The Story Theatre Presents At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen April 26 – May 25, 2025 at Raven Theatre

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 

The Story Theatre Presents

At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen

By Governing Ensemble member Terry Guest

Directed by Mikael Burke

Pictured: Governing Ensemble member Terry Guest in a publicity image for The Story Theatre’s At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen. Photo by David Hagen.

Featuring Governing Ensemble members

Terry Guest and Paul Michael Thomson

Twice Extended Due to Popular Demand.Now Playing Through May 25th, 2025 

The Story Theatre is over the moon to kick off Season V with a reimagined production of At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen by Governing Ensemble member and Joseph Jefferson Award-winning playwright Terry Guest, directed by Joseph Jefferson Award-winning director Mikael Burke. This critically-acclaimed play about Black queer life, death and drag in the rural South will run April 26 – May 25, 2025 on Raven Theatre’s Schwartz Stage, 6157 N. Clark St. (at Granville) in Chicago, with multiple possible extensions. Tickets are now on sale at thestorytheatre.org/tickets, ci.ovationtix.com/34415/production/1234667  or by calling (773) 338-2177. 

The production will feature Governing Ensemble members Terry Guest and Paul Michael Thomson reprising their roles from The Story’s world premiere production of At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen in Season II during the summer of 2019. In a moment when the art of drag has taken on increased political risk and resonance, when federal funding for HIV and AIDS resources hangs precariously in the balance and when the right to express oneself freely without fear of persecution is under attack, The Story is proud to reimagine this vital, deeply compassionate work.

About the Production:

Courtney Berringers would like to welcome you to her wake! But – make no mistake – this ain’t your grandma’s funeral. Loosely based on the life and death of playwright Terry Guest’s Uncle Anthony, At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen is a one-act, two-hander play set in 2004 that centers Blackness, southern queerness and the fine art of drag. From African gods and goddesses to Trina and Whitney Houston, At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen thoughtfully uses storytelling, drama and drag to explore identity, illness and the narratives we construct for ourselves. Come party at the wake. Bring your own heels!

Playwright and actor Terry Guest comments, "When I wrote this play at the start of the first Trump presidency, I hoped and assumed that it would be irrelevant by now. Drag was popular and mainstream, queer artists were becoming household names and it seemed like we were on the edge of curing HIV for good. Almost 10 years later, at the dawn of the second Trump presidency, the play is sadly more relevant than ever.”

Guest adds, “I had a lot to say when I first wrote this play, but I didn't always know how to say it. Now, I have the craft, tools, life experience and resources to create the production I always believed was possible. Finally, the community of theatregoers has shifted so dramatically since we first premiered this play in 2019. I am so excited to share this play with a cohort of audiences and artists who have heard rumblings about our past production, but who never got to see it for themselves. I can't wait for them to laugh, lean in and mourn with us at the wake."

The Story Theatre’s Governing Ensemble states, "When we first produced this play in Season II, it was Terry Guest's first professional production. But we knew then what the national theatre community has come to know now: Guest is a singular talent, a once-in-a-generation voice in the American theatre and a damn good performer to boot. At that time, as a grassroots nonprofit founded by working artists and not funded by generational wealth, we put on our smash hit world premiere with a couple thousand dollars, borrowed wigs and a fervent belief in this story. We still have that belief in this story. Now, we have the resources to share this reimagined production with more audiences than ever before. Under Mikael Burke's genius direction and this duo of talented actors, this reimagined production is, to quote protagonist Courtney Berringers, 'bigger than life, bigger than death,' but ultimately just about telling the truth.

Then and Now:

The Story Theatre’s critically-acclaimed Season II production of At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen put the young company, the production’s creative team and this magnificent play on the map. Since its world premiere production, At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen has been produced seven times across the U.S. to sold-out houses, stunning reviews and prestigious accolades. Playwright Terry Guest has gone on to receive productions and commissions from some of the biggest companies in Chicago and beyond, including: Nightbirds and The Madness of Mary Todd at Goodman Theatre; The Magnolia Ballet at About Face Theatre (Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Production); and Marie Antoinette & the Magical Negroes at The Story Theatre (Joseph Jefferson Awards for Best New Work, Best Director, and Best Ensemble). In 2022, Guest was awarded the David Goldamn Best New American Play Award from the National New Play Network for The Magnolia Ballet and was featured in the NPR article “Where Will the Next Hamilton Come From?”

Director Mikael Burke has also gone onto achieve critical acclaim and accolades after directing the 2019 production of At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen. His 2023 production of Tambo & Bones at Refracted Theatre Company garnered the Joseph Jefferson Awards for Best Production and Best Director. And The Story Theatre has since been named 2021’s “Best New Theatre Company” by Chicago Reader, as well as receiving the support of the Chicago Bulls Charities, DCASE CityArts and the Illinois Arts Council.

The production team for At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen includes Alyssa Mohn (Scenic Design), Racquel Postilgione (Costume Design), Brenden Marble (Lighting Design), Ethan Korvne (Sound Design, Original Composition), Danyelle Monson (Choreographer), Spencer Diaz Tootle (Prop Design), Victoria Nassif (Intimacy Direction), Stina Taylor (Technical Direction/Assistant Scenic Design), Olivia Sullam (Stage Manager), Tessa Huber (Assistant Stage Manager), Shelbi Weaver (Production Manager), David Hagen (Director of Design), Ayanna Bria Bakari* (Wig Design), Brenna DiStasio* (Associate Director) and Brenna DiStasio* and Ayanna Bria Bakari* (Producers).

*Denotes a member of The Story Theatre’s Governing Ensemble

Content Advisory: If you would like content details before purchasing your ticket, please feel free to email production@thestorytheatre.org. The Story recognizes that individual sensitivities are myriad, and we encourage you to reach out with any questions.

Production Details:

Cast (in alphabetical order): Terry Guest* (Courtney Berringers/Anthony Knighton) and Paul Michael Thomson* (Vickie Versailles/Hunter Grimes)

Understudies: Winter Olamina (Courtney/Anthony) and D. Shea Petersen (Vickie/Hunter)

Location: Raven Theatre Schwartz Stage, 6157 N. Clark St. (at Granville), Chicago

Dates: Previews: Saturday, April 26 at 7:30 pm and Sunday, April 27 at 3 pm

Press Opening: Monday, April 28 at 7:30 pm

Regular run: Saturday, April 26 – Sunday, May 25, 2025 (with multiple possible extensions)

Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 3 pm

Tickets: $10 – 40 (tiered options) Tickets are now on sale at thestorytheatre.org/tickets, ci.ovationtix.com/34415/production/1234667 or by calling (773) 338-2177

Group tickets: Special group grates are available. For more information, call (773) 338-2177 or email brenna@thestorytheatre.org

Plan Your Visit:

Free parking is provided in a lot adjacent to the theatre—additional street parking is available.

Nearest El station: Granville Red Line. Buses: #22 (Clark), #36 (Broadway), #151 (Sheridan), #155 (Devon), #84 (Peterson).

About the Artists:

Terry Guest (Director) is a three-time Jeff Award winning playwright, actor, director and teaching artist. His play The Magnolia Ballet had its National New Play Network (NNPN) rolling world premiere in 2022 and has since gone on to win two Jeff Awards, the NNPN Best New American Play Award and was featured on NPR. Terry went on to direct his play Marie Antionette and the Magical Negros at The Story theater which won three Jeff Awards (including Best Director and Best New Play for Terry). Other works include: Milo Imagines The World, At The Wake of a Dead Drag Queen, OAK, Nighbirds (Goodman New Stages Residency) and A Ghost in Satin (Williamstown Theatre Festival). As an actor, Terry has worked at regional theaters including Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf, Alliance Theatre, About Face Theatre and Actors Express. He is a Governing Ensemble member at The Story Theatre, a Hermitage Fellow and a teaching artist at Jackalope, Goodman Theatre, Writers Theatre and Chicago Children’s Theatre.

Mikael Burke (Director, he/him) is a black queer director, deviser and educator based in Chicago. A Princess Grace Award recipient in Theatre (2017) and Joseph Jefferson Award-winning Director (2024), Mikael has also been recognized with a Black Theatre Alliance Award for Directing (2022), and as one of New City Magazine’s “50 Players of Chicago” in 2023 & 2025. Mikael is an Artistic Associate at Remy Bumppo Theatre Company in Chicago, as well as at About Face Theatre, where he also previously served as Associate Artistic Director. He’s is an adjunct faculty member at DePaul University and Roosevelt University, and is a proud member of SDC. He holds an MFA in Directing from The Theatre School at DePaul University, and you can learn more about him at mklburke.com.

Recent directing credits at the Story Theatre include: At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen by Terry Guest (World Premiere); Who’s Afraid of Deepak Chopra by Tyla Abercrumbie (The (W)rights of Summer). Additional credits include: Milo Imagines the World by Christian Magby, Christian Albright and Terry Guest (World Premiere, Chicago Children’s Theatre, Chicago); King James by Rajiv Joseph (Forward Theatre, Madison, WI); Oak by Terry Guest (World Premiere, Urbanite Theatre, Sarasota, FL); Othello by William Shakespeare (Theatreworks Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, CO); Short Shakes! Romeo & Juliet (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Chicago); Notes from the Field by Anna Deveare Smith (TimeLine Theatre, Chicago); The Salvagers by Harrison David Rivers (World Premiere, Yale Repertory Theatre, New Haven, CT); Tambo & Bones by Dave Harris (Refracted Theatre Company, Chicago, winner of 8 Jeff Awards); Blues for an Alabama Sky by Pearl Cleage (Remy Bumppo Theatre Company, Chicago); Clyde’s by Lynn Nottage (Theaterworks Hartford, Hartford, CT, winner of 1 CCC Award); The Magnolia Ballet by Terry Guest (About Face Theatre, Chicago, IL, winner of 2 Jeff Awards).

About The Story Theatre:

Founded in 2018, The Story Theatre will pose questions rather than provide answers. We develop and produce new work that is whimsical, melancholic, mythic in vision, and intimate in scale. We are run by a Governing Artistic Ensemble, who ensures our work is actively dismantling racism and inequity, while cultivating community through activism and catharsis.

Our Emerging Playwright Residency Program fosters the growth of playwright at the beginnings of an exciting career. After an intensive application and interview process, the Governing Ensemble chooses one playwright-in-residence and offers them: a fully-produced run of a completed full-length play; the development of a new script through our unique inquiry-based workshop process; a free public staged reading of this new script; and our trusted advocacy with industry professionals every step of the way.

The Story Theatre is funded in part by The Michael and Mona Heath Fund, The Illinois Arts Council, and The Cecilia, Marcia, and Jay Iole Foundation.

New Adaptation of Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities Via Shattered Globe Theatre at Theater WIT Apr 18–May 31, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Director Mikael Burke makes his Shattered Globe debut with 

Brendan Pelsue’s new adaptation of 

Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities

April 18–May 31, 2025

Here at ChiIL Live Shows we're huge fans of Charles Dickens and we've been following the directing career of uber talented Mikael Burke for years. This cast and crew are incredible and we can't wait to catch this one. I'll be out for opening night, so check back soon for my full review. 

Shattered Globe Theatre’s 34th season finale is the Midwest premiere of a bold new adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities by Brendan Pelsue (top, center)  directed by Mikael Burke (top, right) in his SGT debut, featuring (bottom, from left) Shattered Globe ensemble members Demetra Dee, Daria Harper and Jazzma Pryor, and Diego Vazquez Gomez, Glenn Obrero, Jeff Rodriguez, William Anthony Sebastian Rose II and Penelope Walker.

It’s the best of times, and it’s the worst of times.

Still today.

So what better time to take a new look at Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities? It may be 165 years old, but Shattered Globe’s Midwest premiere of Brendan Pelsue’s bold new adaptation of Dickens’ classic story feels a tad too relevant. As the gap between rich and poor widens and cries for change grow louder, Dickens’ tale of power, privilege and political adaptation reminds us that some things never change.

Or can they? 

“This is not your mama’s Dickens,” declares director Mikael Burke, who is making his Shattered Globe debut staging Pelsue’s new riff on Dickens’ chillingly timely novel. “This is Dickens’ powerful story of life, liberty and the pursuit of love, told as only live theater can. In turns both hilarious and heart-rending, A Tale of Two Cities holds a striking mirror up to our world and makes us take a long look at the best and worst of ourselves. What Brendan has crafted here is something you must experience to believe, and I can’t wait to share this incredible and thrilling play with Chicago.”

A Tale of Two Cities runs April 18-May 31 at Theater Wit. The first preview, Friday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m., is Pay-What-You-Can. Previews continue Saturday, April 19 at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, April 20 at 3 p.m, and Wednesday, April 23 at 7:30 p.m. Previews are $10-$25. Press opening is Thursday, April 24 at 7:30 p.m. Performances run through May 31: Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m. No show Friday, April 25. There’s an added 3 p.m. matinee on closing day, Saturday, May 31. Performances are $15-$52.

Theater Wit is located at 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. Purchase tickets online at SGTheatre.org, call the Theater Wit box office, (773) 975-8150, or purchase in person at Theater Wit. For group discounts, email groupsales@shatteredglobe.org or call (773) 770-0333. Visit SGTheatre.org for more information, including content warnings and exclusive news. Follow the company on social media @shatteredglobe on Facebook and Instagram. 

A Tale of Two Cities features the best of casts: Shattered Globe ensemble members Demetra Dee, Daria Harper and Jazzma Pryor, along with Diego Vazquez Gomez, Glenn Obrero, Jeff Rodriguez, William Anthony Sebastian Rose II and Penelope Walker.

There is also prodigious strength in the production team: Mikael Burke (director), Brendan Pelsue (adaptor), Milo Bue and Eleanor Kahn (co-set designers), Kotryna Hilko (costume designer), Eric Watkins (lighting designer), Christopher Kriz (original music and sound designer), Ab Rieve (props designer), Maya Vinice Prentiss (intimacy and fight director), Joel Willison (assistant director), Erik Tylkowski (production manager), Jean E. Compton (stage manager) and Emily Nicholas (assistant stage manager).

Access Services:

Audio Description and a Touch Tour for patrons who are blind or have low vision will be offered on Friday, May 23. The Touch Tour begins at 6:15 p.m., show at 7:30 p.m. 

Shattered Globe will offer a captioned performance on Sunday, May 25 at 3 p.m. for patrons with hearing loss. Assisted Listening Devices are available for all performances.

Theater Wit is wheelchair accessible, and all patrons with disability needs are invited to purchase $20 access tickets with the code “ACCESS20” at Theater Wit’s checkout page. Please email boxoffice@theaterwit.org to ensure the theater can reserve the right seat for your access needs. 

Company biographies

Brendan Pelsue (playwright, he/him) is thrilled to be making his Shattered Globe debut. Past Chicago area credits include productions of his play Wellesley Girl at Compass Theatre and North Central College. Other credits include Hagoromo at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, A Tale of Two Cities at The Alliance, Don Juan at Westport Country Playhouse, and Read to Me at Portland Stage. He has been a MacDowell Fellow, a Château de la Napoule artist in residence, and the John C. Grace Memorial Playwright in Residence at Green College, University of British Columbia. Originally from Newburyport, MA, he received his BA from Brown University and his MFA from Yale School of Drama. He teaches at Rutgers University. brendanpelsue.com

Mikael Burke (director, he/him/anything respectful) is a Black, queer director, deviser, and educator based in Chicago. A Princess Grace Award-winner in Theatre (2017) and Jeff Award-winning director (2024), his recent credits include Milo Imagines the World by Christian Magby, Christian Albright and Terry Guest (rolling world premiere: Chicago Children’s Theatre and Children’s Theatre Company, Minneapolis), King James by Rajiv Joseph (Forward Theatre, Madison), Oak by Terry Guest (Urbanite Theatre, World Premiere), Othello by William Shakespeare (Theatreworks Colorado Springs), Short Shakes! Romeo & Juliet (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre), Notes from the Field by Anna Deveare Smith (TimeLine Theatre, Chicago Premiere), The Salvagers by Harrison David Rivers (Yale Repertory Theatre, World Premiere), Tambo & Bones by Dave Harris (Refracted Theatre Company, Chicago Premiere, winner of eight Jeff Awards), Blues for an Alabama Sky by Pearl Cleage (Remy Bumppo Theatre Company), Clyde’s by Lynn Nottage (Theaterworks Hartford), and The Magnolia Ballet by Terry Guest (About Face Theatre, Chicago Premiere, winner of two Jeff Awards). Burke has also been recognized with a Black Theatre Alliance Award for Directing (2022), and as one of Newcity Magazine’s 50 Players of Chicago in 2023 and 2025. Burke is an artistic associate at Remy Bumppo Theatre Company, as well as at About Face Theatre, where he previously served as associate artistic director. He’s also an adjunct faculty member at DePaul University and Roosevelt University, and a member of SDC. Burke earned his MFA in Directing from The Theatre School at DePaul University. mklburke.com

Charles Dickens (author, A Tale of Two Cities, 1812-1870) was born in Landport, Hampshire, during the new industrial age. His father was a clerk in the Navy pay office, who was well paid but often ended in financial troubles. In 1814 Dickens moved to London, and then to Chatham, where he received some education. He worked in a London blacking factory, while his family was in Marsgalea debtor's prison. In 1824 - 27 he studied at Wellington House Academy, London and at Mr. Dawson's school. From 1827 to 1828 he was a law office clerk and then worked as a shorthand reporter at Doctor's Commons. He later wrote for True Son, Mirror of Parliament, Morning Chronicle, Monthly Magazine, The Evening Chronicle and Bentley's Miscellany. By the 1840's Dickens was editor of the London Daily News. His career as a fiction writer started in 1833 when his short stories and essays appeared in periodicals. His novels first appeared in monthly installments and included Oliver Twist, Nicholas Nickelby, and Old Curiosity Shop, David Copperfield, Bleak House, A Tale of Two Cities (1859), Great Expectations, and his unfinished mystery novel The Mystery of Edwin Drood. In the 1840's Dickens spent much time travelling and campaigning against many of the social injustices of his time and he gave talks and readings, wrote pamphlets, plays and letters. In the 1850's Dickens was founding editor of Household World and its successor All the Year Round (1859-70). 

Demetra Dee (Actor 3, she/her) is a Shattered Globe ensemble member, where her credits include Be Here Now and Stew. Other Chicago credits include Little Women (Northlight Theatre), Corduroy (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre), Relentless (TimeLine Theatre), The Penelopiad, The Nacirema Society and Relentless (Goodman Theatre), Chlorine Sky (Steppenwolf), Cullud Wattah (Victory Gardens), The Last Pair of Earlies and Crumbs from the Table of Joy (U/S performed, Raven Theatre), Middle Passage (Lifeline Theatre), Comfort Stew and Migration (ETA Creative Arts Foundation), The Colored Museum (Pegasus Theatre Chicago) and The Greenbook (Chicago Dramatists). TV credits include Power Book IV: Force (Starz) and The Bear (FX). Dee earned her BFA in Theater at East Carolina University.

Daria Harper (Actor 1, she/her), born and raised in Los Angeles, is a Shattered Globe ensemble member. Her SGT credits include Mill Fire, Crime and Punishment, Rose Tattoo, Hannah and Martin and Rasheeda Speaking, for which she received a Jeff Nomination for supporting actor in 2022. Other credits include Spoon River Anthology (Provisions Theatre), The Hat Maker’s Wife (Evolve Theatre), Devil in the Dirt (Red Twist Theatre), Tartuffe (Bo Ho Theatre), The Golden Dragon (Sideshow Theatre), The Cyclist (Genesis Theatrical Productions), Never a Bridesmaid (Polarity Ensemble Theater) and Fuddy Meers (Ka-Tet Theatre). Film credits include El Salvador (director Oliver Stone).  Harper holds a BFA in acting from Carnegie Mellon University, an MFA in Acting from the University of Virginia, and has been a London-trained Alexander Technique Teacher since 1982.

Jazzma Pryor (Actor 6, she/her) is an ensemble member with Shattered Globe Theatre where her credits include Jump, STEW, Hannah and Martin and Crime and Punishment. Other Chicago credits include Until The Flood, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enuf, The Light, Twilight: Los Angeles,1992, Sunset Baby and From The Mississippi Delta (Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre), Doubt: A Parable (Irish Theatre of Chicago), Phillis: The American Revolutionary (Redd Opera), Insurrection: Holding History (Stage Left Theatre), Marisol (Promethean Theatre) and Prelude to a Kiss (The Comrades). Pryor has a M.S. in Leadership for Creative Enterprises from Northwestern University and B.A. in Production Studies in Theatre from Clemson University. 

Diego Vazquez Gomez (Actor 2, he/they) is a proud Mexican and Argentinian theater artist from Miami and recent Chicago transfer making his Shattered Globe debut. Other Chicago credits include The Full Monty (Paramount Theatre), A Year with Frog and Toad and The Beatrix Potter Holiday Tea Party (Chicago Children’s Theater) and A Christmas Carol (Drury Lane Theater). Other credits include Romeo y Julieta Limeño (National Black Theatre Festival) and Heathers and The Motherf*cker with the Hat (UNCSA). TV credits include Chicago Stories (WTTW). Gomez graduated with a BFA in Acting from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in 2023.

Glenn Obrero (Actor 4, he/him) is also making his Shattered Globe debut. He was last seen in Ironbound at Raven Theatre. Other credits include The Great Leap (Steppenwolf Theatre), The Chinese Lady (Timeline Theatre), 20,000 Leagues under the Seas (Lookingglass) and Wipeout (Rivendell). Film credits include When Cats Fly. TV credits include Chicago Fire (NBC) and nExt (FOX). Obrero is an ensemble member of Rivendell Theatre. He graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design with a BFA in Acting.

Jeff Rodriguez (Actor 7, she/her, he/him) previously appeared at Shattered Globe Theatre in last season’s production of Jump. Other Chicago credits include All's Well That Ends Well, As You Like It, Shakespeare in Love, Richard III and The Comedy of Errors (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre), Support Group for Men and Revolutions (Goodman Theatre), 33 to Nothing (A Red Orchid Theatre), The Legend of Georgia McBride (Northlight Theatre), Verboten (The House Theatre of Chicago), Zurich (Steep Theatre), One Came Home (Lifeline Theatre), Romeo and Juliet (Teatro Vista), All My Sons (Eclectic Theatre Co.) and Amadeus (Boho Theatre). Regional credits include As You Like It (Milwaukee Repertory Theatre) and Richard III, Twelfth Night and The Tempest (Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre). TV credits include Mayor of Kingstown (Paramount), Chicago Fire, Chicago Med and Crisis (NBC), and Proven Innocent (FOX). Rodriguez is a graduate of The School at Steppenwolf and Illinois State University.

William Anthony Sebastian Rose II (Actor 8, he/him) is also making his Shattered Globe debut. Chicago credits include Inanimate (Theater Wit), The Love Object (The Story Theater), Tambo & Bones (Refracted Theater Co., Jeff Award Winner Performance in a Principal Role in a play), Fences (American Blues Theater, Jeff Award Best Production of a Play) and The Tragedy of King Christophe (The House Theater Chicago, Black Theater Alliance Award Winner Best Leading Actor in a Play). Regional credits include Oak (Urbanite Theater) and A Christmas Carol (Farmers Alley Theater).

Penelope Walker’s (Actor 5, she/her) many credits include A Christmas Carol, Inherit The Wind, The Story, Crowns and Wit (Goodman Theatre), Purpose and Don DeLillo’s Love Lies Bleeding (Steppenwolf and The Kennedy Center), Mother Of The Maid, Into The Breeches, Curve Of Departure, Eclipsed, Gee’s Bend and Bee-luther-Hatchee (Northlight Theatre), The House That Will Not Stand and No One As Nasty (Victory Gardens), Life Sucks and J. Nicole Brooks’ Black Diamond: The Years the Locusts Have Eaten (Lookingglass), Seven Homeless Mammoths Wander New England (Theater Wit), Love & Information (Remy Bumppo), We’re Gonna Be Okay, The Project(s), Agnes of God, Doubt and The People’s Temple (American Theater Company), Will You Stand Up? (Erasing the Distance), Laura Jacqmin’s 10 Virgins and Lydia R. Diamond’s Voyeurs de Venus (Chicago Dramatists), Omnium Gatherum (Next Theatre), Chris-T (MPAACT), The Clink (Rivendell Theatre) and Shakin’ the Mess Outta Misery (Chicago Theatre Company). Walker created and starred in her own solo pieces, Daddy’s Girl and How I Jack Master Funked the Sugar in My Knee Caps! She has appeared regionally with the Alliance Theatre, Arena Stage, Hartford Stage and the Alley Theatre. Films include Olympia, Dubious Ruffians and Flowers. TV credits include The Bear, Chicago Med, Chicago Justice and Chicago Fire (NBC), South Side (Comedy Central), and Work In Progress and Boss (Showtime). 

About Shattered Globe Theatre

Shattered Globe Theatre seeks to redefine what it means to be an ensemble theatre, discover new connections between story, artist and audience, and explore drama from bold, challenging perspectives. 

Shattered Globe Theatre was born in a storefront space on Halsted Street in 1991. Since then, SGT has produced more than 80 plays, including nine American and world premieres, and garnered an impressive 44 Jeff Awards and 118 Jeff Award nominations, as well as the acclaim of critics and audiences alike. 

Guided by Producing Artistic Director Sandy Shinner, Shattered Globe’s values are rooted in a commitment to racial equity, respect for all artists and support for the ensemble, while creating new opportunities to amplify traditionally marginalized voices and collaborate in all aspects of its work. Through initiatives such as the Protégé Program, Shattered Globe creates a space which allows emerging artists to grow and share in the ensemble experience.

Shattered Globe Theatre’s Ensemble has 29 members: Judy Anderson, Louis Contey, David Dastmalchian, Demetra Dee, Joe Forbrich, Christina Gorman, Daria Harper, Tina M. Jach, Rebecca Jordan, Steve Kleinedler, Vivian Knouse, AmBer Montgomery, Tina Muñoz Pandya, Eileen Niccolai, Jazzma Pryor, Hailey Rakowiecki, Deanna Reed-Foster, Linda Reiter, Nate Santana, Drew Schad, Adam Schulmerich, Leslie Ann Sheppard, Sandy Shinner, Joe Sikora, Shelley Strasser, Devonte E. Washington, Sarah Jo White, Joseph Wiens and Brad Woodard.

SGT’s Artistic Associates now number 20 including Daniela Colucci, Mikey Gray, Lawrence Grimm, Darren Jones, Christopher Kriz, Jason Lynch, Elizabeth Margolius, Kelsey Melvin, Tim Newell, Jane Nix, Aila Peck, Steve Peebles, David Antonio Reed, Jasmine Cheri Rush, Angie Shriner, Abbey Smith, Becca Smith, Michael Trudeau, Ayanna Wimberley and Austin Winter.

Brenda and James Grusecki are the Lead Season Sponsors of Shattered Globe Theatre. SGT is also supported by generous grants from The Bayless Family Foundation, The Shulman-Rochambeau Charitable Foundation, Brenda and James Grusecki, Carol P. Eastin, The Shubert Foundation, a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, The Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation and the Illinois Arts Council.

Visit SGTheatre.org for subscriptions, tickets and information, and follow the company @shatteredglobe on Facebook and Instagram. 

TimeLine Theatre’s Chicago premiere of Anna Deavere Smith's Notes from the Field January 31 - March 24, 2024

ChiIL Mama’s ChiIL Picks List: 

Adult Shows With Family Themes On Our Radar 

TIMELINE THEATRE PRESENTS CHICAGO PREMIERE OF ANNA DEAVERE SMITH’S 

NOTES FROM THE FIELD

JANUARY 31 - MARCH 24, 2024

Mildred Marie Langford, Shariba Rivers, and Adhana Reid give voice to 19 real-life people in director Mikael Burke’s staging of Smith’s searing indictment of America’s school-to-prison pipeline

 (From left) Mildred Marie Langford, Shariba Rivers, and Adhana Reid co-star in

TimeLine Theatre’s Chicago premiere of Anna Deavere Smith’s Notes From the Field.

Credit for all preproduction photos: Joe Mazza/brave lux inc.

Witness the stories of 19 individuals fighting to overcome and transform America’s education and criminal justice systems in TimeLine Theatre’s Chicago premiere of Notes from the Field by Anna Deavere Smith. Performances are January 31 - March 24, 2024 at TimeLine’s longtime home, 615 W. Wellington Ave., in Chicago’s Lakeview East neighborhood. 

I'll be out for the press opening February 7th, so check back soon for my full review. We're excited to see director Mikael Burke, making his TimeLine debut. Here at ChiIL Live Shows and ChiIL Mama, he's been a favorite of ours for years. We caught both of his recent critically acclaimed stagings, Blues for an Alabama Sky for Remy Bumppo and Tambo & Bones for Refracted Theatre Company, and we were wowed. With Mikael Burke at the helm, and three top Chicago actors—TimeLine Company Member Mildred Marie Langford, Adhana Reid and Shariba Rivers on stage, TimeLine Theatre’s Notes from the Field is in great hands. I'm sure this will be eye opening storytelling on a serious problem. 

Notes from the Field is a strikingly intimate evening of theater unlike anything you’ve experienced before, presenting snapshots from a variety of real people, documenting their intersections with the American dream and the obstacles that work to block them from it. Utilizing verbatim dialogue pulled from more than 250 accounts from students, faculty, prisoners, activists, politicians, and victims’ families, Notes from the Field takes audiences on an emotional journey through the faults and injustices of an American criminal justice system that seems more focused on incarceration over education.

Deeply human, profoundly moving, and full of moments of humor, compassion, and resilience, Notes from the Field is a masterful work by one of the most accomplished theater artists of our time that asks audiences to observe, be present, and join the call for urgent and necessary change. The New York Times called it "a searing and urgent work that confronts some of the most pressing issues of our time with honesty, intelligence, and compassion.” 

Originally performed by creator Anna Deavere Smith as a one-woman show, TimeLine’s Chicago premiere features TimeLine Company Member Mildred Marie Langford, Adhana Reid and Shariba Rivers to weave together narratives of change makers, activists, and those caught within and trying to change the school-to-prison pipeline.



(From left) Mildred Marie Langford, Adhana Reid and Shariba Rivers co-star in TimeLine Theatre’s Chicago premiere of Anna Deavere Smith’s Notes From the Field.

In sum, Smith gives voice to 19 real-life instigators of change, from household names to brave Americans who were unexpectedly thrust into the spotlight of history, including Sherrilyn Ifill, president of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund; Rev. Jamal Harrison Bryant, who eulogized Freddie Gray in Baltimore; Niya Kenny, the high school student who confronted a violent police deputy—all caught on film; activist Bree Newsome, who took the Confederate flag down from the South Carolina State House grounds; and many others. She ends the play with the late Congressman John Lewis, who personifies both a violent time in American history with the civil rights movement, and the promise of what American character is all about.

Director Mikael Burke at first rehearsal for TimeLine Theatre’s Chicago premiere of Notes from the Field. Credit: Emma Schoenfelner

TimeLine’s production team includes Eleanor Kahn (Scenic Designer, she/her), Christine Pascual (Costume Designer, she/her), Eric Watkins (Lighting Designer), Ellie Terrell (Properties Designer, she/her), Rasean Davonté Johnson (Projections Designer, he/him), Christie Chiles Twillie (Sound Designer, she/her), DeRon S. Williams (Dramaturg, he/him), Dina Spoerl (Dramaturgical Display Designer, she/her), Sammi Grant (Dialect Coach, she/her), Regina Victor (Associate Director, pharaoh/they/them) and Katie Klemme (Stage Manager, she/her). Understudies are Ashli Rene Funches (any pronoun), Stephanie Mattos (she/her) and Jenese Upton (she/her).

NOTES FROM THE FIELD: “EVERYONE SHOULD WATCH IT, AT LEAST ONCE” 

Originally performed as a one-woman show by creator Anna Deavere Smith, this 2017 Obie Award-winning production was hailed by The Guardian as “captivating political theatre, a devastating document of racial inequality and the most rousing of rallying calls. Everyone should watch it, at least once.” Deeply human, profoundly moving, and full of moments of humor, compassion, and resilience, it’s a masterful work that makes it impossible to look away from the urgent need for change.

Said TimeLine Artistic Director PJ Powers, “Notes from the Field is the latest installment of what Anna Deavere Smith has referred to as her life’s work: a series of plays she calls On the Road: A Search for American Character. It’s a provocation, highlighting on-the-ground difference-makers who, in their own way, are instigators of change, from household names to a few brave Americans who were unexpectedly thrust into the spotlight of history as outspoken voices for change.”



NOTES FROM THE FIELD PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Previews are Wednesday, January 31 through Friday, February 2 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, February 3 at 4 p.m.; Sunday, February 4 at 2 p.m.; and Tuesday, February 6 at 7:30 p.m. Press Night is Wednesday, February 7 at 7:30 p.m. Opening Night is Thursday, February 8 at 7:30 p.m. (sold out). Regular performances continue through March 24: 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 Saturday, February 10; and no performances on Saturday, March 16 and Sunday, March 17. There are three added performances: Tuesday, March 12 at 7:30 p.m. and matinees on Wednesday, March 13 at 2 p.m. and Thursday, March 14 at 2 p.m.

BUYING TICKETS

Single tickets to Notes from the Field are $35-$67. For tickets and information, visit timelinetheatre.com or call the TimeLine Box Office at (773) 281-8463 x6.

Preview tickets are $35. Single tickets to regular performances are $52 (all evening performances) and $67 (all matinee performances). 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.

Ticket buyers ages 18-35 may join TimeLine’s free MyLine program to obtain access to discounted tickets, special events and more. Discounted rates for groups of 10 or more are also available. Visit timelinetheatre.com/discounts for more about available discounts.

LOCATION/TRANSPORTATION/PARKING

Notes from the Field will take place at TimeLine Theatre, 615 W. Wellington Ave., in Chicago’s Lakeview East neighborhood, near the corner of Wellington and Broadway, inside Chabad East Lakeview, the former Wellington Avenue United Church of Christ building. TimeLine is served by multiple CTA trains and buses. There are multiple paid parking options nearby, plus limited free and metered street parking. Visit timelinetheatre.com/timeline-theatre for details and available discounts.

DISCUSSIONS

Post-Show Discussions: A brief, informal post-show discussion hosted by a TimeLine Company Member and featuring the dramaturg and members of the production team on Thursday, February 15; Sunday, February 18; Thursday, March 7; and Wednesday, March 13 (2 p.m. matinee).

Pre-Show Discussions: Starting one hour before the performance, a 25-minute introductory conversation hosted by a TimeLine Company Member and the dramaturg on Thursday, February 22, and Sunday, March 10.

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, February 25.

Sunday Scholars Panel Discussion: A one-hour panel discussion featuring experts on the themes and issues of the play alongside a member of the production team in a moderated discussion, following the performance on Sunday, March 3.

All discussions are free and open to the public. For details, visit timelinetheatre.com. 

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Mask-wearing is no longer required at TimeLine performances. Exception: One scheduled Distanced Performance for each production. Anyone is welcome to attend the Distanced Performance, but due to very limited capacity, we ask that immunocompromised patrons be given the first chance to reserve. 

While masking is no longer required at most performances, TimeLine supports an individual’s choice to mask and will continue to make good quality masks available upon request. Protocols are subject to change based on current public health recommendations; for the most current information, visit timelinetheatre.com/health-and-safety.

UPCOMING PERFORMANCES

Following Notes from the Field, TimeLine’s 2023-24 subscription season finale is another riveting play that links past, present and future, the world premiere of Black Sunday by Dolores Díaz. Developed through TimeLine’s Playwrights Collective and directed by Sandra Marquez, Black Sunday is a startling look at conflicts of climate change, race, and gender in the days leading up to an infamous dust storm in 1930s Texas. Previews start May 8, 2024. Press opening is Wednesday, May 15 at 7:30 p.m. Performances run through June 29.

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. Currently celebrating its 27th season, TimeLine has presented 90 productions, including 13 world premieres and 41 Chicago premieres, and launched the Living History Education Program and TimeLine South summer arts program, which bring the company's mission to life for students in Chicago Public Schools and beyond. 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 60 Jeff Awards, including an award for Outstanding Production 11 times.

The company has long been bursting at the seams of its current leased home located at 615 W. Wellington Avenue in Chicago’s Lakeview East neighborhood, where the theatre has been in residence since 1999. The company is currently working to develop its new home, located at 5035 North Broadway in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood. Plans feature an intimate black box theater seating up to 250 audience members, expanded area for the immersive lobby experiences that are a TimeLine hallmark, new opportunities for education and engagement, room to allow audience members to arrive early and stay late for theatergoing experiences that extend far beyond the stage, and more.

TimeLine is led by Artistic Director PJ Powers, Executive Director Mica Cole, and Board President John Sterling. TimeLine Company members are Tyla Abercrumbie, Will Allan, Nick Bowling, Janet Ulrich Brooks, Behzad Dabu, Charles Andrew Gardner, Lara Goetsch, Juliet Hart, Anish Jethmalani, Mildred Marie Langford, Mechelle Moe, David Parkes, Ron OJ Parson, PJ Powers, and Maren Robinson.

Major corporate, government and foundation donors providing season support via TimeLine’s Annual Fund include: Abe and Ida Cooper Foundation; Crown Family Philanthropies; Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation; Laughing Acres Family Foundation; Lloyd A. Fry Foundation; The MacArthur Fund for Culture, Equity, and the Arts at Prince; Polk Bros. Foundation; The Shubert Foundation; Van Dam Charitable Foundation; and Walder Foundation. TimeLine also acknowledges the support of a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events and a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

BIOGRAPHIES             

Anna Deavere Smith (Playwright) is an actress, teacher, playwright, and the creator of the acclaimed On the Road series of one-woman plays, which are based on her interviews with diverse voices from communities in crisis. A recipient of the National Humanities Medal from President Obama and two Obie Awards, her work has also been nominated for a Pulitzer and two Tonys. Onscreen, she has appeared in many films and television shows, including Philadelphia, The West Wing, Black-ish, and Nurse Jackie. She is University Professor in the department of Art & Public Policy at New York University, where she also directs the Institute on the Arts and Civic Dialogue. In 2019, she was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Mikael Burke (Director) is a Chicago-based director, deviser, and educator, making his TimeLine directing debut. A Princess Grace Award-winner in Theatre and Jeff Award-nominated director, Burke has worked with Goodman, Chicago Shakespeare, Remy Bumppo, Victory Gardens, Northlight, Raven, Jackalope, First Floor, The Story, and Refracted in Chicago, and regionally with Yale Rep, Forward Theatre, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Indiana Rep, Theatreworks Hartford, Urbanite, Theatreworks Colorado Springs, Asolo Rep, Geva, Phoenix Theatre Indianapolis, and Third Avenue Playworks. Burke previously served as Associate Artistic Director at both About Face Theatre and First Floor Theater, and adjuncts at DePaul and Roosevelt universities. Recent directing credits include the world premiere of The Salvagers by Harrison David Rivers (Yale Rep); Blues for an Alabama Sky by Pearl Cleage (Remy Bumppo); the Chicago premiere of Tambo & Bones by Dave Harris (Refracted); Clyde’s by Lynn Nottage (Theatreworks Hartford); and The Magnolia Ballet by Terry Guest (About Face; 2022 Jeff Award – Production, Short Run). He holds an MFA in Directing from The Theatre School at DePaul University. mklburke.com.

Mildred Marie Langford has been a TimeLine Company Member since 2012. She was last seen last season at TimeLine in the world premiere of Boulevard of Bold Dreams, as well as in A Raisin in the Sun (BTAA nomination), My Kind of Town and In Darfur (Black Excellence Award nomination). Other credits include The Bluest Eye (A Noise Within Theatre, Los Angeles), The Great Jheri Curl Debate (East West Players, Los Angeles), Intimate Apparel (Northlight; BTAA, Equity Jeff, and Black Excellence award nominations–Best Actress), Gunshot Medley: Part 1 (CAB/Rogue Machine Theatre, Los Angeles; Ovation award nomination–Lead Actress), Native Son (Antaeus Theatre Company/Kirk Douglas Theatre 2019 Block Party, Los Angeles), Domesticated, Animal Farm, Venus and The Crucible (Steppenwolf), The Royale (American Theater Company, BTAA winner–Best Featured Actress), Luck of the Irish (Next), A Raisin in the Sun (Milwaukee Rep) and Failure: A Love Story (Victory Gardens). TV and film credits include Grey’s Anatomy, Bosch, Delilah, Chicago Med, Masters of Sex, Magic Funhouse, and the indie film projects Cotton Candy Bubble Gum, Morning Steep, The Three Phases of Isa, Upload, Dignity, Your Beautiful Baby, Concrete Rose and Analysis Paralysis.

Adhana Reid is making her Timeline Theatre debut. Her Chicago credits include School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play (Goodman Theatre), Rocky Horror Picture Show (Haven Theatre), The MLK Project (Writers Theatre), Sheepdog (Shattered Globe), A Christmas Carol and The Color Purple (Drury Lane Theatre); Little Shop of Horrors (Mercury Theatre), Eclipsed (Pegasus), Big River (Theatre at the Center) and Spring Awakening (Marriott Theatre). adhanareid.com

Shariba Rivers had her TimeLine debut last season with her critically acclaimed portrayal of Wiletta Mayer in Alice Childress’ Trouble in Mind. Other Chicago credits include The Nacirema Society (Goodman), The October Storm and Hoodoo Love (Raven), Sweat (Paramount), Small Jokes about Monsters (16th Street), The Tasters (Rivendell) and In the Canyon (Jackalope). Regional credits include Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (Arts Center of Coastal Carolina), School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play (TheatreSquared, Fayetteville, AK) and We are Continuous (Geva Theatre, Rochester, NY). Film/TV credits include Smoking Gun!, Chicago Med, Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D. (NBC), The Chi (Showtime) and Empire (Fox). sharibatheactor.com

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

SAVE THE DATES: Refracted Theatre Company's 2023 Season Announced

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 

Refracted Theatre Company Announces 2023 Season:

 

LA Drama Critics Circle "Outstanding New Play" Winner!

TAMBO & BONES

By Dave Harris

Directed by Mikael Burke

 

Workshop Production!

A PLAY ABOUT DAVID MAMET WRITING

A PLAY ABOUT HARVEY WEINSTEIN

By Mathilde Dratwa

Directed by Co-Artistic Director Tova Wolff

 

Plus “Role Call,” Free Monthly Reading Series

 

 

Refracted Theatre Company’s 2023 Season playwrights and directors include 

(left to right) Dave Harris, Mikael Burke, Mathilde Dratwa and Tova Wolff. 

Refracted Theatre Company is pleased to announce its 2023 season, featuring Dave Harris’s dark comedy (and rap concert) Tambo & Bones, directed by Mikael Burke; a workshop production of Mathilde Dratwa’s cerebral dark comedy A Play about David Mamet Writing a Play about Harvey Weinstein, directed by Co-Artistic Director Tova Wolff; and “Role Call,” a free, community-centered, monthly reading and discussion series.

 

Co-Artistic Director Graham Miller comments, “In our fourth season, Refracted is looking to the unabashed, unafraid, unmatched voices of thrilling American playwrights who use comedy and pathos to illuminate what it means to be an individual inside a system, particularly when that system edits and silences the voices it uses to meet its own definition of capitalistic success. By centering the playwright’s experience with respect to the relationship to the institution of theatre, we examine both sides of what it means to be any marginalized identity working within the larger system that is America. What’s working and what isn’t? When is it easy for us to take shots at what’s broken, and when are we actually the ones contributing to making holes in what would serve everyone? The shows are wild as hell. We can guarantee that nowhere else in Chicago will you see anything quite as next-level, ‘oh my god is this happening’-vibes as what we are putting on stage this year. And we are so restless to get into the nuanced throughline of challenging, riveting discourse that this season of projects is bound to inspire with our audiences and collaborators, discourse that we think sharpens and heals us all.” 

 

Refracted Theatre Company’s 2023 Season includes:

 

Role Call

Third Space Chicago, 716 W. Addison, Chicago

Presented the last Tuesday of every month beginning March 28, 2023

 

In partnership with Third Space Chicago, Refracted is proud to launch Role Call, a monthly, free program that casts the community in deeply Refracted plays. Members of the community are welcome to BYOB and enjoy some light snacks as they take part in the reading of known, unknown and classic plays. Following the communal reading of these plays, Refracted will facilitate guided discourse about the work, asking questions of the participants which will allow them to gain a deeper understanding of some of the thematic underpinnings of the play.

 

Third Space Chicago is a community hub in the heart of Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood where people can gather, learn, grow and form meaningful relationships. There is a theory in sociology that everyone needs three places to live a full and fulfilled life: a home, a workplace, and a third space. Third Space aims to become a much needed third space in order to enhance the physical, emotional, and social well-being of its community.

 

Spring/Summer 2023

A Play about David Mamet Writing a Play about Harvey Weinstein – Workshop Production!

By Mathilde Dratwa

Directed by Co-Artistic Director Tova Wolff

Location to be announced (limited performances)

 

Francesca is writing a play about David Mamet. Who actually wrote a play about Harvey Weinstein. And she wants to burn it all down. In this cerebral dark comedy, dauntlessly hilarious playwright Mathilde Dratwa confronts THEATRE, Inc.’s institutionalized misogyny, its predators and her own complicity as a white woman in the world of storytelling. When it comes to processing motherhood, generations of rage and sexism, nothing is too satirical, too violent,or too taboo in the safety of Francesca’s mind.

 

Fall 2023

Tambo & Bones

By Dave Harris

Directed by Mikael Burke

Location to be announced

 

Tambo and Bones find themselves in a tricky situation: they are trapped in a minstrel show. How do you get out of that? Might have to attack the playwright who put you there. Might need to become a famous rap legend. Might need to start something. Def need to let them know you’re a real person. You’re a real person. You’re a real person? From the fearlessly defiant, fresh American voice of playwright Dave Harris, Tambo & Bones is a dark comedy (and a rap concert) that pulls back the curtain on every theater experience the audience has had before.

 

For upcoming announcements and ticket information, visit refractedco.com or follow @refractedco. 

 

About the Artists:

 

Mathilde Dratwa’s (Playwright, A Play about David Mamet Writing a Play about Harvey Weinstein) plays include Milk and Gall(Theatre503, London, 2021), A Play about David Mamet Writing a Play about Harvey Weinstein and Dirty Laundry, an Audible commission (released this March). Her work has been developed and presented by the Ground Floor at Berkeley Rep, Rattlestick, LAByrinth Theater Company, the Great Plains Theater Conference, the Playwrights' Center, and in London at the Young Vic. Mathilde is a 2021-2024 Core Writer at the Playwrights’ Center, a member of Dorset Theater Festival’s Women Artists Writing Group and a two-time Pulitzer center grant recipient. Recently, she was a member of the Orchard Project's Greenhouse, a Dramatist Guild Foundation Playwriting Fellow and a member of New York Foundation for the Arts' Immigrant Artist Program. On the film and TV side, Mathilde has written for Picture Start, Endeavor, LuckyChap, Dirty Films, FX, Red Wagon, Sony/TriStar, Chernin Entertainment and wiip.

 

Tova Wolff (Director, A Play about David Mamet Writing a Play about Harvey Weinstein) is a director and producer based in Chicago. Her recent directing credits include I Couldn’t Tell You Why (Refracted Theatre Company), Clearing House (The Swell), Contrition: A Long Voicemail (The Swell), The King’s Speech (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre & National Tour, Associate Director), Monica: This Play Is Not About Monica Lewinsky (59E59 Theaters & Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2019), Security (Secret Theatre), A Bad Night (The Frontier), Fade (Victory Gardens, Associate Director), For the Loyal (Interrobang Theatre Project, Associate Director), Still Rising (The Tank), Pam’s Key (Gallery Players) and Bachelorette (Walkerspace at Soho Rep.). In 2016 ,Tova won Best Director for her production of Between Men at the Midtown International Theatre Festival. She was a 2017/2018 Directing Fellow at Victory Gardens Theater and a 2017 participant in the Director’s Lab Chicago. She is a co-founder and Artistic Director of Refracted Theatre Company. Tova received her BA from Northwestern University. www.tovawolff.com.

 

Dave Harris (Playwright, Tambo & Bones) is a poet and playwright from West Philly. Selected plays include Tambo & Bones (LA Drama Critics Award "Best New Play", Playwrights Horizons, Center Theatre Group, 2022), Exception to the Rule (Roundabout Theatre Company, 2022) and Everybody Black (Humana Festival 2019). His first feature film, Summertime, premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and was released in 2021. Selected honors include: the 2019 Ollie Award, The Lorraine Hansberry Award and Mark Twain Award from The Kennedy Center, The International Commendation for The Bruntwood Prize, the Venturous Fellowship from The Lark and a Cave Canem poetry fellowship amongst others. Dave is currently writing the feature adaptation of The Fortress of Solitude amongst several other feature and television projects for AMC (Interview with the Vampire), ABC Signature, Goddard Textiles and Amazon. His first full-length collection of poetry, “Patricide,” was published by Button Poetry. Upcoming: Incendiary (Woolly Mammoth, 2023), Tambo & Bones (Royal Stratford East, London Premiere, 2023).

 

Mikael Burke (Director, Tambo & Bones) is a Chicago-based director, deviser and educator. A Princess Grace Award-winner in Theatre and Jeff Award-nominated director, Mikael’s worked with Goodman Theatre, About Face Theatre, Victory Gardens Theater, Northlight Theatre, Raven Theatre, Jackalope Theatre Company, First Floor Theater, American Theater Company, Chicago Dramatists, The Story Theatre and Windy City Playhouse in Chicago, and regionally with Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Geva Theatre Center and Phoenix Theatre Indianapolis. Recent credits include Two Mile Hollow by Leah Nanako Winkler; the American premiere of Routes by Rachel De-Lahay, The Wanderers by Anna Ziegler, Shakespeare’s Richard III, The Magnolia Ballet by Terry Guest (2022 Jeff Award Winner – Production, Short Run); Fireflies by Donna R. Love (Black Theatre Alliance Award – Best Direction of an Ensemble). mklburke.com

 

About Refracted Theatre Company

 

Refracted’s mission is to disrupt socially accepted narratives by telling the “other side of the story.” By upending audience expectations through innovation and adaptation, Refracted inspires meaningful discourse centered on empathy and humanity.

 

Refracted is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that was founded in 2019 in New York City by Graham Miller and Tova Wolff. As a four-year old company, Refracted is proud to have been one of the only theaters in the country that produced two full seasons of live theatre during the pandemic, harnessing its powers of creativity and innovation. Now in its fourth season in its new home of Chicago, Refracted invites you to get involved as it redefines what theatre can be in order to build a world fueled by curiosity and compassion. Please visit www.refractedco.com for more information and follow Refracted on social media @refractedco.

 

OPENING: ROUTES Via Remy Bumppo Theatre Company October 12 - November 20, 2022 at Theater Wit

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 

Remy Bumppo Theatre Company

Announces Casting and Production Team for 

ROUTES

by Rachel De-lahay

Directed by Mikael Burke

October 12 - November 20, 2022 at Theater Wit

 

Remy Bumppo Theatre Company is pleased to announce the casting and design team for the final show in its 2022 Season, ROUTES by Rachel De-lahay and directed by Mikael Burke. The show will run from October 12 through November 20, 2022 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Avenue in Chicago.

Olufemi hopes to return home to his family. Bashir wants to remain in the only home he knows. Kola yearns to find home in a place that’s never felt like one. Rachel De-lahay’s shattering, urgent new play looks through the eyes of immigrants, refugees, and children in conflict with the law as they fight to get home through an impossibly complex system designed to keep them out.

 

ROUTES will feature Terry Bell (Remy Bumppo Core Ensemble Member) Yao Dogbe, Kristin E. Ellis, Evelyn Lockley, Kevin Tre’von Patterson and TJ Thomas. Designs for this production will feature work by Bindu Poroori (Dramaturg), Mara Zinky (Scenic Design), Gregory A. Graham (Costume Design), Eric Watkins (Lighting Design), Peter Clare (Sound Design), Amanda Herrmann (Properties Design) and Sana Selemon (Dialect Coach).

 

Remy Bumppo Theatre Company’s production of ROUTES will run from October 12 through November 20, 2022 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Avenue in Chicago. Subscriptions and single tickets are on sale at www.RemyBumppo.org or by calling the Theater Wit Box Office at 773.975.8150.

 

Remy Bumppo Theatre Company’s 2022-2023 Presenting Sponsor is Geoffrey A. Anderson. Remy Bumppo Theatre Company’s 2022-2023 Season Sponsors are Brenda and James Grusecki, Lynne and George Simon, and Charlotte Toerber.

Remy Bumppo’s programs and operations are also partially funded by the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the Illinois Arts Council, the MacArthur Foundation for Arts and Culture at Prince Charitable Trusts, and the Shubert Foundation.

Cast (in alphabetical order): Terry Bell (Bashir) Yao Dogbe (Olufemi), Kristin E. Ellis (Lisa), Evelyn Lockley (Anka), Kevin Tre’von Patterson (Abiola) and TJ Thomas (Kola). 

Understudy Cast (in alphabetical order): Maya Jahan Abram (U/S Lisa), Kevin Aoussou (U/S Abiola), Tamarus Harvell (U/S Bashir), Benjamin Jenkins (U/S Olufemi), Lucas Looch Johnson (U/S Kola), Amanda Winston (U/S Anka)

 

Artistic Director: Marti Lyons

Stage Manager: Lucy Whipp

Assistant Director: Alex Dauphin

Assistant Stage Manager: Cecilia Koloski

Production Manager: Ellen Willett

Technical Director: Harrison Ornelas

Dramaturg: Himabindu Poroori

Scenic Designer: Mara Zinky

Costume Designer: Gregory Graham

Assistant Costume Designer: Aija Moreno

Lighting Designer: Eric Watkins

Assistant Lighting Designer: Liz Gomez

Sound Designer: Peter Clare

Properties Designer: Amanda Herrmann

Dialect Coach: Sana Selemon

Scenic Charge Artist: Trent Jones

Sound Engineer: Andrew Littleton

Head Electrician: Devin Sullivan

Wardrobe Supervisor: Gabi Sitze-Martin

Casting Director: Katie Galetti

Casting Associate: Jasmine B. Gunter

Creative Producer, Company Management, Covid Compliance Officer: Christina Casano

 

Location: Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago, IL 60657

Dates: Previews: Wednesday, October 12 - October 15, 2022 at 7:30pm; Sunday, October 16, 2022 at 2:30pm

Press Performance: Thursday, October 20, 2022

Regular Run: Friday, October 21 - Sunday, November 20, 2022

Curtain Times: Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30pm, Sundays at 2:30pm

Matinee Performances (other than Sundays): Saturday, October 29 at 2:30pm; Saturday, November 5 at 2:30pm; Saturday, November 12 at 2:30pm; Thursday, November 17 at 2:30pm

 

Audio Description/Touch Tour Performance: Saturday, October 29, 2022; Touch Tour starts at 1:00pm, and the performance starts at 2:30pm

Open Caption Performance: Saturday, November 5, 2022 at 2:30pm

Tickets: Previews: $30.00

Regular Run: $32.00 - $40.00

Industry Tickets: $15.00, available for all performances

Student Tickets: $10.00, available for all performances

Group Discounts: Available for parties of 10 or more, call 773.975.8150

Top Row (L to R) - Terry Bell, Kristin E. Ellis, Yao Dogbe

Bottom Row (L to R) - Evelyn Lockley, Kevin Tre’von Patterson and TJ Thomas.

ABOUT REMY BUMPPO THEATRE COMPANY:

 

Remy Bumppo Theatre Company expands and enriches their community’s view of the world, and their own, by producing both the great plays of the past and the important plays of today. As an ensemble-driven theater company, Remy Bumppo authors a more humane culture that listens to, and seeks to understand, the voices, the ideas 

and the stories of one another. Since its inception in 1996, Remy Bumppo has produced a blend of modern classics and complex contemporary works, presented in an intimate setting with clarity, wit and passion. We invite audiences to engage directly with the art through conversation with the artists.