OPENING: The World Premiere of Man in the Ring at Court Theatre

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Court Theatre Presents

the World Premiere of 

Man in the Ring

By Michael Cristofer

directed by Artistic Director Charles Newell

September 15 – October 16, 2016

Court Theatre, under the leadership of Artistic Director Charles Newell and Executive Director Stephen J. Albert, presents the World Premiere of Man in the Ring by Michael Cristofer, directed by Artistic Director Charles Newell. Man in the Ring runs September 15 – October 16, 2016 at Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Avenue in Chicago. 

Dates: Previews: September 15 – 23, 2016

Press Opening: Saturday, September 24, 2016 at 8:00 p.m.

Regular Run:     September 25 – October 16, 2016

Schedule: Wed & Thurs: 7:30 p.m.

Fridays: 8:00 p.m.

Saturdays: 3:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m.

Sundays: 2:30 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

Location: Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave.

Tickets: $35-$45 previews

$45-$65 regular run

Box Office: Located at 5535 S. Ellis Avenue, Chicago; (773) 753-4472 or www.CourtTheatre.org.

"We have dreamed of Court Theatre being a place where distinguished artists are willing to bring their newest and most daring works,” comments Artistic Director Charles Newell. “We are thrilled to be able to present this world premiere of Man in the Ring, which is inspired by and made possible by true artists, on our stage to open our 62nd season at Court."

Based on the true story of six-time world champion boxer Emile Griffith, Man in the Ring charts Emile’s humble beginnings in the U.S. Virgin Islands to his infamous match against his archrival Benny “Kid” Paret. When Benny challenges Emile's sexual identity, Griffith responds in the ring and leaves a mark that lingers long after their legendary encounter. Man in the Ring is a story of violence, love, and life under the public eye—and one man’s fight to get the world back in his corner.

Man in the Ring is written by playwright Michael Cristofer, who received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play for The Shadow Box in 1977. The play is brought to Court Theatre under the thoughtful direction of Artistic Director Charles Newell. 

The cast of Man in the Ring includes Kamal Angelo Bolden (Young Emile), Melanie Brezill (Sadie/Lucia/ensemble), Sheldon Brown (Bennie/Bennie Jr./ensemble), Thomas Cox (Howie/ensemble), Allen Gilmore (Emile), Gabriel Ruiz (Luis/ensemble), Sean Michael Sullivan (ensemble) and Jacqueline Williams (Emelda/ensemble). 

The creative team includes John Culbert (scenic design), Jacqueline Firkins (costume design), Keith Parham (lighting design), Andre Pluess (sound design) and Tommy Rapley (fight choreography). Amanda Weener-Frederick is the Production Stage Manager.  

About the Artists

Michael Cristofer (Playwright) was awarded a Pulitzer Prize and an Antoinette Perry “Tony” Award for the Broadway production of his play, The Shadow Box. Other plays include Breaking Up (Primary Stages); Ice (Manhattan Theatre Club); Black Angel (Circle Repertory Company); The Lady and the Clarinet starring Stockard Channing; and Amazing Grace starring Marsha Mason which received the American Theater Critics Award for best American play. 

Mr. Cristofer’s film work includes the screenplays for The Shadow Box directed by Paul Newman (Golden Globe Award, Emmy nomination), Falling in Love with Meryl Streep and Robert DeNiro, The Witches of Eastwick with Jack Nicholson, The Bonfire of the Vanities directed by Brian DePalma, Breaking Up starring Russell Crowe and Salma Hayek, Georgia O'Keefe with Joan Allen and Jeremy Irons and Casanova starring Heath Ledger. His directing credits include Gia for HBO Pictures starring Angelina Jolie, Mercedes Ruehl, and Faye Dunaway which was nominated for 5 Emmys and for which he won a Director’s Guild Award. He next directed Body Shots for New Line Cinema and Original Sin starring Angelina Jolie and Antonio Banderas. 

As an actor, he has appeared in over a hundred plays including Romeo and Juliet (NY Shakespeare Festival), Trumpery by Peter Parnell,Chinchilla (Obie Award), Three Sisters (Williamstown Theater), Body of Water with Christine Lahti, The Seagull with Joanne Woodward, The Cherry Orchard with Irene Worth (Theater World Award), and the acclaimed Broadway revival of A View from the Bridge with Liev Schreiber and Scarlett Johansson. He was Truxton Spangler in the AMC series Rubicon, he created the role of Gus in Tony Kushner's The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures at the Public Theater, appeared on the NBC series Smash and American Horror Story, and plays Phillip Price on the USA series Mr. Robot.

Charles Newell (Director/Artistic Director) was awarded the SDCF Zelda Fichandler Award, “which recognizes an outstanding director or choreographer who is transforming the regional arts landscape through singular creativity and artistry in theatre.” Charlie has been Artistic Director of Court Theatre since 1994, where he has directed over 50 productions. He made his Chicago directorial debut in 1993 with The Triumph of Love, which won the Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Production. Charlie’s productions of Man of La Mancha and Caroline, or Change have also won Best Production Jeffs. Other directorial highlights at Court include Satchmo at the Waldorf, Agamemnon, The Secret Garden, Iphigenia in Aulis, The Misanthrope, Tartuffe, Proof, Angels in America, An Iliad, Porgy and Bess, Three Tall Women, Titus Andronicus, Arcadia, Uncle Vanya, Raisin, The Glass Menagerie, Travesties, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, The Invention of Love, and Hamlet. Charlie has also directed at Goodman Theatre (Rock ‘n’ Roll), Guthrie Theater (The History Cycle, Cymbeline), Arena Stage, John Houseman’s The Acting Company (Staff Repertory Director), the California and Alabama Shakespeare Festivals, Juilliard, and New York University. He has served on the Board of TCG, as well as on several panels for the NEA. Opera directing credits include Marc Blitzstein’s Regina (Lyric Opera of Chicago), Rigoletto (Opera Theatre of St. Louis), Don Giovanni and The Jewel Box (Chicago Opera Theater), and Carousel (Glimmerglass Festival). Charlie was the recipient of the 1992 TCG Alan Schneider Director Award, and has been nominated for 16 Joseph Jefferson Director Awards, winning four times. In 2012, Charlie was honored by the League of Chicago Theatres with its Artistic Achievement Award.

Kamal Angelo Bolden (Young Emile) OFF BROADWAY: The Opponent (59e59 Theater) REGIONAL: Immediate Family (Mark Taper Forum); Hands Up (National Black Theatre); Jitney, Home, The Misanthrope (Court Theatre); SS: Romeo & Juliet (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre); Detroit ’67 (Northlight Theatre); The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, We Are Proud… (Victory Gardens); The Island(Remy Bumppo); Coriolanus (Nashville Shakespeare); Jackie and Me, Bud Not Buddy (Chicago Children’s Theater); Glengarry Glen Ross (Tennessee Repertory);The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity (Actors Theatre of Louisville). FILM: Elvis & Nixon, The Night Before, Consumed, Generational Curses. TELEVISION: Insecure, Rosewood, Major Crimes, Law & Order: SVU, Chicago Fire, Betrayal, Crisis, Low Winter Sun, Boss, Lights Out. Kamal is an ensemble member of A Red Orchid Theatre and an artistic associate of Erasing the Distance.

Melanie A. Brezill (Sadie/Lucia/Ensemble) returns to Court Theatre. Other Court Theatre credits include Caroline, or Change (Jeff Nomination). She recently appeared in the Broadway cast and National Tours ofThe Book of Mormon. Her Chicago credits include The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane at Chicago Childrenʼs Theater, A Christmas Carol and Crowns at the Goodman Theater, the one-woman show The MLK Project: The Fight for Civil Rights at Writers Theatre; Aida at Drury Lane Oakbrook, Yeast Nation at American Theater Company; Living Green at Victory Gardens Theater; High School Musical at Marriott Theatre Lincolnshire; Once on This Island (Black Theater Alliance Award for Best Actress in a Musical) at Porchlight Music Theater and Seussical! and Willy Wonka at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Other tours include the National Tour of Mamma Mia!. Ms. Brezill is a graduate of Northwestern University.

Sheldon Brown (Bennie/Bennie Jr./Ensemble) is a 2014 graduate of Acting at Emerson College in Boston. He is fresh to Chicago and happy to make his debut with Court Theatre. His recent credits include Feral with MPAACT Theatre Company, American Revolution with Theater Unspeakable, and the stage reading of The Gospel of Lovingkindness with Victory Gardens. He has numerous credits in Boston, including The Grand Inquisitor directed by Peter Brook and a collaborative new work with friends, The Shakespearean Jazz Show, which turns Shakespeare into New Orleans Jazz.

Thom Cox (Howie/Ensemble) returns to Court Theatre, where he has previously appeared in Fraulein Else, Raisin, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom,Orlando, and Agamemnon. He is an ensemble member with Lookingglass Theatre, where he has worked on more than forty productions since 1988. Regionally, he has performed in End of the Rainbow (Milwaukee Rep); Elephant Man(Steppenwolf Young Audiences); Rock n Roll (Goodman); Season on the Line(House); Pride and Prejudice, Jekyll and Hyde, and Outgoing Tide (Northlight); andRichard III (Gift); as well as seven seasons at the Weston Playhouse in Vermont. He serves as Master Teacher for Lookingglass, and teaches theatre around the Chicago area. Film/TV: Since You've Been Gone (Miramax); Brotherhood (Showtime); Chicago Fire (NBC).

Allen Gilmore (Emile)  returns to Court Theatre, where he previously appeared in Scapin, the title role of Cyrano, Endgame, the title role in Sizwe Banzi Is Dead (Jeff, BTA, and Black Excellence nominations), Jitney, The Misanthrope, Tartuffe, Seven Guitars, Waiting for Godot (Jeff, BTA, Black Excellence nominations), The Good Book, and One Man Two Guvnors. He is (Alt.) Scrooge in Goodman Theatre’s annual production of A Christmas Carol. Other favorite Chicago performances include Joe Turner’s Come and Gone (Jeff, BTA nominations) and The African Company Presents Richard the Third with Congo Square Theater Company; Argonautika and Arabian Nights with Lookingglass Theater; and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (BroadwayWorld nomination) with Writers Theatre. Originally from Houston, he is a U.S. Army Infantry veteran, a 2015 3Arts prize awardee, a 2015 Lunt-Fontanne fellow, and a proud ensemble member of Congo Square. 

Gabriel Ruiz (Luis/Ensemble) is a graduate of the DePaul Theatre School and a proud ensemble member of Teatro Vista. Chicago credits include Agamemnon at Court Theatre,  Arcadia and Company at Writers Theater, City of Angels at Marriott Theatre, The Upstairs Concierge at Goodman Theatre, White Tie Ball for Teatro Vista, Creditors at Remy Bumppo, How Long Will I Cry? and Motherfucker with the Hat at Steppenwolf, Sita Ram for the Chicago Children’s Choir, Working: The Musical at Broadway Playhouse, Richard III and Short Shakespeare! A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and Arabian Nights at Lookingglass Theatre. Regional credits include Native Gardens at The Cincinatti Playhouse, Harvey at Milwaukee Repertory; Why Torture is Wrong, and the People Who Love Them at Forward Theater Company; and Blood and Gifts at Lincoln Center in New York. He can be seen as Dilip Singh in both seasons of Boss on the Starz Network, and he appears on an episode of Chicago Fire.  

Sean Michael Sullivan (Ensemble) Along with his wife, Sean is the co-director of The Sullivan Chicago Studio of Performing Arts (www.thescspa.com).  He hails from Ohio, where he earned a BA in theatre from The Ohio State University and began working in Chicago in 2002. Sean has appeared on stage in Chicago as Johnny Cash in the Million Dollar Quartet; as Harlan 'Mountain' McClintock in Requiem for a Heavyweight  at Shattered Globe (Jeff nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Principle Role); as M'Ling in The Island of Dr. Moreau with Lifeline Theatre; and as Floyd in Fiorello! and Joe in The Children’s Hour with Timeline Theatre. Sean’s television credits include episodes of Boss; The Beast; Crisis; Chicago Fire and Chicago PD; Empire; ABC’s In an Instant; and as a featured guest on The Rosie Show. Sean is a freelance scenic carpenter and stagehand in theatre and television. Sean was an ensemble member with BackStage Theatre Company, serving as an actor, master carpenter, scenic designer, and technical supervisor.  Sean can be found playing his guitar and singing throughout Chicagoland as a founding member of the Blue-Irish-Folk-Grass band, One of the Girls (www.oneofthegirls.net).

Jacqueline Williams (Emelda/Ensemble) returns to Court where she appeared in Gem of the Ocean (Aunt Ester); The Good Book; Caroline, or Change (Dotty); Fences (Rose, Jeff award); Electra (title role); and The First Breeze of Summer. Most recently, she played Makeda in The House That Will Not Stand at Victory Gardens. Her long association with Goodman Theatre includes stop. reset, Pullman Porter Blues (some performances), Blues For An Alabama Sky, Camino Real, The Trinity River Plays, The Amen Corner, Richard II and many others.  Chicago: Steppenwolf (Airline Highway, Head of Passes, The Hot L Baltimore, The Brother/Sister Plays, Othello, and others).  Victory Gardens (Gospel of Lovingkindness, The Colored Museum and others).  Northlight (Gees Bend, The Miser, and others).  Next (Yellowman, Fabulation), Fleetwood Jourdain (Maya Angelou in the premiere Maya’s Last Poem, Going to St. Ives, Having Our Say).  Regional: Asolo Repertory, La Jolla, Huntington Playhouse, ACT Seattle, Berkeley Rep, Portland Stage Co., Arena Stage, and more. Tours: Crowns and Born in the RSA with Market Theatre of Johannesburg. Broadway: The Young Man from Atlanta. Off-Broadway: From the Mississippi Delta (co-produced by Oprah Winfrey),  Mill Fire, and The Talented Tenth. TV/Film: cast of Turks, recurring as Officer Beccera on Chicago PD and Chicago Fire, Chicago Code, Prison Break, Heartlock, The Break Up, The Lake House, and Hardball. Awards/Nominations: Jeff, Helen Hayes, BTAA, Lunt-Fontanne Shakespeare  Fellow, 3Arts, American Arts Council, Drama Desk, Sarah Siddons, Excellence in the Arts, After Dark, among others. Jacqueline holds a BFA from Goodman/Theatre School. 

Now in its 62^nd season, Court Theatre is guided by its mission to discover the power of classic theatre. Court endeavors to make a lasting contribution to American theatre by expanding the canon of translations, adaptations, and classic texts. Court revives lost masterpieces, illuminates familiar texts, and distinguishes fresh, modern classics. Court engages and inspires its audience by providing artistically distinguished productions, audience enrichment activities, and student educational experiences.

OPENING: Neo-Futurists Present World Premiere of SATURN RETURNS

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

THE NEO-FUTURISTS ASK, “CAN YOU LEARN TO BELIEVE?”

IN THE WORLD PREMIERE OF TIF HARRISON’S 

SATURN RETURNS, 

OCTOBER 13 – NOVEMBER 19

Photos by Grace Pisula

Creator and Neo-Futurist Ensemble Member Tif Harrison in the Neo-Futurists’ Saturn Returns

The Neo-Futurists are proud to present the world premiere of Neo-Futurist Ensemble Member Tif Harrison’s Saturn Returns, A Neo-Lab production, supported by The National Endowment for the Arts, October 13 – November 19, at The Neo-Futurarium, 5153 N. Ashland. Saturn Returns is created by Tif Harrison, directed by Jen Ellison and featuring the writing and performances of: Kurt Chiang*, Tif Harrison*, Lily Mooney*, Kirsten Riiber* and Andrew Tham. Previews are Thursday, Oct. 13 -  Saturday, Oct. 15 at 7:30 p.m. with opening night Monday, Oct. 17 at 7:30 p.m. Performances run Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices for previews and Thursdays are pay what you can; for the regular run, tickets are $10-25. Tickets and information are available at neofuturists.org or 773.275.5255.

Photos by Grace Pisula (L to R) Andrew Tham, Artistic Director Kurt Chiang, Ensemble Member Kirsten Riiber and  Creator and Neo-Futurist Ensemble Member Tif Harrison

Six months after turning 29, Saturn Returns creator, Tif Harrison, received a crash course in loss. Her mother’s cross-country move, the death of her father and a break-up had Harrison reaching into the corners of the universe for anything that would stand still. Saturn Returns is a Neo-Futuristic exploration that asks larger existential questions about time, patience and the vast expanse of an unknowable universe. Tif Harrison and the ensemble look upward and outward, offering observations on the silence and solitude of space, on the uncrossable distances between celestial bodies and the intimacy of standing next to somebody you love. Saturn Returns examines both the astronomical and astrological implications of Saturn’s solar orbit— a 29-year journey— to observe various dramatic changes that have manifested in the lives of the individuals on stage.

Saturn Returns, a part of The Neo-Futurists new work residency Neo-Lab, held open workshops and showings for the past year, culminating in a final workshop performance at The Neo-Futurist Kitchen: a micro-festival on art and performance. Writer and Creator Harrison says, “Taking the time to search for the core of the show, while sharing our progress with audiences along the way, has helped us discover the new questions. This project began with, "Why do we look up?" Spending over a year pondering, the answers have led us to now wonder, "Can you learn to believe?"  and "What do we choose to believe in and what do we dismiss?"”

Photos by Grace Pisula Creator and Neo-Futurist Ensemble Member Tif Harrison in the Neo-Futurists’ Saturn Returns

Tif Harrison* (creator/performer) has been an ensemble member of The Neo-Futurists since 2011. In addition to writing and performing regularly in Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, Harrison was a writer and performed in The Miss Neo Pageant, directed Analog and served as an editor for the company’s most recent book, The Neo-Futurists: Body. She has performed at live lit events like The Paper Machete and Drinking & Writing’s Annual Beerfly Alleyfight. 

Jen Ellison (director) has been performing, writing and directing in Chicago for nearly 20 years.  Directing credits include Trap Door Theatre, WNEP, Collaboraction and The Neo-Futurists where she is an artist associate. As a resident director at the Second City, Ellison has overseen two national touring companies, developed multiple shows for their Outreach and Diversity program and directed Apes of Wrath for the ETC stage. In addition to teaching ethics at DePaul University, she is a member of the Comedy Writing and Performance faculty at Columbia College Chicago.

The Neo-Futurists

The Neo-Futurists, performers of Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind and creators of over 65 original, full-length productions, are a collective of wildly productive writer-director-performers who are committed to creating immediate, non-illusory, irreproducible events at head-slappingly affordable prices. The Neo-Futurists pioneered a new form of theater in 1988, launching what became Chicago’s longest running show, Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, now in its 28^th year. From humble beginnings as the first late-night theater production in Chicago, The Neo-Futurists have grown to become one of the most highly regarded experimental theater companies in America. More than 70 Ensemble-alumni have added thousands of new works to the American theatre canon and today branches bring Neo-Futurism to both coasts in New York City and San Francisco.

The Neo-Futurists are partially supported by grants from Alphawood Foundation Chicago, Bloomberg Philanthropies, The Network for Ensemble Theaters, The Illinois Arts Council Agency, The Chicago Community Trust, a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events, The Field Foundation of Illinois, Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, The MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, and The National Endowment for the Arts.

Neo-Lab and Saturn Returns are supported by The National Endowment for the Arts.

PARAMOUNT THEATRE NOMINATED FOR 14 JEFF AWARDS

PARAMOUNT THEATRE LEADS 2015-16 

JEFF AWARDS  RACE WITH 14 NOMINATIONS, MORE THAN ANY OTHER CHICAGO THEATRE

Here at ChiIL Live Shows we've been hearing rumors of Paramount Theatre's high caliber productions for years. Now the Jeff Awards judges have made it official, granting the Aurora based venue more nominations for the 2015-16 season than any other theatre in the region. Here's a recap of the shows that are up for Jeff Awards this October and a look at great things to come in Paramount's 2016-17 Broadway Series.

Oh what a beautiful day it is at the Paramount Theatre in downtown Aurora!

Chicago's Joseph Jefferson Committee just announced the 2015-16 Equity Jeff Award nominees, and the Paramount is thrilled to share that its Broadway musical series productions earned 14 nominations - more than any other Chicago theater - for outstanding performance, direction and/or design in Chicago theatre last season.

Additionally, all four of its 2015-16 Broadway Series productions - OKLAHOMA!, 

A Christmas Story - The Musical, Hairspray - The Broadway Musical and West Side Story - were nominated.

Here's the list:

West Side Story - seven nominations 

Production - Musical - Large

Director - Musical - Jim Corti

Actress in a Supporting Role - Musical - Mary Antonini (Anita)

Choreography - William Carlos Angulo

Music Direction - Tom Vendafreddo

Scenic Design - Kevin Depinet

Lighting Design - Jesse Klug

The Sharks vs. The Jets in Paramount's West Side Story

OKLAHOMA! - four nominations  

Production - Musical - Large

Actor in a Principal Role - Colte Julian (Curly)

Choreography - Katie Spelman

Music Direction - Tom Vendafreddo

 

Colte Julian as Curly and Allison Sill as Laurey in Paramount's OKLAHOMA!

Hairspray - The Broadway Musical - two nominations

Actress in a Supporting Role - Musical - E. Faye Butler (Motormouth Maybelle)

Costume Design - Large - Theresa Ham

(center trio, from left: Amelia Jo Parrish (pink dress) as Tracy Turnbald, E. Faye Bulter as Motormouth Maybelle and Landree Fleming (green dress) as Penny Pingleton in Paramount's Hairpray - The Broadway Musical

A Christmas Story - The Musical - one nomination

Music Direction - Tom Vendafreddo

Michael Harp as Ralphie in Paramount's A Christmas Story - The Musical

"We couldn't be more thrilled for this much-appreciated recognition from the 

Jeff Committee for Paramount's Broadway team and every theater artist who worked on last season's productions," said Paramount President and CEO Tim Rater. 

"We weren't joking when we launched the Broadway series five years ago with a goal of producing the very best musicals in the entire Chicago area. Judging from the Jeff Committee's response to our work for two consecutive seasons, I'm happy to say we are attaining that goal."

"I'm very grateful to the hard working Jeff Committee, Chicago theater lovers all! As always, I'm also very happy for the creative and technical teams, on stage and behind the scenes, for this recognition," said Artistic Director Jim Corti. 

Last season, Corti won the Jeff Award for Best Director/Musical (Large) for his 2015 staging of Les Misérables, which also won Best Musical - two of five top Jeff Awards from an unprecedented 16 nominations in 2014-15, the Paramount's first year of eligibility.

Mark your calendars: the 2015-16 Jeff Award winners will be announced 

October 17, 2016. 

To see the full list of nominees, visit jeffawards.org.

More about Paramount's 2016-17 Broadway Series

Looking ahead to more award-winning, Broadway caliber productions, Paramount's 2016-17 Broadway season includes Mamma Mia! (Sept. 7-Oct. 30, 2016), Disney's The Little Mermaid (Nov. 23, 2016-Jan. 8, 2017), Sweeney Todd-The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Feb. 8-Mar. 19, 2017) and Jesus Christ Superstar (Apr. 19-May 28, 2017).

Paramount anticipates more than 30,000 subscribers will take advantage of Paramount's now-familiar Buy Two, Get Two offer, or four musicals for no more than $29.50 per show.

The rewards are ample - four amazing, Broadway-quality, award-winning classic American musicals at one of the most majestic theaters in the Midwest, all for the price of one show downtown. 

To purchase subscriptions or single tickets, visit ParamountAurora.com, call 

(630) 896-6666 or visit the Paramount Theatre box office, 23 E. Galena Blvd. in the heart of downtown Aurora.

Paramount's 2016-17 Broadway Series is sponsored by BMO Harris Bank, The Dunham Fund, Rush-Copley Medical Center, Gerald Kia and ComEd.

About The Paramount Theatre 

The Paramount Theatre (ParamountAurora.com) is the center for performing arts, entertainment and arts education in Aurora, the second largest city in Illinois. Named "One of Chicago's Top 10 Attended Theatres" by the League of Chicago Theatres, the 1,888-seat Paramount, located in downtown Aurora at 23 E. Galena Blvd., is nationally recognized for the quality and caliber of its presentations, superb acoustics and historic beauty.   

The Paramount self-produces its own Broadway Musical Series, presents an eclectic array of comedy, music, dance and family shows, and on most Mondays, screens a classic movie.

The Paramount Theatre continues to expand its artistic and institutional boundaries under the guidance of Tim Rater, President and CEO, Aurora Civic Center Authority; Jim Corti, Artistic Director, Paramount Theatre; a dedicated Board of Trustees and a devoted staff of live theater and music professionals. 

For tickets and information, go to ParamountAurora.com or call 

(630) 896-6666.

Inside the historic Paramount Theatre

Solo Celebration Continues at Greenhouse Theatre With I Do Today

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

THE GREENHOUSE THEATER CENTER 

PRESENTS THE WORLD PREMIERE OF 

“I DO TODAY” 

SEPT. 2 – OCT. 9

Carin Silkaitis Stars In a One- Person Play Challenging Old Ideals of Love, Sexuality and Commitment

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we've caught all but 2 of the Solo Celebration Shows so far this season and highly recommend coming out to Greenhouse Theatre for this excellent series. The topics have run the gamut from heartfelt to hilarious and everything in between. All have brought something unique to the table. We're looking forward to a first look at this world premiere. 

The World Premiere of “I Do Today” will run at the Greenhouse Theater Center (2257 N. Lincoln Ave) Sept. 2 – Oct. 9. Co-produced with The Other Theatre Company, written by Sarah Myers and starring Carin Silkaitis, “I Do Today” will be directed by Greenhouse’s Artistic Director Jacob Harvey, making his Chicago directorial debut.   The press opening will be on Wednesday, Sept. 7 at 7:30 p.m. 

In “I Do Today,” Silkaitis portrays a Jewish woman determined to uproot a family tree grown wild with multiple marriages, dates and even more divorces. As she delves deeper into her own subconscious, she must grapple with her past, questioning how it has defined her and what it means in this moment. She quickly discovers that she must challenge the notions of love, sexuality and commitment in a world where modern marriage refuses to fit into old ideals.

“This innovative new play about one woman’s internal explorations allows all of us an opportunity to identify and assemble the pieces of ourselves that constitute who we are today and who we might be tomorrow,” said Harvey.  “Myers has crafted a theatrical puzzle that this ensemble of collaborators and I has been able to assemble in an unexpected and captivating evening of theater.”

The performance schedule for “I Do Today” is as follows: Thursday – Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.  and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. Previews begin Sept. 2, and the opening night is Wednesday, Sept. 7 at 7:30 p.m. Performances continue through Oct. 9.

Flex passes to the Solo Celebration! series, which offers admissions to three plays for $99 or five plays for $164, are now on sale.  Single tickets, which range in price from $34 – 48 are also on sale.  Flex passes and tickets can be purchased by contacting the box office at 773-404-7336 or by visiting greenhousetheater.org.

Sarah Myers is a Chicago native currently living in Minneapolis. Her work has been produced and developed at the Wild Project (New York); the Side Project with The Other Theatre Company, The Women & Theater Conference (Chicago); FronteraFest, the Off Center, the Blue Theater, the David Mark Cohen New Works Festival (Austin); and Indiana Repertory Theater (Indianapolis), among others. Myers’ published plays include “The Realm” (Bonderman National Youth Playwriting Award), “God of the Gaps” (Pushcart Prize nominee), and “In and Out.” Myers is a former company member of Austin-based theater collective Rude Mechanicals, an associate member of Twin Cities-based Workhaus Collective, and an ongoing collaborator with Sod House Theater, a company that creates adaptations and new works with communities throughout Minnesota.

Carin Silkaitis is the founding Artistic Director of The Other Theatre Company where her credits include “The Realm and Other Letters,” “Others,” “Daughters of Ire” and “Barney the Elf.”  Notable television/film credits include: a co-staring role on “Chicago Fire,” nurse in “Unexpected” and Maggie in the short film “Blood and Water.” Silkaitis recently shot back-to-back commercials for the Arkansas Lottery, a recent spot for The Onion and a commercial for Progressive Insurance and Instant Care. Notable theater credits include Chloe in “Lips Together, Teeth Apart,” “Sons of the Prophet,” Queen Margaret in “Richard III,” Mama/Sherry/Vera in “Distracted” and Izzy in “Rabbit Hole” (Goodman Theatre).

Jacob Harvey is the Artistic Director of the Greenhouse Theater Center. Harvey is also a producer for Your Theatrics International, a full service entertainment production company, specializing in the production of theatrical events around the world. He was awarded the Bret C. Harte Director/Producer Fellowship for Berkeley Repertory Theatre’s 2013/14 Season; served as Associate Producer and Interim Director of Programming for the Drama Desk Award Winning New York Musical Theatre Festival; and served as the Co-Artistic Director of the Ovation Award-Nominated Mechanicals Theatre Group in Los Angeles. He was the co-producer of “Ladyhawks” (NYMF 2013 Best of Fest under the title Volleygirls); the associate producer of Ryan Scott Oliver’s “35MM: A Musical Exhibition” and the director of the Eberhardt and Collyer musical “Right Together, Left Together.”  Other directing credits include, “Mr. Marmalade” (The Theatricians), “The Shape of Things” (Silver Bell Productions), the world premiere of “The Many Selves of Mia Scott” (Carrie Hamilton Theater) and assistant director of the world premiere of Marcus Gardley’s “The House The Will Not Stand” (Berkeley Repertory Theatre). 

About The Other Theatre Company

The Other Theatre Company is dedicated to telling the stories of individuals or groups who are “othered” by systems of oppression. Othering individuals or groups sustains power and privilege and is an "us" vs. "them" mentality often centered around race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, identity, class, religion, and ability. The Other Theatre Company is committed to telling these stories in the hope that we can lessen the amount of discrimination and oppression in our world. 

An Illinois non-profit, TOTC was founded in 2014 in Chicago, Illinois with their first festival titled “Others: A 24 Hour Play Festival.”  Since then, their season has expanded to include three shows a year, including their annual production of “Barney the Elf” (a musical parody of the film Elf starring Will Ferrell). 

About Solo Celebration! 

 “I Do Today” is one of 12 plays featured in Greenhouse’s “Solo Celebration!,” which includes ten full productions, two limited engagements and other special events running June 2016 through February 2017. Among the other directors connected to solo series are Goodman Theatre Producer and Artistic Collective Member Steve Scott, Writer’s Theatre Resident Director Kimberly Senior, Directors Lab Chicago Artistic Director Elizabeth Margolius and Remy Bumppo Artistic Associate Linda Gillum. Some of the performers confirmed to star in solo works include Jeff Award-winners Kate Buddeke, Gene Weygandt, Linda Reiter acclaimed British actor Simon Slater, Will Allan and Carin Silkaitis. Most productions will be produced in their entirety by Greenhouse, while other plays will be stated with co-producers including Sideshow Theatre Company and The Other Theatre Company. Greenhouse’s “Solo Celebration!” is co-produced by Forum Productions and underwritten by the Wendy and William Spatz Charitable Foundation.

About the Greenhouse Theater Center. 

The Greenhouse Theater Center is a nonprofit performance venue located at 2257 N Lincoln Ave, in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. Our complex offers two newly remodeled 190-seat main stage spaces, two 60-seat studio theaters, an in-house rehearsal room, and Chicago’s only dedicated used theatre book store.

Our mission at the Greenhouse is first and foremost to grow local theatre. We strive to cultivate a fertile environment for local artists, from individual renters to our bevy of resident companies, to develop and produce their work. In 2014 alone, The Greenhouse Theater Center provided space for almost 1,000 ticketed performances, serving more than 54,000 patrons. Among these events were at least 30 productions by our resident companies, including the celebrated American Blues Theater and Remy Bumpo Theatre Company. Through our Trellis Program, we offer the community affordable access to our work by housing Chicago’s only dedicated used theatre bookstore, located on the second floor of our complex, as well as offering a free reading series each Tuesday night where local artists workshop their latest scripts. Additionally, we also continue to play an active role in cultivating and nurturing our community through continued partnerships with the League of Chicago Theaters and local Chambers of Commerce.

As of 2016, the Greenhouse Theater Center embraced the true spirit of growth and launched its producing entity. With the announcement of our 8 month long Solo Celebration Series, helmed by Artistic Director Jacob Harvey, we will produce 12 solo plays from June 2016 to February 2017. Through this inaugural effort, we hope to expand the solo play cannon while also cultivating a larger conversation about the possibilities of the one-person play.

With new ideas always incubating, the Greenhouse Theater Center is flourishing.

Come grow with us!

“Opus Cactus” To Open McAninch Arts Center's 30th Season With Whimsical Wonder

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

College of DuPage is located 25 miles west of Chi, IL

MOMIX BRINGS THE DYNAMIC FULL-LENGTH MULTIMEDIA DANCE SPECTACULAR

“OPUS CACTUS” 

TO THE MAC SATURDAY, SEPT. 10

McAninch Arts Center (MAC) opens its 30^th Anniversary Season Performance Series with MOMIX’s full-length multimedia spectacular “Opus Cactus,” Saturday, Sept. 10, 7:30 p.m.This mesmerizing production explores the wonders of the desert through dynamic acrobatic images of cacti, slithering lizards, fire dancers and more. New York Times hails Opus Cactus as “exploding with a sense of magic, danger, sensuality, quirkiness, humor and beauty.”

After a 10-year hiatus, “Opus Cactus” returns with a new look, fresh energy and fun surprises. Set to a hypnotic mix of music from J.S. Bach to new age to tribal, this prop-laden piece of 19 seamless vignettes uses low-flying trapeze, harnesses, belly dollies, vaulting poles, oversized fan, puppets and skirts, a swing-like hammock, a rolling metal sculpture and outrageous costumes to transport audiences to the exotic world of the desert.

Sections such as “Dream Catcher,” “Pole Dance,” “Ostrich of the Imagination,” “Gila Monster,” and “Desert Blooms” showcase the virtuosity and versatility of the dancer-illusionists. The dancers include Steven Ezra, who was a 2011 finalist on “America’s Got Talent” with the shadow performance troupe Catapult; Jonathan Eden, who joined MOMIX in 2004; Jason Williams who has been touring with the company since 2011; Greg DeArmond who has been with the company since 2014; Anthony Bocconi, formerly with the Lar Lubovitch Dance company, now with MOMIX since 2015;  Rebecca Rasmussen, a member of the company since 2006; and Sarah Nachbauer, a 10 year veteran of MOMIX. Two more dancers will be announced at a later date.

Moses Pendelton (choreographer and MOMIX artistic director) formed the MOMIX in 1981 as an offshoot of the dance company Pilobolus, which he co-founded while a senior at Dartmouth College in 1971 and performed with as full-time member with the company until 1980.

Known internationally for presenting work of exceptional inventiveness and physical beauty, MOMIX, now in its 36^th year, is a company of dancer-illusionists celebrated for its ability to conjure up a world of surrealistic images using props, light, shadow, humor and the human body. In addition to stage performances world-wide, the company has frequently worked on special projects and in film and television. MOMIX has made five Italian RAI television features broadcast to 55 countries (including the USSR and China) and has performed on Antenne II in France. MOMIX was featured in PBS’s “Dance in America” series and one of the first IMAX films in 3-D, “IMAGINE”, which premiered at the Taejon Expo 93 and was subsequently released at IMAX theaters world-wide. MOMIX has performed throughout the United States, Canada, Spain, Greece, Italy, France, Germany, Russia, Denmark, England, Austria, Ireland, Holland, Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore and Australia. The company is based in Washington, Conn.

Tickets:

McAninch Arts Center (MAC) located at 425 Fawell Blvd. on the campus of College of DuPage presents MOMIX in “Opus Cactus,” Saturday, Sept. 10, 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $42-$52. New for 2016-2017: for selected shows, the MAC offers the VIP Experience featuring a private, pre-show cocktail and hor d’oeuvres, reception and coffee and dessert at intermission. The VIP experience is available for this event for an additional $30 per person. For tickets or more information visit AtTheMAC.org or call 630.942.4000.

About the MAC

McAninch Arts Center (MAC) at College of DuPage is located 25 miles west of Chicago near I-88 and I-355, and houses three performance spaces (the 780-seat proscenium Belushi Performance Hall; the 186-seat soft-thrust Playhouse Theatre; and the versatile black box Studio Theatre), plus the Cleve Carney Art Gallery, classrooms for the college’s academic programming and the Lakeside Pavilion. The MAC, now celebrating its 30^th Anniversary, has presented theater, music, dance and visual art to more than 1.5 million people since its opening in 1986 and typically welcomes more than 75,000 patrons from the greater Chicago area to more than 230 performances each season.

The mission of the MAC is to foster enlightened educational and performance opportunities, which encourage artistic expression, establish a lasting relationship between people and art, and enrich the cultural vitality of the community. For more information about the MAC, visit AtTheMAC.org, facebook.com/AtTheMAC or twitter.com/AtTheMAC.

 *Events, dates, artists and prices subject to change.

The MAC’s 2016-2017 Season is made possible in part with support by The DuPage Foundation, Hilton  Lisle/Naperville, Brookdale-Glen Ellyn; The JCS Arts & Education Fund of the DuPage Foundation; the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; Smith Financial Advisors, Inc; SlTlG Sullivan Taylor & Gumina, P.C.; Follett’s College of DuPage Bookstore; Paramount Theatre; WFMT 98.7 FM; WBEZ 91.5 FM; WDCB 90.9 FM and the College of DuPage Foundation. 

Established as a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit charitable organization in 1967, the College of DuPage Foundation raises monetary and in-kind gifts to increase access to education and to enhance cultural opportunities for the surrounding community. For more information about the College of DuPage Foundation, visit foundation.cod.edu or call 630.942.2462.

Programs at the MAC are partially supported through a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.  

NOW PLAYING: COR THEATRE'S THE GOOD PERSON OF SZECHWAN THROUGH SEPT. 11 AT A RED ORCHID THEATRE

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar: "BRECHT MEETS EMPIRE" COR ADDS SIZZLE TO  CHICAGO SUMMER THEATER WITH THE GOOD PERSON OF SZECHWAN,  THROUGH SEPT. 11 AT A RED ORCHID THEATRE   **Note: For adult audiences only. Contains sexual content and partial nudity.** All photos by Matthew Gregory Hollis (from left) Isabella Karina Coelho, Michael Buono and Dawn Bless in Cor Theatre's The Good Person of Szechwan Cor Theatre, the bold new Chicago storefront company hailed for "Most Promising Debut" last season by Time Out Chicago, continues its 2016 season with a scorching new production of Bertolt Brecht's The Good Person of Szechwan. We've been booked so solid this summer here at ChiIL Live Shows Cor company member Ernie Nolan directs Tony Kushner's translation of Brecht's popular parable of good and evil. Fellow Cor ensemble member Will Von Vogt plays the title role of the good hearted prostitute, Shen Te, just one example of non-traditional, color and gender-blind casting in what promises to be one of the most talked about Chicago theater offerings this summer. Performances of Cor Theatre's The Good Person of Szechwan are now through September 11, 2016 at A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N. Wells Street in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood.  Performances run through September 11: Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday at 3 p.m. Tickets are $25; $10 students and industry. Tickets go on sale July 1. For tickets and information, visit CorTheatre.org or call (866) 811-4111.  "Our theater must stimulate a desire for understanding,  a delight in changing reality."  ~Bertolt Brecht Chris Brickhouse is Sun/Husband and Will Von Vogt plays the good hearted prostitute, Shen Te, in Cor Theatre's The Good Person of Szechwan. In The Good Person of Szechwan, three gods are on a journey to find out if there are any good people left on earth. Only Shen Te, a kind and generous prostitute, offers them shelter. With the money they give her she opens a tobacco shop. At once everyone needs her help. Her livelihood is in danger. Worse, she is falling in love with Sun, a pilot, who is robbing her blind. Her hard hearted cousin, Shui Ta, arrives to protect her. Who is he and how can good people stay good in a world of poverty and cruelty? Cor's epic production is set in a multicultural, urban environment on the brink of change, much like Chicago. Infused with hot hip hop beats, Cor's new "Brecht meets Empire" take on Good Person will remind audiences that Brecht was not only one of the greatest theatrical thinkers of the last century, but entertainers as well. "Brecht's brilliant play, which grapples with themes of income and gender inequality, poverty and urban decay, seems just as relevant today, if not more so, than it did when he completed it in 1940," said director Ernie Nolan. "As the nation debates issues of sex and gender identity, as our presidential race is speeding up, and with our presidential candidates asking us to consider why they are 'good' for the job, Good Person examines Shen Te's struggle to be 'good' in a world where goodness isn't exactly in demand."  (from left) Jos N. Banks, Aida Delaz and Ben Chang in Cor Theatre's The Good Person of Szechwan In addition to Von Vogt as Shen Te, Cor's 12-person cast for Good Person reflects the diversity of Chicago: Dawn Bless as Wang the Watercarrier, Chris Brickhouse as Sun/Husband, Niko Kourtis as Shu Fu/Wife, Jeri Marshall as Mrs. Shin, Lea Pascal as Mrs. Mi Tzu, Narciso Lobo as Policeman/Mrs. Yang/Unemployed Man, Ben Chang as God 3/ Grandfather/Old Prostitute, Jos N. Banks as God 2/Sister in Law/Guard, Aida Delaz as God 1/Carpenter/ Guard, Michael Buono as Nephew/Male Vocal and Isabella Coelho as Niece. Designers are Stefin Steberl (set and props), Alarie Hammock (costumes), Claire Chrzan (lights), Matt Reich (sound), Adam Gutkin (technical director), Tosha Fowler (movement), Elyse Cowles (production manager) and Meredith Matthews (production stage manager.) Tosha Fowler is Producing Artistic Director of Cor Theatre. Ernie Nolan is an award winning director and playwright who received the Illinois Theatre Association's 2014 award for Excellence in Theatre for Young Audiences. He is a company member of Cor Theatre and last year he directed Love and Human Remains which New City named one of the "Top Five Dramas of 2015." For Chicago Playworks he has directed The BFG, The Giver, The Witches, A Wrinkle in Time, Number the Stars, and The Day John Henry Came to School. His work at The Broadway Playhouse includes A Charlie Brown Christmas, Fancy Nancy The Musical, Pinkalicious, The Cat in the Hat, Cinderella, Charlotte's Web and the world premiere of Hansel and Gretel: A Wickedly Delicious Musical Treat with Justin Roberts. Nolan's playwriting has been produced nationally and at such theatres as The Coterie, First Stage, Walnut Street, Orlando Rep and Children's Theatre of Charlotte. He has written commissions for Adventure Theatre in Glen Echo, MD, La Jolla Playhouse in La Jolla, CA, The Milwaukee Zoological Society, and his latest commission, My Broken Doll, for the Institute for Holocaust Education and The Circle Theatre in Omaha, Nebraska. Also a resident artist of The Coterie Theatre in Kansas City, MO, he has directed and choreographed world premieres by such Tony­-nominated artists as Willy and Rob Reale, Stephen Schwartz, Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, and Bill Russell and Henry Krieger Nolan is an Assistant Professor of Theatre Studies at The Theatre School at DePaul University as well as the Vice President of Theatre for Young Audiences USA. He is a graduate of both the University of Michigan Musical Theatre Program (BFA Musical Theatre) and The Theatre School at DePaul University (MFA Directing). Will Von Vogt (Shen Te) is an ensemble member at Cor, where he co-starred earlier this season in Christina, The Girl King, and in last season's A Map of Virtue. Other credits include The Other Theatre Company's revival of Bent, along with Romeo and Juliet, The Heidi Chronicles, Blur, The Altruists, Empire Falls (HBO), Google Me Love (produced by the Wachowskis) and serving on the producing team of Salonathon.                                                                            Tony Kushner (translator) is the Pulitzer Prize winning playwright, screenwriter, and author whose works have played everywhere from Broadway to HBO. His play Angels in America earned him the Pulitzer Prize, among many other awards. His other acclaimed plays include Slavs, Homebody/Kabul and Caroline, or Change.  German playwright, poet and director Bertolt Brecht (playwright, 1898-1956) established himself as a playwright during the 1920s and early 1930s with plays such as Baal, Man is Man, The Threepenny Opera and The Mother. In 1933, as Hitler came to power in Germany, he fled to Scandinavia before settling in the U.S. During the war years, he wrote many of his best known plays including The Life of Galileo, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Mother Courage and Her Children and The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui.  The Good Person of Szechwan, Brecht's parable of good and evil, was first performed in 1943 and remains one of his frequently produced plays worldwide.  Cor Theatre ensemble member Will Von Vogt (center) plays the title role of the good hearted prostitute, Shen Te, in Cor Theatre's The Good Person of Szechwan. About Cor Theatre Cor Theatre (cortheatre.org) debuted in September 2012 with a vision to create theatrical experiences that are rarely presented in Chicago by artists who seek to defy expectation. Cor's mission is to explore the inner truth of the human experience through storytelling that defies convention, and to engage audiences by telling stories that take courage to tell. Cor's first production, Skin Tight by Gary Henderson, produced by Tosha Fowler and Victoria Delorio in 2012 at A Red Orchid, was rewarded with enthusiastic audiences, critical acclaim and made just enough money to establish a not-for-profit corporation. The company subsequently named itself Cor Theatre, deriving its name from the Latin root of courage - meaning heart. In 2015, Cor expanded to a two-show season launching with an acclaimed production of Erin Courtney's A Map of Virtue, named Most Promising Debut by Time Out Chicago, and nominated for several Time Out Chicago Theatre Awards including Best Supporting Actress (Scottie Caldwell) and Best Design (Tierra G. Novy, set; Stefin Steberl, costumes and props; Eric Vigo, lights; and Jeffrey Levin, sound.) Cor's second 2015 production, Love and Human Remains, the first professional staging of Brad Fraser's controversial play in Chicago in 20 years, was directed by Ernie Nolan, played to numerous sold-out houses and was listed as one of the top plays to see by Windy City Times and New City. To kick off its 2016 season this past spring, Cor staged a daring U.S. debut of Christina, The Girl King, Linda Gaboriau's translation of French playwright Michel Marc Bouchard's 2012 play Christine, la reine-garcon, based on the true life of the 17th century's Queen Christina of Sweden. In response, New City reiterated its praise for Cor, calling the company "trailblazing," a "gifted and brave collection of artists," adding "It is one thing to be captivated or even moved by theater. Yet, to be excited or energized are experiences far more rare. These are reactions spurred from witnessing originality and fearlessness." Today, Cor is proud to be one of Chicago's newest and most ambitious Chicago professional theatre companies with a growing board and strong experience behind it. Company members are Tony Bozzuto, Chris Brickhouse, Elyse Cowles, Tosha Fowler, Adam Gutkin, Alarie Hammock, Topher Kielbasa, Jeffrey Levin, Claire Meyers, Ernie Nolan, Stefin Steberl, Eric Vigo and Will Von Vogt.  For more information, visit cortheatre.org, like Cor Theatre on Facebook, follow the company on Twitter, @CorTheatre, or call (866) 811-4111.