CHICAGO PREMIERE OF WHITE BY DEFINITION ENSEMBLE MEMBER JAMES IJAMES in Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theater from March 10 – April 10, 2022

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DEFINITION THEATRE PRESENTS

THE CHICAGO PREMIERE OF  

WHITE

BY DEFINITION ENSEMBLE MEMBER JAMES IJAMES,

DIRECTED BY ERICKA RATCLIFF

Definition Theatre opens its 10th anniversary season with the Chicago premiere of WHITE by ensemble member James Ijames and directed by Ericka Ratcliff. Produced in partnership with Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s LookOut Series, WHITE will run in Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theater from March 10 – April 10, 2022. I'll be out for the press opening March 17th so check back shortly after for my full review. Tickets are on sale now and may be purchased at steppenwolf.org or in person at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company box office.

“After much anticipation, we are elated to present this incredible piece of theatre from Definition ensemble member James Ijames,” shared Artistic Director Tyrone Phillips. “I am also looking forward to collaborating with director and Chicago theatre treasure Ericka Ratcliff, who is embarking on this new journey with us. Much like America V2.1, the theatrical film production Definition released in fall 2021, WHITE invites the audience to grapple with themes of power and authorship. This hilarious, thought-provoking piece holds our society accountable to artists as it is asks, ‘Who is allowed to create art? And how do we decide what creative work is worth?’”

Gus is a painter expecting his big break with a prestigious contemporary art museum in 'The New America' exhibition. When he's told by the museum's new curator that "white dudes" aren't a part of New America, he enlists the help of Vanessa, a black actress, and together they create Balkonae Townsend, a bold, young radical artist to serve as the face of his work. But when things start to spiral out of control, Gus is left to deal with the mess he created and Vanessa must come to terms with her own agency as an artist. Audacious and bitingly funny, WHITE explores white privilege, racial politics and the fine line between appropriation and opportunity.

*The cast of WHITE includes ensemble member Carley Cornelius with Jonathan Allsop, Kierra Bunch, and Niko Kourtis. 

The production team for WHITE includes Joey Stone (Associate Director), Yeaji Kim (Scenic and Projections Designer), Rea Brown (Costume Designer), Levi Wilkins (Lighting Designer), Willow James (Sound Designer), Lonnae Hickman (Properties Designer), Gaby Labotaka (Intimacy Director), Kayla Menz (Assistant Intimacy Director), JQ (Original Composition), ensemble member Jared Bellot (Dramaturg), Evan Sposato (Technical Director), Emmy Weldon (Assistant Lighting Designer), AJ Links (Casting Director), Ariel Beller (Floor Manager), Julie Jachym (Production Stage Manager), and Jennifer Aparicio (Production Manager).

Previews:  Thursday, March 10 at 8:00pm; Friday, March 11 at 8:00pm;

Saturday, March 12 at 3:00pm; Saturday, March 12 at 8:00pm;

and Wednesday, March 16 at 8:00pm

Regular run:  March 18 – April 10, 2022

Ticket prices: $20 - $40

Box Office:  Ticket orders will be processed at steppenwolf.org and in person at Steppenwolf 

   

                

ABOUT DEFINITION THEATRE

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

Definition has built its reputation on work that reflects its unique voice. It shared the words of Academy Award- Winner Tarell Alvin McCraney in The Brothers Size; it grooved with Amiri Baraka’s whirlwind story of a chance meeting on a train in Dutchman. In partnership with, The New Colony staged the world premiere of Byhalia, Mississippi, which starred Academy Award nominee ensemble member Kiki Layne. In association with the Goodman Theatre, Definition staged the Chicago premiere of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ An Octoroon, a subversive take on race in America that captivated audiences. Most recently, Definition sent us all to the moon with ensemble member James Ijames’s Moon Man Walk, explored the challenges of America’s public-school system through Nilaja Sun’s No Child… and highlighted the first- generation experience in the world premiere of Sam Kebede’s ETHIOPIANAMERICA.

Ensemble members include: Owais Ahmed, Jared Bellot, Carley Cornelius, Ari Craven, Danielle Davis, Martasia Jones, Slick Jorgensen, Kristy Hall, James Ijames, Kiki Layne, Kelson Michael McAuliffe, Neel McNeill, Sophiyaa Nayar, Karyn Oates, Alexandra Oparka, Julian Parker, Tyrone Phillips, Jacqueline Rosas, Christopher Sheard, and Dujon Smith. Artistic Advisory Board members include: director May Adrales, Steppenwolf ensemble member Alana Arenas, actress Shannon Cochran, Erica Daniels, actor Brandon Dirden, actor Jason Dirden, director Pam Mackinnon, Equity Quotient CEO Keryl McCord, professor JW Morrissette, director Ron OJ Parson, professor/lighting designer Kathy Perkins, Tony Award-winning actress and stage director Phylicia Rashad, and Goodman Theatre director in residence Chuck Smith. Tyrone Phillips is the Artistic Director and Neel McNeill is the Executive Director. For additional information, visit definitiontheatre.org and @definitiontheatre on Facebook and Instagram #stayinit

ABOUT STEPPENWOLF’S LOOKOUT SERIES

LookOut is Steppenwolf’s performance series that presents the work of artists and companies across genre and form, emerging artists and performance legends, quintessential Chicago companies and young aspiring ensembles, familiar Steppenwolf faces and new friends. Patrick Zakem and Lauren Steinberg are the Producers for the series. For more information, visit steppenwolf.org/lookout. Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theater is a flexible and intimate venue connected to Steppenwolf’s own Front Bar: Coffee and Drinks at 1700 N Halsted St., an inviting space to grab a drink, have a bite, or meet up with friends and collaborators, day or night.

 

BECHDEL FEST 7: MOMENTUM August 25 – 28, 2019 at Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theatre Via Broken Nose Theatre

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Four Performances Only!

Broken Nose Theatre Presents

BECHDEL FEST 7: MOMENTUM

August 25 – 28, 2019 

at Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theatre

Part of Steppenwolf’s LookOut Series

I caught BECHDEL FEST for the first time last year, and it was amazing. For years, I've been a big fan of applying the Bechdel-Wallace Test to film, theatre and other written works. It's a simple formula that seems like a no brainer, yet somehow in 2019, the idea of female centered works STILL remains a rare and elusive achievement. This annual fest tips those scales a bit further toward something like equality. Created by cartoonist Alison Bechdel, the test asks whether a work of entertainment features at least two women in conversation about something other than a man. Check it out. 

(left to right) Taylor Raye and Sophie Hoyt in FOR THE CULTURE, part of Broken Nose Theatre’s BECHDEL FEST 2018. Photo by Spenser Davis. 

Broken Nose Theatre is pleased to present BECHDEL FEST 7: MOMENTUM, the company’s annual festival of new short plays featuring an ensemble of female-identifying and non-binary actors talking about things other than men. Presented as part of Steppenwolf’s LookOut Series, BECHDEL FEST will play four performances only, August 25 – 28, 2019 at Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theatre, 1700 N. Halsted St. in Chicago. Tickets for all BNT productions are available on a “pay-what-you-can” basis, allowing patrons to set their own price and ensuring theatre remains economically accessible for all audiences. Suggested price is $25. Tickets are currently available at www.steppenwolf.org or by calling (312) 335-1650.

All the works in BNT’s perennial feminist festival are inspired by the famous Bechdel-Wallace Test. Since the fest's first iteration in 2013, Broken Nose has worked with some of the most exciting voices in the Chicago theater landscape on over 40 stories that, by design, do not revolve around men. This year's lineup includes both female-identifying and non-binary characters.

Performances: Sunday, August 25 at 7 pm, Monday, August 26 at 7 pm, Tuesday, August 27 at 8 pm and Wednesday, August 28 at 8 pm.

"Political primaries are kicking off on the national stage, the state of Illinois is embracing policies that look toward the future, the Chicago theatre community continues leading the charge to create a better environment for all its artists... and in all of this, we feel a certain sense of momentum, a sense that change is coming and coming fast," comments BNT artistic director Elise Marie Davis. "These nine short plays look at this same concept from a variety of angles. After selling out all three performances at last year's fest, we're thrilled that the Steppenwolf LookOut Series family is not only welcoming us back into their home, but also allowing us to add a fourth performance to account for demand. We cannot wait to be back at the 1700!”

 BechdelFest2018-2 (left to right) Tanikia Carpenter and Brittani Yawn in PROM REBEL, part of Broken Nose Theatre’s BECHDEL FEST 2018. Photo by Spenser Davis. 

BECHDEL FEST 7: MOMENTUM includes:


ALL I REALLY WANT
By Jillian Leff | Directed by Becca Holloway
Featuring Amy Johnson and Alice Wu

A first-year cadet at West Point decides to share some unexpected news with a military veteran - who also happens to be her mother.


DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI OF THE STANTON SCHOOL 
By Ryan Oliveira | Directed by Alison Dornheggen
Featuring Diana Lee, Vero Maynez and Alison Plott

The annual fundraising dinner for a prestigious all-girls school hits a major speed-bump when one of their "unsuccessful" alumni starts speaking her mind.

harderfasterharderfaster
By Grace McLeod | Directed by Madisen Dempsey
Featuring Rebecca Flores, Sophie Rosado and Shaina Schrooten. Additional casting to be announced.

Alone in her bedroom, a horny teenager journeys deep into her own personal dreamscape in search of satisfaction.


REHEARSAL
By Dolores Diaz | Directed by Ben Locke
Featuring Teresa Kuruvilla, Carmen Liao, Aziza Macklin, Jackie Seijo and Mindy Shore

Five girls on a drum-line consider the terrifying future that awaits them if the current tempo of the nation keeps accelerating.


LAUGH OUT LOUD
By Michael Turrentine | Directed by Alejandro Tey
Featuring Imani Hayes and Maria Stephens

In the unforgiving world of stand-up comedy, two women look behind the jokes to explore what's really on each other's mind.



THE GREAT WHIRLPOOL OF THE NIAGARA 
By Robert Koon^ | Directed by Jen Poulin*
Featuring Jean Marie Koon and Teresa Kuruvilla

A concerned daughter follows her hydrologist mother north of the border in the wake of a family tragedy.



PLANNED SISTERHOOD 
By Michael Allen Harris^ | Directed by Brittney Brown
Featuring RjW Mays and Sarah Rachel Schol

In a deep-South state where abortion has just been outlawed, the wife of a prominent politician seeks help from a woman who runs a clandestine health clinic.



OPERATION MARSHMALLOW FLUFF
By Hallie Palladino | Directed by Taylor Raye
Featuring Renee Denham, Leilanii Mesa Ellis, Kelsey McGrath, Song Marshall, Hallie Palladino and Ann Wiggs

A famed clairvoyant, who claims to speak to the dead, is confronted by a group of outspoken women who are not quite "True Believers."

THROW AWAY
By Jenni Lamb | Directed by Julia Skeggs
Featuring Claire Alpern, Deveon Bromby and Aria Szalai-Raymond

Stationed along the conveyor belt at a recycling sorting center, three employees grapple with questions of idealism, reality, and planning for the future.



^BNT artistic associate/Resident Playwright    *BNT company member

(left to right) Eli Sulkowski-Altman and Allie Weisel in GOLDSTAR, part of Broken Nose Theatre’s BECHDEL FEST 2018. Photo by Spenser Davis.

About Broken Nose Theatre:

Broken Nose Theatre is a Pay-What-You-Can theatre company. Founded in 2012, BNT was last year's recipient of the Emerging Theater Award, presented by the League of Chicago Theatres and Broadway in Chicago. The company has produced and developed 15 full-length plays (including 8 Chicago or World Premieres) and over 40 new womencentric short plays through their annual Bechdel Fest. We strive to spark conversation, cultivate empathy, and amplify underrepresented voices, and are committed to making new, exciting and relevant theatre that is economically accessible to all audiences. For more information, please visit www.brokennosetheatre.com.



About Steppenwolf’s LookOut Series:

LookOut is Steppenwolf’s performance series that presents the work of artists and companies across genre and form, emerging artists and performance legends, quintessential Chicago companies and young aspiring ensembles, familiar Steppenwolf faces and new friends. steppenwolf.org/lookout

OPENING: DOUBT: A PARABLE Via The Gift Theatre at Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theatre February 27 – March 31, 2019

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The Gift Theatre Presents

DOUBT: A PARABLE

By John Patrick Shanley

Directed by Ensemble Member John Gawlik

February 27 – March 31, 2019 

at Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theatre

Presented as a part of Steppenwolf’s LookOut Series

The Gift Theatre is pleased to launch its 18th season with a revival of John Patrick Shanley’s Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning drama DOUBT: A PARABLE, presented as a part of Steppenwolf’s LookOut Series. Directed by Ensemble Member John Gawlik and featuring an all-ensemble cast, DOUBT will play February 27 – March 31, 2019 at Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theatre, 1700 N. Halsted St. in Chicago. Tickets are currently available at steppenwolf.org through Steppenwolf Audience Services (1650 N. Halsted St.) or by calling (312) 335-1650. 

DOUBT: A PARABLE will feature Ensemble Members Cyd Blakewell*, Jennifer Glasse*, Mary Ann Thebus* and Michael Patrick Thornton*.

In this brilliant and powerful drama, Sister Aloysius, a Bronx school principal, takes matters into her own hands when she suspects the young Father Flynn of improper relations with one of the male students. Winner of the 2005 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award for Best Play.

The production team for DOUBT: A PARABLE includes Arnel Sancianco (scenic design), Sanja Manakoski (costume design), Mike Durst (lighting design), Matthew Chapman (sound design), Maggie Andersen (dramaturg), David Preis (technical director) and Sarah Luse (production manager).

Cast (in alphabetical order): Cyd Blakewell* (Sister James), Jennifer Glasse* (Mrs. Muller), Mary Ann Thebus* (Sister Aloysius) and Michael Patrick Thornton* (Father Flynn).

Location: Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theatre, 1700 N. Halsted St., Chicago

Dates: Previews: Wednesday, February 27 at 8 pm, Thursday, February 28 at 8 pm, Friday, March 1 at 8 pm and Saturday, March 2 at 8 pm


Regular run: Thursday, March 7 – Sunday, March 31, 2019

Curtain Times: Thursdays and Fridays at 8 pm; Saturdays at 4 pm & 8 pm; Sundays at 3:30 pm.

Tickets: Previews $35. Regular run $45 – $55. Seniors $25. Students $15. Tickets are currently available at steppenwolf.org, through Steppenwolf Audience Services (1650 N. Halsted St., Chicago) or by calling (312) 335-1650.

*Denotes Gift Theatre ensemble member

 

About the Artists
John Patrick Shanley (Playwright) is the author of numerous plays, including Danny and the Deep Blue Sea, Dirty Story, Four Dogs and a Bone, Psychopathia Sexualis, Sailor’s Song, Savage in Limbo and Where’s My Money?. He has written extensively for TV and film, and his credits include the teleplay for Live from Baghdad and screenplays for Congo, Alive, Five Corners, Joe Versus the Volcano (which he also directed) and Moonstruck, for which he won an Academy Award for original screenplay.

John Gawlik (Director) is an AEA/SAG actor and director. Favorite acting credits include: the world premiere of David Rabe’s Good For Otto and Broadsword with The Gift Theatre, Bill Sykes in Oliver at Drury Lane, Blizzard ‘67 with Chicago Dramatist, The Lonesome West and Beauty Queen of Lennane with the Gift Theatre and A Skull in Connemara at Northlight. Favorite directing projects include Thinner Than Water and The Royal Society of Antarctica for The Gift Theatre and the Chicago Premiere of When the Rain Stops Falling at Circle Theater (Jeff Award for Director and Production). He is an ensemble member of The Gift Theater.

About The Gift Theatre
Since 2001 and over 70 productions, The Gift Theatre has pioneered the frontiers of the American theatre via the most intimate professional Equity theatre in the country, leading to national acclaim and a cultural revolution on Chicago’s northwest side.

The Gift’s 18th season includes a revival of John Patrick Shanley’s Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning drama Doubt: A Parable, directed by Ensemble Member John Gawlik (February 27 – March 31); the world premiere of Hansol Jung’s Wolf Play, directed by guest artist Jess McLeod (October 18 – November 24); as well as a soon-to-be announced third production (July 12 – August 18). Season subscriptions are available for as little as $75. The Gift subscribers ("Gifters") receive admission to three shows, free parking at Gale Street Inn, free admission to all Wednesday night “Natural Gas” improv shows and invitations to special subscriber-only special events. Subscribe at www.thegifttheatre.org or by calling (773) 283-7071.

About Steppenwolf’s LookOut Series
Housed primarily in the 1700 Theatre, LookOut is Steppenwolf’s performance series that presents the work of artists and companies across genre and form: emerging artists and performance legends, quintessential Chicago companies and young aspiring ensembles, familiar Steppenwolf faces and new friends. Greta Honold and Patrick Zakem are the producers for LookOut, which is presented year-round and announced on an ongoing basis. For more information, visit steppenwolf.org/lookout.

3 Nights Only: Pay What You Can Tickets for Broken Nose Theatre's Bechdel Fest 6

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Three Performances Only!

Broken Nose Theatre Announces Line-Up for

BECHDEL FEST 6: REVOLUTION

July 29, 30 & 31, 2018 

at Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theatre

Parts of Steppenwolf’s LookOut Series

I'll definitely be out to see BECHDEL FEST 6: REVOLUTION. Here at ChiIL Live Shows we're all about works of film and theatre that pass the "Bechdel Test" and can't wait to see Broken Nose Theatre's annual festival of new short plays. With pay what you can ticket prices, nobody's excluded for a thin wallet or empty bank account. Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theatre is one of our favorite new venues and an excellent place to catch a show. Don't miss this!

Broken Nose Theatre, recipient of the 2018 Broadway In Chicago Emerging Theatre Award, is pleased to announce the full line-up for BECHDEL FEST 6: REVOLUTION, the company’s annual festival of new short plays featuring an ensemble of female-identifying and non-binary actors talking about things other than men. Presented as part of Steppenwolf’s LookOut Series, BECHDEL FEST will play three performances only July 29, 30 & 31, 2018 at Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theatre, 1700 N. Halsted St. in Chicago. Tickets for all BNT productions are available on a “pay-what-you-can” basis, allowing patrons to set their own price and ensuring theatre remains economically accessible for all audiences. Suggested price is $25. Tickets are currently available at www.steppenwolf.org or by calling (312) 335-1650.

All the works in BNT’s perennial feminist festival are inspired by the famous Bechdel-Wallace Test. Created by cartoonist Alison Bechdel, the test asks whether a work of entertainment features at least two women in conversation about something other than a man. Since the fest's first iteration in 2013, Broken Nose has worked with some of the most exciting voices in the Chicago theater landscape on over 40 stories that, by design, do not revolve around men. This year's lineup includes both female-identifying and non-binary characters.



The full line-up for BECHDEL FEST 6: REVOLUTION includes: 

EVERY OTHER TUESDAY
Written by Elise Marie Davis* | Directed by Spenser Davis*

A suburban book club is on track to reserve a booth at their neighborhood's annual Community Cookout –until the cookout sponsors realize the book club focuses exclusively on lesbian erotica.

FOR THE CULTURE
Written by Michael Allen Harris+ | Directed by Martin Hanna*

The Society - a secret spy organization founded, funded, organized, and run by black women - is about to send their most skilled agent on a brand new mission: a covert infiltration with the potential to change the world.

GOLDSTAR
Written by Cleo Shine | Directed by JD Caudill^

A shy highschooler decides to reveal her true self to her girlfriend, even if it risks changing everything.

HOLY INAPPROPRIATE
Written by Allison L. Fradkin | Directed by Kim Boler^

A devout mother and her three daughters seem perfectly comfortable within the confines of the restrictive "Christian Patriarchy Movement."  That is, until sex education gets unexpectedly added to their home-schooled curriculum.

NO, JENNIFER
Written by Nancy Garcia Loza | Directed by Laura Baker

Two Mexican-American friends struggle with the ups and downs of seeking help, dealing with trauma – and setting boundaries with their hard-to-ignore families.

OCCUPY GAMBIER
Written by Beth Hyland | Directed by Brian Balcom

As the "Occupy Wallstreet" protests rage on the East Coast in 2011, several college students strive to be part of the movement... on their tiny liberal arts campus in Gambier, Ohio.

PORCH PROBLEMS
Written by Kristi Parker-Barnhart | Directed by Julia Skeggs

Two neighbors. One shared back porch. This means war.

PROM REBEL
Written by Loy Webb | Directed by Deanna Reed Foster

On the eve of her high school prom, a young woman decides to break the rules in her own special way.

TAKING A (ONE-NIGHT) STAND
Written by Benjamin Brownson* | Directed by Adrienne Matzen

Two strangers find their night of casual fun unexpectedly lengthened when a neighborhood riot erupts around them.

* BNT Company member       ^ BNT Artistic associate           + BNT Resident Playwright



About Broken Nose Theatre:

Broken Nose Theatre is a Pay-What-You-Can theatre company. Founded in 2012, BNT has produced and developed 11 full-length plays (including 8 Chicago or World Premieres) and over 40 new womencentric short plays through our annual Bechdel Fest. We strive to spark conversation, cultivate empathy, and amplify underrepresented voices, and are committed to making new, exciting and relevant theatre that is economically accessible to all audiences. For more information, please visit www.brokennosetheatre.com.

About Steppenwolf’s LookOut Series:

LookOut is Steppenwolf’s performance series that presents the work of artists and companies across genre and form, emerging artists and performance legends, quintessential Chicago companies and young aspiring ensembles, familiar Steppenwolf faces and new friends. steppenwolf.org/lookout

Two Nights Only: BETTE, LIVE AT THE XMAS BATHS at Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theatre 12/12 & 13

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Two Nights Only!

BETTE, LIVE AT THE XMAS BATHS

A Musical Tribute Starring Caitlin Jackson 

Adapted by David Cerda & Caitlin Jackson

Directed by Becca Holloway

Music Direction by Jeremy Ramey

December 12 & 13, 2017 at Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theatre

Hell in a Handbag Productions is pleased to bring back its steamy cabaret sensation – this time, with a holiday twist! Handbag diva Caitlin Jackson recreates Bette Midler’s historic concert at New York’s Continental Baths in BETTE, LIVE AT THE XMAS BATHS, playing two nights only, December 12 & 13, 2017 at 8 pm at Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theatre, 1700 N. Halsted St. in Chicago. Tickets, priced at $25, are available at www.steppenwolf.org or by calling (312) 335-1650.

With the inimitable Jeremy Ramey tickling the ivories as Barry Manilow, Handbag’s loving recreation of the beginning of Ms. Midler’s stellar career features the fabulous songs she sang for the boys in the bathhouse, including Chattanooga Choo-Choo, Superstar – plus holiday ditties done in Bette’s inimitable style. Directed by Becca Holloway, BETTE, LIVE AT THE XMAS BATHS also features Ed Jones as Mr. Gerald, bathhouse patron and hairdresser to the stars, and Sydney Genco and Allison Petrillo as her bawdy back-up broads.

It’s Christmas Eve at the Continental Baths…. can Bette, our reluctant holiday hero, spread some cheer to the holiday orphans that have gathered to see her? Join Bette, her go-to gals, Trixie and Laverne, and her loyal hairdresser, Mr. Gerald, for an evening of unmatched MARY-ment.

BETTE, LIVE AT THE XMAS BATHS is presented as part of Steppenwolf’s LookOut Series.

About Hell in a Handbag Productions
Founded in 2002, Hell in a Handbag Productions is Chicago’s only theater dedicated to camp and the preservation, exploration, and celebration of works ingrained in the realm of popular culture via theatrical productions through parody, music and homage.   Handbag is a 501(c)(3) Not for Profit Corporation.  For additional information, visit www.handbagproductions.org.

About Steppenwolf’s LookOut Series
LookOut is Steppenwolf’s performance series that presents the work of artists and companies across genre and form, emerging artists and performance legends, quintessential Chicago companies and young aspiring ensembles, familiar Steppenwolf faces and new friends. steppenwolf.org/lookout

Steppenwolf LookOut Series Winter 2017-18 Lineup to Include Chita Rivera in Concert with Seth Rudetsky

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Additional Winter Highlights Include a One-Woman Show Written and Performed by Ensemble Member Molly Regan, an Evening of Improv with Michael Patrick Thornton and Performances by Returning LookOut Guests Jessie Fisher & Erik Hellman, Growing Concerns, and You’re Being Ridiculousplus Chicago musical theatre & storefront stars

Steppenwolf’s LookOut Series is pleased to announce their exciting Winter 2017-18 Lineup, which will feature two-time Tony Award winner Chita Rivera in Concert with Seth Rudetsky as pianist and host. The one-night-only event will be on Monday, December 11 at 6:30pm in Steppenwolf’s Downstairs Theatre (1650 N Halsted). Public tickets go on sale Friday, November 3 at 11am. Member Pre-Sale for the Chita Rivera concert starts Wednesday, November 1 at 11am.

Two-time Tony Award winner Chita Rivera performs alongside Sirius XM Radio host and creator/star of Broadway's Disaster! Seth Rudetsky as pianist and host. This unscripted evening will feature Rivera performing the greatest hits of her vast musical theater repertoire, including songs from her now legendary roles of Anita in West Side Story, Rose in Bye Bye Birdie and Velma in Chicago. Produced with Mark Cortale, the evening will be a seamless mixture of intimate, behind-the-scenes stories of her career through insightful, funny and revealing questions posed by Rudetsky. An acclaimed actress, singer and dancer, Rivera has earned 10 Tony nominations for her beloved Broadway roles. This spontaneous evening of hilarity and show-stopping songs is not to be missed. 

Additional winter highlights include a one-woman show written and performed by ensemble member Molly Regan, an evening of improv with Michael Patrick Thornton and performances by Returning LookOut Guests Growing Concerns Poetry Collective and Po’Chop, plus new music, comedy, theatre, storytelling and more. Full lineup below.

Tickets to most Winter LookOut programming go on sale Friday, November 3 at 11am through Audiences Services (1650 N Halsted), 312-335-1650 and steppenwolf.org. Steppenwolf Red and Black Card Members may use credits towards shows in the 1700 Theatre. Lineup below; prices vary. For information, visit steppenwolf.org/lookout.

Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theatre is an 80-seat cabaret-style space connected to Steppenwolf’s own Front Bar: Coffee and Drinks at 1700 N Halsted St., an inviting space to grab a drink, have a bite, or meet up with friends and collaborators, day or night. Guests can take drinks into the theater.

LookOut Winter 2017-18 Lineup
Listed in date order. All artists, dates and prices subject to change
*Doors open 30 minutes before performance time

She's Folks' Holiday Hootenanny
Thursday, December 7 & Friday, December 8 
8pm
$18
The Folks are hitchin' up the sleigh to bring you their signature Story, Song and Sass - with a seasonal twist. Join Betsy Morgan and the Boys as they celebrate the holidays with charming tales, Yuletide classics and a medley of holiday hymns, as well as original tunes.

Erik and Jessie and Everyone You Know Variety Show: Holiday Edition 
Monday, December 11
8pm
$15
Local actor/musicians Erik Hellman and Jessie Fisher present a Holiday edition of their variety hour: Original music, special guests, comedy, magic, improv, and ephemera along with the tightest country/soul band in the land. Fast-paced, fun, funky and fresh.

Bette Midler: Xmas at the Baths
Tuesday, December 12 & Wednesday, December 13
8pm
$25
Hell in a Handbag presents Caitlin Jackson as Bette Midler in the return of their steamy cabaret sensation - with a holiday twist! A live tribute to the legendary shows at New York's infamous Continental Bath House with Jeremy Ramey on piano and a slew of special guest stars to help ring in the holidays - Handbag style! 

Chita Rivera in Concert with Seth Rudetsky 
Monday, December 11 
6:30pm
$79-$150
Two-time Tony Award winner Chita Rivera performs at Steppenwolf for one-night-only alongside Sirius XM Radio host and creator/star of Broadway's Disaster! Seth Rudetsky as pianist and host. This unscripted evening will feature Rivera performing the greatest hits of her vast musical theater repertoire, including songs from her now legendary roles of Anita in West Side Story, Rose in Bye Bye Birdie and Velma in Chicago.

Steppenwolf Member Pre-Sale for this performance starts November 1 at 11am.

Youth in a Roman Field
Saturday, January 6
8pm
$12
Youth in a Roman Field wants to help you break the rules. The bastardized string quartet-meets-jazz-combo-meets-folk-band led by singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Claire Wellin incorporates sounds of "Appalachia, cayenne pepper, & ghosts.”

The Accidental Curator
By Molly Regan
Directed by Mary B. Robinson
Friday, January 12 – Sunday, January 14
Friday and Saturday 8pm
Sunday Matinee 2pm
$40
With equal amounts of wry humor and warm wisdom, Steppenwolf ensemble member Molly Regan takes on one of life's most challenging-but-under-appreciated rites of passage in this solo show: becoming the keeper of the keepsakes, repository of family memory, appraiser and disseminator of the valueless and the invaluable.

Sand & Friends
Friday, January 19 & Saturday, January 20 
8pm
$20
Sand is an improv ensemble made up of Thomas Kelly, Scott Nelson and Mike Brunlieb, accompanied by multi-instrumentalist Tim Joyce. Gentle, sweet little misfits and power-mad demonic rage-machines and kinda vacant functionaries and righteous Christian punk guitarists are some of Sand's favorite people.

Poems for the People: Growing Concerns Poetry Collective Book Release + Concert
Friday, January 26 & Saturday, January 27
8pm
$15
With this evening of music and performance, Growing Concerns Poetry Collective celebrates the release of its first book, a collection of the poetry of McKenzie Chinn and Mykele Deville, published by Candor Arts. 

The Przmatics: Chicago Songs
Tuesday, January 30
8pm
$10
Join The Przmatics for an evening of quirky power-pop with jazz harmonies filtered through garage band mentalities. This performance features songs written in and about the city of Chicago and will showcase special guests from the local scene performing new collaborations.

You’re Being Ridiculous: I LOVE…
Friday, February 2 & Saturday, February 3
Friday, February 9 & Saturday, February 10
8pm
$20
At You're Being Ridiculous, real people tell true stories about their lives. Each performer is linked by rotating themes, and by the desire to make you laugh—and, once in a while, cry. This month’s theme: I LOVE…

YOU & ME
Thursday, February 8
8pm
$20
YOU & ME is a two-person, entirely improvised, no suggestion set with Michael Patrick Thornton and a guest artist. Hilarious, horrifying, and human.

Sinfolk / Sound + Fury
Monday, February 12
$15
7pm
Featuring Gabriel Ruiz, Marvin Quijada and Jess Godwin, Sinfolk and Sound + Fury come together for a theatrically augmented concert experience benefitting Puerto Rico relief efforts. The split bill will host Sinfolk, an intimate acoustic duo, and Sound + Fury's electronic bombast, to create a unique evening of diverse music and theatrical experiments.

WildClaw Theatre Company Presents
Open Heart Surgery 2: Invasive Procedures
A Salon of Medical Horrors
Wednesday, February 14
8pm
$25
WildClaw Theatre Company is proud to present Open Heart Surgery 2, the sequel to 2014’s Horrific Valentine’s Day Salon. Join WildClaw as they explore matters of the heart… and lungs… and liver…

Thank the Lorde!
By Po’Chop
Friday, February 16 - Sunday, February 18
Friday and Saturday 8pm
Sunday Matinee 2pm
$20
The spirit moves in Po'Chop’s Thank the Lorde! This tribute to the revolutionary women who work together as friends and lovers is church service as performance. Filled with secular interpretations of all your favorite sacraments. Only this time, the object of worship is a Black Lesbian Feminist doing her work. Have you done yours? 

A Concert Presentation of:
East’o, West’o!
Music and Lyrics by Michelle J. Rodriguez
Friday, February 23 & Saturday, February 24
8pm
$20
Weaving together Appalachian harmonies, bluegrass and contemporary folk, a Norwegian tale becomes an American myth in this joyful musical, celebrating a big-hearted heroine navigating the spaces between womanhood, belonging and home. Starring the composer/lyricist, Michelle J. Rodriguez, the first Chicago presentation of East’o, West’o! promises to be an experience of powerful, cleansing, revitalizing joy.

We Three: Loud Her. Fast Her. Funny Her. 
Monday, February 26 & Tuesday, February 27 
8pm
$25
Meghan Murphy, Danni Smith, & Cassie Slater are three giants (literally they're all 5'10+) in the musical theatre world. Here, they join forces to sing about the sweet release of a well-timed belly laugh and the life affirming power of a new found friendship.

LookOut is Steppenwolf’s performance series that presents the work of artists and companies across genre and form, emerging artists and performance legends, quintessential Chicago companies and young aspiring ensembles, familiar Steppenwolf faces and new friends. Tickets to all LookOut programming are available through Audience Services (1650 N Halsted), steppenwolf.org or 312-335-1650. Prices vary for each show. Steppenwolf Red Card and Black Card Members may use credits towards any LookOut programming. The LookOut Series is presented year-round and announced on an ongoing basis. John Zinn, Greta Honold and Patrick Zakem are the producers for LookOut. For more information, visit steppenwolf.org/lookout.

Located in front of the 1700 Theatre is Steppenwolf’s café & bar, Front Bar: Coffee and Drinks, offering a warm, creative space to grab a drink, have a bite, or meet up with friends and collaborators, day or night. Open Tuesdays – Sundays from 8am to midnight, Front Bar serves artisanal coffee and espresso is provided by La Colombe and food prepared by Goddess and Grocer. The menu focuses on fresh, accessible fare, featuring grab-and-go salads and sandwiches for lunch and adding shareable small plates and desserts for evening and post show service. www.front-bar.com.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is the nation’s premier ensemble theater. Formed by a collective of actors in 1976, the ensemble today features 47 members who represent a remarkable cross-section of actors, directors and playwrights. Thrilling and powerful productions from Balm in Gilead to August: Osage County—and accolades that include the National Medal of Arts and 12 Tony Awards—have made the theater legendary. Steppenwolf produces hundreds of performances and events annually in its three spaces: the 515-seat Downstairs Theatre, the 299-seat Upstairs Theatre and the 80-seat 1700 Theatre. Artistic programing includes a seven-play season; a two-play Steppenwolf for Young Adults season; Visiting Company engagements; and LookOut, a multi-genre performances series. Education initiatives include the nationally recognized work of Steppenwolf for Young Adults, which engages 15,000 participants annually from Chicago’s diverse communities; the esteemed School at Steppenwolf; and Professional Leadership Programs for arts administration training. While firmly grounded in the Chicago community, nearly 40 original Steppenwolf productions have enjoyed success both nationally and internationally, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, London, Sydney, Galway and Dublin. Anna D. Shapiro is the Artistic Director and David Schmitz is the Executive Director. Eric Lefkofsky is Chair of Steppenwolf’s Board of Trustees. For additional information, visit steppenwolf.org, facebook.com/steppenwolftheatre, twitter.com/steppenwolfthtr and instagram.com/steppenwolfthtr.

OPENING: NEW Lucky Plush ROOMING HOUSE Debuts in STEPPENWOLF’S 1700 THEATRE

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

LUCKY PLUSH PRESENTS 

ROOMING HOUSE, 

NEW DANCE THEATER WORK DEBUTS NOVEMBER 4-18 

IN STEPPENWOLF’S 1700 THEATRE

(Front, from left) Lucky Plush dancers Kara Brody and Elizabeth Luse, with (rear) Meghann Wilkinson and Aaron R. White. Photo credit: Philamonjaro

Lucky Plush Productions present Rooming House, the newest dance theater work devised by Lucky Plush, premiering in Steppenwolf’s new 1700 Theatre. 

Rooming House is presented as part of Steppenwolf’s LookOut Series November 4-18, 2017 with 12 performances over a three-week run.

Here at ChiIL Live Shows we've adored Lucky Plush for years. We're also huge fans of Leslie Buxbaum Danzig and have covered her excellent work with 500 Clown, Actors Gymnasium, Chicago Children's Theatre and more. We can't wait to see their next new thing, Rooming House, in one of our favorite new spaces, Steppenwolf’s 80 seat, 1700 Theatre! The world needs more joy right now and I have a feeling Lucky Plush is about to bring it.

Rooming House is co-created by founder and artistic director Julia Rhoads and collaborating director Leslie Buxbaum Danzig (formerly of 500 Clown). Playful and personal, the work synthesizes contemporary dance and theater to create a dynamic blueprint for exploring the question: what makes a person do something that could have life changing consequences?

Rooming House begins with an intimate conversation among friends, slipping easily between Spanish and English, as they recall stories of people who’ve taken actions with potentially devastating costs. When the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice is mentioned, varied interpretations propel the group into a physically and psychologically complex game of whodunit, taking them down a rabbit hole into the lives of everyday people who do extraordinary things—from life endangering rescues, to defecting from Cuba, to letting go of someone you love. 



Rooming House in the studio! from Lucky Plush Productions on Vimeo.

In Rooming House, the myth and game structure offer familiar anchors that allow the audience to form expectations, which then can be broken as performers follow their idiosyncratic preoccupations and wrestle with the conditions of the performance – often being a source of comedy and delight for the audience.

“Lucky Plush Productions deeply values creating a welcoming relationship between stage and audience, delivering relatable content without compromising complexity. Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theatre is an ideal venue to create this intimate relationship, and we are incredibly excited to being one of the first dance events on its intimate stage as part of Steppenwolf’s LookOut series,” said Lucky Plush Artistic Director and Rooming House co-creator Julia Rhoads.



“Lucky Plush also values laughter and finds that it functions as an important release, a non-precious way to tackle difficult issues and a generator of excellent energy between performers and audience,” added Rhoads’s frequent collaborator Leslie Buxbaum Danzig.

(From left) Lucky Plush dancers Meghann Wilkinson, Rodolfo Sánchez Sarracino, Elizabeth Luse and Aaron R. White perform a sneak-peek scene of Rooming House at the company’s Plucky Lush benefit in May, 2017. Photo credit: Philamonjaro

Previews of Rooming House are Saturday, November 4 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, November 5 at 4 p.m. Press openings are Monday, November 6 at 7:30 p.m. and Thursday, November 9 at 8 p.m. Performances run through November 18: Thursday-Saturday at 8 p.m.; Sunday at 4 p.m. There is an Industry Night performance on Monday, November 13 at 7:30 p.m. and an added performance, Wednesday, November 15 at 8 p.m.

Tickets are $15-$40. Student tickets are $15. Industry tickets are $20 (Monday, November 13 only). Previews are $30. Seniors 62+ and active military tickets are $30. Regular performances are $40. Steppenwolf Red and Black Card holders may use their cards as per Steppenwolf policies. 

For tickets and information, visit Steppenwolf.org, LuckyPlush.com or call (312) 335-1650.

(From left) Lucky Plush dancers Meghann Wilkinson, Elizabeth Luse, Rodolfo Sánchez Sarracino, Aaron R. White, Michel Rodriguez Cintra and Kara Brody.

Photo credit: Philamonjaro

The 1700 Theatre, 1700 N. Halsted St., Chicago, is Steppenwolf’s casual, intimate and flexible 80-seat space dedicated to showcasing the work of its ensemble and local companies like Lucky Plush. It is located immediately behind Front Bar: Coffee and Drinks, the company’s 2,500 square ft. café & bar.

The debut of Rooming House at Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theatre is part of LookOut, Steppenwolf’s new multi-genre performance series, presenting a wide variety of genres and shows, from dance to live music to spoken word and beyond, from a diverse array of voices, emerging and established alike. For more information, visit Steppenwolf.com/lookout.

Rooming House features Lucky Plush ensemble members Kara Brody, Michel Rodriguez Cintra, Elizabeth Luse, Rodolfo Sánchez Sarracino, Aaron R. White and Meghann Wilkinson. Original music is by Michael Caskey. Lighting design by Alexander Ridgers.

Rooming House received presentation support from Steppenwolf Theatre Company and The Yard (Martha’s Vineyard, MA); production residency support from Door Kinetic Festival (Bailey’s Harbor, WI), NC State LIVE (Raleigh, NC); seminar support from University of Chicago’s Center for Theater and Performance Studies; and project grants from National Endowment for the Arts, MacArthur International Connections Fund, Network of Ensemble Theaters and the Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation.



Julia Rhoads is the founding artistic director of Lucky Plush Productions. She has created more than 25 original works for Lucky Plush, several of which have toured extensively throughout the U.S. Additional choreography credits include Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Steppenwolf Theatre, Lookingglass Theatre, Walkabout Theater, Redmoon and River North Dance Chicago, among others. Rhoads is the recipient of an Alpert Award in Dance, a fellowship from the Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography, a Chicago Dancemakers Forum lab award, a Cliff Dwellers Foundation choreography award, two Illinois Arts Council choreography fellowships, a Jacob K. Javits fellowship for graduate studies, and a 2014 Fractured Atlas Arts Entrepreneurship Award for spearheading Creative Partners, an innovative nonprofit financial model shared by Lucky Plush Productions, Eighth Blackbird and Blair Thomas & Company. Rhoads is a former member of San Francisco Ballet and ensemble member of XSIGHT! Performance Group. She received her BA in History from Northwestern University, her MFA in Performance from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and she has taught in the dance and theater programs of several Chicago-area colleges and universities. She is currently a part-time lecturer and dance advisor at the University of Chicago’s Department of Theater and Performance Studies.

 

Leslie Buxbaum Danzig is a collaborating director with Julia Rhoads/Lucky Plush Productions, where she co-created The Better Half and The Queue and is currently working on Rooming House. For over a decade, Danzig was co-founder and resident director of the Chicago-based physical theater company 500 Clown, whose shows (Macbeth, Frankenstein, Christmas and Elephant Deal) performed in Chicago at venues including Steppenwolf Theatre Company and Lookingglass Theatre, and toured throughout the U.S. Other directing credits include Quest at The Actors Gymnasium; Wild Sound, composed by Wilco’s Glenn Kotche for Third Coast Percussion, with performances at MCA Chicago, Metropolitan Museum of Art (NYC), National Forum of Music (Wroclaw), and De Doelen (Rotterdam); Damon Kiely's The Revel with the House Theatre; Redmoon's The Elephant and the Whale with Chicago Children's Theater (with Frank Maugeri); Redmoon’s Hunchback at New Victory Theater (NYC); and Float with About Face Theater. Prior to turning to directing, she toured nationally and internationally as an actor with NYC’s Elevator Repair Service. Danzig is Assistant Professor of Practice in Theater and Performance Studies, University of Chicago. She received her BA from Brown University and PhD in Performance Studies from Northwestern University, and trained in physical theater at Écoles Jacques Lecoq and Philippe Gaulier. Upcoming projects include creating an original circus-theater production and stage directing Paddle to the Sea with Third Coast Percussion.

About Lucky Plush Productions

Now entering its 18th season, Lucky Plush Productions (LuckyPlush.com) is a Chicago-based dance theater company led by founder and artistic director Julia Rhoads. Lucky Plush is committed to provoking and supporting an immediacy of presence – a palpable liveness – shared by performers in real-time with audiences. A unique hybrid of high-level dance and theater, Lucky Plush’s work is well-known for carefully crafting dramatic and rhythmic arcs, pushing its artists to move beyond the predictable by earning the exciting slippage between – and surprising coherence of – pedestrian action, realistic dialogue, abstract choreography and humor. Though rigorously composed, much of the company’s work feels like it is generated spontaneously.

Since its founding in 2000, Lucky Plush has created 30 original dance-theater works including 12 evening-length productions. In addition to regularly performing in Chicago, the company has presented in over 40 US cities from Maine to Hawaii, and its international partners span from New Zealand to Cuba. Commissioners include the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, Krannert Center at the University of Illinois, Flynn Center for the Performing Arts (VT), Links Hall Chicago, Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center (MD) and Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. Lucky Plush has also collaborated with Lookingglass Theatre, Redmoon, Walkabout Theater and M5.

Lucky Plush Productions is the first and only dance company to receive the prestigious MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions, a recognition of the company’s exceptional creativity and impact. Other awards include creation, residency, and touring awards from National Endowment for the Arts, National Dance Project, and National Performance Network; exchange awards from the MacArthur Foundation International Connections Fund; a presentation award from MetLife Foundation; and an achievement award from the Lester and Hope Abelson Fund for the Performing Arts at The Chicago Community Trust.

Press features include the Boston Globe's "10 Best Dance Performances of 2013," Chicago Public Radio's "Best of 2011"; the Chicago Reader's "Best of Chicago 2010"; Time Out Chicago's "The Decade's 10 Best Original Dance Works"; the Chicago Tribune's "Best of Dance 2008"; Chicago Sun Times' "Lasting memories in Dance" for 2005 and 2007, and a Time Out Chicago cover story "5 reasons to love dance in Chicago," among others. 

Lucky Plush managing director Kim Goldman works in tandem with artistic director Julia Rhoads to carry out the company’s mission. The current ensemble includes Kara Brody, Michel Rodriguez Cintra, Elizabeth Luse, Rodolfo Sánchez Sarracino, Aaron R. White and Meghann Wilkinson. 

REVIEW: Strawdog's Scorching Barbecue Heats Up Steppenwolf's 1700 Space

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

CHICAGO PREMIERE OF 

BARBECUE 

BY ROBERT O’HARA, 

AUGUST 17 – SEPTEMBER 30, DIRECTED BY DAMON KIELY

"In America, you sometimes taze the ones you love."

Review:
There are few things as all American as a barbecue in the park, dysfunctional families, lying addicts, and dark comedies. Barbecue packs 'em all into a two hour ride that will have your ribs aching. Just when you think you've got it all figured out, the house goes dark, and the game changes. 


All photos by Heath Hays
(L to R) Abigail Pierce, Barbara Figgins, Anita Deely, John Henry Roberts and Kristin Collins

Don't get too comfortable in your seat. Once you're sure you fully grok where this show's going, your grasp on the play's reality is actually hanging by a thread, and ready to snap. I won't give many spoilers to this plot twist laden picnic, as it's better as a full on surprise. I will say it was laugh out loud funny, utterly unpredictable, and a thoroughly entertaining evening. 


(L to R) Abigail Pierce and Ginneh Thomas

Robert O’Hara's witty script is a delicious blend of deep truths wrapped in lies and an expertly funny exploration into family dynamics, deceptions, fictional memoirs, prejudices, our cultural celebrity fixation, and so much more. The comedic timing, body language and talent of this cast is superb as well. Celeste M. Cooper (Marie) was a particular standout. Even her facial expressions had us in hysterics. We're also enamored with Steppenwolf's newest space, the flexible, 80 seat 1700 stage, and this show fit the intimate space exceptionally well. Don't miss this!


Celeste M. Cooper, Deanna Reed-Foster and Kamille Dawkins



Celeste M. Cooper, Terence Sims, Deanna Reed-Foster and Kamille Dawkins

Barbecue by Robert O’Hara runs through September 30, with direction by Damon Kiely at Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s 1700 Theatre, 1700 N. Halsted Street as a LookOut Visiting Company.  

Click here for ticket specifics, and more in depth show info.

A LOOKOUT VISITING COMPANY PRESENTED AT STEPPENWOLF’S 1700 THEATRE

What better way to bring summer to a close than with an emotional bomb shell of a BBQ/family intervention?! We're elated that one of our favorite storefront companies, Strawdog Theatre Company, will be playing one of our fav new cabaret spaces, Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s 1700 Theatre. Not to mention, the author is the acclaimed and multi award winning Robert O’Hara. We adored his hilarious play, BootyCandy, that just ran for months at Windy City Playhouse. This one's sure to be hot! The intimate 1700 space fills fast so don't miss out. 

Regular run performances are Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 3:30 and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3:30 p.m. Preview tickets are $35, regular run tickets are $45. Strawdog subscribers enjoy 25% off all ticket prices. 

This production is also available to Steppenwolf’s Red and Black Card holders. Group, senior, student, industry, and rush discounts are also available. To purchase subscriptions to Strawdog’s 2017-18 Season, visit www.strawdog.org. 

To purchase single tickets to Barbecue, please visit HERE.

A modern American family uses a summer barbecue as a pretext to ambush sister Barbara with an intervention.  If you think “all families are crazy” is just a cliché, you’ve not spent time under the influence of the O'Mallerys.  An afternoon in the park with these raucous siblings and you'll be challenging your own assumptions about family, race, and reality. The Chicago premiere of Barbecue by Obie and Helen Hayes Award winner Robert O’Hara will have you laughing out loud and questioning how it’s true that in America, you sometimes taze the ones you love.

Since its world premiere, Barbecue has received critically acclaim. The Los Angeles Times said,  “Ferociously funny! Barbecue raucously sends up the sociological pantomime — life as an award-seeking existential burlesque,” and “Wickedly delightful!” by TheaterMania.com. Variety’s review included, “Barbecue, shrewdly turns the formula for the American domestic comedy on its head.”

The Barbecue cast includes Strawdog Ensemble Members John Henry Roberts and Kamille Dawkins with guest artists Kristin Collins, Celeste Cooper, Anita Deely, Barbara Figgins, Deanna Reed Foster, Abby Pierce, Terence Simms and Ginneh Thomas.

The Barbecue design team includes Strawdog Ensemble Members Costume Designer Aly Greaves Amidei and Sound Designer Heath Hayes with guest artists: Director Damon Kiely, Assistant Director Michael Burke, Set Designer Joanna Iwanicka, Lighting Designer Jared Gooding, Props Designer Leah Hummel and Dramaturg Taylor Barfield. 

ABOUT DAMON KIELY, DIRECTOR
Damon Kiely is chair of Performance at DePaul’s Theatre School and the author of the book How to Read a Play (Routledge) and the plays Thieves Like Us and The Revel. His production of Hank Williams: Lost Highway won the Jeff Award for Best Musical Midsized. He has directed for American Theatre Company, TimeLine, Route 66, A Red Orchid and many others. He lives in Edgewater with his wife Jennifer and their children, Bella and Finn.

ABOUT ROBERT O’HARA. PLAYWRIGHT
Robert O’Hara has received the NAACP Best Director Award, the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding New Play, two OBIEs and the Oppenheimer Award. He directed the world premieres of Nikkole Salter and Dania Guiria’s In the Continuum, Tarell McCraney’s The Brother/Sister Plays (Part 2), Colman Domingo’s Wild with Happy as well as his own plays, BootyCandy and Insurrection: Holding History. His new plays Zombie: The American and Barbecue, world premiered at Woolly Mammoth Theater and New York Shakespeare Festival, respectively. He is currently directing a new musical, Uni/son inspired from the poetry of August Wilson at Oregon Shakespeare Festival and a new musical, Bella by Kirsten Childs at Playwrights Horizons. He will direct the world premiere of his play, Mankind, at Playwrights Horizons this fall.



John Henry Roberts, Anita Deely, Barbara Figgins and Kristin Collins

ABOUT STRAWDOG THEATRE COMPANY
Since its founding in 1988, Strawdog Theatre Company has offered Chicagoland the premiere storefront theatre experience and garnered numerous Non-Equity Jeff Awards with its commitment to ensemble acting and an immersive design approach. The celebrated Company develops new work, re-imagines the classics, melds music with theatre, asks provocative questions and delivers their audience the unexpected.

Strawdog Theatre Company is supported in part by The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the Alphawood Foundation, Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, and the annual support of businesses and individuals.