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.

KUDOS TO TIMELINE THEATRE COMPANY'S NEW MEMBERS: TYLA ABERCRUMBIE, WILL ALLAN, WARDELL JULIUS CLARK, CHARLES ANDREW GARDNER, AND ANISH JETHMALANI

TIMELINE THEATRE COMPANY NAMES FIVE ACCLAIMED CHICAGO ARTISTS AS NEW COMPANY MEMBERS: 

TYLA ABERCRUMBIE, WILL ALLAN, 

WARDELL JULIUS CLARK, CHARLES ANDREW GARDNER, AND ANISH JETHMALANI

In addition, four new members are named to the Board of Directors, 

and Jared Bellot becomes an Associate Artist

New TimeLine Company Members (from left): Tyla Abercrumbie, Will Allan, Wardell Julius Clark, 

Charles Andrew Gardner, and Anish Jethmalani.

Here at ChiIL Live Shows we're elated about the new additions to TimeLine Theatre Company. These five are some of our favorite multi faceted individuals on Chicago's theatre scene, bringing many talents to the table as actors, directors, teachers, activists, arts ed advocates and writers. Kudos to all of you. I can't wait to see what's next. 

TimeLine Theatre Company is pleased to announce the addition of several new artists and community leaders to its ranks. Chicago artists Tyla Abercrumbie, Will Allan, Wardell Julius Clark, Charles Andrew Gardner, and Anish Jethmalani have been named Company Members at the theater, effective immediately. Additionally, the theater is welcoming JoAnne Dobrick, Anne Voshel, Richard G. Weinberg, and Nicholas Yassan to its Board of Directors, and Jared Bellot as a new Associate Artist.

FIVE CHICAGO ARTISTS NAMED TIMELINE COMPANY MEMBERS
TimeLine Theatre’s Company Members are the artistic leaders of the company, working together collaboratively to shape the artistic vision and choose the programming for the organization. These five artists have extensive histories with TimeLine, working in a variety of capacities including acting, directing, playwriting and teaching, and they bring a tremendous range of experience, strengths, and perspectives to the team:

— Tyla Abercrumbie is an actor, playwright, and director who has appeared in numerous productions in Chicago and around the country (including Paradise Blue and In Darfur at TimeLine) and in film and television (recently Showtime’s The Chi and FOX’s Proven Innocent). She is the author of multiple plays and the book Red Wine and the Bles’sed Monkey, a collection of prose and poetry. She is a current member of TimeLine’s Playwrights Collective and directed the TimePieces reading of Repairing A Nation.

— Will Allan is an actor and writer who made his Chicago professional acting debut as part of the award-winning ensemble of The History Boys at TimeLine, going on to appear in productions at Steppenwolf, Goodman, Victory Gardens, and Greenhouse Theater Solo Celebration, among many others locally and regionally. He is a current member of TimeLine’s Playwrights Collective. 

— Wardell Julius Clark is an actor, director, teaching artist, and social justice activist whose recent credits in Chicago include directing acclaimed productions of The Shipment (Red Tape) and Insurrection: Holding History (Stage Left) and acting in Suddenly Last Summer (Raven), Silent Sky (First Folio), and the upcoming Flyin’ West (American Blues). He first appeared in A Raisin in the Sun at TimeLine and works as a Teaching Artist with TimeLine’s Living History Program in Chicago Public Schools.

— Charles Andrew Gardner is an actor, teaching artist, arts education advocate, and entertainment industry leader whose career spans television, film, theatre, commercials, and voice over. He appeared on stage at TimeLine in Paradise Blue and the world premiere of My Kind of Town and is a Teaching Artist with TimeLine’s Living History Education Program. As the President of Chicago Local SAG-AFTRA, he travels the country representing the interests of Chicago artists within the entertainment industry.

— Anish Jethmalani is an actor, director, and arts administrator whose career spans three decades in the Chicago theatre community. He has appeared in countless productions at the city’s leading theatres (including In the Next Room or the vibrator play, A Disappearing Number, Blood and Gifts, and Inana at TimeLine) and directed a variety of plays at theatres such as 16th Street, Eclipse, Rasaka, and, most recently, TimeLine for the TimePieces reading of Lions and Tigers. He is the former Artistic Director of Eclipse Theatre Company and Rasaka Theatre Company, in addition to having served on the board of The League of Chicago Theatres.

“These five artists have forged remarkable careers through their undeniable talent, personal values, and commitment to Chicago Theatre,” TimeLine Artistic Director PJ Powers said. “At TimeLine, they have provided significant thought leadership and represented our mission, vision and values in the community through their work on productions, the development of new work, and our Living History Education Program in Chicago Public Schools. We couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome each of them as a part of the team.”
Powers continued: “This expansion of our core team will not only further diversify the skills and viewpoints of our current group of Company Members, it will also play an important role in our ongoing artistic development. As we celebrate TimeLine’s 22nd season and continue to plan for a new home, we are furthering the vision of TimeLine’s founders—to build a collective of artists with varied backgrounds, points of view, and aesthetics who work to shape seasons that are unique, inclusive, and mission-centric.”

Abercrumbie, Allan, Clark, Gardner, and Jethmalani join current Company Members Nick Bowling, Janet Ulrich Brooks, Behzad Dabu, Lara Goetsch, Juliet Hart, Mildred Marie Langford, Mechelle Moe, David Parkes, Ron OJ Parson, PJ Powers, Maren Robinson and Ben Thiem. 

JARED BELLOT NAMED A TIMELINE ASSOCIATE ARTIST
Working closely with TimeLine's Company Members, Associate Artists contribute to TimeLine’s artistic programming and growth, serving as non-voting advisers and contributors to artistic planning. TimeLine’s newest Associate Artist is:

— Jared Bellot is a theatre artist, dramaturg, and educator who has worked at TimeLine as dramaturg for The Audience, Paradise Blue, The Last Wife, Sunset Baby, and the upcoming production of Cardboard Piano, as well as serving as assistant director for In the Next Room or the vibrator play. Bellot currently serves as Education Manager at Steppenwolf Theatre Company and also has worked around Chicago for theatres such as Definition (where he is also Literary Manager), Stage Left, Porchlight, Jackalope, and The Yard (where he serves as Resident Artist Mentor).

“Jared has made enormous contributions to the work on TimeLine’s stage through his dramaturgy work and has also been a leader off stage, making TimeLine a better place to work for our artists,” said Powers. “We’re very excited to welcome him to the TimeLine family in this new capacity.”
Bellot joins an already distinguished group of Associate Artists that includes Brian Sidney Bembridge, Eva Breneman, William Brown, Aaron Carter, Andrew Carter, Louis Contey, Charles Cooper, John Culbert, Mikhail Fiksel, Megan Geigner, Dennis William Grimes, Terry Hamilton, Andrew Hansen, ] Jerod Haynes, Josephine Kearns, Kymberly Mellen, Danica Monroe, Mike Nussbaum, Keith Parham, Andre Pluess, Collette Pollard, Mark Richard, Chris Rickett, Kimberly Senior, Demetrios Troy, Mike Tutaj, Ann Wakefield and Alex Weisman. To view complete biographies for all of TimeLine’s Associate Artists, please visit timelinetheatre.com/people/associates.

FOUR NEW LEADERS NAMED TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS
TimeLine Theatre also is pleased to recognize four business and community leaders who joined its Board of Directors in September:

— JoAnne Dobrick, now retired, was the Founder and Director of the Dobrick Gallery of Art for more than a decade, and also worked extensively as a teacher in Chicago Public Schools. Previous board experience has included the Chicago Art Dealers Association, the Contemporary Museum of Art, the Women’s Board of Steppenwolf Theatre, the Chicago Film Festival, and the Industrial Water, Waste & Sewage Group.

— Anne Voshel founded AVA Consultants in 1999 and was formerly a Senior Vice President with LaSalle Partners, Ltd. (now JLL) and co-head of the Development Management Group, responsible for cultural, performing arts, corporate and retail facilities. Voshel is also the Chair of the State Street Commission (SSA #1-2015) and a member of the Auditorium Theatre Facilities Committee, the Fourth Presbyterian Church Facilities and Building Committees, and the LUMA8 Board. She is an Emeritus Board Member of Landmarks Illinois.

— Richard G. Weinberg, has been President of Judd Enterprises, Inc., a private investment firm, for the past 33 years. Prior to that, he worked in television and feature production at Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., and CBS. He has served on many other boards, including the Sundance Institute, USC School of Dramatic Arts, and American Jewish Committee, and has invested in numerous artistic projects, including The Producers, Hairspray, and A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, among others.

— Nicholas Yassan is a Principal at Rany Management, LLC (RANY), a privately owned business specializing in commercial and residential real estate investment and property management in the Chicago area since 1979. He is committed to being active in his community, participating in various boards and chambers of commerce. In addition, he is the Ravenswood Commissioner, where he consults on community improvements.

“This impressive group has joined TimeLine’s Board of Directors at a critical juncture in the company’s history,” said Managing Director Elizabeth K. Auman. “Guided by our long-term strategic plan, we are planning for a future that supports our unique mission and can serve an inclusive audience. There is much work to do and we couldn’t be more pleased to have these leaders at the table.”
TimeLine’s Board of Directors is led by Eileen LaCario (President), Philip E. Cable (Vice President), Brian Douce (Treasurer) and Thaddeus J. Malik (Secretary), and also includes Elizabeth K. Auman, J. Robert Barr, Karen B. Case, Behzad Dabu, Lawrence Gill, Tom Gosline, Sondra Healy, Alvin Katz, Michael J. Kennedy, William A. Obenshain, Susan A. Payne, PJ Powers, Matthew R. Reilein, Elizabeth Richter, John M. Sirek, and Renée L. Zipprich. To view complete biographies for all of TimeLine’s Board of Directors, please visit timelinetheatre.com/people/board.

ABOUT TIMELINE THEATRE COMPANY
TimeLine Theatre Company, recipient of the prestigious 2016 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions, was founded in April 1997 with a mission to present stories inspired by history that connect with today's social and political issues. To date over 21 seasons, TimeLine has presented 75 productions, including 10 world premieres and 33 Chicago premieres, and launched the Living History Education Program, now in its 12th year of bringing the company's mission to life for students in Chicago Public Schools. Recipient of the Alford-Axelson Award for Nonprofit Managerial Excellence and the Richard Goodman Strategic Planning Award from the Association for Strategic Planning, TimeLine has received 54 Jeff Awards, including an award for Outstanding Production 11 times.

Now playing at TimeLine is the 4-STAR (Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times) production of Barbara Lebow’s A Shayna Maidel, directed by Vanessa Stalling, a poignant story about two sisters reunited after years of separation brought on by the rise of the Nazis, through November 4, 2018.


Also still to come during the 2018-19 season:
— Master Class, Terrence McNally’s acclaimed play about the formidable opera star Maria Callas, inspired by a series of classes she taught at Julliard in the 1970s, directed by TimeLine Associate Artistic Director Nick Bowling, music directed by Doug Peck, and starring TimeLine Company Member Janet Ulrich Brooks, presented at Stage 773, October 19 – December 9, 2018.

— The Chicago premiere of Cardboard Piano by Hansol Jung, a powerful story of faith, love, and the human capacity for forgiveness set amidst violent conflict in northern Uganda, directed by TimeLine Company Member Mechelle Moe, January 9 – March 17, 2019.

— The Chicago premiere of Too Heavy for Your Pocket by Jiréh Breon Holder, a hopeful and moving story taking place at the height of the Civil Rights Movement that explores family, responsibility, and the personal sacrifices that enable progress, directe by TimeLine Company Member Ron OJ Parson, April 24 – June 29, 2019.

PLUS, TIMELINE PARTNERS WITH FIREBRAND THEATRE ON THEIR PRODUCTION OF CAROLINE, OR CHANGE:
TimeLine is excited to be partnering with Firebrand Theatre—Chicago’s new musical theatre company committed to employing and empowering women—on the Tony Award-nominated musical Caroline, or Change, featuring music by Jeanine Tesori, book and lyrics by Tony Kushner, and direction by Lili-Anne Brown. This production is presented at Firebrand’s resident home, The Den Theatre, located at 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood, through October 28, 2018.

TimeLine is led by Artistic Director PJ Powers, Managing Director Elizabeth K. Auman and Board President Eileen LaCario.

Major corporate, government and foundation supporters of TimeLine Theatre include Alphawood Foundation, The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, The Chicago Community Trust, The Crown Family, Forum Fund, The Joseph and Bessie Feinberg Foundation, Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, Illinois Arts Council Agency, Laughing Acres Family Foundation, A.L. and Jennie L. Luria Foundation, MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince, The Pauls Foundation, Polk Bros. Foundation, and The Shubert Foundation.

TimeLine is a member of the League of Chicago Theatres, Theatre Communications Group, Choose Chicago, Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce, Chicago Green Theatre Alliance, and Chicago’s Belmont Theater District. 

FREE Theatre: THE SHIPMENT Via RED TAPE THEATRE 9/7-10/13/18

ChiIL Live Shows

RED TAPE THEATRE is proud to present…

THE SHIPMENT

Written by: Young Jean Lee 

Directed by: Wardell Julius Clark

Associate Director / Music Director: Sydney Charles

Cast: Sheldon Brown, Hunter Bryant, Eric Gerard, Marcus D. Moore, Kiayla Ryann

Producer: Kyle Land*

Line Producer / Production Manager: Jenn Thompson*

 Artistic Director: Max Truax*

Stage Manager: Michelle Altman

Assistant Stage Manager: Chris Lyons

Choreographer: Breon Arzell

Scenic Designr: Joy Ahn

Lighting Designer: Daniel Friedman

Properties Designer: Jennifer Wernau

Costume Design: Rachel Sypniewski

Sound Design: John Nichols III

 Poster Design: Bridget Schultz*

Still Photos: Austin Oie*

* indicates Red Tape Theatre Company member

When:                        
Opens: Friday, September 7th, 2018 at 8PM
Closes: Saturday, October 13th, 2018 at 8PM
Runs: Fridays, Saturdays at 8PM / Sundays at 7PM / Mondays (Industry Night) at 8PM

Admission: FREE ADMISSION thanks to our donors to the FREE THEATRE MOVEMENT

Where: THE READY, 4546 N Western Ave
For Information/Reservations: Reserve free tickets via: www.redtapetheatre.org.

What: In THE SHIPMENT, Young Jean Lee uses her razor-sharp and unsettling humor to upend the surface stereotypes and tropes of African Americans that permeate our media, entertainment industry, and the dominant culture (aka white perceived) narrative. Audiences are confronted with clichés, distortions, and brilliant sleights of hand that force us to go beyond the lampoon and shift the lens through which we perceive race in order to confront our own bias.

Who:
Wardell Julius Clark (DIRECTOR) hails from Fairfield, Alabama. Wardell is a actor, director, producer and social justice activist. He is also an Associate Artist with TimeLine Theatre Company, and serves as a teaching artist in the Living History Program, as well as a teaching artist for Victory Gardens Theatre. Chicago Directing credits include Insurrection: Holding History (Stage Left Theatre), Surely Goodness and Mercy (Redtwist Theatre) , Associate Director for Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (Court Theatre), The One Minute Play Festival, Shola's Game (National Black Theatre), Assistant Director for The Scottsboro Boys (Porchlight Music Theatre); Satchmo At The Waldorf and Gem Of The Ocean (Court Theatre). Select Acting Credits include Suddenly Last Summer (Raven Theatre); Silent Sky (First Folio Theatre); Apartment 3a (Windy City Playhouse); Gem Of The Ocean (Court Theatre); A Raisin In The Sun (TimeLine Theatre); The Whipping Man (Northlight Theatre); We Are Proud To Present... and The Gospel According To James (Victory Gardens Theatre); Invisible Man (Court Theatre); The Beats (16th Street Theater); Ghosts Of Atwood (MPAACT); and Topdog/Underdog (American Theater Company/Congo Square Theater). Regional credits include Othello, Macbeth, The Learned Ladies (Theater at Monmouth); The Whipping Man (Cardinal Stage); Cymbeline (Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival); Fences (Carver Theatre). Wardell has appeared on TV in Chicago Fire Seasons 1 and 4, as well as Shamless on Showtime. He holds a BFA in Acting from The Theatre School, at DePaul University. He is also an Associate Artist with the Black Lives, Black Words theatre collective. Represented by Gray Talent Group.

Sydney Charles (ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR) is an award-winning actress that hails from Chicago, IL. Selected theatre credits include: Father Comes Home From the Wars(Goodman Theatre), Guess Who's Coming to Dinner(Court Theatre), Lottery Day (Goodman Theatre - New Stages), The Fly Honey Show, Spamilton Chicago (Royal George Theatre), An Octoroon(Definition Theatre Company), Dorothy in The Wiz at (Kokandy Productions), Zora in the world premiere of Prowess (Jackalope Theatre), and the title role in Dessa Rose (Bailiwick Chicago). Her directing debut was with Wildclaw Theatre with their yearly Deathscribe Festival of Horror Plays. Sydney can also be seen in episodes of The Haven web series, The T web series, and has appeared on Showtime's Shameless. She is also an artistic associate with Firebrand Theater--the newly formed feminist musical theater company. Sydney thanks God for every opportunity she is given and her circle for supporting her every step of the way. Represented by Stewart Talent.

Young Jean Lee (PLAYWRITE) is a Korean-American playwright, director, and filmmaker. She is the Artistic Director of Young Jean Lee's Theater Company, a not-for-profit theater company dedicated to producing her work. She has written and directed ten shows for Young Jean Lee's Theater Company and toured her work to over thirty cities around the world. Lee was called "the most adventurous downtown playwright of her generation" by Charles Isherwood in The New York Times and "one of the best experimental playwrights in America" by David Cote in Time Out New York. With the 2018 production of Straight White Men at the Hayes Theater, Lee became the first Asian American woman to have a play produced on Broadway.

Sheldon Brown (ENSEMBLE) is a 2014  graduate of Acting at Emerson College in Boston. His recent credits include Time Is On Our Side (understudy performed) at About Face Theatre, 1980 or Why I Voted for John Anderson at Jackalope Theatre, A Wonder In My Soul at Victory Gardens (understudy performed). Man In The Ring at Court Theatre, Feral with MPAACT Theatre Company and more. He also has numerous credits in Boston including The Grand Inquisitor directed by Peter Brook, and The Shakespearean Jazz Show, a collaborative new work that turns Shakespeare into New Orleans street jazz at the New York Musical Festival.

Hunter Bryant (ENSEMBLE) is a New Jersey native  actor/ writer and graduate of The Theatre School at DePaul. Recent Chicago credits include The Aristophanesathon (Hypocrites), Dontrell Who Kissed the Sea (First Floor Theatre) and Our Town (Redtwist Theatre.) Be on the lookout for his upcoming films How Is This The World (directed by Sadie Rogers) and First Dance (directed by Megan Artes.) Follow his work on instagram: @Behunting

Eric Gerard (ENSEMBLE) is honored to be working on this show, with such a talented team. Other Chicago credits include: TO CATCH A FISH (Timeline Theatre); AKEELAH AND THE BEE (Adventure Stage Chicago); KING LIZ (Windy City Playhouse); OCTAGON (Jackalope theatre); MY MANANA COMES (Teatro Vista); ANNAKARENINA (Lifeline Theatre); THE ROYALE (American Theatre Co.) Eric is an Instructor, and proud graduate of THE ACADEMY, at BlackBox Acting. He is represented by Hayes Talent.

Marcus D. Moore (ENSEMBLE) is thrilled to be working with Red Tape Theatre for the first time! His theatre credits include Drury Lane Theatre (Cat On A Hot Tin Roof u/s), Jackalope Theatre (Franklinland and 1980 Or Why I'm Voting For John Anderson (u/s)), Stage Left Theatre (Insurrection: Holding History u/s), Haven Theatre and Collaboraction Theatre. Tv credits include co-starring roles on NBCs Chicago Fire and Fox Networks' APB. Much love to my agents at Gray Talent Group!

Kiayla Ryann (ENSEMBLE) makes her debut at Red Tape Theatre with The Shipment. Chicago credits include: Lexi, Hookman (Steep Theatre), Miriamne, Winterset (Griffin Theatre) and Trisha, Five Women Wearing the Same Dress (Loop Players) as well as understudying The Crucible at Steppenwolf. Kiayla received her BA from Bradley University and is a School at Steppenwolf 2016 Album. She is grateful to God for her amazing supportive family, friend, and team. Represented by Stewart Talent.





RED TAPE THEATER / THE FREE THEATRE MOVEMENT

“The public interest is best served by the free exchange of ideas.” – John Kane

Red Tape believes that access to the arts is essential for our community’s ability to engage in a free exchange of ideas. As an art form, the immediacy of theatre provides a powerful platform for this exchange. We strive to remove the barriers that exist between our community and an increasingly commodified culture. Starting in January of 2018, we will offer all of our quality theatrical productions to the public free of charge.



Red Tape will be able to offer our work free of charge thanks to the generous support of our Members, each of whom make an automated monthly donation in an amount of their choose (or a onetime donation). Each donation enables Red Tape to share our work with more people and to engage a growing community in discourse through the arts.

Simply put, we believe everyone should be able to see theatre without the financial stress of ticket price. We are a theatre of free ideas. We are a theatre of free access. We are a free theatre.

SAVE THE DATES: Jackalope Theatre SEASON 11

Chi IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

SEASON 11 IS HERE!

We're coming at you in 2018/2019 with the fresh and exciting work you've come to expect from Jackalope Theatre. Don't miss a minute of it with our Season Pass. This year is going to blow you away.

Welcome to Jackalope's 11th Season.

See it. Believe it.

In The Canyon
by Calamity West
directed by Elly Green
In The Canyon is a new American saga by Calamity West spanning 2007 to 2067. In an exploration on the present attack on abortion, a time in which Roe v. Wade is overturned, this world-premiere imagines a broken society rapidly declining into a future world set in the rocks and walls of a canyon, where a story of resistance is birthed.
(World Premiere)
October 16 – November 24, 2018

Dutch Masters
by Greg Keller
directed by Wardell Julius Clark
New York City, 1992. Summer. In NYC's hazy pre-Giuliani, pre-cellphone, pre-Metrocard days, a black kid and a white kid meet in a chance encounter on an uptown D train. Over the course of one afternoon, fear, guilt, and longing allow one kid to take the other to a place neither even imagined possible. 
(Midwest Premiere)
February 25 – May 6, 2019



Life On Paper
by Kenneth Lin
directed by Jackalope Artistic Director, Gus Menary
After his proof for the Riemanm Hypothesis (one of the world's last great math puzzles) disastrously flames out, Mitch Bloom, a brilliant mathematician finds himself working as a consultant using complex algorithms to set the value of human lives in wrongful death cases. His knack for devaluing lives has made him the darling of the insurance companies, but what will he do when the wrongful death of a billionaire philanthropist crosses his desk, and the future of a small town hangs in the balance?
(World Premiere)
May 13 – June 22, 2019

In addition to the Mainstage Season at Broadway Armory Park, Jackalope will present a fully curated season of work in The Frontier, 1106 W Thorndale. Slated for The Frontier during the 2018/19 Season is a the Circle Up! Reading Series in collaboration with The Chicago Inclusion Project, the launch of Jackalope’s GroundWorks Series for new work, and The 10th Annual Living Newspapers Festival.

The 2018/19 Season Pass is available for purchase via www.jackalopetheatre.org, which gives patrons access to the Mainstage Season in Broadway Armory Park, discounted access to the lineup of programming in The Frontier, and invitations to opening nights and special events..

OPENING: National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere of Surely Goodness and Mercy Via Redtwist Theatre Through 3/18/18

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Redtwist Theatre presents

the National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere**

Surely Goodness and Mercy

by Chisa Hutchinson

Directed by Wardell Julius Clark

Runs Thu, Fri, Sat at 7:30pm; Sun at 3pm, through Sun, March 18

**SURELY GOODNESS AND MERCY is produced at REDTWIST THEATRE as a part of a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere. Other partnering theaters are SALT LAKE ACTING COMPANY (SALT LAKE CITY, UT) and WRITERS THEATRE OF NEW JERSEY (MADISON, NJ). For more information, please visit www.nnpn.org

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we're eager to check out new works, and we'll be out to see this one February 18th. Check back soon for my full review.

THE PLAY 
A powerful new drama with incredible heart and humor. Tino is a Newark schoolboy sent to live with an abusive aunt after his mother dies protecting him in a street fight. Seeking solace, Tino befriends the cantankerous lunch lady at school who has been diagnosed with MS. The moving, heartwarming climax shows these two unlikely friends helping each other navigate a harsh world. 

THE CAST (in alphabetical order) 
Cast: Renee Lockett (Bernadette), Katrina D. RiChard (Alneesa), Donovan Session (Tino), Charlita "Charli" Williams (Deja)
Voiceover: Brianna Buckley (Teacher), Wardell Julius Clark (Minister), Julia Skeggs (Principal)
Understudies: Nicholia Aguirre (Bernadette), Nic Bell (Tino), Sophie Hoyt (Deja),  Jessica Vann (Alneesa)

THE STAFF 
Wardell Julius Clark (Director), Brianna Buckley (Assistant Director), Brennan T. Jones (Stage Manager), Josy Gonzalo (Assistant Stage Manager), Buzz Leer (Tech Director), Lauren Nichols (Set Designer), Daniel Friedman (Lighting Designer), Grover Hollway (Sound Designer), Kotryna Hilko (Costume Designer), Dana Macel (Props Designer), Natalie Santoro (Scenic Charge), Almanya Narula (Fight Designer), Jan Ellen Graves (Graphic Designer/Marketing), Charlie Hano (Casting Director), Noelle Simone (Dramaturge), E. Malcolm Martinez (Box Office Manager), Charles Bonilla & Johnny Garcia (Box Office Associates), James Fleming & Michael Colucci (Producers)

THE SCHEDULE 
Opens: Sat, February 17, 3pm (note: there is no evening performance on opening day)
Showtimes: Thu, Fri, Sat, 7:30pm; Sun, 3pm
Understudy Performance: $20, (seniors & students $5 off), Tue, Mar 13, 7:30pm
Closes: Sun, March 18
Previews: $15; Wed, Thu, Fri, Feb 14, 15, 16, at 7:30pm
Tickets: Thursdays, $35; Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, $40 (seniors & students $5 off)
        
RESERVATIONS 
Tickets: www.redtwist.org
 Call: 773-728-7529 

A NOTE FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR 
This play is highly relevant given our polarized political climate which shows a disturbing resurgence of marginalizing certain groups of people. We're especially grateful to Chisa for writing such a beautifully heartwarming story and we look forward to having her with us during the process of producing this brand new play. Also, Redtwist is thrilled to welcome an entire team of exciting guest artists to collaborate on the project of this NNPN Rolling World Premiere.

ABOUT THE PLAY, SURELY GOODNESS AND MERCY
In an under-funded public school in Newark, New Jersey, a motherless, bible-toting boy with a photographic memory and a tender heart befriends the cantankerous woman who works in the cafeteria. Against all odds, they help each other through the bullshit of growing up and growing old. --Chisa Hutchinson

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT, CHISA HUTCHINSON
Chisa Hutchinson's socially probing plays, which include SHE LIKE GIRLS, SEX ON SUNDAY, THE SUBJECT, DEAD & BREATHING, and SOMEBODY'S DAUGHTER among others, have been presented by such venues as Second Stage Theater, City Parks' Summerstage, the Lark, the National Black Theater, the Contemporary American Theater Festival, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, and Atlantic Theater Company. She's won a GLAAD Award, the John Golden Award for Excellence in Playwriting, a Lilly Award, a New York Innovative Theatre Award, the Paul Green Award, a Helen Merrill Award, the Lanford Wilson Award, and has been a finalist for the highly coveted PoNY Fellowship. She's also been a Lark Fellow, a Dramatists Guild Fellow, a resident at the William Inge Center for the Arts, a New York NeoFuturist, a staff writer for the Blue Man Group, a Humanitas Fellow, and most recently, Resident Playwright at Second Stage Theater. In addition to venturing into screenwriting, Chisa is currently a proud fourth-year year member of New Dramatists and a Creative Writing Professor at the University of Delaware. (B.A. Vassar College; M.F.A NYU - Tisch School of the Arts.) chisahutchinson.com

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR, WARDELL JULIUS CLARK
Wardell Julius Clark hails from Fairfield, Alabama. Chicago Acting Credits include SILENT SKY (First Folio Theatre); APARTMENT 3A (Windy City Playhouse); GEM OF THE OCEAN (Court Theatre); A RAISIN IN THE SUN (TimeLine Theatre); THE WHIPPING MAN (Northlight Theatre); WE ARE PROUD TO PRESENT... and THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JAMES (Victory Gardens Theatre); INVISIBLE MAN (Court Theatre); THE BEATS (16th Street Theater); GHOSTS OF ATWOOD (MPAACT), for which he received the Black Theater Alliance Denzel Washington Award for Most Promising Actor; and TOPDOG/UNDERDOG (American Theater Company/Congo Square Theater). Regional credits include THE WHIPPING MAN (Cardinal Stage); CYMBELINE (Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival); FENCES (Carver Theatre). Chicago Directing Credits include The One Minute Play Festival, SHOLA'S GAME (Black Lives, Black Words Chicago 2), Assistant Director for SATCHMO AT THE WALDORF and GEM OF THE OCEAN (Court Theatre). TV/Film: Chicago Fire Seasons 1 and 4, Transformers: Dark the Moon. Wardell is an Associate Artist with TimeLine Theatre Company, where he also serves as a Teaching Artist in the Living History Program, he is also an Associate Artist with the Black Lives, Black Words theatre collective. He holds a BFA in Acting from The Theatre School, at DePaul University.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL NEW PLAY NETWORK
National New Play Network (NNPN) is the country's alliance of non-profit professional theaters dedicated to the development, production, and continued life of new plays. Since its founding in 1998, NNPN has supported more than 250 productions nationwide through its innovative National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere program, which provides playwright and production support for new works at its Member theaters. Additional programs--its annual National Conference, National Showcase of New Plays, and MFA Playwrights Workshop; the NNPN Annual and Smith Prize commissions; its residencies for playwrights, producers and directors; and the organization's member accessed Collaboration, Festival, and Travel banks and online information sessions--have helped cement the Network's position as a vital force in the new play landscape. NNPN also strives to pioneer, implement, and disseminate ideas and programs that revolutionize the way theaters collaborate to support new plays and playwrights. Its most recent project, the New Play Exchange, is changing the way playwrights share their work and others discover it by providing immediate access to information on more than 16,250 new plays by living writers. NNPN's 30 Core and 75 Associate Members--along with the more than 250 affiliated artists who are its alumni, the thousands of artists and artisans employed annually by its member theaters, and the hundreds of thousands of audience members who see its supported works each year--are creating the new American theater. nnpn.org | newplayexchange.org 

Redtwist is located at 1044 W Bryn Mawr, 2 blks W of LSD, 2 blks E of the Red Line EL station. 

Valet parking for Redtwist is available across the street in front of Francesca's Bryn Mawr for most performances-hours vary. Dining is not required. 

Limited FREE street parking is available on side streets. There is metered street parking via ParkChicago.com app or 3-hour Paybox on Bryn Mawr Av and 2-hour Paybox on side streets. Free on Sundays, and after 10pm Mon thru Sat.