REVIEW: SANDBOX THEATRE COLLECTIVE'S HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARS ROVER Now Playing Through July 5TH

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

SANDBOX THEATRE COLLECTIVE PRESENTS 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARS ROVER

Now Playing Through July 5, 2026

AT MRS. MURPHY & SON’S IRISH BISTRO

REVIEW

By Bonnie Kenaz-Mara

Happy Birthday Mars Rover is out of this world fun with a scrappy, DIY vibe. Extinction was never so colorful and creative. Don't miss this! ChiIL Live Shows on our radar. Highly recommended. Four out of Four Stars.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sandbox Theatre Collective has produced a show that spans space AND time, from the early days of cave people inventing language, to a stark future on a dying planet. And they manage to make it puppet filled and playful! Best of all, tickets are pay what you can, so they're not sky high, and everyone's welcome. Of course, if you have money, empty your wallet or be generous with a digital donation, so this talented collective can keep making their quirky and compelling art. The cast is a great mix of ethnicities, genders, and types, playing myriad characters with panache. The script is unique and the acting is highly entertaining. 

All Production Photos by Alex Albrecht (@shermzilla)

Full disclosure, our son, Dugan Kenaz-Mara was props designer for this show, so we may be a bit biased in that department, but the Mars Rover he designed was charming, and elicited an audience full of awwwwws and empathy the night we caught the show. When the scientists who analyzed it's data anthropomorphized it a bit, the audience was right there with them, and by the time it played happy birthday to itself, in isolation on a distant planet, we felt the loneliness reverberating through the vast emptiness of space. This props heavy production uses items and quick costume changes to present a dizzying array of people and places. 

The Sandbox Collective includes a heavy dose of Northwestern University alums, some of the best and brightest creative minds around. These wunderkinds are mostly Gen Z who spent their formative years surviving the covid pandemic, and it's attending isolation, and total shutdown of live performances. It's made them wonderfully weird, insightful, and wise beyond their years. The playwright, Preston Choi aptly claims his work focuses on social science fiction, Asian-American/mixed race/queer lives, and the horror of being alive, and we're here for it. I catch an average of 6 professional shows a week and I've seldom seen a more accurate and enjoyable encapsulation of what it means to be human.

Sandbox Theatre Collective has a delightfully unpretentious aesthetic, and sneaks in poignant pieces and deep truths while you're busy laughing. Happy Birthday Mars Rover spans a Dr Who worthy swath of centuries, in a production that's both playful and thought provoking. In a series of vignettes, Happy Birthday Mars Rover explores humanities curiosity, intelligence, love, loss, and longing to be remembered. We adored the old school overhead projector presentations of extinct animals, the actors each drew for themselves, in the style of elementary school kids. 

Happy Birthday Mars Rover proves you can make big ideas come to life in a small space, without a Broadway budget. If aliens were attempting to learn about our planet and people, this production would be a great place to start!

Tickets for this production are pay what you can, with suggested prices ranging from $15-$30+ per ticket. Tickets can be purchased through Sandbox’s website or directly from Ticketsource.

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

Happy Birthday Mars Rover by Preston Choi, directed by Kara Toll.

Performances take place on the second floor at Mrs. Murphy and Sons Irish Bistro on select dates this summer, from June 19th - July 5th. Tickets for this production are pay what you can, with suggested prices ranging from $15-$30+ per ticket. Tickets can be purchased through Sandbox’s website or directly from Ticketsource.

Synopsis:

The Mars Rover sings Happy Birthday to itself as it searches for life on Mars as humans back on Earth search to understand what life is. A medley of snapshots, from cave people naming abstract concepts, bubbles that scream when popped, housewives battling existential dread, cows trying to get to heaven, and
the last human on Earth collecting jars of hair. Happy Birthday Mars Rover is a darkly comedic and whimsically morbid attempt to understand the human condition and life itself.

The cast of Happy Birthday Mars Rover includes Ruby Gibson (she/her, Actor One: “Daughter-ish"), Cooper Eidson (they/them, Actor Two: “Son-ish”) Coco Fernandez (she/they, Actor Three: “Mother-ish”), Gustavo Duran (he/him, Actor Four: “Father-ish”), Emma Marie Montoya (she/they, Actor Five: “Grandmother-ish”), and Nathan LoPinto (he/him, Actor Six: “Grandfather-ish”)

The creative team of Happy Birthday Mars Rover includes Preston Choi (he/him, Playwright), Kara Toll (she/they, Director), Francis Brenner (he/him, Stage Manager), Kate Samuels (she/her, Assistant Stage Manager), Madison Smith (she/they, Fight & Intimacy Coordinator), Rachael Dec (she/her, Movement
Director), Nathan Keiller (he/him, Lighting Design), Emilie Wingate (she/her, Puppet Design), Juan Barrera (he/him, Set Designer), Dugan Kenaz-Mara (he/him, Props Designer), Liza Kolesnik (any pronouns, Costumes), Ave Fitzgerald (she/they, Costumes), and Kate Schnetzer (she/her, Sound Design)

About Preston Choi:
Preston Choi is a Los Angeles based playwright whose work focuses on social science fiction, Asian-American/mixed race/queer lives, and the horror of being alive. His plays include Happy Birthday Mars Rover (2022 Planet Earth Arts Playwriting Award, 2022 Darrell Ayers Playwriting Award), performing class (2021-2022 NNPN Bridge Program, 2020-2021 Playwrights Realm Scratchpad Series), A Great Migration or The Migratory Patterns of the North American Monarch Butterfly and the Development of Fatherless Sons (2021 Paul Stephen Lim Playwriting Award, 2019 NNPN National New Play Showcase, 2017 Agnes Nixon Award), and This Is Not A True Story (2018 CAATA ConFest). His plays have been developed with Interact Theatre, Sideshow Theatre, Artist at Play, Silk Road Rising, CAATA, The Passage Theatre, and Our Perspective. He received a BS in Theatre from Northwestern University and an MFA in Playwriting from UC San Diego.

About Sandbox Theatre Collective:

Sandbox Theatre Collective exists to cultivate a supportive theatrical community in pursuit of exciting art and more fulfilled theatre artists. At Sandbox, artists of all levels work together to create the theatre of their dreams while expanding their skills and exploring their curiosity. Founded in 2022, Sandbox Theatre
Collective began as a small group of Chicago artists looking to create a space where theatre-makers of all backgrounds could show up and create their own work. Since that first day, we’ve embraced a non-hierarchical leadership structure, put our focus into new and reimagined works, and created opportunities for as many local artists as possible. In the past three years, we’ve mounted full productions, performed in living rooms and local businesses, and produced multiple new play development workshops (and a new musical workshop!).

Tickets for this production are pay what you can, with suggested prices ranging from $15-$30+ per ticket. Tickets can be purchased through Sandbox’s website or directly from Ticketsource.

The Neo-Futurist Theater Presents Abby Paj Tries to Stay Alive September 11th - October 4th, 2025

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Abby Paj Tries to Stay Alive

This solo show written and performed by Neo-Futurist Ensemble Member

Abby Pajakowski and directed by Sammy Zeisel.

Performances are September 11th - October 4th at 7pm at The Neo-Futurist Theater. 

We'll be out to review on Industry Night, Monday, September 22nd. Can't wait to catch this timely solo selection in one of our favorite storefront spaces!

The doomsday clock ticks 89 seconds to midnight and the world seems to already be ending each day. Some stockpile beans, some stockpile guns, and some bury themselves underground to wait for it to all blow over. Meanwhile, Abby Paj avoids the doctor, stays in bed, and writes “make a go-bag” on every to-do list for a year and a half. Join Abby as they dive into apocalypses, preparation, depression, and maybe doing a bunch of push-ups with a backpack on. Watch as they try to stay alive in any - no, every way possible. Tickets are Pay-What-You-Can - $20 and available now for purchase. 

World Premiere of The Infinity Play Via Curious Theatre Branch Now Playing Through May 18th at Jarvis Square Theatre

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CURIOUS THEATRE BRANCH CONTINUES ITS 36th SEASON WITH THE WORLD PREMIERE OF PAUL WILLIAM BRENNAN’S

THE INFINITY PLAY

NOW PLAYING THROUGH MAY 18, AT JARVIS SQUARE THEATER

This Play of Fables is Directed by Brennan and Maya Odim.

Curious Theatre Branch, is proud to present the world premiere of The Infinity Play, written by Paul William Brennan and directed by Brennan and Maya Odim, now playing through May 18, at Jarvis Square Theatre, 1439 W. Jarvis Ave. The performance schedule of Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 5 p.m. The running time is 90 minutes with no intermission. Tickets for The Infinity Play are on sale at CuriousTheatreBranch.com. Tickets are priced on a “pay what you can” scale, with a suggested price of $20. 

In ten scenes of different times, places and proportions, a pair of players take turns to clean up the mess the preceding players made, but end up making a bigger mess for the players after them. 

The cast of The Infinity Play includes Curious Theatre ensemble members Julie Williams (she/her), Vicki Walden (she/her) and Leny Brün (he/they), as well as returning Curious players Kristin Garrison (she/her), Lola Zimmerman (she/her), Maya Odim (she/her), Shaun Rosten (he/him) and new Curious players Lynda Cortez (they/she), John Francis Klingle (he/they) and Douglas Levin (he/him).

The production team includes Paul William Brennan (he/him, director); Maya Odim (she/her, director); Charlotte Lastra (she/her, scenic designer and stage manager). Produced with Jenny Magnus (she/her), Stefan Brün (he/him), Chris Bower (he/him) and Beau O Reilly (he/him).

ABOUT PAUL WILLIAM BRENNAN, playwright/director

Paul William Brennan is a Chicago filmmaker, playwright, transgressor to the rule of three, and performer. Under Curious Theatre Branch's banner, he wrote and produced Daughter (2013), Subjective is Beauty (2018) and Beckett: a Show About Nothingness (2020), none of which you've heard of. Other theater companies for whom he's written, performed and/or produced include Prop Thtr, Silent Theatre Company, Labyrinth Arts Collective, Sweetback Productions, Hate/Lab, and The Meat Machine. His comedic endeavors include membership in the Uploose Odditorium troupe and one half of Chicago revisionist comedy duo John & Paul. His work consistently attempts to consolidate ties between the mediums of theatre and film. Due to the childhood experience of spending three years in a washing machine, almost everything he writes accidentally involves comically tragic and inevitable cycles.

ABOUT MAYA ODIM, director

Maya Odim has an interdisciplinary practice rooted in places where writing and dance meets. Odim anchors an artistic approach in spaces where phrases of language and phrases of movement can overlap (exploring how words move and what bodies they are a part of). She is a poet in residence with the Chicago Poetry Center and a lecturer in Theater and Performance Studies at the University of Chicago.

ABOUT CURIOUS THEATRE BRANCH

Curious Theatre Branch is dedicated to the creation of new plays and performances and to the production of the annual Rhinoceros Theater Festival. Curious aims to promote innovative works of the imagination in the performing arts from a broad and inclusive spectrum of artists and are also devoted to mentoring programs that engage emerging artists as a way to enrich and expand our artistic community.  We are committed to creating and producing new plays and performances in a collaborative manner, encouraging our members as artists to share decision making and responsibilities, while expanding their skills as writers, actors, designers, directors and arts administrators.  Curious also is committed to the idea that a pay what you can pricing policy is sustainable and will suffice over the long term as an economic model.

REVIEW: Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble Presents Rachel Bublitz's "Funny Like an Abortion" MARCH 10 - MARCH 30, 2025

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CHICAGO DANZTHEATRE ENSEMBLE PRESENTS THE CHICAGO PREMIERE OF 

FUNNY, LIKE AN ABORTION

MARCH 10 - MARCH 30, 2025 

GUEST REVIEW

By Barbara Belcore

How to Make Abortion Funny

Bianca Thompson (she/they) as “Monroe”

Photo by Anthony Robert La Penna Photography

I drove right past the theater address not realizing the performance of Rachel Bublitz's "Funny Like an Abortion" would take place in a church theater. Greeters guided me upstairs where chairs sat in rows in front of a stage set up as a slightly cluttered apartment that could be any vintage Chicago flat. The rest of the multipurpose room was staggered with facts about abortion history and key points in the history of reproductive rights. The audience was wonderfully diverse and the title of the play alone is fair warning of the darkly provocative and wholly political nature of the content.

(L to R): Saniafaith (she/her) as “Jade” and Bianca Thompson (she/they) as “Monroe”

Photo by Anthony Robert La Penna Photography

As the lights went down, A solo actress runs around the stage, talking to her home smart device, decorating for a party, inspiring laughs from the audience. A knock on the door signals one of several well placed opportunities for the performers to break character; This time to present a disclaimer directly to the audience NOT to try anything they see on stage at home. We then meet Monroe and Jade, two quirky best friends gathering to address an unwanted pregnancy in an all-too-real near future where it becomes clear that choice is not a word one can say out loud. 

(L to R): Bianca Thompson (she/they) as “Monroe” and Saniafaith (she/her) as “Jade”

Photo by Anthony Robert La Penna Photography

The characters are well written in a way any close friendship pair can relate to: Monroe, the quirky, free spirit who makes light of even the most morbid of topics, and Jade, the serious, career-focused rule-follower who needs a little help loosening up. The actresses had tremendous chemistry and clearly enjoyed playing their well rehearsed roles making it seem like a closing performance as opposed to opening night. The dialogue is both risky and compelling, allowing for laughter in the face of discomfort. 

(L to R): Saniafaith (she/her) as “Jade” and Bianca Thompson (she/they) as “Monroe”

Photo by Anthony Robert La Penna Photography

(L to R): Bianca Thompson (she/they) as “Monroe” and Saniafaith (she/her) as “Jade”

Photo by Anthony Robert La Penna Photography

The playwright did her research! As a midwife I found the topic both urgent and relevant. The facts were accurate and managed to be both grim and silly at the same time. Even the ending, which was true physical comedy genius, taught important lessons while leaving the finality gently up to interpretation. I strongly recommend anyone, regardless of your affiliation, go see this clever and thought provoking play.

Barbara is a Chicago-area home birth midwife, maker, theater enthusiast, avid reader, and mom of two quirky, creative teens. She is currently snuggling three cats who are perpetually convinced that they have never been fed. 

(L to R): Bianca Thompson (she/they) as “Monroe” and Saniafaith (she/her) as “Jade”

Photo by Anthony Robert La Penna Photography

Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble (CDE),  located at 1650 W. Foster Ave, in collaboration with Fat Theater Project will present Funny Like an Abortion March 10 - 30. Monday, March 10 at 7:30 p.m. will be the one preview performance with the press opening Tuesday, March 11, at 7:30 p.m. Written by Rachel Bublitz and directed by Eileen Tull, Funny, Like an Abortion, a Chicago premiere, takes place Fridays through Sundays at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are pay-what-you-can with a suggested donation of $30. NOTE: Doors will open at 7 p.m. for each performance as there will be a gallery exhibition that comments on the social aspects of the femme experience focusing on the rights of women and femmes that are now under attack.  A timeline of women’s history milestones will also be displayed. For additional information on participants and to purchase tickets visit DanzTheatre.org (https://www.danztheatre.org/funny-like-an-abortion.html).

(L to R): Saniafaith (she/her) as “Jade” and Bianca Thompson (she/they) as “Monroe”

Photo by Anthony Robert La Penna Photography

Set in a future America where even saying the word “abortion” is a crime, Monroe has just discovered that she is unexpectedly and unwantedly pregnant. She invites her best friend, Jade, over for a surprise abortion party in this darkly funny, devastatingly prescient play by Rachel Bublitz. Eileen Tull directs this searing Chicago premiere, co-produced by Chicago Danztheatre and Fat Theater Project.  

(L to R): Saniafaith (she/her) as “Jade” and Bianca Thompson (she/they) as “Monroe”

Photo by Anthony Robert La Penna Photography

The cast of Funny Like an Abortion includes Bianca Thompson (she/they, Monroe) and Saniafaith (she/her, Jade), Kit Kelly (they/them, Monroe - understudy) and Erin Feldmen (she/her, Jade - understudy). The production team includes Ellyzabeth Adler (she/her, CDE founder and producer), Eileen Tull (she/her, director and producer), Naomi Flores (she/they, CDE community engagement director), Gail Gallagher (she/her, sound designer), Joshua Paul Weckesser (he/him, lighting designer), Christine Marie (she/her, puppet designer), Taylor Owen (he/him, stage manager), Mary Moore (she/her, props designer), Shellie DiSalvo (they/she, assistant director) and Davon Suttles (they, them choreography)

ABOUT FAT THEATRE PROJECT

Founded in 2022 by Eileen Tull, Fat Theater Project seeks to tell stories by/about/for/with fat artists. Sometimes the company creates plays about living in a fat body. Sometimes they do plays that are about people with all bodies. Their work is imaginative, compassionate, and bold. Fat Theater Project strives to pay artists for their work while also keeping art accessible for audiences. 

Top: Saniafaith (she/her) as “Jade”

Bottom: Bianca Thompson (she/they) as “Monroe”

Photo by Anthony Robert La Penna Photography

ABOUT CHICAGO DANZTHEATRE ENSEMBLE 

Founded in 2001, Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble (CDE) is Chicago’s only multidisciplinary arts organization dedicated to social justice and socially conscious work that builds community through the arts “one voice, one story, one person at a time.” CDE’s mission is to engage, inspire, and challenge the community, both onstage and in the classroom, through innovative and collaborative multidisciplinary storytelling to illuminate aspects of social issues. We do this in the genre of Tanztheatre, "which unites all art media to achieve an all-embracing, radical change in humankind.” Through our school-based art and performance programs, CDE helps students in Chicago schools explore their own creativity, supporting their social and emotional learning. CDE provides a physical and emotional space where community conversation and cultural change can happen.

For our performance series, CDE is dedicated to creating performances that blend together dance, theatre and visual art to tell stories about the human condition. We give an artistic voice to those who are not always heard.

Dedicated since our founding to diverse casting of age, body type and ethnicity

Consistently listed as a “Top Theater and Dance Performance to See” 

by New City and Chicago Reader

Unique collaborations with the Veterans Art Museum, Poetry Center Chicago, Cantigny Museum, Neighborhood Writing Alliance, Voice of the City and numerous dance and theater companies

MacArthur Award Grantee for International Collaborations.  

Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble is supported by The Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; Bayless Family Foundation, The Saints Foundation,The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, The Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation; Innovation 80; Farny Wurlitzer Foundation; Mardi Gras Fund and the annual support of individual donors.

 

Casting Announced for Broken Nose Theatre's AFTER THE BLAST - May 13 – June 11, 2022

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 Broken Nose Theatre

Announces Casting for Chicago Premiere of

AFTER THE BLAST

Written by Zoe Kazan

Directed by Ensemble Member JD Caudill

May 13 – June 11, 2022 at The Den Theatre

 

PHOTO CREDIT: The cast of Broken Nose Theatre’s Chicago premiere of After The Blast includes (top, l to r) Kim Boler, Ruben Carrazana and Teresa Kuruvilla (bottom, l to r) Arielle Leverett, David W. Lipschutz and Ana Ortiz-Monasterio Draa.

Broken Nose Theatre, one of Chicago’s premier Pay-What-You-Can theatre companies, is pleased to announce casting for its Chicago premiere of Zoe Kazan’s smart and incisive sci-fi drama After The Blast, directed by ensemble member JD Caudill.

The cast includes ensemble members Kim Boler*, Teresa Kuruvilla* and Arielle Leverett* with Ruben Carrazana, David W. Lipschutz and Ana Ortiz-Monasterio Draa.

After The Blast, will play May 13 – June 11, 2022 at BNT’s resident home, The Den Theatre (2A), 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood. Tickets are currently available at brokennosetheatre.com and thedentheatre.com. Tickets for all Broken Nose Theatre performances are “Pay-What-You-Can,” allowing patrons to set their own price. I'll be out for the press performance May 15th, so check back then for my full review. 

Generations after a global disaster has driven humankind into underground cities, partners Anna and Oliver are hoping to have a child – even though Anna's struggles with depression may prevent them from gaining the government approval needed to become parents. But when Oliver brings home a small robot – a new companion they name "Arthur" – their lives are changed forever. Zoe Kazan's smart and incisive play asks, "When the future seems bleak, how do we form bonds and build lives in the face of uncertainty?"

BNT Artistic Director E.M. Davis and Managing Director Rose Hamill comment, "Our ensemble immediately took to this story when we read it two years ago – but after everything we've all been through in that intervening time, what playwright Zoe Kazan has to say about isolation, connection through technology, climate change and pursuing parenthood in an uncertain future has only deepened our appreciation for this excellent play. Bringing puppetry to the BNT stage for the very first time to depict our protagonist's robotic companion, ensemble member JD Caudill and the fantastic production team will bring to life this story that begs the question, 'When outside circumstances have driven us underground and apart, how far will we go to maintain the well-being of our closest loved ones?’” 

The production team includes Therese Ritchie* (scenic design), Jessica Van Winkle (costume design), Cat Davis* (lighting design), Rae Delali (sound design), Andrew "AJ" Morley (props design), Jabberwocky Marionettes (puppet design), Jen Mickleson (intimacy consultant), Rose Hamill* (production manager), Evan Sposato (technical director), Adriana Rodriguez (stage manager) and Jacob Shaffer (assistant stage manager).

 

COVID guidelines: In the interest of keeping patrons and staff safe, and in accordance with the League of Chicago Theatres, The Den will continue to require proof of vaccination to attend any event for the indefinite future. While masking is no longer required, The Den strongly encourages patrons to continue wearing a mask when not eating or drinking. For the most current information on The Den’s COVID guidelines, visit thedentheatre.com/covid19-policy.

 

Cast (in alphabetical order): Kim Boler* (Anna), Ruben Carrazana (Oliver), Teresa Kuruvilla* (Carrie), Arielle Leverett* (Arthur, Sam), David W. Lipschutz (Patrick, Lowes) and Ana Ortiz-Monasterio Draa (Margarita).

 *Denotes Broken Nose Theatre ensemble members

Understudies: Taylor B. Hill, Julie Mitre, Christian Siebert, Faiz Siddique and Carlos Wagener-Sobrero.

 

Location: The Den Theatre (2A), 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago

Dates: Previews: Friday, May 13 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, May 14 at 7:30 pm

Press Opening: Sunday, May 15 at 3 pm

Opening: Monday, May 16 at 7:30 pm

Regular run: Thursday, May 19 – Saturday, June 11, 2011

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

Industry night: Monday, May 30 at 7:30 pm

Understudy night: Wednesday, June 8 at 7:30 pm

Tickets: Pay-what-you-can. Tickets are currently available at brokennosetheatre.com and thedentheatre.com.

About the Artists

Zoe Kazan’s (Playwright) first full-length play, Absalom, was performed at the Actor’s Theatre of Louisville as a part of the 2009 Humana Festival, and is now available through Dramatists Play Service. Her second play, This Thing of Darkness, was commissioned by Manhattan Theatre Club. As an actress, Zoe has appeared on Broadway in A Behanding in Spokane, Come Back Little Sheba and The Seagull, which garnered her a Drama Desk Award nomination. Her Off-Broadway acting credits include Angels in America (parts 1 and 2); The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, starring Cynthia Nixon; Things We Want; and 100 Saints You Should Know (Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel nominations). Her film work includes Revolutionary Road; The Private Lives of Pippa Lee; Me and Orson Welles; It’s Complicated; HappyThankYouMorePlease; Meek’s Cutoff; and The Exploding Girl (Best Actress, Tribeca Film Festival). Zoe received a BA from Yale University.

JD Caudill (Director) is a queer director, literary manager and music director whose recent direction includes Southern Comfort (Pride Films and Plays); Bechdel Fests 4-6 + 8, Book of Shadows (Broken Nose Theatre), and other plays at The New Coordinates, Haven, The Runaways Lab Theatre, New American Folk Theatre, Hobo Junction, 20% Theatre, Paragon Theatre, Otherworld Theatre, Arc Theatre, 16th Street Theatre, Stage Left, The Syndicates and Red Theater. They are a proud ensemble member of Hell in a Handbag, where they have music directed countless shows, and literary manager at Broken Nose Theatre.

About Broken Nose Theatre

Broken Nose Theatre is a Pay-What-You-Can theatre company. Founded in 2012, BNT was the 2018 recipient of the Emerging Theater Award, presented by the League of Chicago Theatres and Broadway in Chicago. The company has produced and developed 30 full-length plays (including 12 Chicago or world premieres) and over 60 new short plays through our annual Bechdel Fest. We strive to spark conversation, cultivate empathy, and amplify underrepresented voices, and are committed to making new, exciting and relevant theatre that is economically accessible to all audiences. For more information, please visit brokennosetheatre.com. 

 

PAY WHAT YOU CAN: WORLD PREMIERE OF STRANGE HEART BEATING VIA CLOUDGATE THEATRE AT THE FRONTIER JULY 9 – JULY 28, 2019

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CLOUDGATE THEATRE ANNOUNCES THE WORLD PREMIERE OF 

STRANGE HEART BEATING, 

JULY 9 – JULY 28 AT THE FRONTIER

A Dark Fantastical Look at the Rural Midwest and the Prejudices that Lie Beneath 

Written by Cloudgate Theatre Artistic Director and Kennedy Center’s 

Paula Vogel Playwriting Award Recipient Kristin Idaszak 

and Directed by Addie Gorlin

Cloudgate Theatre announces the world premiere of Strange Heart Beating, July 9 – July 27, at The Frontier, 1106 W. Thorndale. This mystery-inspired play is written by Cloudgate Artistic Director Kristin Idaszak and directed by Addie Gorlin. Previews are Tuesday, July 9, Thursday, July 11 and Friday, July 12 at 7:30 p.m. Press are invited to attend either of the following opening dates: Saturday, July 13 at 7:30 p.m. or Sunday, July 14 at 5 p.m. Performance times are Mondays and, Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 5 p.m. 

(L to R) Jyreika Guest (Teeny), Leah Raidt (Lena), Brandon Rodriguez (Ramon) 

and Stephanie Shum (Lake)

Ticket are “Pay What You Want” in advance; ticket prices range from $5 - $45. Cloudgate also offers an open door policy the day of performances that provides free tickets at the door, based on availability. Tickets are available at CloudgateTheatre.com.

A world premiere, Strange Heart Beating is a darkly fantastical look at the rural Midwest, the murky nature of justice, and the prejudices that lie just beneath the surface. Teeny and Lena grew up together in a rural midwestern town, dreaming of leaving for the big city. But now Teeny is the town sheriff and Lena is a newly single mother. When the body of Lena’s daughter is found near the lake outside of town, their friendship is stretched to the breaking point.  But Teeny’s investigation raises more questions than it answers: Have girls been going missing for years? Why are the loons acting so strange? What is the town hiding? Strange Heart Beating is a play about holding vigil, bearing witness, and unburying the truth.

The cast for A Strange Heart Beating includes: Jyreika Guest (Teeny), Leah Raidt (Lena), Brandon Rodriguez (Ramon) and Stephanie Shum (Lake).

The production team includes: Kristin Idaszak, playwright; Addie Gorlin, director; Elena Gonzalez Molina, assistant director; Tara Branham*, casting director; Tanuja Jagernauth*, dramaturg; Lila Gilbert*, production manager; Angela McIlvain, scenic designer; Anna Wooden*, costume designer; Kaili Story, lighting designer; Averi Paulsen, sound designer; Jay Epps, stage manager; Dominic DiGiovanni*, technical director; and Shane Kelly (producer). * Indicates Cloudgate Artistic Associate


ABOUT KRISTIN IDASZAK, playwright

Kristin Idaszak is a playwright, dramaturg, and Cloudgate’s artistic director. A two-time Playwrights’ Center Jerome Fellow, Idaszak has received the Kennedy Center’s Paula Vogel Playwriting Award and the Jean Kennedy Smith Playwriting Award. Her play, Another Jungle, (Relentless Award Honorable Mention) received its world premiere with Cloudgate Theatre and The Syndicate in April 2018. She was the Shank Playwright in Residence at the Goodman Theatre and a member of the 2017-2018 Goodman Playwrights Unit. She has received commissions from EST/The Sloan Foundation, Cleveland Play House, and Shakespeare Festival St. Louis. Her work has been produced or developed by the Goodman Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, Pasadena Playhouse, Ensemble Studio Theatre, SPACE at Ryder Farm, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Renaissance Theaterworks, The Drama League, and WildClaw, among others. Idaszak is also a resident playwright at Chicago Dramatists and adjunct faculty at The Theatre School at DePaul University. Previously, Idaszak served as associate artistic director/literary manager of Caffeine Theatre and associate artistic director of Collaboraction. 

ABOUT ADDIE GORLIN, director

Addie Gorlin hails from Minneapolis and is a director, educator and aspiring artistic director invested in the regional theater movement. Her most recent directing credits include Next to Normal (Brown University undergrad mainstage), Good Person of Szechwan, Eurydice, Twelfth Night, and Streetcar Named Desire (Brown/Trinity), Charm and According to Coyote (Mixed Blood Theatre), Laramie Project (Children’s Theater), I and You (Phoenix Theater), and Five Tries (Cutting Ball Theatre). Gorlin has developed new work at The Playwrights Center, The Lark, Mixed Blood, Riverside Theater, Ivoryton Playhouse, Brown University, and has served as assistant director at The Guthrie, The Public, and Trinity Rep among various others. Fellowships include Artistic Management and Directing at the Cutting Ball Theater and the National New Play Network (NNPN) Producer-in-Residence grant through which she apprenticed in artistic direction at Mixed Blood Theatre. While not in school and freelance directing, Gorlin stays actively engaged in civic theater practice, is a member of the NNPN's Affiliated Artist Council and strategic planning committee and continues to teach: she holds a credential as a 6-12th grade English and Drama teacher which she obtained via Teach for America. B.A. Dartmouth College. M.F.A. candidate Brown/Trinity 2019.

ABOUT CLOUDGATE THEATRE
Cloudgate Theatre produces fiercely theatrical new plays from a queer feminist lens. Prioritizing sustainability and harm reduction, Cloudgate focuses on human-centered artistic practices. It believes that caring for and listening to the artists they work with engenders vibrant, dynamic experiences for its audiences. With each production, the company starts by asking how best to serve the needs of its collaborators and to take its audience on a uniquely theatrical journey.

Cloudgate Theatre creates theatre and performance that challenge the norms of American theatre through intersectional queer feminist narratives. It believes that the theatre is the place to imagine a more liveable world, and work to make it real. The company seeks to create theatrical experiences that foster community, question authority, and offer meaning.

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

Chi IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

 

Three Performances Only!

Broken Nose Theatre Announces Line-Up for

BECHDEL FEST 6: REVOLUTION

July 29, 30 & 31, 2018 

at Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theatre

Parts of Steppenwolf’s LookOut Series

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

GOLDSTAR
Written by Cleo Shine | Directed by JD Caudill^

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

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

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

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

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

OCCUPY GAMBIER
Written by Beth Hyland | Directed by Brian Balcom

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



About Broken Nose Theatre:

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

About Steppenwolf’s LookOut Series:

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