Shattered Globe Theatre Presents the World Premiere of RADIAL GRADIENT January 27 – March 11, 2023 at Theater Wit

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Shattered Globe Theatre Presents the World Premiere of

RADIAL GRADIENT

By Jasmine Sharma

Directed by Grace Dolezal-Ng

January 27 – March 11, 2023 at Theater Wit

Pictured (left to right) Simran Deokule, Kianna Rose and Isabelle Muthiah in a publicity image for Shattered Globe Theatre’s world premiere of Radial Gradient. Photo by Jenn Udoni/Franco Images.

 

Shattered Globe Theatre is pleased to continue its 2022-23 season with the world premiere of Jasmine Sharma’s introspective and empowering play Radial Gradient, directed by Grace Dolezal-Ng. Developed through SGT’s Global Playwrights Series, Radial Gradient will play January 27 – March 11, 2023 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. Tickets are now on sale at sgtheatre.org/gradient by calling (773) 975-8150 or in person at the Theater Wit Box Office. Tickets are currently available through SGT’s two-show membership ($70) at sgtheatre.org/membership. I'll be out for the press opening, January 30th, so check back soon for my full review.

Three women enter a research study hoping to create positive change after a hate crime takes place at a liberal university in America. Timelines in 2017 and 2020 intertwine as participants unravel their complicated shared friendships and histories. Jasmine Sharma's new play challenges what complicity looks like – what do we do if it looks like us?

Comments SGT Producing Artistic Director Sandy Shinner, “Shattered Globe Theatre is very proud to present one of the winning plays selected from our inaugural Global Playwrights Series. The goal of the festival was to lift up the voices of new, diverse playwrights by developing their work with a commitment to produce, and to form long- term connections with these writers. SGT welcomes playwright Jasmine Sharma and director Grace Dolezal-Ng to begin this journey with us.”

The production team includes Sydney Lynne Thomas (Scenic Design), Hailey Rakowiecki* (Costume Design), Jason Lynch+ (Lighting Design), Christopher Kriz+ (Original Music and Sound Design), Parker Molacek (Projection Design), Rachel Watson (Properties Design), Yama Pouye, (Assistant Director), Judy Anderson* (Executive Production Manager), Richie Vavrina (Production Manager), Evan Sposato (Technical Director), JC Widman (Stage Manager) and Beckett Fowler (Assistant Stage Manager and Covid Compliance Officer) 

 *Denotes SGT Ensemble Member  +Denotes SGT Artistic Associate

COVID safety: Shattered Globe Theatre currently requires all patrons to wear masks during the performance, except when actively drinking beverages. Visit sgtheatre.org for the most up-to-date policy.

 

Chicago Theatre Week

Radial Gradient will be featured as part of Chicago Theatre Week, an annual celebration of the rich tradition of theatre-going in Chicago during which visitors and residents can access $15 or $30 value-priced tickets. As a program of the League of Chicago Theatres, in partnership with Choose Chicago, Chicago Theatre Week takes place February 16 – 26, 2023. Find more information at ChicagoTheatreWeek.com. Shattered Globe will offer a limited number of $15 tickets on Thursday and Friday and $30 tickets on Saturday and Sunday.

 

PRODUCTION DETAILS:

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

Dates: Previews: Friday, January 27 at 8 pm, Saturday, January 28 at 8 pm and Sunday, January 29 at 3 pm.

Press Performance: Monday, January 30, 2023 at 7:30 pm

Regular Run: Thursday, February 2 – Saturday, March 11, 2023

Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 8 pm; Sundays at 3 pm. Please note: there will be an added performance on Saturday, March 11 at 3 pm.

Touch Tour/Audio Description Performance: Friday, March 3 – 6:45 pm touch tour, 8 pm performance with audio description. $20 tickets available with code “ACCESS20.”

Global Perspectives: SGT will present a series of post-show discussions and events following select Sunday matinees.

Tickets: Previews: Friday: pay-what-you-can; Saturday & Sunday: $25 general admission, $10 students. Regular Run: $45 general admission. $15 students. $35 seniors. $25 under 30 years old. $15 industry tickets on Thursdays and Fridays with code “INDUSTRY.” Tickets are now on sale at sgtheatre.org/gradient, by calling (773) 975-8150 or in person at the Theater Wit Box Office. Tickets are currently available through SGT’s two-show membership ($70) and flexible membership ($115) at http://sgtheatre.org/membership. Group discounts are available by contacting groupsales@shatteredglobe.org or by calling (773) 770-0333.

Shattered Globe understands that ticket prices can pose a financial burden and, at times, an obstacle for theatregoers. A number of waived tickets are available on a first-come, first-serve basis for students and community members experiencing access barriers to theatre. If you would like to be added to SGT’s Waived Ticket Waitlist, please email lswanson@shatteredglobe.org. Please note: all requests must be completed by 12 pm the Friday before the performance you would like to attend. The e-mail will not be monitored at all on weekends or after 5 pm on weekdays.

 

About the Artists:

Jasmine Sharma (Playwright, she/her) is a South Asian-American actor/writer/activist based in Los Angeles. She aims to focus her work at the intersection of race, femininity and Americanness. Bonus points if it’s community driven. And if we’re paying everybody. Plays include Radial Gradient (upcoming World Premiere at Shattered Globe Theatre, Eugene O’Neill NPC Semi-Finalist, Kennedy Center ACTF, Lime Arts Productions, Samuel-Lancaster Productions, Avalanche Theatre Company at The Den Theatre, Mad Cow Theatre, NextStage Theatre Company, Permafrost Theatre Collective), For Your Consideration (Moxie Arts NYC), Cancelled/Cancel Me (The Road Theatre, Ashland New Plays Festival), VIRGINS: A Madonna Bootcamp (Jackalope Theatre Company), Kids Club/Club Kids (SERIALS by The Fled Collective), Gut Punch (AlterTheater Ensemble First Acts commission), Leaving Wonderland (Access Theater NYC, American Blues Theater Finalist, The Athena Project Semi-Finalist, Aston Rep) and Hot Dogs and Feminism (Mayo Performing Arts Center, The Valdez Last Frontier Theatre Conference), among others. Recent acting credits include Wives (Aurora Theatre Company) and The Wolves (McCarter Theatre Center). Jasmine has also contributed to @iWeigh and worked with the @24HourPlays, both as an actor and a writer. Sometimes, she Script PAs Broadway musicals. Jasmine is a 2022-23 Reel Sisters Fellow and a member of The IAMA Emerging Playwrights Lab 2022-2023. Bachelor of Science in Communications: Northwestern University (2021). jasminesharma.org | @jasminesharmaa

Grace Dolezal-Ng (Director, she/her) is a Chicago based director/actor who is passionate about building empathy and generating empowerment through visceral storytelling in live theatre. She is honored to be making her Shattered Globe debut! Chicago credits include It Came From Outer Space (Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Assistant Director); Athena (Writers Theatre, Assistant Director); Roe (Goodman Theatre, Assistant Director). Other credits: The Great Leap (Asolo Repertory Theatre, Assistant Director), Despierta! (Lime Arts Productions, Director) and Death For Sydney Black (Independent Production, Director). Grace graduated from Northwestern University, majoring in Theatre, in June of 2020. She is a proud recipient of the Herb Alpert Emerging Young Artist Award. www.gracedn.com

 

About Shattered Globe Theatre

Shattered Globe Theatre (Sandy Shinner, Producing Artistic Director) 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 42 Jeff Awards and 114 Jeff Award nominations, as well as the acclaim of critics and audiences alike.

Shattered Globe Theatre seeks to discover new connections between story, artist and audience by exploring drama from bold, challenging perspectives, and continuously redefining what it means to be an ensemble theater.

SGT’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 our 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 is partially supported and funded by generous grants from The Shulman-Rochambeau Charitable Foundation, The James P. and Brenda S. Grusecki Family Foundation, Bayless Family Foundation, The Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, The MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, the Illinois Arts Council, The Shubert Foundation, the Chicago Community Foundation, and The Saints.

For more information on Shattered Globe Theatre, please visit www.sgtheatre.org.

Shattered Globe Theatre Presents the Chicago Premiere of STEW September 9 – October 22, 2022 at Theater Wit

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

STEW

Written by Zora Howard

Directed by Malkia Stampley

September 9 – October 22, 2022 at Theater Wit

Shattered Globe Theatre is pleased to launch its 2022-23 season with the Chicago premiere of STEW, Zora Howard’s Pulitzer Prize Finalist for Drama, directed by Malkia Stampley, playing September 9 – October 22, 2022 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. Tickets are currently available on at sgtheatre.org, by calling (773) 975-8150 or in person at the Theater Wit Box Office. 

 

STEW features Ensemble Members Demetra Dee* and Jazzma Pryor* with Velma Austin and Jasmine Cheri Rush.

 

The Tucker women are up early to prepare an important meal, or at least that’s what Mama says. As the day wears on, tensions simmer inside and around Mama’s kitchen. Zora Howard’s award-winning play, STEW, is a hilarious and haunting drama that explores the unbreakable bond between kinswomen and reveals the power that loss holds over our lives when we refuse to share it with others.

 

SGT Producing Artistic Director Sandy Shinner comments, “SGT is delighted to introduce award- winning playwright and screenwriter Zora Howard to Chicago audiences with our production of STEW, finalist for the 2021 Pulitzer Prize in Drama. Our entire cast and production team is excited that Ms. Howard continues to be in conversation with us about the play, and will join us in Chicago for several rehearsals. I am equally thrilled to welcome nationally recognized actor, director and producer Malkia Stampley as director of STEW, her first mainstage production in Chicago. The entire artistic team is inspired by her passion for this important play.”

 

The production team includes Sotirios Livaditis (Scenic Designer), Austin Winter (Costume Designer), Levi Wilkins (Lighting Designer),Persephone Lawrence-Wescott (Props Designer), Zack Berinstein (Composer), Danielle Davis (Assistant Director), JJ Porterfield (Sound Technician), Judy Anderson (Executive Production Manager) Dusty Brown (Production Manager), Johnnie Schleyer (Technical Director), Tina M. Jach* (Stage Manager) and Ayanna Wimberly⁺ (Assistant Stage Manager).

COVID-19 safety: All patrons at Theater Wit will be required to show proof of full vaccination before they even enter the lobby. Please note that masks are mandatory for all patrons for the entire duration of the performance, except when actively drinking beverages. Visit sgtheatre.org for more information. 

 

*Denotes SGT Ensemble Member  ⁺Denotes SGT Artistic Associate

 

Cast (in alphabetical order): Velma Austin (Mama), Demetra Dee* (Lil' Mama), Jazzma Pryor* (Lillian) and Jasmine Cheri Rush (Nelly).

 

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

Dates: Previews: Friday, September 9 at 8 pm, Saturday, September 10 at 8 pm, Sunday, September 11 at 3 pm and Wednesday, September 14 at 8 pm

Press Performance: Thursday, September 15 at 7:30 pm

Regular Run: Saturday, September 17 – Saturday, October 22, 2022

Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 8 pm; Sundays at 3 pm. Please note: there will be not be a performance on Friday, September 16.

Touch Tour/Audio Description Performance: Friday, October 7 – 6:45 pm touch tour, 8 pm performance with audio description. $20 tickets available with code “ACCESS20.”

Global Perspectives: SGT will present a series of post-show discussions and events following select Sunday matinees: September 18 (conversation led by Protégé Alumni Aja Singletary), September 25 (spoken word and dance performance from Global Girls, plus pop-up fromThe Understudy bookstore) and October 2 (conversation led by Ensemble Member Devonte Washington, plus pop-up from The Understudybookstore).

 

Tickets: Previews: Friday: pay-what-you-can; Saturday & Sunday: $25 general admission, $10 students. Regular Run: $45 general admission. $15 students. $35 seniors. $25 under 30 years old. $15 industry tickets on Thursdays and Fridays with code “INDUSTRY.” Tickets are currently available at sgtheatre.org, by calling (773) 975-8150 or in person at the Theater Wit Box Office. Group discounts are available by contacting groupsales@shatteredglobe.org or by calling (773) 770-0333.

 

Shattered Globe understands that ticket prices can pose a financial burden and, at times, an obstacle for theatregoers. A number of waived tickets are available on a first-come, first-serve basis for students and community members experiencing access barriers to theatre. If you would like to be added to SGT’s Waived Ticket Waitlist, please email lswanson@shatteredglobe.org. Please note: all requests must be completed by 12 pm the Friday before the performance you would like to attend. The e-mail will not be monitored at all on weekends or after 5 pm on weekdays.

 

About the Artists:

 

Zora Howard (Playwright) is a Harlem-bred writer and performer. Plays include STEW (2021 Pulitzer Prize Finalist; P73), The Master’s Tools (WTF), Bust (2022 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize Finalist), Hang Time (2022 Creative Capital Award Finalist) and Good Faith. Her work has been developed with SPACE at Ryder Farm, Ojai Playwrights Conference, the Lark, Primary Stages and Cape Cod Theatre Project, among others. In 2020, her film Premature (2020 Film Independent John Cassavetes Award nominee), which she co-wrote with director Rashaad Ernesto Green, opened in theaters following its world premiere at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. Zora is the inaugural Judith Champion Fellow at MTC, a 2022 Lilly Award recipient and is currently under commission from Seattle Rep, MTC, and Wessex Grove.

 

Malkia Stampley (Director) hails from Milwaukee where she attended Marquette University for Theater Arts with internships at Milwaukee Repertory Theater and Skylight Music Theater. She joined Goodman Theatre as Producer in 2021 after serving as founding Artistic Producer for Milwaukee Black Theater Festival. Select producing credits: Goodnight Oscar, Gem of the Ocean, Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci, Life After, STEW and Pretty Fire. She is an alum of Theatre Producers of Color and Broadway for Racial Justice’s Casting Directive Fellowship. Malkia is a founder of Bronzeville Arts Ensemble and served as Producing Artistic Director for three seasons. Select directing credits: Shakesfest (Chicago Shakespeare), Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill (Farmer's Alley), The Gift of the Magi (American Players), Black Nativity (Black Arts MKE, three years), STEW (Milwaukee Chamber), Nunsense (Milwaukee Rep), Five Guys Named Moe (Skylight Music) and readings for Congo Square, #ENOUGH and Texas State Black and Latino Playwright Celebration. 

 

About Shattered Globe Theatre

 

Shattered Globe Theatre (Sandy Shinner, Producing Artistic Director) 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 42 Jeff Awards and 107 Jeff Award nominations, as well as the acclaim of critics and audiences alike. 

 

Shattered Globe Theatre seeks to discover new connections between story, artist and audience by exploring drama from bold, challenging perspectives, and continuously redefining what it means to be an ensemble theater.

 

SGT’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 our 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 is partially supported and funded by generous grants from The Shulman-Rochambeau Charitable Foundation, The James P. and Brenda S. Grusecki Family Foundation, Bayless Family Foundation, The Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, The MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, the Illinois Arts Council, The Shubert Foundation, the Chicago Community Foundation, and The Saints.

 

For more information on Shattered Globe Theatre, please visit  sgtheatre.org.

 

OPENING: RASHEEDA SPEAKING Via Shattered Globe Theatre April 22 – June 4, 2022 at Theater Wit

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 

Shattered Globe Theatre Presents

RASHEEDA SPEAKING

By Joel Drake Johnson

Directed by Associate Artistic Director AmBer D. Montgomery

April 22 – June 4, 2022 at Theater Wit

 

PHOTO CREDIT: The cast of Shattered Globe Theatre’s revival of Rasheeda Speaking includes (top, l to r) Daria Harper and Deanna Reed-Foster (bottom, l to r), Barbara Roeder Harris and Drew Schad.

Shattered Globe Theatre is pleased to present a revival of Chicago writer Joel Drake Johnson’s Rasheeda Speaking, directed by SGT Associate Artistic Director AmBer D. Montgomery. This comedy-turned-social thriller about workplace racism will play April 22 – June 4, 2022 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. Tickets are currently available at www.sgtheatre.org, by calling (773) 975-8150 or in person at the Theater Wit Box Office. I'll be out for the press opening April 25th so check back then for my full review. 

Rasheeda Speaking will feature Ensemble Members Daria Harper*, Deanna Reed-Foster* and Drew Schad* with Barbara Roeder Harris.

Whether it’s the doctor’s inability to remember her name, or the toxic fumes radiating from the Xerox machine and lab next door, Dr. Williams’ office is not made for Jaclyn. As the only Black woman in the office, Jaclyn is determined to keep her job. But when Dr. Williams promotes her White co-worker, Ileen, and asks her to spy on their only Black co-worker, Jaclyn has her work cut out for her. Fueled by a fear of difference and looming racial uprising, how far will Jaclyn, Ileen and Dr. Williams go? 

Comments SGT Producing Artistic Producer Sandy Shinner, “Shattered Globe is celebrating playwright Joel Drake Johnson with this revival of his workplace thriller Rasheeda Speaking. In the fall of 2019, shortly before Joel’s death in early 2020, I told him we would commit to producing this revival with Deanna Reed-Foster as Jaclyn, and he was thrilled. In the world premiere production at Rivendell Theater in 2013, Deanna was cast as the understudy and Joel could always hear her voice as Jaclyn. Now, almost 10 years later, the play will resonate differently, and I am thrilled that SGT’s Associate Artistic Director AmBer Montgomery is directing this new production with a powerhouse design team. Rasheeda Speaking is sure to entertain and challenge our audiences.”

The production team includes Scott Penner (scenic design), Rea Brown (costume design), Jackie Fox (lighting design), Christopher Kriz+ (sound designer), Persephone Lawrence-Wescott (props design), Judy Anderson* (executive production manager), Richie Vavrina (production manager), Alan Weusthoff (technical director), Tina M. Jach (production stage manager) and Becca Smith (assistant stage manager).

COVID-19 protocol: Shattered Globe currently requires proof of vaccination and masks for all patrons. Please visit sgtheatre.org/rasheedaspeaking for updates.

 

PRODUCTION DETAILS:

Cast (in alphabetical order): Daria Harper* (Ileen Van Meter), Deanna Reed-Foster* (Jaclyn Spaulding), Barbara Roeder Harris (Rose Saunders) and Drew Schad* (Dr. David Williams).

*Denotes SGT Ensemble Member  +Denotes SGT Artistic Associate

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

Dates: Previews: Friday, April 22 at 8 pm, Saturday, April 23 at 8 pm and Sunday, April 24 at 3 pm

Press Performance: Monday, April 25 at 7:30 pm

Regular Run: Friday, April 29 – Saturday, June 4, 2022

Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 8 pm; Sundays at 3 pm. Please note: there will be added performances on Monday, May 16 at 8 pm (industry night) and Saturday, June 4 at 2:30 pm; there will not be a performance on Thursday, May 19 at 8 pm.

Touch Tour/Audio Description Performance: Friday, May 6 – 6:45 pm touch tour, 8 pm performance with audio description. $20 tickets available with code “ACCESS20.”

Industry Night: Monday, May 16 at 8 pm.

Tickets: Previews: Friday: pay-what-you-can; Saturday & Sunday: $25 general admission, $10 students. Regular Run: $45 general admission. $15 students. $35 seniors. $25 under 30 years old. $15 industry tickets on Thursdays and Fridays with code “INDUSTRY.” Tickets are currently available at www.sgtheatre.org, by calling (773) 975-8150 or in person at the Theater Wit Box Office. Group discounts are available by contacting groupsales@shatteredglobe.org or by calling (773) 770-0333.

Shattered Globe understands that ticket prices can pose a financial burden and, at times, an obstacle for theatregoers. A number of waived tickets are available on a first-come, first-serve basis for students and community members experiencing access barriers to theatre. If you would like to be added to SGT’s Waived Ticket Waitlist, please e-mail lswanson@shatteredglobe.org. Please note: all requests must be completed by 12 pm the Friday before the performance you would like to attend. The e-mail will not be monitored at all on weekends or after 5 pm on weekdays.

 

About the Artists:

Joel Drake Johnson (Playwright) is an award winning, internationally-produced playwright and teacher best known for his work at Chicago’s Victory Garden's Theater, where he was a member of the company’s Playwrights Ensemble for many years. His plays include Rasheeda Speaking, Four Places, A Blue Moon, As The Beaver, The End of the Tour, The Fall To Earth, A Blameless Life and Tranquillity Woods. His work has also been produced in Chicago at Steppenwolf Theatre and globally in New York City, Los Angeles, London, and many other cities.

AmBer D. Montgomery (Director, she/her) is an emerging director, educator and multi-disciplinary artist from Detroit, Michigan. She has created a career centered around amplifying the voices of Chicago youth and creating work that stands on the legacy of black theater makers before her. Originally trained as an actor, her transition to directing in Chicago has included her associate and assistant directing credits for many major productions including School Girls or the African Mean Girls Play (Goodman Theatre), Sheepdog (Shattered Globe Theatre), LINDIWE (Steppenwolf Theatre), Too Heavy for Your Pocket (TimeLine Theatre), Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Writers Theatre), Measure for Measure (American Players Theater) and First Love is the Revolution (Steep Theatre). Her other director’s credits include: Snow Queen (The House Theater), Countess Dracula (Otherworld Theater) and hippolytos (Story Theater New Play Festival). She was awarded a 2020 FAIR Assistantship at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, 2018 Fellowship at Steppenwolf Theatre in their Department of Education/SYA and an internship at Penumbra Theater’s Summer Institute: Pedagogies for Social Change. She has attended training programs at the Globe Theater in London and LISPA (Now Arthaus Berlin). Amber holds a BFA in Acting from the University of Minnesota Guthrie

 

About Shattered Globe Theatre 

Shattered Globe Theatre (Sandy Shinner, Producing Artistic Director) 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 42 Jeff Awards and 107 Jeff Award nominations, as well as the acclaim of critics and audiences alike. 

Shattered Globe Theatre seeks to discover new connections between story, artist and audience by exploring drama from bold, challenging perspectives, and continuously redefining what it means to be an ensemble theater.

SGT’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 our 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 is partially supported and funded by generous grants from The Shulman-Rochambeau Charitable Foundation, The James P. and Brenda S. Grusecki Family Foundation, Bayless Family Foundation, The Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, The MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, The Kovler Family Foundation, the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, the Illinois Arts Council, The Shubert Foundation, the Chicago Community Foundation, and The Saints.

For more information on Shattered Globe Theatre, please visit www.sgtheatre.org.

 

 

SAVE THE DATES: Shattered Globe Theatre's 2019-20 Season

Shattered Globe Theatre Announces 2019-20 Season:





Chicago Premiere!
BE HERE NOW
By Deborah Zoe Laufer
Directed by SGT Producing Artistic Director Sandy Shinner

Chicago Premiere!
SHEEPDOG
By Kevin Artigue
Directed by Wardell Julius Clark

WHEN THE RAIN STOPS FALLING
By Andrew Bovell
Directed by Elizabeth Margolius

The cast of Shattered Globe Theatre’s 2019-20 season opener, the Chicago premiere of BE HERE NOW, includes (top, l to r) Demetra Dee and Deanna Reed Foster with (bottom, l to r)  Rebecca Jordan and Joe Wiens.

Shattered Globe Theatre is pleased to announce its 2019-20 Season, featuring two Chicago premieres: BE HERE NOW by Deborah Zoe Laufer, directed by Producing Artistic Director Sandy Shinner* – a bittersweet comedy about searching for happiness; and SHEEPDOG by Kevin Artigue, directed by Wardell Julius Clark – a love story colliding with today’s headlines; followed by WHEN THE RAIN STOPS FALLING by Andrew Bovell, directed by Elizabeth Margolius – a stunning mystery of love and loss that reverberates through four generations.

The full 2019-20 Season will be presented at Shattered Globe’s resident home, Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. SGT’s VIP Season Traveler Memberships are on sale now at www.shatteredglobe.org. Single tickets for BE HERE NOW go on sale August 5, 2019 at www.shatteredglobe.org, by calling (773) 975-8150, or in person at the Theater Wit Box Office. Discounted group sales for all three productions are currently available at groupsales@shatteredglobe.org or by calling (773) 770-0333.



Shattered Globe Theatre’s 2019-20 Season includes:

September 5 – October 19, 2019
BE HERE NOW - Chicago Premiere!
By Deborah Zoe Laufer

Directed by SGT Producing Artistic Director Sandy Shinner*

Featuring Ensemble members Deanna Reed Foster*, Rebecca Jordan* and Joe Wiens* with Protégé Alumna Demetra Dee+

Press opening: Sunday, September 8, 2019 at 3 pm



Bari, an atheist and misanthrope, loses her job teaching nihilism in NYC and ends up working in a fulfillment center in her small hometown. Her empathetic co-workers push her toward yoga, meditation, and a blind date in the pursuit of happiness. But recently, her recurring headaches have gotten more intense, manifesting as ecstatic and almost religious experiences – and they are changing her entire outlook. She’s almost… happy! When she finds out that these rapturous headaches may be killing her, Bari needs to choose: does she live a shortened, joyful life – or does she risk a return to her past life of misery. Be Here Now takes audiences on a hilarious and poignant quest for meaning in modern life.



January 16 – February 29, 2020
SHEEPDOG - Chicago Premiere!
By Kevin Artigue

Directed by Wardell Julius Clark

Press opening: Sunday, January 19, 2020 at 3 pm

Amina and Ryan are both officers in the Cleveland police force. Amina is black, Ryan is white, and they are falling deeply and passionately in love. They pride themselves on moral and ethical conduct; they are officers committed to guarding the “sheep” (citizens) from the “wolves” (predators). When a police-involved shooting roils the department, the intoxication of young love spirals into confusion and self-doubt. This is a mystery inside a love story with high stakes and no easy answers. At breakneck speed, Amina’s dogged pursuit of the truth may exact a devastating toll.



April 23 – June 6, 2020

WHEN THE RAIN STOPS FALLING

By Andrew Bovell

Directed by Elizabeth Margolius

Press opening: Sunday, April 26, 2020 at 3 pm

Shifting seamlessly from 1959 to 2039, an epic family saga unfolds across two continents and four generations. In the year 2039, rain falls in the desert of Australia as a father waits to reunite with his estranged son. A pivotal conversation unspools in London in 1988 as young Gabriel Law confronts his alcoholic mother about seven cryptic postcards his mysterious father sent from the outback. As Gabriel attempts to retrace his father’s footsteps, the past begins to inform the present. Rich and evocative, When the Rain Stops Falling creates a stunning thematic mosaic of secrecy, parentage and the echoing impact of the trespasses of those who came before.

*Denotes SGT Ensemble Member  ^Denotes SGT Artistic Associate  +Denotes SGT Protégé Alumna


About the Artists
Deborah Zoe Laufer’s (Playwright, Be Here Now) plays have been produced at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Cleveland Playhouse, Geva Theatre Center, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Portland Center Stage and The Humana Festival. Informed Consent appeared at The Duke Theatre in NYC in 2015, a co-production of Primary Stages and EST. It was a New York Times Critic’s Pick. Her play End Days won The ATCA Steinberg citation, and it has received over 70 productions around the country, and in Germany, Russia and Australia. Other plays include: Leveling Up, Out of Sterno, The Last Schwartz, Sirens, Meta, The Gulf of Westchester, Miniatures, Fortune, and Window Treatment, a collaboration with composer Daniel Green, produced in NYC by Premieres, Inner Voices. Be Here Now was commissioned and produced by Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park in 2018.


Deb is a recipient of the Helen Merrill Playwriting Award, the Lilly Award, and grants and commissions from The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, The Edgerton Foundation, The National New Play Network, the NEA, and the LeCompte du Nouy grant from the Lincoln Center Foundation. Her plays are published by Samuel French, Smith and Kraus and Playscripts, and have been developed at The Eugene O’Neill Playwrights Conference, PlayPenn, Williamstown Theatre Festival, The Ojai Playwrights Conference, The Missoula Colony, The Cherry Lane Alternative, The Dramatists Guild Fellowship Program, New Georges, The Lark Play Development Center Asolo Repertory Theatre, PlayLab and the Baltic Playwrights Conference. She is a graduate of Juilliard, an alumna of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop, and a member of The Dramatists Guild.

Sandy Shinner (Director, Be Here Now) joined Shattered Globe Theatre in October 2013 as the theatre’s first Producing Artistic Director. Her SGT directing credits include Will Snider’s How to Use a Knife, Scott McPherson’s Marvin’s Room and Sally Nemeth’s Mill Fire. The former Associate Artistic Director of Victory Gardens Theater, she created the nationally known IGNITION! Festival, served as co-director of the Access Project, and, with former Artistic Director Dennis Zacek and former Managing Director Marcelle McVay, accepted the 2001 Regional Theater Tony Award on behalf of Victory Gardens. Her other recent directing credits include: the world premiere of Rasheeda Speaking by Joel Drake Johnson (Rivendell Theater Ensemble) and Creditors by August Strindberg (Remy Bumppo Theater Company). She has directed over 80 plays at theaters including Victory Gardens, Remy Bumppo, American Blues, the University of Virginia, Actors Theater of Louisville’s Humana Festival, Steppenwolf’s First Look Repertory of New Work, New York’s 78th Street Theater Lab and the Sacramento Theater Company, among others. Her production of Trying by Joanna McClelland Glass transferred to New York, and her direction was nominated for the Joe A. Callaway Award. Shinner received the 2013 Kathryn V. Lamkey Spirit Award from the Equal Employment Opportunity Committee of Actors’ Equity Association for her commitment to diversity and non-traditional casting. She has been recognized as one of “50 Top Players” by Newcity and a “Chicagoan of the Year” by the Chicago Tribune. She is an adjunct professor at DePaul’s Theatre School, an At Large Ambassador for the National New Play Network and an Artistic Affiliate at American Blues Theatre.

Kevin Artigue (Playwright, Sheepdog) writes plays, TV and film. He was raised in Redlands, CA and calls Brooklyn home. He’s a current member of The Working Farm @ SPACE at Ryder Farm, the Dorothy Strelsin New American Writers Group at Primary Stages and an alum of Interstate 73 and the Public Theater's Emerging Writers Group. He most recently was welcomed into New Dramatists, class of 2026. His plays have been performed and developed with South Coast Rep, Golden Thread, Page 73, The Public Theater, the National New Play Network, NYTW, Long Wharf Theater, Portland Center Stage and the Playwrights' Center. MFA: Iowa Playwrights Workshop.

Wardell Julius Clark (Director, Sheepdog) is originally from Fairfield, Alabama and earned his BFA in Acting from The Theatre School at DePaul University. Upcoming shows he's directing include His Shadow (16th Street Theater), Kill Move Paradise (TimeLine Theatre). Chicago directing credits include: Dutch Masters (Jackalope Theatre), The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963 (Chicago Children's Theatre), The Shipment (Red Tape), Insurrection: Holding History (Stage Left) and Surely Goodness and Mercy (Redtwist). He was also Associate Director for Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner and Assistant Director for Gem of the Ocean and Satchmo at the Waldorf (Court), and Assistant Director for The Scottsboro Boys (Porchlight Music Theatre). Chicago acting credits include work with Raven Theatre, American Blues Theater, First Folio, Windy City Playhouse, Court Theatre, Northlight, Victory Gardens, 16th Street Theater, MPAACT, American Theater Company and Congo Square Theater. Regional credits include work at Theater at Monmouth, Cardinal Stage, Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival and Carver Theatre. His television and film credits include Shameless, Chicago Fire and Proven Innocent. Wardell is also a company member at TimeLine Theatre, as well as an actor instructor/teaching artist at the School at Steppenwolf, TimeLine Theatre, Victory Gardens Theatre, Black Box Acting Studio, Vagabond School of the Arts. He is represented by Gray Talent Group.

Andrew Bovell (Playwright, When the Rain Stops Falling) is an internationally recognized writer for the stage and screen. His works for the stage include Things I Know to Be True, a co-production between State Theatre Company of South Australia and Frantic Assembly in the UK (2016), plus a new production at Belvoir Street Theatre in 2019; an adaptation of Kate Grenville novel The Secret River, directed by Neil Armfield, Sydney Theatre Company / Sydney Festival 2013 and Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane in 2016; When the Rain Stops Falling, Adelaide Festival of the Arts 2008, Sydney Theatre Company and Melbourne Theatre Company in 2009, Brisbane, Canberra and Alice Springs in 2010. The play was produced in London at the Almeida Theatre (2009) and in New York at The Lincoln Center (2010), where it won five Lucille Lortell Awards and was named best new play of the year by Time Magazine. Productions of Andrew’s plays continue throughout Asia, UK, America and Europe.

Earlier works for the stage include: Holy Day (2001), Who’s Afraid of the Working Class? (1998), Speaking in Tongues (1996), Scenes from a Separation (1995), Ship of Fools (1999) and After Dinner (1988). After Dinner was revived by Sydney Theatre Company in 2015 and State Theatre Company of South Australia in 2018.

Andrew’s film credits include Stoner (2017) an adaptation of John Williams’ novel for Blumhouse/F4, In the Shadow of Iris, a French language adaptation of his screenplay Chaos directed by Jalil Lespert (starring Romain Duris, Charlotte Le Bon, Jalil Lespert, and Camille Cottin); A Most Wanted Man (2014) an adaptation of John Le Carre’s novel for director Anton Corbijn (starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Rachel McAdams, Willem Defoe and Robyn Wright) which premiered at Sundance Film Festival; Edge of Darkness (2010) starring Mel Gibson; Blessed (2009) winner Best Screenplay at the San Sebastian Film Festival; The Book of Revelation (2006); Lantana (2001), based on his stage play Speaking in Tongues, premiered at Sydney Film Festival and had Gala Screening at Toronto Film Festival, the screenplay was awarded Best Screenplay at the Australian Film Institute Awards, Australian Critics Circle Award, Australian Writers Guild Award; Head On (1998) winner Best Screenplay Australian Writers Guild Awards, The Fisherman’s Wake (1996) and the original screenplay for Strictly Ballroom (1992).


Elizabeth Margolius (Director, When the Rain Stops Falling) is a Chicago and upstate New York based, multiple Joseph Jefferson Award-nominated stage and movement director. Elizabeth’s stage and movement directorial credits include: Queen of the Mist for Firebrand Theatre, The Scarlet Ibis for Chicago Opera Theater, Miss Holmes for Peninsula Players, Machinal for Greenhouse Theater Center (Movement Director), The Bridges of Madison County for Peninsula Players, Uncle Philip’s Coat for Greenhouse Theater Center, Haymarket: The Anarchist’s Songbook for Underscore Theatre, L’Occasione Fa Il Ladro and Twelfth Night for DePaul Opera Theatre, The Girl in the Train, The Land of Smiles and The Cousin from Nowhere for Chicago Folks Operetta, Goldstar, Ohio for American Theater Company, The Merry Wives of Windsor for Chicago Shakespeare Theater (Assistant Director), The Last Cyclist for Genesis Theatrical Productions, Opus 1861 for City Lit Theater (Jeff nomination-Best Adaptation), Violet for Bailiwick Chicago (Jeff nomination—Best Director of a Musical) and Bernarda Alba and Songs for a New World for Bohemian Theatre Ensemble. Elizabeth is an alumna of the Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab, a recipient of a full directorial scholarship for the Wesley Balk Opera-Music Theater Institute, a finalist for the Charles Abbott Fellowship, and the Co-Founder of DirectorsLabChicago. Elizabeth is a proud member of the American Guild of Musical Artists and the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.

About Shattered Globe Theatre

Shattered Globe Theatre (Sandy Shinner, Producing Artistic Director; Doug McDade, Managing Director) was born in a storefront space on Halsted Street in 1991. Since then, SGT has produced more than 65 plays, including nine American and world premieres, and garnered an impressive 42 Jeff Awards and 106 Jeff Award nominations, as well as the acclaim of critics and audiences alike. Shattered Globe is an ensemble-driven theater whose mission is to create an intimate, visceral theater experience that challenges the perspective of audience and artist alike through passionate storytelling. Shattered Globe is inspired by the diversity of Chicago and committed to making theater available to all audiences. 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 is partially supported and funded by generous grants from The Shulman-Rochambeau Charitable Foundation, The James P. and Brenda S. Grusecki Family Foundation, Alphawood Foundation, The Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, The MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, The Illinois Arts Council, a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events, The Shubert Foundation, The Blum-Kovler Family Foundation, The Robert J. & Loretta W. Cooney Family Foundation and the Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation.

For more information on Shattered Globe Theatre, please visit www.shatteredglobe.org.

OPENING: HANNAH AND MARTIN Via Shattered Globe Theatre April 11 – May 25, 2019 at Theater Wit

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Shattered Globe Theatre Presents

HANNAH AND MARTIN

By Kate Fodor

Directed by SGT Ensemble Member Louis Contey

April 11 – May 25, 2019 at Theater Wit

Shattered Globe Theatre is pleased to conclude its 2018-19 Season with Kate Fodor’s drama HANNAH AND MARTIN, directed by SGT Ensemble Member Louis Contey*. This World War II drama in which a passionate love affair is abruptly interrupted by political realities will play April 11 – May 25, 2019 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. Single tickets are currently available at www.shatteredglobe.org, by calling (773) 975-8150 or in person at the Theater Wit Box Office. 

HANNAH AND MARTIN features SGT Ensemble Member Christina Gorman* as Hannah Arendt and guest artist Lawrence Grimm as Martin Heidegger with Ensemble MembersDoug McDade*, Daria Harper*, Cortney McKenna*, Steven Peebles* and Drew Schad*, and former Protégé Jazzma Pryor+.  

Based on the tumultuous love affair between German-Jewish political theorist Hannah Arendt and her mentor, the celebrated German philosopher Martin Heidegger, this emotionally intense drama focuses on the crisis that erupts when Arendt discovers that her former teacher is using his brilliance and fame to help further the goals of the Nazi Party. HANNAH AND MARTIN is a provocative exploration into the activity of thinking and its relation to passion, love, and politics.

Comments Director Louis Contey, “Is it a sin to take a hand outstretched for help or to refuse, if it comes from one who has sinned? This is the central question of Kate Fodor’s play Hannah and Martin. Since I saw the original production, it has been a passion of mine to explore Hannah Arendt’s question, that is also our question, a very personal one worthy of exploration. Is it a matter of forgiveness or of politics? What happens when we as human beings divorce our compassion from our ideas and philosophies about society and civilization? Add to the mix fame, ego, an illicit affair and cold intellect against the backdrop of the Nuremberg Trials and we have a powerful confrontation of moral conscience and elitism.”

The production team for HANNAH AND MARTIN includes: Nick Mozak (scenic design), Hailey Rakowiecki^ (costume design), Simean Carpenter (lighting design), Christopher Kriz^ (music and sound design), Jonathan Berg-Einhorn (props design), Lucille Schuh (production manager), Judy Anderson* (executive production manager), Denise Savas(stage manager) and Ayanna Wimberly^ (assistant stage manager). 

Cast (in alphabetical order): Christina Gorman* (Hannah Arendt), Lawrence Grimm (Martin Heidegger), Daria Harper* (Gertrud Jaspers, Judge), Doug McDade* (Karl Jaspers, Prosecutor), Cortney McKenna* (Elfride Heidegger), Steve Peebles* (Günther Stern, Radio Announcer), Jazzma Pryor+ (Alice, Seminar Student) and Drew Schad* (Baldur von Schirach).

Location: Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago
Dates: Previews: Thursday, April 11 at 8 pm, Friday, April 12 at 8 pm and Saturday, April 13 at 8 pm
Press Performance: Sunday, April 14 at 3 pm
Regular Run: Thursday, April 18 – Saturday, May 25, 2019
Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 8 pm; Sundays at 3 pm. Please note: there will not be a performance on Friday, May 17; there will be an added matinee on Saturday, May 25 at 3 pm.
Touch Tour/Audio Description Performance: Friday, May 3 – 6:30 pm touch tour, 8 pm performance with audio description. $20 tickets available with code “ACCESS.”
Global Perspectives: SGT will be hosting post-show discussions immediately following 3 pm performances on Sundays.

Tickets: Previews: Pay-what-you-can (April 11), $20 (April 12-13) Regular Run: $15 - $39. Student Rush tickets available day of performance for $15. $15 industry tickets on Thursdays with code “INDUSTRY.” Single tickets are currently available at www.shatteredglobe.org, in person at the Theater Wit Box Office or by calling (773) 975-8150. Group discounts are currently available by contacting groupsales@shatteredglobe.org or by calling (773) 770-0333.

*Denotes SGT Ensemble Member  ^Denotes SGT Artistic Associate  +Denotes SGT Protégé Alumna

About the Artists:

Kate Fodor (Playwright) is a 2013 Guggenheim fellow in playwriting. Her comedy Rx was produced Off-Broadway by Primary Stages and will had its Los Angeles premiere in January 2014. Her plays have also been produced by Playwrights Horizons, Epic Theatre Ensemble, San Jose Repertory Theatre, London’s Courtyard Theatre and Chicago’s TimeLine Theatre Company, among others. She has been a resident playwright at New Dramatists since 2008. Kate’s play Hannah and Martin received the Kennedy Center’s Roger L. Stevens Award, a Joseph Jefferson Citation, an After Dark Award and a finalist position for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. 100 Saints You Should Know received the National Theatre Conference’s Stavis Award and was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award, as well as being named one of the 10 Best Plays of the year by Entertainment Weekly and Time Out New York. The plays are published by Dramatists Play Service and have been anthologized and excerpted in a number of volumes from Smith & Kraus. Kate’s work has been developed at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Hartford Stage and Centre Theater Group. She has been named one of “Eight to Watch” by The New York Times and has received commissions from Chautauqua Theater Company, Center Theater Group and The Playwrights’ Center, where she was the recipient of the 2011-2012 McKnight National Residency.  

Louis Contey (Director) marks his 24th SGT collaboration with Hannah and Martin. For SGT, Lou has also directed Crime and Punishment, The Heavens are Hung in Black ,The Tall Girls, In the Heat of the Night, A View From The Bridge, The Manchurian Candidate, A Streetcar Named Desire, All My Sons, Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?, Peter Pan, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Warhawks and Lindberghs, Holy Ghosts, Judgment at Nuremberg, Requiem for a Heavyweight, The Whaleship Essex, Meet John Doe, The Lower Depths, Escape From Happiness, Real Classy Affair, Rocket to the Moon, Anna Karenina and Brilliant Traces. He has directed over 75 plays, among them The Master & Margarita, Marriage Play, The Diviners, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth and Hamlet. He is an Associate Artist at TimeLine Theatre, where he directed Frost/Nixon, Awake And Sing!, The General from America, Lillian, Copenhagen, It’s All True, Pravda, Paradise Lost, A House With No Walls, The Apple Family Plays and The Price. He has also worked at The Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Strawdog Theatre, Theatre at the Center, Buffalo Theatre Ensemble, Provision Theatre, Eclipse Theatre and American Theater Company. He is a twelve-time Jeff nominee and has received seven Jeff Citations, as well as an After Dark Award. He teaches part-time at The Theatre School/DePaul University where he received his MFA in Directing.



About Shattered Globe Theatre

Shattered Globe Theatre (Sandy Shinner, Producing Artistic Director; Doug McDade, Managing Director) was born in a storefront space on Halsted Street in 1991. Since then, SGT has produced more than 60 plays, including nine American and world premieres, and garnered an impressive 42 Jeff Awards and 106 Jeff Award nominations, as well as the acclaim of critics and audiences alike. Shattered Globe is an ensemble driven theater whose mission is to create an intimate, visceral theater experience that challenges the perspective of audience and artist alike through passionate storytelling. Shattered Globe is inspired by the diversity of our city and committed to making the theater available to all audiences. 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 is partially supported and funded by generous grants from The Shulman-Rochambeau Charitable Foundation, The James P. and Brenda S. Grusecki Family Foundation, Alphawood Foundation, The Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, The MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, The Illinois Arts Council, a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events, The Shubert Foundation, The Bayless Family Foundation, The Blum-Kovler Family Foundation, and The Robert J. & Loretta W. Cooney Family Foundation.

For more information on Shattered Globe Theatre, please visit www.shatteredglobe.org.

REVIEW: Chicago Premiere of THE REALISTIC JONESES Via Shattered Globe Theatre and Theater Wit Through March 9, 2019

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Chicago Premiere!

Shattered Globe Theatre and Theater Wit present

a co-production of

THE REALISTIC JONESES

By Will Eno

Directed by Jeremy Wechsler

Through March 9, 2019 at Theater Wit

Review:

by bonnie kenaz-mara

Everyone's familiar with the concept of "keeping up with the Joneses", but what happens when the Joneses in question aren't particularly healthy, wealthy or wise? In this fabulously funny comedy, two pairs of Joneses end up as neighbors and hilarity ensues, amid heart wrenching conditions. 

(left to right) Joseph Wiens, Cortney McKenna, H.B. Ward and Linda Reiter in Shattered Globe Theatre and Theater Wit’s Chicago premiere of THE REALISTIC JONESES. All Photos by Evan Hanover.

These 4 Joneses are collectively dealing with a fatal illness, insomnia, and a host of fears, phobias, quirks, and idiosyncracies ranging from anxiety to nymphomania. Despite their physical and social problems, underemployment, and issues, this foursome bonds, producing some of the funniest one liners and tenderest moments of commiseration. 

(left to right) Cortney McKenna and Joseph Wiens 

(left to right) Joseph Wiens and Linda Reiter 

(left to right) Cortney McKenna and H.B. Ward 

As they navigate dramas ranging from squirrel corpses to the public death of an acquaintance during a dinner out, these Joneses endear themselves to the audience. This slice of life comedy doesn't stray far from the back patio, but encompasses a world of possibilities. I thoroughly enjoyed this microcosm of human interaction, as 4 strangers become friends that I could see myself keeping up with. Highly recommended.

Bonnie Kenaz-Mara is a Chicago based writer-theater critic-photographer-videographer-actress-artist-general creatrix and Mama to two terrific teens. She owns two websites where she has published frequently since 2008: ChiILLiveShows.com (adult) & ChiILMama.com (family friendly). 

 (left to right) Linda Reiter and H.B. Ward 

Shattered Globe Theatre and Theater Wit are pleased to present the Chicago premiere of Will Eno’s heartbreaking new comedy THE REALISTIC JONESES, directed by Theater Wit Artistic Director Jeremy Wechsler, who has directed the Chicago premieres of four of Eno’s plays. This breakout Broadway work of unspoken love and possibility will play January 10 – March 9, 2019 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. Single tickets are currently available at www.shatteredglobe.org or theaterwit.org, by calling (773) 975-8150 or in person at the Theater Wit Box Office. 



THE REALISTIC JONESES features SGT Ensemble Members Cortney McKenna*, Linda Reiter* and Joseph Wiens* with H.B. Ward.

Meet Bob and Jennifer Jones. And their new neighbors, John and Pony Jones. These two couples have more in common than a last name in Will Eno’s funny, quirky and compassionate look at how marriage might be both everything and not nearly enough.  

Join the Joneses as they muddle through the small beauties, immense fears, and amazing moments of each day. Time is short but there are gift certificates to enjoy, tiny fireworks to light and another perfect summer evening to take for granted.

 (left to right) H.B. Ward and Linda Reiter 

Comments Director and Theater Wit Artistic Director Jeremy Wechsler, “This production marks my fifth collaboration with Will Eno, who I consider one of the most graceful and insightful playwrights in America. Will and I are looking forward to bringing one of his most popular works to Chicago, a city whose acting talents are nationally recognized. Along those lines, I am particularly excited to work again with the Shattered Globe ensemble, where I last directed A Taste of Honey, long before Theater Wit was founded. I know them as a sharp and uniquely Chicagoan acting troupe; together, we hope to bring Will’s truly hilarious and touching play to vivid life.”

The production team for THE REALISTIC JONESES includes: Jack Magaw (scenic design), Hailey Rakowiecki^ (costume design), John Kelly (lighting design), Christopher Kriz^ (sound design), Vivian Knouse* (props design), Ellen White (production manager), Katie Klemme (stage manager) and Devonte Washington^ (assistant stage manager).

Cast (in alphabetical order): Cortney McKenna* (Pony), Linda Reiter* (Jennifer), H.B. Ward (Bob) and Joseph Wiens* (John).



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

Dates: Previews: Thursday, January 10 at 8 pm, Friday, January 11 at 8 pm, Saturday, January 12 at 8 pm, Sunday January 13 at 2:30 pm, Thursday, January 17 at 8 pm, Friday, January 18 at 8 pm, Saturday, January 19 at 8 pm and Sunday, January 20 at 3 pm.

Regular Run: Thursday, January 24 – Saturday, March 9, 2019

Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 8 pm; Sundays at 3 pm. Please note: there will be added performances on Monday, February 4 at 7:30 pm and Wednesday, March 6 at 8 pm.

Running time: 100 minutes, no intermission.

Touch Tour/Audio Description Performance: Friday, February 8, 2019 – 6:30 pm touch tour, 8 pm performance with audio description.

Industry Night: Monday, February 4 at 7:30 pm. $12 (headshot/resume required)

Global Perspectives: SGT will be hosting post-show discussions immediately following 2:30 pm performances on Sundays.

Tickets: Previews: $12 – $18. Regular Run: $24 - $74. Student Rush tickets available day of performance for $15. $15 industry tickets on Thursdays with code “INDUSTRY.” Single tickets are currently available at www.shatteredglobe.org or theaterwit.org in person at the Theater Wit Box Office or by calling (773) 975-8150. Group discounts are currently available by contacting groupsales@shatteredglobe.org or by calling (773) 770-0333.

*Denotes SGT Ensemble Member  ^Denotes SGT Artistic Associate

(left to right) H.B. Ward and Joseph Wiens

About the Artists:
Will Eno (Playwright) is a Residency Five Fellow at the Signature Theatre. The Realistic Joneses had its premiere at the Yale Repertory Theatre. The Realistic Joneses was recently named as one of the “25 Best Plays Since Angels in America” by the New York Times and The Realistic Joneses and Title and Deed (Signature Theater) were both onThe New York Times "Best Plays of 2012" list. Gnit, an adaptation of Ibsen's Peer Gynt, premiered at the Actors Theatre of Louisville in 2013. Middletown, winner of the Horton Foote Award, premiered at the Vineyard Theatre and was subsequently produced at Steppenwolf Theatre. Thom Pain (based on nothing) was a finalist for the 2005 Pulitzer Prize and has been translated into more than a dozen languages.

Jeremy Wechsler (Director) is the Artistic Director of Theater Wit where he has directed the Chicago premieres of The Antelope Party, 10 Out of 12, Naperville, The New Sincerity, The (Curious Case of the) Watson Intelligence (Best of 2015 – Chicago Sun Times), Bad Jews (Best of 2015 – New City), Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play (Time Out Peoples’ Choice Award for Direction, Best of 2015), Seven Homeless Mammoths Wander New England (Chicago Sun Times – Best of Year 2014), Completeness, Tigers Be Still, This, The Four of Us, Feydeau-Si-Deau, Men of Steel, Thom Pain (Based on Nothing) (Jeff Award – Best Solo Performance), Two for the Show and annual favorite The Santaland Diaries. Under Jeremy’s leadership, Theater Wit has emerged as the go to destination for cutting edge contemporary work, gaining national recognition for excellence. He has directed over sixty shows in the last twenty years at various theaters, including Tragedy a Tragedy, The Flu Season, A Taste of Honey (“U.S. Best of 2008” in The Wall Street Journal), Now Then Again (Jeff Award – Best New Work), The Play About the Squirrel, The White Devil, This Is Not a Play About Cancer, Peer Gynt, The Real Thing, Szinhaz, The Duchess of Malfi, Tragedy a Tragedy, Titus Andronicus, The Roaring Girl, Flight, The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told, This Is the Rill Speaking, Hay Fever, A Month in the Country, Europe, Henry VI: Blood of a Nation, The Promise, Spin, Un Robot, Horror Academy, Kind Lady, Playing by the Rules, The Marriage of Bette and Boo, Solitaire, The Coarse Acting Show, Life is a Dream, The Prisoner’s Dilemma, Cabaret and The Threepenny Opera. His productions have been nominated for and won multiple awards for design, performance, adaptation and best new work.

About Shattered Globe Theatre
Shattered Globe Theatre (Sandy Shinner, Producing Artistic Director; Doug McDade, Managing Director) was born in a storefront space on Halsted Street in 1991. Since then, SGT has produced more than 60 plays, including nine American and world premieres, and garnered an impressive 42 Jeff Awards and 106 Jeff Award nominations, as well as the acclaim of critics and audiences alike. Shattered Globe is an ensemble driven theater whose mission is to create an intimate, visceral theater experience that challenges the perspective of audience and artist alike through passionate storytelling. Shattered Globe is inspired by the diversity of our city and committed to making the theater available to all audiences. 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 is partially supported and funded by generous grants from The Shulman-Rochambeau Charitable Foundation, The James P. and Brenda S. Grusecki Family Foundation, Alphawood Foundation, The Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, The MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, The Illinois Arts Council, a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events, The Shubert Foundation, The Bayless Family Foundation, The Blum-Kovler Family Foundation, and The Robert J. & Loretta W. Cooney Family Foundation.

For more information on Shattered Globe Theatre, please visit www.shatteredglobe.org.


About Theater Wit

Theater Wit, Chicago’s “smart art” theater, now in its 15th year of operation, is a major hub of the Chicago neighborhood theater scene, where audiences enjoy a smorgasbord of excellent productions in three, 99-seat spaces, see a parade of talented artists and mingle with audiences from all over Chicago.

“A thrilling addition to Chicago’s roster of theaters” (Chicago Tribune) and “a terrific place to see a show” (New City), Theater Wit is now in its eleventh season at its home at 1229 N. Belmont Ave., in the heart of the new Belmont Theatre District in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. In 2014, Theater Wit was awarded the National Theatre Award by the American Theatre Wing for strengthening the quality, diversity and dynamism of American theater.
                                           
The company’s most recent hits include Women Laughing Alone with Salad by Sheila Callaghan, The Antelope Party by Eric John Meyer, This Way Outta Santaland by Mitchell Fain, 10 Out of 12 and Mr. Burns, a post-electric play by Anne Washburn, Naperville by Mat Smart, The New Sincerity by Alena Smith, Bad Jews by Joshua Harmon, The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence and Seven Homeless Mammoths Wander New England by Madeleine George and Completeness and The Four of Us by Itamar Moses. 

Visit TheaterWit.org or call the Theater Wit box office, (773) 975-8150, to purchase a Membership, inquire about Flex Pass options or to buy single tickets.  To receive an “artisanal selection of consonants and vowels from Theater Wit,” sign up at TheaterWit.org/mailing for exclusive updates, flash deals and behind-the-scenes production scoop every few weeks.

(left to right) Cortney McKenna, Joseph Wiens, H.B. Ward and Linda Reiter in Shattered Globe Theatre and Theater Wit’s Chicago premiere of THE REALISTIC JONESES. Photo by Evan Hanover.