World Premiere of Black Bone Via Definition Theatre May 30 to June 29, 2025

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Definition Theatre Company announces world premiere of 

Black Bone

by Tina Fakhrid-Deen

first full production to emerge from the company's Amplify festival

First Full Production to Emerge from Company’s Amplify Series Directly followed by the return of the Amplify Festival of New Works

Definition Theatre is proud to present the world premiere of Black Bone, a bold new satire by Chicago playwright Tina Fakhrid-Deen and the first full production to emerge from the company’s Amplify Series. Directed by Carla Stillwell, Black Bone will run from May 30 to June 29, 2025 at Definition @ 55th (1160 E. 55th St, Chicago, IL) with a press opening on Thursday, June 5 at 7:30pm. Tickets start at $25 and are on sale now.

A winner of Amplify Series Two, Black Bone is a sharp satirical fantasy that blurs the line between game show theatrics and real life. The story follows a group of Black academics at a predominantly white institution who uncover a shocking truth: one among them has been "passing" as Black. What begins as disbelief quickly spirals into mutiny, paranoia, and chaos—with consequences that turn deadly. As tensions rise, Black Bone fearlessly interrogates who gets to define Blackness, and what it means to belong.

“I did not get into Amplify the first time that I applied,” says playwright Tina Fakhrid-Deen. “It only motivated me to tighten up and resubmit a better script. I’m so thankful that Definition Theatre started this fantastic Amplify program to help lesser known, local playwrights like me to develop our work and feel supported and seen. And to be the first Amplify winner to have a production is an extraordinary honor. This process has taught me to #stayinit because dreams don’t work unless you do!”

The cast for Black Bone includes Ensemble Member Martasia Jones as Nella, with Melanie Hubbard as Dean Ivory, Matthew Lolar as Cruz, Patrick Newson Jr. as Woodfence, and Marlene Slaughter as Keisha.

Now in its fifth iteration, the Amplify program is Definition Theatre’s new works initiative dedicated to uplifting Chicago-based playwrights through professional development, readings, and production opportunities. Black Bone marks a major milestone in the program’s evolution and Definition’s commitment to cultivating bold new theatrical voices.

Carla Stillwell directs this with support by Assistant Director Michelle Renee Bester and Production Manager Zavarie Z. Irons. The stage is managed by Ariel Beller, with casting by AJ Links and casting coordination by Carley Cornelius. The visual world was brought to life by Scenic Designer Isa Noe, Technical Director Jason Scott Clark, Costume Director Kotryna Hilko, Lighting Designer Garrett Bell (assisted by Emily Curran and Lead Electrician Louis Lothan), Sound Designer Satya Chavez, Props Designer Paloma Locsin, and Projections Designer Eme Ospina-Lopez. Dramaturgy was provided by Lydia Moss.

Definition Theatre is also excited to announce the return of its annual Amplify New Play Festival (ANPF) this July at the Reva & David Logan Center for the Arts in Hyde Park, 915 E 60th St, Chicago, IL 60637. This vibrant community celebration brings together emerging voices in theater through a fusion of creative development classes, film and live performance.

The 2025 festival spotlights the Amplify Series Five winners under the theme “Rhythm & Resonance”— this series challenged writers to explore how rhythm, tone, and language shape storytelling, fusing poetry and music into a symphony of meaning. The festival will feature film screenings of the Series Five finalists, providing a dynamic platform for new and diverse storytellers.

The finalists for Amplify Series Five are Bristen Baity, Dawn Bless, Isis Elizabeth, Faylita Hicks, Lip Lewis, Jessica F. Morrison, Jamaque Newberry, and walker lee.

The Festival will showcase filmed scenes from all 8 finalists alongside additional programming including readings from Amplify Series Four winners, showcasing the continued development of Chicago’s most promising new work. Attendees will also have access to introductory artist workshops led by industry professionals, offering hands-on learning opportunities for aspiring creatives of all backgrounds.

Events will occur throughout July 2025, with full programming hosted at the Logan Center for the Arts.

Featuring: Ensemble Member Martasia Jones as Nella, with Melanie Hubbard as Dean Ivory, Matthew Lolar as Cruz, Patrick Newson Jr. as Woodfence, and Marlene Slaughter as Keisha.

Dates: May 30 – June 29, 2025

Press Opening: June 5, 2025 at 7:30pm

Location: Definition @ 55th | 1160 E. 55th Street, Chicago, IL

Tickets: On sale now at definitiontheatre.org

ABOUT DEFINITION THEATRE

Definition Theatre has been a vibrant force for over a decade, celebrating stories created with, inspired by, and intended for people and communities of color. Through the act of making, Definition expands perspectives, stewards resources, and bridges the possibilities found at the intersection of art, innovation, and education. Known for bold and impactful productions, we’ve brought to life plays by Oscar-winner Tarell Alvin McCraney, Pulitzer Prize-winners James Ijames and Jackie Sibblies Drury, and Tony Award-winner Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. We strive to promote equity, foster empathy, and enhance the quality of life for our community members by offering opportunities for creative, entrepreneurial, and cultural expression. Our work emphasizes collaboration in theater-making and raises awareness of career paths in the arts. In 2024, Definition leased and equipped a storefront space in Hyde Park, enabling us to engage artists and expand programs as we prepare for our permanent home in Woodlawn on the southside of Chicago. This new theater, community center, and business incubator will amplify and preserve BIPOC voices, promote social justice, and empower the next generation of artists, entrepreneurs, and changemakers to drive positive progress through the transformative power of the arts.

Definition Ensemble members include: Adia Alli, Owais Ahmed, Ariel Beller, Jared Bellot, Carley Cornelius, Ari Craven, Julie Jachym, Willow James, Martasia Jones, Slick Jorgensen, Yeaji Kim, Kristy Hall, James Ijames, Julie Jachym, Willow James, Kiki Layne, Kelson Michael McAuliffe, Victor Musoni, Neel McNeill, Sophiyaa Nayar, Karyn Oates, Alexandra Oparka, Julian Parker, Maya Vinice Prentiss, Tyrone Phillips, Ireon Roach, Jacqueline Rosas, Christopher Sheard, and Dujon Smith.

Definition Artistic Advisory Board members include: director May Adrales, Steppenwolf ensemble member Alana Arenas, actress Shannon Cochran, actor Brandon Dirden, actor Jason Dirden, actor Jon Michael Hill, director Pam Mackinnon, Equity Quotient CEO Keryl McCord, professor JW Morrissette, director Ron OJ Parson, professor/lighting designer Kathy Perkins, media producer and host Troy Osborne Pryor, Tony Award-winning actress and stage director Phylicia Rashad, and Goodman Theatre director in residence Chuck Smith. Tyrone Phillips is the Artistic Director, Neel McNeill is the Executive Director, Willow James is the Civic Engagement Director. 

For additional information, visit definitiontheatre.org and @definitiontheatre on Facebook and Instagram #stayinit

Chicago debut of FAT HAM: A GOODMAN CO-PRODUCTION WITH DEFINITION THEATRE JANUARY 11 – FEBRUARY 23, 2025

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TRUMANE ALSTON, SHELDON BROWN, E. FAYE BUTLER, RONALD L. CONNER, VICTOR MUSONI, IREON ROACH & ANJI WHITE CAST IN 

FAT HAM

A GOODMAN CO-PRODUCTION WITH DEFINITION THEATRE

Chicago debut with an all-Chicago cast

JANUARY 11 – FEBRUARY 23

**TYRONE PHILLIPS DIRECTS THE CHICAGO PREMIERE OF JAMES IJAMES’S PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING PLAY**

***TICKETS ON SALE NOV. 1 WITH EVENTS INCLUDING PRIDE NIGHT (JAN. 14) AND BLACK AFFINITY NIGHT (FEB. 7)***

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we're SO excited for Fat Ham. We dig James Ijames wonderful work. You're in for a treat, whether you're a longtime fan or you're just hearing about this Pulitzer Prize-winning and Tony Award nominated playwright. We've also adored Tyrone Phillips' expert directing skills for years. Don't miss this! 

Come to the barbecue! James Ijames’s Pulitzer Prize-winning, five-time Tony Award-nominated play Fat Ham—an “uproarious reimagining of ‘Hamlet’” (The New Yorker)—makes its Chicago debut with an all-Chicago cast led by Trumane Alston. The Chicago- premiere production is directed by Tyrone Phillips—Founding Artistic Director of Chicago’s famed Definition Theatre, who co-produces Fat Ham at the Goodman—and also features Sheldon Brown, E. Faye Butler, Ronald L. Conner, Victor Musoni, Ireon Roach and Anji White. Fat Ham appears January 11 – February 23. I'll be out for opening night on January 21st, so check back shortly after for my full review. 

Tickets ($25 - $85; subject to change) are on sale November 1 at GoodmanTheatre.org/Ham or by phone at 312.443.3800. Goodman Theatre is grateful for the support of ITW (Corporate Sponsor Partner) and the Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust (Lead Sponsor of IDEAA Programming).

“I am thrilled to bring this production to life with some of Chicago’s finest artists on and off the stage,” said Director Tyrone Phillips. This cast is extraordinary, and I can’t wait to get to be in the room with each one of them as we explore this beautiful coming of age story. I’m also thrilled to collaborate once again with Definition ensemble members Ireon Roach and Victor Musoni.”

A boisterous Southern cookout sets the scene for a Black, queer discovery of self and resilience in this Pulitzer Prize-winning, five-time Tony nominated coming-of-age story. As Juicy grapples with his identity and his family at a backyard barbecue, his father’s ghost shows up asking for revenge—on Juicy’s uncle, who has married his widowed mom—bringing his quest for joy and liberation to a screeching halt. James Ijames has reinvented Shakespeare’s masterpiece, creating what the New York Times hails as “a hilarious yet profound tragedy, smothered in comedy,” where the only death is the patriarchy. 

Special events for the production include Pride Night (January 14), a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community that includes a discounted ticket, specialty drink, light refreshments and music. In addition, Black Affinity Night (February 7) celebrates the richness of Black culture and community at a special pre-show reception and conversation, followed by the evening performance.

James Ijames is a Pulitzer Prize-winning and Tony Award nominated playwright, director and educator. Ijames’ plays have been produced by Flashpoint Theater Company, Orbiter 3, Theatre Horizon, Wilma Theatre, Theatre Exile, Azuka Theatre (Philadelphia, PA), The National Black Theatre, JACK, The Public Theater (NYC), Hudson Valley Shakespeare Theater, Steppenwolf Theatre, Definition Theatre, Timeline Theater (Chicago IL) Shotgun Players (Berkeley, CA) and have received development with PlayPenn New Play Conference, The Lark, Playwright’s Horizon, Clubbed Thumb, Villanova Theater, Wilma Theater, Azuka Theatre and Victory Garden. Ijames is the 2011 F. Otto Haas Award for an Emerging Artist recipient, and two Barrymore Awards for Outstanding Direction of a Play for The Brothers Size with Simpatico Theatre Company and Gem of the Ocean with Arden Theatre. Ijames is a 2015 Pew Fellow for Playwriting, the 2015 winner of the Terrance McNally New Play Award for WHITE, the 2015 Kesselring Honorable Mention Prize winner for ….Miz Martha, a 2017 recipient of the Whiting Award, a 2019 Kesselring Prize for Kill Move Paradise, a 2020 and 2022 Steinberg Prize, the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in Drama recipient and a 2023 Tony nominee for Best Play for Fat Ham. James was a founding member of Orbiter 3, Philadelphia’s first playwright producing collective. He received a BA in Drama from Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA and a MFA in Acting from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. James is an Associate Professor of Theatre at Villanova University. He resides in South Philadelphia. 

Tyrone Phillips is a first generation Jamaican-American artist, Founding Artistic Director of Chicago’s Definition Theatre and a proud member of the NAACP, SAG-AFTRA and SDC. Recipient of the 2022 Alumni Association Award for Diversity & Inclusion, he is an honors graduate of the Fine and Applied Arts college at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) and has studied abroad at Shakespeare’s Globe. Tyrone is currently leading a capital campaign for the development of Definition’s new theater, community center and entrepreneur incubator in Woodlawn. Past directing and associate directing credits include: Purpose (Steppenwolf Theatre), Twelfth Night, I,Cinna (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); Fairview (Jeff Nomination), Byhalia, Mississippi (Jeff Nomination), Dutchman (Definition Theatre), An Octoroon (Goodman Theatre/Definition Theatre) and The MLK Project (Writers Theatre). Regional: The Royale (American Players Theatre) and The Tale of Despereaux (Old Globe, Berkeley Rep). Off–Broadway: Trevor, the Musical. Awards and Honorable Mention: Arts Midwest’s Peter Capell Award for Midwestern Creativity & Entrepreneurship (2022) and Newcity Stage Hall of Fame (2024).  

Full Company of Fat Ham (in alphabetical order)

By James Ijames

Directed by Tyrone Phillips

Trumane Alston…Juicy

Sheldon Brown…Larry

E. Faye Butler…Rabby

Ronald L. Conner…Rev/Pap

Victor Musoni…Tio

Ireon Roach…Opal

Anji White…Tedra

Understudies for this production include Blake Hamilton Currie, Marquise De’Jahn, TayLar, Joseph Primes and Jazzy Rush.

Creative Team

Set Designer…..Arnel Sancianco

Costume Designer ……Jos N. Banks

Lighting Designer…..Jason Lynch

Sound Designer….. Willow James

Illusion Consultant…Benjamin Barnes

Fight and Intimacy…Gaby Labotka

Casting is by Lauren Port, CSA. Jared Bellot is the Dramaturg. Patrick Fries is the Production Stage Manager.

ENHANCED AND ACCESSIBLE PERFORMANCES AT GOODMAN THEATRE

ASL-Interpreted Performance: Friday, January 31 at 7:30pm – Professional ASL interpreter signs the action/text as played.

Touch Tour* and Audio-Described Performance: Saturday, February 1, 12:30pm Touch Tour; 2pm performance – The action/text is audibly enhanced for patrons via headset.

Spanish-Subtitled Performance: Saturday, February 1 at 7:30pm – An LED sign presents Spanish-translated dialogue in sync with the performance.

Open-Captioned Performance: Sunday, February 2 at 2pm – An LED sign presents dialogue in sync with the performance.

ABOUT GOODMAN THEATRE

Chicago’s theater since 1925, Goodman Theatre is a not-for-profit arts and community organization in the heart of the Loop, distinguished by the excellence and scope of its artistic programming and community engagement. Led by Artistic Director Susan V. Booth and Executive Director John Collins, the theater’s artistic priorities include new play development (more than 150 world or American premieres), large scale musical theater works and reimagined classics. Artists and productions have earned two Pulitzer Prizes, 22 Tony Awards and more than 160 Jeff Awards, among other accolades.

The Goodman is the first theater in the world to produce all 10 plays in August Wilson’s “American Century Cycle.” Its longtime annual holiday tradition A Christmas Carol, now in its fifth decade, has created a new generation of theatergoers in Chicago. The Goodman also frequently serves as a production and program partner with national and international companies and Chicago’s Off-Loop theaters.

Using the tools of theatrical practice, the Goodman’s Education and Engagement programs aim to develop generations of citizens who understand and empathize with cultures and stories of diverse voices. The Goodman’s Alice Rapoport Center for Education and Engagement is the home of these programs, which are offered for Chicago youth—85% of whom come from underserved communities—schools and life-long learners.

Goodman Theatre was built on the traditional homelands of the Council of the Three Fires: the Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi Nations. We recognize that many other Nations consider the area we now call Chicago as their traditional homeland—including the Myaamia, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Sac and Fox, Peoria, Kaskaskia, Wea, Kickapoo and Mascouten—and remains home to many Native peoples today. While we believe that our city’s vast diversity should be reflected on the stages of its largest theater, we acknowledge that our efforts have largely overlooked the voices of our Native peoples. This omission has added to the isolation, erasure and harm that Indigenous communities have faced for hundreds of years. We have begun a more deliberate journey towards celebrating Native American stories and welcoming Indigenous communities.

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

Julie Danis is Chair of Goodman Theatre’s Board of Trustees, Lorrayne Weiss is Women’s Board President and Kelli Garcia is President of the Scenemakers Board for young professionals.

World Premiere of Judy’s Life’s Work Via Definition Theatre February 2–25, 2024

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Definition Theatre Presents the World Premiere of

Judy’s Life’s Work 

by Loy A. Webb

Directed by Michelle Renee Bester

Definition Theatre opens its 2024 season with the world premiere of Judy’s Life’s Work by Loy A. Webb, directed by Michelle Renee Bester, running February 2–25, 2024 at the company’s newly announced storefront theater called Definition @ 55th at 1160 E 55th in Hyde Park. I'll be out for the press opening February 8th, so check back soon for my full review.

“To say it is an absolute honor to work with Definition Theatre and Loy A. Webb, would be an understatement. Both are such impactive engines of knowledge, creativity, and empowerment,” comments Director Michelle Renee Bester. “Definition Theatre has done some incredible work already in the city of Chicago, more specifically, the Southside, where there is an obvious void. Loy Webb has done tremendous work bringing to light Black legacy and Black excellence, and always writing beautiful Black stories for all to enjoy and learn from. The opportunity to direct such a piece as Judy’s Life’s Work with both entities is such a fulfillment for me, and I’m beyond excited to breathe life into this project along with the fantastically talented cast! My mission as a director is to not only entertain but to educate, and thankfully this project is allowing me to do just that plus more!” 

Loy Webb is a Chicago-born playwright, attorney, and theatre journalist. Her play The Light garnered an Outer Critics Circle nomination for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play and a Joseph Jefferson Award. 

ABOUT THE PLAY 

February 2—25, 2024 

Tickets: Starting at $25

Only a month after their mother’s death, Xavier, a highly praised ex-boxer, and his sister Charli, a brilliant pre-med student, fight to determine the future of their mother’s groundbreaking medical notes. As they work through the grief, heartbreak, pain, and unresolved trauma of their childhoods, we discover a story of the healing power of sibling love. 

Judy’s Life’s Work features actors Rashun Carter, Cereyna Jade Bougouneau, and Kenesha Kristine Reed. 

The production team for Judy’s Life Work  includes Jessica Moore (Assistant Director), Alyssa Moon Thompson (Scenic Design), Janelle Smith (Costume Design), David Goodman - Edberg (Lighting Design), Kyle Cortes (Co-Sound Design), ensemble member Willow James (Co-Sound Design), Mariah Bennett (Props Design), ensemble member Maya Vinice Prentiss (Intimacy & Fight Choreography), Kenya Hall (Dramaturg), ensemble member Julie Jachym (Production Manager), ensemble member Ariel Beller (Stage Manager), Octavio Montes De Oca (Assistant Stage Manager), Tesla Sokolin-Maimon (Technical Director), Louis Lothan (Lead Electrician), ensemble member, Devan Castle (Sound Engineer), Victor Hugo Jaimes (Scenic Painter), Megan O’Brien (Lighting Overhire), and PR Casting (Casting). 

ABOUT DEFINITION THEATRE

Definition Theatre is a culturally diverse theater dedicated to telling language-driven, relationship-oriented, socially relevant stories about and created with underrepresented communities in Chicago. Our ensemble is a collective of artists, art administrators, educators, and designers who prioritize working towards and representing a more equitable theatre industry. 

Definition has built its reputation on work that reflects its unique voice. It shared the words of Academy Award- Winner Tarell Alvin McCraney in The Brothers Size; it grooved with Amiri Baraka’s whirlwind story of a chance meeting on a train in Dutchman. In partnership with, The New Colony staged the world premiere of Byhalia, Mississippi, which starred Academy Award nominee ensemble member Kiki Layne. In association with the Goodman Theatre, Definition staged the Chicago premiere of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ An Octoroon, a subversive take on race in America that captivated audiences. Definition sent us all to the moon with ensemble member James Ijames’s Moon Man Walk, explored the challenges of America’s public-school system through Nilaja Sun’s No Child… and highlighted the first- generation experience in the world premiere of Sam Kebede’s ETHIOPIANAMERICA. The company returned to the stage and inspected white privilege, racial politics and the fine line between appropriation and opportunity in ensemble member James Ijames’s WHITE. In 2023, they examined the dark and sweet spots of Black American identity with the choreopoem, ALAIYO and is a searing examination of families, drama, family dramas, and the insidiousness of white supremacy in FAIRVIEW. 

Definition Ensemble members include: Adia Alli, Owais Ahmed, Ariel Beller, Jared Bellot, Carley Cornelius, Ari Craven, Danielle Davis, Julie Jachym, Willow James, Martasia Jones, Slick Jorgensen, Yeaji Kim, Kristy Hall, James Ijames, Kiki Layne, Kelson Michael McAuliffe, Victor Musoni, Neel McNeill, Sophiyaa Nayar, Karyn Oates, Alexandra Oparka, Julian Parker, Maya Vinice Prentiss, Tyrone Phillips, Ireon Roach, Jacqueline Rosas, Christopher Sheard, and Dujon Smith. 

Definition Artistic Advisory Board members include: director May Adrales, Steppenwolf ensemble member Alana Arenas, actress Shannon Cochran, Erica Daniels, actor Brandon Dirden, actor Jason Dirden, director Pam Mackinnon, Equity Quotient CEO Keryl McCord, professor JW Morrissette, director Ron OJ Parson, professor/lighting designer Kathy Perkins, media producer and host Troy Osborne Pryor, Tony Award-winning actress and stage director Phylicia Rashad, and Goodman Theatre director in residence Chuck Smith. Tyrone Phillips is the Artistic Director and Neel McNeill is the Executive Director. 

For tickets and additional information, visit definitiontheatre.org and @definitiontheatre on Facebook and Instagram #stayinit