One Night Only: Chicago Opera Theater’s 50th Anniversary season opener Soldier Songs Thursday, October 5, 2023

 ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

David Adam Moore steps into role of The Soldier for 

Chicago Opera Theater’s 50^th Anniversary season opener 

Soldier Songs

 

Chicago Opera Theater announces a casting change for its upcoming 50^th Anniversary Season opening concert of David T. Little’s one-man theatrical cantata Soldier Songs. World-renowned baritone David Adam Moore joins the production one week before the performance, filling in for previously announced baritone Nathan Gunn who has withdrawn due to a family emergency. I'll be out to cover this performance for ChiIL Live Shows, so check back soon for my full review.

Moore has sung Soldier Songs with multiple companies across the country. He also sang The Soldier for the 2013 critically acclaimed commercial recording of the work, released by Innova Recordings. Currently working at the Metropolitan Opera at the house premiere production of Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking, Moore has obtained special permission from the Met to come to perform in Chicago. He will arrive on October 4, a little over 24 hours before the performance.

 

 

“I'm very sorry that Nathan Gunn will be unable to join us next week in Chicago, but grateful that the Metropolitan Opera has released David Adam Moore to step into the role,” said composer David T. Little. “David is among the leading interpreters of my music. His countless performances of Soldier Songs, beginning in 2008, show him to be a singer of remarkable depth, intelligence, and skill. He knows the role better than anyone, and I'm excited for the COT community to hear him bring it to life.”

 

Edlis Neeson General Director Lawrence Edelson added, “Nathan and his family are in our thoughts at this difficult time. While it is always disappointing when a beloved artist must withdraw from a performance, we are truly fortunate that David Adam Moore is able to join us to help launch COT’s 50^th Anniversary Season.”

 

GRAMMY-nominated Soldier Songs is a haunting, heavy-metal infused work about the psychological impact of war. Serving as both composer and librettist, David T. Little drew on the experiences of veterans of five different wars from his family and circle of friends to craft Soldier Songs. Little’s recorded conversations with these veterans serve not only as a basis for the work’s libretto but are also featured in the electronic components of the score. Presented in three stages of a soldier’s life- Youth, Warrior, and Elder- the result is a bold examination of the trauma of war, the exploitation of innocence, and the difficulty many veterans experience in talking about their service. COT Elizabeth Morse and Genius Music Director Lidiya Yankovskaya conducts.

 

Performance schedule and tickets

 

Chicago Opera Theater’s Soldier Songs is one night only, Thursday, October 5 at 7:00 PM at Epiphany Center for the Arts, 201 S Ashland Ave. General admission tickets are $60 and VIP tickets are $175 and are available for purchase at chciagooperatheater.org. VIP tickets include reserved cabaret style seating and exclusive access to a post-show reception with David Adam Moore and David T. Little. The proceeds from VIP ticket sales directly support COT’s mission of presenting new opera. Discounted tickets are available for season subscribers as well as active military personnel. A limited number of free tickets are available to veterans through Vet Tix. 

 

Soldier Songs is a 60-minute production presented without intermission. It is sung in English with English supertitles.

 

About The Artist

 

David Adam Moore performs as a leading baritone with major opera houses and orchestras worldwide, including the Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Teatro alla Scala, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Salzburg Festival, Carnegie Hall, Teatro Colón Buenos Aires, Théâtre du Châtelet, Bunkamura (Tokyo), Grand Théâtre de Genève, Israeli Opera, LA Opera, New York City Opera, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, BBC Symphony, LA Philharmonic, Orchestra of St. Luke's, American Symphony Orchestra, and many others. His performances have been broadcast on BBC, Arte television, NPR, Radio France, RAI, ORF, and Radio Netherlands, and recorded by Erato, BMG, GPR, and Innova records.

 

With a repertoire of over 60 principal roles, he is best known for his portrayals of Billy Budd, Don Giovanni, Eugene Onegin, Rossini’s Barbiere, Joseph DeRocher in Dead Man Walking, Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire, Prior Walter in Angels in America, Zurga in Les pêcheurs de perles, Schubert’s Winterreise, Carmina Burana, Count Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro and the Soldier in David T. Little’s Soldier Songs, which Moore premiered and recorded. A celebrated interpreter of contemporary music, he has created roles and premiered works for some of today’s most important living composers, including Thomas Adès, Peter Eötvös, David T. Little, Holly Herndon, John Eaton, Ricky Ian Gordon, Conrad Cummings, Martin Hennessey, and Tom Cipullo, while simultaneously garnering critical acclaim for his interpretations of opera, art song, and concert works from the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Modern eras. Moore’s Metropolitan Opera debut performance as Colonel Gomez in Thomas Adès’ The Exterminating Angel was broadcast in theaters worldwide and is available on DVD.

 

About Chicago Opera Theater

 

Celebrating its 50^th Anniversary season in 2023/24, Chicago Opera Theater is a company laser-focused on living its values: expanding the tradition of opera as a living art form, producing high-quality works new to Chicago audiences, identifying top-tier casts and creative talent at the beginning of grand operatic careers, and following through on commitments to equity and access – behind the scenes, on the stage, and in the audience. Since its founding in 1973, COT has grown from a grassroots community-based company to a national leader in an increasingly vibrant, diverse, and forward-looking art form. COT has staged over 155 operas, including 81 Chicago premieres and 47 operas by American composers. COT is led by Yankovskaya and Edelson who began his tenure as General Director in the summer of 2023.

 

The Vanguard Initiative, founded in 2018 and celebrating its fifth anniversary this Spring, is COT's fully comprehensive program for composers ready to delve into the world of opera. This immersive two-year residency includes participation in all COT productions, sessions with top industry leaders, extensive study of repertoire and vocal writing, and direct insight into administrative and other behind-the-scenes processes, culminating with the development of a full-length opera commissioned by the company. The program is guided and overseen by Elizabeth Morse and Genius Music Director Lidiya Yankovskaya, with Composer Advisors Jake Heggie, Kamala Sankaram, and Gene Scheer. The program has renewed funding from the Mellon Foundation for the 2023/24 season. The 2023/24 Vanguard Composers are Gillian Rae Perry (second year) and Carlos R. Carrillo (first year).

 

Chicago Opera Theater’s season continues with the Chicago Premiere of The Nose December 8 & 10, the Midwest Premiere of Book of Mountains and Seas January 27 & 28, the Vanguard Initiative concert premiere of The Weight of Light April 27, and the World Premiere tour of Before it All Goes Dark with Music of Remembrance May 25 & 26. Ticket subscriptions are on sale now, single tickets go on sale on September 15.

 

For more information on Chicago Opera Theater productions, visit chicagooperatheater.org/

 

HELP OUT: Theo Ubique Cabaret Presents Viva La Diva January 29th To Help Amy Armstrong Fight Cancer

 With her powerful and soulful voice, Amy Armstrong mesmerizes listeners while her hilarious and sometimes risqué humor keeps them doubled over in laughter.

Amy has been one of Chicago’s favorite cabaret performers and an LGBTQ+ supporter, advocate and angel since moving here in 1995. In 2018, she was diagnosed with cancer and moved to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico permanently to receive medical care. 

Please join us for this one-night benefit to back to Amy and support her on her journey by hosting her to help raise funds for her treatment costs.

 "Choose Your Price for the Fight" 

100% of ticket sales will go directly to Amy for her medical expenses.

You can choose one of three ticket prices to support Amy. All seats are general admission.

Ally - $50.00

Friend - $75.00

Angel - $125.00

https://ci.ovationtix.com/35352/production/1092818

COVID-19 POLICIES

Everyone is required to be vaccinated to enter the building.

Each audience member must show photo ID & proof of vaccination at the door for admittance. (Scans, photos and copies of vaccination proof are acceptable.)

At this time, children under the age of 12 are not admitted.

If you forget proof of vaccination, we will reschedule your tickets at no charge.

If you are feeling ill, please do not attend. Contact our box office on the day of performance and we will reschedule your ticket at no cost.

HELP OUT: Raven Theatre Presents THE BENGSONS: A Benefit Concert Wednesday, October 16, 2019

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar:

One Night Only!

Raven Theatre Presents

THE BENGSONS: A Benefit Concert

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Raven Theatre is pleased to present THE BENGSONS: A Benefit Concert on Wednesday, October 16 at 6:30 pm on Raven’s 85-seat East Stage, 6157 N. Clark St. (at Granville) in Chicago. Enjoy an evening of music with the award-winning folk duo who composed the music for Raven’s season opener SUNDOWN, YELLOW MOON (playing October 3 – November 17, 2019). The one-night-only event includes drinks, a buffet dinner and dessert.

Tickets ($125) are currently available at www.raventheatre.com or by calling (773) 338-2177. All proceeds benefit Raven’s mainstage plays and education program.

The Bengsons, married duo Shaun & Abigail Bengson, are composers and performers who have appeared at such venues as Joe’s Pub (NYC), MASS MoCA (North Adams, MA) and the Market Theater (Johannesburg, South Africa). Their music has been featured on “So You Think You Can Dance” (FOX), and in Hundred Days (La Jolla Playhouse, New York Theatre Workshop, The Public Theater, Know Theater, Z Space, US Tour), The Lucky Ones (Ars Nova), Sundown, Yellow Moon (Ars Nova/WP), Anything That Gives Off Light (Edinburgh Theatre Festival, US Tour), Hurricane Diane (New York Theatre Workshop, Two River Theatre), You’ll Still Call Me By Name (New York Live Arts, Jacob's Pillow), The Place We Built (The Flea) and Iphigenia in Aulis (Classic Stage Company). They have been nominated for the Drama Desk, Drama League and Lucile Lortel awards. Abigail Nessen Bengson has toured as a member of tUnE-yArDs, including an appearance on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.” 

About Raven Theatre
Raven Theatre tells stories of today and the past that connect us to our cultural landscape. Through its plays as well as its educational programming, Raven is committed to serving our communities’ needs through the arts.

Raven Theatre Company is funded in part by the The MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince, Polk Bros Foundation, S&C Electric Company Fund, The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation and the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.

One Night Only! Vicki Barbolak’s Trailer Nasty Tour Sunday, April 7 on The Heath Main Stage at The Den Theatre

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

 One Night Only!

The Den Theatre Presents

Vicki Barbolak’s Trailer Nasty Tour

Sunday, April 7 on The Heath Main Stage

Top 10 Finalist on 2018 “America's Got Talent”

PHOTO CREDIT: Vicki Barbolak by Deb Friedricks.

Comedian Vicki Barbolak, a fan favorite and Top 10 finalist on 2018’s America's Got Talent, brings her Trailer Nasty Tour to The Den Theatre for one night only, hosted by Mike Vinn and featuring Jesse Egan. Barbolak takes the stage Sunday, April 7, 2019 at 7 pm on The Heath Main Stage, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood. Tickets ($25 general admission) are currently available at www.thedentheatre.com, in person at the The Den box office or by calling (773) 697-3830. Ages 18+.

Vicki Barbolak was a fan favorite and Top 10 finalist on Season 13 of America's Got Talent on NBC. Howie Mandel told Vicki and America, “I think you just came up with your own sitcom, you’re wonderful I love you.” And Simon said, “I think you’re the best comedian we’ve had on this show.” Since being on AGT, Vicki has embarked on an international tour and launched her own podcast called “Trailer Nasty with Vicki Barbolak.”

When Vicki was 38 years young, she saw an ad for a stand-up comedy class. That class changed her life. Vicki quickly realized that making people laugh gave her more happiness than she ever dreamed possible. After a few years of open mic nights, Vicki was taken under the wing of Mitzi Shore, owner of The Comedy Store where Vicki developed as a Comedian.

In the 20 years since, Vicki 's been named a member of Jay Leno's NBC Laugh Squad, Won Funniest Mom In America on Nick @ Nite, and has been featured by E! Television as the Next Breakout Star to come from The Comedy Store. Vicki's comedy reflects life as Mom, her many marriages, and her love of the Southern California Trailer Park Lifestyle. www.vickibarbolakcomedy.com



About The Den Theatre

Artistic Director Ryan Martin opened The Den in 2010 with a single theatre space. Seven years later, The Den boasts five intimate and unique theaters on two floors ranging from 50 – 200 seats, as well as two additional spaces primarily used for classes and rehearsals. The Den is also equipped with two bars enveloped by a never-ending field of lounge space for audiences and like-minded culture hounds to drink, talk, read, watch, think, listen and live. The Den is home to seven resident theatre companies including First Floor Theater, Haven Theatre Company, Griffin Theatre, The New Colony, Broken Nose Theatre, WildClaw Theatre and Firebrand Theatre. Hundreds of other companies from Chicago and beyond have also called The Den home, utilizing its theaters, studio space and easily convertible cabaret space to accommodate a stream of programming, including plays, musicals, film screenings, classical and jazz performances, dance, improv and stand-up, seminars and speaking engagements. For additional information, visit www.thedentheatre.com.

ONE NIGHT ONLY: All-woman cast to perform staged reading of TWELVE ANGRY MEN

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

All-woman cast to perform staged reading of 

TWELVE ANGRY MEN 

at Pride Arts Center on April 8 at 7:30 pm

Reading is one of hundreds to be performed across the US from April 5 -8 to promote gender equality and voter engagement

An all-star cast of women will lend their impassioned voices to a staged reading of the classic play, TWELVE ANGRY MEN by Reginald Rose, Pride Films and Plays Executive Director David G. Zak announced today. The reading will take place on Monday, April 8 in the  Broadway Theatre of the Pride Arts Center at 4139 N. Broadway. All seats are $10.00 and are available at www.pridefilmsandplays.com.

Top row L-R: Dana N. Anderson, Debbie Banos, Brook Celeste, Colleen DeRosa.

Middle row L-R:  Julia Germeroth, Samie Jo Johnson, Jacquelyne Jones, Diana Kaiser.

Bottom row L-R: Whitney Masters, Joan McGrath, Roxane Saylor, Shannon Leigh Webber.

The reading is one of many such readings across the country from April 5 – 8, as part of an initiative produced by the organization 12,000 Voices, to promote gender equality. The organization’s website notes that 12 ANGRY MEN was written in 1954, 19 years before women were permitted to serve on juries in all 50 states. 12,000 Voices producer Lauren Class Schneider says, “The readings will take place in every nook & cranny of the country: red, blue and purple communities in all 50 states! And after each staged reading there will be the opportunity to update voter registration and learn about voter engagement.  Voter suppression is real. Gerrymandering is real. Our voices and our votes matter. We can increase awareness and participation through the medium we all love.”

For the reading at Pride Arts Center, Brittany Gillespie will direct a cast to include Colleen DeRosa (Juror 1, the foreman), Samie Jo Johnson (Juror 2), Shannon Leigh Webber (Juror 3),  Diana Kaiser (Juror 4), Debbie Baños (Juror 5), Brook Celeste (Juror 6), Julia Germeroth (Juror 7), Dana N. Anderson (Juror 8), Joan McGrath (Juror 9), Roxane Saylor (Juror 10), Whitney Masters (Juror 11), and Jacquelyne Jones (Juror 12).

Following the staged reading on April 8,  audience members, cast, and staff will have the opportunity to update their voter registration,  Information will also be given about how to increase voter registration and voter turnout.

About TWELVE ANGRY MEN

The play was adapted from Reginald Rose’s 1954 teleplay of the same name for the CBS Studio One television series. The success of the made-for-television courtroom drama resulted in a film adaptation directed by Sidney Lumet. TWELVE ANGRY MEN was Lumet's first feature film, and the only producing credit for Henry Fonda, who also starred in the film. Viewed as a classic, the film was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Director, Best Picture, and Best Screenplay. The Broadway debut of TWELVE ANGRY MEN came 50 years after CBS aired the play, opening on October 28, 2004 at the Roundabout Theatre Company’s American Airlines Theatre where it ran for 328 performances and was nominated for three Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Play, Best Actor in a Play, and Best Direction of a Play.

In the story, a 19-year-old man has just stood trial for the fatal stabbing of his father. It looks like an open and shut case until one of the jurors begins opening the others' eyes to the facts. Sequestered in a small room, each juror reveals their own character as the various testimonies are re-examined, and the murder is re-enacted. Tempers get short and arguments grow heated The jurors' final verdict and how they reach it is shown in tense and electrifying scenes.

Brittany Gillespie (Director) is a Chicago based freelance director, casting director, and storyteller. She is proud to be casting director and artistic associate of Stage Left Theatre. Directing credits include: UN-LIKEABLE (Ski-Productions); PASQUINADE PARADE (Crowd Theater); THE VELVETEEN RABBIT (Millbrook Playhouse); and various pieces for Drekfest (Stage Left Theatre) & Big Shoulder Festival (American Theatre Company). Assistant director credits: THE SOURCE (Route 66); WHAT OF THE NIGHT?  (Stage Left & COR); THE BODY OF AN AMERICAN (Stage Left Theatre); BRUISE EASY (American Theatre Company); and LOVE IN THE TIME OF BUMBLEHIVE (Leapfest). Brittany spends her time outside the theater working as a bicycle tour guide and scavenger hunt host. She is a graduate of the University of Arkansas, where she majored in theatre with a concentration in directing and a minor in German.

Monday, April 8 – 7:30 pm
All seats $10.00
Pride Arts Center – the Broadway, 4139 N. Broadway, Chicago
Tickets available by phone at 866-811-4111 or 773-857-0222 or online at www.pridefilmsandplays.com



ABOUT PRIDE FILMS AND PLAYS

Pride Films and Plays is working to produce year-round theater and film projects that change lives through the generation of diverse new work (or work that is new to Chicago) with LGBTQ+ characters or themes that are essential viewing for all audiences. The company produces a five-play season of full productions, shoots one short film each year, and continues our famed play developmental projects. Pride Films and Plays is the principal tenant in Pride Arts Center. 

Pride Arts Center produces events complimenting the PFP vision, including dance, cabaret, film, and more. Events can be one-night or limited run productions or feature national treasures like Charles Busch.  PAC occupies The Broadway at 4139 N. Broadway, which has 85 seats, and The Buena, which has 50 seats at 4147 N Broadway.

Pride Films and Plays is supported by The MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at The Richard Driehaus Foundation, The Illinois Arts Council, City of Chicago’s City Arts Fund, the Elliott Fredland Charitable Trust, Proud to Run, The Pauls Foundation, The Heath Fund, The Service Club of Chicago, the AmazonSmile Foundation, Arts and Business Foundation, Tap Root Foundation, Arts and Business Council, and Alphawood Foundation. 

Pride Films and Plays is a member of the Smart Growth Program of the Chicago Community Trust. Pride Arts is a member of the LGBT Chamber of Commerce of Illinois, Northhalsted Business Association, Uptown United, and The League of Chicago Theatres.

NATIONAL HELLENIC MUSEUM ANNOUNCES ESTEEMED JURORS AND PARTICIPANTS FOR THE NHM TRIAL OF HIPPOCRATES – FEBRUARY 20

NHM TRIAL OF HIPPOCRATES 

at The Harris Theater for Music and Dance 

FEBRUARY 20, 2019

From the Dean of the John Marshall Law School to the Head Trainer of the Chicago White Sox Baseball Club, the Jurors will Participate in a Live Court Room Debate and Present the NHM Trial of Hippocrates with Non-Scripted Drama for Attendees to Experience First-Hand

In advance of the 6th NHM Trial Series event The NHM Trial of Hippocrates, the National Hellenic Museum (NHM), 333 South Halsted Street, is honored to announce the participants who will serve as the moderator, expert witness, and members of the jury for the event. Taking place on Wednesday, February 20 from 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. at The Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 East Randolph Drive, The NHM Trial of Hippocrates will be a non-replicable evening of compelling and timely debate by reputable lawyers with proceedings and decisions by notable judges and jurors. Attendees are invited to participate by hearing the compelling arguments from each side and submitting their guilty or not guilty vote to literally tip the scale and make their verdict heard.

Andrea Darlas, an award-winning Radio and Television News Anchor and Reporter at WGN Radio and WGN-TV, will open the trial as the Moderator and Dr. Peter Angelos, Associate Director of the MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics at the University of Chicago, will serve as the Expert Witness.

Members of the 2019 jury include George Bellas, Senior Partner, Bellas & Wachowski, Attorneys at Law; Darby Dickerson, Dean, The John Marshall Law School; Michael L. Galaty, Director, University of Michigan Museum of Anthropological Archaeology; Hal R. Morris, Partner and Deputy General Counsel, Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP; Constance Stavropoulos Palas, Vice President & Associate Counsel, Calamos Investments; Leon Platanias, Director, Robert H Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center; Emily Reusswig, Executive Director, Chicago Cultural Alliance; Leah Rippe, Vice President, Marketing & Communications, Brookfield Zoo; Herm Schneider, Head Athletic Trainer-Emeritus, Chicago White Sox Baseball Club; Kris Swanson, Vice President and Forensic Services Practice Leader, Charles River Associates; Terri E. Weaver, PhD, RN, FAAN, ATSF, Dean and Professor, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Nursing; and Dr. Athanasios Zervas, Associate Professor, University of Macedonia Thessaloniki Greece.

Attendees of The NHM Trial of Hippocrates will experience the court in the style of ancient Athens, for one night only, with a modern twist featuring the non-scripted wit of dynamic legal arguments, as professional lawyers debate whether the great Greek physician Hippocrates is guilty of violating his oath when administering medical care to the dying King of Thebes. The King, desperate to be cured, offered Hippocrates many treasures and riches for remedies to his several ailments. Upon his death, the king’s son and heir charged Hippocrates for violating the Oath he had written when taking up his medical practice, citing that Hippocrates stole his father’s last days. Additional information on the story of Hippocrates and oldest extant text of the Hippocratic Oath will be explored throughout the dramatic legal proceedings.

Presiding over The NHM Trial of Hippocrates will be U.S. District Judge Charles P. Kocoras (presiding), U.S. Court of Appeals Judge William J. Bauer, U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman and Cook County Circuit Judge Anna H. Demacopoulos, while the counsel will include Robert A. Clifford of Clifford Law Offices, Patrick M. Collins of King & Spalding, Tinos Diamantatos of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, Christina Faklis Adair of the Cook County’s State Attorney’s Office, former U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom and former U.S. Attorney Dan K. Webb of Winston & Strawn.

“We are thrilled to present the 6th installment of our NHM Trial Series with The NHM Trial of Hippocrates. This is one of the most engaging events we hold, and we have an amazing group participating this year!” said National Hellenic Museum President Dr. Laura Calamos. “This truly unique event brings Hellenism alive, including our love of learning by prompting critical thinking and citizen involvement in decision making. The lively tradition of debate and the use of juries in democracy is brought to life for all who attend, whether they are doctors, nurses, lawyers, Greek or not Greek. It’s not every day that we as ordinary individuals get to listen to some of the best attorneys in the state argue a case with all the authentic drama as if it’s an official trial.”

Doors open for The NHM Trial of Hippocrates at 6:00 p.m. Tickets are $100 per person in advance and can be purchased online or by calling the Harris Theater Box Office at (312) 334.7777. For more information, visit www.nationalhellenicmuseum.org or call (312) 655.1234.



About the National Hellenic Museum
The National Hellenic Museum (NHM) portrays and celebrates Greek history and the Hellenic legacy through educational classes, exhibits and programs. With a growing repository of over 20,000 artifacts, the Museum catalogs and highlights the contributions of Greeks and Greek Americans to the American mosaic and inspires curiosity about visitors’ own family journeys through cultural expression, oral history and experiential education. Located in Chicago’s Greektown, the NHM provides lifelong learning for the whole community using artifacts and stories to spark inquiry and discussion about the broader issues in our lives.

For more information, visit http://www.nationalhellenicmuseum.org or call 312-655-1234. Follow NHM on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

SAVE THE DATE: Last Thoughts of Mary Stuart An Equity Staged Reading with Music at Evanston’s Celtic Knot 4/18/19

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

Phantom Collective Presents 

Last Thoughts of Mary Stuart

An Equity Staged Reading with Music

Thursday, April 18, 7 pm at Evanston’s Celtic Knot

WHAT: Last Thoughts of Mary Stuart by June Sawyers is a dramatic reading about the final hours before Mary, Queen of Scots, was executed in 1587 at age 44. The reading will be preceded by a concert of music associated with or about Mary. Reading runs about 90 minutes without intermission.

WHEN: Thursday, April 18, 2019, 7 p.m. 

WHERE: Celtic Knot Public House, 626 Church Street, Evanston, IL, 847-864-1679, street parking, Davis Street Purple Line EL stop
                        
TICKETS: FREE (suggested $15 donation at the door)

Top: Amy Montgomery. Clockwise from upper left: Erica Bittner, Kathy Cowan, Melissa Van Kersen, Justine Serino. 

ARTISTS: Amy Montgomery (Mary, Queen of Scots)

Erica Bittner, Kathy Cowan, Justine Serino,and Melissa Van Kersen (the Four Marys)

Bittner will also sing “Fotheringay,” about Mary’s last hours

Tim Macdonald (fiddler) and Andrew Calhoun (singer)

Karin McKie (director)

HISTORY: Mary Stuart has long been a topic of fascination across mediums, most recently in the 2018 biopic starring Saoirse Ronan as Mary and Margot Robbie as Elizabeth. Last Thoughts of Mary Stuart explores the final hours of Mary, Queen of Scots, before her execution at Fotheringay Castle, England, on February 8, 1587. After 19 years of imprisonment in various castles and manor houses throughout England for conspiring to assassinate the Protestant Elizabeth I, the Catholic Mary is suddenly told the night before she will face the chopping block the next morning. With her four loyal ladies in waiting––the famous Four Marys of legend who serve as a Greek chorus––and as the hours tick away, Mary looks back at her life as a monarch and as a woman living in a world dominated by powerful men. Was she a conniving villain, as some have portrayed her, or a victim of the sexist times in which she lived?

 Clockwise from upper left: Andrew Calhoun (guitar), Tim Macdonald (fiddle), Karin McKie, June Sawyers.

Inspired by pub theater,The Phantom Collective is a grassroots group that sponsors theater and music programs around Chicagoland, mostly but not exclusively, from the North American and Anglo-Celtic-Nordic traditions.

PRIDE MONTH PICKS: Melissa Young’s OUT AND PROUD: A RAINBOW CELEBRATION 6/3/18

Chi IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

The Pride Arts Center’s summer season will kick off 

on Sunday, June 3 at 7:30 pm in the PAC’s Broadway venue with 

Melissa Young’s 

OUT AND PROUD: A RAINBOW CELEBRATION 

One Night Only

Young will perform and emcee a musical and comedic tour of LGBTQ history that will also feature in its cast Nick Sula, Daryl Nitz, Jeannie Tanner and Dan Riley, performing some of the most iconic songs of the LGBTQ movement.

OUT AND PROUD with Melissa Young, Nick Sula and guests at Pride Arts Center om June 3

Special guests will include Daryl Nitz, Jeannie Tanner and Dan Riley

Nine years ago, Young performed the music of the World’s most loved LGBTQ icons to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, June 28, 1969 and now returns to celebrate the progress our country has made over the last nine years with help from some of her friends! Daryl Nitz, Jeannie Tanner and Dan Riley join Young and Sula this time around with proceeds benefiting Pride Films and Plays. Starting with Stonewall and Judy Garland, Young will follow the LGBTQ Rights timeline, matching icons to significant moments in history. Dolly Parton’s “Light of the Clear Blue Morning” in 1977 aligns with Anita Bryant and the S.O.C., Bette Midler’s “Do You Wanna Dance” aligns with a post Stonewall New York (1971-73) of Bathhouses and Gay-owned Discos. The creation of the Pride flag 1979/80 and Diana Ross’ “I’m Coming Out!” Young’s passion for the history and where the movement is today comes across with laughter, heart and great love.

 Melissa Young, with Nick Sula at the piano.

Reservations recommended. Young’s been seen all around town at Davenports, Hydrate, the Park West, 3160 and Drury Lane Water Tower and out of town at The Dunes Resort, Don’t Tell Mama in NYC, The Duplex NYC and The Stonewall Inn.

Tickets for are on sale HERE or by phone at 866-411-4111 or 773-857-0222



OUT AND PROUD: A RAINBOW CELEBRATION
Sunday, June 3, 2018 at 7:30PM
Broadway Theater
Pride Arts Center
4139 N Broadway
Chicago, IL 60613
Tickets: $30, Tickets available at www.pridefilmsandplays.com or by phone at 866-811-4111 or 773-857-0222.

ABOUT PRIDE FILMS AND PLAYS
Pride Films and Plays creates diverse new work (or work that is new to Chicago) with LGBTQ+ characters or themes that is essential viewing for all audiences. We accomplish this mission through fully-staged productions, writing contests and staged readings, and filming one short film each season.

PFP is the primary tenant in the Pride Arts Center (PAC), which connects and promotes other artists who share our values, creating a safe environment for all. PAC books one-night events or limited runs, cabaret, film, dance, comedy, and other events. PAC opened in 2016 and consists of two performance spaces: The Buena at 4147 N. Broadway which has 50 seats and The Broadway at 4139 N. Broadway which has 85 seats.
                                                                                                  
Pride Films and Plays is supported by The MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at The Richard Driehaus Foundation, The Illinois Arts Council, City of Chicago’s City Arts Fund, the Elliott Fredland Charitable Trust, Proud to Run, the AmazonSmile Foundation, Arts and Business Foundation, Tap Root Foundation and Alphawood Foundation. 

PFP is a member of the Smart Growth Program of the Chicago Community Trust. Pride Films and Plays is a member of the LGBT Chamber of Commerce of Illinois and The League of Chicago Theatres.

For more information, visit www.pridefilmsandplays.com or call 1.800.737.0984.

ABOUT PRIDE ARTS CENTER
PRIDE ARTS CENTER has become an important part of the arts environment in the Buena Park neighborhood and beyond. In addition to performances by PFP, (www.pridefilmsandplays.com), PAC hosts monthly events including play readings, film screenings, cabaret nights, and variety shows. Guest productions are also included in the PAC schedule. Find a full calendar of everything happening at PAC here. http://pridefilmsandplays.com/calendar/

One Night Only: LGBTQ+ Angle To CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY Improv Show at Pride Arts Center

CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY LATE NIGHT WRITERS ROOM to play Pride Arts Center on June 16

Improv troupe will give an LGBTQ+ angle to its popular show

CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY LATE NIGHT WRITERS ROOM will be performed in the Broadway, Pride Arts Center at 4139 N. Broadway, Pride Arts Center, at 10 pm. This irreverent night of improv comedy is inspired by the popular and politically incorrect party game “Cards Against Humanity.”  After audience members pitch their ideas, the best suggestions are acted out by the Cards Against Humanity writers and a team of improvisers. The worst suggestions will be mercilessly ridiculed. Recommended for ages 18+.

In honor of June Pride Month, the CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY performers promise some specially-themed LGBTQ+ segments.

Tickets for CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY LATE NIGHT WRITERS ROOM and all events at the Pride Arts Center are on sale now at  www.pridefilmsandplays.com or by phone at 866-411-4111 or 773-857-0222



PAC Special Event
CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY LATE NIGHT WRITERS ROOM
Saturday, June 16, 2018 at 10:00PM
The Broadway, Pride Arts Center
4139 N Broadway
Chicago, IL 60613
Tickets, priced at $10, are currently available at www.pridefilmsandplays.com or calling 1 866 811 4111. 

The irreverent night of improv comedy is inspired by the popular and politically incorrect party game “Cards Against Humanity.” After audience members pitch their ideas, the best suggestions are acted out by the Cards Against Humanity writers and a team of improvisers. The worst suggestions will be mercilessly ridiculed. Recommended for ages 18+.





ABOUT PRIDE FILMS AND PLAYS

Pride Films and Plays creates diverse new work (or work that is new to Chicago) with LGBTQ+ characters or themes that is essential viewing for all audiences. We accomplish this mission through fully-staged productions, writing contests and staged readings, and filming one short film each season.

PFP is the primary tenant in the Pride Arts Center (PAC), which connects and promotes other artists who share our values, creating a safe environment for all. PAC books one-night events or limited runs, cabaret, film, dance, comedy, and other events. PAC opened in 2016 and consists of two performance spaces: The Buena at 4147 N. Broadway which has 50 seats and The Broadway at 4139 N. Broadway which has 85 seats.                                                                                              
Pride Films and Plays is supported by The MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at The Richard Driehaus Foundation, The Illinois Arts Council, City of Chicago’s City Arts Fund, the Elliott Fredland Charitable Trust, Proud to Run, the AmazonSmile Foundation, Arts and Business Foundation, Tap Root Foundation and Alphawood Foundation. 

PFP is a member of the Smart Growth Program of the Chicago Community Trust. Pride Films and Plays is a member of the LGBT Chamber of Commerce of Illinois and The League of Chicago Theatres.

For more information, visit www.pridefilmsandplays.com or call 773-857-0222.

ABOUT PRIDE ARTS CENTER

PRIDE ARTS CENTER has become an important part of the arts environment in the Buena Park neighborhood and beyond. In addition to performances by PFP, (www.pridefilmsandplays.com), PAC hosts monthly events including play readings, film screenings, cabaret nights, and variety shows. Guest productions are also included in the PAC schedule. Find a full calendar of everything happening at PAC here. http://pridefilmsandplays.com/calendar/

ONE NIGHT ONLY: Greenhouse Theater Center Hosts CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY LATE NIGHT WRITERS ROOM Benefit for Howard Brown Health

CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY LATE NIGHT WRITERS ROOM

Returns To Greenhouse Theater Center

Friday, December 1, 2017

Hosted by Chicago Drag Sensation Dixie Lynn Cartwright

**Recommended for ages 18+**

Following four sell-out performances, CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY LATE NIGHT WRITERS ROOM returns for one-night-only on Friday, December 1, 2017 at 10 pm at The Greenhouse Theater Center (Downstairs Mainstage), 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago.  

The irreverent night of improv comedy is inspired by the popular and politically incorrect party game “Cards Against Humanity.” After audience members pitch their ideas, the best suggestions are acted out by the Cards Against Humanity writers and a team of improvisers. The worst suggestions will be mercilessly ridiculed. 

The evening will be hosted by Chicago drag sensation Dixie Lynn Cartwright, currently appearing in Other Theatre’s annual hit holiday musical BARNEY THE ELF at Greenhouse Theater Center. Tickets, priced at $10, are currently at greenhousetheater.org, in person at the box office or by calling (773) 404-7336. All proceeds from CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY LATE NIGHT WRITERS ROOM will benefit Howard Brown Health. For additional information, visit howardbrown.org. 


About the Greenhouse Theater Center

The Greenhouse Theater Center is a producing theater company, performance venue and theatre bookstore located at 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. Our mission is first and foremost to grow local theatre.

The Greenhouse Theater began its producing life in 2014 with the smash hit Churchill, after which came 2016’s much-lauded Solo Celebration!, an eight month, 16 event series highlighting the breadth and depth of the solo play form. This year, the Greenhouse announced a full subscription season, with a mix of multi-character and solo plays. With a focus on our community, the Greenhouse has also launched the Trellis Residency Initiative, an initiative designed to cultivate the next generation of Chicago theatre creators, as well as the MC-10, an ensemble of mid-career playwrights whose works will be included in future Greenhouse programming.

As a performance venue, our complex offers two newly remodeled 190-seat main stage spaces, two 60-seat studio theaters, two high-capacity lobbies and an in-house rehearsal room. We strive to cultivate a fertile environment for local artists, from individual renters to our bevy of resident companies, and to develop and produce their work. In 2016, the Greenhouse announced a new residency program, which offers a reduced rate to local storefront companies while giving the Greenhouse a stake in the resident’s success. We house Chicago’s only dedicated used theatre bookstore, located on the second floor of our complex. 

With new ideas always incubating, the Greenhouse is flourishing. Come grow with us!

HELP OUT: CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY LIVE To Benefit Hope Not Hate at Greenhouse Theater Center 9/29/17

One Night Only!

CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY LIVE

Returns To Greenhouse Theater Center

Friday, September 29 at 10 pm

CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY LIVE at Greenhouse Theater Center. Photos by Stephen Voss.

Following three sell-out performances this year, CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY LIVE returns once again for one night only on Friday, September 29, 2017 at 10 pm at The Greenhouse Theater Center (Downstairs Mainstage), 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago.  


The irreverent night of improv comedy is inspired by the popular and politically incorrect party game “Cards Against Humanity.” After audience members pitch their ideas, the best suggestions are acted out by the Cards Against Humanity writers and a team of improvisers. The worst suggestions will be mercilessly ridiculed. Recommended for ages 18+.

Tickets, priced at $10 are currently available at greenhousetheater.org, in person at the box office or by calling (773) 404-7336. All proceeds will benefit the anti-racist watchdog group Hope Not Hate. The group recently made national headlines after revealing one of its members went undercover in the alt-right movement for over a year. For additional information, visit hopenothate.com.




About the Greenhouse Theater Center
The Greenhouse Theater Center is a producing theater company, performance venue and theatre bookstore located at 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. Our mission is first and foremost to grow local theatre.

The Greenhouse Theater began its producing life in 2014 with the smash hit Churchill, after which came 2016’s much-lauded Solo Celebration!, an 8 month, 16 event series highlighting the breadth and depth of the solo play form. This year, the Greenhouse announced a full subscription season, with a mix of multi-character and solo plays. With a focus on our community, the Greenhouse is also launching the Trellis playwriting residency, an initiative designed to cultivate the next generation of Chicago theatre creators and a two-tiered education program for college and high school students.

As a performance venue, our complex offers two newly remodeled 190-seat main stage spaces, two 60-seat studio theaters, two high-capacity lobbies, and an in-house rehearsal room. We strive to cultivate a fertile environment for local artists, from individual renters to our bevy of resident companies, and to develop and produce their work. In 2016, the Greenhouse announced a new residency program, which offers a reduced rate to local storefront companies while giving the Greenhouse a stake in the resident’s success. We house Chicago’s only dedicated used theatre bookstore, located on the second floor of our complex. 

With new ideas always incubating, the Greenhouse is flourishing. Come grow with us!

TONIGHT: One Night Only at Greenhouse Theater, USE IT OR LOSE IT: An Evening of Short Plays About Your Rights

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Greenhouse Theater Center Presents

USE IT OR LOSE IT: 

An Evening of Short Plays About Your Rights

Saturday, September 23, 2017

A Benefit for the ACLU

PHOTO CREDIT: Greenhouse Theater Center's MC-10 Playwrights Ensemble includes (left to right) Zayd Dohrn, Rebecca Gilman, Lydia Diamond, Julie Marie Myatt, Laura Schellhardt, Sandra Delgado, Brett Neveu, Thomas Bradshaw, Philip Dawkins and Tanya Palmer.

Come on out to Greenhouse Theater Center tonight for some of our favorite playwrights and actors supporting a great cause. Tickets are pay-what-you-want.  All proceeds will benefit the ACLU. We're jazzed about the newly-created MC-10 Playwrights Ensemble, and can't wait to see what they have in store tonight and down the road!

Greenhouse Theater Center is pleased to present USE IT OR LOSE IT: An Evening of Short Plays About Your Rights, original works inspired by contemporary and historic legal battles the ACLU has fought on behalf of Americans' rights and freedoms. Written by members of the Greenhouse's newly-created MC-10 Playwrights Ensemble and directed by Devon de Mayo, Jacob Harvey and Chuck Smith, the short pieces tackle everything from the recent travel ban to the attack on reproductive rights to encounters with the TSA, offering audiences a glimpse into the vast impact and critical importance of the ACLU. 

USE IT OR LOSE IT will play one night only on Saturday, September 23 at 7 pm at the Greenhouse Theater's Downstairs Mainstage, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago.  Tickets are pay-what-you-want and are currently available at www.greenhousetheater.org, in person at the box office or by calling (773) 404-7336. All proceeds will benefit the ACLU. 

USE IT OR LOSE IT features short plays by: Thomas Bradshaw, Philip Dawkins, Sandra Delgado, Zayd Dohrn, Rebecca Gilman, Brett Neveu, Julie Marie Myatt, Tanya Palmer and Laura Schellhardt. 

The cast of USE IT LOSE IT includes: Japhet Balaban, Dana Black, Pat Kane, Jennifer Latimore, Mary Ann Thebus, Dan Waller and Wandachristine. 

The full USE IT OR LOSE IT line-up includes: 

EVERYDAY SUPER HERO
By Laura Schellhardt, directed by Devon de Mayo

January 27th, 2017 – In a backroom office of this mayhem called America, two super heroes strategize their next mission.

THIS IS A MESSAGE FROM PROTECTUS
By Sandra Delgado, directed by Devon de Mayo

Brenda just wants to hear her daughter’s voice and help her with her homework. But Brenda is one of the two-thirds of female inmates who is the parent of a minor child, and no conversation is free, easy or uninterrupted. 

HOLD ON
By Julie Marie Myatt, directed by Devon de Mayo

What do your rights feel like? One woman tries to get inside the emotion of this so-called inalienable thing. 

WONDER NEVER CEASES
By Philip Dawkins, directed by Jacob Harvey

Get inside the mind of a service dog who just wants to be there for his seven-year-old BFF after her school decides he’s a “distraction” and not, you know, an ADHA required necessity. 

GANG MEMBERS UNITE
By Thomas Bradshaw, directed by Jacob Harvey

A veteran Chicago gang member tries to unite fellow gang leaders from across the country for a common cause.

ON THE CLOCK
By Tanya Palmer, directed by Jacob Harvey

When you’re a single working mom it can be hard to find time for yourself. With abortion clinics closing and restrictions on abortions increasing, one woman fights against the clock to end an unwanted pregnancy. 

SPOTers
By Brett Neveu, directed by Chuck Smith

While undergoing additional passenger check training, two TSA employees discover their jobs may require more of them than they previously understood.

BILLIE BOGGS
By Zayd Dohrn, directed by Chuck Smith

Meet Billie Boggs, the most famous homeless black lady in all of history! She and the ACLU fought for her right to live on the streets and won.
  
DEATH FOR GILMORE 
By Rebecca Gilman, directed by Chuck Smith

In 1977, the ACLU fought to save Gary Gilmore from the firing squad. But their biggest obstacle was Gilmore himself.


About the MC-10 Playwrights Ensemble
The Greenhouse Theater's newly-created MC-10 Playwrights Ensemble is a collection of ten of the country’s most sought-after established and mid-career Chicago playwrights and theatre-makers. The ensemble, in residence at the Greenhouse Theater Center, will create new works for its stages. Beginning with the 2018-19 season, the Greenhouse will present one play per season by MC-10 member playwrights, eventually expanding to two MC-10 productions per season. These world and regional premieres aim to expand the scope, diversity and visibility of work happening at the Greenhouse and underscore the institution's commitment to creating new vital works for the American theatrical canon.

In addition to the one to two annual productions at the Greenhouse, MC-10 will curate a series of special events, pop-up performances and provocative conversations aimed at responding directly to issues and needs as they arise in our community. 

The MC-10 Playwrights Ensemble includes: Thomas Bradshaw, Philip Dawkins, Sandra Delgado, Lydia Diamond, Zayd Dohrn, Rebecca Gilman, Brett Neveu, Julie Marie Myatt, Tanya Palmer and Laura Schellhardt.

About the MC-10 Playwrights
Thomas Bradsaw’s play Carlyle premiered at The Goodman Theatre as part of their 2015-16 season. His play Fulfillment co-premiered at American Theater Company (Chicago) and The Flea Theater (New York) in fall 2015. His other plays include Intimacy and Burning (New Group); Mary (Goodman Theatre) Job and Dawn (Flea Theater); The Bereaved (Crowded Fire, Partial Comfort and the State Theater of Bielefeld in Germany); Southern Promises (PS122) and many more. He was the recipient of a 2009 Guggenheim Fellowship, the 2010 Prince Prize, a Foundation for Contemporary Arts award in 2012 and a Doris Duke Implementation Grant in 2016. Mr. Bradshaw has been featured as one of Time Out New York’s “10 Playwrights to Watch” and was named “Best Provocative Playwright” by the Village Voice. A compilation of his work Intimacy and Other Plays was recently published by TCG. Mr. Bradshaw is an Associate Professor at Northwestern University. He is currently under commission from The Royal National Theater in London, Marin Theater Company in San Francisco and The Foundry Theater in New York.

Philip Dawkins is a Chicago playwright whose plays have been produced all over the country and the world. His critically acclaimed works include: The Happiest Place on Earth (Greenhouse Theater Center & Sideshow Theatre Company – Joseph Jefferson Awards for Best Solo Work), Charm (Northlight Theatre – Jeff Award for Best New Work), Le Switch (About Face Theater, The Jungle – Jeff nomination Best New Work and Best Production); Miss Marx: Or The Involuntary Side Effect of Living (Strawdog Theatre – Jeff Award for Best New Work), The Homosexuals (About Face Theater – Jeff nomination for Best New Work) and Failure: A Love Story (Victory Gardens Theatre – Jeff nomination for Best New Work). His musical adaptation of Dr. Seuss’s The Sneetches (with composer David Mallamud) premiered at Children’s Theater Company in Minneapolis this past winter. His play Charm will receive its New York premiere in September at MCC. Philip teaches playwriting at Northwestern University, Loyola University Chicago, his alma mater, and through the Victory Gardens ACCESS Program for writers with disabilities. Most of his plays, including his plays for young performers, are available through Playscripts, Inc. and Dramatic Publishing.

Sandra Delgado is a Colombian-American actor, writer, singer and producer born and raised in Chicago. She received the Theater Communications Group (TCG) Fox Foundation Resident Actor Fellowship in residence at the Goodman Theater in Chicago where she developed her solo show para Graciela, subsequently performed at the Yo Solo Festival. As an actor, her vivid portrayals of strong, smart women such as the iconic Medea in Luis Alfaro's Mojada at Victory Gardens Theatre (named one of the Top Ten performances of 2013 by the Chicago Tribune) to the tough as nails, foul mouthed Veronica in Stephen Adly Guirgis' Motherf**ker with the Hat at the Steppenwolf Theatre, have made her a favorite among critics and audiences alike. Delgado's stage credits include work at Steppenwolf Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Victory Gardens, Lookingglass, Actors Theater of Louisville and INTAR. She produced Teatro Vista's and Collaboraction's Yo Solo Festival of Latino Solo Shows and Collaboraction's popular Sketchbook Festival from 2005-2008. She is a founding ensemble member of Collaboraction and an ensemble member of Teatro Vista (Associate Artistic Director from 2006-2008). She has trained in interview-based, collaboratively- generated and physical theater with Tectonic Theater Project, Ping Chong + Company, SITI Company and Cuba's Teatro Buendia. Ms. Delgado was part of the Goodman's Playwright's Unit for the 2015-16 season and is a TCG Young Leader of Color Alum, a two-time Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events grantee, a 3Arts 3AP Project Grantee and served on the National Steering Committee of the Latina/o Theatre Commons, an advocacy group for Latino Theatre artists. In 2015, she received the Joyce Award to develop her documentary play with music, La Havana Madrid, with Teatro Vista. La Havana Madrid made its premiere at Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theatre in April 2017 and is playing at The Goodman Theatre this summer. www.sandradelgado.net

Lydia Diamond’s plays include: Voyeurs de Venus (2006 Joseph Jefferson Award for Best New Work, 2006 Black Theater Alliance Award for Best Writing), The Bluest Eye (2006 Black Arts Alliance Image Award for Best New Play and 2008 AATE Distinguished Play Award), The Gift Horse (Theodore Ward Prize, Kesselring Prize 2nd Place), Stick Fly (2008 Susan Smith Blackburn Finalist, 2006 Black Theatre Alliance Award for best play), Lizzie Stranton and Harriet Jacobs. Producing theatres include: Arena Stage, The Huntington, New Vic, Goodman, Steppenwolf, Long Wharf, Hartford Stage, McCarter, Playmakers Rep, Providence Black Rep, Chicago Dramatists, Congo Square, TrueColors, The Matrix and Company One. Commissions include: Steppenwolf, Actors Theatre of Louisville/Victory Gardens, McCarter, Huntington and The Roundabout. Stick Fly is published by Northwestern University Press. Ms. Diamond is a 2009 NEA/Arena Stage New Play Development Grant Finalist, and 2006-2007 Huntington Playwright Fellow.

Zayd Dohrn’s plays include The Profane, Want, Outside People, Long Way Go Down, Sick and Reborning. His work is published by Samuel French, and has been produced across the country and internationally, including at Playwrights Horizons, The Vineyard Theatre, Naked Angels, Steppenwolf First Look and The Public Theater / Summer Play Festival. He is the recipient of the 2016 Horton Foote New American Play Prize, the Edgerton Foundation New Play Award, the Kennedy Center’s Jean Kennedy Smith Award, the Sky Cooper American Playwriting Prize, Theatre Master’s Visionary Playwrights Award and Lincoln Center’s Lecomte du Nouy Prize. Zayd attended Brown University, received his MFA from NYU and was a Lila Acheson Wallace Fellow at Juilliard. He currently teaches in the MFA program in Writing for the Stage + Screen at Northwestern. www.zayddohrn.com.

Rebecca Gilman’s plays include Luna Gale, Boy Gets Girl, Spinning Into Butter, Dollhouse, Blue Surge, A True History of the Johnstown Flood, Soups, Stews, and Casseroles: 1976, The Glory of Living, The Sweetest Swing in Baseball, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter and The Crowd You’re in With. Her plays have received numerous productions in the U.S. and abroad, including productions at the Goodman Theatre (where she is a member of the Goodman Theatre Artistic Collective), Steppenwolf Theatre, The Acting Company, Royal Court Theatre, Hampstead Theatre, Lincoln Center Theatre, Public Theater, Manhattan Theatre Club, New York Theatre Workshop, Seattle Rep, Cleveland Playhouse, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Alliance Theatre, Center Theatre Group’s Kirk Douglas Theatre and Manhattan Class Company. Gilman is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, The Harold and Mimi Steinberg/American Theatre Critics Association New Play Award, The Harper Lee Award, The Scott McPherson Award, The Prince Prize for Commissioning New Work, The Roger L. Stevens Award from the Kennedy Center Fund for New American Plays, The Evening Standard Award for Most Promising Playwright, The George Devine Award, The Theatre Masters Visionary Award, The Great Plains Playwright Award, The Roe Green Award, an Ingram Playwriting Fellowship and an Illinois Arts Council fellowship. Boy Gets Girl received an Olivier Nomination for Best New Play and was included in Time Magazine’s list of “Top Ten Plays of the Decade.” Gilman was named a finalist for the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for The Glory of Living. She is a member of the Council of the Dramatists Guild of America. Gilman is a professor at Northwestern University and teaches in its MFA in Writing for the Screen and Stage Program.

Julie Marie Myatt’s play The Happy Ones premiered at South Coast Repertory, and won the LA Drama Critic Circle’s Ted Schmitt Award for Outstanding New Play. Her play Welcome Home, Jenny Sutter premiered at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and the Kennedy Center as part of the Kennedy Center Fund for New American Plays. Her play Someday, premiered as part of Cornerstone Theater’s Justice Cycle. Her play, My Wandering Boy, premiered at South Coast Repertory in the 2007, was part of Pacific Playwrights Festival, and was also produced in New York as part of the 2007 Summer Play Festival. Boats On A River premiered at the Guthrie Theater, was a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, and was recorded for the LA Theatre works radio play series, “The Play’s The Thing.” Her ten-minute play, Mr. and Mrs. premiered at the 2007 Humana Festival. Her play The Sex Habits of American Women was produced by the Guthrie Theater, among others, and premiered at the Magic Theatre. Her work has been developed or seen at Actors Theatre of Louisville, Seattle Rep, Cherry Lane, A.S.K. Theatre Projects, LAByrinth Theater Company, Denver Center Theatre Company, ACT Seattle, among others. She received a Walt Disney Studios Screenwriting Fellowship, a Jerome Fellowship at the Playwrights’ Center, a McKnight Advancement Grant, Mark Taper Forum Fadiman Award and a Master Playwright Residency – Michener Center for Writers and Department of Theatre and Dance, UT/Austin. She is currently working on commissions for Yale Repertory and Cornerstone Theatre Company. She is an Alumni of New Dramatists, was the Mellon Playwright in Residence at South Coast Repertory 2013-2016 and teaches playwriting at Northwestern University.

Brett Neveu’s upcoming and recent theatre productions include Miss America with Greenhouse Theater Center (Chicago) and Pilgrim’s Progress with A Red Orchid Theatre (Chicago). Film/TV productions include the short Convo with Breakwall Pictures, the feature The Earl with Intermission Productions and the upcoming The Humbler new content series. Past work includes productions with 59e59 Theatre in New York, The Royal Court Theatre and The Royal Shakespeare Company in London, The Goodman Theatre, Writers Theatre, The House Theatre, The Inconvenience, TimeLine Theatre Company, A Red Orchid Theatre and American Theatre Company in Chicago. A Sundance Institute Ucross Fellow, Brett is also a recipient of the Marquee Award from Chicago Dramatists, the Ofner Prize for New Work, the Emerging Artist Award from The League of Chicago Theatres, an After Dark Award for Outstanding Musical (Old Town) and has developed plays with companies including The Atlantic Theatre Company and The New Group in New York and The Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre and Victory Gardens Theatre in Chicago. He is a resident-alum of Chicago Dramatists, a proud ensemble member of A Red Orchid Theatre, an alumni member of TimeLine Theatre Company’s Writers Collective and Center Theatre Group’s Playwrights’ Workshop in Los Angeles. Brett has been commissioned by The Royal Court Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, The Goodman Theatre, House Theatre, TimeLine Theatre Company, Writers Theatre, Strawdog Theatre, Northlight Theatre and has several of his plays published through Broadway Play Publishing, Dramatic Publishing and Nick Hern Publishing. Brett has taught writing at DePaul University, Second City Training Center and currently teaches writing for the screen and stage at Northwestern University.

Tanya Palmer is a dramaturg and playwright. Her plays include Body Talk, Fatherland, Barbra Live at Canyon Ranch, Spring and Trash and The Memory Tour, and have been developed or produced at Actors Theatre of Louisville, The Hangar Theatre, Solar Stage, the Montreal Fringe Festival, The Harbourfront Centre, HERE and Pivot Arts, and published by Smith & Kraus, Samuel French and Playscripts, Inc. She is the Director of New Play Development at Goodman Theatre, where she coordinates New Stages, the theater’s new play program, and has served as the production dramaturg on a number of plays including the world premieres of 2666 by Roberto Bolaño, adapted and directed by Seth Bockley and Robert Falls; Smokefall by Noah Haidle, The Happiest Song Plays Last by Quiara Hudes and the Pulitzer Prize–winning Ruined by Lynn Nottage. Prior to her arrival in Chicago, she served as the director of new play development at Actors Theatre of Louisville, where she led the reading and selection process for the Humana Festival of New American Plays. She is the co-editor, with Amy Wegener and Adrien-Alice Hansel, of four collections of Humana Festival plays, published by Smith & Kraus, as well as two collections of 10-minute plays published by Samuel French. Originally from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, she holds an MFA in playwriting from York University in Toronto.

Laura Schellhardt’s original works include Ever in the Glades, The Comparables, Upright Grand, Air Guitar High, Auctioning the Ainsleys, The K of D, Courting Vampires and Shapeshifter. Adaptations include The Phantom Tollbooth and The Outfit. She is also the author of Screenwriting for Dummmies. Her work has been produced at The Kennedy Center, TheatreWorks Palo Alto, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Trinity Repertory Company, People’s Light Theatre, The Magic Theatre, Wooly Mammoth Theatre, Boston Court Theatre, ACT and Northlight Theatre, among others. Laura is a recipient of the TCG National Playwriting Residency, the Jerome Fellowship, ACT’s New Play Award, the Best New Play Award NYC Fringe, The AATE Distinguished Play Award and a Dramatist Guild Fellowship. Her work has been developed at the SoHo Rep. Writer/Director Lab, The Ojai Playwright’s Conference, The Denver New Play Summit, The Bay Area Theatre Festival, The Women Playwrights Festival, The Kennedy Center New Voices/New Visions Festival, The Bonderman Symposium, The Goodman Theatre Playwrights Unit and the O’Neill National Playwright’s Festival. Laura received her MFA in Playwriting from Brown University under the direction of Paula Vogel. She currently heads the undergraduate playwriting program at Northwestern University and is a Victory Gardens ensemble playwright. 

About the Greenhouse Theater Center
The Greenhouse Theater Center is a producing theater company, performance venue and theatre bookstore located at 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. Our mission is first and foremost to grow local theatre.

The Greenhouse Theater began its producing life in 2014 with the smash hit Churchill, after which came 2016’s much-lauded Solo Celebration!, an 8 month, 16 event series highlighting the breadth and depth of the solo play form. This year, the Greenhouse announced a full subscription season, with a mix of multi-character and solo plays. With a focus on our community, the Greenhouse is also launching the Trellis playwriting residency, an initiative designed to cultivate the next generation of Chicago theatre creators and a two-tiered education program for college and high school students.

As a performance venue, our complex offers two newly remodeled 190-seat main stage spaces, two 60-seat studio theaters, two high-capacity lobbies, and an in-house rehearsal room. We strive to cultivate a fertile environment for local artists, from individual renters to our bevy of resident companies, and to develop and produce their work. In 2016, the Greenhouse announced a new residency program, which offers a reduced rate to local storefront companies while giving the Greenhouse a stake in the resident’s success. We house Chicago’s only dedicated used theatre bookstore, located on the second floor of our complex. 

With new ideas always incubating, the Greenhouse is flourishing. Come grow with us!