OPENING: I HATE IT HERE BY IKE HOLTER, FINAL PRODUCTION OF THE GOODMAN'S STREAMING LIVE SERIES

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

I HATE IT HERE BY IKE HOLTER, DIRECTED BY LILI-ANNE BROWN, THE FINAL PRODUCTION OF 

THE LIVE SERIES

**I HATE IT HERE OPENS JULY 15 (7:30PM CDT) AND RUNS THROUGH JULY 18 ONLY**

 

Gabriel Ruiz (Martin) in I Hate It Here by Ike Holter, directed by Lili-Anne Brown at Goodman Theatre (July 15-July 18, 2021), GoodmanTheatre.org/Here. Photo by Flint Chaney.

There's nothing like theatre to help audiences process collective trauma and increase empathy and one of the first to tackle 2020 is here. Sure, streaming is a second to seeing shows in person, but live streams in real time capture the energy and spirit of a one of a kind performance. Check out this 5 show only limited run.

Goodman Theatre’s streaming-in-real-time Live series concludes with I Hate It Here by Ike Holter and directed by Lili-Anne Brown. Featuring a dynamic cast (full list below), the production is a “sharp and satisfyingly foul-mouthed” (The New York Times) rallying cry for our times. I Hate It Here appears July 15 at 7:30pm; July 16 at 7:30pm; July 17 at 2pm and 7:30pm; and July 18 at 2pm; all performances will be presented with open captioning. Tickets are $25; visit GoodmanTheatre.org/Here for more information. 

In I Hate It Here, there's one thing Americans can agree on: it's that 2020 was not the best way to begin a new decade. With guts and humor, punctuated with story and song, Ike Holter asks who we are in a world on the brink explosion.

Technology, videography and stage production come together for the three-play Live series, Goodman Theatre's next step towards resuming in-person performances. Accessible via multiple video cameras, each performance of three new productions—including two Chicago premieres and a major revival—are streamed live online for real-time consumption by audiences at home. Christiana Tye of Christiana Tye Productions and Gabe Hatfield of Hatfield Post/Production are the Goodman's video partner for Live, collaborating with each director to realize the vision of the play for the camera medium.

I Hate It Here

By Ike Holter

Directed by Lili-Anne Brown

Ace/Thomas….............................Patrick Agada

Pete/Rah/Wash…........................Jayson Brooks

Ashwana/Mrs.Marcy/Tanya.........Sydney Charles

Manny/Worker/Ted…...................Behzad Debu

Maya/Lisa/April….........................Kirsten Fitzgerald

Martin/Alex/Frank….....................Gabriel Ruiz

Charlotte......................................Special Guest

The Design Team includes Arnel Sancianco (Set), Mieka van der Ploeg (Costumes), Jason Lynch (Lighting), Mikhail Fiksel (Sound) and Paul Deziel (Projections). Casting is by Lauren Port. Briana J. Fahey is the Production Stage Manager, Christiana Tye is the Video Director and Gabe Hatfield is the Director of Photography.

Live is made possible through the generous support of Northern Trust, Live Major Corporate Sponsor; Katten Muchin Rosenman, Live Corporate Sponsor Partner; Winston & Strawn, Ohio State Murders Digital Production Sponsor; and Russell Reynolds Associates, The Sound Inside Digital Production Sponsor. The Goodman is grateful to its artist union partners, including Actors’ Equity Association (AEA); Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC); and United Scenic Artists (USA).

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT AND DIRECTOR

Ike Holter (Playwright) returns to the Goodman where his play Lottery Day was produced in 2019. Additional Chicago credits include Red Rex (Steep Theatre); Rightlynd (Victory Gardens Theatre); The Light Fantastic, Prowess and Exit Strategy (Jackalope Theatre); The Wolf at the End of the Block (Teatro Vista); Sender (A Red Orchid Theatre); and Hit the Wall (The Inconvenience). Off-Broadway credits include Exit Strategy (Primary Stages); and Hit the Wall (Barrow Street). Regional credits include Put Your House in Order (La Jolla Playhouse). TV credits include Fosse/Verdon (FX). Ike is developing a project with Tribeca Productions/Netflix and the HAROLD series for Wayfarer Studios. He is a winner of the WGA Award for Fosse/Verdon and the Windham-Campbell Prize for playwriting. IkeHolter.com

Lili-Anne Brown (Director) is a native Chicagoan who works as a director, actor and educator. She has performed in, directed and produced many award-winning shows, both local and regional. Goodman credits include School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play and the world premiere of Ike Holter's Lottery Day. She is the former Artistic Director of Bailiwick Chicago, where she focused programming on Chicago-premiere musicals and new play development with resident playwrights. She is a member of SDC, AEA, SAG-AFTRA and is represented by William Morris Endeavor. lilbrownchicago.com

ABOUT THE GOODMAN

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 Robert Falls and Executive Director Roche Schulfer, the theater’s artistic priorities include new play development (more than 150 world or American premieres), large scale musical theater works and reimagined classics. 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.” It’s longtime annual holiday tradition A Christmas Carol, now in its fourth 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 the theatrical profession, the Goodman’s Education and Engagement programs aim to develop generations of citizens who understand the cultures and stories of diverse voices. The Goodman’s Alice Rapoport Center for Education and Engagement is the home to these programs, which are offered free of charge for Chicago youth—85% of whom come from underserved communities—schools and life-long learners.

As a cultural and community organization invested in quality, diversity and community, Goodman Theatre is committed to using the art of theater for a better Chicago. Goodman Theatre’s Action Plan for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Anti-Racism and Access (IDEAA) was born out of the belief that progress means action, which includes building on the decades-long commitment to using art, assets and resources to contribute to a more just, equitable and anti-racist society.

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

Today, Goodman Theatre leadership also includes the distinguished members of the Artistic Collective: Rebecca Gilman, Dael Orlandersmith, Henry Godinez, Steve Scott, Kimberly Senior, Chuck Smith, Regina Taylor, Henry Wishcamper and Mary Zimmerman. Jeff Hesse is Chairman of Goodman Theatre’s Board of Trustees, Fran Del Boca is Women’s Board President and Megan McCarthy Hayes is President of the Scenemakers Board for young professionals.

ACT OUT OPENING: Buzzer at The Goodman

RACIAL AND SEXUAL TENSIONS SIMMER IN THE CHICAGO PREMIERE OF BUZZER BY TRACEY SCOTT WILSON

JESSICA THEBUS DIRECTS A PIERCING, DARK COMEDY ABOUT FRIENDS AND LOVERS LIVING TOGETHER IN A DAUNTING TRANSITIONAL NEIGHBORHOOD, FEBRUARY 8 – MARCH 9 IN THE OWEN THEATRE

ChiIL Live Shows will be there for the press opening tonight.  Check back with us shortly for a full review.

L to R) Shane Kenyon (Don), Lee Stark (Suzy) and Eric Lynch (Jackson) in Buzzer by Tracey Scott Wilson, directed by Jessica Thebus at Goodman Theatre (February 8 - March 9, 2014).

Love, race and class take center stage in Buzzer, Tracey Scott Wilson’s intimate, darkly comic 21st-century exploration of the effects of a changing neighborhood on three cohabitating twenty-somethings—“a study of sex and the city in post-racial times” (Minneapolis Star Tribune). The trio is forced to confront the racial and sexual tensions that exist both inside their home and outside their apartment in a changing Brooklyn neighborhood. 

As previously announced, the cast of director Jessica Thebus’ Chicago-premiere production includes Eric Lynch (Broken Fences at 16th Street Theatre, Blacktop Sky at Theatre Seven, part of Steppenwolf’s Garage Rep); Lee Stark (The Iceman Cometh, Disgraced at American Theater Company); and Shane Kenyon (Big Love at Strawdog Theatre Company, Trainspotting USA with Book and Lyrics Theatricals). Buzzer runs February 8 – March 9 in the Owen Theatre; opening night is Tuesday, February 18. Tickets ($10 - $40; subject to increase) are available at GoodmanTheatre.org/Buzzer, by phone at 312.443.3800 or at the box office (170 North Dearborn). Bank of America is the Owen Season Sponsor, the Goodman Scenemakers Board is a Sponsor Partner and Heidrick & Struggles is a Contributing Sponsor. A performance calendar follows.

“Tracey has made a name for herself through her incisive, explosive dramas that deal with issues surrounding the contemporary African American experience. Her terrific new play, Buzzer, opens the door for thoughtful discourse about the conversations we have—or don’t have—about race, class and how best to treat each other,” said Artistic Director Robert Falls.

Hailed a "singular new voice" by the New Yorker, Wilson's work has been seen at venues across the country; the Goodman has produced The Story (2005) and The Good Negro (2010), both directed by Chuck Smith, and Buzzer was included in the 2012 New Stages festival, directed by Thebus. A co-commission of Minneapolis’ Guthrie Theater and Pillsbury House Theater, Buzzer made its world premiere at the Pillsbury House in 2012; critics unanimously endorsed the play as timely, important and simultaneously hilarious and tragic. It was remounted in a sold-out run at the Guthrie in 2013, directed by Marion McClinton.

“I have lived in neighborhoods that have been gentrified, and I have gentrified neighborhoods; the issue is always there,” said Tracey Scott Wilson. “The characters in Buzzer are of a generation that has been raised on the Disney Channel, in a very multicultural world where Beyoncé and Jay-Z are considered the biggest stars. It’s very different from someone who grew up when there were not many black characters on TV. Especially in the ‘post-racial Obama age’ we’re entering, there are the things we are supposed to say, the things we actually say and the things we really believe.”

The neighborhood and its newest residents’ emotional entanglement take a toll, and the apartment becomes a kind of crucible in which the ever-present urban landscape has devastating results.

Buzzer follows three young people as they move into a newly-rehabilitated building—one with broken buzzers—in a lower-class, urban neighborhood that is grappling with the effects of gentrification and can be dangerous. Jackson (Eric Lynch), a successful African American attorney who grew up in this neighborhood, has returned home, determined to enjoy its renaissance and build a life there. Having attended Exeter, then Harvard and Harvard Law School, Jackson managed to avoid much of the neighborhood’s strife in his younger years. Suzy (Lee Stark), his girlfriend and a teacher at a tough inner-city school, and his troubled boyhood best friend Don (Shane Kenyon)—both white, and who have a history of their own—move in with him. Don hails from a privileged background, but has extensively battled drug addiction; as a result, he is more street-smart than Jackson.

Director Jessica Thebus, who previously directed Sarah Ruhl’s The Clean House and Stage Kiss for the Goodman, works with Wilson for the first time. “Tracey challenges our assumptions; we’re surprised and invigorated by her argument, and we’re illuminated by the intimacy of this story. The economy of just these three very real people invites you to ask yourself, who am I judging and why? Who’s doing what? Whose side am I on? And you’re not sure quite where to position yourself as the story unwinds.”

The design team for Buzzer—Walt Spangler (set), John Culbert (lights), Mikhail Fiksel (sound) and Birgit Rattenborg Wise (costumes)—incorporates elements of Wilson’s former Brooklyn neighborhood to create a realistic setting. Added Thebus, “Don, Jackson, and Suzy are always dealing with the outside, which feels a little unstable. From the cars driving by—questioning, ‘was that a car backfire or was that a gunshot?’—to the guys on the corner to the radio, we have extraordinary designers who will make us feel like the presence of that neighborhood is there.”

(L to R) Shane Kenyon (Don) and Eric Lynch (Jackson) in Buzzer by Tracey Scott Wilson, directed by Jessica Thebus at Goodman Theatre (February 8 - March 9, 2014).

EVENTS AROUND BUZZER

POST-SHOW DISCUSSIONS
Following each Wednesday performance of Buzzer, stay for a discussion about the play with members of the artistic team. Goodman Theatre | FREE

BUZZER AND BREWS

Mingle with cast members and Goodman artists in the theater’s rehearsal space before and after a performance of Buzzer. Thursday, March 6, 6pm Reception / 7:30pm Performance | Goodman Theatre | $60

Tickets to Buzzer ($10 – $40; subject to change) are on sale at GoodmanTheatre.org/Buzzer. Tickets and subscriptions, including the Goodman WILD CARD and “Great Women at Play” package, can also be purchased at the box office (170 North Dearborn) or by phone at 312.443.3800. 

Mezztix are half-price mezzanine tickets available at 12 noon at the box office, and at 10am online (promo code MEZZTIX) day of performance; Mezztix are not available by telephone. 10Tix are $10 rear mezzanine tickets for students available any time for the Owen Theatre; 10Tix are not available by telephone; a valid student I.D. must be presented when picking up the tickets; limit four per student with I.D. All tickets are subject to availability and handling fees apply. Discounted Group Tickets for 15 persons or more are available at 312.443.3820. Purchase Goodman Gift Certificates in any amount at GoodmanTheatre.org. The flexibility of Goodman Gift Certificates allows recipients to choose the production, date and time of their performance. Artists, dates and ticket prices are subject to change.

About Goodman Theatre

The Goodman’s 2013/2014 Season features 9 productions on its two stages—six in the 856-seat Albert Theatre and three in the 400-seat flexible Owen Theatre, plus the annual New Stages series that includes two additional workshop productions. Productions still to come include the world premiere of Luna Gale by Rebecca Gilman, directed by Robert Falls (January 18 – February 23, 2014 in the Albert); Buzzer by Tracey Scott Wilson, directed by Jessica Thebus (February 8 – March 9, 2014 in the Owen); the Chicago premiere of Venus in Fur by David Ives, directed by Joanie Schultz (March 8 – April 13, 2014 in the Albert); the Chicago premiere of The White Snake written and directed by Mary Zimmerman (May 3 – June 8, 2014 in the Albert); the world-premiere Goodman commission of Ask Aunt Susan by Seth Bockley, directed by Henry Wishcamper (May 24 – June 22, 2014 in the Owen); and a major revival of Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe’s Brigadoon, directed by Rachel Rockwell (June 27 – August 3, 2014 in the Albert).

Goodman Theatre is world renowned for the quality and scope of its artistic programming and its commitment to improving life in the community. Artistic Director Robert Falls’ and Executive Director Roche Schulfer’s leadership has earned unparalleled artistic distinction and experienced unprecedented success, staging more than 80 world premieres, earning numerous awards for its productions—including the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre (1992) and the Pulitzer Prize for Ruined (2009)—and producing more than 25 new-work commissions. Founded in 1925 and housed in a state-of- the-art two-theater complex in the downtown Chicago Theatre District, the Goodman is Chicago’s oldest and largest not-for- profit producing theater, named “Best Regional Theatre” by Time magazine and “top dog of the Chicago theater scene” by Frommer’s. American Airlines is the Exclusive Airline of Goodman Theatre. Ruth Ann M. Gillis is Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Sherry John is President of the Women’s Board and Lauren Blair is President of the Scenemakers Board, the Goodman’s young professionals auxiliary group.

Visit the Goodman virtually: watch artist interviews, view production photos, catch the latest news and more at GoodmanTheatre.org and our blog. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, peek behind the scenes on YouTube.

ACT OUT SAVE THE DATES: Buzzer at Goodman

LEE STARK, SHANE KENYON AND ERIC LYNCH CAST IN THE CHICAGO PREMIERE OF BUZZER BY TRACEY SCOTT WILSON, DIRECTED BY JESSICA THEBUS (FEBRUARY 8 – MARCH 9); TICKETS ON SALE JANUARY 3 Gentrification comes to a head in Tracey Scott Wilson’s Buzzer—a “taut, well-structured work about the difficulty of moving past history” (Minneapolis Star Tribune), making its Chicago premiere at Goodman Theatre, directed by Jessica Thebus. Three people encounter “the complexities of human relationships in a world where race doesn’t mean what it used to, but where it’s still enormously relevant” (Twin Cities Daily Planet): Eric Lynch plays Jackson, a young, successful African American attorney returning to the rapidly gentrifying neighborhood of his youth. Lee Stark plays Suzy, his white girlfriend who teaches at a tough inner city high school, and Shane Kenyon plays Don, his white, troubled best friend who finds himself at home among the neighborhood’s rougher edges.  The design team includes John Culbert (lights), Mikhail Fiksel (sound), Birgit Rattenborg Wise (costumes) and Walt Spangler (sets).   Buzzer runs February 8 – March 9 in the Owen Theatre (opening night is Tuesday, February 18). Tickets ($10 - $40; subject to change) go on sale to the general public Friday, January 3 and are available at GoodmanTheatre.org/Buzzer, by phone at 312.443.3800 or at the box office (170 North Dearborn). Bank of America is the Owen Season Sponsor and the Goodman Scenemakers Board is a Sponsor Partner.  “This is a new play about America,” said playwright Tracey Scott Wilson, whose previous Goodman Theatre credits include a reading of Buzzer in the 2012 New Stages festival, The Good Negro and The Story. “As our cultural and political landscapes change, we’re forced to confront issues of race, class, privilege and belonging—we see complications arise in this play because of who each person is in respect to the neighborhood and their openness to change.” Added director Jessica Thebus: “Tracey is an extremely passionate and articulate playwright, and I’m excited to be working with her for the first time. I’m also thrilled to be back at the Goodman, where I’ve done two of my favorite projects—Stage Kiss and The Clean House—and to be working in the Owen, which is one of my favorite theaters in the country.”

ACT OUT: ROCHE SCHULFER CELEBRATES 40 YEARS WITH GOODMAN THEATRE

***EXECUTIVE LEADER TO BE HONORED ON THE “WALKWAY OF STARS” ON SEPTEMBER 4, AND AT THE SEPTEMBER 24 SEASON OPENING CELEBRATION*** Lifelong Chicagoan Roche Edward Schulfer’s 40 years of distinguished service to Goodman Theatre—a rarely-exceeded tenure at a single American theater—will be celebrated with a star on the “Walkway of Stars” beneath the iconic Goodman marquee, and at the 2013/2014 Season Opening Celebration on September 24. One of the most respected theater producers in the country, Schulfer has been central to the Goodman’s emergence as a major cultural institution and leading U.S. theater.  He began his theater career in the Goodman’s box office in 1973, and quickly rose through the ranks; he currently serves as Goodman Theatre’s Executive Director (a position he has held since 1980) and, with Artistic Director Robert Falls, shares a 27-year producing partnership—one of the longest in the industry.  Schulfer has overseen the production of close to 350 plays (including 125 world or American premieres), has negotiated the presentation of Goodman productions at national and international venues and established Charles Dickens’ classic tale A Christmas Carol as an annual Chicago holiday tradition (marking its 36th production this season).  He coordinated the development of the $46 million new Goodman Theatre complex from 1998 - 2000, which served as a catalyst for Chicago’s Theater District. In honor of Schulfer’s milestone anniversary, the Goodman’s Boards, artists, staff and friends contributed more than $1 million in special gifts, bringing the $15 million Endowing Excellence Campaign near completion. Schulfer’s star will be unveiled on September 4 at 11am. “On behalf of the City of Chicago, I congratulate Roche Schulfer on four decades of leadership of Goodman Theatre,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “Roche’s efforts at the Goodman have helped Chicago earn our reputation as a global destination for theater, and his visionary leadership has transformed the Goodman and introduced theater to thousands across our City. I congratulate Roche on this milestone achievement.” During the leadership of Schulfer and Falls, the Goodman’s attendance has averaged 90% capacity; sales revenue has grown from $2.5 million to $11.5 million; and public support has grown from $2 million to $6.6 million. Under their leadership, the theater has made community engagement a core value of the institution, establishing a diverse array of youth and lifelong learning programs.  The Goodman has received numerous awards and accolades for excellence, including the Pulitzer Prize for Ruined by Lynn Nottage (2009); “Best Regional Theater in the United States” by Time magazine (2003); the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theater (1992); and numerous Joseph Jefferson awards for outstanding achievement in Chicago-area theater.  Schulfer is a founder and two-time chairman of the League of Chicago Theatres and a founding member, past chair and current board member of Arts Alliance Illinois. “Schulfer's love for the theater is palpable, but his business skills have made the difference in what his loyalists believe is the Goodman's very existence” (Chicago Sun-Times). “As the current Goodman Theatre Chair and on behalf of those who have preceded me in this role, it is a privilege to work with Roche Schulfer—a charismatic arts advocate with remarkable business acumen whose leadership led to the establishment of quality, diversity and community as the core values of the Goodman,” said Ruth Ann M. Gillis, Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, Exelon Corporation, and President, Exelon Business Services Co. “Roche has championed cultural diversity and gender equality on and off the stage, and his entrepreneurial and strategic initiatives have made theater accessible to all.” Theater management as a career evolved during the 1960s and 1970s, after the founding of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the rise of both public and private funding for the arts. “Roche is among the early trailblazers of this work, and has set a towering and inspiring example for the field,” said Teresa Eyring, Executive Director of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national service organization for more than 450 not-for-profit theaters. “He is one of the only practitioners in the American theater field who has been elected to multiple separate terms on TCG’s board over the last three decades, and is deeply respected by his peers and by emerging leaders—who literally soak up his wisdom. As a producer, Roche is well known for his fiscal brilliance, but he is also a tremendous advocate for artists—helping to ensure that artists have a home at the Goodman, and that the wider community is aware of the challenges faced by freelance theater artists. He has also been a committed, consistent presence at the national level advocating for the entire performing arts sector.” Following Schulfer’s graduation from the University of Notre Dame with a degree in Economics, he was hired on September 4, 1973 as a Box Office Attendant at Goodman Theatre under then-Artistic Director William Woodman (at the Goodman’s previous 200 S. Columbus Drive location). He was promoted to Assistant to the Managing Director in 1974 (under Managing Director John Economos); General Manager in 1977 (working with Managing Director Janet Wade) and was named Managing Director in 1980, working with then-Artistic Director Gregory Mosher. From 1974 to 1983, Schulfer produced the works in Goodman Stage 2, which became a force in the growth of Chicago theater through premieres of David Mamet’s American Buffalo, A Life in the Theatre, Edmond and Glengarry Glen Ross. He also worked with Mosher to make Goodman productions more representative of the diverse Chicago community through new programming, casting and marketing strategies. In addition, in 1976, he founded the off-Loop Producers Association—the predecessor of the League of Chicago Theatres. “There simply is no better, smarter or more generous collaborator in the American theater than Roche Schulfer,” said Artistic Director Robert Falls. “An enormously gifted producer and shrewd business strategist, he has shepherded productions like Death of A Salesman, Desire Under the Elms and Chinglish to theaters on Broadway and beyond. Roche is also a thoughtful, caring leader who has promoted diversity, inclusion and support for theater workers fighting HIV/AIDS, consulted with many emerging theater companies and mentored countless young professionals—including many outstanding leaders in the Chicago and national theater community.” One such leader, Rachel Kraft, worked for 12 years at the Goodman under Schulfer prior to becoming Executive Director for Chicago’s celebrated Lookingglass Theatre. “When Roche hired me to be the Director of Development for Goodman Theatre, I had only been working there for six months and was still very green in the field. He explained my promotion to the board as ‘we hire people, not resumes’—which not only reinforced his confidence in my work, but in me as a person. His philosophy informed every hire I’ve made since, and I know that it was his investment in me that directly led to my current position,” said Kraft. In addition to his work with TCG, Schulfer has served in leadership roles with the Performing Arts Alliance (the national advocacy consortium of more than 18,000 organizations and individuals); the League of Resident Theatres (the management association of 65 leading US theater companies); and Lifeline Theatre of Rogers Park. He has been recognized by Actors’ Equity Association for promoting diversity and equal opportunity in Chicago theater; the American Arts Alliance for national arts advocacy leadership; the Arts & Business Council for distinguished contributions to Chicago’s artistic vitality for more than 25 years; Chicago magazine and the Chicago Tribune as a “Chicagoan of the Year”; the City of Chicago; Columbia College Chicago for entrepreneurial leadership; Arts Alliance Illinois for state and local advocacy leadership; the Joseph Jefferson Awards Committee for his partnership with Falls; North Central College with an Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree; Lawyers for the Creative Arts; Lifeline Theatre’s Raymond R. Snyder Award for Commitment to the Arts;  Season of Concern for support of direct care for those living with HIV/AIDS; and the Vision 2020 Equality in Action Medal for promoting gender equality and diversity in the workplace. He is a longtime adjunct professor at DePaul University, helping to nurture the next generation of theater professionals. He is married to the distinguished actor Mary Beth Fisher.

ACT OUT OPENING: Teddy Ferrara at The Goodman & Other Desert Cities Now Playing

WORLD PREMIERE OF TEDDY FERRARA FROM PULITZER PRIZE FINALIST CHRISTOPHER SHINN OPENS FEBRUARY 11TH

***SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS INCLUDE FIRST-EVER STUDENT PRESS CONFERENCE TOMORROW, ON FEBRUARY 7, EXPANDED $10 TICKETS***

Previews are underway for the world-premiere production of the Goodman-commissioned Teddy Ferrara by Pulitzer Prize finalist Christopher Shinn, praised as "among the most provocative and probing of American playwrights today" (The New York Times). 

Ferrara), Christopher Imbrosciano (Jay), Jax Jackson (Jaq), Dev Kennedy and Fawzia Mirza (Campus Police), Paloma Nozicka (Jenny), Adam Poss (Drew), Josh Salt (Tim), Kelli Simpkins (Ellen) and Janet Ulrich Brooks (University Provost). The design team includes Jenny Mannis (Costume Designer), Keith Parham (Lighting Designer), Lee Savage (Set Designer) and Richard Woodbury (Sound Designer). 

Teddy Ferrara runs February 2 - March 3, 2013 in the Owen Theatre (opening night is Monday, February 11). Tickets ($14 - $45; subject to change) are now on sale and are available at GoodmanTheatre.org/Teddy, by phone at 312.443.3800 or at the box office (170 North Dearborn).

Evan Cabnet directs this stirring exploration of an on-campus tragedy with a cast that includes Liam Benzvi (Gabe), Patrick Clear (University President), Rashaad Hall (Nicky), Ryan Heindl (Teddy).

In conjunction with the production, Goodman Theatre hosts its first-ever student press conference including cast members from Teddy Ferrara on February 7 from 5:30 – 6:30pm. Chicagoland college and high school students are invited to join participants of the Goodman’s Cindy Bandle Young Critics program (CBYC) in this unique opportunity to interview the cast. To make arrangements, student journalists should call 312.443.5152 or email Press@GoodmanTheatre.org.

Students can also take advantage of “10Tix” tickets – $10 tickets exclusively for students, now available for advance purchase – at GoodmanTheatre.org using the promo “10Tix” or at the box office (170 N. Dearborn). Previously, 10Tix were only available day-of show. A valid Student ID must be presented upon pickup, and limit four tickets per student. All tickets are subject to availability and handling fees apply.

"I was teaching undergraduates just as I was beginning to work on Teddy Ferrara and really observing them and measuring my own experiences against that,” says playwright Christopher Shinn. “It’s an entirely different social world today as mediated through media and technology, and it’s rare to see college students represented truthfully. I’ll know I have achieved this if college-aged students respond to this play.”

Teddy Ferrara Rehearsal Photo
(L to R) Adam Poss (Drew), Director Evan Cabnet and Liam Benzvi (Gabe) in rehearsal for Christopher Shinn's Teddy Ferrara at Goodman Theatre.                                 

Other special events for audience members include:

Artist Encounter

TONIGHT--Wednesday, February 6 | Polk Rehearsal Room 6pm, FREE for Subscribers, Donors and students with ID; $5 for the general public (reservations required) Join us for an intimate conversation with Teddy Ferrara director Evan Cabnet before the 7:30pm performance that evening. Moderated by Adam Belcuore. To reserve tickets, call the box office at 312.443.3800.

PlayBack

Following each Wednesday performance of Teddy Ferrara, audiences are invited to attend free post-show discussions with members of the Goodman’s artistic staff.

Teddy Ferrara takes place during Gabe's senior year of college. His future looks bright: he runs the Queer Students Group, he finally has a single room and he recently started dating a great guy. But when a campus tragedy occurs that makes national headlines it ignites a firestorm and throws Gabe's world into disorder. When new evidence surfaces, Gabe discovers that the events surrounding the tragedy aren’t as straightforward as they seem, and he is forced to question popular assumptions—and his own life’s contradictions.

Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP is the Corporate Sponsor Partner for Teddy Ferrara. The Time Warner Foundation is the Major Supporter of New Play Development and The Glasser and Rosenthal Family and the Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust are Supporters of New Work Development. The Davee Foundation is the Major Contributor to Research and Development for New Work. The Joyce Foundation is the Principal Supporter of Artistic Development and Diversity Initiatives.

Also now playing at The Goodman through February 17th--Other Desert Cities

January 12- February 17, 2013 In the Albert
Approximate running time: 2 hours and 15 minutes with one intermission

• “Highly Recommended”— CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
  

A family is pushed to the brink in Jon Robin Baitz’s scintillating new drama, dubbed “the best new play on Broadway” by The New York Times.

When Brooke Wyeth arrives at her parents’ Palm Springs mansion on Christmas Eve with the manuscript of her tell-all memoir in tow she unearths a devastating family secret—throwing her parents into a panic that threatens to rip the clan apart. With biting wit and razor-sharp insight, Other Desert Cities “has the appeal of a Broadway hit from another age” (The New York Times).

About Goodman Theatre

The Goodman’s 2012/2013 Season features 11 productions on its two stages—six in the 856-seat Albert Theatre and three in the 400-seat flexible Owen Theatre, plus a Latino Theatre Festival that includes two additional productions. Still to come in the 2012/2013 Season are 

Other Desert Cities by Jon Robin Baitz, directed by Henry Wishcamper (now through February 17, 2013); Teddy Ferrara by Christopher Shinn, directed by Evan Cabnet (February 2 – March 3, 2013 in the Owen); 

a Latino Theatre Festival in the Owen, including Cuba’s Teatro Buendía’s production of Pedro Páramo by Raquel Carrió

Co-directed by Flora Lautén and Henry Godinez and produced in association with the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (March 22 – March 31); The Happiest Song Plays Last by Quiara Alegría Hudes, directed by Edward Torres (April 13 – May 12, 2013) and Albany Park Theater Project’s production of Home/Land, written collectively by the Albany Park Theater Project teen ensemble and directed collectively by the Albany Park Theater Project artistic staff (June 20 – June 30, 2013); By the Way, Meet Vera Stark by Lynn Nottage, directed Chuck Smith (April 27 – June 2, 2013 in the Albert); and The Jungle Book, a new musical based on the Disney animated film and the stories of Rudyard Kipling, adapted and directed by Mary Zimmerman (June 21 – July 28, 2013 in the Albert).

Goodman Theatre, “the leading regional theater in the nation’s most important theater city” (Time), is a major cultural, educational and economic pillar in Chicago, generating nearly $250 million in economic impact over the past decade in its state-of-the-art two-theater complex on North Dearborn Street.

Founded in 1925 and currently under the leadership of Artistic Director Robert Falls, “Chicago’s most essential director” (Chicago Tribune), and Executive Director Roche Schulfer, Chicago’s oldest and largest not-for-profit resident theater has welcomed nearly two million patrons to productions and events—including 10 festivals celebrating playwrights such as David Mamet, August Wilson and Horton Foote, as well as the biennial Latino Theatre Festival—and served legions of students through its Education and Community Engagement programs (including the FREE Student Subscription Series and other interactive programs). 

The Goodman has earned more than 90 awards for hundreds of productions, including the Pulitzer Prize for Ruined by Lynn Nottage—one of 25 new work Goodman commissions in the last decade. American Airlines is the Exclusive Airline of Goodman Theatre. Ruth Ann M. Gillis is Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Sherry John is President of Women’s Board and Lauren Blair is President of the Scenemakers Board, the Goodman’s young professionals auxiliary group.

Visit the Goodman virtually: watch artist interviews, view production photos, catch the latest news and more at GoodmanTheatre.org. Like us on Facebook.com/GoodmanTheatre; follow us at Twitter.com/GoodmanTheatre; and peek behind the scenes at YouTube.com/TheGoodmanTheatre.

Click here to order tickets and find further show details for both productions.

ACT OUT: OPENING-FISH MEN AT GOODMAN

HIGH STAKES GAME OF URBAN CHESS HUSTLERS ON THE HOOK FOR FISH MEN BY CÁNDIDO TIRADO, PREMIERING AT GOODMAN THEATRE

****EDWARD TORRES MAKES HIS GOODMAN DIRECTORIAL DEBUT WITH THIS TEATRO VISTA COLLABORATION, THE SECOND OF THREE NEW WORKS BY LATINO PLAYWRIGHTS, APRIL 7 – MAY 6, 2012***

Goodman Theatre and Teatro Vista team up for their second world-premiere production with Fish Men, Puerto Rican playwright Cándido Tirado’s new comedic drama about a group of urban chess hustlers drawn together by a shared need to overcome their individual demons. Edward Torres, Artistic Director of Teatro Vista, makes his Goodman directorial debut with this second play of a three-year producing partnership between the Goodman and Teatro Vista, Chicago’s first and largest not-for-profit professional Latino theater company. 

Fish Men runs April 7 – May 6, 2012 (Previews start today.  Opening Night is April 16.) in the Goodman’s Owen Theatre. Tickets ($12-$42; prices subject to change) can be purchased at GoodmanTheatre.org by phone at 312.443.3800 or at the box office (170 N. Dearborn). Sara Lee Foundation is the Owen Season Sponsor. Baxter and Blue Cross Blue Shield are Contributing Sponsors and Hoy is the Spanish Print Media Sponsor.

Cándido Tirado, Teatro Vista’s newest resident playwright and a highly-rated chess master by the United States Chess Federation, explains, “When I graduated from college, I decided I wanted to combine two great loves of my life: writing plays and playing chess. But it wasn’t until 2000, as I was walking by the chess tables in New York’s Washington Square Park, that the play suddenly revealed itself to me. Outwardly, Fish Men deals with the cruel art of the ‘chess hustle’—but underneath it is an exploration of man’s inhumanity towards his fellow man. I am thrilled to premiere this play in Chicago, with Teatro Vista and Goodman Theatre.”

Fish Men plays out in real time on a hot summer day in New York City’s Washington Square Park, where Rey Reyes (Raul Castillo), a survivor of the Guatemalan genocide who is going through his own personal hell, gets snared by a group of chess hustlers. Ninety Two (Howard Witt), a Holocaust survivor, tries to intervene, exposing Rey’s need for vengeance. As the game progresses, the circumstances that stoke the fire of each player’s obsession with the game and their inner demons are revealed. Fish Men features a multi-ethnic, multi-generational ensemble cast including Raul Castillo as Rey Reyes, Dan Cantor as Stuart, Howard Witt as Ninety Two, Cedric Mays as Cash, Ricardo Gutierrez as Jerome, Kenn E. Head as Pee Wee, Ben Chang as Dr. Lee and Mike Cherry as John. The creative team is set designer Collette Pollard, costume designer Christine Pascual, lighting designer Jesse Klug and sound designer Mikhail Fiksel.

“Fish Men is an ideal project for Teatro Vista and the Goodman,” says Edward Torres, artistic director of Teatro Vista. “Together, we are exploring the cultural intersections of our communities through ourcollaborative development of new plays by Latino writers. While Cándido’s work comes from the Latino perspective, with the multi-cultural, multi-generational cast of Fish Men, we have the opportunity to share with a large and appreciative audience what we have in common as people. This play is special and Chicago audiences are in for a real treat.”

Cándido Tirado (Playwright) is a New York-based playwright. His play Momma’s Boyz, produced by Teatro Vista earlier this season, was chosen a “Chicago Top Ten in 2011” by the Huffington Post. His off-Broadway productions include Celia: The Life and Music of Celia Cruz (co-written with Carmen Rivera) which premiered at New World Stages and was also performed in Chicago’s Athenaeum Theater, Las Bellas Artes in Santurce, Puerto Rico, Tenerife and Miami; King Without a Castle; Checking Out; First Class (Puerto Rican Traveling Theater); The Barber Shop and Momma’s Boyz (Repertorio Español). Other productions include The Missteps of a Salsa Dancer, From Dating to Death in Five Easy Steps, Ilka: The Dream, Hands of Stone, King Without a Castle (also workshopped at Sundance Theater Lab); Some People Have All The Luck, produced at the National Theater of the Dominican Republic and New York; Heart Stopping Sex, produced by Soho Rep, and The Kid Next Door, Hey There Black Cat, Abuelo, The Missing Colors of the Rainbow and Palladium. He co- wrote with Alfredo Bejar the award winning short film Getting to Heaven and was a staff writer for the TV show Ghostwriter where his episode was nominated for a Humanitas Award. His screenplays include Da Bronx, El Casique del Poker and The Milagro Boyz. He’s a four-time winner of the New York Foundation of the Arts Playwriting Fellowship. Publications include First Class, Recent Puerto Rican Theater: Five Plays from New York (Arte Publico); Some People Have All the Luck, Nuestro New York: An Anthology of Puerto Rican Playwrights (Penguin, Mentor Books); Ilka the Dream: Positive/Negative: Women of Color Living with H.I.V. (Aunt Lute Books). Mr. Tirado is a co-founder of Educational Plays Production with his wife Carmen Rivera, which tours public schools presenting plays with social issues concerning youth.

Edward Torres (Director, Teatro Vista Artistic Director) directed the world premiere of Kristoffer Diaz’s The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity at Victory Gardens Theater (produced in association with Teatro Vista) which was named Best Play of 2009 by the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times and Time Out Chicago, was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, and earned Jeff awards for Best Production and Best Director. He also directed subsequent productions off Broadway at New York’s Second Stage Theatre (2010 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Play and Obie Award for Best Play), and at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles to critical acclaim. Mr. Torres has produced more than 25 plays as the artistic director of Teatro Vista over the last 12 years. His Teatro Vista directing credits include The Show Host, Jamie Pachino’s Aurora’s Motive, Romulus Linney’s Ambrosio, Edwin Sánchez’s Icarus, Reuben Gonzalez’s The Boiler Room and Karen Zacarías’ The Sins of Sor Juana. Other Chicago directing credits include Amparo Garcia- Crow’s Cocks Have Claws and Wings to Fly and Migdalia Cruz’s Lolita de Lares. As an actor he will be seen in Victory Gardens Theater’s upcoming production of Oedipus El Rey. Most recently he was seen in El Grito del Bronx, a co-production with Collaboraction in association with Goodman Theatre; the Goodman’s production of The Cook; and Teatro Vista’s productions of Massacre (Sing to Your Children) at the Goodman and Elliot, A Soldier’s Fugue with Rivendell Theatre Ensemble as part of the Visiting Company Initiative at Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Other Chicago acting credits include roles at the Goodman, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Victory Garden Theater, Latino Chicago Theater Company, Court Theatre, Apple Tree Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater and Teatro Vista. He was the recipient of a 2010 3Arts Artist Award, and was featured as guest director at the 2011 Eugene O’Neill National Playwrights Conference. Mr. Torres has a BA in theater from Roosevelt University in Chicago and an MFA in film from Columbia College Chicago. He serves on the Illinois Arts Council, and has served on the National Endowment for the Arts Theater Panel (2005 – 2007) and on the MAP Fund Theatre Panel (2008).

Insider Access is a series of public programs that provides insight into the Goodman’s artistic process. With Artist Encounters, audiences meet the names and faces behind the work on stage, including playwrights and directors.

Artist Encounter: Fish Men Featuring Playwright Cándido Tirado and Director Edward Torres Wednesday, April 11; 6 – 7pm | Chicago Cultural Center 78 East Washington Street | Chicago, IL Free; for tickets please call 312.443.3800

Tickets to Fish Men ($12-$42) are currently on sale at GoodmanTheatre.org. Tickets and 2012/2013 subscriptions can also be purchased at the box office (170 North Dearborn), by phone at 312.443.3800 or at GoodmanTheatre.org. 

Mezztix are half-price mezzanine tickets available at 12 noon at the box office and at 10am online (promo code MEZZTIX) day of performance; Mezztix are not available by telephone. 10Tix are $10 rear mezzanine tickets for students available at 12 noon at the box office and at 10am online on the day of performance; 10Tix are not available by telephone; a valid student I.D. must be presented when picking up the tickets; limit four per student with I.D. All tickets are subject to availability and handling fees apply. Discounted Group Tickets for 10 persons or more are available at 312.443.3820. Purchase Goodman Gift Certificates in any amount at GoodmanTheatre.org. The flexibility of Goodman Gift Certificates allows recipients to choose the production, date and time of their performance. Artists, dates and ticket prices are subject to change.

The Artist Encounter series brings together audiences and the artists who create the work on our stages, in an intimate environment, for a behind-the-scenes look at the plays and the playmaking process. Join us for an intimate conversation with Fish Men playwright Cándido Tirado and director Edward Torres before a 7:30pm performance.

About Teatro Vista
Teatro Vista, Theatre with a View, was founded in 1989. Today, Teatro Vista is celebrating its 22nd season, having grown to be Chicago’s largest non-profit Equity Latino theater company producing full scale, Latino oriented, theatrical productions in English. Just within the last year, Teatro Vista was celebrated as one of 25 of “Chicago’s cultural leaders” by the Arts & Business Council of Chicago, and received the League of Chicago Theatres’ 2011 Artistic Leadership Award.

Teatro Vista is firmly committed to sharing and celebrating the riches of Latino culture with all Chicago theater audiences. This commitment stems from the belief that there are as many similarities between us as there are differences, and that the answer to breaking down the walls of prejudice and stereotypes lies in understanding these differences. Ultimately, it is through this “view” that Teatro Vista bridges the gap between Latino and non-Latino cultures in Chicago.
Teatro Vista is supported in part by Alphawood Foundation, Chicago Community Trust, a CityArts Program grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelly Foundation, The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, Hispanics In Philanthropy, Illinois Arts Council, Joyce Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, National Association of Latino Arts and Culture, and The Shubert Foundation. For more information, visit teatrovista.org

Fish Men Rehearsal Photos
Playwright Cándido Tirado plays a game of chess with cast member Raúl Castillo (Rey Reyes) during a rehearsal of Teatro Vista and Goodman Theatre's Fish Men.

About Goodman Theatre
Currently on stage in the Albert Theatre (ENDING THIS WEEKEND) is Camino Real by Tennessee Williams, directed by Calixto Bieito running through April 8, 2012.

The 2011/2012 Season includes: The Iceman Cometh by Eugene O’Neill, directed by Robert Falls (April 21 – June 10, 2012); and Crowns, written and directed by Regina Taylor (June 30 – August 5, 2012).

Goodman Theatre, “the leading regional theater in the nation’s most important theater city” (Time), is a major cultural, educational and economic pillar in Chicago, generating nearly $300 million in economic impact over the past decade in its state-of-the-art two-theater complex on North Dearborn Street. Founded in 1925 and currently under the leadership of Artistic Director Robert Falls, “Chicago’s most essential director” (Chicago Tribune), and Executive Director Roche Schulfer, Chicago’s oldest and largest not-for- profit resident theater has welcomed nearly two million patrons to productions and events—including 10 festivals celebrating playwrights such as David Mamet, August Wilson and Horton Foote, as well as the biennial Latino Theatre Festival—and served legions of students through its Education and Community Engagement programs (including the FREE Student Subscription Series and other interactive programs). 

The Goodman has earned more than 90 awards for hundreds of productions, including the Pulitzer Prize for Ruined by Lynn Nottage—one of 25 new work Goodman commissions in the last decade. Ruth Ann M. Gillis is the Chairman of Goodman Theatre’s Board of Trustees and Joan Clifford is President of the Women’s Board. American Airlines is the Exclusive Airline of Goodman Theatre. BMO Harris Bank is the Major Production Sponsor of A Christmas Carol, and Aon Corporation is the Corporate Sponsor Partner. 

Visit the Goodman virtually: watch artist interviews, view production photos, catch the latest news and more at GoodmanTheatre.org. Like us on Facebook.com/GoodmanTheatre; follow us at Twitter.com/GoodmanTheatre; and peek behind the scenes at YouTube.com/TheGoodmanTheatre.