WORLD PREMIERE OF NYRA’S DREAMS VIA PROP THTR & SURTAAL DANCE OCTOBER 27 - NOVEMBER 19, AT CHICAGO DRAMATISTS

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 

PROP THTR AND SURTAAL DANCE PRESENT THE WORLD PREMIERE OF 

NYRA’S DREAMS

OCTOBER 27 - NOVEMBER 19,

AT CHICAGO DRAMATISTS 

Prop Thtr’s New Residency at Chicago Dramatists Launches with the Movement Play Nyra’s Dreams

Prop Thtr and SurTaal Dance are proud to announce the world premiere of Nyra’s Dreams, created and performed by Shalaka Kulkarni and directed by Stefan Brun, October 27 - November 19 at Chicago Dramatists, 1109 W. Chicago Ave. The co-production of Nyra’s Dreams incorporates contemporary dance and traditional Indian classical dance, media and varied characters to bring Nyra and her quest to life. Opening night is Friday, Oct. 27 at 8 p.m. The performance schedule is Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. with Industry Nights, to be announced. Tickets are suggested price of $20 or pay-what-you-can at Shalakak.com/surtaaldance. I'll be there on opening night, so check back soon after for my full review.

A co-production of Prop Thtr and SurTaal Dance, Nyra’s Dance, a movement play incorporates multiple story-telling vessels to tell of Nyra, who walks between different worlds and connects within her fragmented mind to women who teach her about resilience, frailty and hope, helping her realize her real quest to find her way back home to Dyavaprthivi, that resides between heaven and earth.  Nyra is a character devised out of myths/mythological stories found in Indian culture and documented experiences about the Devadasi (temple dancer) system and its existence now.

Shalaka Kulkarni 

All photos by Rich Rankin

Nyra’s Dreams is another step in SurTaal Dance’s exploration of how to employ Indian classical dance vocabulary to celebrate female experience in nontraditional performances. This world premiere is the culmination of text, travel, collaboration, film, choreography and composition - of which an experimental 10-minute film, completed in April 2023, has premiered in Paris, Seoul and Assam. 

The production of Nyra’s Dreams is the inaugural presentation of Prop Thtr’s leadership team project. This project’s goal is to  find new forms and structures outside of traditional show business to generate, incubate, develop, produce and give continued life to new work in the performing arts.

ABOUT SHALAKA KULKARNI, creator and performer

Shalaka Kulkarni (she/her/hers) is an interdisciplinary dance artist. Trained in Indian Classical dances- Bharatanatyam and Kathak, she creates experiences that bridge the ancient and contemporary, uplifting marginalized voices. She is interested in creating and presenting a hybrid movement form that fuses techniques of Bharatnatyam and Kathak with other movement influences, text, film and technology. She has performed in India, US and Europe and is excited to present her first solo play with Stefan Brun and Prop Thtr in Chicago, her second hometown.  

ABOUT STEFAN BRUN, director

Stefan Brun (he/him/his) is executive director of Prop Thtr. He co-founded the company with Scott Vehill in 1981 and has also directed plays and related performing art events and television in the United States and Germany.  He has continuously designed stage-lighting and been a performer on stage and film.  Together with Prop Thtr, from 1998 on, Brun took part in the founding and development of the National New Play Network, of which Prop Thtr is a charter core member. Serving as artistic director for most of Prop’s 15 year residency on Elston Avenue, he directed many productions including the long running Chicago hit, HIzzoner, written by and starring Neil Giuntoli. He currently leads Prop’s new “Leadership Team Pilot Program.” Married with Jenny Magnus, he is the father of Lena. Brun is devoted to mentoring and empowering those from whom we have not heard and new works for the stage. 

ABOUT PROP THTR

Prop Thtr creates and presents live and online experiences at the intersection of laboratory, education and community building. Prop Thtr believes that theater and theater education are not luxuries but tools for living. They attempt to open resources for others to use these tools.

Prop Thtr is focused on the development of new work, supporting theatre artists of all backgrounds and experience levels as well as Chicago theatre companies and is invested in Chicago stories told by Chicago communities with the support of our resources, knowledge, and talent.

ABOUT SURTAAL DANCE

SurTaal Dance is proud to offer an innovative and contemporary take on Indian classical dance. Their projects are dedicated to pushing creative boundaries and experimenting with new forms of expression. The performances showcase the unique beauty, versatility and grace of Indian dance vocabulary. SurTaal Dance invites you to experience the magic of SurTaal Dance and share in their passion for this beautiful art form.

Nyra’s Dreams is supported by a federal award to the City of Chicago by the United States Treasury Department, the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency and High Concept Labs, See Chicago Dance, TAPS Chicago Performance Lab at the University of Chicago and audiences’ donations.

Shows On Our Radar: ECLIPSED VIA PEGASUS THEATRE CHICAGO THROUGH NOVEMBER 4TH, 2018 AT CHICAGO DRAMATISTS

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar:

PEGASUS THEATRE CHICAGO 

BEGINS 2018 - 2019 SEASON WITH DANAI GURIRA’S

ECLIPSED 

THROUGH NOVEMBER 4 AT CHICAGO DRAMATISTS

Pegasus Theatre Chicago’s Producing Artistic Director Ilesa Duncan directs this Tony-Awarded Drama Inspired by Real Stories of Women Rebels During the Second Liberian Civil War

Pegasus Theatre Chicago announces its production of Eclipsed, written by Danai Gurira and directed by Producing Artistic Director Ilesa Duncan, October 4 – November 4 at Pegasus’s resident home Chicago Dramatists, 773 N. Aberdeen. The performance schedule is Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. with added Saturday 3 p.m. or Sunday 7:00 p.m. performances (TBD). Tickets are $18 - $30 and are available at PegasusTheatreChicago.org. Discounts available for groups of ten or more by contacting boxoffice@pegasustheatrechicago.org.
      
Eclipsed, the first play to premiere on Broadway with an all female and black cast and creative team, was inspired by a photo that Gurira saw in The New York Times. “I was raised in Africa and I had never seen anything like it, women with AK-47s, dressed very hip and looking formidable.” she said. “I was keen to one day pursue that story and put it on the stage.” Taking place in a bullet-ridden rebel army camp during the Liberian civil war in 2003, the five "wives" of a commanding officer band together to form a fragile community and care for a 15-year-old girl who has been abducted and raped. The balance of their lives is upset by the return of a former "wife" turned rebel soldier who tries to convince the teen to leave the camp and fight with her. As the war draws to a close, each woman must discover her own personal means of survival in this deeply felt portrait of women finding and testing their own strength.

The cast of Eclipsed includes Morayo Orija, Maya V. Prentiss, Aja Singletary, Adhana Reid and Sola Thompson.
The production team includes Jacqueline Penrod (scenic design); Megan Turnquist (lighting design); Owé Engobor (costume design); Tony Bruno (sound design); R&D Choreography (violence design); Amanda Caputi (props); Carrie Hardin (dialect coach); Tanuja Jagernauth (dramaturg); Jennifer McClendon (production manager) and Justine Palmisano (stage manager).



 ABOUT DANIA GURIRA, playwright
Danai Gurira is an American actress and playwright of Zimbabwean origin who is best known for her roles as “Michonne” on the AMC horror drama series “The Walking Dead” and as “Okoye” in the Marvel Universe movies “Black Panther” and “Avengers: Infinity War.” She began her career on stage and has written critically acclaimed and award-winning plays such as In the Continuum,
which won her an Obie Award, an Outer Critics Award and a Helen Hayes Award for Best Lead Actress; Eclipsed, was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play and won for Best Costume Design in a play; The Convert and Familiar, the last of which was commissioned by Yale Repertory Theatre. Among her other notable movies is “Mother of George,” in which she played the lead role of a Nigerian woman. She has also made guest appearances on several television
shows including “Life on Mars,” “'Law & Order” and “American Experience.” According to her, being “brought up by a scientist and a librarian”, she is “an academic at heart”, which helps her do the exhaustive research she needs to write her plays. Gurira, who feels that stories of African women are told very rarely, considers her three plays In the Continuum The Convert, and
Familiar as “parts of a trilogy on Zimbabwe’s coming of age from a feminine perspective.”

ABOUT ILESA DUNCAN, director
Ilesa Duncan is the executive/artistic director at Pegasus Theatre Chicago. Her recent directing work at Pegasus includes the Jeff-Recommended, sold-out Shakin the Mess Outta Misery, the world premiere of Jeff-Recommended Rutherford’s Travels and For Her as a Piano. Other recent credits include Neverwhere at Lifeline Theatre (Jeff-Recommended), Broken Fences at 16th Street Theater, Jeff Award-nominated The Nativity with Congo Square and the Jeff Award- winning Jar the Floor at ETA Creative Arts. Duncan has also worked with The Goodman, Writers Theatre, Victory Gardens Theater, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, Lifeline Theater, Stage Left and Chicago Dramatists, as well as Contemporary American Theatre Company (Ohio). The Alliance Theatre (Atlanta), Arena Stage (Washington DC) and Lincoln Center Theater (New York). Duncan’s creative nonfiction short stories have been published (Columbia College Chicago) and she’s written poems and screenplays. For the stage, she co-adapted Rutherford’s Travels from the National Book Award-winning novel Middle Passage, co-wrote and directed Blakk Love: Stoeez of A Darker Hue and facilitated the devised project Do You See What I’m Saying for Chameleon. Duncan will also assume the role of artistic director at Lifeline Theatre beginning in January 2019, and will remain Pegasus’ executive/producing director.



ABOUT PEGASUS THEATRE CHICAGO
Pegasus Theatre Chicago has been a mainstay in the Chicago theater community for nearly 38 years. Its mission is to produce boldly imaginative theatre, champion new and authentic voices and illuminate the human journey. The theatre adheres to the core values of community engagement, social relevance, boldness, adventure and excellence.

Pegasus is also committed to initiating important conversations through the arts with strong community engagement and socially relevant programming, including the Young Playwrights Festival for high school-age scribes, which will celebrate its 32nd year this season. Pegasus Theatre Chicago has received seventy-seven Joseph Jefferson Awards since its inception.

Pegasus Theatre Chicago is also supported by the Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, the Reva and David Logan Foundation, the MacArthur Fund at Richard Driehaus Foundation, the Albert Pick, Jr. Fund, the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, Polk Bros. Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the Illinois Arts Council Agency, and a CityArts grant from the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (Rahm Emanuel, Mayor).

OPENING: World Premiere of The Green Book Via Pegasus at Chicago Dramatists 3/1/18-4/1/18

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

The Green Book

By Calvin A. Ramsey | March 1-April 1, 2018 | Chicago Dramatists

A co-production with ShPIeL Performing Identity

I'll be ChiILin' with Chi, IL's Pegasus Theatre in association with ShPIeL Performing Identity for the opening performance this Sunday, March 4th. Check back soon for my full review. I remember how astonished I was to learn of The Green Book, a few years back. As much as I thought I knew of the history of racism in our country, I'd never contemplated the actual logistics of trying to road trip through miles of country where stopping for a bite to eat, gas, lodging or even a bathroom was forbidden, based on skin color or ethnicity. This very topic just came up again on stage at Black Ensemble Theatre in their excellent current production, Hail, Hail Chuck: A Tribute To Chuck Berry. Like many others, he toured the country in an era where it was illegal for him to stay in the hotels where his shows were selling out. Even famous performers often had to travel miles away to the outskirts of town to find room and board. With states again making noises about legalizing exclusion based on race, religion, and sexual orientation, this play is quite timely. We must know and own our past history as a country, to move forward and not repeat past mistakes. I'm looking forward to catching this one.

Pegasus Theatre Chicago, in association with ShPIeL Performing Identity, announce the Chicago premiere of The Green Book, inspired by Victor Green’s historical, “The Negro Motorist Green Book,” March 1 – April 1 at Pegasus’s resident home Chicago Dramatists, 765 N. Aberdeen. The Green Book is written by Calvin A. Ramsey, and directed by Pegasus’ Producing Artistic Director Ilesa Duncan. Previews are Thursday, March 1 and Friday, March 2 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, March 3 at 7:30 p.m. The performance schedule is Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. with added Sunday 6 p.m. performances. Tickets are $18 - $30 and are available at PegasusTheatreChicago.org. Discounts available for groups of ten or more at Group Theater Tix, 312-423-6612. 

All Tickets: $18-30

Group and student pricing available!

THE GREEN BOOK
On March 1, Pegasus Theatre Chicago—the recipient of seventy-seven Joseph Jefferson awards— will present  The Green Book by Calvin A. Ramsey. Produced in association with ShPIeL Performing Identity Theatre, tickets are now on sale for the Chicago premiere and the unveiling of a new full-length version.

The play is an homage to the historical travel guide, “The Negro Motorist Green Book,” published by Victor Green from 1936 – 1967, and centers on the Davis’, an African-American family who open their home to Negro travelers needing during Jim Crow segregation and the dawn of civil rights activism. The Green Book takes place during a weekend when the Davis’ are hosting three travelers while anticipating the arrival of Dr. W.E.B. DuBois. Their plans are interrupted by the sudden, unexpected arrival of a Holocaust survivor seeking a room.

PRICES
Adult $30 | Seniors $25 | Students $18
Group Rates Available – Call Group Tix at 312.423.6612

About the Production Team
CALVIN A. RAMSEY (Playwright) is an Atlanta-based playwright, photographer, and folk art painter whose plays include Bricktop, The Musical; Damaged Virtues; Canada Lee; Sherman Town, Baseball, Apple Pie and The Klan; Enlightenment; Sister Soldiers; Kentucky Avenue; Somewhere In My Lifetime; Johnny Mercer: A Man and His Music, and The Age of Possibilities. His plays have been performed throughout the United States. Ramsey grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, and Roxboro, North Carolina. He is a recipient of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Drum Major for Justice Award. His children’s books are “The Last Mule of Gee’s Bend” and “Ruth and The Green Book.”

ILESA DUNCAN (Director) is the producing artistic director at Pegasus. Her recent directing work includes SHAKIN’ THE MESS OUTTA MISERY (Jeff Recommended), RUTHERFORD’S TRAVELS (co-adapter, Jeff Nominated), FOR HER AS A PIANO and BLACULA: YOUNG, BLACK & UNDEAD at Pegasus, DARLIN’ with Step Up Productions, BROKEN FENCES at 16th Street Theater, the Jeff Award-nominated NATIVITY with Congo Square, and the Jeff Award-winning JAR THE FLOOR at ETA Creative Arts. Duncan has also worked with Goodman Theatre, Writers Theatre, Victory Gardens Theater, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, Lifeline Theater, Stage Left and Chicago Dramatists, as well as Contemporary American Theatre Company (Ohio), The Alliance Theatre (Atlanta), Arena Stage (Washington DC) and Lincoln Center Theater (New York). Ilesa’s creative nonfiction short stories have been published (Columbia College Chicago), and she’s written poems and screenplays.  For the stage, she was a co-writer and director of BLAKK LOVE: STOEEZ OF A DARKER HUE,  and facilitated the group writing project PORTRAITS (2007) for the Chicago Foundation for Women and the devised project DO YOU SEE WHAT I’M SAYING for Chameleon.

David Y. Chack (ShPIeL/Co-Producer) is Artistic Director of ShPIeL–Performing Identity Theatre in Chicago and the Bunbury-ShPIeL Identity Theatre Project in Louisville. He directed A Jewish Joke by Phil Johnson and Marni Freedman at Victory Garden and Skokie Theatre; and produced The Timekeepers from Israel. He teaches “Holocaust Theatre”; “Jewish-American Performance”; “Identity Theatre” at DePaul University. His doctoral work was under Elie Wiesel at Boston University; MA work at Tufts University in Drama and Holocaust Theatre; BFA from NYU / Circle-in-the-Square Theatre. He has written numerous articles on theatre and advised/curated exhibitions including the first exhibition on “The Yiddish Theatre and New York Theatre” at the Museum of the City of New York. He is also the Executive Director of the Alliance for Jewish Theatre.

Joan Mazzonelli (ShPIeL/Script Dramaturg) has produced, directed, and designed original works in Chicago and New York City.  She has served in leadership roles with City Lit Theater, Griffin Theatre, Midwest New Musicals, Athenaeum Theatre, Theatre Building Chicago, On Stage Productions, Opera Shop at the Vineyard Theatre, and National Shakespeare Company. Her musical books include: Bottom’s Dream with James L. Kurtz, the adaptation for the stage of All in the Laundry by Fred Rogers of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, Reasonable Terms with Karena Mendoza and Marianne Kallen, and High Fidelity, The Proposal, Dorabella’s Daughters and The Passion of John with Philip Seward, as well as the co-adaptation of Border Crossing with Marianne Kallen.

CAST





Dan Davis……………………………………………… Henri Watkins
Barbara Davis…………………………………………Stacie Doublin
Neena Davis……………………………………… Demetra Drayton
Keith Chenault……………………………………… Malcom Banks
Jacob Levinsky……………………………………….Michael Stock
Cpt. George Smith/Samuel……………………… Terence Sims
Jacqueline Smith…………………………………… Quenna Lené

PRODUCTION TEAM

Scenic Design/TD…………………………………….Nick Schwartz
Lighting Design…………………………………………Carley Walker
Costume Design………………………………………….Uriel Gomez
Sound Design…………………………………Devonte Washington
Props Design………………………………………………… Katy Vest
Production Manager…………………….. Noelle Hedges-Goettl
Master Electrician…………………………………………Becs Bartle
Stage Managers………………………………………..Taylor Hobart
……………………………………………………………..Auden Granger

Artists
Malcom Banks (Keith Chenault) is a film, television and stage actor.  Recent credits include Jitney at Congo Square Theater.  Film/TV credits include NBC’s Chicago PD and the independent film Side Effects. Malcom also wrote and directed his first film, 7Svens Law, available on Amazon.

Stacie Doublin (Barbara Davis) was recently in Shakin’ The Mess Outta Misery with Pegasus Theatre. Other Chicago credits include:  Streetcar Named Desire, The Room, and Diner Tales (Raven Theatre); MacBeth, Twelfth Nite, Taming of the Shrew (Oak Park Festival Theatre); Skin of Our Teeth, Incomplete and Random Acts of Kindness (The Artistic Home); Love Child (Live Bait Theatre, Chicago Theatre Company); and Elephant Man (The Side Project). Stacie has also worked with Victory Gardens, Next Theatre and ETA Creative Arts.

Demetra Drayton (Neena Davis) is honored to work with Pegasus Theatre Chicago for the first time! She last performed in ETA Creative Arts’ The Tiger Who Wore White Gloves. Demetra graduated from East Carolina University where she received her BFA in Professional Acting. A few of her credits include Miss Pat, Topsy and Normal Jean in The Colored Museum, Lillian Stride in Migration, Vixen in Dracula with the Loessin Playhouse, The Lady in Orange in For Colored Girls with the Joyner Theatre, A Fury in The Furies with the Loessin Playhouse, Lorraine in All Shook Up with Trumpet in the Land Theatre and many more; she was assistant director for Woman from the Town, Drowsy Chaperone, and Three Penny Opera.

Quenna Lené (Jacqueline Smith) is a Chicago native who received her BFA in Drama from NYU’s Tisch and a Masters in Applied Theatre from the University of Southern California. Recent Chicago credits include: Theatre Unspeakable’s Moon Shot, Cor Theatre’s Late Company, The Runaways Theatre Lab’s Dead Youth, or The Leaks, Pegasus Theatre’s Young Playwrights Festival 30, , good friday at Oracle, and a starring role as Dr. Beverly Long in Nikkole Salter’s Lines in the Dust at eta Creative Arts Foundation. 

Terence Sims (Cpt. George Smith) is thrilled to make his Pegasus Theatre debut. Previous credits include Skeleton Crew (U/S Northlight Theatre); Barbecue (Strawdog Theatre); Force Continuum (Eclipse Theater); Monster (Steppenwolf Theatre); Between Riverside and Crazy (u/s, Steppenwolf Theatre); To Kill A Mockingbird (Children’s Theatre Madison); He has studied American Theatre Arts at Rose Bruford College in London, and is a graduate of Columbia College Chicago. Terence is also a member of Kinfolk Collective, an afrofuturist aesthetic tribe of artists & scholars working to rewrite the present and remaster the narrative of the African diaspora.

Michael A. Stock (Jacob Levinsky) has performed extensively in Chicago, regionally, as well as Off-Broadway and in the NYC Indie Theater scene.  Michael is also a playwright, director, teacher, visual artist, and founding artistic director of Sideway Theater.    Piven Alum.  School At Steppenwolf Alum.  Certified Practitioner of Lessac Voice and Body Training.  BS Performance Studies, Northwestern University.  MFA Acting, Theatre School at DePaul University.  Visit Michael A Stock: www.michaelAstock.com  

Henri Watkins (Dan Davis) is very excited to be doing his first production with Pegasus Theatre.  Chicago credits include Jitney, Misanthrope, and Waiting for Godot (Court Theatre), CCX for Modofac Productions at Rivendell Theatre, and The Marvin Gaye Story (Black Ensemble Theater).  Regional: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Piano Lesson (Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, Sarasota, Florida).  Film credits include Sundance award winners: “Chameleon Street” and “Detroit Unleaded.”

ABOUT ShPIeL PERFORMING IDENTITY, co-producer
ShPIeL develops and deepens the theatre artist and performance projects through cultural identities and narratives; provides professional networks for theatre and performing art; and is dedicated to creating a transformative community. David Y. Chack is the Producing Artistic Director of ShPIeL, now in its 5th year and a professor in Holocaust Theatre and Jewish Theatre at The Theatre School at DePaul University. Joan Mazzonelli is a co-producer and dramaturg with ShPIeL.

ABOUT PEGASUS THEATRE CHICAGO, co-producer
Pegasus Theatre Chicago has been a mainstay in the Chicago theater community for nearly 38 years. Its mission is to produce boldly imaginative theatre, champion new and authentic voices and illuminate the human journey. The theatre adheres to the core values of community engagement, social relevance, boldness, adventure and excellence.

Pegasus is also committed to initiating important conversations through the arts with strong community engagement and socially relevant programming, including the Young Playwrights Festival for high school-age scribes, which celebrated its 31st Anniversary this year. Pegasus Theatre Chicago has received seventy-seven Joseph Jefferson Citations since its inception.

The Green Book Chicago premiere is made possible in part by The Chicago Community Trust and Affiliates. Pegasus Theatre Chicago is also generously supported by the MacArthur Fund at Richard Driehaus Foundation, the Albert Pick, Jr. Fund, the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, Polk Bros. Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Illinois Arts Council Agency, and a CityArts grant from the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (Rahm Emanuel, Mayor).

The Anti-Defamation League is also a production partner.

Productions
Shakin’ The Mess Outta Misery
31st Young Playwrights Festival
The Green Book

OPENING: Pegasus Theatre Chicago's SHAKIN’ THE MESS OUTTA MISERY at Chicago Dramatists' 11/8-12/10/17

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

PEGASUS THEATRE CHICAGO BEGINS ITS 2017 – 2018 SEASON, “LEGACIES,” WITH THE RETURN OF SHAY YOUNGBLOOD’S 

SHAKIN’ THE MESS OUTTA MISERY, 

NOVEMBER 8  - DECEMBER 10, 

AT CHICAGO DRAMATISTS

(Back row, L to R): Darian Tene, Sandra Watson and Toni Lynice Fountain  (Front row, L to R): Felicia McNeal, Melanie Loren, debrah neal and Takesha Meshé Kizart

Photo by Emily Schwartz

Producing Artistic Director Ilesa Duncan Directs the Story of a Young Black Girl’s Coming of Age in the 1960s South

ChiIL Live Shows will be ChiILin' with Pegasus Theatre Chicago November 12th, at Chicago Dramatists' for the press opening of Shay Youngblood's Shakin’ the Mess Outta Misery, a timely remount Ilesa first directed in the 90's. It's the kick off for their 2017 – 2018 season, “Legacies” and we're looking forward to checking it out. 

Pegasus Theatre Chicago is proud to announce the first production in its 2017 – 2018 season, “Legacies,” Shakin’ the Mess Outta Misery, written by Shay Youngblood and directed by Pegasus Theatre Chicago’s Producing Artistic Director Ilesa Duncan, with music direction by Shawn Wallace and choreography by Nicole Clarke-Springer, November 8 – December 10, at Chicago Dramatists, 773 N. Aberdeen, where Pegasus is a resident artist. 

Previews are Wednesday, Nov. 8 – Saturday, Nov. 11 at 7:30 p.m. Opening night is Sunday, Nov. 12 at 3 p.m. or Monday, Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. The performance schedule is Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Tickets are $30 with $25 for seniors and $20 for students. Tickets are available at PegasusTheatreChicago.org or by calling 866.811.4111. Groups of 10 or more contact engage@pegasustheatrechicago.com for group discounts.

Shakin’ the Mess Outta Misery is the story of a young black girl's coming of age in the 1960s South. “Daughter,” the main character and 25-year-old narrator lost her mother when she was very young and a community of women raised her, some blood related, some not. As she remembers how her 'Big Mamas' prepared her for womanhood, the women enter to tell their stories and “Daughter” becomes a child again reliving her vivid memories of growing up--recalling the rituals, the faith healings, the stories she was told and the lessons she learned about survival, healing, deep faith and mystery. Pegasus Artistic Director Ilesa Duncan originally directed this hit play in 1998 at Chicago Theater Company. The Chicago Reader said, “Duncan deftly weaves a seamless narrative fabric from the disparate elements of Youngblood's script.” when Duncan originally directed this hit play in 1998 at Chicago Theatre Company.

“I am honored to be returning to this project,” said Duncan. “This memory play, Shakin’ the Mess Outta Misery, speaks to me and audiences about the importance of relationships, passion, faith, sisterhood and so much more. This heartwarming story originally done in by me in the 90s about life in the 60s still teaches invaluable lessons for all of us living at this time in the 21st century.”

The cast of Shakin’ the Mess Outta Misery includes Melanie Loren, “Daughter;” Felicia McNeal, “Big Mama;” Stacie Doublin, “Aunt Mae;” Tina Marie Wright, “Aunt Mae;” Toni Lynice Fountain, “Miss Lamama;” debrah neal, “Miss Corinne;” Sandra Watson, “Miss Tom/Miss Mary;” Takesha Meshé Kizart, “Maggie/Dee Dee” and Darian Tene, “Fannie Mae/Miss Shine.”

The production team of Shakin’ the Mess Outta Misery includes Elyse Balogh, scenic designer; Paul Kim, costume designer; Kirstin Johnson, sound designer; Katy Vest, props designer and Liam Fitzgerald, production manager.

(L to R): Melanie Loren, Felicia McNeal and Takesha Meshé Kizart

Photo by Emily Schwartz

ABOUT SHAY YOUNGBLOOD, playwright

Georgia born writer Shay Youngblood is author of the novels “Black Girl in Paris” and “Soul Kiss” (Riverhead Books) and a collection of short fiction, “The Big Mama Stories” (Firebrand Books). Her published plays Amazing Grace, Shakin' the Mess Outta Misery and Talking Bones, (Dramatic Publishing Company), have been widely produced. Her other plays include Square Blues, Black Power Barbie and Communism Killed My Dog. She is the recipient of numerous grants and awards including a Pushcart Prize for fiction, a Lorraine Hansberry Playwriting Award, an Edward Albee honoree, several NAACP Theater Awards, an Astraea Writers' Award for fiction and a 2004 New York Foundation for the Arts Sustained Achievement Award. Youngblood received her MFA in Creative Writing from Brown University and has taught Creative Writing to faculty and graduate students at NYU and has been Visiting Writer in Residence at the University of Mississippi and Texas A&M Universities. She was recently awarded a National Endowment for the Arts sponsored Japan-US Creative Artist Fellowship for 2011.

ABOUT ILESA DUNCAN, director

Ilesa Duncan is the producing artistic director at Pegasus Theatre Chicago. Her other recent directing work includes the world premiere of Jeff-Recommended Rutherford’s Travels and For Her as a Piano for Pegasus, Broken Fences at 16th Street Theater, the Jeff Award-nominated The Nativity with Congo Square and the Jeff Award-winning Jar the Floor at ETA Creative Arts. Duncan has also worked with Goodman Theatre, Writers Theatre, Victory Gardens Theater, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, Lifeline Theater, Stage Left and Chicago Dramatists, as well as Contemporary American Theatre Company (Ohio), The Alliance Theatre (Atlanta), Arena Stage (Washington DC) and Lincoln Center Theater (New York). Duncan’s creative nonfiction short stories have been published (Columbia College Chicago) and she’s written poems and screenplays.  For the stage, she co-adapted Rutherford’s Travels from the National Book Award-winning novel Middle Passage, co-wrote and directed Blakk Love: Stoeez of A Darker Hue and facilitated the devised project Do You See What I’m Saying for Chameleon.

ABOUT SHAWN WALLACE, music director/composer

Shawn Wallace is a keyboardist, composer and music director. He has music directed and composed for such theatres as MPAACT, Chicago Theatre Company and DanzTheatre Chicago.  He has worked with artists such as Common, Ice Cube, Bobby Brown, Dwele, Johnny Gill, Jon B., Bilal, Estelle, Julie Dexter, Rene Neufville, Rakim, Eric Roberson, Maggie Brown, Ugochi and Cherisse Scott. Wallace studied Music Theory and Composition at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and currently serves as musical director for two New Thought congregations: The Emmaus Center and the Namaste Center for Spiritual Living-Chicago.  He has worked for several years as a teaching artist throughout Chicago schools teaching Record Production and Theatre Tech to youth in 6th through 12th grades. His independent film score credits include; “Severed Ties” (Showcase Productions/ Lions Gate Films), “Puzzle Love” (Storybox Productions) and “Son of America” (Tanskin Productions/N’Spire Entertainment INC).

ABOUT NICOLE CLARKE-SPRINGER, choreographer

Nicole Clarke-Springer is a member of Deeply Rooted Dance Theatre where she has performed with artists such as Roberta Flack in Kevin Iega Jeff’s Flack as well as Jennifer Holiday in the world-renowned Penumbra Theatre’s Black Nativity. As a member of Deeply Rooted’s artistic team, Clarke-Springer choreographed works such as Nine, Dounia and Femme, and was assistant choreographer to Kevin Iega Jeff for Congo Square Theatre’s Nativity for two years.  In 2013, Clarke-Springer was named Deeply Rooted Dance Theatre’s Emerging choreographer for the program Generations. She received her B.S. in Arts Administration-Dance from Butler University in Indianapolis, IN where she also was awarded Butler Ballet’s Outstanding Performer.

ABOUT PEGASUS THEATRE CHICAGO
Pegasus Theatre Chicago has been a mainstay in the Chicago theater community for nearly 38 years. Its recent rebranded mission is to produce boldly imaginative theatre, champion new and authentic voices and illuminate the human journey. The theatre adheres to the core values of community engagement, social relevance, boldness, adventure and excellence.

Pegasus is also committed to initiating important conversations through the arts with strong community engagement and socially relevant programming, including the Young Playwrights Festival for high school-age scribes, which celebrated its 31st Anniversary this year. Pegasus Theatre Chicago has received seventy-seven Joseph Jefferson Citations since its inception.

OPENING: World Premiere of THE MAKING OF A MODERN FOLK HERO Via Other Theatre at Chicago Dramatists

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Other Theatre Presents the World Premiere of

THE MAKING OF A MODERN FOLK HERO

By Martín Zimmerman

Directed by Kelly Howe

September 29 – October 29, 2017 at Chicago Dramatists

Presented in association with Chicago Dramatists' Grafting Project

Here at ChiIL Live Shows we're on board with Other Theatre's fabulous and all too necessary mission statement, to tell the stories of persons or groups who are othered by systems of oppression. We too believe in the power of theatre to enact social change. We can't wait to catch their latest new work, the world premiere of THE MAKING OF A MODERN FOLK HERO.

Other Theatre, in association with Chicago Dramatists’ Grafting Project, is pleased to launch its 4th season with the world premiere of Martín Zimmerman’s comedic graphic novel for the stage THE MAKING OF A MODERN FOLK HERO, directed by Kelly Howe, playing September 29 – October 29, 2017 at Chicago Dramatists, 1105 W. Chicago Ave. in Chicago. Single tickets and season subscriptions are currently available at theothertheatrecompany.com. 

THE MAKING OF A MODERN FOLK HERO will feature Celeste Burns, Aida Delaz, Adelina Feldman-Schultz, Robert N. Isaac, Christopher Meister, Becca Sheehan and Hannah Toriumi. 

A congressman entices an old friend (and washed-up actor) to portray a superhero in a publicity stunt designed to stop the unjust bulldozing of a public housing complex. They leave the crowd enthralled, but what happens when the character the politician created goes rogue? This graphic novel for the stage employs a seamless blend of live actors and shadow puppets to interrogate the hopes, fears and social forces that push people to yearn for and believe in the possibility of superheroes.

Comments Artistic Director Carin Silkaitis, “Martín’s play touches on some important ideas – particularly what happens when our politicians are too entrenched in the political ecosystem to be able to enact real change, even if their intentions are in the right place? I am so interested in the fact that the congressman must hire an actor to save this housing complex. He knows the right choice is siding with the disenfranchised, the poverty-stricken, but he is too embedded in the political mess to be able to vocally side with the very people he represents. After conversations with the playwright (and because of Donald Trump's campaign strategy) I am also struck by the way this play grapples with the idea of a person – one who has deep and intense psychological needs for admiration and adoration – hijacking a political movement.”

THE MAKING OF A MODERN FOLK HERO was developed in part through readings and workshops at Chicago Dramatists.

The production team for THE MAKING OF A MODERN FOLK HERO includes: Michael Johannsen (scenic design), Olivia Crary (costume design), Will Coeur (lighting design), Colin Trevor (sound design), Nick Thornton (puppet design & puppet choreography) and Kasey Trouba (stage manager).

Location: Chicago Dramatists, 1105 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago
Dates: Previews: Friday, September 29 at 8 pm, Saturday, September 30 at 8 pm and Sunday, October 1 at 3 pm
Regular run: Friday, October 6 – Sunday, October 29, 2017
Curtain Times: Thursday, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm; Sundays at 3 pm Please note: there will be added performances on Wednesday, October 18 at 8 pm and Wednesday, October 25 at 8 pm.

Tickets: Previews: $20 with code “PREVIEW.” Regular run: $25. Students $15 with code “STUDENT.” Industry $15 with code “INDUSTRY.” Single tickets and season subscriptions are currently available at theothertheatrecompany.com.

*Chicago Dramatists Benefit Performances: The performances on Saturday, September 30 at 8 pm and Thursday, October 12 at 8 pm will benefit Chicago Dramatists. Tickets for these performances are available only through chicagodramatists.org.

Creative Team Bios
Martín Zimmerman (Playwright) is a multi-ethnic, bilingual playwright and screenwriter whose plays have been produced or developed at The Kennedy Center, Goodman Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse In The Park, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, La Jolla Playhouse, Alley Theatre, Roundabout Underground, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, LCT3, New York Theatre Workshop, Victory Gardens Theater, The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s National Playwrights Conference, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Marin Theatre Company, The Playwrights’ Center, Alliance Theatre, A.C.T. (Seattle), PlayPenn, Icicle Creek Theatre Festival, American Theater Company, The Theatre @ Boston Court, Chicago Dramatists, Primary Stages, Teatro Vista, Ojai Playwrights Conference, Playwrights Foundation, Cara Mía Theatre Co, Seven Devils Playwrights Conference and Borderlands Theater, among others. A recipient of the Terrence McNally New Play Award, Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award Citation, Humanitas Prize New Voices Award, Sky Cooper New American Play Prize, McKnight Advancement Grant, Jerome Fellowship, Carl Djerassi Playwriting Fellowship, and the National New Play Network’s Smith Prize, Martín was a Staff Writer on Netflix’s Narcos, is a Story Editor on the upcoming Netflix Series Ozark, has been the Alliance for Latino Theater Artists (ALTA) Artist of the Month, was a member of the 2011-2012 Playwrights’ Unit at Goodman Theatre, is a Playwright in Residence at Teatro Vista, a Resident Playwright at Chicago Dramatists, and is currently under commission at Milwaukee Repertory Theater, La Jolla Playhouse, and Roundabout Theatre Company. MFA in Playwriting: The University of Texas at Austin. BA in Theater Studies, BS in Economics: Duke University.

Kelly Howe (Director) is a theatre faculty member at Loyola University Chicago and Resident Dramaturg at TOTC. Recent directing credits include Sarah Myers' The Realm (TOTC), Gertrude Stein’s Doctor Faustus Lights the Lights, Ellen McLaughlin’s Iphigenia and Other Daughters, Juan Mayorga’s Way to Heaven, Brecht and Weill’s The Threepenny Opera, George Brant’s Elephant’s Graveyard, Martín Zimmerman’s Phoenix Unforgiven and Sarah Myers’ God of the Gaps. Recent dramaturgy for TOTC includes Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992, Daughters of Ire and Threesome. Kelly is a past president of Pedagogy and Theatre of the Oppressed (PTO) and co-organizer of the collective Theatre of the Oppressed and Activism in Chicago. She co-chaired three of PTO's international conferences and the 30th anniversary conference of the Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE) in Chicago. As an artist/scholar, Kelly focuses on activist performance, particularly Theatre of the Oppressed and theatre as feminist organizing. She co-edited Theatre of the Oppressed in Actions (2015) with Julian Boal and Scot McElvany and is working on The Routledge Companion to Theatre of the Oppressed with Julian Boal and José Soeiro. Her writing also appears in Theatre Journal, Theatre Topics, Text and Performance Quarterly, Comparative Drama, etc. She is a member of the advisory board of the Jana Sanskriti International Research and Resource Institute, West Bengal, India. MA/PhD UT-Austin; BA Muhlenberg College. 

About Other Theatre:
Other Theatre is dedicated to telling the stories of persons or groups who are othered by systems of oppression. Othering individuals or groups sustains power and privilege. Othering inherently implies hierarchy. Othering keeps the power in the hands of those who already have it.  Othering is an "us" vs. "them" mentality often centered around race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, identity, class, religion and ability. Other Theatre is committed to telling these stories in the hope that we can lessen the amount of discrimination and oppression in our world.

We are a collective of artist-activists who believe in the power of theatre to enact social change. We believe in equality for all human beings and we will fight for it. We believe theatre is an excellent conversation starter, and we hope you will come talk with us after the show. We believe radical social change is possible and we will continue to stand up, fight, and resist until it happens.

Other Theatre Artistic Staff: 
Carin Silkaitis, Founder and Artistic Director; Maddie DePorter, Managing Director; Bryan Renaud, Associate Artistic Director; Ashley Pettit, Production Manager; Savanna Rae, Company Manager; Stephen Kossak, Casting Director; Becca Sheehan, Audience Development/Intern Coordinator; Nik Kmiecik, Social Media Coordinator; Kelly Howe, Resident Dramaturg; Tommy Rivera-Vega, Artistic Associate; Hannah Toriumi, Artistic Associate; Gay Glenn, Artistic Associate.

Other Theatre Board of Directors:
Michele Thornton, President; Kelly Soprych, Vice President; Jermaine Hill, Secretary; Stephen Silkaitis, Treasurer; Lisa Wolfe, and Michael Johannsen.

Other Theatre’s 4th Season is presented by generous grants from MacArthur Funds for Arts and Culture at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, and The Saints.

About Chicago Dramatists:
Since 1979, Chicago Dramatists has been dedicated to the development and advancement of playwrights. Chicago Dramatists nurtures extraordinary playwrights with the space, resources and collaborators needed to realize new work and thrive as artists. Workshops, readings, classes and special programs provide opportunities for beginning and established dramatists to develop their work, expand their professional affiliations, showcase their plays and collaborate with actors, directors and audiences during the creative process. The Resident Playwright program is a selective program offered at no cost to playwrights who demonstrate talent and dedication to the craft of playwriting. But we also believe that to discover untapped talent and nurture playwriting as a discipline, we need to embrace playwrights wherever they are on their writing path—which is why we offer our Network Playwright program to playwrights at all levels of ability.

Every year, plays developed at Chicago Dramatists earn hundreds of professional accomplishments, including productions, awards, commissions and readings at theatres in Chicago and worldwide. Distinguished alumni of Chicago Dramatists include Tanya Saracho (El Nogalar, How to Get Away with Murder), Andrew Hinderaker (Colossus, Penny Dreadful), Rick Cleveland (The West Wing, Six Feet Under, Mad Men), Rebecca Gilman (Pulitzer nominee, Spinning into Butter, Luna Gale), Keith Huff (A Steady Rain, House of Cards), and many others.

LAST CALL: World Premiere of Still Dance The Stars at Chicago Dramatists Must Close Friday

New Light Theater Project and Chicago Dramatists

Present the World Premiere of Jayme McGhan’s

‘STILL DANCE THE STARS’

Written by Jayme McGhan

Directed by Sarah Norris

Closing Friday, September 15th 

Tonight we're finally catching Still Dance the Stars at Chicago Dramatists. Can't wait to ChiIL in Chi, IL at this world premiere that features a cast from across the country including 3 Elmhurst natives who now live and work in New York. 

New Light Theater Project and Chicago Dramatists present the World Premiere of Still Dance the Stars, a highly theatrical story based on the struggles of love in the face of unthinkable loss. Directed by the Founding Artistic Director of New Light Theater Project, Sarah Norris, and written by highly acclaimed American playwright, Jayme McGhan, this work takes on the struggles of marriage in a unique and fictitious manner that has never been seen before on stage. This play is the recipient of the renowned Chicago Dramatists’ Grafting Project, a project designed to partner with theatre companies to produce Resident Playwright’s world-premiere plays. An energy packed performance filled with both romance and comedy that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats, Still Dance the Stars is on stage for a limited time engagement at Chicago Dramatists, 1105 W Chicago Ave.

Still Dance the Stars tells the story of James and Anne, the viral Internet proposal sensation couple that has hit a rut in their sixth year of marriage. The night before another nationally televised interview on the proposal story, these two get into a drunkenly infused battle with a box of stuffed animals over the fate of their marriage. One of these stuffed animals, Hope the Hippo, comes to life to make it her quest to save the marriage of James and Anne and rekindle the flame of love they once shared. 

“This play takes the idea of heartache and infuses it with comedy and dance, creating a storyline for the whole audience to enjoy,” says McGhan. “This story brings to life a couple’s biggest struggles and triumphs in a unique yet relatable fashion. It is a performance you will most definitely not want to miss.”



The casting lineup for Still Dance the Stars stuns with actors and actresses nationwide including: Martel Manning (Chicago), Bethany Geraghty (New York City based actress and Chicago native), Ariana Sepúlveda (Philadelphia), Courtney Knysch (New York City based actress and Chicago native), Michael Aguirre (New York City based actor and Chicago native), Carl Jaynes (New York City based actor and Chicago native), Claudia Campbell (New York City), Dana Martin (Los Angeles), and Kaycee Jordan (Chicago).

In addition to the Director Sarah Norris, the creative team also includes Ashlee Wasmund (Choreographer), Ashley Poteat (Set and Costume Designer), John Kelly (Lighting Designer), Andy Evan Cohen (Sound Designer), Becs Bartle (Stage Manager) and Alan Weusthoff (Technical Director).

Jayme McGhan (Playwright) is the author of 20 full-length plays that have been produced across the country. He is a Resident Playwright at Chicago Dramatists, an Associate Artist at Chicago’s Stage Left Theatre, and serves as the Director of the School of Stage and Screen at WCU. He lives in North Carolina with his wife & son.

Sarah Norris (Director) is the Founding Artistic Director of New Light Theater Project. Her work has been seen both around the country (New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Fresno, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Maine & Alaska) and around the world (Australia, England, & Ireland). She has worked with: Playwrights Horizons, Theatre Communications Group (TCG), LAByrinth Theater Company, Disney Theatrical Productions, BAMA Theatre Company, The Flea Theater, and The Gallery Players to name a few. She is a proud member of AEA and associate of SDC.

Performances for Still Dance the Stars are as follows: 
Tuesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 6:00 p.m. There will not be a performance on Sunday, Sept 3rd. Performances are at Chicago Dramatists (1105 W Chicago Avenue). Tickets are $35.

To purchase tickets, visit http://stilldance.brownpapertickets.com.


About New Light Theater Project (NLTP)
New Light Theater Project (NLTP) is an ensemble-driven theater company that strives to capture the Little Theater Movement (artistry over commerce; producing new and classic works) in the NYC indie theater community. To accomplish this, NLTP places the ensemble at the center of the process, where all members, regardless of artistic role, bear weight and voice to the stories selected to tell. NLTP devises and develops new work, brings classical texts and revivals to life, and creates a spirit of community for all theatrical collaborations. NLTP illuminates other artists and companies through a network of shared resources, such as The Darkroom Series, while cultivating theatrical partnerships around the world. For more information, visit newlighttheaterproject.com.


About Chicago Dramatists
Since 1979, Chicago Dramatists has been dedicated to the development and advancement of playwrights. Chicago Dramatists nurtures extraordinary playwrights with the space, resources, and collaborators needed to realize new work and thrive as artists. Workshops, readings, classes, and special programs, provide opportunities for beginning and established dramatists to develop their work, expand their professional affiliations, showcase their plays and collaborate with actors, directors, and audiences during the creative process. For more information, visit chicagodramatists.org.

OPENING: JOHNNY 10 BEERS’ DAUGHTER at CHICAGO DRAMATISTS 5/19-6/18

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

SOMETHING MARVELOUS, IN ASSOCIATION WITH CHICAGO DRAMATISTS’ GRAFTING PROJECT, PRESENTS 

JOHNNY 10 BEERS’ DAUGHTER, 

STARRING 

RANDY STEINMEYER AND ARTI ISHAK, 

MAY 19 – JUNE 18

Powerful and Poignant Drama, Written by 

Dana Lynn Formby and Directed by Emmi Hilger

(left to right) Randy Steinmeyer (Johnny) and Arti Ishak (Leila). 

Photos by Laura Nash.

 
Something Marvelous and Randy Steinmeyer, in association with Chicago Dramatists’ Grafting Project, present the Johnny 10 Beers’ Daughter. Written by Dana Lynn Formby and directed by Emmi Hilger, Johnny 10 Beers’ Daughter runs May 19 – June 18 at Chicago Dramatists, 1105 W. Chicago Ave. 

Previews are Friday, May 19 and Saturday, March 20 at 8 p.m. Opening performances are Sunday, May 21 at 3 and 7 p.m. Regular performance times are Thursdays - Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Ticket prices are $18 for preview performances, $22 for Thursday and Sunday performances and $28 for Friday and Saturday performances. Tickets may be purchased online at http://www.somethingmarvelous.org/johnny-ten-beers-daughter/.

A father and daughter fish for silence in both the Euphrates and Poudre Rivers after serving in Iraq—a Marine Corp enlistment separated by 16 years. Johnny 10 Beers’ Daughter shares the personal and public struggles created by war. This dialogue-driven drama showcases the battle with post-war life and inner-self capturing the silence and the explosions of anger created by PTSD.

Johnny 10 Beers’ Daughter was a finalist for the 2016 Eugene O’Neill Award, Princess Grace finalist in 2015 and received an honorable mention by Kilroys in 2015.  The cast for Johnny Ten Beers’ Daughter includes: Randy Steinmeyer (Johnny) and Arti Ishak (Leila).

The production team for Johnny 10 Beers’ Daughter includes: Dana Lynn Formby (Playwright), Emmi Hilger (Director, Producer), Adam Greye (Stage Manager), Nicholas Schwartz (Scenic Director), Kara Grimm (Lighting Designer), Barry Bennett (Sound Designer), Jonathan Berg-Einhorn (Props Designer), Uriel Gomez (Costume Designer), Michelle Underwood (Projections Designer), Justin Glombicki (Technical Director) and Gracie Meier (Assistant Producer).


About Randy Steinmeyer (Johnny, Producer)
Johnny 10 Beers’ Daughter marks Steinmeyer 10th world premiere and first time as a producer.  An Associate Artist at Chicago Dramatists, Randy has appeared in:  Chops, McMeekin Finds Out, A Steady Rain (Jeff award for Best Actor), and The Prophet of Bishop Hill, all plays developed at Chicago Dramatists.  He also appeared in The Troll and The Elephant Prince, developed at the Goodman School of Drama/DePaul University, where he received a professional certificate in Acting.  Steinmeyer received a BA in Theater Arts from Blackburn College.  Other new work includes the musicals Larger than Life, All That Entertainment and Psychedelic Sundae, developed at Milwaukee Rep. Additional stage credits include: Man and Superman, The Infernal Machine, The Diviners, The Tempest, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Wait Until Dark, Reckless, A Wrinkle in Time, Brigidoon, Out of Order, Rough for Theater 2/ Catastrophe, and The Bourgeouis Gentleman. Film work includes Public Enemies, The Babe, Transformers 3 and Game Day. TV work includes Chicago PD, The Playboy Club, The Beast, Early Edition, Turks, The Untouchables, and Mario and the Mob, a made for TV movie. 

About Arti Ishak (Leila)
Ishak is a Chicago theatre artist, transplanted from Detroit, working on stage as well as producing and marketing for various storefront companies. She is a proud graduate of Western Michigan University’s Theatre Performance and Business programs. As an artist she is committed to being a part of and producing pieces that inspire social change and growth. She is specifically passionate about contributing to the growth of a strong female presence in the arts. It is her goal to challenge traditional gender roles and racial stereotypes that are typically associated with women of color in the media today. She believes magical realism can be an incredibly impactful tool as it has the unique ability to ask the worlds' big questions while engaging the audience's sense of wonder Along with being the Communications Manager for Something Marvelous, Ishak also serves as the social media marketing manager for The Strange Bedfellows Theatre.

About Dana Lynn Formby, playwright
Dana Lynn Formby is a resident playwright at Chicago Dramatists. She was a finalist for the 2016 Emory Fellowship in Playwriting as well as a finalist and semi finalist for the 2015 and 2016 Princess Grace Award for playwriting. Formby’s most recent play, The Play That Used To Be Titled ‘1247 Likes’ Decides To Go Dancing In The Cemetery, was commissioned by Theater Emory. The Labeler was a 2016 finalist for the American Blues Theatre Blue Ink Award and will be read at Luna Stage in 2017. Her play American Beauty Shop was read at Steppenwolf’s First Look 2014 and is was published by Bloomsbury Methuen in conjunction with the world premiere at Chicago Dramatists this past spring. Formby is a three-time ‘Kilroy Honorable Mention’ playwright and her plays have been produced, workshopped and read by Pegasus Theatre Chicago, Chicago Dramatists, Mortar Theatre Company, Steep, PICT, Victory Gardens, WordBRIDGE, Florida Studio Theatre, The Alliance Theatre of Atlanta, The Kennedy Center, Theater Emory and New York Theatre Workshop. Her short play A Deck of Monsters was featured in Goodman Theatre's New Play Bake-Off. Her play Until Death was produced in 2015 at Concordia University Chicago in association with Chicago Dramatists. She holds an MFA in playwriting from Ohio University and is represented by The Robert A. Freedman Dramatic Agency in New York.

About Emmi Hilger, Director, Producer
Emmi Hilger currently lives in Chicago where she is the artistic director of Something Marvelous, a festival of magical realism. Relationships are at the heart of every story she tells, and Hilger enjoys collaborating with playwrights to explore theatre's unique ability to inspire imagination. For Something Marvelous, Hilger has directed The Clean House by Sarah Ruhl, References to Salvador Dalí Make Me Hot by José Rivera, the workshop of Koalas by J. Joseph Cox, Sunrise: Ardmore Beach by Hallie Palladino and Sheltered by Laura Nessler.

About Chicago Dramatists’ Grafting Project
Since 1979 Chicago Dramatists has nurtured extraordinary playwrights with the space, resources, and collaborators needed to realize new work and thrive as artists.  Through the Grafting Project, Chicago Dramatists offer companies producing a resident playwright's work free production space.  Resident Playwright Dana Lynn Formby developed Johnny 10 Beers’ Daughter through Chicago Dramatists’ Round Table and Saturday Series programs.  Chicago Dramatists grants 23 Resident Playwrights and 6 Tutterow Fellows developmental programs such as table readings, workshops, and public staged readings. 

About Something Marvelous
Something Marvelous is a theatre company based in Chicago dedicated to creating works of magical realism. Each year the company puts up a full production, conducts workshops of new plays in collaboration with playwrights, curates a series of special events involving local theatre companies and leads a dialogue about imagination in the theatre. 2013 was its inaugural festival, with three readings, a Night of New Works and a production of The Clean House by Sarah Ruhl. In 2014, Something Marvelous presented References to Salvador Dalí Make Me Hot by José Rivera, a Night of New Works, and eight reading series events. The 2015 festival featured six world premieres of ten-minute plays in a fully produced Night of New Works, three workshops culminating in staged readings at the Chicago Cultural Center thanks to the DCASE In the Works residency and four special events geared towards actors, directors and designers. 2016 brought Something Marvelous’ first world premiere, Don't Look by Gina Doherty, as well as a continuation of the workshop series and special events. For more information, please visit www.somethingmarvelous.org.

 

Something Marvelous and Randy Steinmeyer, in association with Chicago Dramatists’ Grafting Project, present the Johnny 10 Beers’ Daughter. Written by Dana Lynn Formby and directed by Emmi Hilger, Johnny 10 Beers’ Daughter runs May 19 – June 18 at Chicago Dramatists, 1105 W. Chicago Ave. Previews are Friday, May 19 and Saturday, March 20 at 8 p.m. Opening performances are Sunday, May 21 at 3 and 7 p.m., press is invited to attend either opening day performances.  Regular performance times are Thursdays - Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Ticket prices are $18 for preview performances, $22 for Thursday and Sunday performances and $28 for Friday and Saturday performances. 

Tickets may be purchased online at http://www.somethingmarvelous.org/johnny-ten-beers-daughter/.

ACT OUT OPENING: CHICAGO DRAMATISTS PRESENTS “HOMECOMING 1972” 5/16

CHICAGO DRAMATISTS PRESENTS “HOMECOMING 1972”

BY RESIDENT PLAYWRIGHT ROBERT KOON

Four-Time Jeff Award Nominee and Associate Artist Kimberly Senior
Directs a World Premiere about a Young Veteran Coming Home

Chicago Dramatists proudly closes its 34th season with Robert Koon’s “Homecoming 1972,” directed by Associate Artist Kimberly Senior, May 16 – June 23, 2013.

In “Homecoming 1972,” Frank limps out of the war in Vietnam and back into the world. In his small Midwestern hometown, he finds that his once-mundane world of football, cars and Sunday dinners has turned suddenly strange and threatening. Caught between the realities of war and the retrospective absurdities of his old life, he stares down the iconic celebration of returning local heroes at the high school homecoming game.

The source material for “Homecoming 1972” hits close to home for playwright Robert Koon whose family has a history of military service dating back to the Revolutionary War. “Like many Americans, I have strong military connections within my family and despite this play’s Vietnam-era setting I think modern audiences will have plenty to connect with,” he said. “We are no strangers to the uncertain realities of wartime and I hope ‘Homecoming 1972’ will call attention to veteran’s issues like mental health and unemployment.”

“As a longtime admirer of Chicago Dramatists’ fervent commitment to incubating important new works, I could not be more thrilled to be returning to bring Robert’s remarkable play to life with this outstanding group of collaborators,” says director Kimberly Senior. “Plays like ‘Homecoming 1972’ are vital to the theatrical landscape as they shed new light on important societal issues.”

“Homecoming 1972” marks Resident Playwright Robert Koon’s second production with Chicago Dramatists, which produced his play “St. Colm’s Inch” in 2005. About that production, The Chicago Tribune’s Chris Jones raved, “Few playwrights write the family fight as well as Robert Koon.” In 2005, Chicago Dramatists published another of Koon’s works, “Vintage Red and The Dust of The Road” in the anthology “New Plays from Chicago.”

“Homecoming 1972” will be directed by four-time Jeff Award nominee and Chicago Dramatists Associate Artist Kimberly Senior, whose innumerable Chicago-area and regional directing credits include the world premiere of Aline Lathrop’s “Feast” for Chicago Dramatists in 2007, “Want” and “The North Plan” for Steppenwolf Theatre Company, and “After the Revolution” and “The Overwhelming” for Next Theatre. In October 2012, Senior made her Lincoln Center Theater debut with a well-received production Ayad Akhtar’s “Disgraced” after directing its world premiere at Chicago’s American Theatre Company in January 2012. The New York Times’ Charles Isherwood praised the “sleek production directed by Kimberly Senior,” which starred The Daily Show’s Aasif Mandvi, as “a continuously engaging, vitally engaged play.”

About the Production

“Homecoming 1972” is written by Robert Koons and directed by Kimberly Senior featuring Matt Holzfeind as Frank, Greta Honold as Maria, Brett Schneider as Joe, Julian Hester as The Kid, and Molly Glynn as Darla.

“Homecoming 1972” will begin previews May 16. Press openings will be Friday, May 24 and Saturday, May 25 at 8 p.m. Performances are Thursdays – Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. through June 23. Tickets are $32 and student tickets are $15 for all Thursday performances. To purchase tickets or for more information visit www.chicagodramatists.org or call 312-633-0630. Both opening night performances are sponsored by Branch 27.

About the Playwright

Robert Koon is a Resident Playwright at Chicago Dramatists, where he also serves as the company dramaturg. Chicago Dramatists produced his play “St. Colm's Inch” and published his play “Vintage Red and The Dust of The Road” (Joseph Jefferson Award Citation for New Work, American Theatre Critics Steinberg Award nominee) in their anthology New Plays from Chicago. Robert's other work includes “Odin's Horse” (Joseph Jefferson Award nominee, 2004 national award for ecodrama), “The Point of Honor,” “Changing Attire,” “Solstice,” and “Looking West from Fira.” His most recent play, “Menorca,” was produced at 16th Street Theatre in the fall of 2010.

Robert's work has been featured at the Ashland New Plays Festival, Playwrights Week at the Lark Theatre (New York), the Dayton Playhouse FutureFest, Stage Left Theatre's (Chicago) LeapFest, Mirror Stage's (Seattle) Feed Your Mind Series, Earth Matters On Stage, the Pittsburgh Ecodrama Festival, and Estrogen Fest in Chicago. He has been awarded creative residencies at the Ragdale Foundation in Lake Forest, Illinois, and the William Inge Center for the Arts in Independence, Kansas. He teaches regularly in the Playwrights Studio at Chicago Dramatists, and has also taught at The Theatre School at DePaul University, Aurora University, Independence (Kansas) Community College, Northlight Theatre's Open Door Ensemble, The Off-Campus Writers Workshop, Theatre of Western Springs, Timber Lake Playhouse, and the Ashland (Oregon) New Plays Festival. Dramaturgical credits include Stageworks Theatre in Tampa, Florida and Indiana Theatre Works. He is a member of The Dramatists Guild of America.

About the Director

Kimberly Senior is an Artistic Associate at Next Theatre, Strawdog Theatre, and Chicago Dramatists. As a director, Kimberly’s Chicago credits have earned her four Joseph Jefferson nominations and include “Want” and “The North Plan” at Steppenwolf, “Madagascar,” “The Overwhelming” and “The Busy World is Hushed” at Next, “Waiting for Lefty” at American Blues, “Old Times,” “The Conquest of the South Pole,” “Uncle Vanya,” “Cherry Orchard,” “Three Sisters,” “Fuddy Meers” and “Knives in Hens” at Strawdog, “Bad Dates” and “Mouse Cop” at Fox Valley Repertory, “Bug” and “The Pillowman” at Redtwist, “Thieves Like Us” at The House, “All My Sons” and “Dolly West's Kitchen” at TimeLine, among others. Upcoming Chicago productions include “The Whipping Man,” currently playing at Northlight Theatre through February 24, 2013.

As an educator, Kimberly spent 10 years as both an administrator and Resident Artist with Steppenwolf for Young Adults. In addition, Kimberly either ran programs or taught for Court Theater, Northlight Theater, Redmoon Theater, Roadworks Productions, Victory Gardens, Metropolis, Act One Studios, and Acting Studio Chicago. At Columbia College she teaches Chekhov, Dramaturgy and Text Analysis. She is the recipient of Columbia College's 2010 Excellence in Teaching Award. Kimberly has served as Program Director and as a dramaturg for Steppenwolf's First Look Repertory of New Work.

About Chicago Dramatists

Since 1979, Chicago Dramatists has been dedicated to a single mission—the development and advancement of playwrights and new plays that contribute to the American theatre repertory and enrich the lives of audiences across the country. Simply put, Chicago Dramatists is a safe and creative place where playwrights, theatre artists, audiences, producers, and donors can join forces to build the theatre of the future.

Through workshops, readings, classes, and special programs, we provide opportunities for beginning and established dramatists to develop their work, expand their professional affiliations, showcase their plays to the theatre marketplace, and collaborate with actors, directors, and audiences during the creative process. And by the same token, we offer theatres and audiences a convenient central resource to discover the plays and playwrights that will shape the theatre of the twenty-first century.