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Showing posts with label Chicago premiere. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chicago premiere. Show all posts

Saturday, March 30, 2019

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

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

Chicago Premiere!
First Floor Theater Presents
I’M GONNA PRAY FOR YOU SO HARD
By Halley Feiffer
Directed by Cole von Glahn


April 20 – May 18, 2019 at The Den Theatre

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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



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

Monday, March 25, 2019

OPENING: Chicago Premiere of The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey Via American Blues Theater at Stage 773 March 29 – April 27, 2019

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

American Blues Theater Presents
the Chicago Premiere of  
The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey
by James Lecesne 
directed by Kurt Johns
featuring Joe Foust


March 29 – April 27, 2019

I'll be out for the press opening April 4th, so check back soon for my full review.

American Blues Theater continues its 2018-2019 Season with the Chicago Premiere of The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey, by James Lecesne and directed by Kurt Johns. The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey runs March 29 – April 27, 2019 at Stage 773, 1225 W Belmont Ave in Chicago.  

Ensemble member Joe Foust* portrays every character in a small Jersey Shore town as he unravels the story of Leonard Pelkey, a tenaciously optimistic and flamboyant fourteen-year-old boy who goes missing. A luminous force of nature whose magic is only truly felt once he is gone, Leonard becomes an unexpected inspiration as the town’s citizens question how they live, who they love, and what they leave behind. 

The creative team includes Grant Sabin* (scenic), Jared Gooding* (lighting), Travis Bihn (costumes), Eric Backus* (sound), Kevin Rolfs (props), and Shandee Vaughan* (production manager / stage manager).

*Denotes Ensemble and Artistic Affiliates of American Blues Theater

Featuring: Ensemble Member Joe Foust* (solo performer)

Creative Team: Grant Sabin* (scenic), Jared Gooding* (lighting), Travis Bihn (costumes), Eric Backus* (sound), Kevin Rolfs (props), and Shandee Vaughan* (production manager / stage manager)

Dates: March 29 – April 27, 2019 
Previews: March 29 – April 3, 2019
Press Opening: Thursday, April 4, 2019 at 7:30 p.m.
Regular Run: April 5 – 27, 2019

Schedule: Thursdays:  7:30pm
Fridays: 7:30pm
Saturdays: 3:00pm & 7:30pm
Sundays: 2:30pm

Town Halls: free post-show discussions follow Sunday performances

Additional performances on April 3 & 15 at 7:30pm and April 24 at 2:30pm

No performances on March 30 or April 6 at 3:00pm or April 27 at 7:30pm 

Location: Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago

Ticket prices: $19 - $39
Box Office: Buy online at AmericanBluesTheater.com or by calling 773.654.3103.



About American Blues Theater  
Winner of the American Theatre Wing’s prestigious National Theatre Company Award, American Blues Theater is a premier arts organization with an intimate environment that patrons, artists, and all Chicagoans call home.  American Blues Theater explores the American identity through the plays it produces and communities it serves.  
  
The diverse and multi-generational artists have established the second-oldest professional Equity Ensemble theater in Chicago.  The 36-member Ensemble has 600+ combined years of collaboration on stage. As of 2018, the theater and artists received 204 Joseph Jefferson Awards and nominations that celebrate excellence in Chicago theater and over 36 Black Theatre Alliance Awards. The artists are honored with Pulitzer Prize nominations, Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, Emmy Awards and numerous other accolades.    
  
American Blues Theater programs and activities are made possible, in part by funding by The MacArthur Funds for Arts & Culture at Prince, the Shubert Foundation, The Chicago Community Trust, SMART Growth Grant, Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the Illinois Arts Council Agency, Anixter Foundation, Actors’ Equity Foundation, and the Chip Pringle Fund. ComEd is the Season Lighting Sponsor. 

OPENING: Chicago Premiere of Lauren Yee's Cambodian Rock Band at Victory Gardens Theater Now Extended Through May 12, 2019

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar


Victory Gardens Theater Presents
with City Theatre Company and Merrimack Repertory Theatre
the Chicago Premiere of
Cambodian Rock Band
*Now Extended Through May 12, 2019*



By Lauren Yee 
Directed by Marti Lyons
Featuring Songs by Dengue Fever
April 5 – May 5, 2019

Special Engagement
Dengue Fever at Lincoln Hall
May 1, 2019

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we adore Lauren Yee's writing and can't wait to catch the Chicago Premiere of Cambodian Rock Band! I'll be out for the press opening April 12th, so check back soon for my full review. There are a plethora of public programs in conjunction with the production so save the dates and engage in some thought provoking dialogue and in depth exploration of the show's themes. 

Victory Gardens Theater continues its 44th season with the Chicago Premiere of Cambodian Rock Band, written by Lauren Yee, featuring songs by Dengue Fever and directed by Marti Lyons. Cambodian Rock Band runs April 5 – May 5, 2010, with press performance on Friday, April 12, 2019 at 7:30pm at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue. Victory Gardens is also pleased to announce a partnership with Lincoln Hall to present Dengue Fever in concert on Wednesday, May 1, 2019. 

Cambodian Rock Band is presented with City Theatre Company and Merrimack Repertory Theatre. Following the run at Victory Gardens Theater, Cambodian Rock Band will be presented at City Theatre Company in Pittsburgh, PA, September 14 - October 6, 2019, and Merrimack Repertory Theatre in Lowell, MA, October 16 - November 10, 2019.

Part comedy, part mystery, part rock concert, this thrilling story toggles back and forth in time, as father and daughter face the music of the past. Neary, a young Cambodian American, has found evidence that could finally put away individuals who carried out the Cambodian genocide. But her work is far from done. When Dad shows up unannounced—his first return to Cambodia since fleeing 30 years ago—it’s clear this isn’t just a pleasure trip. A wild rock-and-roll journey through the eyes of father and daughter, Artistic Director Chay Yew brings the world premiere journey of Lauren Yee’s (Samsara) Cambodian Rock Band from South Coast Repertory Theatre to Victory Gardens.


“Yee’s play is a fierce, gorgeous, heartwarming, comedic fairy tale.” – Los Angeles Times 

"Lauren Yee's Cambodian Rock Band is a work of incredible theatrical deftness, brutal honesty, pure heart and wit. Her play breathes life to the timely issues in our divided nation: immigration, race, genocide and human rights abuses; the rights of refugees and emigres; the consequences of apathy when a country shifts under a brutal regime; and the destruction of freedom of expression in the midst of political transitions and upheavals," says Chay Yew, Artistic Director. "In Lauren’s astute eyes, one thing remains consistent throughout our temperamental world: the constancy, the resilience and enduring power of art and artists. Cambodian Rock Band celebrates the indomitable legacy of art and music; how artists capture our individual and national spirit and hopes; and the uncanny ability of art to inspire, to affirm our humanity, and to bring us together."

The cast of Cambodian Rock Band includes Rammel Chan (Duch), Eileen Doan (Pou/Guard/Keyboard), Peter Sipla (Rom/Journalist/Drums), Greg Watanabe (Chum/Bass), Aja Wiltshire (Neary/Sothea/
Vocals), and Matthew Yee (Leng/Ted/Guitar).

The creative team includes Matt MacNelly (music direction), Yu Shibagaki (scenic design), Izumi Inaba (costume design), Keith Parham (lighting design), and Mikhail Fiskel (sound design).

Lead Partner for the Victory Gardens Theater production of Cambodian Rock Band is the National Cambodian Heritage Museum and Killing Fields Memorial located at 2831 W. Lawrence Avenue, Chicago, IL. www.cambodianmuseum.org



About the Artists
Lauren Yee’s (Playwright) Cambodian Rock Band, with music by Dengue Fever, premiered at South Coast Rep and is also currently running at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, followed by La Jolla Playhouse. Her play The Great Leap has been produced at the Denver Center, Seattle Repertory, Atlantic Theatre, the Guthrie Theatre, and American Conservatory Theatre, with future productions at Arts Club and InterAct Theatre. Honors include the Horton Foote Prize, Kesselring Prize, Primus Prize, a Hodder Fellowship at Princeton, and the #1 and #2 plays on the 2017 Kilroys List. She's a member of New Dramatists, Ma-Yi Writers’ Lab member, and Playwrights Realm alumni playwright. She has written for Mixtape (Netflix). Current commissions include Geffen Playhouse, La Jolla Playhouse, Lincoln Center/LCT3, Portland Center Stage, Second Stage, South Coast Rep, and Trinity Rep. She holds a BA from Yale and a MFA from UCSD.

Marti Lyons (Director) is a Chicago-based director currently directing How to Defend Yourself by Lily Padilla for the 2019 Humana Festival at Actors Theatre of Louisville. She will be at the helm of this play again as it makes its World Premiere at Victory Gardens Theater in the winter of 2020. She most recently directed Witch by Jen Silverman (Writers Theatre); Botticelli in the Fire by Jordan Tannahill (Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company); The Wolves by Sarah DeLappe and Kings by Sarah Burgess (Studio Theater); Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (The Court Theatre); Native Gardens by Karen Zacarias (Victory Gardens Theatre); Twelfth Night (Montana Shakespeare in the Schools); The Mystery of Love and Sex by Bathsheba Doran (Writers Theatre); Short Shakes! Macbeth and Short Shakes! Romeo and Juliet (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre); Wit (The Hypocrites); The City of Conversation by Anthony Giardina (Northlight Theatre Company). She directed Wondrous Strange by Meg Miroshnik, Martyna Majok, Jen Silverman and Jiehae Park (2016 Humana Festival). Title and Deed by Will Eno (Lookingglass Theatre Company) and a reading of Martin Zimmerman’s On the Exhale for the New Stages Festival at the Goodman Theatre, where she received the 2015 Maggio directing fellowship. Other projects include Laura Marks’ Bethany, Marks’ Mine and Will Nedved’s Body and Blood (The Gift Theatre); Catherine Treischmann’s Hot Georgia Sunday and Theresa Rebeck’s Seminar (Haven Theatre); Prowess by Ike Holter, The Peacock and Give it all Back by Calamity West, and The Last Duck by Lucas Neff (Jackalope Theatre); The Play About My Dad by Boo Killebrew (Raven Theatre); Mai Dang Lao by David Jacobi, 9 Circles by Bill Cain, Maria/Stuart by Jason Grote, and co-directed The Golden Dragon (Sideshow Theatre). Marti is an ensemble member at The Gift Theatre, an Artistic Associate with Sideshow Theatre and a proud member of SDC.

Dengue Fever (Songs) began in the late 1990s with a 6-month trek through Southeast Asia by Keyboardist Ethan Holtzman. Returning to Los Angeles with a suitcase crammed full of Cambodian cassette tapes, Holtzman and his brother Zac, who had discovered the same music while working at a record store in San Francisco, reunited. The brothers soon bonded over their love of vintage Cambodian rock and in 2002 founded the band with saxophonist David Ralicke (Beck/Brazzaville), drummer Paul Dreux Smith, and bassist Senon Williams (Radar Brothers). Shortly thereafter the members were on hot pursuit for the ideal Cambodian chanteuse to complete their outfit. After a short period of musical courtship that began at a Cambodian nightclub in Long Beach, CA, Chhom Nimol joined the band when she realized the guys shared a genuine passion for the music and culture of her homeland.

That passion is a cross pollination of Khmer rock, garage rock, psychedelic rock and the British Invasion sound that has pushed the band to heights they could only dream of in 2002. Dengue Fever has performed in front of thousands of fans at such noted music festivals as WOMAD (UK, AUS, NZ), WOMEX (Spain), Melbourne Festival (AUS), Glastonbury (UK), Bumershoot, (USA), Transmusicales (France), Roskilde (Denmark), Electric Picnic (Ireland), Peace and Love (Sweden), Treasure Island (USA) among many others. Their songs have appeared in films such as City of Ghosts, Jim Jarmusch’s Broken Flowers, The Hangover 2, the Showtime series Weeds, the HBO’s hit series True Blood (which named an entire episode after one of their songs and featured the band’s music), the CBS series CSI: Las Vegas, and numerous independent documentaries.

Rammel Chan (Duch) has appeared regionally in Vietgone (Writers Theatre), King of the Yees (Goodman Theatre & Kirk Douglas Theatre), Oblivion (Steppenwolf Theatre Company), A Red Line Runs Through It (u/s Second City), Twilight: Los Angeles, and 1992 (Next Act Theatre Milwaukee).  Film and TV credits include: Cold War, End of the Tour, The Red Line (CBS), Crisis, Chicago Justice (NBC), Patriot (Amazon) and The Jamz (Netflix).

Eileen Doan (Pou/Guard/Keyboard) is making her Victory Gardens debut. Her Regional credits include: Anytown, New Kid (George Street Playhouse), Unto These Hills (Mountainside Theatre), Starstruck, Hair (University of Kentucky), and Jeff The Monster (University of Central Lancashire). Film/TV credits include: Now I’m Confused. Music credits include: Gently (single), A Matter of Time, Many The Miles, and One Of You.

Peter Sipla (Rom/Journalist/Drums) has previously appeared at Victory Gardens in Year Zero. Other Regional credits include: The King and I (Lyric Opera of Chicago),  Short Shakes!: Romeo and Juliet, Passion (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre), South Pacific (Drury Lane Theatre), Newsies, City of Angels (The Marriott Theatre), Wizard of Oz, Miss Saigon (Paramount Theatre), Juno, Blood & Gifts, The Last Wife (TimeLine Theatre), Travels with my Aunt (Writers' Theatre), Macbeth, 50-minute A Midsummer Night's Dream (First Folio Theatre), Pacific Overtures (Porchlight Music Theatre), Hot Mikado (Skylight Music Theatre), Company (Brightside Theatre), Elephant's Graveyard (Red Tape Theatre), Aladdin, and Believe (Disney Cruise Line). His Film & TV credits include Chicago Fire.

Greg Watanabe (Chum/Bass) (Chum) Broadway: Allegiance. Off-Broadway: Ballad Of Yachiyo (Public Theater), Golden Child (Signature Theater). Regional: Romeo and Juliet (OSF), The Summer Moon (A Contemporary Theater, South Coast Rep), Extraordinary Chambers (The Geffen Playhouse), The Happy Ones (South Coast Rep), Exit The King (Shakespeare Theater of NJ), A Single Shard (People’s Light), Our Town (South Coast Rep), Hold These Truths (Perseverance Theatre, New Century Theatre). Film & TV: “Madam Secretary”,  “Criminal Minds”, “Curb Your Enthusiasm”, “Reno 911”, “Aquarius”, Only The Brave, Life Tastes Good.

Aja Wiltshire (Neary/Sothea/Vocals) has appeared regionally in Pirates of Penzance, HMS Pinafore (Hypocrites and Olney Theatre Center), Aristophanesathon, Cinderella at the Theatre of Potatoes (Hypocrites), Merrily We Roll Along (Porchlight Music Theatre), Little Fish (Kokandy Theatre), Hookman (Steep Theatre), Spring Awakening (Griffin Theatre), The Wedding Singer (Haven Theatre), Closer, Next Fall, and The Lyons (AstonRep).

Matthew Yee (Leng/Ted/Guitar) Theatre credits include Vietgone, Twelfth Night (Writers Theatre), Once (Paramount Theatre), Treasure Island (Lookingglass Theatre Company), Alice’s Rock and Roll Adventure, The Year I Didn't Go to School, A Year With Frog And Toad (Chicago Children's Theatre) and The Wheel (Steppenwolf Theatre Company). Television credits include “Chicago Fire”, “Chicago Justice” (NBC) and “Empire” (Fox).

Full Performance Schedule:
Previews for Cambodian Rock Band are April 5-11, 2019. Previews are $25-50. The Press opening is Friday, April 12, 2019 at 7:30pm. Regular performances run April 13 – May 5, 2019: Tuesday – Friday at 7:30pm; Saturday at 3pm and 7:30pm; Sunday at 3pm. Regular performances are $32-$65. 

Accessible Performance Schedule:

ASL Interpreted Performance: Friday, April 19 at 7:30pm

Word for Word (open captioning): Friday, April 19 at 7:30pm, Saturday, April 20 at 3:00pm and Wednesday, April 24 at 2:00pm

Audio Description/Touch Tour: Friday, April 19 at 7:30pm (Touch tour at 6:00pm), Sunday, April 28 at 3:00pm (Touch tour at 1:30pm)

Performances are at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue, in the heart of Chicago’s Lincoln Park Neighborhood. For tickets and information, call the Victory Gardens Box Office, 773.871.3000, email tickets@victorygardens.org, or visit www.victorygardens.org. Ask the Box Office about discounts for students, seniors, and those with access needs. Groups of 10 or more, call 773.634.9862 for discounted rates. 

Public Programs
Public Programs are events designed to enhance your experience by exploring themes and issues within Victory Gardens’ productions. Connecting our theater to the world beyond the stage and rehearsal room, Public Programs bridge ideas, provoke dialogue, and deepen the relationship between our audiences and our productions. Public Programs are composed of three distinct tracks: 

SALON: A post-show performance series bringing local artists, students, and/or organizations into the conversation of the play through their own work. 

PANEL: A post-show conversation with community leaders, playwrights, activists, artists, and educators. These panels use the play's themes to ignite a conversation about our world and the people in it. 

CELEBRATION: Pre- and post-show events celebrating the themes of the play through art, food, and community. 

AFTERWORDS
Post-Show Conversations
After every performance of CAMBODIAN ROCK BAND (unless otherwise noted)
Join us for one of our intimate post-show conversations. Led by members from the Victory Gardens community—artistic affiliates, artistic staff, and community partners— reflect on what you’ve seen and share your response.

ENDANGERED ART FORMS IN THE WAKE OF WAR, DISPLACEMENT, AND GENOCIDE
Post-Show Conversation
April 9th | Tuesday | 9:45PM 
Made possible by the support of The David Rockefeller Fund
Cambodian Rock Band features an array of psychedelic surfer rock songs by Dengue Fever, an American band that fuses sixties Cambodian pop and psychedelic rock. During the Khmer Rouge's reign the genre disappeared with the death of the artists who created it, but the art form has now been given new life by Dengue Fever. How can art be preserved in the wake of war, displacement, and genocide? When art and artists are threatened, what can we do to keep the art-form’s legacy alive? Join us after the show in conversation with artists and scholars of endangered art forms as they discuss and celebrate the preservation and continued life of their art.

SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER WITH THE CAMBODIAN HERITAGE MUSEUM AND KILLING FIELDS MEMORIAL
Post-Show Conversation
TBA 
Made possible by the support of The David Rockefeller Fund
The Cambodian Heritage Museum and the Killing Fields Memorial were established in Chicago in 2004. Together these organizations make up one of only two Cambodian museums in America. For fifteen years, these sites have provided the Chicago public with an integral means of access to an ardent population of Cambodian storytellers, artists, and survivors. Join us after the show for a chance to dialogue with representatives of the museum as they keep the history and culture of Cambodia—along with their own personal stories—alive and thriving.

CROSS-GENERATIONAL CONVERSATIONS AND THE IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE
Post-Show Conversation
April 18th | Thursday | 9:45PM
Made possible by the support of The David Rockefeller Fund
Between the years of 1975 and 1994, 157,518 Cambodian citizens were admitted to the U.S.—97% of which were refugees of the Khmer Rouge. In Cambodian Rock Band Neary grapples with her father’s silence as a survivor, refugee, and immigrant, as well as her own disconnect with her family’s history. How do immigrant parents communicate their family histories of survival to their children, and how do families integrate these histories into their everyday lives? How do first generation immigrants and their children navigate the generational gap while negotiating the experience of living as an immigrant in America today?  Join us in conversation with first and second-generation immigrants as they discuss the power of oral histories, intergenerational communication, and familyhood.

WHERE ARE WE NOW: EXPLORING ASIAN AMERICAN POPULATIONS IN CHICAGO
April 20th | Saturday | 5:30 p.m.
Post-show Presentation and Conversation
In 2017, when gathering information to increase our knowledge about the experiences and conditions of racial and ethnic groups in Chicago, the Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy discovered a major disparity: data collected - if at all - about Asian American populations in Chicago was either unreliable or unavailable. IRRPP moved immediately to work to eradicate this lack of investment in Asian American communities and in April 2018, they published their report, A Tale of Diversity, Disparity, and Discrimination: The State of Racial Justice for Asian American Chicagoans. Join us as we hear about their findings and learn about where were are now - and where we hope to go from here.  

LEGAL JUSTICE IN THE AFTERMATH
Post-Show Conversation
April 24 I Wednesday I 9:45PM
Made possible by the support of The David Rockefeller Fund
In July of 2007—twenty-eight years after the end of the Khmer’s Rouge’s occupation—the first Khmer Rouge leader was tried and convicted for crimes against humanity with a lifetime sentence. While this was a long awaited victory for Cambodia, it was only the beginning—the three other surviving cadres have not received a verdict and may not live to see their sentence. What does legal and emotional justice look like after events of mass-trauma? How long does justice take? And how do entire countries, peoples, and religions find recovery in the aftermath? Join us in conversation as we spotlight the function of justice when the war is over but the legal battle has just begun.

REBUILDING HOME IN EXILE
Post-Show Conversation
May 3rd I Friday I 9:45PM
Made possible by the support of The David Rockefeller Fund
Nearly forty years after the Khmer Rouge’s rule, 2018 saw the deportation of over 200 Cambodian Americans that, like Chum, call America home. How do we define home—is it the sights? The smells? The feelings? How do experiences and memories of pain and struggle transform our understanding of where we belong, where we return to, and where we call home? And what do you do when the home you knew is gone, and the place you’ve fled for refuge threatens to deport you? Join us after the show in conversation with refugees and experts on displacement as we explore the complexities of conjuring a home in exile.    

CHICAGO CAMBODIA ROCKS!
Post-show Celebration
May 4 | Saturday | 5:30pm
Support and celebrate Cambodian businesses located right here in Chicago! After the show, join us in the Lobby for an incredible afternoon of performances, food, and music, highlighting Cambodian artists, restaurants and businesses. It’s a celebration you don’t want to miss!


Tickets:
Previews: $25 - $50
Regular run: $32 - $65

Box Office: The Box Office is located at 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago. 773.871.3000; www.victorygardens.org.

Dengue Fever at Lincoln Hall:
Wednesday, May 01, 2019
Doors 8:00 PM / Show: 9:00 PM with Dos Santos Lincoln Hall (2424 N Lincoln Ave)
Tickets on sale
$22 Advance / $25 Door - 18+
Ticket Link

2018/19 Season Sponsors:
REAM Foundation, The Harvey L. Miller Supporting Foundation, Bill and Orli Staley Foundation, Helen Zell

Season Sponsor Partners:
Conant Family Foundation; George A. Joseph; Marcelle McVay and Dennis Zacek; Jeffrey Rappin and Penny Brown; Jane M Saks, Nathan Cummings Foundation 

Major Production Sponsor:
National Endowment for the Arts, Venturous Theater Fund of the Tides Foundation

Production Sponsors:
Betty Bradshaw; Goldman, Sachs & Co.; Charles E. Harris, II, Mayer Brown LLP

Playwright’s Society 
Sponsors:
Frederick Bates and Ellen Benjamin; Regina Cross; Linda Karn; Golden Country Oriental Food LLC, Indomie Instant Noodles; Sylvia and Larry Margolies; Roxanne Saylor & Coco Soodek, The Katherine Soodek Foundation; Sue E. Wallace

Student Matinee and Youth Engagement Sponsors:
Exelon, AllState, Capital Group Private Client Services

Travel Sponsor:
Southwest Airlines

In-Kind Sponsor:
Whole Foods Market

Lead Partner Sponsor:
National Cambodian Heritage Museum and Killing Fields Memorial 

Partner Sponsor:
Foxhole Creative, Goose Island Brewing Company 

Major Season Support:
Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Joyce Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Shubert Foundation, Venturous Theater Fund of the Tides Foundation, Wallace Foundation.



About Victory Gardens Theater
Under the leadership of Artistic Director Chay Yew and Managing Director Erica Daniels, Victory Gardens is dedicated to artistic excellence while creating a vital, contemporary American Theater that is accessible and relevant to all people through productions of challenging new plays and musicals.  Victory Gardens Theater is committed to the development, production and support of new plays that has been the mission of the theater since its founding, set forth by Dennis Začek, Marcelle McVay, and the original founders of Victory Gardens Theater.

Victory Gardens Theater is a leader in developing and producing new theater work and cultivating an inclusive Chicago theater community. Victory Gardens’ core strengths are nurturing and producing dynamic and inspiring new plays, reflecting the diversity of our city’s and nation’s culture through engaging diverse communities, and in partnership with Chicago Public Schools, bringing art and culture to our city’s active student population.  

Since its founding in 1974, the company has produced more world premieres than any other Chicago theater, a commitment recognized nationally when Victory Gardens received the 2001 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre. Located in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, Victory Gardens Biograph Theater includes the Začek-McVay Theater, a state-of-the-art 259-seat mainstage and the 109-seat studio theater on the second floor, named the Richard Christiansen Theater.

Victory Gardens Ensemble Playwrights include Luis Alfaro, Philip Dawkins, Marcus Gardley, Ike Holter, Samuel D. Hunter, Naomi Iizuka, Tanya Saracho and Laura Schellhardt. Each playwright has a seven-year residency at Victory Gardens Theater. 

Victory Gardens Theater receives major funding from Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Joyce Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The REAM Foundation, Shubert Foundation, Venturous Theater Fund of the Tides Foundation, Wallace Foundation. Additional major funding comes from Crown Family Philanthropies, Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, the Illinois Arts Council Agency, Polk Bros. Foundation.

Major funders also include: Allstate, Alphawood Foundation, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, Edgerton Foundation, Exelon, Field Foundation of Illinois, The Harvey L. Miller Supporting Foundation, David Rockefeller Fund, The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, Time Warner Foundation, Inc.

Additional funding this season Robert and Isabelle Bass Foundation Inc., Charles H. and Bertha L. Boothroyd Foundation, Capital Group Private Client Services, Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, ComEd, Nathan Cummings Foundation, Golden Country Oriental Foods, Goldman Sachs, John R. Halligan Foundation, Illinois Humanities Council (with support from the MacArthur Foundation’s Safety + Justice Challenge), ITW, Mayer Brown LLP, The McVay Foundation, Metropolitan Capital Bank and Trust, National Endowment for the Arts, Negaunee Foundation, Roberta Olshansky Charitable Fund, Origin Ventures, Pauls Foundation, PNC Financial Services Group, Prince Charitable Trusts, Charles and M.R. Shapiro Foundation, Wrightwood Neighbors Foundation. 

In-kind support is provided by: Italian Village Restaurants, Southwest Airlines, Roy’s Furniture, Suite Home Chicago, Taco Joint, and Whole Foods Market. 

Capital improvement support from the Performing Arts Venue Fund at the League of Chicago Theaters, with funding from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; and Capacity Building support by Compass-Chicago.

Victory Gardens Theater is proud to be part of the 2019 Year of Chicago Theatre, presented by the City of Chicago and the League of Chicago Theatres. To truly fall in love with Chicago, you must go to our theatres. This is where the city bares its fearless soul. Home to a community of creators, risk-takers and big hearts, Chicago theatre is a hotbed for exciting new work and hundreds of world premieres every year. From Broadway musicals to storefront plays and improv, there’s always a seat waiting for you at one of our 200+ theatres. Book your next show today at ChicagoPlays.com.

For more information about Victory Gardens, visit www.victorygardens.org.  Follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/victorygardens, Twitter @VictoryGardens and Instagram @victorygardenstheater. 

Monday, March 18, 2019

Chicago Premiere of THE MUSHROOM CURE at Greenhouse Theater Center April 4 – May 5, 2019

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

Chicago Premiere!
Greenhouse Theater Center,
in association with The Marsh, Presents
THE MUSHROOM CURE
Written and Performed by Adam Strauss
Developed with and Directed by Jonathan Libman
April 4 – May 5, 2019



I'll be out for the press opening April 6th, so check back soon for my full review. 

The Greenhouse Theater Center, in association with The Marsh, is pleased to present the Chicago premiere of the off-Broadway hit THE MUSHROOM CURE, the true story of one man's attempt to treat his severe OCD with psychedelics. Written and performed by Adam Strauss and developed with and directed by Jonathan Libman, THE MUSHROOM CURE will play April 4 – May 5, 2019 in The Greenhouse Theater Center’s Downstairs Main Stage, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago. Tickets are currently available at greenhousetheater.org, in person at the box office or by calling (773) 404-7336. 

Inspired by a scientific study showing that hallucinogenic mushrooms may cure obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Adam Strauss embarked on a program of vigilante psychopharmacology. The true tale of Strauss’ hilarious, harrowing and heartrending attempts to treat his debilitating OCD with psychedelics, THE MUSHROOM CURE was named a Critics’ Pick by Time Out New York, which praised it as “riveting… true-life tour de force” and hailed by The New York Times as “mining a great deal of laughter from disabling pain.”

THE MUSHROOM CURE first ran in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe garnering widespread acclaim. Critics called the show “hugely intelligent and incredibly engaging,” (The Scotsman) “outstanding,” (Edinburgh Festivals Magazine), and “a revelation” (Broadway Baby). Strauss’ riotous tale appeared next in the New York International Fringe Festival, winning the Fringe’s Overall Excellence Award for Solo Performance. It then was given its Off-Broadway premiere at New York’s Cherry Lane Theatre, where it had a sold-out, extended run, before transferring to The Marsh in San Francisco for its West Coast premiere with a sold-out, extended run. The show then moved to Theatre 80 St. Marks in New York, where it ran for over a year before closing in January.

THE MUSHROOM CURE is produced by the Greenhouse Theater Center, in association with The Marsh, a breeding ground for new performance. 

Dates: Previews: Thursday, April 4 at 8 pm and Friday, April 5 at 8 pm
Press Performance: Saturday, April 6 at 8 pm
Regular run: Saturday, April 6 – Sunday, May 5, 2019
Curtain times: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm; Sundays at 3 pm
Tickets: Previews: $25 Regular run: $29 - $35. Discounts: $19 students, seniors, teachers, military and industry. Group discounts are available. Tickets are currently available at greenhousetheater.org, in person at the box office or by calling (773) 404-7336.

About the Artists
Adam Strauss is a writer and performer based in New York City. He won the Leffe Craft Your Character Storytelling Competition and the New York Fringe Festival’s Overall Excellence Award for Solo Performance. He is also a stand-up comedian who performs throughout the US and the UK. Strauss received his BA in psychology from Brown University. His upcoming solo show The Uncertainty Principle will receive its world premiere at The Marsh in May 2019.

Jonathan Libman is currently directing and writing for Amy Schumer's ensemble company The Collective. As a member of the Actors Studio Playwrights/Directors Unit, Jonathan is directing Chazz Palminteri (A Bronx Tale) in Palminteri's new play The Bench, and National Endowment for the Arts recipient David Libman’s play The Townhouse, featuring Joey Collins. He recently worked with Christina Masciotti (2016 Guggenheim Fellow) on her play Raw Bacon From Poland, featuring Sean Carvajal (2018 Lucille Lortel and Obie Awards for Best Actor). Jonathan won a scholarship to write and direct at Tony Spiridakis' Manhattan Film Institute, and has just finished writing two original television pilots, The Little People and Accidents Waiting to Happen. In 2019-20 he will be directing new work by Nicole Pandolfo (2017 Dramatist Guild Fellow), Sam Kahn (Chatter), Eli Walker (Drunk Yoga) and Daniel Mitura (The Picture of Dorian Gray).



About the Greenhouse Theater Center

The Greenhouse Theater Center (GTC) is a producing theater company, performance venue and theatre bookstore located at 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood.

GTC began its producing life in 2014 with the smash hit Churchill, followed by 2016’s much-lauded Solo Celebration!, an eight month, 16 event series highlighting the breadth and depth of the solo play form. In 2017-18, the Greenhouse presented its first full subscription season, including Machinal (4 stars from Chicago Tribune's Chris Jones) and the Chicago premiere of Birds of a Feather. 
As a performance venue, the Greenhouse complex offers two newly-remodeled 198-seat main stage spaces, two 60-seat studio theaters, a newly-built 44-seat cabaret space, two high-capacity lobbies and an in-house rehearsal room. GTC also houses Chicago’s only dedicated used theatre bookstore, located on the second floor the complex. 

The Greenhouse Theater Center’s mission is first and foremost to grow local theatre. GTC seeks local theatre companies and artists to partner on co-productions, offering partners a multitude of resources including an equitable split of production costs, production manager, full-service box office and front-of-house staff, artistic consultation, marketing and public relations support and a full-service bar with concessions. For additional information, contact Nicholas Reinhart at (773) 404-7336, ext. 13.
About The Marsh

The Marsh, known as a "breeding ground for new performance," was launched in1989 by Founder and Artistic Director Stephanie Weisman, and now annually hosts more than 600 performances of 175 shows across the company's two venues in San Francisco and Berkeley. A leading developer and outlet for solo performers, The Marsh's specialty has been hailed by the San Francisco Chronicle as “solo performances that celebrate the power of storytelling at its simplest and purest.” The East Bay Times named The Marsh one of Bay Area's best intimate theaters, calling it “one of the most thriving solo theaters in the nation. The live theatrical energy is simply irresistible.”  For more info about The Marsh, visit www.themarsh.org or email artisticdirector@themarsh.org.

Wednesday, March 6, 2019

OPENING: CHICAGO PREMIERE OF ADMISSIONS AT THEATER WIT MARCH 21-MAY 12, 2019

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

WHITE LIBERALS FORCED TO DEFEND THEIR
WHITE PRIVILEGE IN 
ADMISSIONS


THEATER WIT TO PRESENT CHICAGO PREMIERE OF JOSHUA HARMON’S NEW CONTEMPORARY SATIRE, 
MARCH 21-MAY 12

Racial diversity in private schools. College apps and quotas. White liberal guilt. Playwright Joshua Harmon takes aim at all of this along with political correctness of all kinds in his newest play, Admissions.

Theater Wit, Chicago’s “smart art” theater, is excited to announce it will present the Midwest premiere of Admissions, Harmon’s hilarious and scathing family drama, sure to press audience members’ buttons as it tackles hallowed, yet thorny, contemporary issues, skewering them with Harmon’s signature humor and satiric wit.

Performances are March 21-May 12, 2019: Thursday, Friday and Saturday at
8 p.m.; Sunday at 3 p.m. Press opening is Monday, April 1 at 7 p.m. No show April 4.

Theater Wit is located at 1229 N. Belmont Ave., in the Belmont Theatre District in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. Tickets start at $12 and go on sale February 4. For tickets and information, visit TheaterWit.org or call the Theater Wit box office, (773) 975-8150.

Meet Bill and Sherri Mason, the headmaster and head of admissions respectively of Hillcrest, a second-tier New Hampshire boarding school. When this very liberal, very progressive couple arrived 15 years ago, the student population at Hillcrest was 94 percent white. Deeply committed to diversity, Sherri has boosted the number of students of color from six to 18 percent, a figure she still considers embarrassingly low.

However, Bill and Sherri’s dedication to diversity is put to the test when their son Charlie, an outstanding Hillcrest student who has dreamed of attending Yale since he was a child, learns his application has been deferred.

Complicating matters, Charlie’s classmate and best friend Perry, whose father is African-American, has been admitted to Yale even though his academic and extracurricular achievements are nowhere near Charlie’s.

Convinced that Yale based its decisions on race, Charlie claims to be a victim of reverse discrimination. And as their son lashes out, Sherri and Bill are forced to examine just how far their commitment to diversity goes. Are they true disciples? Or total hypocrites.

When Admissions premiered last year at Lincoln Center Theater, The New York Times called it “an extraordinarily useful and excruciating satire - of the left, by the left, for the left - for today.”

The Hollywood Reporter pegged Harmon’s newest play as “a smart, provocative drama with a rich vein of humor that pulls the rug out from under liberal white America.”

Indeed, Admissions is funny, sharp-witted, devastating and shockingly blunt, much like Harmon’s earlier plays Bad Jews, the most successful production in Theater Wit history, which ran an unprecedented eight months in 2015, and Significant Other, a Wit co-production with About Face Theater in 2017.

Admissions is also seductive - and, perhaps, controversial - as it splays open issues that have rarely been explored in the theater, at least not in Harmon’s comedic and biting manner.

"There's only one author who consistently makes me laugh helplessly and flinch in terror simultaneously. Joshua Harmon has done that to me twice now—first with Bad Jews and again when I read Admissions,” explains Jeremy Wechsler, Artistic Director at Theater Wit, who will also stage Wit’s production of Admissions. “Once again, Joshua’s immense compassion and wicked sense of humor is deployed to illuminate some of the key stresses of contemporary life: the intersection of diversity issues, white liberal guilt and privilege in education. His newest work is a keen satire, equally merciless and kind. As such, I hope Admissions sparks the same level of conversation that made our previous collaborations such deep, memorable experiences for our audience."

Theater Wit’s cast and production team for Admissions are to be announced.



About Theater Wit

Theater Wit, Chicago’s “smart art” theater, is a major hub of the Chicago neighborhood theater scene, where audiences enjoy a smorgasbord of excellent productions in three, 99-seat spaces, see a parade of talented artists and mingle with audiences from all over Chicago.

Currently on stage at Theater Wit is the company’s acclaimed co-production of Will Eno’s The Realistic Joneses with Shattered Globe Theatre, now through March 9. Try and keep up with the Joneses as they muddle through the small beauties, immense fears, and amazing moments of each day. Time is short but there are gift certificates to enjoy, tiny fireworks to light and another perfect summer evening to take for granted. “Very Funny! ★★★ Director Jeremy Wechsler’s production grounds the flightier aspects of the play in a Chicago-style reality,” wrote the Chicago Tribune. “★★★1/2 Sublime! Endless profundity (and marvelous wit),” said the Chicago Sun-Times.


To purchase tickets, a Theater Wit Membership or to inquire about Flex Pass options, visit TheaterWit.org or call the Theater Wit box office, 773.975.8150.


Biographies



Joshua Harmon’s plays include Bad Jews (Roundabout Theatre Company), Significant Other (Roundabout Theatre Company; Broadway/Booth Theatre), Admissions (Lincoln Center Theater); Ivanka (staged readings across the country on Election Eve, 2016) and Skintight (Roundabout Theatre Company). Bad Jews is one of the most produced plays in the United States of the last few years and has received international productions in Australia, Canada, Germany, Israel, South Africa and London’s West End, following sold-out runs at Theatre Royal Bath and the St. James. Fellowships include the MacDowell Colony, Atlantic Center for the Arts, and NNPN. Harmon is an associate artist at Roundabout Theatre Company and under commission from Manhattan Theatre Club. He is a graduate of The Juilliard School. 




Theater Wit’s 2015 hit production of Harmon’s Bad Jews (which featured, from left)
Laura Lapidus, Ian Paul Custer and Erica Bittner. Credit: Charles Osgood



Jeremy Wechsler (director) most recent directing credits at Theater Wit include Will Eno’s The Realistic Joneses, Eric John Meyer’s The Antelope Party, Mitchell Fain’s This Way Outta Santaland, Anne Washburn’s 10 Out of 12, and Mat Smart’s Naperville. Other directing credits include the company’s election night reading of The Trump Card by Mike Daisey, The New Sincerity by Alena Smith, The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence by Madeleine George, Bad Jews by Joshua Harmon, Mr. Burns, a post-electric play by Anne Washburn, Madeline George’s Seven Homeless Mammoths Wander New England, and that show’s summer remount at Art Square Theatre in Las Vegas. Wechsler also staged Wit’s acclaimed Completeness and The Four of Us (Itamar Moses), Tigers Be Still (Kim Rosenstock), This (Melissa James Gibson), Spin (Penny Penniston), Feydeau-Si-Deau (Georges Feydeau), Men of Steel (Qui Nguyen), Thom Pain (Based on Nothing) (Will Eno), Two for the Show (James Fitzpatrick and Will Clinger) and The Santaland Diaries. A veteran director in Chicago with over 50 productions, his work has been nominated for and won multiple awards for design, performance, adaptation and best new plays.

Wednesday, February 27, 2019

OPENING: CHICAGO PREMIERE OF TOO HEAVY FOR YOUR POCKET VIA TIMELINE THEATRE APRIL 24 – JUNE 29, 2019

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

TIMELINE THEATRE’S CHICAGO PREMIERE OF CIVIL RIGHTS DRAMA 
TOO HEAVY FOR YOUR POCKET, 
DIRECTED BY RON OJ PARSON, MARKS CHICAGO DEBUT OF PLAYWRIGHT JIRÉH BREON HOLDER, “TOMORROW’S MARQUEE NAME,” 
APRIL 24 – JUNE 29, 2019



Chicago premiere of Too Heavy for Your Pocket doubles as the Chicago debut of rising young playwright and TV writer Jiréh Breon Holder, recently named one of “Tomorrow’s Marquee Names, Now in the Making” by The New York Times.

Set during the height of the civil rights movement, Too Heavy for Your Pocket is a captivating and complicated tale about the intersection of family, responsibility, and progress. Previously seen at Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre and in an extended Off Broadway run at Roundabout Theatre, Holder’s riveting new play was hailed “an exceptional work, one that will dive-bomb into your head and your heart” (Talkin’ Broadway) and a story “that examines life on both the margins and at the epicenter of historic change” (Stage Left).


Preproduction Photos by Kenny Nakai

TimeLine Company Member Ron OJ Parson will direct TimeLine’s Chicago debut of Too Heavy for Your Pocket. Named one of Chicago’s most “in demand directors” by Chicago Magazine (February 2019), Parson’s credits at TimeLine include Brett Neveu’s To Catch a Fish, Dominique Morisseau’s Paradise Blue and Sunset Baby, and Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun. Right before helming TimeLine’s Too Heavy for Your Pocket, Parson is also directing back-to-back productions of August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom for Writers Theatre and Sweat by Lynn Nottage at Goodman.


Preproduction Photos by Kenny Nakai


The Too Heavy for Your Pocket cast, all making their TimeLine debuts, features Jalen Gilbert (he/him, playing Bowzie), Ayanna Bria Bakari (she/her, as Evelyn), Jennifer Latimore (she/her, as Sally Mae), and Cage Sebastian Pierre (he/him, as Tony). Gilbert was previously seen in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and East Texas Hot Links at Writers Theatre and Mies Julie at Victory Gardens. Bakari recently co-starred in How to Catch Creation at Goodman Theatre. She also has
Both Gilbert and Bakari are graduates of The Theatre School at DePaul University. Latimore was recently seen in The Importance of Being Earnest and as Viola in Twelfth Night Or What You Will at Writers Theatre. Other local credits are Court Theatre’s Harvey and Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Love’s Labor’s Lost and Macbeth. Pierre also appeared in Macbeth, as well as Gardens, 16th Street Theatre, The New Colony, and in Stage Left’s Jeff-nominated Insurrection: Holding History. performed at Victory Q Brothers Christmas Carol and at Chicago Shakespeare, and A Short Shakes! Romeo and Juliet
Moon for the Misbegotten at Writers Theatre.

TimeLine’s production team for Too Heavy for Your Pocket includes José Manuel Díaz-Soto (Scenic Designer, he/him); Alexia Rutherford (Costume Designer, she/her); Maggie Fullilove-Nugent (Lighting Designer, she/her); Christopher Kriz (Sound Designer and Original Composition, he/him); Jermaine Hill (Music Director and Original Composition, he/him); Vivian Knouse (Properties Designer, she/her); Katie Cordts (Wig and Hair Designer, she/her), Regina Victor (Dramaturg, they/them); Dina Spoerl (Lobby Designer, she/her); Cara Parrish (Stage Manager, she/her); and Am’Ber D. Montgomery (Assistant Director, she/her).

Too Heavy for Your Pocket begins previews on April 24. Press Night is Wednesday, May 1 at 7:30 p.m. Opening Night is May 2. Performances run through June 29 at TimeLine Theatre, 615 W. Wellington Ave., Chicago. For tickets and information, visit timelinetheatre.com or call the TimeLine Box Office at (773) 281-8463 x6.



MORE ABOUT TOO HEAVY FOR YOUR POCKET
Too Heavy for Your Pocket “brings the early civil rights movement up close and personal” (Deadline), resulting in a powerful look at the tenuous balance between security and risk, the bonds of love and friendship, and the personal cost of progress. Holder’s story centers on Bowzie Brandon, his wife Evelyn, and their best friends Tony and Sally, who all see happiness on the horizon when Bowzie gets a college scholarship and a chance to improve his family’s life. However, when the opportunity to become a Freedom Rider arises, Bowzie leaves his obligations as a husband and friend behind to join the fight against racism in the Deep South.

Jiréh Breon Holder (Playwright) is currently a writer on NBC's new hit show New Amsterdam. He is an Atlanta-area playwright, director, and dramaturg. His sharp yet funny and often political plays frequently include wild visual metaphors and address the magic of everyday life in the South. From 2016-2019, Holder served as the Playwriting Fellow of the Department of Theater and Creative Writing at Emory University. In 2016, he received his MFA degree in Playwriting from the Yale School of Drama, where he studied with Sarah Ruhl. He is a co-founder of Pyramid Theatre Company in Des Moines, Iowa. From 2012-13, he served as the Kenny Leon Fellow at the Tony Award-winning Alliance Theatre. He graduated cum laude with a BA degree in Theatre from Morehouse College, where he served as the artistic director of Spelman College Playwrights’ Workshop and directed several productions. His play Too Heavy for Your Pocket was the recipient of the Laurents/Hatcher Foundation Award, winner of the Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition, and had an extended off-Broadway run at the Roundabout Theatre in 2017. He was a recipient of the 2016 Edgerton Foundation New Play Awards and honored as the Fellowship of Southern Writers' 2017 Bryan Foundation Award for Drama. His other plays have received productions at the Alliance Theatre, the Yale School of Drama and Yale Cabaret. He has also received readings at the Manhattan Theatre Club, the Roundabout Theatre, the Kennedy Center, and the Old Globe Theatre. Holder is under commission with the Old Globe Theatre, the Roundabout Theatre, and the Manhattan Theatre Club. For more, visit jirehbreonholder.com.



Ron OJ Parson (Director) became a TimeLine Company Member in 2016. His TimeLine credits include acclaimed productions of Brett Neveu’s To Catch a Fish, Dominique Morisseau’s Paradise Blue and Sunset Baby, and Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun. He is a native of Buffalo, New York, and
a graduate of the University of Michigan’s professional theater program. He is the co-founder and former Artistic Director of Onyx Theatre Ensemble of Chicago and a co-founder and co-director of Ripe ManGo Productions. Parson is a Resident Artist at Court Theatre and an Associate Artist with
Teatro Vista. Since moving to Chicago from New York in 1994, he has worked as both an actor and director. His Chicago credits include work with The Chicago Theatre Company, Victory Gardens, Goodman, Steppenwolf, Chicago Dramatists, Northlight, Court, Black Ensemble Theatre, Congo
Square, Northlight Theatre, Urban Theatre Company, City Lit Theater, ETA Creative Arts, and Writers. Regionally, Ron has directed shows at Studio Arena Theatre, Alliance Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Milwaukee Repertory, South Coast Repertory, Pasadena Playhouse, Geva
Theatre, Virginia Stage, Roundabout Theatre, Wilshire Theatre, The Mechanic Theatre, CenterStage,

SPONSORS
TimeLine’s Chicago premiere of Too Heavy for Your Pocket is sponsored in part by the Pauls Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional support from the Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation.

TOO HEAVY FOR YOUR POCKET PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE/EVENTS
Previews of Too Heavy for Your Pocket are Wednesday, April 24 through Saturday, April 27 at 8 p.m.;
Sunday, April 28 at 2 p.m.; and Tuesday, April 30 at 7:30 p.m. Press Night is Wednesday, May 1 at 7:30 p.m.
Opening Night is Thursday, May 2 at 7:30 p.m.
Regular performances continue through June 29: Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.; Fridays at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.; and Sundays at 2 p.m. Exceptions: No 4 p.m. show on Saturday, May 4. There is an added performance on Tuesday, June 25 at 7:30 p.m.

DISCUSSION & ACCESSIBILITY EVENTS:
Post-Show Discussions: A brief, informal post-show discussion hosted by a TimeLine Company Member and featuring the production dramaturg and members of the cast on Wednesday, May 8; Thursday, May 16; Wednesday, May 22; Thursday, May 30; Wednesday, June 5; and Sunday, June 23.
Pre-Show Discussions: Starting one hour before these performances, a 25-minute introductory conversation hosted by a TimeLine Company Member and the production dramaturg on Sunday, June 9, and Thursday, June 13.
Company Member Discussion: A post-show discussion with the collaborative team of artists who choose TimeLine’s programming and guide the company’s mission on Sunday, May 19.

Captioned Performance: An open-captioned performance with a text display of words and sounds heard during the performance on Saturday, June 1 at 4 p.m.
Sunday Scholars Panel Discussion: A one-hour post-show discussion featuring experts on the themes and issues of the play on Sunday, June 2.
All discussions are free and open to the public. For further details about all planned discussions and events, visit timelinetheatre.com.

BUYING TICKETS
Single tickets to Too Heavy for Your Pocket are now on sale. Preview tickets are $25. Single tickets to regular performances are $40 (Wednesday through Friday), $49 (Saturday evenings) and $54 (Saturday and Sunday matinees). Student discount is 35% off regular price with valid ID. TimeLine is also a member of TCG’s Blue Star Theatre Program and is offering $25 tickets to U.S. military personnel, veterans, first responders, and their spouses and family.
Discounted rates for groups of 10 or more are available. Ticket buyers age 18-35 may join TimeLine’s free MyLine program to obtain access to discounted tickets, special events and more. Visit timelinetheatre.com/discounts for more about Blue Star, MyLine and other available discounts.

To purchase a FlexPass, single tickets or for more information, visit timelinetheatre.com or call the Box Office at (773) 281-8463 x6.
St. Louis Black Repertory, Pittsburgh Public Theater, Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre, Signature Theatre, and Portland Stage, among others. In Canada, he directed the world premiere of Palmer Park by Joanna McClelland Glass at the Stratford Festival. He is a member of AEA, SAG-AFTRA, and
SDC. For further information, visit ronojparson.com.
    
LOCATION/TRANSPORTATION/PARKING
Too Heavy for Your Pocket will take place at TimeLine Theatre, 615 W. Wellington Ave., in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood, near the corner of Wellington and Broadway, inside the Wellington Avenue United Church of Christ building. TimeLine is served by multiple CTA trains and buses. TimeLine offers discounted parking at the Laz parking garage at Broadway Center ($8 with validation; 2846 N. Broadway, at Surf) or the Century Mall ($9 with validation; 2836 N. Clark), with other paid parking options nearby, plus limited free and metered street parking.

ACCESSIBILITY
TimeLine Theatre is accessible to people with disabilities. Two wheelchair lifts provide access from street level to the theatre space and to lower-level restrooms. Audience members using wheelchairs or who need to avoid stairs, and others with special seating or accessibility needs should contact the TimeLine Box Office in advance to confirm arrangements. See DISCUSSION & ACCESSIBILITY EVENTS above for information about the open-captioned performance for patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing.

ALSO AT TIMELINE
Currently on stage at TimeLine Theatre, through March 17, is the Chicago premiere of Cardboard Piano, Hansol Jung’s powerful story of faith, love, and the human capacity for forgiveness set amidst violent conflict in northern Uganda, directed by TimeLine Company Member Mechelle Moe.
Newcity hailed Cardboard Piano as “a delicate and priceless work of theater ... the first ‘Must-See’ show of 2019.” For tickets and information, visit timelinetheatre.com.

Already announced as the opening production of TimeLine’s upcoming 2019-20 season is the Chicago premiere of J.T. Rogers’ internationally acclaimed and Tony Award-winning play Oslo. Directed by TimeLine Associate Artistic Director Nick Bowling, Oslo will run September 10 – October 20, 2019 at Broadway In Chicago’s Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place, 175 E. Chestnut St., Chicago.

Three other productions of TimeLine’s 2019-2020 season, to be performed at the company’s home at 615 W. Wellington Avenue in Chicago, are still to be announced. The best way to secure seats to Oslo is to purchase a 2019-2020 TimeLine FlexPass Subscription. Four different tiers of 4-Admission FlexPasses, priced from $97 - $235, are now on sale. For more information and to purchase a TimeLine FlexPass Subscription, call (773) 281-8463 x6 or visit timelinetheatre.com.

Oslo will be part of the upcoming Broadway In Chicago season on sale in Spring 2019. Individual tickets for Oslo will go on sale in July 2019 (specific date to be announced) and will range in price from $30 - $75 with a select number of premium seats. Group tickets for 10 or more are now on sale by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710.



2019 YEAR OF CHICAGO THEATRE
TimeLine Theatre Company is proud to be part of the 2019 Year of Chicago Theatre, presented by the City of Chicago and the League of Chicago Theatres. To truly fall in love with Chicago, you must go to our theatres. This is where the city bares its fearless soul. Home to a community of creators, risk-takers, and big hearts, Chicago theatre is a hotbed for exciting new work and hundreds of world premieres every year. From Broadway musicals to storefront plays and improv, there’s always a seat waiting for you at one of our 200+ theatres. Learn more at chicagoplays.com/year-of-chicago-theatre/.



ABOUT TIMELINE THEATRE COMPANY
TimeLine Theatre Company, recipient of the prestigious 2016 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions, was founded in April 1997 with a mission to present stories inspired by history that connect with today's social and political issues. Now in its 22nd season, TimeLine has presented 78 productions, including 10 world premieres and 34 Chicago premieres, and launched the Living History Education Program, now in its 12th year of bringing the company's mission to life for students in Chicago Public Schools. Recipient of the Alford-Axelson Award for Nonprofit Managerial Excellence and the Richard Goodman Strategic Planning Award from the Association for Strategic Planning, TimeLine has received 54 Jeff Awards, including an award for Outstanding Production 11 times. TimeLine is led by Artistic Director PJ Powers, Managing Director Elizabeth K. Auman and Board President Eileen LaCario. Company members are Tyla Abercrumbie, Will Allan, Nick Bowling, Janet Ulrich Brooks, Wardell Julius Clark, Behzad Dabu, Charles Andrew Gardner, Lara Goetsch, Juliet Hart, Anish Jethmalani, Mildred Marie Langford, Mechelle Moe, David Parkes, Ron OJ Parson, PJ Powers, Maren Robinson and Benjamin Thiem.
Major corporate, government and foundation supporters of TimeLine Theatre include Alphawood Foundation, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, Bayless Family Foundation, The Crown Family, Forum Fund, The Joseph and Bessie Feinberg Foundation, Illinois Arts Council Agency, Laughing Acres Family Foundation, A.L. and Jennie L. Luria Foundation, MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince, the National Endowment for the Arts, The Pauls Foundation, Polk Bros. Foundation, and The Shubert Foundation.

For more information, visit timelinetheatre.com or Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram (@TimeLineTheatre).

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