OPENING: Dry Land at Rivendell Theatre

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Rivendell Theatre Ensemble presents

the Midwest Premiere of

Dry Land

by Ruby Rae Spiegel

Directed by RTE Member Hallie Gordon

Featuring Jessica Ervin and Bryce Gangel

April 22 – May 28, 2016

Rivendell Theatre Ensemble (RTE), Chicago’s only Equity theatre dedicated to producing new work with women at the core, announces the midwest premiere of Dry Land by Ruby Rae Spiegel. The production, directed by RTE member Hallie Gordon, runs April 22 – May 28, 2016, at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, 5779 N. Ridge Avenue in Chicago.

Sometimes high school boils down to one thing - survival. And the only way to stay afloat is to find yourself an ally…

Set in the girls' locker room of a Florida high school, Ruby Rae Spiegel's ferocious new play looks at the unlikely friendship between Esther and Amy, two high school swimmers under uncommon pressure. Called a “remarkable new play” by The New York Times, Dry Land is alternately harrowing and hilarious, as it homes in on the issue of DIY abortion, the complexities of female friendship, and the impossible pressures that build up at the brink of adulthood.   

VIP Opening: Thursday, April 28 at 7:00pm

Regular run: April 29 – May 28, 2016

Schedule: Thursdays-Saturdays at 8:00pm

                 Saturdays at 4:00pm

    Town Hall Discussions will follow the Saturday matinees on May 7, 14 and 21

Location:  Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, 

                 5779 N. Ridge Avenue in Chicago

Tickets: General Admission

Pre-sale: $32

Walk-up: $35

Student, Senior, Active Military, Veteran

Pre-sale: $22

Walk-up: $25

Pay What You Can: Five seats (10% of the house) are available for each performance. Reservations are made on a first come first served basis.

Flex Pass: $110 ($80 for Student/ Senior/ Active Military/ Veteran)

Includes four tickets to use in any combination for the season.

Box Office:                  (773) 334-7728 or www.RivendellTheatre.org

Parking and Transportation: Free parking is available in the Senn High School parking lot (located a block and a half from the theatre behind the school off Thorndale Avenue). There is limited paid and free street parking in the area and the theatre is easily accessible via the Clark (#22) or Broadway (#36) bus and is a short walk from the Bryn Mawr Red Line El station.

Artistic Director Tara Mallen comments, “Dry Land is the second production in RTE's 2016 “The Body Politic” season consisting of three important new plays in which the political is deeply personal.  The play begins with two teenage girls attempting a do-it-yourself abortion. It is a precarious subject, rife with shame and secrecy, not to mention being a political time bomb. The play doesn't pick sides or ask you to pick sides -- it simply reflects a growing reality, particularly for women and girls living in areas where it is now most difficult to get abortions. In the midst of this election circus, as we sift through the candidate’s policies and platforms, Dry Land tackles this hot button issue with extreme truth - and a great dose of humor -- engendering an imperative dialogue about women’s bodies in this crucible of politics."

“What struck me the first time I read Dry Land, this expertly written play by the young Ruby Rae Spiegal, was how unbelievably real, how lively and true and recognizable these characters were,” comments directorHallie Gordon.  “While the play has at its center a harrowing and dramatic incident, what matters about the play is not its plot, but its themes – at its heart, this is a work about friendship. The play asks how we are connected, and how we conduct ourselves when that connection is tested.”

Dry Land features Jessica Ervin as “Ester” and Bryce Gangel as “Amy” with Charlotte Thomas, Matt Farrabee, Ric Walker, Olivia Shine and Ireon Roach. The design team includes Joanna Iwanicka (scenic design), Charles Cooper (lighting design), Janice Pytel (costume design), Sarah Putts (sound) and David Blixt (fight choreography).

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Ruby Rae Spiegel (Playwright) is a graduate of Yale University. Her Susan Smith Blackburn Prize nominated play, DRY LAND, premiered Off-Broadway in 2014 in a sold-out, critically acclaimed run at Colt Coeur, following development in New York Stage and Film’s Powerhouse Theater Readings Festival and the Ojai Playwrights Conference. Her play Carrie & Francine premiered in the Summer Shorts Festival in 2011 at 59E59 alongside work by Neil LaBute and Christopher Durang. Dubbed “the prodigy of Summer Shorts” by the Theatre Development Fund, she received a rave review in the The New York Times for the piece and won Stephen Sondheim’s Young Playwrights Inc.’s National Competition (her second consecutive win after 2010’s All Ye Know). Ruby currently writes for Netflix’s forthcoming original series “The OA.”

Hallie Gordon (Director) is an RTE member and Artistic Producer at Steppenwolf and Artistic Director of Steppenwolf Young Adults.  As a theatre artist Hallie has directed for Rivendell, Eat Your Heart Out, Eclipsedat Northlight Theatre, for Steppenwolf 1984, Animal Farm, Leveling Up, the world premiere of The Book Thief, To Kill A Mockingbird, the world premiere of a new adaptation by Tanya Saracho of The House on Mango Street, and Harriet Jacobs, adapted for the stage by Lydia R. Diamond. A new premier of Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, also adapted by Lydia R. Diamond, which won a Black Excellence Award from the African American Arts Alliance of Chicago. This production also transferred Off-Broadway to The New Victory Theatre. She has directed staged readings for The Goodman Theatre, Timeline Theatre, Chicago Dramatists and Steppenwolf Theatre Company.  Hallie is the recipient of The Helen Coburn Meier & Tim Meier Achievement Award

Jessica Ervin (Ester) is a recent graduate of Ball State University with a B.F.A. in Acting. Her Chicago credits include Walkabout Theater Company’s Summer in the Parks production of The Wild, The Public House Theatre’s 12 Ways to Play Festival, Collaboraction’s final Sketchbook Festival, and understudying Rivendell’s touring production of WOMEN AT WAR. Some of her other favorite projects are The Skriker (Josie),Romeo and Juliet (Juliet), and The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds (Tillie). 

Bryce Gangel (Amy) makes her Rivendell Theatre debut. Recent Chicago credits include: The U.S. premiere of Posh (Steep Theatre); Between You, Me, and the Lampshade (Teatro Vista); All American (Redtwist Theatre); the Chicago premiere of Hank Williams: Lost Highway (Filament Theatre Ensemble); and You Never Can Tell (Remy Bumppo Theatre U/S). She has appeared on television in “Crisis” (NBC).  Bryce is a graduate of Loyola University and The School at Steppenwolf.  She is proudly represented by Paonessa Talent.

                        

About Rivendell Theatre Ensemble

Founded in 1994, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble advances women’s lives through the power of theatre. Rivendell cultivates the talents of women artists -- writers, actors, directors, designers and technicians – by seeking out innovative plays that explore unique female experiences and producing them in intimate, salon environments. 

Rivendell fills an important role in the Chicago region as the only Equity theatre dedicated to producing artistically challenging and original plays created by and about women. After years of being an itinerant company, we moved into our own theater space in 2010 in Edgewater. As new members of the neighborhood, we are focused on becoming an integral community partner and serving as a catalyst to engage our audiences in a discussion of local social issues. 

Rivendell Theatre Ensemble is supported by generous grants from The Alphawood Foundation; The Arts Work Fund for Organizational Development; The Chicago Community Trust; The Chicago Foundation for Women; The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation; The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation; The MacArthur Funds for Arts and Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation; The Reva and David Logan Foundation; The Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust; Cultural Outreach Program Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events; and the Illinois Arts Council Agency. Rivendell Theatre Ensemble is also very grateful for the support received from 100 Women Who Care.

For more information about Rivendell Theater Ensemble, http://rivendelltheatre.org.  Follow RTE on Facebook at Facebook.com/rivendelltheatre and on Twitter @RivendellThtr

Kudos To Sideshow Theatre Company Winners of Broadway in Chicago's Emerging Theatre Award

 Sideshow Theatre Company 

to be awarded 

the 2016 Broadway In Chicago 

Emerging Theatre Award

 Award to be presented at the League of Chicago Theatres Annual Gala

May 23 at the Chicago History Museum

The League of Chicago Theatres announces Sideshow Theatre Company as the winner of the 2016 Broadway In Chicago Emerging Theatre Award.  The award will be presented at the League of Chicago Theatres Annual Gala, an elegant event that brings together friends of Chicago theatre to raise funds for programs to support Chicago’s 240 member theatre companies, on May 23, 2016 at the Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark St.

Tickets for the Gala are available for $325 per person, and all proceeds benefit the League of Chicago Theatres which promotes, supports, and advocates for theatre in Chicago.  To purchase tickets, or for sponsorship opportunities and participation information, visit www.chicagoplays.com or call 312-554-9800.

The Broadway In Chicago Emerging Theatre Award was created in 2007 to encourage, support, and promote young theatres in Chicago that have demonstrated great ability and promise, artistic excellence and fiscal responsibility in business practices.  Eligible companies are members of the League of Chicago Theatres, have been incorporated at least 3 and no longer than 10 years, and have demonstrated artistic excellence, fiscal responsibility, community leadership and potential for future growth.

Nominated by a committee of industry professionals, educators and League of Chicago Theatres board members, five finalists are selected each year, and from those, a majority vote from the League membership determines the winner.  Broadway In Chicago provides a $5,000 cash prize and marketing support, including a substantial advertising package for the recipient.

Sideshow Theatre Company Artistic Director Jonathan L. Green comments, “We are so grateful to be recognized by the League of Chicago Theatres and Broadway In Chicago. For nearly a decade, Sideshow has been dedicated to boldly deconstructing and reconstructing our shared stories. This award embodies what makes our city so unique as a theatre town: a collaborative community where 250 diverse companies, big and small, thrive and support each other's work. As we approach our 10th anniversary season, we hope to serve as an inspiration for the next generation of Chicago theatres.”

 “It is a great honor for Broadway In Chicago to sponsor this award every year," said Eileen LaCario, Vice President of Broadway In Chicago. "We are proud to be a part of the Chicago Theatre Community which is unique and unlike any other in the country where theatres of all sizes mentor and support each other.  This year we celebrate Sideshow as the 2016 Emerging Theatre, recognized by their peers for their work and contributions to Chicago Theatre."

 The other nominees for the 2016 Broadway In Chicago Emerging Theatre Award were: Chicago Fringe Festival, Definition Theatre Company, Filament Theatre and Route 66 Theatre. Jackalope Theatre Company, Oracle Productions, The House Theatre of Chicago, Silk Road Theatre Project (now Silk Road Rising), the side project, Steep Theatre, The New Colony, Theatre Seven of Chicago and 16th Street Theater are previous recipients of the award.
 

About the League of Chicago Theatres Gala
On May 23 at the Chicago History Museum, the Chicago theatre community will honor Sideshow Theatre Company with the Broadway In Chicago Emerging Theatre Award, philanthropist Merle Reskin with the Tribute Award, Chanel Coney with the Emerging Philanthropist Award, and Founders of the Candlelight Theatre Bill Pullinsi and Tony D’Angelo with the Lifetime Achievement Award.  Cocktails will begin at 5:30pm with an elegant dinner and entertainment at 7:00pm. 

The Gala Co-Chairs are John Collins (General Manager, Goodman Theatre), Neel McNeill (Managing Director, Definition Theatre Company), David Schmitz (Managing Director, Steppenwolf Theatre Company) and Ivan Vega (Executive Director, UrbanTheatre Company).

 About Chicago theatre

Chicago theatre is the leader in the U.S. with more than 250 theatres throughout Chicagoland, comprising a rich and varied community ranging from storefront, non-union theaters to the most renowned resident theatres in the country, including 5 that have been honored with Regional Tony Awards, and the largest touring Broadway organization in the nation. Chicago’s theatres serve 5 million audience members annually and have a combined budget of more than $250 million. Chicago produces and/or presents more world premieres annually than any other city in the nation. In 2015-16 alone, Chicago theatre companies produced more than 100 world premiere productions and adaptations. Each year, Chicago theatres send new work to resident theatres across the country, to Broadway, and around the world. 

 About the League of Chicago Theatres

The League of Chicago Theatres is an alliance of theatres which leverages its collective strength to promote, support, and advocate for Chicago's theatre industry locally, nationally, and internationally. The League of Chicago Theatres Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the art of theatre in the Chicago area through audience development and support services for theatres and theatre professionals.  For more information, www.chicagoplays.com.

OPENING: Babes With Blades' 180 Degree Rule

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Babes With Blades Theatre Company’s 180 Degree Rule,

Opening April 25, 2016

**Do note, there is violence & violence of a sexual nature**

A love story wrapped in a mystery. Come see the show inspired by the pioneering female film directors in early Hollywood...and the world that was stacked against them. Here at ChiIL Live Shows and ChiIL Mama we've long been fans of Babes With Blades Theatre Company’s excellent productions. I'll be there for the press opening so check back soon for our full review. They're excellent about providing a showcase for women in stage combat roles as well as showcasing talents of female directors and writers. They excel at historical pieces and this show will be their 18th world premiere production! About the Play  A 1960s film professor searches for the missing film masterpiece of an obscure lesbian director - killed pre-World War II at the height of her talent - and speculates she was murdered because of her defiant flaunting of her sexuality with the studio’s “it” girl. But once the director’s former lover, now an aging, reclusive German movie star, is involved in the search, a more disturbing narrative unravels. Moving between 1930s Berlin and Hollywood and the late ’60s, this play shifts from film to live action, flashback to the present as it reveals the truth behind a doomed romance.  “This is a murder mystery, but it’s also a memory play,” says director Rachel Edwards Harvith. “It involves characters reaching across time to find each other. Memory plays tricks on us. Sometimes we remember hard facts, and other times we fill in gaps with assumptions—over time those assumptions become rewritten history. This production has visual poetry layered in with scenes, weaving between time periods, as characters struggle to find the truth, detect the lies, and express love they have been afraid to show.” Inspired by the pioneering female directors of early Hollywood, such as Dorothy Arzner, Alice Guy-Blaché, and Lois Weber, 180 Degree Rule’s  most extensive historical nod is to Arzner, an open lesbian who was notorious for affairs with her leading women, including Joan Crawford.  She worked throughout the 1920s-40s, creating films with independent, complex female protagonists – often with lesbian subtext. 180 Degree Rule is a 2013 graduate of BWBTC’s Fighting Words script development program, was a finalist in the 2013 Pride Series Women’s Work Competition (for works by women with lesbian characters or themes), and was hosted for a final public reading by Chicago Dramatists. This production has been awarded grants by the Arch and Bruce Brown Foundation and the Dramatists Guild Fund.

Post-show discussion, pay-what-you-can dates, and lots of desserts are in store for audiences during the run of the show

Events and deals have been announced for Babes With Blades Theatre Company’s 180 Degree Rule, written by Chicago playwrights Barbara Lhota (playwright, The Double and BWBTC ensemble member) and the late M.E.H. Lewis, to be performed at City Lit Theatre, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., in Chicago. The show will run Thursdays-Saturdays at 8PM and Sundays at 3 from April 28 - May 21, plus Wednesdays May 11 and May 18 8pm.

180 Degree Rule is directed by Rachel Edwards Harvith (Associate Artistic Director, Chicago Dramatists) and the cast features Kate Black-Spence, Tommy Bullington, Chris Cinereski, Amy E. Harmon*, Lisa Herceg*, Kimberly Logan*, Jason Narvy, and Kelly Yacono.*

The design and production team of 180 Degree Rule includes Leigh Barrett* (Sound Design), Libby Beyreis* (Violence Design), Kurt Brandt (Props Design), Jason Fleece (Dialect Coach), Adam Greye (Stage Manager), Kaitlyn Grissom (Technical Director), Amy E. Harmon* (Production Manager), Beth Laske-Miller (Costume Design), Barbara Lhota* (Production Manager), Carter Martin (Film Director/Editor), G. Max Maxin IV (Projection & Scenic Design), Heather Meyers (Dramaturg), Tim Tavano (Director of Photography), and Laura Wiley (Lighting Design).

*denotes BWBTC ensemble member

EVENTS

The Thursday performances of May 5 and May 12 will offer pay-what-you-can admission.

Sunday, May 8, stick around after the show for a post-show dessert buffet, featuring an array of tasty treats, homemade by the BWBTC ensemble. Delicious and free!

Wednesday, May 11, join us for “Cookies and Collaboration,” a post-show discussion with playwright Barbara Lhota.

Wednesday, May 11 and Wednesday, May 18 will be Industry Nights, offering ½ price tickets to anyone with proof of industry affiliation.

All closing weekend, May 18-21, BWBTC will be collecting monetary donations for the Pro Bono Network (http://www.pro-bono-network.org/)

Additional discounts and deals will be offered on BWBTC’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bwbtc

180 Degree Rule is a 2013 graduate of BWBTC’s Fighting Words script development program, was a finalist in the 2013 Pride Series Women’s Work Competition (for works by women with lesbian characters or themes), and was hosted for a final public reading by Chicago Dramatists.

This production has been awarded grants by the Arch and Bruce Brown Foundation and the Dramatists Guild Fund.

Tickets:

$22 general admission

$14 students and seniors

$10 previews

Available at babeswithblades.org or 773-904-0391.

About the Company

Babes With Blades Theatre Company uses stage combat to place women and their stories center stage. Through performance, script development, training, and outreach, our ensemble creates theatre that explores the wide range of the human experience, and cultivates broader perspectives in the arts community and in society as a whole.

Dreamgirls at Porchlight Extended Through May 22

DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND - PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE ANNOUNCES EXTENSION AND 

ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCES FOR ITS SPRING ENGAGEMENT OF DREAMGIRLS

The Tony and Academy Award Winning Musical Extends Through May 22 and Adds More Thursday and Sunday Performances at Stage 773

Porchlight Music Theatre and Artistic Director Michael Weber are proud to announce the extension and additional performances of Dreamgirls, book and lyrics by Tom Eyen, music by Henry Krieger. This production is directed and choreographed by Porchlight Artistic Associate Brenda Didier and music directed by Porchlight Artistic Associate Doug Peck, now through May 22. 

Regular performance times are Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 4 and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Added performances Thursday, May 5, 12 and 19 at 1:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 8 at 7 p.m. Single tickets may be purchased at porchlightmusictheatre.org or 773.327.5252. Groups of ten or more may receive discounts on tickets purchased via Group Theater Tix at 312.423.6612 or grouptheatertix.com.

“We are excited to see that the audiences’ anticipation of this iconic production is as great as ours,” said Weber. “Several performances have already sold out and we are adding these performances to meet the demand. The cast, crew and everyone at Porchlight are looking forward to sharing this very special performance with Chicago. Come April all of Chicago will be wanting to experience the drama, the music and the magic of Dreamgirls.”

Full of on-stage joy and backstage drama, Dreamgirls is the story of an up-and-coming 1960s all-female singing group from Chicago and the triumphs and tribulations that come on the road to fame and fortune, and features unforgettable hits including, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," "One Night Only" and "Listen." With a story that lives through the journey of popular music in America, and presented in Porchlight's signature intimate and up-close style, this Tony Award and Academy Award-winning musical will receive an intense and illuminating interpretation by Chicago’s leading talents.  

Making her Porchlight Music Theatre debut, Donica Lynn stars as “Effie Melody White” with Candace C. Edwards, recently seen in Porchlight’s critically acclaimed Far From Heaven, as “Deena Jones,” Katherine Thomas, making her Porchlight debut as “Lorrell Robinson” and Evan Tyrone Martin, recently in Porchlight’s Chicago premieres of Far From Heaven and Side Show, as “Curtis Taylor Jr.”

The full cast of Dreamgirls includes Caleb Baze (Cadillac Boy/Stage Manager), Michelle Bester (Ensemble), Dawn Bless (Ensemble), Kyrie Courter (Ensemble), Gilbert Domally (C.C. White), Jared Grant (Ensemble), Matthew Hunter (Ensemble), Reneisha Jenkins (Ensemble), J. Michael Jones (Marty), Eric Lewis (Jimmy Early), Andrew Malone (Ensemble), Brian Nelson Jr. (Ensemble), Trequon Tate (Ensemble) and Cherise Thomas (Ensemble).

The Dreamgirls production team includes: Porchlight Artistic Associate Christopher Pazdernik (assistant director); Chris Carter (associate choreographer); Porchlight Artistic Associate Bill Morey (costume designer); Porchlight Artistic Associate Jeff Kmiec (co-scenic designer); Greg Pinsoneault (co-scenic designer); Denise Karczewski (lighting designer); Kevin Barthel (wig designer); Mealah Heidenreich (properties designer); Robert Hornbostel (sound designer), Sara Gammage (stage manager) and Porchlight Artistic Associate Aaron Shapiro (production manager).

ABOUT PORCHLIGHT ARTISTIC ASSOCIATE BRENDA DIDER, director/choreographer Brenda Didier, recently named one of the “major musical theater forces” working in the Chicago area, is a multi-award-winning director/choreographer having received Joseph Jefferson Awards for both direction and choreography, After Dark Awards for choreography, the National Youth Theatre Award for choreography and the 2010 Broadway World Chicago Fan Favorite Award for choreography. Didier has collaborated with Porchlight Music Theatre on ten productions, most recently the return of the smash-hit Ain't Misbehavin' (Jeff Award Best Production and Direction) and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum as well as How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Pal Joey, Putting It Together, Ragtime and Once on this Island, all for which she received Jeff nominations. She has served as a guest instructor and choreographer for Northwestern University, Columbia College, the University of Illinois-Champaign/Urbana, the University of Wisconsin-Parkside and Carthage College. Didier has choreographed musicals, industrials, special events as well as productions for Second City's mainstage and five installments of Cirque Shanghai at Navy Pier's Skyline Stage the summers of 2007-2012. Didier is owner and director of the Lincolnshire Academy of Dance, now in its 16th successful season in its 5000 square foot facility. 

ABOUT PORCHLIGHT ARTISTIC ASSOCIATE DOUG PECK, music director

Doug Peck is one of Chicago’s leading music directors, having won six Joseph Jefferson Awards (The Jungle Book, Porgy and Bess, Caroline, or Change, Carousel, Fiorello! and Man of La Mancha) and two After Dark Awards (Guys and Dolls, Hello, Again), as well as the Sarah Siddons Award and the Guy Adkins Award, for his music direction and orchestrations in Chicago and across the country. In addition to Porchlight, Peck’s work has been heard in Chicago at Court Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Writers Theatre, TimeLine Theatre Company, Northlight Theatre, Paramount Theatre, Drury Lane Oakbrook Terrace, TimeLine, Writers Theatre and the Ravinia Festival. Regional credits include work at Glimmerglass, the Huntington Theatre Company, the Shakespeare Theatre Company, Long Wharf Theatre, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Peninsula Players Theatre, among others. Peck can be heard on the recordings Bright Young People: The Songs of Noël Coward, Foiled Again Live and Loving Repeating: A Musical of Gertrude Stein. For the Chicago Humanities Festival and Porchlight’s annual Chicago Sings concerts, he and Rob Lindley have presented unique one night only events focusing on various aspects of the music world and performance.  Peck is a graduate of Northwestern University and also trained at the Interlochen Center for the Arts. He is a creative partner with the Goodman and a faculty member of the National High School Institute of the Arts.

ABOUT DONICA LYNN, “Effie Melody White”

Donica Lynn has appeared at many of the top-tier theatres in the Chicago area including, most recently, opposite Andre de Shields in Confessions of a P.I.M.P. at Victory Gardens as well as at The Goodman (Crowns and Ain’t Misbehavin’,) Court Theatre (Caroline or Change,) Drury Lane (Hairspray and Aida,) Marriott Theatre (Once on this Island and Suessical,) TimeLine (Fiorello,) The Mercury Theatre (The Color Purple and Barnum,) Chicago Opera Theatre (Queenie Pie,) Congo Square (Black Nativity and Santified,) and The Paramount (Hair). Dreamgirls marks Lynn’s Porchlight Music Theatre debut.

ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE

Porchlight Music Theatre, now in its 21^st season, is nationally recognized for developing innovative new works, reimagining classic productions and showcasing musical theatre’s noted veterans and rising stars. Porchlight elevates the genre in Chicago by providing intimate and powerful theatrical experiences for its growing and diverse audiences. With the vision of Artistic Director Michael Weber, Porchlight builds on its role as Chicago’s only Equity not-for-profit company exclusively specializing in works of theatre in which music is an essential element. Porchlight’s rich history includes the staging of more than 60 productions with 13 Chicago premieres and five world premieres. Through Porchlight’s “Off the Porch” new works program, the musicals of the next generation are developed and given a first audience. The School at Porchlight is Chicago’s center for music theatre training in the areas of performance, writing and appreciation. The company’s many accolades include 11 Black Theatre Alliance nominations and two awards, as well as a total of 115 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations resulting in 31 Jeff Awards, recently garnering three consecutive Best Production awards for Sondheim on Sondheim (2015), Ain’t Misbehavin’ (2014) and A Class Act (2013).

Porchlight Music Theatre is partially supported by generous contributions from the Actors’ Equity Foundation, the Arts Work Fund at the Chicago Community Trust, the Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, the Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at the Prince Foundation, the National Association of Realtors, Bloomberg Philanthropies, James P. and Brenda S. Grusecki Family Foundation and The Saints. The season program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency and by a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events

NEW RELEASE: Grindmother's Debut Album Age of Destruction Out April 28th

Here at ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows we love to see mothers pushing the boundaries of what's socially acceptable and expected and making a huge success of it. There's an unlikely viral star on the decidedly young, male, grindcore scene, a 67 year old Canadian mom. Check out her vocals. She's not just a gimmick, she's good!

Never has a mother screaming at her son been so sweet.

-Refinery

All hail the Grindmother!

-Nerdist

She’s no mere novelty. Her vocals are paint-peeling face-rippers! 

-Dangerous Minds

Band: Grindmother

Location: Ontario, Canada

Title: Age of Destruction

Genre(s): grindcore, punk, metal

For fans of: Napalm Death, Slayer, Sepultura, System of a Down

Label: Independent

Format(s): CD, digital

Tracks: 10

Release Date: April 28, 2016

An unlikely grindcore star, thanks to her impressively ferocious vocals! 

-Daily Mail

We're literally watching a star being born in real time.

-OC Weekly

One of the coolest 67-year-olds you’ll ever come across!

-Alt Press

GRINDMOTHER is a 67 year-old grindcore vocalist!  She got her start in early 2015, when an adorable, yet hilariously bad-ass video where she records guest vocals for her son's band, Corrupt Leaders, went viral. Later that year, Grindmother released a video for her very own solo track "Any Cost", which features music by her son Rain Forest.  The video again went viral, and celebrities Ozzy Osbourne and Eric Andre posted the video on social media.  Most recently, a video about her posted by New York Post reached 2.5 million views in less than one week.

In Feb 2016 Grindmother announced her debut album, "Age of Destruction", which is due April 28, and a brand new video for the album's title track has been released.

OPENING: Discord at Northlight May 6 - June 12

Northlight Theatre concludes its 2015-16 season with

The Gospel According to Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens and Count Leo Tolstoy: Discord

By Scott Carter

Directed by Kimberly Senior

May 6 – June 12, 2016

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Northlight Theatre concludes its 41^st Season, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, with The Gospel According to Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens and Count Leo Tolstoy: Discord by Scott Carter. Discord, directed by Kimberly Senior, runs May 6 – June 12, 2016 at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd in Skokie. 

Here at ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows, we can't wait to catch Discord. Kimberly Senior is one of our absolute favorite directors and this debate looks like a dozy!

**Kimberly Senior previously directed 4000 Miles and The Whipping Man at Northlight.  She directed the Pulitzer Prize-winning and Tony Award-nominated play Disgraced on Broadway and in several theaters across the country.**

Previews: May 6 – 12, 2016

Regular run: May 13 – June 12, 2016

Schedule: Tuesdays: 7:30pm (May 10 only)

Wednesdays: 1:00pm (except May 25) and 7:30pm

Thursdays: 7:30pm

Fridays: 8:00pm

Saturdays: 2:30pm (except May 7) and 8:00pm

Sundays: 2:30pm; and 7:00pm (May 8 and 29 only)

Location: Northlight Theatre is located at the North Shore

                             Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd,

                             Skokie

Tickets: Previews: $25-$54

             Regular run: $25-$79

             Student tickets are $15, any performance (subject to availability)

Box Office: The Box Office is located at 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie.

                  847.673.6300; northlight.org

What do a Founding Father, a Victorian novelist and a Russian revolutionary have in common? Not much, but each of these notoriously great minds was once brazen enough to pen his own Gospel. Brought together, they debate the meaning of life and the nature of God in a whip-smart comedy that illuminates the brilliance, flaws and humor of three unforgettable philosophers.

**Playwright Scott Carter is the Executive Producer/Writer of Real Time with Bill Maher since its debut on HBO in 2003. Carter has been an Emmy co-nominee for Real Time with Bill Maher every year since 2005 for both Writing in a Variety/Talk show and Outstanding Variety/Talk show. He has also received eight Emmy nominations for his writing and producing work on Bill Maher’s Politically Incorrect from 1993 to 1997.**

Northlight is continuing its popular special event series in conjunction with each production.  All events are free, unless otherwise noted: 

Backstage with BJ is a mid-day discussion with Artistic Director BJ Jones, featuring special guest artists, actors, directors and designers, offering behind-the-scenes insight into each production while it is still in rehearsal.  Backstage with BJ for Butler will be held on April 29 at 12:00pm and will last approximately one hour.  Reservations are required, 847.679.9501 x3555 or specialevents@northlight.org. 

An Artist Q&A will be held on Monday, May 23 at 3:00pm at the Wilmette Public Library. Northlight artistic staff will facilitate a discussion with members of the cast, who will also present scenes from the play.

Local experts join a Northlight facilitator for a series of Post-Show Discussions, engaging audiences in a dialogue about the play's themes and the creative process behind live theatre. Discussions will be held after performances on May 8 at 2:30pm, May 10 at 7:30pm, May 11 at 7:30pm, May 18 at 1:00pm, May 22 at 2:30pm, May 26 at 7:30pm and June 1 at 1:00pm.

An Open Captioning performance is scheduled for Saturday, May 28 at 2:30pm.

                    

“Did you know that Thomas Jefferson, Count Leo Tolstoy and Charles Dickens all had their own versions of the New Testament? Imagine tossing those egos into a Limbo to debate their world views and to grapple in an intellectual cat fight. Carter has done just that in this fascinating and imagined depiction of three of history's gigantic intellects and their little known exercises of retelling the Bible,” comments BJ Jones. “Scott Carter, best known as a writer/producer of HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher, applies his intensive research to these towering personalities, and through their work has crafted a hilarious debate ranging from faith to political beliefs and sprinkled with artistic observations and petty jealousies. We are thrilled to have Scott's work with us this season, and as directed by Northlight veteran Kimberly Senior, this sharply told tale is both insightful and entertaining.”

The cast includes Nathan Hosner (Jefferson), Mark Montgomery (Tolstoy) and Jeff Parker (Dickens).

The designers include Jack Magaw (Scenic Design), Nan Zabriskie (Costume Design), Sarah Hughey (Lighting Design), Andrew Hansen (Sound Design), and Stephan Mazurek (Projection Design).  The Production Stage Manager is Rita Vreeland.

Northlight’s production of The Gospel According to Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens and Count Leo Tolstoy: Discord is supported in part by Cramer-Krasselt, Coldwell Banker Evanston, Michael and Joan Callahan and Carol and Steve Mullins.

**Cast members Mark Montgomery (Outside Mullingar) and Jeff Parker (Mothers and Sons) are returning to the Northlight stage.  Nathan Hosner is making his Northlight debut.**

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

KIMBERLY SENIOR (Director) Previously at Northlight: 4000 Miles, The Whipping Man. Broadway: Disgraced (2013 Pulitzer Prize, Best Play Tony nominee). Her many Chicago credits include Disgraced; Rapture, Blister, Burn (The Goodman); Marjorie Prime, The Diary of Anne Frank, Hedda Gabler, The Letters (Writers Theatre, where she is a Resident Director); Want, The North Plan (Steppenwolf); Inana, My Name is Asher Lev, All My Sons, Dolly West's Kitchen (TimeLine Theatre, where she is an Associate Artist); Disgraced (American Theater Company); Waiting for Lefty (American Blues), among others. New York and regional credits include: Sex with Strangers (Geffen Playhouse); Disgraced (Lincoln Center Theater 3, Seattle Rep, Berkeley Rep);The Who and The What (La Jolla Playhouse, Lincoln Center Theater 3); Little Gem (City Theatre); Games Afoot, Murder on the Nile, A Few Good Men (Peninsula Players); Mauritius (Theatre Squared, Fayetteville, AR). Kimberly is a proud member of SDC.

SCOTT CARTER (Playwright) is Executive Producer/Writer for Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO. He produced the first 1,100 episodes of Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, from its 1993 Comedy Central debut to its 1997 move to ABC. While at “P.I.,” producer/writer Carter won eight Emmy nominations and three consecutive CableAce Awards for Best Talk Series. In 1997 Variety named him one of “50 Creatives to Watch.” In 2007, he won the Producers’ Guild of America’s Johnny Carson Award for Real Time. In addition to his two full-length monologues Heavy Breathing and Suspension Bridge, Carter’s full-length play, The Gospel According To... Discord had an extremely successful 2014 and was produced at both the NoHo Arts Center and the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles.

NATHAN HOSNER (Jefferson) is making his Northlight debut. Chicago credits include productions with Writers, Chicago Shakespeare, Goodman, Paramount, About Face, First Folio, Shaw Chicago and Shakespeare Project of Chicago. Other credits include: Peter and the Starcatcher (First National Tour) and productions with American Players, New Theatre, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre, BoarsHead Theater, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Door Shakespeare and Madison Repertory New Play Festival. Nathan is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, London.

MARK MONTGOMERY (Tolstoy) returns to Northlight where he appeared in Outside Mullingar and Experiment with an Air Pump. Other Chicago credits: 2666, Rapture, Blister, Burn, Camino Real and Stage Kiss (Goodman); Hedda Gabler and The Letters (Writers); Agamemnon, Iphigenia in Aulis and M. Butterfly (Court); Twelfth Night, Troilus and Cressida, Rose Rage, Henry VI Parts 1, 2 and 3 and As You Like It (Chicago Shakespeare); In the Next Room, or the vibrator play (Victory Gardens); The Wheel, The Time of Your Life and Want (Steppenwolf); In the Belly of the Beast: Letters from Prison (Journeymen, After Dark Award) and productions at Remy Bumppo, among others. New York credits: The Seagull and Mamma Mia! (Broadway), Our Town (Barrow Street), Macbeth (Public), The Runner Stumbles (Actors Company) and The Madras House (Mint). Regional credits: Julius Caesar (American Repertory) as well as the show's French tour. Television: Law & Order and Chicago Fire.

JEFF PARKER (Dickens) returns to Northlight where he most recently appeared in Mothers and Sons. Recent Chicago credits: Objects in the Mirror (Goodman), The Secret Garden (Court), Samsara (Victory Gardens) and Isaac's Eye (Writers). Other Chicago credits include: Camino Real, Candide, Turn of the Century and Bounce (Goodman); The Brother/Sister Plays (Jeff Award - Best Ensemble) and Venus (Steppenwolf); Cymbeline, As You Like It and The Three Musketeers (Chicago Shakespeare); Sweet Charity and Days Like Today (Writers); and Nine (Jeff Nomination - Best Actor in a Musical, Porchlight). Off-Broadway and regional credits: Candide (Huntington), My Fair Lady (Asolo Repertory), 1776 (A.C.T.), Boy Gets Girl (Manhattan Theatre Club), The American in Me (Magic) and Winesburg, Ohio (Kansas City Repertory). Television and film credits: Chicago P.D., Love is a Four Letter Word, Prison Break and Early Edition. Jeff holds a B.F.A. in Acting from the University of Southern California.

Northlight Theatre aspires to promote change of perspective and encourage compassion by exploring the depth of our humanity across a bold spectrum of theatrical experiences, reflecting our community to the world and the world to our community.

Now entering its 41^st season, the organization has mounted over 200 productions, including more than 40 world premieres.  Northlight has earned 194 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations and 32 Awards.  As one of the area’s premier theatre companies, Northlight is a regional magnet for critical and professional acclaim, as well as talent of the highest quality.

Northlight is supported in part by generous contributions from Allstate Insurance; the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, BMO Harris Bank; Henrietta Lange Burk Fund; Cramer Krasselt; The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation; The Chicago Community Trust; ComEd, An Exelon Company; The Davee Foundation; Edgerton Foundation for New American Plays Award; Evanston Community Foundation; Full Circle Foundation; Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; Kirkland & Ellis Foundation; The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; Melvoin Award for Playwriting; Modestus Bauer Foundation; National Endowment for the Arts; NorthShore University HealthSystem; The Offield Family Foundation; The Pauls Foundation; Room & Board; Sanborn Family Foundation; The Shubert Foundation, Inc.; The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust; The Sullivan Family Foundation; Tom Stringer Design Partners; Turner Construction; and the Venturous Theater Fund of the Tides Foundation.

OPENING: TASTE at Redtwist Theatre

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

RED THEATER CHICAGO

and Aperture Entertainment in association with Redtwist Theatre

present the Chicago Premiere of

TASTE

by Benjamin Brand

Directed by Artistic Director Aaron Sawyer 

April 23 - May 22nd, 2016, at Redtwist Theatre

**Warning: Due to strong sexual content and imagery, no one under the age of 18 will be admitted.**

Based on true events, Taste tells the story of two men who meet online and make a unique arrangement: one man will kill, cook, and eat the other. Over the course of the evening, secrets are revealed, boundaries are tested, and a strange but beautiful relationship unfolds. Deliciously voyeuristic, sinfully elegant, and surprisingly touching, this is Taste.

CAST: Kevin V Smith (Vic); Gage Wallace (Terry)

Runs: Apr 23 to May 22, 2016 at Redtwist Theatre, 1044 W. Bryn Mawr 

Performance times: Saturdays at 3pm, & Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Sundays at 7:30pm

Captioned Performances: 5/1, 5/4, & 5/21. For additional questions about Accessibility including Captioned and Touch-Tour performances, please visit www.redtheater.org/access/

FREE Theater Tickets: available at redtheater.org/tickets or by calling (773) 733-0540 or emailboxoffice@redtheater.org

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

Valet parking for Redtwist is available across the street in front of Francesca's Bryn Mawr for most performances-hours vary. Dining is not required. Limited FREE street parking is available on side streets. There is metered street parking via ParkChicago.com app or 3-hour Paybox on Bryn Mawr Av and 2-hour Paybox on side streets. Free on Sundays, and after 10pm Mon thru Sat.