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Wednesday, January 18, 2023

LiV Warfield One Night Only on Tuesday, February 7th at 7:30 p.m. at Cabaret ZaZou

 ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

LIV WARFIELD AND HER BAND 

SET TO PERFORM 

LIVE AT CABARET ZAZOU 

ON FEBRUARY 7


LiV Warfield is a woman who cannot be defined. Not by label. Not by genre. And not by any terms.

The critically acclaimed, electrifying singer will be performing for one night only on Tuesday, February 7 at 7:30 p.m. at Cabaret ZaZou, located on the 14th floor of the Cambria Hotel Chicago Loop (32 W. Randolph Street).

Women change and grow, but at their core is their unadulterated truth. At the core of LiV Warfield is Olivia! Raw. Unfiltered. Unapologetic. An aware empath. A true Cancer. Fierce and loyal. Sensitive and sensual.

She has shown the world her softer side with “Embrace Me.” She has shown the world her dynamic side with the “Unexpected.” She has given a taste to the world of that fortifying LiV Warfield power, that can only fully be experienced at her shows, with the Live at Café Wha? album.

In Fall 2023, she will invite the world to witness her third studio album and in February 2023, “Bloom,” her new single from the upcoming album, will drop! “Bloom,” is a song about the moment you realize you’ve been growing within the cracks of the concrete, broken but you’ve managed to make it through.

To celebrate the occasion, LiV is bringing, for one night only, her very own show to Cabaret ZaZou on February 7 at 7:30 p.m.! Her band is made up of music royalty and up and coming all stars: Ryan Waters (guitar), Justin “Jaymck” McKinney (Bass), and Marlon Patton (Drums); featuring Chicago’s own Nashon Holloway (acoustic), and Seattle’s DJ Nine.

LiV’s style has been described as “alternative soul with a li’l bit of Rock ‘n’ Roll.” In 2014, LiV released her sophomore album, co-executive produced by Prince, titled The Unexpected. LiV caught the eye of Prince in 2006 with her self-release of “Embrace Me,” and joined his group, The New Power Generation (NPG). For LiV’s The Unexpected album, she received a 2014 Soul Train Music Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Artist with two additional Soul Train nominations (Best New Artist and Best Independent R&B/Soul Performance); and a BET Best New Artist Award nomination.

LiV collaborated with Questlove, Black Thought, and Ray Angry of The Roots in last year’s release of “#Toyland.” She had showstopper performances with both Jimmy Fallon and David Letterman in 2015. In 2020, she joined forces with Nuno Bettencourt, Nancy Wilson of Heart, Taylor Hawkins, and Derek Frank in a viral cover of “Barracuda.” No matter the format, LiV consistently captivates audiences, which is what she is currently doing as a cast member of CABARET ZAZOU’s variety show where she electrifies the production with her vocal skills and aerial artistry.

Prepare to meet LiV Warfield at her truth – raw, innocent, jaded, as strong as they come, and ready to party!

Learn more about LiV here. Tickets at www.cabaretzazou.com

Tuesday, January 17, 2023

The 25th Anniversary Tour of CHICAGO Now Playing at Broadway In Chicago’s CIBC Theatre Through January 29, 2023

 BROADWAY’S RECORD-BREAKING,

TONY AWARD-WINNING MUSICAL SMASH

CHICAGO

CELEBRATES 25 RAZZLE DAZZLE YEARS BACK WHERE IT ALL BEGAN!

The 25th Anniversary Tour of CHICAGO is now playing at Broadway In Chicago’s CIBC Theatre (18 W. Monroe St.). The production is running for a limited engagement through January 29, 2023. Tickets are on sale now at www.BroadwayInChicago.com.


CHICAGO is BACK IN TOWN and after 25 years, CHICAGO is still the one musical with everything that makes Broadway shimmy-shake: a universal tale of fame, fortune and all that jazz, with one show stopping song after another and the most astonishing dancing you’ve ever seen.

The cast of CHICAGO features Katie Frieden as Roxie Hart, Logan Floyd as Velma Kelly, Jeff Brooks as Billy Flynn, Christina Wells as Matron “Mama” Morton, Brian Kalinowski as Amos Hart and G.A. James as Mary Sunshine.

The cast also includes Michelle Attardo, Lincoln Belford, Cate Benioff, Megan Campbell, Tony Carrubba, Jess DiForte, Robert Garris Aka Shapiro, Ed Gotthelf, Jasmine Janae, Tal Kedem, Liz Lester, Chase McFadden, Sammy Tuchman, Asher Van Meter, Jordan Vasquez and Evy Vaughan.

Produced by Apex Touring, CHICAGO is the winner of six 1997 Tony AwardsⓇ including Best Musical Revival and the Grammy AwardⓇ for Best Musical Cast Recording.   

Re-creation of the Original Production Direction by Tânia Nardini. Re-creation of the Original Production Choreography by Gary Chryst. Original Direction by Tony AwardⓇ winner Walter Bobbie and original choreography in the style of Bob Fosse by Tony AwardⓇ winner Ann Reinking. CHICAGO features set design by Tony AwardⓇ winner John Lee Beatty, costume design by Tony AwardⓇ winner William Ivey Long, lighting design by Tony AwardⓇ winner Ken Billington and sound design by Scott Lehrer. Supervising Music Director Robert Billig with Orchestrations by Ralph Burns, and Music Direction by Cameron Blake Kinnear. Casting by Stewart/Whitley. 

With a legendary book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb, CHICAGO is the #1 longest-running American musical in Broadway history -- and it still shows no sign of ever slowing down!

There’s never been a better time to experience CHICAGO, Broadway’s razzle-dazzle smash. This triumphant hit musical is the recipient of six Tony AwardsⓇ, two Olivier Awards, a GrammyⓇ and thousands of standing ovations. As we celebrate the 25th anniversary — you’ve got to come see why the name on everyone’s lips is still… CHICAGO.

Set amidst the razzle-dazzle decadence of the 1920s, CHICAGO is the story of Roxie Hart, a housewife and nightclub dancer who maliciously murders her on-the-side lover after he threatens to walk out on her. Desperate to avoid conviction, she dupes the public, the media and her rival cellmate, Velma Kelly, by hiring Chicago’s slickest criminal lawyer to transform her malicious crime into a barrage of sensational headlines, the likes of which might just as easily be ripped from today’s tabloids.

It’s no surprise that CHICAGO has wowed audiences from Mexico City to Moscow, from Sao Paulo to South Africa. Over the last 25 years, the show has been seen in 36 different countries and seen by 33 million people worldwide and now it’s coming back to its namesake city!

Whether you're looking for your first Broadway musical, whether you've seen the Academy AwardⓇ-winning film and want to experience the show live on stage or whether you've seen it before and want to recapture the magic, CHICAGO always delivers!

CHICAGO is a production not to be missed. And all the reviewers agree.

TIME magazine calls it “A Triumph,” Newsweek raves “Smashing” and Entertainment Weekly sums it up by calling CHICAGO “Broadway’s Most Electrifying Show.”

Come on, babe! Head to CHICAGO! We’re hotter than ever.

APEX TOURING (Producer). Highlighting their sixth tour season with recent national tours of Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, Once and Finding Neverland. They were honored to be the first company to bring a live production to the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Middle East with the international tour of The Wizard of Oz, which also performed across China. APEX produced the 2018 tour of Cabaret and 2017 tour of Pippin. APEX has been created to serve the ever-expanding need for high-quality, Broadway caliber touring productions around the world. Relying on the steady producing skills of its affiliates, APEX looks forward to many years of producing Broadway’s brightest new shows.

For more CHICAGO information: www.ChicagoOnTour.com


Connect with CHICAGO at:

Chicago The Musical On Tour | Facebook

https://www.instagram.com/ChicagoOnTour/

https://twitter.com/ChicagoOnTour/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXAWrP-8Ov7EdoUEJ4yKimQ


PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Performances are Tuesday through Friday at 7:30 p.m. (with a Wednesday matinee at 2:00 p.m. on January 25). Saturday performances are at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Sunday performances are at 2:00 p.m. with an additional performance on Sunday, January 22 at 7:30 p.m.


TICKET INFORMATION

Individual tickets for CHICAGO are now on sale and range from $30.00 - $105.00 with a select number of premium tickets available. Tickets are available now for groups of 10 or more by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710 or emailing GroupSales@BroadwayInChicago.com. For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.


ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO

Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 22 years has grown to be one of the largest commercial touring homes in the country. A Nederlander Presentation, Broadway In Chicago lights up the Chicago Theater District entertaining up to 1.7 million people annually in five theatres. Broadway In Chicago presents a full range of entertainment, including musicals and plays, on the stages of five of the finest theatres in Chicago’s Loop including the Cadillac Palace Theatre, CIBC Theatre, James M. Nederlander Theatre, Auditorium Theatre, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place.


COVID-19  PROTOCOL

We recommend our audiences wear masks throughout the theatre. Visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com/covid19 for further details.

For more information and tickets, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.


Follow Broadway In Chicago: Facebook @BroadwayInChicago ● Twitter @broadwaychicago ● Instagram @broadwayinchicago ● TikTok @broadwayinchicago● #broadwayinchicago

OPENING: TimeLine Theatre’s World Premiere of Boulevard of Bold Dreams February 1 – March 19, 2023

 ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

TIMELINE THEATRE’S WORLD PREMIERE OF 
BOULEVARD OF BOLD DREAMS 
BY LADARRION WILLIAMS, DIRECTED BY MALKIA STAMPLEY, IS A TALE OF RACE, CLASS, GENDER, AND THE NOT-SO-CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF HOLLYWOOD


WHAT IF HATTIE MCDANIEL HAD NOT ACCEPTED HER OSCAR?

 

Pictured (from left): Boulevard of Bold Dreams playwright LaDarrion Williams, director Malkia Stampley, and cast members Charles Andrew Gardner, Mildred Marie Langford, and Gabrielle Lott-Rogers. 

TimeLine’s 2022-23 subscription season returns February 1 – March 19, 2023 with the world premiere of Boulevard of Bold Dreams by LaDarrion Williams, a Los Angeles-based playwright new to Chicago audiences, with a story about dreamers overcoming obstacles and fighting for recognition amidst the racism and inequity of Hollywood. I'll be there for opening night on February 9th, so check back shortly after for my full review. 

The date is February 29, 1940, the night Hattie McDaniel made history at the Oscars. Bartender Arthur Brooks, an ambitious Black man from rural Alabama, dreams of becoming a movie director. His best friend, Dottie Hudson, is a maid at the Ambassador Hotel and a cynic of all dreams. But when the actress Hattie McDaniel stops in the bar and decides not to attend the biggest event in show business, Arthur and Dottie must do everything in their power to convince her to claim her historic win—all while confronting their dark pasts and making their own dreams come to life.

Malkia Stampley directs Williams’ riveting new play about dreamers, obstacles, and the not-so-changing landscape of Hollywood. The cast features TimeLine Theatre Company Members Charles Andrew Gardner (he/him) as Arthur and Mildred Marie Langford (she/her) as Dottie. Gabrielle Lott-Rogers (she/her) plays Hattie McDaniel. The production team includes Ryan Emens (Scenic Designer, he/him), Christine Pascual (Costume Designer, she/her), Jason Lynch (Lighting Designer, he/him), Rasean Davonté Johnson (Projections Designer, he/him), Daniel Etti-Williams (Co-Sound Designer, they/them) and Andre Pluess (Co-Sound Designer,he/him), Lonnae Hickman (Properties Designer, she/her), Rueben D. Echoles (Wig and Hair Designer, he/him), Khalid Y. Long (Dramaturg, he/him), Dina Spoerl (Dramaturgical Display Designer, she/her), and Madeline M. Scott (Stage Manager, she/her).

“Earlier this season, TimeLine explored the intersection of politics, race, and entertainment in the 1930s and 1950s with Campaigns, Inc. and Trouble in Mind,” said TimeLine Artistic Director PJ Powers. “Now, we’re thrilled to delve further into those topics through the lens of 1940 with the world premiere of Boulevard of Bold Dreams, shining a light on the trailblazer Hattie McDaniel on the historic night she won the Oscar for Gone with the Wind. We’re delighted to introduce playwright LaDarrion Williams to Chicago, and welcome director Malkia Stampley to TimeLine for the first time to helm this play about conviction, representation, and the pursuit of artistic passion.”

Tickets to Boulevard of Bold Dreams are now on sale. Previews begin February 1, 2023. Press Night is Wednesday, February 8 at 7:30 p.m. Performances run through March 19 at TimeLine Theatre, 615 W. Wellington Ave., in Chicago’s Lakeview East neighborhood. For tickets and information, visit timelinetheatre.com or call the TimeLine Box Office at (773) 281-8463 x6.

Preview tickets are $25. Single tickets to regular performances start at $42 (Wednesday through Friday), $49 (Saturday evenings) and $57 (Saturday and Sunday matinees). Student discount is 35% off regular price with valid ID. TimeLine is also a member of TCG’s Blue Star Theatre Program and is offering $25 tickets to U.S. military personnel, veterans, first responders, and their spouses and family.

Ticket buyers ages 18-35 may join TimeLine’s free MyLine program to obtain access to discounted tickets, special events and more. Discounted rates for groups of 10 or more are also available. Visit timelinetheatre.com/discounts for more about available discounts.


LOCATION/TRANSPORTATION/PARKING

Boulevard of Bold Dreams will take place at TimeLine Theatre, 615 W. Wellington Ave., in Chicago’s Lakeview East neighborhood, near the corner of Wellington and Broadway, inside the former Wellington Avenue United Church of Christ building, now Chabad East Lakeview.

TimeLine is served by multiple CTA trains and buses. There are multiple paid parking options nearby, plus limited free and metered street parking. Visit timelinetheatre.com/timeline-theatre for details and available discounts. 

BOULEVARD OF BOLD DREAMS PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE/EVENTS

Previews are Wednesday, February 1 through Friday, February 3 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, February 4 at 4 p.m.; Sunday, February 5 at 2 p.m.; and Tuesday, February 7 at 7:30 p.m. Press Night is Wednesday, February 8 at 7:30 p.m. Opening Night is Thursday, February 9 at 7:30 p.m. Regular performances continue through March 19: Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.; Fridays at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.; and Sundays at 2 p.m. Exception: No 4 p.m. show Saturday, February 11.

DISCUSSIONS

Post-Show Discussions: A brief, informal post-show discussion hosted by a TimeLine Company Member and featuring the dramaturg and members of the production team on Wednesday, February 15; Sunday, February 19; Thursday, March 2; and Wednesday, March 8.

Pre-Show Discussions: Starting one hour before the performance, a 25-minute introductory conversation hosted by a TimeLine Company Member and the dramaturg on Sunday, February 26, and Thursday, March 9.

Company Member Discussion: A post-show discussion with the collaborative team of artists who choose TimeLine’s programming and guide the company’s mission on Sunday, March 5.

Sunday Scholars Panel Discussion: A one-hour panel discussion featuring experts on the themes and issues of the play alongside a member of the production team in a moderated discussion, following the performance on Sunday, March 12.

All discussions are free and open to the public. For details, visit timelinetheatre.com.

 

ACCESSIBILITY

Distanced Performances: Performances on Sunday, February 12 and Wednesday, March 1 will have a capacity cap and seating chart so that patrons can sit with additional space allocated between parties.

Captioned Performances: Open-captioned performances with a text display of words and sounds heard during performances are Friday, March 10, and Saturday, March 11 at 4 p.m.

Audio-Described Performance: On Friday, March 17, the performance will feature narration about visual elements of the production around the dialogue, available for individual patrons via headphones.

TimeLine Theatre is accessible to people with disabilities. Two wheelchair lifts provide access from street level to the theatre space and to lower-level restrooms. Audience members using wheelchairs

or who need to avoid stairs, and others with special seating or accessibility needs, should contact the TimeLine Box Office in advance to confirm arrangements.

 

HEALTH AND SAFETY

As the COVID-19 pandemic evolves, TimeLine continues to work to ensure the safety of artists, audiences, and staff through safety protocols at its performances. For Trouble in Mind, the theatre will require mask-wearing in order to attend. These protocols are subject to change as the pandemic evolves. For current information about TimeLine’s COVID-19 safety protocols, visit timelinetheatre.com/health-and-safety.


MORE TIMELINE 2022-23 SEASON PRODUCTIONS

Following Boulevard of Bold Dreams, TimeLine just added an exciting fourth production, the first Chicago-based production of What the Constitution Means to Me by Heidi Schreck, directed by Helen Young, May 10 – June 24, 2023. Press Night is Wednesday, May 17 at 7:30 p.m.

Only TimeLine FlexPass Subscribers get advance, priority access to tickets for TimeLine’s What the Constitution Means to Me. Two-admission FlexPasses good for remaining 2022-23 Season productions Boulevard of Bold Dreams and What the Constitution Means to Me are now available, priced

$52 – $121.

To purchase a FlexPass and secure your seats for these sure-to-be-in-demand productions, visit timelinetheatre.com or call the TimeLine Box Office at (773) 281-8463 x6. Tickets for What the Constitution Means to Me will go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, February 28, 2023.

ABOUT TIMELINE THEATRE COMPANY

TimeLine Theatre Company, recipient of the prestigious 2016 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions, was founded in April 1997 with a mission to present stories inspired by history that connect with today's social and political issues. Currently celebrating its 26th season, TimeLine has presented 85 productions, including 12 world premieres and 39 Chicago premieres, and launched the Living History Education Program, which brings the company's mission to life for students in Chicago Public Schools. Recipient of the Alford-Axelson Award for Nonprofit Managerial Excellence and the Richard Goodman Strategic Planning Award from the Association for Strategic Planning, TimeLine has received 58 Jeff Awards, including an award for Outstanding Production 11 times.

The company has long been bursting at the seams of its current leased home located at 615 W. Wellington Avenue in Chicago’s Lakeview East neighborhood, where the theatre has been in residence since 1999. In December 2018, TimeLine announced the purchase of property at 5033-35 North Broadway in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood to be the site of its new home. Plans feature an intimate black box theater seating up to 250 audience members, expanded area for the immersive lobby experiences that are a TimeLine hallmark, new opportunities for education and engagement, room to allow audience members to arrive early and stay late for theatergoing experiences that extend far beyond the stage, and more. TimeLine is working with HGA as architect for its new home project, which is expected to be completed in 2024.

TimeLine is led by Artistic Director PJ Powers, Executive Director Mica Cole, and Board President John Sterling. TimeLine Company members are Tyla Abercrumbie, Will Allan, Nick Bowling, Janet Ulrich Brooks, Behzad Dabu, Charles Andrew Gardner, Lara Goetsch, Juliet Hart, Anish Jethmalani, Mildred Marie Langford, Mechelle Moe, David Parkes, Ron OJ Parson, PJ Powers, and Maren Robinson.

Major corporate, government and foundation donors providing season support via TimeLine’s Annual Fund include: Abe and Ida Cooper Foundation, Crown Family Philanthropies, Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation, John A. Cable Foundation, Laughing Acres Family Foundation, Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Polk Bros. Foundation, The MacArthur Fund for Culture, Equity, and the Arts at Prince, The Shubert Foundation, Van Dam Charitable Foundation, and Walder Foundation. This project is partially supported by a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events and a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

For more information, visit timelinetheatre.com or Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram (@TimeLineTheatre).


BIOGRAPHIES 

LaDarrion Williams (Playwright) is a Los Angeles based-playwright, filmmaker, author, and screenwriter whose goal is to cultivate a new era of Black fantasy, providing space and agency for Black characters and stories in a new, fresh and fantastical way. His first play, Katrina, won first place at the Alabama State Thespian Conference. It was also a part of A Noise Within Theatre for their Noise Now Reading Series. His adaptation of the best-selling memoir, Feeding A Monster, was directed by award-winning actor and director Art Evans at the Hudson Theatre in Hollywood, CA. In 2019, he was invited to be a guest writer for Center Theatre Groups’ August Wilson Monologue Competition. His play Black Creek Risin’ was a part of the Great Plains Theatre Conference in Omaha, Nebraska. In September 2019, his play, Coco Queens, was a part of the Sundance Institute’s Playwriting Intensive and was also a semi-finalist for the 2020 Eugene O’Neill National Playwriting Conference. In 2021, his play Boulevard of Bold Dreams had previous public readings, both featuring Mildred Marie Langford, at The Echo Theatre Company in 2020, and the New Works Festival at the Morgan-Wixson Theatre in Santa Monica, California in 2021. After TimeLine’s production, it will also premiere at Greater Stage Boston in March 2023. Williams is currently a resident playwright/co-creator of The Black Creators Collective where his play UMOJA made its West Coast premiere in January 2022, and he also produced North Hollywood’s first Black playwrights festival at the Waco Theater Center. Serving as a writer-producer, Williams has curated three short films on YouTube. His viral and award-winning short film Blood at the Root is anticipated to become a Young Adult fantasy novel. 


Malkia Stampley (Director) was born and raised in Milwaukee where she attended Marquette University for Theater Arts. She is Goodman Theatre's BOLD Artistic Producer (since October 2021) after serving as founding Artistic Producer for the Milwaukee Black Theater Festival. Directing credits include STEW at Shattered Globe Theatre; Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill (Farmers Alley Theatre); Shakesfest: A Community Cabaret (Chicago Shakespeare in the Park); The Gift of the Magi (American Players Theater); Black Nativity (Black Arts MKE, three years); STEW (Milwaukee Chamber Theatre); Nunsense (Milwaukee Repertory Theater); Five Guys Named Moe (Skylight Music Theatre); Antarctica, WI (First Stage), IN:FLUENCE/SPIRATION (University of Wisconsin-Madison) with workshops and readings at American Players Theatre, Northern Sky, Milwaukee Fringe Festival, #ENOUGH and Texas State University's Black and Latino Playwright Celebration. As a budding playwright, Stampley co-authored Lines, commissioned by Theatre LILA in 2018. Stampley is a co-founder of Milwaukee Black Theater Festival and Bronzeville Arts Ensemble, a theater established in Milwaukee, where she served as Producing Artistic Director for three seasons. Malkia is a BOLD artist, a member of a cohort of emerging women arts leaders around the country. 


Saturday, January 14, 2023

SAVE THE DATES: Chicago Premiere of Describe the Night Via Steppenwolf Theatre March 2 – April 9, 2023

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Steppenwolf Theatre continues its 47th Season

with the Chicago premiere of

Describe the Night

By ensemble member Rajiv Joseph

Directed by ensemble member Austin Pendleton

March 2 – April 9, 2023  

The cast of Steppenwolf Theatre’s Chicago premiere of Describe the Night includes (top row, l to r) Glenn Davis, James Vincent Meredith and Sally Murphy (middle row, l to r) Caroline Neff and Yasen Peyankov (bottom row, l to r) Karen Rodriguez, Jack Cain and Jon Hudson Odom.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the nation’s premier ensemble theater company, is pleased to continue its 47th season with ensemble member Rajiv Joseph’s Chicago premiere of Describe the Night, directed by ensemble member Austin Pendleton. This thrilling mystery buried by years of history, fiction and conflict will play March 2 – April 9, 2023 in Steppenwolf’s stunning new in-the-round Ensemble Theater in Honor of Helen Zell, the centerpiece of its recently unveiled Liz and Eric Lefkofsky Arts and Education Center, 1646 N. Halsted St. in Chicago. I'll be out for the press opening March 12th, so check back shortly after for my full review.

Describe the Night will feature ensemble members Glenn Davis, James Vincent Meredith,Sally Murphy, Caroline Neff, Yasen Peyankov and Karen Rodriguez with Jack Cain and Jon Hudson Odom.

Truth is lie; lie is truth. 1920: Jewish writer Isaac Babel begins a journal while serving in war. Ninety years later, this same journal is found in the wreckage of a suspicious plane crash. What did Babel write, and why does it matter? Ensemble member Rajiv Joseph’s epic thriller ricochets through place and time following the unlikely lives of seven individuals – soldiers and poets, KGB agents and babushkas – as they unearth mysteries buried by decades of history, fiction and blood. 

Single tickets for Describe the Night starting at $20 are now on sale at steppenwolf.org and the Box Office at (312) 335-1650.

Steppenwolf 2022-23 Flex Memberships are currently on sale: Black Card Memberships with six tickets for use any time for any production, and Red Card Memberships for theatergoers under 30.  

 

Production Information

In Steppenwolf’s Ensemble Theater in Honor of Helen Zell, 1646 N. Halsted St., Chicago

March 2 – April 9, 2023

Press opening: Sunday, March 12, 2023 at 6 pm

Ticket information: Single tickets starting at $20 are now on sale at steppenwolf.org and the Box Office at (312) 335-1650.

The creative team includes Collette Pollard (Scenic Designer), Raquel Adorno (Costume Designer), Keith Parham (Lighting Designer), Pornchanok Kanchanabanca (Sound Designer), Gigi Buffington (Company Voice and Text Coach), Tom Pearl (Producing Director), JC Clementz, CSA (Casting Director), Christine D. Freeburg (Production Stage Manager) and Kathleen Barrett (Assistant Stage Manager). For full cast and creative team bios, visit steppenwolf.org/tickets--events/seasons-/2022-23/describe-the-night/.

 

Artist Biographies:

Rajiv Joseph (Playwright) is a Steppenwolf Theatre Company ensemble member. His play Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo was a 2010 Pulitzer Prize finalist for Drama and also awarded a grant for Outstanding New American Play by the National Endowment for the Arts. He has twice won the Obie Award for Best New American Play, first in 2016 for Guards at the Taj (also a 2016 Lortel Winner for Best Play), and again in 2018 for Describe the Night. Other plays include King James, which recently had its world premiere at Steppenwolf, Letters of Suresh, Gruesome Playground Injuries, Animals Out of Paper, The North Pool, The Lake Effect, Archduke and Mr. Wolf. He is a graduate of Cleveland Heights High School in Ohio. He received his Bachelor’s degree from Miami University in Ohio, and his MFA from New York University’s Tisch School for the Arts.

Austin Pendleton (Director) began working with Steppenwolf in 1979, when he directed the Ensemble in Say Goodnight, Gracie by Ralph Pape. After that, he returned to direct Loose Ends (by Michael Weller), Three Sisters and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.  Then he was cast opposite Laurie Metcalf in Educating Rita, directed by Jeff Perry, and on the first day of rehearsal for that was asked to join the Ensemble officially. Since then, he has acted and directed at Steppenwolf frequently, and most recently acted on Broadway in the Steppenwolf-originated The Minutes, by Tracy Letts, directed by Anna D. Shapiro. He has acted over the years in several Broadway shows (the first being the original production of Fiddler on the Roof, in which he was the first Motel, the Tailor), and many off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway shows. He has also directed in these venues, winning a Tony nomination for The Little Foxes (with Elizabeth Taylor) and an Obie Award for Three Sisters (with Peter Sarsgaard and Maggie Gyllenhaal). He's appeared in about 300 movies, and on TV in recurring roles in Oz and Homicide. He has written three plays: Orson's Shadow (which started at Steppenwolf, directed by David Cromer, that moved to off-Broadway and ran for a little under a year); Uncle Bob (the second production of the play, after its New York premiere); and Booth, which, after its New York premiere played at Writers' Theatre in Glencoe. He was also commissioned by Writers' Theatre to write the libretto for A Minister's Wife, a musical adapted from Shaw's Candida, with music by Josh Schmidt and lyrics by Jan Tranen, conceived and directed by Michael Halberstam, which then moved to the Newhouse Theatre at Lincoln Center, in New York. All these works are published and have been frequently produced around the country, and, in the case of Orson's Shadow, in London, and in the case of Uncle Bob, in Paris, translated by Jean-Marie Besset.

 

The Expanded Steppenwolf Campus

Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s trailblazing new 50,000 square foot theater building and education center, the Liz and Eric Lefkofsky Arts and Education Center, was designed by world-renowned architect Gordon Gill FAIA of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, with construction by Norcon. The centerpiece of the new Arts and Education Center is the new 400-seat in-the-round Ensemble Theater in Honor of Helen Zell—one of its kind in Chicago—with theater design and acoustics by Charcoalblue.

The expanded Steppenwolf campus is a cultural nexus for Chicago, offering bold and ambitious opportunities for creative expression, social exchange, unparalleled accessibility, and arts-driven learning for Chicago youth in The Loft, Steppenwolf’s first-ever dedicated education space. The campus expansion also features bright new lobbies and two new full-service bars for socializing designed by fc STUDIO, inc. The $54 million new building is part of Steppenwolf’s multi-phase $73 million Building on Excellence expansion campaign. Learn more about Steppenwolf’s campus expansion at steppenwolf.org/buildingonexcellence.

A Safe Return

As the Chicago theatre community continues to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, Steppenwolf Theatre remains committed to the safety of its patrons and staff. For the most up-to-date information on our venue’s COVID precautions, please visit steppenwolf.org/welcomeback.

Accessibility

Steppenwolf offers accessible services to ensure all audience members have access to our work, including American Sign Language interpretation (available for student matinees as scheduled with education staff or per public performances below), Spanish Language captions, wheelchair accessible seating and more. With questions, email access@steppenwolf.org.

Sponsor Information 

Describe the Night is generously supported in part by the Zell Family Foundation and PNC. United Airlines is the Official and Exclusive Airline of Steppenwolf. Steppenwolf is also grateful for the significant season support from Northern Trust, Allstate Insurance Company, Amazon, ComEd, Conagra Brands Foundation, JPMorgan Chase, PNC and Vinci Restaurant. Steppenwolf also acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency. This project is partially supported by a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is a Chicago theater that is home to America’s ensemble. The company began performing in the mid-1970s in the basement of a Highland Park, IL church—today Steppenwolf is the nation’s premier ensemble theater with 49 members who are among the top actors, playwrights and directors in the field. Deeply rooted in its ensemble ethos, the company is committed to equity, diversity, inclusion and making the Steppenwolf experience accessible to all. Groundbreaking productions from Balm in Gilead and August: Osage County to Downstate and Pass Over—and accolades that include the National Medal of Arts and 12 Tony® Awards—have made the theatre legendary. Artistic programming includes a main stage season; a Steppenwolf for Young Adults season; LookOut, a multi-genre performance series; and the Steppenwolf NOW virtual stage. The nationally recognized work of Steppenwolf Education engages more than 20,000 participants annually in Chicagoland communities promoting compassion, encouraging curiosity and inspiring action. While firmly grounded in the Chicago community, more than 40 original Steppenwolf productions have enjoyed success nationally and internationally, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, London, Sydney, Galway and Dublin. 2021 marked the opening of Steppenwolf’s landmark Liz and Eric Lefkofsky Arts & Education Center—deepening the company’s commitment to Chicagoland teens and serving as a cultural nexus for Chicago. Glenn Davis and Audrey Francis are the Artistic Directors and E. Brooke Flanagan is Executive Director. Keating Crown is Chair of Steppenwolf’s Board of Trustees.

Steppenwolf’s Mission: Steppenwolf strives to create thrilling, courageous and provocative art in a thoughtful and inclusive environment. We succeed when we disrupt your routine with experiences that spark curiosity, empathy and joy. We invite you to join our ensemble as we navigate, together, our complex world. 

steppenwolf.org, facebook.com/steppenwolftheatre, twitter.com/steppenwolfthtr and instagram.com/steppenwolfthtr.        


MEN ARE FROM MARS – WOMEN ARE FROM VENUS LIVE! RETURNS TO BROADWAY PLAYHOUSE February 14 - 19, 2023

 MEN ARE FROM MARS – WOMEN ARE FROM VENUS LIVE!

RETURNS TO CHICAGO

FOR A LIMITED ENGAGEMENT

BROADWAY PLAYHOUSE AT WATER TOWER PLACE

February 14 - 19, 2023

“First-person, funny domestic tales and retro stand-up comedy based on The New York Times best-seller.”

- THE NEW YORK TIMES

Just in time for Valentine's fun, the Off-Broadway hit comedy MEN ARE FROM MARS – WOMEN ARE FROM VENUS LIVE! returns to Chicago for the fifth time since 2014 to play eight performances at Broadway In Chicago’s Broadway Playhouse (175 E. Chestnut) from February 14, 2023 through February 19, 2023. Ticket prices range from $59 - $69. Individual tickets are available at www.BroadwayInChicago.com. Tickets are available now for groups of 10 or more by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710 or emailing GroupSales@BroadwayInChicago.com.

MEN ARE FROM MARS – WOMEN ARE FROM VENUS LIVE! is a one-man fusion of theatre and stand-up, and is a light- hearted theatrical comedy based on the New York Times #1 best-selling book of the last decade by John Gray. Moving swiftly through a series of vignettes, the show covers everything from dating and marriage to the bedroom.


ABOUT MEN ARE FROM MARS – WOMEN ARE FROM VENUS LIVE!

After beginning in Paris in 2007, Men are From Mars–Women are From Venus LIVE! has been seen by more than one million people around Europe. It debuted in the United States in February 2013 in Raleigh, North Carolina and will be playing to audiences around the United States and Canada throughout the year.

This hysterical show will have couples elbowing each other all evening as they see themselves on stage. Sexy and fast paced, this show is definitely for adults, but will leave audiences laughing and giggling like little kids!

When Mars and Venus collide, the adventures are earth-shatteringly hysterical. It's a great recipe for a night out: a little storytelling blended with some comedy and a dash of sage wisdom from the book. A delicious evening of entertainment! 

Since being published in 1992, John Gray’s “Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus,” exploring the differences between the sexes, has sold in excess of 50 million copies, been translated into 40 different languages and is one of the most recognizable titles in the world. Gray has written 17 books and become one of the most trusted relationship authors today, appearing on the national lecture circuit and on such TV shows as “Good Morning America,” “Oprah” and “Larry King Live.”

Producer, St. Louis based Emery Entertainment has produced or promoted thousands of events around the globe, including superstar attractions Blue Man Group, David Copperfield and James Taylor.

The talented team assembled for this production continues with the award winning playwright Eric Coble, direction by Broadway veteran Mindy Cooper, and animation & video production by the talented animators at Bazillion Productions.


TICKET INFORMATION

Individual ticket prices range from $59 - $69. Current Broadway In Chicago subscribers can add the show to their packages by calling 312-977-1717. Tickets are available now for groups of 10 or more by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710 or emailing GroupSales@BroadwayInChicago.com. For more details, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Tuesday, February 14 at 7:30 pm Wednesday, February 15 at 7:30 pm Thursday, February 16 at 7:30 pm Friday, February 17 at 7:30 pm Saturday, February 18 at 2 pm Saturday, February 18 at 7:30 pm Sunday, February 19 at 2 pm Sunday, February 19 at 6:00 pm


ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO

Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and, over the past 22 years, has grown to be one of the largest commercial touring homes in the country. A Nederlander Presentation, Broadway In Chicago, lights up the Chicago Theater District entertaining more than 1.7 million people annually in five theatres. Broadway In Chicago presents a full range of entertainment, including musicals and plays, on the stages of five of the finest theatres in Chicago’s Loop, including the Cadillac Palace Theatre, CIBC Theatre, James M. Nederlander Theatre, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place and presenting Broadway shows at the Auditorium Theatre.

COVID-19 PROTOCOL

Masks are recommended for all audience members.

For the latest health and safety procedures and guidelines, click here.

For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

Follow Broadway In Chicago: Facebook @BroadwayInChicago ● Twitter @broadwaychicago ● Instagram @broadwayinchicago ● #broadwayinchicago

Shattered Globe Theatre Presents the World Premiere of RADIAL GRADIENT January 27 – March 11, 2023 at Theater Wit

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Shattered Globe Theatre Presents the World Premiere of

RADIAL GRADIENT

By Jasmine Sharma

Directed by Grace Dolezal-Ng

January 27 – March 11, 2023 at Theater Wit



Pictured (left to right) Simran Deokule, Kianna Rose and Isabelle Muthiah in a publicity image for Shattered Globe Theatre’s world premiere of Radial Gradient. Photo by Jenn Udoni/Franco Images.

 

Shattered Globe Theatre is pleased to continue its 2022-23 season with the world premiere of Jasmine Sharma’s introspective and empowering play Radial Gradient, directed by Grace Dolezal-Ng. Developed through SGT’s Global Playwrights Series, Radial Gradient will play January 27 – March 11, 2023 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. Tickets are now on sale at sgtheatre.org/gradient by calling (773) 975-8150 or in person at the Theater Wit Box Office. Tickets are currently available through SGT’s two-show membership ($70) at sgtheatre.org/membership. I'll be out for the press opening, January 30th, so check back soon for my full review.

Three women enter a research study hoping to create positive change after a hate crime takes place at a liberal university in America. Timelines in 2017 and 2020 intertwine as participants unravel their complicated shared friendships and histories. Jasmine Sharma's new play challenges what complicity looks like – what do we do if it looks like us?

Comments SGT Producing Artistic Director Sandy Shinner, “Shattered Globe Theatre is very proud to present one of the winning plays selected from our inaugural Global Playwrights Series. The goal of the festival was to lift up the voices of new, diverse playwrights by developing their work with a commitment to produce, and to form long- term connections with these writers. SGT welcomes playwright Jasmine Sharma and director Grace Dolezal-Ng to begin this journey with us.”

The production team includes Sydney Lynne Thomas (Scenic Design), Hailey Rakowiecki* (Costume Design), Jason Lynch+ (Lighting Design), Christopher Kriz+ (Original Music and Sound Design), Parker Molacek (Projection Design), Rachel Watson (Properties Design), Yama Pouye, (Assistant Director), Judy Anderson* (Executive Production Manager), Richie Vavrina (Production Manager), Evan Sposato (Technical Director), JC Widman (Stage Manager) and Beckett Fowler (Assistant Stage Manager and Covid Compliance Officer) 

 *Denotes SGT Ensemble Member  +Denotes SGT Artistic Associate

COVID safety: Shattered Globe Theatre currently requires all patrons to wear masks during the performance, except when actively drinking beverages. Visit sgtheatre.org for the most up-to-date policy.

 

Chicago Theatre Week

Radial Gradient will be featured as part of Chicago Theatre Week, an annual celebration of the rich tradition of theatre-going in Chicago during which visitors and residents can access $15 or $30 value-priced tickets. As a program of the League of Chicago Theatres, in partnership with Choose Chicago, Chicago Theatre Week takes place February 16 – 26, 2023. Find more information at ChicagoTheatreWeek.com. Shattered Globe will offer a limited number of $15 tickets on Thursday and Friday and $30 tickets on Saturday and Sunday.


 

PRODUCTION DETAILS:

Location: Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago

Dates: Previews: Friday, January 27 at 8 pm, Saturday, January 28 at 8 pm and Sunday, January 29 at 3 pm.

Press Performance: Monday, January 30, 2023 at 7:30 pm

Regular Run: Thursday, February 2 – Saturday, March 11, 2023

Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 8 pm; Sundays at 3 pm. Please note: there will be an added performance on Saturday, March 11 at 3 pm.

Touch Tour/Audio Description Performance: Friday, March 3 – 6:45 pm touch tour, 8 pm performance with audio description. $20 tickets available with code “ACCESS20.”

Global Perspectives: SGT will present a series of post-show discussions and events following select Sunday matinees.

Tickets: Previews: Friday: pay-what-you-can; Saturday & Sunday: $25 general admission, $10 students. Regular Run: $45 general admission. $15 students. $35 seniors. $25 under 30 years old. $15 industry tickets on Thursdays and Fridays with code “INDUSTRY.” Tickets are now on sale at sgtheatre.org/gradient, by calling (773) 975-8150 or in person at the Theater Wit Box Office. Tickets are currently available through SGT’s two-show membership ($70) and flexible membership ($115) at http://sgtheatre.org/membership. Group discounts are available by contacting groupsales@shatteredglobe.org or by calling (773) 770-0333.

Shattered Globe understands that ticket prices can pose a financial burden and, at times, an obstacle for theatregoers. A number of waived tickets are available on a first-come, first-serve basis for students and community members experiencing access barriers to theatre. If you would like to be added to SGT’s Waived Ticket Waitlist, please email lswanson@shatteredglobe.org. Please note: all requests must be completed by 12 pm the Friday before the performance you would like to attend. The e-mail will not be monitored at all on weekends or after 5 pm on weekdays.

 

About the Artists:

Jasmine Sharma (Playwright, she/her) is a South Asian-American actor/writer/activist based in Los Angeles. She aims to focus her work at the intersection of race, femininity and Americanness. Bonus points if it’s community driven. And if we’re paying everybody. Plays include Radial Gradient (upcoming World Premiere at Shattered Globe Theatre, Eugene O’Neill NPC Semi-Finalist, Kennedy Center ACTF, Lime Arts Productions, Samuel-Lancaster Productions, Avalanche Theatre Company at The Den Theatre, Mad Cow Theatre, NextStage Theatre Company, Permafrost Theatre Collective), For Your Consideration (Moxie Arts NYC), Cancelled/Cancel Me (The Road Theatre, Ashland New Plays Festival), VIRGINS: A Madonna Bootcamp (Jackalope Theatre Company), Kids Club/Club Kids (SERIALS by The Fled Collective), Gut Punch (AlterTheater Ensemble First Acts commission), Leaving Wonderland (Access Theater NYC, American Blues Theater Finalist, The Athena Project Semi-Finalist, Aston Rep) and Hot Dogs and Feminism (Mayo Performing Arts Center, The Valdez Last Frontier Theatre Conference), among others. Recent acting credits include Wives (Aurora Theatre Company) and The Wolves (McCarter Theatre Center). Jasmine has also contributed to @iWeigh and worked with the @24HourPlays, both as an actor and a writer. Sometimes, she Script PAs Broadway musicals. Jasmine is a 2022-23 Reel Sisters Fellow and a member of The IAMA Emerging Playwrights Lab 2022-2023. Bachelor of Science in Communications: Northwestern University (2021). jasminesharma.org | @jasminesharmaa

Grace Dolezal-Ng (Director, she/her) is a Chicago based director/actor who is passionate about building empathy and generating empowerment through visceral storytelling in live theatre. She is honored to be making her Shattered Globe debut! Chicago credits include It Came From Outer Space (Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Assistant Director); Athena (Writers Theatre, Assistant Director); Roe (Goodman Theatre, Assistant Director). Other credits: The Great Leap (Asolo Repertory Theatre, Assistant Director), Despierta! (Lime Arts Productions, Director) and Death For Sydney Black (Independent Production, Director). Grace graduated from Northwestern University, majoring in Theatre, in June of 2020. She is a proud recipient of the Herb Alpert Emerging Young Artist Award. www.gracedn.com

 

About Shattered Globe Theatre

Shattered Globe Theatre (Sandy Shinner, Producing Artistic Director) was born in a storefront space on Halsted Street in 1991. Since then, SGT has produced more than 80 plays, including nine American and world premieres, and garnered an impressive 42 Jeff Awards and 114 Jeff Award nominations, as well as the acclaim of critics and audiences alike.

Shattered Globe Theatre seeks to discover new connections between story, artist and audience by exploring drama from bold, challenging perspectives, and continuously redefining what it means to be an ensemble theater.

SGT’s values are rooted in a commitment to racial equity, respect for all artists and support for the ensemble, while creating new opportunities to amplify traditionally marginalized voices and collaborate in all aspects of our work. Through initiatives such as the Protégé Program, Shattered Globe creates a space which allows emerging artists to grow and share in the ensemble experience.

Shattered Globe Theatre is partially supported and funded by generous grants from The Shulman-Rochambeau Charitable Foundation, The James P. and Brenda S. Grusecki Family Foundation, Bayless Family Foundation, The Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, The MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, the Illinois Arts Council, The Shubert Foundation, the Chicago Community Foundation, and The Saints.

For more information on Shattered Globe Theatre, please visit www.sgtheatre.org.

Friday, January 13, 2023

OPENING: World Premiere of VILLETTE Via Lookingglass Theatre Company February 8 – April 23, 2023

 ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 

Lookingglass Theatre Company Announces Cast  

for the World Premiere of 

VILLETTE  

Written by Artistic Associate Sara Gmitter 

From the Book by Charlotte Brontë, 

Directed by Ensemble Member Tracy Walsh 

 


 Taken by renouned photographer, Sandro

2 hours 30 minutes including 1 intermission 

Lookingglass Theatre Company announces the cast for the World Premiere of Villette by Sara Gmitter, adapted from the Charlotte Brontë novel. The cast features Mi Kang as Lucy Snowe, Mo Shipley as Ginerva Fanshawe, Helen Joo Lee as Madame Beck, Renée Lockett as Mrs. Bretton, Ronald Román-Meléndez as John Graham Bretton, and Debo Balogun as Paul Emmanuel.  

Villette is Charlotte Brontë’s undiscovered gem, featuring one her most modern heroines, Lucy Snowe, on a solitary journey full of romance and intrigue. Ensemble Member Tracy Walsh directs Artistic Associate Sara Gmitter’s riveting adaptation of this novel by the author of Jane Eyre, running February 8 – April 23, 2023. Lookingglass Theatre is located in the Water Tower Water Works building, 821 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611. Tickets are on sale now! 

The creative team includes Yu Shibagaki (Scenic Design), Ensemble Member Mara Blumenfeld (Costume Design), John Culbert (Lighting Design), Deon Custard (Sound Design), and Amanda Herrmann (Properties). 

 

Click HERE for tickets

Phone: (312) 337-0665 

In Person: 165 E Pearson, Chicago, IL 60611  

The box office is open (phone and in-person) Tuesdays-Saturdays, 12PM-4PM. 

 

February 8 – April 23, 2023 

Lookingglass Theatre in Water Tower Water Works 

 

Charlotte Brontë’s undiscovered gem, Villette, offers a hero unlike any you’ve encountered before. Newly without means but freshly full of courage, Lucy Snowe travels alone to an unfamiliar land, determined to carve a path for herself. She is soon drawn into a maze of multiple doorways leading towards fulfillment or peril, in Artistic Associate Sara Gmitter’s haunting adaptation, directed by Ensemble Member Tracy Walsh. 


Villette Performance Schedule 

Previews  

February 8 – 17, 2023 

Wednesdays – Saturdays 7:30PM 

Sunday 2PM 

 

Regular Run 

February 18 – April 23, 2023 

Tuesdays 7PM 

Wednesdays 7PM 

Thursdays 2PM & 7PM 

Fridays 7PM 

Saturdays 2PM & 7PM 

Sundays 2PM 

 

Please see the performance calendar on the website for full calendar and details. Click HERE for tickets


About the Artists 

Sara Gmitter (she/her/hers) (Writer; Lookingglass Artistic Associate) is a longtime Artistic Associate with Lookingglass Theatre. Sara’s playwriting credits include: A Long Fatal Love Chase (Translation and Adaptation Reading Series at Remy Bumppo); Sizzle: A Global Warming Comedy, co-written with Jason Burkett (New Suit Theatre Company at the Raven Theatre); In the Garden: A Darwinian Love Story (Lookingglass Theatre Company & Malvern Theatre Company in Melbourne Australia). In the Garden was nominated for a Jeff Award for Best New Work. In 2022, the Adrienne Shelly Foundation named Sara as the first recipient of their Playwright’s Award.  

Sara has also served as a teaching artist, mentor, director, and playwright for the Lookingglass Young Ensemble. In Santa Fe, she has twice collaborated with the organization Creativity for Peace (now called Tomorrow's Women), first to devise Voices from Israel, Palestine, and New Mexico, and then with additional collaboration from students at the Institute of American Indian Arts, to create Tearing Down Walls: Voices from the Middle-East and Santa Fe.  

She has a BA in Theatre from the College of William and Mary and a Masters in Peace Education from the UN Mandated University for Peace in Costa Rica. She joined the Dramatist Guild in 2019. 

She earned a B.A. in Theatre from the College of William and Mary and an M.A. in Peace Education from the UN mandated University for Peace in Costa Rica. She currently serves as Program Assistant for Girls Inc. of Santa Fe and is also the co-clerk of the American Friends Service Committee’s Nobel Peace Prize Nominating Task Group. Sara is the recipient of the Adrienne Shelly Foundation Inaugural Playwrights Award.  


Tracy Walsh (she/her/hers) (Director; Lookingglass Ensemble Member) is an Ensemble Member of Lookingglass Theatre Company where she has choreographed, appeared in and directed many productions including: The Old Curiosity Shop (Director), Acts of God, Blood Wedding, Around the World in 80 Days (Choreography), and The North China Lover (Actor/choreographer). Most recently, she choreographed dances for all productions of The Steadfast Tin Soldier and appeared in Her Honor Jane Byrne (Lookingglass). She was Movement Consultant for The Notebooks of Leonardo DaVinci (Goodman Theatre/Shakespeare Theatre Company) and was also an original cast member (Goodman Theatre/Seattle Repertory Theatre/Lincoln Center). She choreographed and appeared in Electra and Iphigenia in Aulis (Court Theatre/The Getty Villa) and choreographed Agamemnon (Court Theatre). She choreographed Don Giovanni and The Jewel Box (Chicago Opera Theatre) and directed, adapted & choreographed the recorded, live, original show All Wigged Out featuring musicians Marcy Marxer and Cathy Fink.  


About the cast 

Debo Balogun (he/him) (Paul Emanuel) Chicago credits include Measure for Measure (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre), Light Falls, Red Rex, Zurich (Steep Theatre Company), graveyard shift (Goodman Theatre), Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (Lookingglass Theatre Company), You Can’t Take It With You, Fair Maid of the West (Oak Park Festival Theatre), Moon Man Walk (Definition Theatre), Bobby Pin Girls (Nothing Without a Company). Regional credits include McCarter Theatre Center. FILM: The Christmas Pitch. Television credits include Power Book IV: Force (STARZ), Single Drunk Female (Freeform), Fargo (FX), Chicago Med (NBC), neXt (FOX). Debo is an Artistic Associate with Oak Park Festival Theatre and an Ensemble Member with Steep Theatre Company. He is represented by Gray Talent Group. 


Helen Joo Lee (she/her) (Madame Beck) is thrilled to be making her Lookingglass debut! Theatre credits include Sense and Sensibility (Indiana Repertory Theatre), The Great Leap (Asolo Repertory Theatre), Murder on the Orient Express (Asolo Repertory Theatre), Kentucky (The Gift Theatre), In the Canyon (Jackalope Theatre), You For Me For You (Sideshow Theatre). Film/TV credits include Power (Starz), Black Lightning (CW), Chicago Med (NBC), The Big Leap (Fox), Work in Progress (Showtime), The Chi (Showtime), Empire (Fox). She has lived in Melbourne, Seoul, and Rome teaching English as a second language. Big thanks to her agents at Stewart Talent for their warmth and encouragement!   

Mi Kang (she/her) (Lucy Snowe) is thrilled to be making her Lookingglass Theatre debut with Villette! Mi is a recent Northwestern MFA Acting graduate and select school credits include: Dance Nation, Peerless, and Hedda Gabler. Previous select theatre credits include: The Chinese Lady (TimeLine Theatre, Indiana Repertory Theatre), The Journal of Ben Uchida (Seattle Children’s Theatre), John (ArtsWest Playhouse), A Tale for Time Being, Jane Eyre (Book-It Repertory Theatre), and The Great Inconvenience (Annex Theatre). She is represented by Stewart Talent. 

Renée Lockett (she/her) (Mrs. Bretton) is thrilled to return to Lookingglass! Last seen in Her Honor Jane Byrne and First Floor Theater’s Jeff recommended Sugar in our Wounds. Other Chicago credits include: Familiar (Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Jeff nomination: Ensemble), Surely, Goodness and Mercy (Redtwist Theatre, Jeff nomination: Performer in a Drama, Black Theatre Alliance Award nomination: Best Actress), A Wonder in My Soul (Victory Gardens Theater), Crowns (Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre, Black Theatre Alliance Award nomination: Best Ensemble). Renee has also worked with Babes with Blades, Court Theatre, Northlight Theatre, MPAACT, Prologue Theatre, Collaboraction Theatre Company, Three Cat Productions, Black Ensemble Theater, ETA Creative Arts, and Black Lives, Black Words. Renee is an ensemble member of MPAACT and an Artistic Associate with Black Lives, Black Words. Most recent Film credits include: The Plow and Freelancers Anonymous, as well as TV roles on The Chi and a recurring guest star role on Comedy Central’s South Side. Renee is represented by DDO Artists Agency. 

Ronald Román-Meléndez (he/him) (John Graham Bretton) is an actor, musician, and songwriter from Guaynabo, Puerto Rico and is thrilled to be making his Lookingglass debut! Most recently, he spent two years in Spring Green, Wisconsin working with American Players Theatre as a member of their acting ensemble. Credits with APT include: Moises in The River Bride, Faulkland in The Rivals, Dumaine in Love’s Labour’s Lost, and The Messenger in An Improbable Fiction. Other Regional Credits include: Petruchio in Taming of the Shrew, Don Pedro in Much Ado About Nothing, Shag in Equivocation, Edward Ferrars in Sense & Sensibility, Fred/Earl in The Willard Suitcases, and Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol at American Shakespeare Center. He holds an MFA in Classical Acting from Illinois State University. Mil gracias a mami y a papi, y a mis amigos quienes me han apoyado en el medio de todo el caos—saben quienes son; ¡¡esta es para ustedes!! 

Mo Shipley (they/them) (Ginevra Fanshawe) is happy as a clam to be making their Lookingglass debut! Aside from acting, Mo is an arts administrator and visual artist. Previous credits include Clown 2 in Corduroy with Emerald City Theatre, Ellie Coutier in Windy City Playhouse's Southern Gothic, a puppeteer in Rough House/Adventure Stages' Stranger and The Shadow, and a collaborator/deviser within Free Street Theatre's 50 in 50! A City Wide Celebration. Mo has also worked with Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Forks & Hope, Red Tape Theatre, Trap Door Theatre, Haven, and Strawdog Theatre. You can view some of Mo's most recent work in I Didn't Mean to go Mental, a new comedy series from Carly Glenn and Almost Pi Productions. Mo is immeasurably grateful to their partner and chosen family for the boundless support and love.  


About the Designers 

Mara Blumenfeld (she/her) (Costume Designer; Ensemble Member) has designed costumes for over 40 Lookingglass productions, including such company favorites as Lookingglass Alice, The Arabian Nights, Metamorphoses, and Cascabel. Based in Chicago, she has designed numerous productions for Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Writers Theatre, and Court Theatre. A frequent collaborator with fellow Ensemble Member Mary Zimmerman, their credits include the Broadway and Off-Broadway productions of Metamorphoses, The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci at Second Stage Theatre, and Rusalka, Lucia di Lammermoor and La Sonnambula for the Metropolitan Opera. Regional credits include: 11 seasons with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and numerous productions at the McCarter Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Huntington Theatre Company, Asolo Repertory Theatre, and the Weston Playhouse, among others. Internationally, her work has been seen in Canada (Stratford Shakespeare Festival), the UK (Barbican Center and Donmar Warehouse), France (Opera du Rhin), Italy (Teatro alla Scala), Australia (Melbourne Theatre Company), China (Wuzhen Theatre Festival), and Japan (K-Ballet and Disney TokyoSea). She is the recipient of four Jeff Awards, and was the 2012 recipient of the Michael Merritt Award for Excellence in Design and Collaboration. 

John Culbert (he/him) (Lighting Designer) John Culbert returns to Lookingglass Theatre where he previously designed Argonautika and S/M.  Other Chicago credits include: Arsenic and Old Lace, The Tragedy of Othello, The Moor of Venice, The Adventures of Augie March, The Hard Problem, All My Sons, Caroline Or Change, and Carousel at Court Theatre; White Guy on the Bus and A Civil War Christmas at Northlight Theatre; Twelfth Night and Arcadia at Writer’s Theatre; Regina at Lyric Opera of Chicago; Having Our Say, Two Trains Running, and Objects in the Mirror at the Goodman Theatre. Regional credits include productions with: Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Long Wharf Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, McCarter Theatre and Shakespeare Theatre Company. International credits include productions with Singapore Repertory and Opera National du Rhin. Other projects include the lighting design for the Chicago Park District’s Buckingham Fountain. John served as a faculty member and Dean of The Theatre School at DePaul University for many years.    

Deon Custard (he/him) (Sound Designer) After completing BAs in English and Theatre (Directing) at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, Custard graduated in the spring of 2021 and began PhD study at Northwestern University. In addition to his work as a PhD student, Deon is a freelance director, lighting & sound designer, dramaturg, and teaching artist who has worked with Steppenwolf, the Goodman, and Underscore Theatre Company, among others. 

Amanda A Herrmann (they/them) (Props Supervisor) Lookingglass credits include: The Steadfast Tin Soldier (2018, 2019, and 2022 productions), Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Act(s) of God, 20,000 Leagues Under the Seas, Plantation!, Hard Times, Moby Dick, Beyond Caring, Mr. and Mrs. Pennyworth, and Life Sucks. Other credits include: Anna Karenina (Joffrey Ballet); How to be a Rock Critic (Steppenwolf Theatre Company); W;t (The Hypocrites); The Hollow, The Tin Woman (Peninsula Players Theatre); Hang, Pirandello’s Henry IV, Fallen Angels (Remy Bumppo Theatre Company); The Book of Will, Miss Bennet (Northlight Theatre); Montauciel Takes Flight, A Wrinkle in Time, Velveteen Rabbit (Lifeline Theatre); This Way Outta Santaland, Naperville (Theater Wit); Balm in Gilead (Griffin Theatre). Amanda is a graduate of Ripon College with a B.A. in Theater and Art. 

Yu Shibagaki (she/her) (Scenic Design) is a NYC based set designer, originally from Nagoya, Japan.  Recent designs include 1919 (Steppenwolf for Young Adults); Heroes of the Fourth Turning (Studio Theatre); Dishwasher Dreams (Hartford Stage); Her Honor Jane Byrne (Lookingglass Theatre); America v.2.1 (Definition Theater); School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play (Goodman Theatre); I, Banquo, I, Cinna (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); and more. http://www.yushibagaki.com/ 


Become A gglasspass Member 

See yourself here, Chicago. In the Lookingglass.  

A partnership with one of this city’s leading Black theatre companies. A homegrown holiday hearth warmer. Two original CHI-made works each featuring unconventional central characters. A twirl around five extraordinary homespun districts (from Englewood to Edgewater to Avalon Park and more). And a transcendent summer sunset ritual that draws us all back waterside.   

Distinct. Unique. Reflecting is our function.   

Become a member and come see yourself at Lookingglass. 

The 2-play package includes two World Premiere productions, Villette and Lucy and Charlie’s Honeymoon. Members also get the best seats at the best prices, and enjoy a bounty of benefits including priority seating, no ticket fees, unlimited ticket exchanges, savings when purchasing additional tickets for friends or family, a discount at our online store, and more!  

Visit lookingglasstheatre.org/flex-passes to learn how to book your 2022-23 membership! 


Thank You to Our Season Sponsors  

BMO  

Hearn  

HMS Media  

Shirley Ryan Ability Lab  

Waldorf Astoria   

 

Thank you to our Villette Sponsor 

The National Endowment for the Arts 

 

Thank you to our Villette Celebration Night Sponsors 

360 Chicago  

Food for Thought 

 

Become A Scene Maker 

Inside our 190-seat storycastle we work tirelessly to produce unique theatre that leaves YOU changed, charged, and empowered. Theatre making takes meticulous attention to detail and years of work, often unseen. We could not take that initial spark of an idea to the wonder we finally see on stage without you. While you might not be IN the room, you too are an artist and vital to the process. Through your support you play YOUR role in shaping a flourishing, arts-driven tomorrow. Become a Scene Maker, today. 

Become a Scene Maker and support Lookingglass at lookingglasstheatre.org/ scene-maker 

 

About Health and Safety  

The health and safety of our audiences, artists, and staff are a top priority and we have invested our resources accordingly. As guidelines are constantly evolving, all policies are subject to change.  

As of September 1, 2022, Lookingglass Theatre Company will no longer require audiences to provide proof of vaccination.  

Facial coverings are currently recommended, but not required. 

We encourage you to confirm our current protocols prior to your visit to the theatre. Please refer to the health and safety page for more information about our current policies and safety measures regarding COVID-19. 

 

About Accessibility 

Lookingglass Theatre offers ground floor seats for all patrons who use a wheelchair or a scooter, or patrons who cannot walk stairs. Assisted listening devices are available at the patron's request. Dates for shows for hearing and visually impaired audiences to be announced. 

 

Groups of 10 or More 

Bring a group to Lookingglass and save up to 25% off regular ticket prices. 

A trip to Lookingglass is the perfect outing for your school group, office, in-town visit, retirement community, social group, book club, scout troop, religious group, or alumni organization! To book a group, email groups@lookingglasstheatre.org. 

For more information, visit lookingglasstheatre.org/groups. 


About Lookingglass Theatre Company   

Inventive. Collaborative. Transformative. Lookingglass Theatre Company, recipient of the 2011 Regional Theatre Tony Award, was founded in 1988 by eight Northwestern University students. Now in its 35th Season, Lookingglass is home to a multi-disciplined ensemble of artists who create story-centered theatrical work that is physical, aurally rich and visually metaphoric. The Company, located in Chicago’s landmark Water Tower Water Works, has staged 70 world premieres, received 161 Joseph Jefferson Award Nominations, and produced work all across the United States. In 2016, Lookingglass received the MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions and in 2017, was the recipient of the League of Chicago Theatres’ Artistic Achievement Award.    

Lookingglass continues to expand its artistic, financial, and institutional boundaries under the guidance of Artistic Director Heidi Stillman, Executive Director Rachel L. Fink, a 29-member artistic ensemble, 22 artistic associates, an administrative staff, and a dedicated board of directors led by Chair Diane Whatton.   

For more information, visit lookingglasstheatre.org.     

Engage with us on social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn. #LookingglassTheatre 


About Chicago Theatre Week 

Chicago Theatre Week is an annual celebration of the rich tradition of theatre-going in Chicago during which visitors and residents can access value-priced tickets. As a program of the League of Chicago Theatres, in partnership with Choose Chicago, Chicago Theatre Week takes place February 16-26, 2023.  

Lookingglass Theatre Company’s Villette is proud to participate in Chicago Theatre Week! Tickets for select performances from February 16-26 are now available for the special price of $30, while supplies last. Find more information at ChicagoTheatreWeek.com. 

In Charlotte Brontë’s Villette, Lucy Snowe -- newly without means but freshly full of courage -- leaves home to carve a path for herself. An eclectic carousel of characters (and one mysterious ghost!) draws her towards multiple doorways of opportunity – but which door should she choose? 

Previews  

February 8 – 17, 2023 

 

Regular Run 

February 19 – April 23, 2023 

Tuesdays 7PM 

Wednesdays 7PM 

Thursdays 1:30PM & 7PM 

Fridays 7PM 

Saturdays 2PM & 7PM 

Sundays 2PM 

 

Tickets start at $45. Please see the performance calendar on the website for full calendar and details. Click HERE for tickets


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