operations to Chicago, IL in order to connect with a more artistic theatre landscape. Since officially incorporating in Illinois, The Gwydion Theatre Company has committed its resources to producing a three show season, consisting of ‘The Zoo Story’, an original translation of Dario Fo’s ‘Can’t Pay? Won’t Pay!’, and finishing with the American Classic ‘Waiting for Lefty’ by Clifford Odetts. Now a resident company of The Greenhouse Theater Center, Gwydion Theatre Company is proud to present the Chicago Premiere of Perfect Pie. 

Lynn Nottage’s BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK Via The Artistic Home at The Den Theatre from October 12 through November 17, 2024

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 The Artistic Home to present Lynn Nottage’s sly satire 

BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK 

October 12 – November 17 at The Den Theatre

Chicago actress Risha Tenae to direct – full casting announced

The Artistic Home announced today that it will present BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK, by the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage, at The Den Theatre from October 12 through November 17.  A juxtaposition of screwball comedy and satire, it concerns a woman who while serving as maid to an aging Hollywood starlet in the 1930’s breaks into the movie business as an actress. Like other African American actors of the period, however, she is relegated to playing roles as domestics and is forced to compromise her values in order to maintain a successful career. BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK has been called “a smart satire that takes a piercing look at the damage done by early Hollywood representations of people of color, and the legacy that echoes forth today.” I'll be out for the press opening October 17th, so check back shortly after for my full review.

BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK will be directed by Risha Tenae, a Chicago-based Theatre, Television and Film Actor whose Chicago stage credits include roles at Lifeline, Black Ensemble Theatre, Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre, and First Floor Theatre. The title role will be taken by Ashayla Calvin, while Gloria Mitchell, the aging starlet once known as “America’s Little Sweetie-Pie,” will be played by Caitlin Jemison. The other five members of the cast are Bryant Hindsman (Leroy Barksdale/ Herb Forrester), Justice Ford (Lottie McBride/Carmen Levy-Green), MarieAnge Louis-Jean (Anna Mae Simpkins /Afua Asssata Ejobo), Martin Holt (Fredrick Slasvick/Brad Donavan), and Dan Evashevski (Maxmillian Von Oster /Peter Rhys-Davies). Understudies are Jordan Taylor (u/s Vera Stark), Charlie Irving (u/s Gloria Mitchell), Nathaniel Vangine ( u/s Leroy Barksdale/ Herb Forrester), Jada Rice (u/s Lottie/Carmen), and Peter Ash (u/s Maxmillian Von Oster /Peter Rhys-Davies).

Top row L-R: Ashayla Calvin, Dan Evashevski, Justice Ford, Bryant Hindsman.

Middle Row L-R: Martin Holt, Caitlin Jemison, MarieAnge Louis-Jean, Peter Ash.

Lower row L-R: Charlie Irving, Jada Rice, Jordan Taylor, Nathaniel Vangine.

The production team includes Savaun Stokes (Assistant Director), Andrew Snyder (Stage Manager), Kevin Hagan (Scenic Design/Production Manager/Graphic Design), Rachel Lambert (Costume Design), Marquecia Jordan (Wig/Make-up Design), Petter Wahlbäck (Sound Design), Ellie Fey (Lighting Design), Mark Bracken Jr (Projection Design), David Blixt (Intimacy Direction), Randy Rozler (Properties Design), Justice Ford (Dramaturgy), Tom McNelis (Technical Director), Kathy Scambiatterra (Producing Artistic Director), and Kristin Collins (Casting Director).

Director Risha Tenae says, “I am Vera Stark. In many ways. Every play I work on is significant for me. However, this show is the most important show of my career. I spent thirteen years in Hollywood. The first three years were dedicated to Drama school and intensive actor training (this is where Vera and I differ). The 10 years after were solely dedicated to pursuing a career as an actor--and finding ways to survive in the meantime. I understand Vera and the world she lives in so well that it hurts. So much so that I have never really spoken about my time or experiences in Hollywood, until now. Vera has helped me find my voice. I think that is why her story is so important to me. And, why I feel so compelled to share her story with the world.”

The Artistic Home performs at The Den Theatre, and also maintains an acting studio and rehearsal space at 3054 N. Milwaukee Avenue in the Avondale/Logan neighborhood. Tickets are regular performances: $35 general, $20 students/seniors, $20 previews all seats at www.theartistichome.org.

 Production Details:

October 12 – November 17, 2024

Previews Saturday, October 12 at 8:00 pm, Sunday, October 13 at 3:00 pm and Wednesday, October 16 at 8:00 pm

Press Opening Thursday, October 17 at 8:00 pm

Regular run performance times Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8:00 pm and Sunday at 3:00 pm.

The Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago

Ticket prices: Regular performances:  $35 general, $20 students/seniors; $20 previews all seats. 

Tickets available at www.theartistichome.org, or by phone at 773-697-3830

It’s The Golden Age of Hollywood, and the streets of Los Angeles teem with aspiring starlets. When Vera Stark—maid to “America’s Little Sweetie Pie” Gloria Mitchell—lands a groundbreaking role in an antebellum epic, she turns Hollywood on its head and paves the way for future generations of Black actresses. Seventy years later, film buffs still wrestle with the life and legacy of this controversial star, for whom fame and fortune could only be achieved by joining the apparatus of a deeply racist industry. Hilarious and incisive, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner Lynn Nottage’s juxtaposition of screwball comedy and sly satire is both satisfying and timely.

BIOS

Lynn Nottage (playwright) Lynn Nottage is a playwright. a screenwriter and installation artist. She is the first, and remains the only, woman to have won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama twice. Her plays have been produced widely in the United States and throughout the world. Most recently, Nottage premiered MJ THE MUSICAL, directed by Christopher Wheeldon and featuring the music of Michael Jackson, at the Neil Simon Theater on Broadway, CLYDE'S directed by Kate Whoriskey at Second Stage Theater on Broadway and an opera adaptation of her play INTIMATE APPAREL composed by Ricky Ian Gordon and directed by Bart Sher, commissioned by The Met/Lincoln Center Theater and co-curated with Director Miranda Haymon the Performance Installation THE WATERING HOLE at the Signature Theater.   

Her other work includes, FLOYD'S (retitled- CLYDE'S - Guthrie Theater), the musical adaptation of Sue Monk Kidd's novel THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES, with music by Duncan Sheik and lyrics by Susan Birkenhead (The Almeida Theatre/The Atlantic Theater), MLIMA’S TALE (Public Theater/ Kiln), BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK (Lilly Award, Drama Desk Nomination, Second Stage/Signature Theater), RUINED (Pulitzer Prize, OBIE, Lucille Lortel, New York Drama Critics’ Circle, Audelco, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Award - MTC/Goodman Theater); INTIMATE APPAREL (American Theatre Critics and New York Drama Critics’ Circle Awards for Best Play Center Stage/SCR/ Roundabout Theater); FABULATION, OR THE RE-EDUCATION OF UNDINE (OBIE Award - Playwrights Horizons/Signature Theater); CRUMBS FROM THE TABLE OF JOY; LAS MENINAS; MUD, RIVER, STONE; POR’KNOCKERS; and POOF!

Risha Tenae (director) is a Theatre, Television and Film Actor that has been involved with Theater and Theater education since high school. She graduated from the Alabama School of Fine Arts, attended Miami University B.A. theater program, and graduated from The California Institute of the Arts M.F.A. Theater program where she focused on performance. Theatre and TV credits include: BLUES FOR AN ALABAMA SKY (Angel), KING LEAR (Cornwall), 24 HOURS THE MUSICAL (Shawnna), IN THE BLOOD (Welfare/Bully), THREE SISTERS (Irena), THE MUSIC MAN (Alma), KING HENRY V (Kate), THE COLORED MUSEUM (Woman #3). DON'T MAKE ME OVER (Cissy Houston), SINGLE BLACK FEMALE (SBF 2), JULIUS CAESAR (Portia), THE SEAGULL (Masha), FRANKENSTEIN (Caroline), URBAN LOVE STORY (Ms. Marion), THE COLOR PURPLE; directed by Gary Griffin (PA), THE PROJECTS (Doreen), WHEN WE HEAL and THE CHI. 

In addition to acting, Risha finds joy in being a Teaching Artist. She taught Theatre for grades K-12 in multiple schools around Los Angeles County during her time there and is currently on the faculty of Acting Studio Chicago and teaching Theatre at other schools around Chicago.

ABOUT THE ARTISTIC HOME

The Artistic Home is noted for their innovative and intimate presentations of rarely produced classics as well for developing new works. The company has been frequently honored in the Jeff Awards. For 2023, they received nine nominations, including a nomination for Production of a Play (DYING FOR IT) and win for Kevin Hagan’s scenic design of DYING FOR IT. In 2022, they received nine nominations and two wins – one for New Work (MALAPERT LOVE, written by artistic associate Siah Berlatsky) and one for Supporting Actor in a play (Todd Wojcik – in THE PAVILION). The company’s 2022 nominations also included two for Best Play production (MALAPERT LOVE and THE PAVILION). The Artistic Home was one of the big winners in the 2019 Jeff Awards, with four awards including Production of a Play, Director of a Play, Principal Performer in a Play, and Sound Design, all for REQUIEM FOR A HEAVYWEIGHT. Brookelyn Hebert won a Jeff as Principal Performer in a Play for the company’s 2020 production of ADA AND THE ENGINE. The company was nominated for Jeff Awards in 2019 for ROCK ‘N’ ROLL, and in 2018 for HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE.

Other memorable productions of recent years include 2017’s WEDDING BAND, BY THE BOG OF CATS and THE SCHOOL FOR LIES; their Jeff-nominated productions of THE SEAGULL, WATCH ON THE RHINE, MACBETH and THE LATE HENRY MOSS; and their 2013 Jeff Award-winner THE GODDESS. Other Artistic Home productions include the Jeff-Award-winning production of JUNO AND THE PAYCOCK, which also received three After Dark Awards, the Jeff-Nominated SWEET BIRD OF YOUTH, THE TALLEST MAN, LANDSCAPE OF THE BODY, NATURAL AFFECTION, FIVE WOMEN WEARING THE SAME DRESS, AFTER THE FALL and PEER GYNT (which also received an After Dark award for Direction).

For more than 26 years, The Artistic Home has consistently produced compelling theatre in Chicago. First formed in 1998 with the belief that the actor is at the heart of great theater, the company strives to give birth to unforgettable moments; to touch audiences who are increasingly distanced from human contact; to readdress the classics and explore new works with passion.

Court Theatre and TimeLine Theatre Company Present Falsettos November 8 – December 8, 2024

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Court Theatre and TimeLine Theatre Company present

Falsettos

Music and Lyrics by William Finn

Book by William Finn and James Lapine

Directed by Nick Bowling, TimeLine Theatre Associate Artistic Director

November 8 – December 8, 2024

Court Theatre (under the continuing leadership of Executive Director Angel Ysaguirre, with interim artistic leadership from Associate Artistic Director Gabrielle Randle-Bent and Managing Director Heidi Thompson Saunders) and TimeLine Theatre Company (under the leadership of Artistic Director PJ Powers and Executive Director Mica Cole) are thrilled to present William Finn and James Lapine’s Falsettos, a tribute to family and its many forms; a playful interrogation of faith and identity; and a celebration of the beauty, complexity, and necessity of love. This production will run November 8  – December 8, 2024 at Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. 

The cast of Falsettos includes Stephen Schellhardt (Marvin); Jack Ball (Whizzer); Sarah Bockel (Trina); Charlie Long (Jason, alternating); Eli Vander Griend (Jason, alternating); Jackson Evans (Mendel); Sharriese Hamilton (Dr. Charlotte); and Elizabeth Stenholt (Cordelia).

The creative team includes Otto Vogel (music director); William Carlos Angulo (movement director); Arnel Sancianco, with Associate Lauren Nichols (scenic design); Theresa Ham (costume design); Maggie Fullilove-Nugent and Josiah Croegaert (lighting design); Stephanie Farina and Sarah Ramos (sound design); Deborah Blumenthal (production dramaturg); Becca McCracken, CSA, with Associate Celeste M. Cooper (casting); Kate Ocker (production stage manager); and Katrina Herrmann (assistant stage manager). 

Marvin has left his wife, Trina, for his male lover; Trina has married Marvin’s therapist; and their son, Jason, is grappling with his parents’ divorce and his looming bar mitzvah. Everyone’s world has been upended and now they must explore what their new lives may hold. Featuring a sung-through score and set against the backdrop of the AIDS epidemic, Falsettos is a humorous and heartbreaking web of ex-spouses, co-parents, new lovers, and the lesbians next door.

TimeLine Theatre Associate Artistic Director Nick Bowling (The Lehman Trilogy) returns to Court Theatre – where he began his career almost thirty years ago – with this celebratory musical. Groundbreaking in its depiction of queerness, Falsettos shines with ingenuity and contemporary relevance.

“This is Marvin’s story, a man coming out of the closet in the late 1970s,” explains Director and TimeLine Associate Artistic Director Nick Bowling. “The production celebrates a time of adventure and self-expression, set against the sexual revolution, the disco era, and the very first days of the AIDS epidemic. In writing about Marvin, William Finn and James Lapine have created one of the very first musicals celebrating a ‘normal’ gay life, which, of course, turns out to be equally flawed and fabulous.” 

“We are proud to present Falsettos together,” share Court Executive Director Angel Ysaguirre, TimeLine Artistic Director PJ Powers, and TimeLine Executive Director Mica Cole in a joint statement. “This city has a remarkably supportive, expansive, and uniquely literary theatre community, so a collaboration between two of Chicago’s most dramaturgically rich companies simply makes sense. Court reimagines classic theatre to illuminate our current times. TimeLine explores stories that connect history with the sociopolitical issues of today. Falsettos is a natural intersection of our complementary and mission-driven organizations. We can’t wait for you to join us in Falsettoland.”

Individual tickets and Court subscription packages including this production are on sale now. Tickets and subscriptions can be purchased by calling the Court Box Office at (773) 753-4472 or online at CourtTheatre.org. 

FlexPass subscriptions for TimeLine’s 2024/25 season, including Falsettos, are also available; details at TimeLineTheatre.com.

Falsettos is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals. www.concordtheatricals.com.

About the Artists

WILLIAM FINN (Music, Lyrics, Book) received two Tony Awards—Best Book of a Musical (with James Lapine) and Best Original Score—for Falsettos. He has also written and composed In Trousers, March of the Falsettos, and Falsettoland (Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical, two Los Angeles Drama Critics Awards, two Drama Desk Awards, the Lucille Lortel Award and Guggenheim Fellowship in Playwriting), and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which won two Tony Awards, ran more than 1,000 performances on Broadway, has been produced nationally and internationally, and is currently one of the most performed musicals in the United States according to Theatre Communications Group. 

JAMES LAPINE (Book) is a leading American theatrical director, librettist, and playwright. Among Lapine’s most notable works is Sunday in the Park with George, created in collaboration with Stephen Sondheim. It won two Tony Awards, numerous Drama Desk Awards, and the 1985 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Lapine and Sondheim collaborated again on Into the Woods (Tony Awards for Best Book and Best Score). He collaborated with William Finn on March of the Falsettos and Falsettoland (Tony Awards for Best Book and Best Score), which were later presented on Broadway as Falsettos. In 2011, he was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame.

NICK BOWLING (Director, TimeLine Associate Artistic Director) was the founding Artistic Director and is now Associate Artistic Director and a Company Member of TimeLine Theatre, where he has directed more than 30 productions. With Falsettos, he returns to Court Theatre, where he served as Associate Artistic Director nearly 30 years ago alongside then Artistic Director Charles Newell, to make his Court directorial debut. Assorted directing credits at TimeLine include The Lehman Trilogy (with Vanessa Stalling); Oslo; Campaigns, Inc.; The History Boys; and many others. Other Chicago credits include 1776 (Marriott), A Christmas Story (Paramount), Guys and Dolls (Northwestern University), A Catered Affair (Porchlight), and others. Bowling is the recipient of eight Jeff Awards for Outstanding Direction.

OTTO VOGEL (Music Director) is a music director and conductor hailing from New Hampshire. A recent graduate from Northwestern’s Bienen School of Music, he earned his bachelor’s degree in Voice and Opera Performance. While at Bienen, his highlights from behind the baton included The Prom and The Dolphin Show’s Kinky Boots. He made his professional debut as a music director this summer with Marriott Theatre’s Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! He has also directed two one-act operas and assistant conducted Chicago Fringe Opera’s production of Fizz & Ginger.

WILLIAM CARLOS ANGULO (Movement Director) is a director, choreographer, playwright, and arts educator from Chicago. His work centers the creation of culture, using music and dance to explore, express, and celebrate third-culture identity. Theater credits include MTC, Roundabout, Bushwick Starr, Ars Nova, Goodman, Steppenwolf, Chicago Shakespeare, Ford’s Theatre in DC, The Muny, PCLO, and more. He is a proud member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC) and the Alliance of Latine Theatre Artists (ALTA), and he currently serves as Director of Education for Dance Lab New York where he mentors emerging choreographers. Current commissions: LIMÓN2, Lincoln Center, and Portland Center Stage.

JACK BALL (Whizzer) is making his Court and TimeLine Theatre debut! Chicago area credits: Little Shop of Horrors (Paramount); The Coast Starlight (Milwaukee Rep); Hansel and Gretel (Broadway in Chicago); Hit the Wall (Inconvenience); Dunsinane (RSCo/Natl. Theatre of Scotland at Chicago Shakespeare). Broadway: The Book of Mormon. TV: Chicago P.D., Chicago Fire; Chicago Justice; Somebody, Somewhere; and Sirens. Film credits include Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party, Room Six, What Rhymes with Magdalena, Kill the Monsters, and An Acceptable Loss. 

SARAH BOCKEL (Trina) is making her Court and TimeLine Theatre debut! Chicago area credits: Into The Woods and Cinderella (Paramount); Parade (BoHo); Into The Woods (The Hypocrites). Broadway: Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. North American Tour: Beautiful and Tina: The Tina Tour Musical. Regional: Beautiful (Ogunquit Playhouse). TV: The Equalizer. She is a graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University and is represented by Stewart Talent. 

JACKSON EVANS (Mendel) is making his Court and TimeLine Theatre debut! Chicago credits: The Full Monty, Beauty and the Beast (Jeff Nomination – Performer in a Supporting Role), School of Rock (Paramount); Guys and Dolls (Drury Lane); Anything Goes (Jeff Nomination – Performer in a Supporting Role, Porchlight); Ride the Cyclone (Chicago Shakespeare); Fiddler on the Roof (Lyric); Boys in the Band (Windy City Playhouse). Touring: The Realish Housewives (The Second City). Film: Christmas is Canceled. TV: Paper Girls, Chicago P.D., Sirens. 

SHARRIESE HAMILTON (Dr. Charlotte) is making her Court and TimeLine Theatre debut! Credits include: The Nacirema Society, Wonderful Town (Goodman); It Came from Outer Space, Pericles (Chicago Shakespeare); Emmet Otter’s Jug-band Christmas (Studebaker); Rock of Ages, James and the Giant Peach (Drury Lane); A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Porchlight); Thaddeus and Slocum (Lookingglass); Rock of Ages (Mercury); Passing Strange, The Wild Party (Bailiwick); Come from Away (Broadway National/Australian Tour). TV: Chicago Fire, Empire.

CHARLIE LONG (Jason, alternating) is thrilled to be making his Court and TimeLine Theatre debut! Recent credits include Charlie Bucket in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Paramount); Billy Elliot, School of Rock, The Sound of Music (Paramount); The Music Man (Marriott); and Matilda (The Fireside). He is represented by Paonessa Talent Agency. 

STEPHEN SCHELLHARDT (Marvin) is making his Court and TimeLine Theatre debut! Chicago credits include Fun Home, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Into the Woods (Paramount); The Full Monty, Little Women, Cabaret (Marriott); The Hot Mikado (Drury Lane). National Tours: Altar Boyz. International credits: Persuasion (Chamber Opera Chicago). Stephen is a Jeff Award-winning artist and proud graduate of Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama. 

ELIZABETH STENHOLT (Cordelia) is so happy to make her Court and Timeline Theatre debut with this beautiful show! Elizabeth is a recent Jeff Award-winner for her role as Medium Alison in Fun Home at Paramount Theatre. Some of her other Chicago credits include Grease, Shrek, A Christmas Carol (Drury Lane); The Wizard of Oz, Fun Home (Paramount); Peter Pan: A Musical Adventure (Chicago Shakespeare); Airline Highway, Love Kills (Steppenwolf); Arcadia, TREVOR the musical (Writers). 

ELI VANDER GRIEND (Jason, alternating) is honored to make his Court and TimeLine debut. Eli was last seen as Bruce in Matilda the Musical (Fireside Dinner Theatre). Chicago credits include Billy Elliot, School of Rock (Paramount); and A Christmas Carol (Metropolis). Eli is a member of the ETC Tap Company. He trains in tap, ballet, contemporary, and hip-hop at Extensions Dance Center in Chicago. He is represented by Talent X Alexander. 

Production Cast and Creatives

Featuring: Stephen Schellhardt (Marvin); Jack Ball (Whizzer); Sarah Bockel (Trina); Charlie Long (Jason, alternating); Eli Vander Griend (Jason, alternating); Jackson Evans (Mendel); Sharriese Hamilton (Dr. Charlotte); and Elizabeth Stenholt (Cordelia).

Creatives: Otto Vogel (music director); William Carlos Angulo (movement director); Arnel Sancianco, with Associate Lauren Nichols (scenic design); Theresa Ham (costume design); Maggie Fullilove-Nugent and Josiah Croegaert (lighting design); Stephanie Farina and Sarah Ramos (sound design); Deborah Blumenthal (production dramaturg); Becca McCracken, CSA, with Associate Celeste M. Cooper (casting); Kate Ocker (production stage manager); and Katrina Herrmann (assistant stage manager). 

 

Dates:           

Previews: November 8 – 15, 2024

Press Opening: November 16, 2024 at 7:30pm

Regular Run: November 17 – December 8, 2024

 

Schedule:

Wed/Thurs/Fri: 7:30 p.m.

Sat/Sun: 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

 

Accessible Performances:

ASL Interpretation at 2:00pm on December 7, 2024

Touch Tour at 12:30pm, Audio Description at 2:00pm on December 8, 2024

Open Captioning at 2:00pm on December 8, 2024 

Location:      Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave.

 

Tickets:        

$42.00 – $72.00 Previews

$58.00 – $90.00 Regular Run

Student, group, and military discounts available

Box Office:    Located at 5535 S. Ellis Avenue, Chicago; (773) 753-4472 or www.CourtTheatre.org.

Court Theatre reimagines classic theatre to illuminate our current times. In residence at the University of Chicago and on Chicago’s historic South Side, we engage our audiences with intimate and provocative experiences that inspire deeper exploration of the enduring questions that confront humanity and connect us as people

TimeLine Theatre Company presents stories inspired by history that connect with today’s social and political issues. Our collaborative organization produces provocative theatre and educational programs that engage, entertain and enlighten.

Invictus Theatre Company’s THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH Playing at the Windy City Playhouse October 29 – December 15, 2024

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Invictus Theatre Company’s Cast announced for 

THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH

playing October 29 – December 15

Invictus Theatre Company today announced the cast and production team for its season-closing presentation of THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH, Shakespeare’s tale of the seductive nature of power that combines Scottish history with magical realism. The tragedy’s three witches who warn Macbeth about his future will make their first appearance just before Halloween, with previews beginning on October 29,  leading up to an opening on Monday, November 4 at 7 pm and playing through December 15. 

THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH will be directed by Sarafina Vecchio, a Chicago-based actor and director, an educator with Acting Studio Chicago, and an adjunct professor at Chicago College of the Performing Arts. Vecchio earned a Post-Graduate Award in Teaching Shakespeare from The University of Warwick (UK, in conjunction with the Royal Shakespeare Company) and has been a guest instructor to Ontario, Canada's Stratford Festival. CHICAGO STAGE AND SCREEN’s Angela Allyn praised Vecchio’s text coaching for Invictus’ JULIUS CAESAR for being “as modern sounding as your favorite political podcast. You have heard these speeches before but never like this. This is a Caesar for everyone.” I'll be out for the press opening November 4th, so check back shortly after for my full review.

Vecchio’s cast will be led by Mikha’el Amin as Macbeth, seen most recently in the title role of Lincoln in Invictus’s TOPDOG/UNDERDOG. His previous roles with Invictus include Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in THE MOUNTAINTOP and Marc Antony in JULIUS CAESAR. Lady Macbeth will be played by Carolyn Kruse, whose experience in playing wicked women includes her role as Madame Defarge in Lifeline’s A TALE OF TWO CITIES, along with many other roles for such Chicago companies as The Artistic Home, Irish Theater of Chicago, and Redtwist Theatre. Also in the cast are Christy Arington  (Witch 1), Tessa Dougherty (Witch 2), Julia Rowley (Witch 3), Michael B. Woods (Macduff), Diego Longoria (Malcolm), Joshua Razavi (Lennox), Aimee Kleiman (Rosse), Charlie Diaz (Banquo), Amber Dow (Servant), Joseph Beal (Seyton), Robert Koon (Actor 1: Duncan/Murderer 2/Old Siward), Michaela Shapiro (Actor 2: Kid Macduff/Young Siward/Lord/Soldier), Whitney Minarik (Actor 3: Captain/Lady Macduff/Doctor/Lord), and Layke Fowler (Actor 4: Lords/Soldiers/Fleance). Understudies are Steve Peebles (Macbeth), Laura Resinger (Lady Macbeth/Actor 3/Servant), Joshua Razavi (Banquo), Charlie Diaz (Macduff), Amber Dow (Rosse/Witch Swing), Layke Fowler (Malcolm), Alexandria Bressette (Actor 2/Actor 4/Witch Swing), and Craig Duff (Actor 1/Seyton/Lennox).

Top row (I-r): Mikha’el Amin, Christy Arington, Joseph Beal, Charlie Diaz, 

Second row (I-r): Tessa Dougherty, Amber Dow, Layke Fowler, Aimee Kleiman, 

Third row (l-r): Robert Koon, Carolyn Kruse, Diego Longoria, Whitney Minarik

Fourth row (l-r): Joshua Razavi, Julia Rowley, Michaela Shapiro, Michael B. Woods

Bottom row (l-r): Alexandria Bressette, Craig Duff, Steve Peebles, Laura Reisinger

The production team includes Jeff Award winner Petter Wahlbäck (Sound Designer), Cindy Moon (Costume Designer), Grace Weir (Stitcher), Hannah Wien (Lighting Designer), Hannah Bolstad (Master Electrician), Manuel Ortiz (Scenic Designer), Barbie Brown (Props Designer), Jay Donley and Amber Wuttke of Violent Delights (Fight/Intimacy Designers), Brandon Boler (Assistant Director), Rooney G. (Production Manager), Desiree Stypinski (Stage Manager), Becca Holloway (Casting Director), Mary Carroll Dougherty (Marketing Manager) and Ana Schedler (Graphic Designer). Charles Askenaizer is Artistic Director and Todd Henry Faulstich is Executive Producer.

Vecchio says, “Even though the production is set 1000 years in the past, the play’s many themes are still very current; especially the theme of unchecked ambition. My hope is this production will spark a rich conversation about what might drive a person to make dangerous choices in the name of success; and how we may avoid these events in the future.”

Invictus Theatre Company has been one of the most notable success stories among Chicago’s storefront theatres in spite of the challenges facing the theater community in recent years, When the pandemic shut down in-person performances just three years after the company’s founding, they responded with a thrillingly intimate Zoom production of ‘NIGHT, MOTHER. They returned from the pandemic by acquiring their own space – the former Frontier Theater, which they renamed in honor of the late founding company member Reginald Vaughn. In that space, they continued to build a reputation for intimate and honest interpretations of classics with fidelity to the original texts and close attention to character development. The company’s extraordinarily successful 2021-22 season netted the company five Jeff Awards for its 13 nominations.

The company continued its upward trajectory with its 2022-23 season. That season began with intimate, yet full-scale, stagings of the epics JULIUS CAESAR and THE CRUCIBLE along with the two-hander THE MOUNTAINTOP. After a fire in July 2023 made the Reginald Vaughn Theatre unusable, the company relocated in 2024 to the Windy City Playhouse, where it has produced the critically acclaimed and popular hits TOPDOG/UNDERDOG (“…intense, grueling, and hilarious” – TALKIN’ BROADWAY), THREE SISTERS (“performances are universally first-rate” – CHICAGO READER) and the Chicago premiere of NETWORK (“a memorable production of an important and illuminating play” – NEW CITY).

Tickets for Invictus's THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH are $25 for previews October 29 - November 3, and all Mondays (except opening night November 4); and $38 for general admission opening night and Fridays through Sundays for the regular run. Tickets are on sale now at https://www.onthestage.tickets/show/invictus-theatre-company/.

THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH

by William Shakespeare

Adapted and Directed by Sarafina Vecchio

October 29 – December 15, 2024

Previews: Tuesday 10/29/24, Friday 11/1/24, Saturday 11/2/24 @ 7pm; and Saturday 11/2/24, Sunday 11/3/24 @ 2pm.

Press Opening Monday 11/4/24 @ 7pm

Regular performances Fridays, Saturdays, and Mondays @ 7pm and Saturdays, Sundays @ 2pm through 12/15/24

Performances at Windy City Playhouse, 3014 W. Irving Park Road, Chicago

Ticket prices: $25 for previews and Mondays (except opening night November 4), and $38 for general admission opening night November 4 and Fridays through Sundays for the regular run.

Info at www.invictustheatreco.com

Tickets at https://www.onthestage.tickets/show/invictus-theatre-company/

One of Shakespeare's most popular and enduring tragedies. A brave Scottish general named Macbeth receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders King Duncan and takes the Scottish throne for himself. Forced to commit more and more murders to protect himself from enmity and suspicion, he soon becomes a tyrannical ruler. The bloodbath and consequent civil war swiftly take Macbeth and Lady Macbeth into the realms of madness and death.

BIOS

Sarafina Vecchio (Director) is an actor, director, and educator who has worked in Chicago and the surrounding area for over 25 years. She holds a Post-Graduate Award in Teaching Shakespeare from The University of Warwick in conjunction with the Royal Shakespeare Company in Coventry, England. She earned her Bachelor's in Theatre from Roosevelt University and studied classical acting at Richmond College in London. She is a long time faculty member with Acting Studio Chicago and is also an adjunct professor at Chicago College of the Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. She is also honored to have been invited as a guest instructor to Ontario, Canada's Stratford Festival, where she taught their acting company techniques in Shakespeare instruction. As a performer and creative, Sarafina has worked locally with many companies, including: Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Shattered Globe, Lakeside Shakespeare, Drury Lane, TimeLine, Remy Bumppo, Irish Theatre of Chicago, Oak Park Festival Theatre, Invictus, Speaking Ring, The Other Theatre Company, Steel Beam, and Janus. She is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA.

Charles Askenaizer (Artistic Director) is the Founding Artistic Director of Invictus Theatre. He won the 2022 Jeff Award (Non-Equity Wing) for his direction of the company’s WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?, which also won Jeff Awards for Production of a Play, Scenic Design (Kevin Rolfs), and Performer in a Supporting Role – Play (Rachel Livingston). Other recent directing credits include THREE SISTERS, NETWORK, THE CRUCIBLE, JULIUS CAESAR, and HAMLET (Invictus Theatre), readings with Chicago Dramatists, 'NIGHT, MOTHER (Associate Director-Invictus Theatre), THE MERCHANT OF VENICE (Invictus Theatre), OTHELLO: THE MOOR OF VENICE (Invictus Theatre), TITUS ANDRONICUS (Bare Knuckles Theater), JULIUS CAESAR (Associate Director- Brown Paper Box) , TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA (Reutan Collective), and THE DIFFERENCE (Reading-Piccolo Theatre). Charles has worked with Citadel Theatre, Teatro Vista, the Artistic Home, City Lit, Raven, Brown Paper Box, Chicago Dramatists, the Side Project and many more.

Charles graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Theatre and Communications. He has worked professionally in Chicago as an actor, director, and teacher for over 10 years.

ABOUT INVICTUS THEATRE COMPANY

At Invictus Theatre Company, our mission is to create theatre that promotes a better understanding of language: its poetry, its rhythm, its resonance; through diverse works by diverse artists. We respect the power of heightened language: spoken, written, sung; to express the breadth of the human condition. We work to harness the power of language: to promote diversity, to engender respect, to foster collaboration; and to empower our communities to share their voices.

Invictus Theatre Company incorporated in January 2017 and received its 501(c)(3) nonprofit status in February 2017. A diverse group of Chicago actors and directors founded Invictus with the vision to empower their communities through theatrical productions of heightened language. We are committed to the idea that our productions should reflect the communities we represent, and, to that end, we are committed to non-discriminatory hiring practices. In working with local artists, designers, and production teams, Invictus Theatre Company does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability, nationality, citizenship, religion, or any other status protected by law.

World Premiere! Hell in a Handbag Productions Presents The Mystery of The Haunted Bush October 10 – November 3, 2024 at The Chopin Theatre

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 

World Premiere!

Hell in a Handbag Productions Presents

The Golden Girls Meet The Skooby Don’t Gang:

The Mystery of The Haunted Bush

Pictured (left to right) Grant Drager, David Cerda, Ed Jones, Ben Meneses, Josh Kemper, Tyler Anthony Smith,Caitlin Jackson and Elizabeth Lesinski. Photo by Rick Aguilar Studios.

By Artistic Director David Cerda

Directed by Frankie Leo Bennett

October 10 – November 3, 2024 at The Chopin Theatre

Hell in a Handbag Productions is pleased to conclude its 22nd season with the world premiere of The Golden Girls Meet The Skooby Don’t Gang: The Mystery of The Haunted Bush, bringing together two beloved Handbag parodies in one chilling Halloween tale. The girls – Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, Sophia (and their whacky friends) – enlist the help of America’s favorite 30-something teenage detectives to help solve a mystery in this all new episode written by Artistic Director David Cerda and directed by Frankie Leo Bennett. The Mystery of The Haunted Bush plays October 10 - November 3, 2024 on The Chopin Theatre Mainstage, 1543 W. Division St. in Chicago. Tickets are now on sale at handbagproductions.org or bit.ly/hauntedbush. I'll be out for the press opening October 13th, so check back soon for my full review. 

Rose’s (Ed Jones*) nephew Fred (Tyler Anthony Smith*) is coming for a visit with his amateur sleuth friends, Daffy (Liz Lesinski*), Velva (Caitlin Jackson*), Skaggy (Josh Kemper) and their dog Skooby (Ben Meneses). While Rose is excited, she’s also hiding the real motive for inviting them: she’s being haunted by a big, scary bush – or is it a tree? There’s seems to be some confusion about that. 

Meanwhile, the Skooby gang is in awe of their idol and Sophia’s (Ryan Oates*) best friend, Nancy Drew (Danne W. Taylor*), particularly Skaggy, who takes things a step further. Can the gang help the girls solve the mystery of the haunted bush before it devours Rose? Will Velva and Daffy reveal their special secret? Will Dorothy (David Cerda*), Blanche (Grant Drager*) and Sophia survive the spooky hijinks?

Join Miami’s favorite roomies in a spine chillingly ridiculous tale, that combines Handbag’s signature biting humor with a heart. 

The production stars original cast members David Cerda*, Grant Drager*, Ed Jones* and Ryan Oates* as the Geriatric Fab Four, joined by Caitlin Jackson*, Josh Kemper, Elizabeth Lesinski*, Ben Meneses and Tyler Anthony Smith* as the Skooby Don’t gang. Rounding out the cast are Michael S. Miller*, Scott Sawa* and Danne W. Taylor*. Understudies include Frankie Leo Bennett, Kelly Bolton, Nick Dorado, Al Duffy, Wendy Hayne, Brandon Nelson, Eric James Norman, TJ O'Brien, Jenny Rudnick and Coco Sho'Nell.

The production team includes Marcus Klein (Scenic Designer), Madeline Felauer (Costume Designer), Liz Cooper (Lighting Designer), Danny Rockett (Sound Designer), Maggie O'Brien (Props Designer), Syd Genco* (Make-Up Designer), Keith Ryan* (Wig Designer), Kate Lass (Violence Choreographer), Scott Sawa* (Assistant Director), Morgan Laszlo (Assistant Scenic Designer), Tom Daniel (Technical Director), Jackson Mikkelsen (Electrician), Tim Paul (Graphic Designer) and Veronica Kostka* (Stage Manager).

*Denotes Handbag Ensemble Member

 

PRODUCTION DETAILS:

Cast (in alphabetical order): David Cerda* (Dorothy), Grant Drager* (Blanche), Ed Jones* (Rose), Josh Kemper (Skaggy), Caitlin Jackson* (Velva) Elizabeth Lesinski* (Daffy), Ben Meneses (Skooby), Michael S. Miller* (Rita Claxton), Ryan Oates* (Sophia), Scott Sawa* (Stan), Tyler Anthony Smith* (Fred) and Danne W. Taylor* (Nancy Drew).

Understudies: Frankie Leo Bennett, Kelly Bolton, Nick Dorado, Al Duffy, Wendy Hayne, Brandon Nelson, Eric James Norman, TJ O'Brien, Jenny Rudnick and Coco Sho'Nell

Location: The Chopin Theatre Mainstage, 1543 W. Division St., Chicago

Previews: Thursday, October 10, Friday October 11 and Saturday, September 12 at 8 pm

Opening/Press performance: Sunday, October 13 at 7 pm

Regular run: Thursday, October 17 – Sunday, November 3, 2024

Curtain Times: Thursday, Fridays and Saturday at 8 pm; Sundays at 3 pm. Please note: there will be added performances on Sunday, October 20, Sunday, October 27 and Wednesday, October 30 at 8 pm.

Tickets: $29 previews, $38 advanced general admission, $45 general admission, $48 at the door, $60 VIP/reserved seating with drink ticket. Group rates $35 for 10 or more. Tickets are now on sale at handbagproductions.org  or bit.ly/hauntedbush.

 

About the Artists

David Cerda (Playwright) is a founding member and Artistic Director of Hell in a Handbag Productions, now celebrating its 23rd  year anniversary. As resident playwright, he has written many Handbag productions as well as acted in them. His play, The Drag Seed was recently produced at LaMaMa Experimental Theater and his Golden Girls Lost Episodes parody shows have been produced around the country and was featured in Golden Con: Thank you for being a Fan, the world’s first fan convention dedicated to all things Golden Girls at Chicago’s Navy Pier. Cerda is a proud inductee into the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame and recipient of a Jeff Award for lifetime achievement for his 23 years (and counting) of work and service to the community. He lives in Chicago with his partner, Christopher.

Frankie Leo Bennett (Director, he/him) is an award-nominated Chicago-based theatre multi-hyphenate, returning to Handbag after previously directing The Golden Girls Save XMAS and associate directing on The Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes: Vol. 3. Handbag acting credits: Christmas Dearest, Poseidon! An Upside-Down Musical, The Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes: Bea Afraid!  Regional Direction: Porchlight Revisits The Apple Tree (co-), RENT (asst.), multiple editions of New Faces Sing Broadway. Broadway In Your Backyard and Chicago Sings (Porchlight Music Theatre). Regional Acting: Kokandy Productions (Jeff nominee - Best Principal Performer/Musical - The SpongeBob Musical); Porchlight Music Theatre; Theo Ubique. Composer/Playwright - Resident Services: A Crossed-Up Animal Musical. He currently serves as Producing Artistic Associate at Porchlight Music Theatre.

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. For additional information, visit handbagproductions.org.

THE SECOND CITY PRESENTS SHE THE PEOPLE October 5 – November 23, 2024 in The Second City’s UP Comedy Club,

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

THE FUTURE IS FUNNY

LEGENDARY COMEDY THEATER THE SECOND CITY PRESENTS

SHE THE PEOPLE

Here at ChiIL Live Shows and ChiIL Mama, we've seen several iterations of She The People and we love it! Bring your besties and enjoy this fiercely funny, female powered show that will have you laughing, empathizing, and shouting "me too".  Just in time for election season, SHE THE PEOPLE is in the house. Don't miss this!

ChiIL Mama, Bonnie Kenaz-Mara and Kathleen Roman

Catherine Hellmann & ChiIL Mama, Bonnie Kenaz-Mara 

Brat summer is over. Now it’s time to Fall, Patriarchy! Laugh, cheer, and rise up as The Second City proudly presents, SHE THE PEOPLE – a theatrical revolution loaded with a dynamic blend satirical sketch comedy, epic original songs, and razor-sharp improv delivered by The Second City’s fearlessly funny queens of comedy. 

She the People isn’t just a hilarious show, it empowers audiences to take a stand and make real changes. This diverse and supercharged Second City ensemble drops an electric, unapologetic, and high-key hilarious CELEBRATION of the strength, resilience, and brilliance of women everywhere. She the People is NOW.

Photo Credit: Bonnie Kenaz-Mara 

She The People is written by the casts of The Second City with Carly Heffernan, Carisa Barreca, and Marla Caceres and features Lexi Alioto, Alex Bellisle, Marla Caceres, Mary Catherine Curran, Sayjal Joshi, and Daryn Robinson. The music director is Lisa McQueen and stage managers are Izzy Patt and Bree Bartman.

Photo Credit: Bonnie Kenaz-Mara 

The producing team includes Ed Wells (CEO), Parisa Jalili (COO/CRO), Elizabeth Howard (VP of Production), Jen Ellison (VP, Head of Creative), Jeremy Smith (Assistant General Manager & Managing Producer)

SHE THE PEOPLE plays for a limited run Saturday nights at 8 p.m. October 5 – November 23.  in The Second City’s UP Comedy Club located at 230 W North Ave, 2nd Floor of Piper’s Alley, Chicago. Tickets, starting at $29, are available at The Second City Box Office (230 W. North Ave, 1st Floor, Piper's Alley), by phone at 312-337-3992 or online at www.secondcity.com.  

 

About The Second City

The Second City opened its doors in 1959 as a small comedy cabaret and has since grown to become the world's most influential name in improvisation and comedy. It celebrates its 65th year in business on December 16th, 2024. The Second City's stages, Touring Companies, and Training Centers across North America have proudly been the launch pad and artistic home for many of the funniest performers, writers, directors, and comedic minds on the planet.

For more information on The Second City, visit www.secondcity.com and follow The Second City on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Photo Credit: Bonnie Kenaz-Mara 

FEST ALERT: Destinos 7th Chicago International Latino Theater Festival September 30-November 17, 2024

Fest Alert: ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar Destinos 7th Chicago International  Latino Theater Festival  boasting most extensive line-up yet with works from Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Mexico and the U.S. playing all over the city, September 30-November 17 Here at ChiIL Live Shows and ChiIL Mama, we've covered every year of Destiny's Fest since its inception, and this year's no exception. We are so fortunate to have multicultural, world class theatre right on our doorstep. There's something for everyone at 7th Chicago International Latino Theater Festival. Don't miss this!  Only in Chicago can you experience a Brazilian play about a female shaman, a Chilean all-ages adventure about saving trees, the return of Port of Entry at Albany Park Theater, Chicago’s Satya Chávez in Brian Quijada’s Where Did We Sit on the Bus?, The Magic Parlour headlined by Latine magicians from Ecuador and Chicago, and the world premieres of a father/son dramedy set in Wrigley Field, a one-woman Mariachi musical, the true story of Humboldt Park church refugee Elvira Arellano and a Latine drag comedy. The Destinos 2024 lineup includes (top, from left) Chile’s Astillero Teatro’s all-ages family show, the North American premiere of La Memoria de los Sésiles, at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Oct. 31-Nov. 3. The U.S. premiere of Desvenar from Mexico’s Kraken Teatro explores the significance of the chile in Mexican culture, Oct. 3-5 at the National Museum of Mexican Art. (Middle) Latin Standards, a one-woman comedy by San Francisco solo artist Marga Gomez, plays Center on Halsted, Oct. 4-5. Albany Park Theater Project and Third Rail Projects present the return of their hit immersive production, Port of Entry, Oct. 17-Nov. 2. (Bottom) The North American premiere of El Brote from Compañia Criolla in Argentina features Roberto Peloni as an actor who can’t be sure who is writing the events in his own life, Oct. 2-5 at The Den. Chicago artist Satya Chavez stars in Brian Quijada’s Where Did We Sit on the Bus?, Nov.15-17 at Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theater.  The 2024 Destinos Festival is bringing exciting international productions from Argentina, Brazil, and Chile to Chicago.

Wednesday, October 2 at 8 p.m. El Brote  at The Den Theatre 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave., Wicker Park I'll be catching El Brote on opening night, so check back soon for my full review at ChiILLiveShows.com.  Presented by Compañía Criolla, Argentina North American Premiere Written and directed by Emiliano Dionisi  Starring Roberto Peloni Four shows only, October 2-5: Wednesday - Saturday at 8 p.m.  Presented in Spanish with English subtitles 90 minutes Ages 15+ The lines between fiction and reality begin to blur for an actor, and now he cannot even be sure who is writing the events in his own life. What kind of character are we in this story?

CANCELLED DUE TO PERFORMER VISA ISSUES Desvenar at the National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St., Pilsen Presented by Kraken Teatro, Mexico U.S. Premiere Written, directed by and co-starring Richard Viqueira Featuring Valentina Garibay and Angel Luna  CANCELLED  Presented in Spanish with English subtitles 90 minutes Ages 12+ Desvenar is a scenic mole that delves into the intricate layers of extravagance associated with spice, intertwining culinary traditions with historical, religious, botanical and patriotic perspectives. Through the lens of mole—a sauce rich in flavor and symbolism—this work explores the dual nature of spiciness as both a source of cultural flavor and a metaphor for the challenges and contradictions we face as a nation.

Thursday, October 3 at 7 p.m. Elvira at St. Augustine College, Charlie Chaplin Hall, 1345 W. Argyle St. in Uptown World Premiere Presented by Colectivo El Pozo, Chicago Written by Raúl Dorantes Directed by Mark Litwicki October 2-26: Thu and Fri at 7 p.m., Sat at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Performed in Spanish with English subtitles 75 minutes All Ages  Elvira tells the story of Elvira Arellano, a Mexican immigrant, single mother, worker and eventual activist. Fearing deportation, Elvira takes sanctuary for a year in a Humboldt Park church. Her year enclosed in sanctuary allows her to observe herself and the systems that led to her arrest and enclosure. Her son, a friend, her pastor, and other supporters accompany her as well as the demands and cruelty of the law-is-the-law Sistema. A story about a struggle for survival and for justice.

Friday, October 4, 8 p.m. Latin Standards at Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St. in Lakeview Written by and starring Marga Gomez  Chicago Premiere via San Francisco Directed by David Schweitzer Two shows only, October 4 and 5: Fri and Sat at 8 p.m. Performed in English Runs 75 minutes Ages 16+ A loving, funny and true story of perseverance and creative and caffeinated addiction passed down from immigrant father to lesbian daughter. Mixing nostalgia, urgency, and comic edge, Gomez portrays herself as a driven adult child of a Cuban entertainer.

Saturday, October 5 at 7 p.m. El Piélago de las Calamidades Presented by Chicago's Teatro Tariakuri, 3117 W. 63rd St. in Chicago Lawn U.S. Premiere Written by Alejandro Licona Directed by Karla Galván October 5-27: Sat and Sun at 5 p.m. Performed in Spanish with English subtitles 90 minutes Ages 15+ (includes strong language and sexual innuendo) This U.S. premiere comedy is the unwritten story of what happened to a troupe of nomadic actors who were hired by Hamlet to represent the murder of his father.

Thursday, October 24 at 7:30 p.m. Azira’i at Chicago Shakespeare Theater Upstairs Studio, Navy Pier,  800 E. Grand Ave. I'll be catching Azira’i on opening night, so check back soon for my full review at ChiILLiveShows.com.  Presented by Sarau Cultura Brasileira, Brazil North American Premiere A biographical one-woman musical starring Zahy Tentehar  Conceived and with dramaturgy by Zahy Tentehar and Duda Rios Directed by Denise Stutz and Duda Rios Four shows only: October 24-27 Thu, Fri and Sat at 7:30 p.m.; Sun at 3 p.m. Performed in Portuguese and Ze’eng eté with projected English translation 90 minutes Ages 15+ This biographical musical show looks at Zahy Tentehar’s relationship with her mother, Azira’i, the first female Shaman from the Cana Brava reserve (MA), who held the rank of Supreme Shaman of the Tentehar peoples, which is only for people with extremely developed medicinal and spiritual knowledge. Chicago Shakespeare Theater hosts the North American premiere of Azira’i, a biographical one-woman show starring Zahy Tentehar presented by Sarau Cultura Brasileira in Brazil. The play looks at Tentehar’s relationship with her mother, Azira’i, a female Shaman.

Thursday, October 31 at 7:30 p.m. La Memoria de los Sésiles at Chicago Shakespeare Theater Upstairs Studio, Navy Pier, 800 E. Grand Ave. Presented by Astillero Teatro, Chile North American Premiere Written by Nicolás Cancino-Said Directed by: Gabriel Contreras Four shows only: October 31-November 3: Thu, Fri and Sat at 7:30 p.m.; Sun at 3 p.m. Performed in Spanish with English translation 55 minutes Ages 6+ Created in the key of family theater, filled with songs, games and beautiful stagecraft, La Memoria de los Sésiles takes place in a not-too-distant future where all the trees have been cut down by uncontrolled real estate expansion. Sacha, an old hermit, will embark on a journey deep underground in the face of the inevitable destruction of his home. Accompanied by Tujo, a rebellious young environmentalist, they will go in search of the last living roots to the path that will allow them to make the forest emerge again.

New Destinos partners include Center on Halsted, Albany Park Theater Project and the American Music Theatre Project at Northwestern University U.S. productions, traveling from out-of-town for their Chicago debuts, include: Latin Standards, a one-woman comedic family memoir by San Francisco solo artist Marga Gomez, is a loving, funny and true story of perseverance and creative and caffeinated addiction passed down from immigrant father to lesbian daughter. It’s presented in partnership with Center on Halsted, two shows only, October 4-5. Press opening is Friday, October 4 at 8 p.m. Goodman Theatre is partnering with CLATA to bring the art of magic to Destinos with The Magic Parlour presents Siegfried Tieber (top). Twelve performances only, October 9-20 at The Magic Parlour, include two with special guest appearances by Chicago magicians (bottom, from left) Luis Carreon and Mago Gozner.  Goodman Theatre builds on its long-running partnership with CLATA to bring the art of magic to Destinos with The Magic Parlour presents Siegfried Tieber. This year, legendary Chicago magician Dennis Watkins has invited Tieber and local Latine magicians to take the stage of The Magic Parlour for this exclusive limited engagement, October 9-20 at The Magic Parlour, adjacent to Goodman Theatre and Petterino’s. Originally from Ecuador, Tieber is a L.A.-based magician who has fooled thousands, including Penn & Teller, with his amazing sleight-of-hand, psychology and humor. Watkins considers Tieber one of his favorite magic entertainers, calling him “smart, funny, gracious and incredibly devious.” Twelve performances only, including two with special guest appearances by local magicians Luis Carreon and Mago Gozner.  Rising musical theater composer and 2023 Jonathan Larson Award-winner Jaime Lozano comes to the American Music Theatre Project at Northwestern University to continue development of Desaparecidas, his new state-fair concert musical about stories of disappeared women from the borderlands. Told through the lens of Mexican folklore and music, writers Lozano, Florencia Cuenca and Georgina Escobar explore the strategic erasure of female voices in the fight to end gender-based violence and the disappearance of women and girls. From the missing, to the socially invisible, to the forgotten, Desaparecidas takes place in a classic and timeless Mexican state fair (a Palenque) where the audience will experience a special appearance by some stories of the missing. Performances are October 18-20 at Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts Chicago. Press opening is Friday, October 18 at 7:30 p.m.  I came here to weep, first presented at Brooklyn’s Chocolate Factory Theatre in 2023, is a performance installation led by Bessie Award-winning choreographer and interdisciplinary artist Yanira Castro. Co-created with the public, I came here to weep is a multimodal, interactive project with a built audio environment designed by Northwestern faculty member Stephan Moore. A culmination of Castro's design residency at Northwestern, I came here to weep examines U.S. territorial possession and Puerto Rican sovereignty and invites the audience into a collective exorcism. Experience I came here to weep November 15-16 at Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts Chicago. Press opening is Friday, November 15 at 7:30 p.m.  Chicago Latine companies, artists and shows participating in the 7th Destinos Festival are: Elvira, a world premiere from Colectivo El Pozo, tells the true story of Elvira Arellano, a Mexican immigrant, single mother, worker, and eventual activist, who, fearing deportation, took sanctuary for a year in a Humboldt Park church in 2005. Elvira, written by Raúl Dorantes and directed by Mark Litwicki, runs October 2-26 at the Charlie Chaplin Hall at St. Augustine College in Uptown. Press opening is Thursday, October 3 at 7:30 p.m.  Teatro Tariakuri in Chicago Lawn presents the U.S. premiere of El Piélago de las Calamidades, a comedy by Alejandro Licona, directed by Karla Galván, about the unwritten story of what happened to the nomadic actors who Hamlet hired to represent the murder of his father. Performances are October 5-27. Press opening is Saturday, October 5 at 7 p.m.  The setting is Wrigley Field, Cubs versus the Brewers, in the world premiere dramedy Que Te Vaya Bien from Subtext Studio Theatre, debuting October 10-27 at the Greenhouse Theater. After learning his wife is pregnant, Elias buys a ticket to the Cubs game to spiritually connect with his deceased father, in the hope of gaining some clarity on what it means to be a good father. A new play written by Omar Vicente Fernandez and directed by Octavio Montes De Oca. Press opening is Friday, October 11 at 7:30 p.m.  Childhood photo of Ruth Guerra, writer and star of Concrete Content's world premiere of Ruth on the Rocks, directed by Ricardo Gamboa, October 11 - November 16 at The Storyfront in Back of the Yards. Concrete Content presents the world premiere of Ruth on the Rocks, a dramedy developed and directed by Ricardo Gamboa, written by and starring Ruth Guerra. Ruth is just your average Mexican American, middle-aged girl that grew up in the hood on Chicago’s south side. Ruth loves a good drink or ten, her jams and a messy relationship. Oh! She’s also a mother and grandmother, regular at a few bars and backyards, sometimes actor and storyteller, and still grieving her father. She probably needs a therapist or an Ayahuasca trip but instead this veteran of Chicago’s underground Latino performance and storytelling scene made a play about her hot ass mess of a life. Performances are October 11 - November 16 at The Storyfront in Back of the Yards. Press opening is Friday, October 11 at 7 p.m.    Jeff Award-winning Visión Latino Theatre Company presents the world premiere of Jocey y Las Mariachis, a one-woman musical created by Jocey Villa, October 12-27 at the APO Culture Center in Pilsen. Jeff Award-winning Visión Latino Theatre Company presents the world premiere of Jocey y Las Mariachis, a one-woman musical created by Jocey Villa, directed by Yajaira Custodio. Experience one woman’s musical journey through culture, love and self-discovery in Chicago, accompanied by live mariachi music! Performances are October 12-27 at the APO Culture Centerin Pilsen. Press opening is Monday, October 14 at 7:30 p.m.  Albany Park Theater Project and Third Rail Projects present the return of their hit immersive production, Port of Entry. Step inside the real-life stories of immigrants and refugees from all parts of the world living side by side in a single apartment building in Albany Park. Each performance welcomes just 28 audience members into an iconic courtyard apartment building meticulously recreated in a 12,000 square foot warehouse. With each step, guests experience the struggles, joys and triumphs of people forging new lives alongside one another. The Chicago Tribune called the original 2023 staging “an astonishing piece of work…a beautiful and fresh tribute to those who came first.” Performances are October 17-November 2. Press opening is Thursday, October 17 at 7 p.m.  Destinos Spotlight Week returns with a series of one-night-only performances highlighting Chicago’s local talent, including Antojitos Improv on October 19 at The Den Theatre.  Destinos Spotlight Week returns with a series of one-night-only performances highlighting Chicago’s local talent. Enjoy storytelling hosted by Nestor Gomez on October 18, Antojitos Improv on October 19 and a Latine edition of Physical Theater Scratch Night on October 21. All performances are at The Den Theatre. Cabaret Parodia presents Más Dramáticas, written and directed by Esteban Pantoja, a comedy about an acting school director who shares the history of her prestigious academy and reveals the intense drama behind the auditions of five extraordinary students, each played by Chicago Latine drag performers. With fierce competition, high stakes and unwavering ambition, these girls are prepared to give it their all. Expect more music, more laughter, more wigs and more drama. Two shows only, October 23 and 24 at the National Museum of Mexican Art. Press opening is Friday, October 23 at 7 p.m.  Repertorio Latino Theater presents the Chicago premiere of Juicio a una Zorra, a dramatic monologue by Miguel Del Arco, directed by Sebastian Ligarde. Mafer Roussell plays Helen of Troy, famous for her beauty that sparked the most renowned war of Antiquity, and vilified as the adulterous queen of Sparta. Performances are October 24-November 10 at Citlalin Gallery & Theater. Press opening is Thursday, October 24 at 8 p.m.  Aguijón Theater, the city’s longest running Latino and Spanish-language theater, based in Belmont-Cragin, presents the Chicago premiere of Adverses, a contemporary take on the Electra myth by Rey Andujar, directed by Sándor Menéndez and Marcela Muñoz. This is a humorous yet poignant tragicomedy about the corrosive nature of the pursuit of power and the often-complicated relationship between mothers and daughters. Performances are November 1-December 15. Press opening is Friday, November 1 at 8 p.m.        Celebrating its 35th anniversary, Aguijón Theater will present a remount of Cintas de seda, about an imagined encounter between Frida Kahlo and Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz,four shows only, November 7-10 at the National Museum of Mexican Art, where Aguijón first performed in 1990.  Celebrating its 35th anniversary, Aguijón Theater will also present a remount of Cintas de seda, four shows only, November 7-10 at the National Museum of Mexican Art, where Aguijón first performed in 1990. On the eve of Day of the Dead, Frida Kahlo and Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz come together in an impossible dialogue where ghosts, hallucinations, and images of the past are present from death in a poetic representation of life. This special run will also serve as a fundraiser for Chicago’s longest running Spanish language theater company. Press opening is Thursday, November 7 at 7:30 p.m.  Where Did We Sit on the Bus?, the smash hit solo musical by Chicago native Brian Quijada, performed by the acclaimed multi-hyphenated Chicago artist Satya Chavez, runs for a very limited engagement, November 15-17 at Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theater. During a third grade lesson on the Civil Rights movement and Rosa Parks, a Latina child raises her hand to ask, “Where did we sit on the bus?” Her teacher can’t answer the question. Performed by Chavez, an actor, singer, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and intersectional feminist, and infused with Latin rhythms, hip-hop, and live-looping, don’t miss this high-octane, tour-de-force theatrical experience that examines what it means to be Latine in America. Press opening is Friday, November 15 at 7:30 p.m.  Additional programming for Destinos includes: The 2024 Destinos festival will mark the launch of Alianzas, a week of gatherings and events from October 21-27 dedicated to facilitating exchanges between artistic programmers representing international and national festivals and local Latine theater groups. Another first will be the introduction of Intercambios, a series of workshops throughout the run of the festival focusing on different skill building sessions. About the Chicago Latino Theater Alliance (CLATA) The Chicago Latino Theater Alliance (CLATA) is a leading advocate organization for Latine theater in Chicago. Supporting the development of emerging and established Latine playwrights, actors, directors and theater professionals is central to its mission. CLATA’s goal is to cultivate a vibrant and inclusive theater community, by presenting and producing Latine theater that celebrates and promotes the richness and diversity of our Latinidad. CLATA believes together we can build a stronger and more sustainable Latine theater industry. CLATA has four signature programs: 1) Destinos, the Chicago International Latino Theater Festival, an annual, citywide festival showcasing Chicago's Latine theater artists and companies alongside top Latine artists from the U.S. and Latin America, 2) Destinos Al Aire, a free outdoor family festival that brings performing arts to Chicago Latine communities with the goal of making the arts accessible to everyone, 3) Inicios: Chicago Latine Playwright Festival, an annual festival dedicated to elevating and promoting Chicagoland area Latine playwrights and 4) Latine Theatre Artist Week, a weeklong series of free workshops and offerings specifically for Latine theatre actors and artists. CLATA is supported by the Ford Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Joyce Foundation, Arts Work Fund, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, National Latinx Theater Initiative, Driehaus Foundation, Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelly Foundation, Excellerator Fund, Shubert Foundation and Illinois Arts Council. Destinos is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, Allstate, Arts Midwest GIG Fund and the Consulate General of Argentina. For more information, visit clata.org, or follow CLATA on Facebook, Instagram and Threads at @latinotheater.