Pages

Showing posts with label Streaming. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Streaming. Show all posts

Saturday, November 26, 2022

FEST ALERT: Pride Winter Film Fest to include award-winning dramatic and documentary features and an international program of “Hot Holiday Shorts”



Festival to stream December 7 – January 8.


Pride Film Fest will follow its successful fall series of weekly LGBTQ online film screenings with a winter festival consisting of four separate programs, each streaming for 11 days. The festival will begin December 7, 2022, and continue through January 8, 2023. The feature films will include several award winners.  

The winter series will open with the feature-length documentary PAT ROCCO DARED – the life story of one of Hollywood’s gay pioneers, remembered both for his political activism and his erotic gay films. The film has won five “Best Documentary” awards in recent festivals from Australia, France, and throughout the United States. This winner of 10 awards overall has been seen in nearly 40  festivals worldwide and will stream from December 7-18.

Second in the festival will be the award-winning 2022 feature UNIDENTIFIED OBJECTS, winner of two awards in the 2022 LA Outfest (Best Narrative Feature, Outstanding Performance in a Narrative Feature) and winner for Outstanding First Feature award in the 2022 Frameline San Francisco International LGBTQ Film Festival. This entertaining road-trip dramatic film involving a dwarf and his alien-obsessed neighbor will stream from December 14-25.

Concluding the winter festival will be the Canada’s DAWN, HER DAD & THE TRACTOR, a dramatic feature about a trans woman returning home and introducing her new identity to her family on a farm in Nova Scotia, which will stream from December 28, 2022 – January 8, 2023.DAWN, HER DAD & THE TRACTOR has been recognized in eight recent film festivals in the US, Canada and Australia, in which it has won awards for Best Feature, Best Narrative Feature, Best Actor, Best Cinematography, and Audience Choice.

 

From UNIDENTIFIED OBJECTS. 

The festival’s third week will be HOT HOLIDAY SHORTS - a program of eight short films from the USA, France, Germany, Russia, and Denmark. The program explores gay male sexuality in genres ranging from the erotic, humorous, poetic, and fantastic; in situations that depict seduction, comic misunderstandings, and the support and freedom found within the gay community. The shorts will stream from December 21, 2022 – January 1, 2023.

 

From the short film BROTHERS. 

Access to the films is $12.00 per film. Monthly memberships are also available for $10.00 per month which entitles the purchaser to a $5.00 discount on each of the festival programs ($7.00 per program) plus one free membership event and free admission to an Open Space Arts staged play reading to take place in 2023. 

Tickets for the individual programs are now on sale HERE

Membership passes are available HERE


 Winter 2022-23 Pride Film Festival –Complete Schedule


Week 1 – December 7 - 18, 2022

PAT ROCCO DARED

(2021, USA, 1:30)

Directed by Morris Chapdelaine and Bob Christie

Written by Bob Christie

In this colorful trip back in time, filmmaker and activist Pat Rocco shares his incredible life story as one of Hollywood's original boundary-pushing gay pioneers, remembered both for his political activism and his erotic gay films. The cast includes Phyllis Diller, Rev. Troy Perry and Harvey Milk. Winner of 10 awards in festivals throughout the United States and the world.

 

Week 2 – December 14 – 25, 2022

UNIDENTIFIED OBJECTS (2022, USA, 1:40)

Directed by Juan Felipe Zuleta

Written by Juan Felipe Zuleta and Leland Frankel

One of the most entertaining and unique road-trip movies! An uptight dwarf and his free-spirited, alien-obsessed neighbor hit the road on a border-defying search for their place in the universe. 2022 Award winner - Frameline San Francisco International LGBTQ Film Festival  (Outstanding First Feature), 2022 LA Outfest (Best Narrative Feature, Outstanding Performance in a Narrative Feature).


Week 3 – December 21, 2022 – January 1, 2023

HOT HOLIDAY SHORTS - Gay short films from the Gonella Film Collection 

 

 

 






Clockwise from top left: BROTHERS, FIRE ISLAND, LA DISYUNTIVA, LE DERNIER MATIN DU MONDE.  


BROTHERS (France/Russia, 9:20)

Damien and François decided to come out of the closet today, but no one believed them. They didn't look gay enough.


FIRE ISLAND ‘79 (USA, 7:44)

Directed by Todd Verow and Patrick McGuinn

Written by Todd Verow

When filmmaker Chase Hook committed suicide on December 31st, 1979, his conservative family destroyed all his gay erotic films. Recently super8 home movies of his last summer on Fire Island were found, along with the tape from his answering machine. The contrast between the natural freedom of the beach and the messages he got is remarkable.


LA DISYUNTIVA (Germany, 13:00)

Directed by Antonio Zucherino

Two men walk agitatedly on a dirt road between underbrush until one follows the other in the foliage. This short is intense and sexual.


LE DERNIER MATIN DU MONDE (France, 8:34)

A young man on Christmas Eve prostitutes himself in the streets of Paris when he meets a character who may be an angel Guardian.

 




Clockwise from top left: LE GOUT DE L'AUTRE, LOVE YOU TYLER, PD, and SPANDEX. 

LE GOÛT DE L'AUTRE (France, 8:43)


Written and directed by Jordan Fleury Kervella

Over a cup of tea, Julien tries to seduce Alan. Surprised, Alan avoids Julien. After this failure, Julien goes back to his sex addiction. Julien’s memories and imagination join to lose himself until he enters the poetic world of Alan.


LOVE YOU TYLER (USA, 8:42)

Directed by Ari Itkin and Devon Diffenderfer

Things get a little awkward when Luke starts to talk about his new girlfriend, Tyler, who has the same name and career as his straight roommate.  This interaction is funny and unexpected.

PD (France, 7:19)

A cruising area takes on majestic proportions as we discover Greek-esque male bodies in the forest. The sonnets 18, 57, and 20 by William Shakespeare add to the film's Midsummer Night's Dream-like ambiance. PD began as an homage to the book Derek Jarman’s Garden photos by Howard Sooley and is filmed entirely with a mobile phone.


SPANDEX - A TIGHT STORY ABOUT MASCULINITY (Denmark, 23:00)

A lovely black and white film about sports and dance, love and friendship, and leopard print spandex!

Week 4 – December 28, 2022 – January 8, 2023


DAWN, HER DAD & THE TRACTOR (2021, Canada, 1:30

After her mother's death, a young trans woman returns to the family farm in Nova Scotia, where she sees her father and sister for the first time in many years and the first time since her transition.DAWN, HER DAD & THE TRACTOR has been recognized in eight recent film festivals in the US, Canada and Australia, in which it has won awards for Best Feature, Best Narrative Feature, Best Actor, Best Cinematography, and Audience Choice.

 

ABOUT PRIDE FILM FEST

Pride Film Fest began in 2012 as Queer Bits, an in-person film festival that was a program of Chicago’s Pride Films and Plays artistic company. In 2002, Pride Film Festival was spun off as off as a separate entity and promises year-round LGBTQ film programming presented in streaming and occasionally in-person formats in Chicago.

Through this abundance of programming, Pride Film Fest will showcase the breadth of world LGBTQ film art – from shorts to features and everything in between - that expresses the variety and complexity of queer life across the globe. The fall schedule will include six separate programs streaming for 12 days each. Themes will explore the experiences of gay men and women, trans, gender queer, non-binary, and even asexual identities.

David Zak is the director of Pride Film Fest, a program of Open Space Arts. Open Space Arts is a non-profit organization dedicated to performances related to contemporary issues. This past summer, Open Space Arts presented the world premiere of THE KRAMER PROJECT, a dramatic adaptation by David Zak of Larry Kramer’s seminal 2004 speech, “The Tragedy of Today’s Gays.”

Tuesday, March 8, 2022

FREE Streaming: Misalliance Repertory’s Radio Play Production of James M. Barrie’s THE NEW WORD

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar  

THE NEW WORD
By James M. Barrie
Directed by Barbara Zahora


No charge - a gift to our supporters. (Donations gladly accepted)
Open ended
 
In The New Word, an ordinary British family gathers after dinner on the eve of their son's departure for service in World War I. At once poignant and hilarious, it features a family caught up in global events that will change their lives. 

Misalliance Repertory’s radio play production of James M. Barrie’s THE NEW WORD is now streaming 

Veterans of ShawChicago follow their acclaimed THE MUSIC CURE with a comedy-drama set in WWI era Britain, by the author of PETER PAN

Misalliance  Repertory Theatre, the company founded in 2020 by members of the former ShawChicago ensemble, has added a second audio play to their repertoire: James M. Barrie’s THE NEW WORD. Barrie’s 1915 play takes place on the night before a young man is leaving to join the army in WWI. It’s the last chance for a family to come together with some kind of understanding before the son leaves, possibly never to return. It is one of Barrie’s typically intimate and sympathetic studies of the tender commonplaces of daily domestic life, juxtaposed against the historic events of one of the deadliest conflicts in history.
 
Barrie’s 30-minute play is a short, but subtly insightful slice of life observing the impact of war on one family. The war has been underway for a year and 19-year-old Roger Torrance is about to assume his duties as a Second Lieutenant in the conflict. His rank of “Second Lieutenant” is “the new word” of the title. His father John Torrance says, “Till the other day we were so little of a military nation that most of us didn't know there were 2nd Lieutenants. And now, in thousands of homes we feel that there is nothing else. 2nd Lieutenant! It is like a new word to us.”
 
The play also explores the tensions in father-son and mother-son relationships of the period: how it was more acceptable for mothers and sons than for father and sons to express affection for each other. As Roger prepares to leave for the war, father and son re-evaluate that societal constraint, with John wryly observing, “We have, as it were, signed a compact, Roger, never to let on that we care for each other. As gentlemen we must stick to it.” Audiences will recognize the Barrie of PETER PAN in THE NEW WORD’s reflections on the nature of boys becoming men.


THE NEW WORD will be directed by Barbara Zahora 

Artistic Director of Oak Park Festival Theatre, and Professor and Co-Director of Acting at Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts. Zahora appeared frequently in productions at ShawChicago, where some of her favorite roles included Catherine in ARMS AND THE MAN, Hesione in HEARTBREAK HOUSE, the title roles in MAJOR BARBARA and CANDIDA, Maud and Carlotta in COWARD IN TWO KEYS, Nora in John Bull’s OTHER ISLAND, and Maggie in WHAT EVERY WOMAN KNOWS.

Richard Henzel, a veteran actor who appeared often with ShawChicago and other Chicago venues appears as the father, John Torrance. Henzel has performed his solo show, MARK TWAIN IN PERSON, throughout the U.S. 

Misalliance Artistic Director Mary Michell, a core member of ShawChicago, plays the wife and mother Ellen Torrance.

Roger, the son going off to war is played by Austyn Williamson, who has appeared in THE TEMPEST with Oak Park Festival Theatre and HENRY V for First Folio Theatre. Additionally, he was an understudy in RABBIT SUMMER at Redtwist Theatre) and in HOW TO DEFEND YOURSELF at Victory Gardens Theatre. 

Appearing as Roger’s Sister Emma is Pricilla Torres, whose recent credits include Georgie in SPIKE HEELS (The Studio Theatre Tierra Del Sol), Juliet in ROMEO AND JULIET (The Shakespeare Project of Chicago), Anne Bullen and Others in UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY for Oklahoma Shakespeare, where she also appeared in HENRY VIII.

The production team for THE NEW WORD also includes George Zahora (Sound Designer, recorded at Narwhal Studios Chicago), Daniel Millhouse (Managing Director and Production Coordinator), and Tom Bachtell (Graphic Design).



ABOUT MISALLIANCE REPERTORY THEATRE

Formed by former members of ShawChicago Theatre Company, which delighted Chicago audiences for 25 years, Misalliance Repertory Theatre is a group of artists collaborating to bring you the works of George Bernard Shaw and his literary kindred: hilarious and provocative plays, rooted in social commentary. As we explore these plays with our audiences, we hope to start a conversation about the kind of world we want to live in.
 
Additional information on the company is available at www.misalliancerepertory.org.


Saturday, March 5, 2022

REVIEW: Victory Gardens Theater To Stream Final Five Live Performances of Queen of the Night March 9–13, 2022

ChiIL Live And Streaming Shows On Our Radar   

Victory Gardens Theater to live-stream

Queen of the Night

with an innovative pilot program

Five live performances to be streamed

March 9–13, 2022



REVIEW: 
By Bonnie Kenaz-Mara

Here at ChiIL Live Shows we're loving the trend of theatres live streaming part of their run for those out of town or otherwise unable to sit indoor with a crowd. I caught opening night and Terry Guest (Ty) and André Teamer (Stephen) are wonderful in this poignant LGBTQ parenting adventure. 

Gay, young adult, Ty is hilariously out of his element in the wilderness with his father, but trying to embrace the experience and unpack some baggage. His father, Stephen doesn't stoop to the usual cliche of working class father of a gay son. 

Though they have a complicated and somewhat negative past history, he has evolved and is trying hard to bond with his adult son. I also love the intimacy of Victory Gardens Theater's 109 seat, upstairs Richard Christiansen Theater, named for beloved, long time Chicago critic, who passed away in January at age 90. Shout out to the set designer and sound designer for creating a delightful, overgrown wilderness that's exciting to escape to. 

Parenting children who don't turn out like you is complicated. Divorce and remarriage is difficult. Bridging not only the generation gap but the chasm between gay and heteronormative cultural can be daunting. Navigating relationships with your biological family as adults can be intense, and Queen of the Night explores this all too human experience in a tender, funny, heartfelt way. There's something especially dynamic and compelling about a 2 person show, and Queen of the Night nails it. Recommended. 

Bonnie is a Chicago based writer, theater critic, photographer, videographer, actress, artist and Mama. She owns two websites where she publishes frequently: ChiILLiveShows.com (adult) & ChiILMama.com (family friendly). 





Victory Gardens Theater, in partnership with Assemble Stream, will live-stream the final five performances of its critically acclaimed production of Queen of the Night. The pilot program includes cameras that have been mounted in the theater and throughout the set for superior live-stream capabilities and making the live performance simultaneously available to patrons at home and in the theater. This is the first program of its kind in Chicago.

"We are excited to be partnering with Assemble this season especially after watching their work on Lynn Nottage’s Clyde’s on Broadway. With livestream performances, we will be able to reach a broader audience than ever before, and share work by Chicago artists with theater-lovers around the world who may never have the opportunity to visit Victory Gardens in person," comments Artistic Director Ken-Matt Martin.

A divorced father and his queer son head to the woods of southeastern Texas to relive the camping trips of earlier, easier days. But even without cell service, certain things are inescapable. Playwright travis tate explores masculinity and queerness through the lens of multi-generational Blackness, offering a hilarious, heart-rending family portrait about reckoning with the wilderness of a shared past, while facing an uncertain future.

Written by travis tate and directed by Victory Gardens Artistic Director Ken-Matt Martin, Queen of the Night features Terry Guest (Ty) and André Teamer (Stephen). The live-stream performance options will be available March 9-12, 2022 at 7:30pm Central, and March 13, 2022 at 3pm Central. Streaming tickets are $24 and can be purchased at https://victorygardens.assemblestream.com/.


Friday, November 26, 2021

HERSHEY FELDER PRESENTS – “DANTE AND BEATRICE IN FLORENCE,” Streaming Through Sunday, Dec. 5

Help Out:

ChiIL Streaming Shows on our radar

PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE PRESENTS THE LATEST 



HERSHEY FELDER PRESENTS – LIVE FROM FLORENCE PRODUCTION, “DANTE AND BEATRICE IN FLORENCE,” PREMIERING SUNDAY, NOV. 28 AT 7 P.M. CST

 This production benefits national US theatres and arts organizations including Porchlight Music Theatre

The New Musical Film from Hershey Felder shares the Story of What Happens when Time, Art and Love Collide and is Available for Streaming Through Sunday, Dec. 5

Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to partner with Hershey Felder Presents - Live from Florence and its second season of productions. The launch of this new season from Hershey Felder is the new musical film, “Dante and Beatrice in Florence,” premiering Sunday, Nov. 28 at 7 p.m. CST and available through Sunday, Dec. 5.  Tickets are $55 per household and are available for purchase at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org. Tickets are now on sale at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org and include the premiere and a week of extended “on-demand” viewing access to the world premiere film. Viewing and access for all ends Sunday, Dec. 5 at 11:59 p.m. CST. 

“Dante and Beatrice in Florence” is a love story with an original musical score by Hershey Felder inspired by one of the most famous love stories in history and set in Florence, Italy. Florence is a city of spirits and ghosts and a magical city of love.

Florence is also the city where the piano was invented, and when a modern pianist in the city encounters the ghost of the 700 year old poet of love, Dante - mystical things happen. This is the musical story of what can happen when time, art and love collide! 

The cast of “Dante and Beatrice in Florence” includes Hershey Felder, Hila Plitmann, Debi Mazar, Theo DiFlorio, Olivia Merchant, Gabriele Giaffreda, ISF Cantabile Chorus, Members of Maggio Opera Academy, Mascarade Opera Academy, I Musicisti Fiorentini, Ensemble Symphony Orchestra of Tuscany and more! 

Ticket holders will receive their live stream link Friday, Nov. 26 via the email used to register for the event. The performance may be streamed from a smart TV, computer, smartphone or tablet.

ABOUT HERSHEY FELDER (Writer and Performer)

Named to “Time Magazine’s” 2016 Top 10 Plays and Musicals, Felder has played over 6,000 performances of his self-created solo productions at some of the world’s most prestigious theatres and has broken box office records consistently. “American Theatre Magazine” has said, “Hershey Felder is in a category all his own.” His shows include: George Gershwin Alone (Broadway’s Helen Hayes Theatre, West End’s Duchess Theatre); Monsieur Chopin; Beethoven; Maestro (Leonard Bernstein); Franz Liszt in Musik, Lincoln: An American Story, Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin, Our Great Tchaikovsky, and A Paris Love Story. His compositions and recordings include Aliyah, Concerto for Piano and Orchestra; Fairytale, a musical; Les Anges de Paris, Suite for Violin and Piano; Song Settings; Saltimbanques for Piano and Orchestra; Etudes Thematiques for Piano; and An American Story for Actor and Orchestra. Hershey is the adaptor, director and designer for the internationally performed play-with-music The Pianist of Willesden Lane with Steinway artist Mona Golabek; producer and designer for the musical Louis and Keely: ‘Live’ at the Sahara, directed by Taylor Hackford; and writer and director for Flying Solo, featuring opera legend Nathan Gunn. Hershey has operated a full-service production company since 2001, and in 2020 created a new brand LIVE FROM FLORENCE, that operates a “theatre at home broadcast company,” based in Florence, Italy. Early broadcasts included; Hershey Felder as IRVING BERLIN; Hershey Felder, BEETHOVEN; Hershey Felder as GEORGE GERSHWIN ALONE; Hershey Felder, BACKSTORY – The Story Behind the Creation of Berlin, Gershwin & Bernstein; Cooking French in Florence with Jeffrey Thickman & Hershey Felder; and Cooking Russian with Hershey Felder and Jeffrey Thickman. The Hershey Felder Presents - Live from Florence 2020-21 Season of broadcasts included: Hershey Felder as Claude Debussy in A PARIS LOVE STORY; Hershey Felder, TCHAIKOVSKY; Hershey Felder as Sholem Aleichem in BEFORE FIDDLER; Hershey Felder, PUCCINI; and Hershey Felder as Sergei Rachmaninoff in NICHOLAS, ANNA & SERGEI. Hershey has been a scholar-in-residence at Harvard University’s Department of Music and is married to Kim Campbell, the first female Prime Minister of Canada.


ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE

Porchlight Music Theatre is the award-winning center for music theatre in Chicago. Through live performance, youth education and community outreach we impact thousands of lives each season, bringing the magic of musicals to our theatre home at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts in the Gold Coast and to neighborhoods across the city. Porchlight has built a national reputation for boldly reimagining classic musicals, supporting new works and young performers, and showcasing Chicago’s most notable music theatre artists, all through the intimate and powerful theatrical lens of the “Chicago Style.” 

Now in its 27th season, Porchlight's quarter-century production history includes more than 70 mainstage works with 15 Chicago premieres and five world premieres. Porchlight’s commitment to the past, present and future of music theatre led the company to develop the Porchlight Revisits and New Faces Sing Broadway program series, both quickly becoming audience favorites. 

Porchlight's education and outreach programs serve schools, youth of all ages and skill levels and community organizations, most notably the ongoing collaboration with Chicago Youth Centers. Porchlight annually awards dozens of full scholarships and hundreds of free tickets to ensure accessibility and real engagement with this uniquely American art form. 

The company’s many honors include 178 Joseph Jefferson Award (Jeff) nominations and 45 Jeff awards, as well as 33 Black Theatre Alliance (BTA) nominations and 12 BTA awards. In 2019, Porchlight graduated to the Large Theatre tier of the Equity Jeff Awards, and was honored with eight nominations in both technical and artistic categories and won three awards in its inaugural year in this tier, most notably Best Ensemble for Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies. 

Through the global pandemic, Porchlight emerged as one of Chicago’s leaders in virtual programming, quickly launching a host of free offerings like Sondheim @ 90 Roundtables, Movie Musical Mondays, Porchlight by Request: Command Performances and WPMT: Classic Musicals from the Golden Age of Radio. For the 2020-2021 season, Porchlight’s fall schedule included all-new ticketed virtual programs including Broadway by the Decade, New Faces Sing Broadway 1987, Chicago Sings Rock & Roll Broadway, New Faces Sing Broadway 1961 and the return of The Ruffians’ Burning Bluebeard as well as collaborations with Hershey Felder and L.A. Theatre Works. Porchlight recently launched its first summer performance schedule in 2021 that included a sold-out performance of New Faces Sing Broadway 1979 at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, the premiere of its outdoor music series Broadway in your Backyard, performed throughout Chicagoland this summer and special appearances at Sundays on State and Navy Pier’s Chicago Live Again. 

Porchlight Music Theatre is partially supported by generous contributions from  Actors’ Equity Foundation; Allstate; Michael Best & Friedrich LLP; Chapman | Spingola, LLP; Abe and Ida Cooper Foundation; Gen Ops Plus; Elegant Event Lighting; Glimpse Vision; James P. and Brenda S. Grusecki Family Foundation; Hearty Boys; A.L. and Jennie L. Luria Foundation; The MacArthur Fund for Culture, Equity and the Arts at Prince; the Pritzker Traubert Foundation; Ryan and Spaeth, Inc.; Daniel and Genevieve Ratner Foundation; The Saints and Dr. Scholl Foundation.

The season program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, a state agency, and by a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events. 

Porchlight Music Theatre wishes to thank members of the Matching Gift Corporate Program including Abbvie; Allstate; Lloyd A. Fry Foundation; Peoples Gas; Pepsico; Polk Bros Foundation and The Saints. 


Thursday, October 28, 2021

STREAMING: LOVE IN THE TIME OF JONESTOWN – A Radio Play November 21 – December 12, 2021

 New Dates Announced!

The New Coordinates Present the World Premiere of

LOVE IN THE TIME OF JONESTOWN – A Radio Play

By Ensemble Member Omer Abbas Salem

Directed by Sophiyaa Nayar

Streaming November 21 – December 12, 2021


The New Coordinates, formerly The New Colony, has announced new dates for its world premiere Love in the Time of Jonestown – A Radio Play, streaming on demand from November 21 – December 12, 2021 at thenewcoordinates.org. Sinister and seductive, this brand-new audio experience by Ensemble Member Omer Abbas Salem and directed by Sophiyaa Nayar explores the splendid ache of acceptance and the profound bliss of betrayal. 

Tickets ($15) are currently available at thenewcoordinates.org

Love in the Time of Jonestown will feature Tina El Gamal (Reporter), Niko Kourtis (Henry), Tommy Malouf (Ahmed, Congressman Ryan), Omer Abbas Salem* (Rassoul), Stephanie Shum* (Wendy) and Mary Williamson (Jim Jones).

We want you to be safe – to feel supported. We want to create space for everything about you because we love you exactly as you are. We want to break oppressive systems and rebuild a world that not only accommodates all of us, but celebrates and fosters our beautiful individuality. All we ask is that you come with an open mind, an open heart, and a willingness to dialogue. Welcome to Jonestown, we hope you'll stay. 

The production team includes Eric Backus (sound design and original music), Nadya Naumaan, (associate director), Catherine Miller (dramaturg) and Devonte E. Washington (production stage manager).

*Denotes The New Coordinates Ensemble Member


About the Artists

Omer Abbas Salem (Playwright) is a Chicago actor and playwright. As an actor, he's worked with The New Coordinates, Jackalope Theatre, Steep Theatre, Silk Road Rising, Griffin Theatre, The House, Bailiwick Chicago, Actors Theatre of Louisville and The Atlantic Theater. His play Mosque4Mosque was developed through the National Queer Theater and then chosen for further development through Steppenwolf Theatre's SCOUT Program. The Secretaries was workshopped through The New Coordinates, a semi-finalist in Definition Theatre's Amplify Commission, and developed through the Goodman Theatre's Future Labs. Pretty Shahid was commissioned as part of Jackalope Theatre's 2020/21 New Frontier Series. He is a member of the 2021/22 Goodman Playwrights Unit and is the recipient of the 2021 Cunningham Commission through DePaul University. He was an apprentice of the Actors Theatre of Louisville (17/18) and a proud ensemble member with Steep Theatre and The New Coordinates. He is represented by DDO Artist Agency and the Gersh Agency. More at www.omerabbassalem.com.

Sophiyaa Nayar (Director) is from New Delhi, India. Most recently, she directed Shakuntala by Lavina Jadhwani (Future Labs, Goodman Theatre). She is a member of the Women’s Project Lab 2020-22, an ensemble member with Definition Theatre, member of Director's Lab Chicago 2017 and was a resident in Milwaukee Rep’s 2017/18 season. She is part of the SDC Foundation’s Observership Class, through which she worked on Soft Power by Jeanine Tesori and David Henry Hwang at The Public. Recent work includes: Good Years by Ada Alozie (Definition Theatre), Being Julia Roberts by Omer Abbas Salem (Jackalope Theatre), MLK Project by Yolanda Androzzo (Writers Theatre), EthiopianAmerica By Sam Kabede (Definition Theatre) which won BTA Awards for Best Play, Featured Actor and Actress and a Jeff Award for Fight Choreography. She just finished workshopping a screenplay with Sundance Collab under Jessica Sharzer. Learn more about her on sophiyaanayar.net

 

About The New Coordinates

The New Coordinates (formerly The New Colonyd) develops New Art and New Artists in order to educate and build New Audiences. Now in its 13th year, The New Coordinates has established itself as “one of Chicago’s essential off-Loop companies” (Chicago Tribune). Through the development of countless new plays and musicals, 32 world premieres, and a conscious shift toward becoming an anti-racist theatre, The New Coordinates has cultivated a diverse audience of theatergoers eager to have a voice in the storytelling. Conversation, collaboration and innovation remain at the heart of everything they produce. The New Coordinates' work has been honored with five non-Equity Jeff Awards, Broadway In Chicago’s 2011 Emerging Theatre Award, and their shows have gone onto productions across the country and beyond. Learn more at thenewcoordinates.org.

Monday, October 11, 2021

Now Streaming: 3 Mini Steppenwolf Works Via Pulitzer Prize-winning Ensemble Member Tracy Letts

Tracy Letts Plays Like You’ve Never Seen Them Before

As a bridge to live performances, Steppenwolf produces three new virtual works 

by Pulitzer Prize-winning ensemble member Tracy Letts 

Now Streaming Through October 24, 2021 


Pictured L to R: Rainn Wilson in "Night Safari", Tracy Letts in "The Stretch" and the puppet character Ted in "The Old Country" (voiced by William Petersen).

In the lead-up to ensemble member Tracy Letts’ extraordinary BUG this November in the Downstairs Theater, Steppenwolf Theatre Company is proud to bring audiences a sampler of the playwright’s singular voice in their homes with a trio of new virtual plays by Letts. The three gripping pieces, each produced for the first-time in a digital format, create the opening landscape of the 2021/22 Comeback Season and mark a bridge to the return of live performances and the highly anticipated opening of the new Arts and Education Center this fall. Steppenwolf’s virtual stage—which has streamed in all 50 states and over 20 countries since its inception last fall—is a celebration of the profound connection that theatre, in whatever form it finds itself, offers us all.

Ensemble member Tracy Letts shares, “These plays share at least one thread: a world off-kilter. But since I wrote these pieces, the actual world has undergone some hair-raising transformations, which have cast mysterious new light on these plays. They feel very much like stories for 2021.”


Ticket Info

Single tickets are now available and grant access to all three virtual plays for $20 at steppenwolf.org/TracyLettsvirtual or by calling Audience Services at 312-335-1650. Students, teachers, artists & essential workers get access for $10. The three plays stream from September 29 through October 24, 2021. 

Access to the virtual works is FREE with a Steppenwolf 2021/22 Classic Membership. To purchase a Membership or for more information, visit steppenwolf.org/memberships or call 312-335-1650.


About the Plays

NIGHT SAFARI 

A monologue filmed in a studio location 

Written by ensemble member Tracy Letts 

Directed by Patrick Zakem 

Featuring Rainn Wilson 

Run time: 14 minutes

The nocturnal habits of the Panamanian Night Monkey, the life cycle of the Paradoxical Frog, and the mating rituals of middle-aged male homo sapiens. This wry monologue poses the question: are we so distant from the whims of our biology? Enjoy your tour, and please remember—do not feed the animals.

THE OLD COUNTRY 

A filmed vignette, inhabited by puppets 

Written by ensemble member Tracy Letts 

Directed by Patrick Zakem 

Puppet and production design by Grace Needlman 

Featuring ensemble members William Petersen and Karen Rodriguez with Mike Nussbaum 

Run time: 10 minutes 

Two men in a diner drain the last drops of their coffees and think about ordering dessert. In the denouement of their (physical, intellectual, and sexual) lives, they wax nostalgic and try to communicate across a wide divide. 

THE STRETCH 

A monologue filmed in a studio location 

Written by ensemble member Tracy Letts 

Directed by ensemble member Anna D. Shapiro 

Featuring ensemble member Tracy Letts 

Run time: 8 minutes 

And they’re off, for the 108th running of the El Dorado Stakes! But this race is long-distance… and maybe not what it first seems…

This past spring Steppenwolf announced plans to also produce two additional original virtual works by ensemble members Tina Landau and Tarell Alvin McCraney following Tracy Letts’s trio of virtual plays as part of the 2021/22 Comeback Season. Due to scheduling conflicts and production limitations, in consultation with the artists involved, Steppenwolf has decided to not produce Landau and McCraney’s virtual pieces at this time, and will explore future incarnations of the works. Letts’s trio of plays, which are already in production and nearly complete, offer audiences highly original works. From on-location filming with Rainn Wilson to handmade 3D puppets brought to life, and entirely new teams of film and video creatives employed in the creation of each work, Steppenwolf looks forward to sharing these three pieces in the lead-up to live performances of BUG this November. Learn more about the 2021/22 Comeback Season at steppenwolf.org.

Sponsor Info

Night Safari is generously supported in part by Northern Trust. United Airlines is the Official and Exclusive Airline of Steppenwolf. 

Steppenwolf is also grateful for the significant season support from Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Illinois Arts Council Agency, Ralla Klepak Foundation for Education in the Performing Arts and The Shubert Foundation.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is a Chicago theater that is home to America’s ensemble. The company began performing in the mid-1970s in the basement of a Highland Park, IL church—today Steppenwolf is the nation’s premier ensemble theater with 49 members who are among the top actors, playwrights and directors in the field. Deeply rooted in its ensemble ethos, the company is committed to equity, diversity, inclusion and making the Steppenwolf experience accessible to all. Productions that premiered at Steppenwolf including August: Osage County and Pass Over—and accolades that include the National Medal of Arts and 12 Tony® Awards— have made the theatre legendary. Artistic programming includes a main stage season; a Steppenwolf for Young Adults season; LookOut, a multi-genre performance series; and the Steppenwolf NOW virtual stage. 2021 marks the opening of the company 50,000 sq. ft. Arts and Education Center—featuring a 400-seat Round Theater, dedicated education floor and new spaces for engagement. The nationally recognized work of Steppenwolf Education engages more than 30,000 participants annually in Chicagoland communities. While firmly grounded in the Chicago community, more than 40 original Steppenwolf productions have enjoyed success nationally and internationally, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, London, Sydney, Galway and Dublin. Anna D. Shapiro is the Artistic Director and E. Brooke Flanagan is the Executive Director. Eric Lefkofsky is Chair of Steppenwolf’s Board of Trustees.


Steppenwolf's mission

Steppenwolf strives to create thrilling, courageous and provocative art in a thoughtful and inclusive environment. We succeed when we disrupt your routine with experiences that spark curiosity, empathy and joy. We invite you to join our ensemble as we navigate, together, our complex world.


Sunday, July 4, 2021

REVIEW: Black Lives, Black Words Filmed Premiere of Ride Share Now Streaming Through July 25, 2021

ChiIL Streaming Shows On Our Radar:

Black Lives, Black Words International Project and Writers Theatre

 filmed premiere of

Ride Share

Written by Reginald Edmund

Directed by Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway

Featuring Kamal Angelo Bolden

 

June 23 - July 25, 2021




REVIEW:

By Bonnie Kenaz-Mara

Sixteen months after theatres went dark across the nation, streaming shows are sometimes a hard sell. Zoom fatigue and screen burnout is real, and even diehard theatre fans are longing for the connection and interaction of live shows. We're talking about a medium so intimate, patrons' heartbeats sync up as they watch a show, and audience reactions influence and alter the performance in real time. There's been a lot of trial and error as well as growing pains, trying to pivot the theatre industry to a viable quarantine compliant form. Even the best prerecorded, streaming shows have an uphill battle to compete. That said, Ride Share is a timely triumph and well worth watching. I wouldn't be surprised if it stands years from now, as as both a stark reminder of this moment in history, in content and style, and a stellar example that the show must go on.  

Peoria, IL native, Kamal Angelo Bolden delivers a stunning, high energy performance as Marcus. His entire character trajectory is captivating, multilayered, and well suited to a streaming show. The emotions he evokes in the audience run the gamut from empathy to amusement, to anger and back again. 

Bolden performed the show live in his apartment over Zoom, using his laptop as the camera and differentiating locations, time and character by utilizing different rooms, lighting and household objects. 

I was initially expecting more of a Hell Cab scenario, albeit as a one man show, but Ride Share is at once deeper and more disturbing. This satisfying revenge fantasy is a great commentary on capitalist society and a fair number of isms too. Classism, racism, exploitation and invisibility of frontline workers, and more social issues and human personality flaws are brought forth with humor and insight.  

Kudos to both Black Lives, Black Words International Project for still storytelling even when covid 19 made creating complicated, and Writers Theatre for giving this filmed premiere amplification and a wider audience. The pandemic has been an amplifier, exposing inequality in the world at large and in Chicago's theatre scene.  Here at ChiIL Live Shows we're excited that black lives, words, and talent are finally gaining more well deserved stage time and space at the table. We're optimistic for things to come. 

Bonnie Kenaz-Mara is a Chicago based writer, theater critic, photographer, videographer, actress, artist and Mama. She owns two websites where she publishes frequently: ChiILLiveShows.com (adult) & ChiILMama.com (family friendly). 

Marcus has a new wife, a comfortable job and everything seems to be falling into place – until his honeymoon is interrupted by an email from work, laying him off. To make ends meet, he becomes a ride share driver, shuttling passengers from all walks of life to and from parties, brunches and meetings. The passengers range from silly, to seductive – to downright scary. But as long as Marcus keeps his radio on and his wits about him, there’s nothing he can’t handle…right? 

Written and directed by Black Lives, Black Words co-founders Reginald Edmund and Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway respectively, Ride Share steps on the gas and takes you along for the dangerous, thrilling ride. Hop in.

Ride Share is co-produced by Black Lives, Black Words International Project and Writers Theatre. It was filmed in Los Angeles in April 2021.

The creative team and crew for Ride Share also includes Tannie Xin Tang (Director of Photography), Lesley Kubistal (Editor), Kerry Baines (Sound Designer/Composer/Mixer), Alexandra Regazzoni (Scenic Designer), Mbela Endeley (Audio Recordist Operator), Katrina D. RiChard (Line Producer), Brian Gutierrez (1st Camera Assistant), Leland Deming (2nd Camera Assistant), Matteo Martignago (Gaffer), Jim Ritchey (Best Boy Electric), Bryan Coleman (Key Grip), Han Luo (Best Boy Grip), Yaowen Fan (Swing), Todd McGraw (Rigger), Noah Michal (Production Assistant), Juliana Acosta (COVID Compliance Officer), Michael Halberstam (Executive Producer), Chris Greiner (Producer), Bobby Kennedy (Artistic Producer) and Adam Veness (Technical Director/Associate Scenic Designer).

Of the production, director Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway says, "As a director, you are constantly looking for a story that thrills, excites and offers creative challenges. Ride Share is a rare gem that every director and actor would love to get their hands on. Every turn of the page takes you deeper into the subconsciousness of Marcus and shines a light on America by questioning the obtainment of the American Dream for Black and POC front-line workers. Reginald’s writing is brutally honest, beautifully raw and boldly unapologetic – it has been a dream to direct this important piece of work, our first feature film at Black Lives, Black Words, in partnership with Writers Theatre. I simply cannot wait to share it with the world."

Reginald Edmund acted as the Dramaturg for Writers Theatre's acclaimed 2017 production of East Texas Hot Links by Eugene Lee, directed by Ron OJ Parson.

Reginald Edmund, Managing Curating Producer of Black Lives, Black Words and writer of Ride Share says, "From an unfunded independent BLBW Zoom play to my first feature film in partnership with Writers Theatre in less than a year - the creation of Ride Share has been one of the most awarding moments in my career. Inspired by my experience as an Uber driver and chronicled accounts on Facebook, Ride Share is the perfect blend of personal experiences and amalgamated reality that stirs the soul as it takes us on a journey into the depths of the black male experience in America. Under the direction of Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway, who is one of the most exciting theatrical minds of our generation and a true visionary, Ride Share has been elevated with every incarnation of this project and I can't wait for audiences to see the feature film. I hope audiences are ready! Black Lives, Black Words is grateful to the artistic leadership of Michael Halberstam and the brilliant Writers Theatre team for this exciting partnership and unwavering support."

Michael Halberstam adds, “This collaboration with Black Lives, Black Words has been a dream. Reggie’s powerful poetic vision for his screenplay and his impressively defined production company stands at the core of this collaboration. Furthermore, we were inspired by Simeilia's remarkable prowess for creating a striking visual vocabulary which employs the engines of theatre and the tools of film to create a truly unique hybrid of the two mediums. Both artists have been perfectly balanced by Kamal Angelo Bolden’s breathtaking performance. It was a true privilege to be in the room with the team Reggie and Sim assembled and we all dream of many further collaborations.”  

Kamal Angelo Bolden (Marcus) A native of Peoria, IL, Kamal graduated from Bradley University with a degree in Business Administration-Entrepreneurship. After several years of working in corporate America, he took a leap of faith to pursue acting full time, going on to star in dozens of regional theatre productions in Nashville and Chicago, including the lead role ‘Hero’ in the Goodman Theatre’s production of Suzan-Lori Parks’ Father Comes Home From The Wars Parts 1,2, & 3 and the title role of ‘Chad Deity’ in the world premiere of Kristoffer Diaz’s Pulitzer Prize finalist play The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity at Victory Gardens Theatre. Off-Broadway, he received the AUDELCO Award for Best Actor for his work in Reparations at the historic Billie Holiday Theatre and a nomination for his turn in The Opponent at 59E59St Theatre. Though he discovered a fondness for the camera in the Big Apple, making his debut on FX’s Lights Out and the popular Christmas movie The Night Before, still it was his love for theatre that brought him to LA to be directed by legendary actress Phylicia Rashad in Immediate Family at the Mark Taper Forum. In just a short time in L.A., Kamal has gone on to create several memorable characters on television including recurring roles on NBC’s Chicago Fire, FOX’s Rosewood, HBO’s Insecure and FOX’s The Resident. On film, he spent some time in Wales filming the action-packed horror flick Ravers before landing the leading role of ‘Russell Savage’ in the BET film Keys to the City. Most recently, Kamal completed filming the Hulu comedy Vacation Friends alongside Lil Rel Howery and John Cena and is currently filming AMC’s 61st Street, executive produced by Michael B. Jordan. His education includes training at the British American Drama Academy in Oxford.

Both Reginald Edmund and Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway are award-winning theatre artists and are the co-founders of Black Lives, Black Words International Project. 

Reginald Edmund (Writer) is the Co-Founder and Managing Curating Producer for Black Lives, Black Words International Project. Inspired by #blacklivesmatter, this project gives voice to some of the most contemporary political black writers from both the U.S., Canada and the U.K., asking them to explore the question, “Do black lives matter today?” In addition, he was a Resident Playwright at Tamasha Theatre in London, England and an Alumni Resident Playwright at Chicago Dramatists Theatre, an Artistic Associate at Pegasus Theatre-Chicago and an Artistic Patriot at Merrimack Repertory Theatre; he was also a 2010-11 Many Voice Fellow with the Playwrights’ Center. His play Southbridge was runner up for the Kennedy Center’s Lorraine Hansberry and Rosa Parks National Playwriting Awards, and most recently named winner of the Southern Playwrights’ Competition, the Black Theatre Alliance Award for Best New Play and the Edgerton Foundation New American Play Award. His nine-play series titled The City of the Bayou Collection, include Southbridge, Juneteenth Street, The Last Cadillac and All the Dying Voices were developed at esteemed theaters including Pegasus Theatre-Chicago, Deluxe Theatre, Actors Theatre of Charlotte, Bush Theatre (U.K.), Theatre @ Boston Court, The Landing Theatre, Playwrights’ Center and The National Theatre (U.K.). Reginald Edmund received his BFA in Theatre-Performance from Texas Southern University and his MFA in Playwriting from Ohio University.

Ride Share was originally commissioned and produced by Black Lives, Black Words International Project in July 2020. The piece by Reginald Edmund was also directed by Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway and starred Kamal Angelo Bolden. 

Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway (Director) is an internationally acclaimed arts leader, director, producer, changemaker, black plays specialist and dramaturg. More recently recognized for the commission and direction of The Interrogation of Sandra Bland by Mojisola Adebayo, performed by 100 women of color at Goodman Theatre as part of Black Lives Black Words: I AM Fest. Simeilia is the Co-founder and Creative Director at Black Lives Black Words International Festival, Founder and CEO at Beyond The Canon Limited, Curatorial Consultant at Manchester International Festival and Founder and former CEO at Artistic Directors of the Future. Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway has been listed five consecutive years in the Stage Top 100 Power List (2017-21), selected by Google and TED as one of the five international Emerging Innovators (2019), named in the London Evening Standard The Progress 1000: London's most influential people 2018 - Performance: Theatre, included in the Who Who's 2020 publication, the standard, up-to-date source book of information on people of influence and interest in all fields and recipient of The Stage Innovation Award for her work on diversifying U.K. arts boards in 2020. She is also former researcher, trouble-shooter and Project Manager of the National Theatre's Black Play Archive, Editor of the first monologue anthology inspired by black British Plays: ‘The Oberon Book of Monologues for Black Actors: Classical and Contemporary Speeches from Black British Plays’ which was followed by a second monologue anthology, inspired by the work of international playwrights, published by Bloomsbury Methuen Drama: ‘Audition Speeches for Black, South Asian and Middle Eastern Actors’ and former Trustee at the Directors Guild of Great Britain and Company of Angels Theatre Company. She also works nationally and internationally as a teacher/guest lecture, audience development consultant and leadership consultant. 

Schedule: June 23 - July 25, 2021

Tickets: Call the Box Office at 847-242-6000; www.writerstheatre.org

Ride Share is available to WT Classic Subscribers at no additional charge.

Up Front Flex Members who would like to watch Ride Share can use one of their pre-paid Member tickets and book for no additional charge by calling the Box Office at 847-242-6000. Pay As You Go Members can purchase one of their $35 Member tickets by calling the Box Office.

 

Prices:              

Ticket prices are based on number of viewers in your household:

Solo: $40

Duo: $65

Trio: $85

Ensemble (4+): $100

All prices are subject to regular per-ticket fees.

Accessibility: Closed Captioning will be available on all performances. Audio Description will be available on demand during the full run. Patrons will be able to select the AD performance when purchasing their ticket.

Box Office: Call the WT Box Office at 847-242-6000; www.writerstheatre.org

For the safety of our employees and patrons, Writers Theatre will continue to operate all WT Box Office business remotely. Associates will be available to take your call, Monday and Tuesday, 12-5pm CST, and Wednesday – Saturday, 12-7:30pm CST. The Writers Theatre Box Office located in our Theatre Center in downtown Glencoe will remain closed until further notice to encourage social distancing.

Writers Theatre is pleased to welcome back BMO Harris Bank for 2020/21 as the distinguished Season Sponsor, marking the Bank’s tenth consecutive year as season sponsor. 



 

ABOUT BLACK LIVES, BLACK WORDS INTERNATIONAL PROJECT 

Black Lives, Black Words International project is the definition of Activist Theatre. Dedicated to social justice, BLBW commissions, develops and produces bold and unapologetic artistic responses to current social and political issues. Through exciting partnerships with like-minded arts and academia institutions, BLBW commissions new plays and films widening the accessibility to mainstream institutions and increasing the visibility of new and existing POC artists. The ambition of BLBW has led to create a successful pathway to artistic employment opportunities in the arts for POC creatives across the globe.

 

ABOUT WRITERS THEATRE 

For 29 years, Writers Theatre has captivated Chicagoland audiences with inventive interpretations of classic work, a bold approach to contemporary theatre and a dedication to creating the most intimate theatrical experience possible. 

Under the artistic leadership of Michael Halberstam and the executive leadership of Kathryn M. Lipuma, Writers Theatre has grown to become a major Chicagoland cultural destination with a national reputation for excellence, being called the top regional theatre in the nation by The Wall Street Journal. The company, which plays to a discerning audience of more than 60,000 patrons each season, has garnered critical praise for the consistent high quality and intimacy of its artistry—providing the finest interpretations of both classic and contemporary theatre in its two intensely intimate venues.  

In February 2016, Writers Theatre opened a new, state-of-the-art facility. This established the company's first permanent home—a new theatre center in downtown Glencoe, designed by the award-winning, internationally renowned Studio Gang Architects, led by Founder and Design Principal Jeanne Gang, FAIA, in collaboration with Theatre Consultant Auerbach Pollock Friedlander. The new facility has allowed the Theatre to continue to grow to accommodate its audience, while maintaining its trademark intimacy. The new facility resonates with and complements the Theatre’s neighboring Glencoe community, adding tremendous value to Chicagoland and helping to establish the North Shore as a premier cultural destination. 

Find Writers Theatre on Facebook at Facebook.com/WritersTheatre, follow @WritersTheatre on Twitter or @Writers_Theatre on Instagram. For more information, visit www.writerstheatre.org.  

 

Google Analytics