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Showing posts with label Terry Guest. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Terry Guest. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 8, 2025

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

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 

The Story Theatre Presents

At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen

By Governing Ensemble member Terry Guest

Directed by Mikael Burke

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

Featuring Governing Ensemble members

Terry Guest and Paul Michael Thomson

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

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

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

About the Production:

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

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

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

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

Then and Now:

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

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

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

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

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

Production Details:

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

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


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


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

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

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

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

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

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

Plan Your Visit:

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

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

About the Artists:

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

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

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

About The Story Theatre:

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

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

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

Saturday, April 23, 2022

Chicago Premiere of THE MAGNOLIA BALLET Via About Face Theatre May 12 through June 11, 2022 at the Den Theatre

 ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

About Face Theatre Brings Local Playwright Terry Guest’s


THE MAGNOLIA BALLET 

To Chicago



About Face Theatre continues its 27th season with the Chicago premiere of Terry Guest’s haunting new drama THE MAGNOLIA BALLET, running May 12 through June 11, 2022, at the Den Theatre. Following the story of a young Black man in Georgia who finds a shocking discovery among his grandfather's letters, THE MAGNOLIA BALLET explores the need to tear down the rules that are killing us in order to finally live. Associate Artistic Director Mikael Burke premiered this new work in March 2022 at Phoenix Theatre in Indianapolis and now brings the play to Chicago with playwright Terry Guest in the lead role. I'll be out for the press opening Friday, May 20th, so check back shortly for my full review. 

Pictured left - right: Terry Guest, Wardell Julius Clark, Sheldon D. Brown, Ben Sulzberger.


PERFORMANCE TIMES

Previews:  Thursday, May 12 – Thursday, May 19

Press Opening:  Friday, May 20

Performance Run: Saturday, May 21 – Saturday, June 11

Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 3:00pm


TICKETS

Tickets are on sale now online at AboutFaceTheatre.com, by calling 773.697.3830, or in-person at the Den Theatre box office. Ticket prices range from $5 to $35.

AFT offers a ticket pricing system that allows each patron to decide the price that they can comfortably afford to pay for a ticket. Ultimately, About Face wants everyone who wants to attend a show to be able to do so. Please note, there are limited quantities available at each pricing level.

Left-right: Sheldon D. Brown, Terry Guest, Wardell Julius Clark. 

Photo by Nathanael Filbert


THE PLAY

Ezekiel is a Black teenager with a secret that threatens to destroy his already broken home. He’s haunted by the ghosts of racism, homophobia, and toxic masculinity–the same ghosts that have plagued men in Georgia for generations, including his emotionally distant father. But when he discovers a trove of forbidden love letters among his late grandfather’s belongings, Ezekiel  begins to believe that the only way to fight these multi-generational ghosts is to burn everything to the ground. The Magnolia Ballet is a Southern Gothic fable that melds high drama, dance, poetry, and spectacle to explore masculinity, racism, and the love between a queer kid and his father.

“As a queer Black man raised in the American south, this play is hugely important to me,” says director Mikael Burke. “No young person should ever be made to feel the way I did, like they are wrong simply for existing. This play forces all of us to reckon with the legacies of toxic masculinity and racism in this country. It’s a play that demands that we all wrestle with the ghosts of our prejudices and recognize where the rules we once set in order to survive have become the killers of a new generation.”


CAST

Terry Guest as Ezekiel “Z” Mitchell VI

Wardell Julius Clark as Ezekiel Mitchell V

Sheldon D. Brown as Apparition

Ben Sulzberger as Danny


PRODUCTION TEAM

Assistant Directing and Dramaturgy by Vic Wynter, Choreography by Jenn Freeman, Intimacy and Violence Choreography by Jyreika Guest, Scenic Design by Steven Abbott, Scenic Design Advising by Regina Garcia, Lighting Design by Eric Watkins, Sound Design by Brian Grimm, Costume Design by Jos N. Banks, Properties Design by Caitlin McCarthy, Stage Management by Lucy Whipp, Assistant Stage Management by Cecilia Koloski, Production Management by Audrey Kleine, Technical Direction by Becca Venable.


ARTIST BIOS

TERRY GUEST (he/him): Playwright, Ezekiel “Z” Mitchell VI

Terry Guest is a Chicago based playwright, actor and teaching artist. He wrote and starred in AT THE WAKE OF A DEAD DRAG QUEEN, which was the recipient of the 2018 Out Front Spectrum Series Grant and had its World Premiere in Chicago at The Story Theatre (directed by Mikael Burke). Other work includes: A GHOST IN SATIN (The Williamstown Theatre Festival, directed by Wardell Julius Clark), MARIE ANTIONETTE AND THE MAGICAL NEGROS (The Story Theatre), THE MADNESS OF MARY TODD (Goodman Theatre Playwrights Unit Commission), MICHAEL JACKSON AND THE DEVIL’S BOOK (Jackalope) and ANDY WARHOL PRESENTS: THE COCAINE PLAY. More in for at terrycguest.com

MIKAEL BURKE (he/him): Director

Mikael is a Chicago-based director and educator, and About Face Theatre’s Associate Artistic Director. A Princess Grace Award-winner in Theatre and Jeff Award-nominated director, Mikael’s most recently worked with Victory Gardens Theatre, Northlight Theatre, Jackalope Theatre Company, Windy City Playhouse, About Face Theatre, First Floor Theater, American Theatre Company, Chicago Dramatists, and The Story Theatre in Chicago, and regionally with Indiana Repertory Theatre, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Geva Theatre Center, and Phoenix Theatre. For About Face, he has directed KICKBACK, an all-virtual play festival, and THIS BITTER EARTH. Other recent directing credits include the world premiere of THE MAGNOLIA BALLET by Terry Guest; FIREFLIES by Donja R. Love; MRS. HARRISON by R. Eric Thomas; WE ARE CONTINUOUS by Harrison David Rivers; KILL MOVE PARADISE by James Ijames; THE AGITATORS by Mat Smart. mklburke.com

WARDELL JULIUS CLARK (he/him): Ezekiel Mitchell V

Wardell is an award-winning actor, director, producer, and activist who hails from Fairfield, Alabama, but now calls Chicago home. He earned his BFA from The Theatre School at DePaul University. Wardell is a Company Member with TimeLine Theatre. He is also an Ensemble Member at Sideshow Theatre. Select acting credits include GEM OF THE OCEAN (Goodman Theatre), FLYIN’ WEST (American Blues), SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER (Raven), SILENT SKY (First Folio), OTHELLO (Theater at Monmouth), and THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JAMES (Victory Gardens). His television and film credits include PROVEN INNOCENT, SHAMELESS, and CHICAGO FIRE seasons 1 & 4. Wardell directed the world premieres of BLACK MOON LILITH, A GHOST IN SATIN, and DON'T GET GOT last summer as part of the Solo Play Festival Celebrating the Black Radical Imagination at Williamstown Theatre Festival. Select Chicago directing credits include KILL MOVE PARADISE (Timeline Theatre - 2020 Jeff Award Winner - Best Director, large), SHEEPDOG (Shattered Globe), HIS SHADOW (16th Street), THE SHIPMENT (Red Tape), DUTCH MASTERS (Jackalope), THE WATSONS GO TO BIRMINGHAM -1963 (Chicago Children's Theatre), INSURRECTION: HOLDING HISTORY (Stage Left). Wardell was the Newcity Magazine 2020 - Player of the Moment, and a recipient of the 2021 3Arts Foundation Make a Wave grant! wardelljuliusclark.com

SHELDON D. BROWN (he/him): Apparition

Sheldon is overjoyed to return to About Face where he previously performed in THIS BITTER EARTH and TIME IS ON OUR SIDE. His other credits include the TRAGEDY OF OTHELLO THE MOOR OF VENICE, OEDIPUS REX, and MAN IN THE RING (Court Theatre); A WONDER IN MY SOUL (Victory Gardens Theatre), THE SHIPMENT (Red Tape Theatre); 1980 (Jackalope Theatre) and more. He also has numerous credits in Boston including THE GRAND INQUISITOR, directed by Peter Brook through ArtsEmerson. His film/screenwriting credits include CICADA (Spirit Award Nominated, Best First Screenplay), THE CANYONLANDS, and MY NAME IS ALEX. Sheldon is also a queer educator having taught with Steppenwolf, Northlight Theatre, and The League of Chicago Theatres. Sheldon received his BFA in Acting from Emerson College and is a proud Artistic Associate at About Face!

BEN SULZBERGER: Danny

Ben is thrilled to be making his Chicago theatre debut in THE MAGNOLIA BALLET. He graduated from the University of Iowa in 2020 with a degree in theatre arts and cinema. Some of his favorite roles have included Christopher in THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME, Flute in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM and Jason in SWEAT.


ABOUT FACE THEATRE advances LGBTQ+ equity through community building, education, and performance. AFT envisions an affirming and equitable world in which all LGBTQ+ individuals are thriving and free from prejudice and discrimination. About Face Theatre is also dedicated to being an intentionally and increasingly anti-racist organization. Due to the intersectionality of our identities, we understand our work to advance LGBTQ+ equity as directly connected to movements for racial justice.


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