Holiday Theatre Round Up Via League of Chicago Theatres’

CHICAGO THEATERS GET FESTIVE FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON

League of Chicago Theatres’ annual Holiday Guide highlights seasonal productions

ChiIL Mama will be there... will YOU?!

The holidays mean a virtual avalanche of great theatre and it can be daunting to dig through all the openings and seasonal short runs. Check back with ChiIL Live Shows and ChiIL Mama like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often. We'll have loads of original reviews, theatre news, interviews and even ticket giveaways. Still, we're a small outlet and can't be everywhere. So, for a comprehensive listing of holiday hits easily split by genre, The League of Chicago Theatres’ is your best bet. **We've added asterisks to our favorites that we will be reviewing or covering on our outlets as well.

The Chicago theater community will present a wide variety of festive plays and musicals, as well as dance and concert offerings this Holiday season.  In support, the League of Chicago Theatres will once again create a comprehensive Holiday Theater Guide that will be available beginning in November at hotels, theaters, events, and destinations across the Chicago area.  An updated list of holiday shows with additional details about each production will be available throughout the season at www.chicagoplays.com.  Additionally, many holiday shows will be available at Hot Tix, Chicago’s local, half-price ticketing service.

The following is a selection of Holiday-themed work playing in Chicago this season.

Classic Chicago favorites include:

**Charles Dickens’ timeless tale of hope and redemption A CHRISTMAS CAROL, returns to the Goodman Theatre for the 38^th year. Through December 27, 2015.

**Capra’s holiday staple gets the 1940’s radio treatment with IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE: LIVE IN CHICAGO! presented by American Blues Theater at the Greenhouse Theater Center, November 20 – December 27, 2015.

**The House Theatre presents its wholly original, ballet-free, fast paced and family friendly version of THE NUTCRACKER at the Chopin Theatre, weaving dance, text, and songs to tell a story of magic and mystery. Runs through December 31, 2015.

**The Joffrey Ballet’s lavish and beloved THE NUTCRACKER returns to the Auditorium Theatre, featuring Robert Joffrey’s version for one last time, December 4 – 27, 2015.

Holiday-themed musicals include:

**The classic Chicago musical THE CHRISTMAS SCHOONER sets sail again at The Mercury Theater featuring a powerful, moving story, an exquisite score of original music and traditional holiday favorites, and a company of 25 actors and musicians. November 25 – December 27, 2015.

**Drury Lane Theatre presents WHITE CHRISTMAS: THE MUSICAL, a merry and bright stage production based on the classic silver screen romantic comedy. Through January 3, 2016,

A KOKANDY CHRISTMAS premieres at Theater Wit, featuring new musical arrangements of favorites old and new performed by five of Chicago’s brightest musical theater talents. Runs December 3 – 23, 2015.

Holiday comedies include:

**The Second City and Goodman Theatre’s TWIST YOUR DICKENS returns for a second smash year. Scrooge, Tiny Tim, three ridiculous ghosts and a cast of The Second City’s funniest members take the Goodman by storm, as wicked parody, daring improve and a host of guest celebs run rampant. December 4 – 27, 2015.

**David Sedaris’ classic comedy SANTALAND DIARIES returns to Theater Wit November 20 – December 27, 2015.

Other notable works include:

**A Q BROTHERS’ CHRISTMAS CAROL, a hip-hop holiday treat set to a bangin’ beat returns to Chicago Shakespeare Theater. November 28 – January 3, 2016.

Strawdog Theatre presents Paula Vogel’s hauntingly beautiful A LONG CHRISTMAS RIDE HOME. Through December 12.

**The Hypocrites bring back BURNING BLUEBEARD to The Den Theatre, inspired by the true story of Chicago’s 1903 Iroquois Theatre Fire, six singed clown performers perform their spectacular Christmas pantomime once and for all. Runs November 19 – January 10, 2016.

**HELLCAB portrays the story of a cab driver in for the longest night of his life as he transports a bizarre and mysterious array of customers through the gritty streets of Chicago on Christmas Eve, at Profiles Theatre, through January 10, 2016.

Hot Tix

Celebrating 35 years this month, Hot Tix offers half-price tickets to a wide variety of theatre productions for the current week, as well as future performances, including many holiday selections for the whole family. Hot Tix has three convenient downtown walk-up locations and half-price tickets are also available online at HotTix.org, easily searchable by date, show, theatre, or genre.

Hours and Locations

Expo 72: 72 E. Randolph (across from the Chicago Cultural Center)

Tues – Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 11am-4pm

Water Works: 163 E. Pearson (along the Magnificent Mile)

Tues – Sat: 10am-6pm, Sun 11am-4pm

Block Thirty Seven: 108 N. State (at the first floor Guest Services desk)

Mon – Sat: 10am-6pm, Sun 11am-5pm

Follow Hot Tix on social media:

Twitter: http://twitter.com/HotTix
Facebook: http://facebook.com/HotTix
Instagram: https://instagram.com/hottixchicago

Subscribe to the Hot Tix email list at http://hottixsignup.gr8.com.

About Chicago theater

Chicago theater is the leader in the U.S. with more than 250 theaters throughout Chicagoland, comprising a rich and varied community ranging from storefront, non-union theaters to the most renowned resident theaters in the country, including 5 which have been honored with Regional Tony Awards, and the largest touring Broadway organization in the nation. Chicago’s theaters serve 5 million audience members annually and have a combined budget of more than $250 million. Chicago produces and/or presents more world premieres annually than any other city in the nation. In 2009-10 alone Chicago theater companies produced more than 130 world premiere productions and adaptations. Each year Chicago theaters send new work to resident theaters across the country, to Broadway, and around the world. 

The League of Chicago Theatres’ Mission Statement

The League of Chicago Theatres is an alliance of theaters which leverages its collective strength to promote, support and advocate for Chicago's theater industry locally, nationally and internationally. The League of Chicago Theatres Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the art of theater in the Chicago area through audience development and support services for theaters and theater professionals.

For a comprehensive list of Chicago productions, visit the League of Chicago website, www.chicagoplays.com.  Discounted tickets are available at www.hottix.org.

INCOMING: Catch In the Whale at Chicago's Double Door 11/15

IN THE WHALE TRACK 

"PRAY FOR THE PREY" 

PRODUCED BY NO AGE

IN THE WHALE RELEASE  

NEIGHBOR NOW OUT!

Denver rock band In The Whale released the heavy and hardcore "Pray for The Prey" last month. The band released Neighbor, their two-song digital single out via Red Bull Sound Select October 23rd. Neighbor was produced by the GRAMMY nominated experimental punk duo No Age and mixed by Romesh Dodangoda (Motorhead, Funeral For a Friend, Bullet For My Valentine).

No Age and In The Whale are set to share the bill during the month long music festival, Red Bull Sound Select Presents: 30 Days In LA, on November 18th at The Echo along with So Pitted.

Listen to "Pray for the Pray" here!

Listen to "Neighbor" here!

In The Whale Photo Credit: Mike Ford / Red Bull Sound Select / Content Pool

No Age Photo Credit: Sub Pop Records

About In The Whale: 

In the Whale is a high energy two-piece rock band hailing from Denver, CO. Members Nate Valdez (vocals and guitar) and Eric Riley (drums and backing vocals) have been making no-nonsense, balls-to-the-wall rock songs since they formed the band in 2011. 

Since then, the two have stayed busy exploring the seedier sides of Denver that inspires their music. In 2012 they released their first EP, 'Cake', and followed it up with the EP, 'Eric', in the late fall of 2013. In between those two releases they played with a stupid number of artists you'd happily phone home about. In addition to sharing stages with bands like Murder By Death, Local H, Reverend Horton Heat and Electric Six in their hometown, the band has hit the road and played alongside The Airborne Toxic Event, Agent Orange, Jane's Addiction and Slash. In the Whale released their third EP titled 'Nate' in April 2014 and will continue relentlessly touring until they have conquered everything.

Catch In the Whale's incredible live show on tour this winter!

2015/2016 Tour Dates

11/10 - Arlene's Grocery - New York, NY

11/11 - Brighton Music Hall - Boston, MA

11/12 - Wonder Bar - Asbury Park, NJ

11/13 - Ardmore Music Hall - Ardmore, PA

11/14 - Music Box Supper Club - Cleveland, OH

11/15 - Double Door - Chicago, IL

11/17 - Soiled Dove - Denver, CO

11/18 - The Echo - Los Angeles, CA

11/27 - The Hideout - San Diego, CA

11/28 - Tiki Bar - Costa Mesa, CA

11/29 - Whisky A Go Go - Los Angeles, CA

12/01 - Rockbar Theater - San Jose, CA

12/02 - Bottom of the Hill - San Francisco, CA

12/03 - Shea's Tavern - Reno, NV

12/04 - Volcanic Theatre Pub - Eugene, OR

12/05 - Dante's - Portland, OR

12/06 - El Corazon - Seattle, WA

12/07 - Garibaldi Lift Co - Whistler, BC

12/08 - Rickshaw Theatre - Vancouver, BC

12/10 - Denizen Hall - Edmonton, AB

12/11 - Dickens - Calgary, AB

12/12 - The Vat - Red Deer, AB

12/14 - Club X - Salt Lake City, UT

12/15 - Aggie Theatre - Fort Collins, CO

12/16 - Bluebird Theatre - Denver, CO

02/02 - Launchpad - Albuquerque, NM

02/03 - Blue Max - Midland, TX

02/04 - Paper Tiger - San Antonio, TX

02/05 - Scout Bar - Houston, TX

02/06 - Siberia Bar - New Orleans, LA

02/07 - Vinyl Music Hall - Pensacola, FL

02/09 - Beachside Tavern - New Smyrna Beach, FL

02/10 - Debauchery - Melbourne, FL

02/11 - The Inlet - Fort Pierce, FL

02/12 - West End Trading Co - Sanford, FL

02/13 - Propaganda - Lake Worth, FL

02/15 - The Foundry - Athens, GA

02/16 - The Jinx - Savannah, GA

02/17 - The Sparrow - Charleston, SC

02/18 - Local 506 - Chapel Hill, NC

02/19 - The Rabbit Hole - Charlotte, NC

02/20 - The Earl - Atlanta, GA

02/21 - Grey Eagle Music Hall - Asheville, NC

02/24 - Exit/In - Nashville, TN

02/26 - The Hi-Tone - Memphis, TN

02/27 - Shrine - Tulsa, OK

http://www.redbullsoundselect.com/artists/

https://twitter.com/inthewhale

https://soundcloud.com/in-the-whale

Hemmingbirds Halloween Fun With Skeleton Video for Mess of Things

Living skeletons make for bad boyfriends (or do they?) in the darkly comic new video for “Mess of Things” by Chicago’s Hemmingbirds.

The clip was directed by Daniel J Clark and written by Megan Green, Joe Kwaczala, Joe McAdam and Chris Stephens who also star. They're part of LA’s The Wheel Show, where they've had guests Eddie Pepitone, Martin Starr, Mikal Cronin, Kumail Nanjiani, Todd Glass and Lisa Loeb, and formerly from Chicago where they did The Late Live Show and Creative Control. The troupe also does an online sketch called "Does Dave Know We're Here?" that's on IFC.

Here at ChiIL Live Shows we love to support our locals so check back like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often. Click here to learn more about Hemmingbirds on their site.

Chicago Comedy Film Festival: Killing Poe Film Premieres November 6th

What We're Watching: Killing Poe

Killing Poe is a full-length feature film that was shot in Chicago with mostly Chicago cast and crew. They will be celebrating their Chicago homecoming with a Premiere at the Chicago Comedy Film Festival on Nov 6th, with two SOLD OUT showings, 5:30 and 7PM. The Chicago and L.A. cast will be coming to the festival. Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we love to support our locals and Killing Poe features Chicago native producers, director, writers, actors, soundtrack artists, and crew! We can't wait to check it out. Keep an eye out for this one.

The film stars Matt Bush (ADVENTURELAND and THE GOLDBERGS), Osric Chau (SUPERNATURAL and THE MAN WITH THE IRON FISTS), Julianna Guill (CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE and A GIRLFRIENDS GUIDE TO DIVORCE), Cyrina Fiallo (GIRL MEETS WORLD and GOOD LUCK, CHARLIE), Sunkrish Bala (CASTLE and THE WALKING DEAD), and Rick Plastina (CHICAGO VERCOAT and HERO).

EXTENDED: Gift's World Premiere, Good For Otto Extended 3 More Weeks

THE GIFT THEATRE EXTENDS DAVID RABE’S  

REMARKABLE HIT GOOD FOR OTTO 

THREE ADDITIONAL WEEKS

Special reception and conversation on Monday, November 9 offers theatergoers the chance to hear from the acclaimed writer and director

To accommodate demand for tickets, The Gift Theatre has added performances and extended the run of its critically acclaimed new play, Good for Otto, written by Tony Award-winning playwright David Rabe and directed by Gift artistic director Michael Patrick Thornton. Originally scheduled to close November 22, Good for Otto, will continue performances December 3- December 20, 2015. Performances are Thursday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Please consult The Gift’s website at thegifttheatre.org or call the box office at 773-283-7071 for the most current schedule and ticket availability.  

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we haven't had a chance to catch this one yet, but the buzz has been amazing and it's high on our must see list. Book your tickets now. This one has been selling out regularly and the extension tickets are sure to go fast.

“I am deeply moved that this epic masterwork by American master playwright David Rabe has found its home and voice at The Gift Theatre in Chicago,” said Thornton. “We look forward to as many people as possible experiencing David's beautiful and mesmerizing opus, Good For Otto. In Good For Otto, one character's motto is ‘Fortune favors the brave’; David's writing, the ensemble's acting and the world created by our designers is bravery defined.”

In addition to the extension, the National Veterans Art Museum (4041 N. Milwaukee) will host “A Legendary Reception: David Rabe,” a special one-night event on Monday, November 9, 6:30 - 9:00pm featuring a rare and intimate conversation with director Michael Patrick Thornton, Theatre and Dance critic of the Chicago Sun-Times Hedy Weiss, and American theater legend David Rabe about his work and an exploration behind the scenes of The Gift's acclaimed world premiere of Good for Otto. Individual tickets are $100 and can be reserved at thegifttheatre.org/shows-events or by calling 773-283-7071.  Cocktails will be served throughout the evening.

Haunted by his own childhood, a psychologist tries to minister to the distressed souls who find their way to the doors of the health center he runs in a cluster of Connecticut hamlets and villages. Absurd at times, sadly comic and touching in the twists and turns of their simple humanity, men and women, young and old, rich and poor bring their pain in from the bucolic setting of trees, white churches, streams and mountains ranges for Dr. Michaels and his collogues with hopes of relief in the world premiere of this whimsical, yet tornadic, ensemble piece.

Playwright David Rabe received a Tony Award for Best Play in 1972 for Sticks and Bones and also received Tony Award nominations for Best Play in 1974 for In the Boom Boom Room, 1977’s Streamers and 1985’s Hurlyburly.

THE CAST

Cyd Blakewell – Marcy

Brittany Burch – Mother

John Connolly – Timothy

Paul D'Addario – Jimmy

Patricia Donegan – Teresa Gilchrist

John Gawlik – Dr. Robert Michaels

Caroline Heffernan – Frannie

Alexandra Main – Jane

Donna McGough – Mrs. Garland

Kenny Mihlfried – Jerome

Darci Nalepa – Nora

Lynda Newton – Evangeline Ryder 

Rob Riley – Barnard Gilchrist

Justine Serino – Denise

Jay Worthington – Alex

About The Gift Theatre

The 2015 Season began in January with TEN, The Gift’s annual kickoff celebration of ten-minute plays curated by artistic director Michael Patrick Thornton and associate artistic director Paul D'Addario. The season kicked off March 5 with the world premiere of Mat Smart’s quirky and beautiful play The Royal Society of Antarctica, directed by Gift Ensemble member John Gawlik. Director Marti Lyons (Bethany) returned for Body + Blood written by The Gift Co-Founder, William Nedved; the season closes with David Rabe’s (Hurlyburly, Streamers) Good For Otto directed by The Gift Co-Founder and Artistic Director Michael Patrick Thornton. Subscriptions for the entire 2015 season, which includes three world premieres, are available for as little as $75. The Gift subscribers ("Gifters") receive admission to three shows, free parking at Gale Street Inn, free admission to all Wednesday night “Natural Gas” improv shows and invitations to special subscriber-only special events. Subscribe at http://thegifttheatre.org/ or call 773-283-7071.

The Gift Theatre is conveniently located at 4802 N. Milwaukee in Chicago’s Jefferson Park neighborhood, and is easily accessible by the CTA Blue Line, the Lawrence and Milwaukee Avenue buses and the Kennedy Expressway. For more information about The Gift Theatre’s productions and programs, visit www.thegifttheatre.org.

Rockin' Farewell to Hypocrite's Idiot and Mark Your Calendars For The Rest of Their Season

It's your last chance to catch The Hypocrites' acclaimed production of American Idiot. If you haven't seen it, what are you waiting for?! If you have seen it, go again. They've managed to create something incredible here. They've made a more legitimately punk performance than Green Day ever was. 

This scrappy store front troupe gives a stripped down, gritty realism to the musical that works far better for the story line than the big budget Broadway versions. The set is a graffiti strewn hole in the wall where the pre show is a band. During the show, characters grab and chug beers from the audience and toss dime bags (of Smarties) to the lucky. 


In this "Hair" for the new millennium, the teens experience love, loss, addiction, military deployment, and teen pregnancy. Although the kids begin the show desperate for freedom and jonesing to leave town for adventures, ultimately they all discover there's no place like home.  The vocals are powerful stuff, and the cast connects with each other and the audience in a compelling way. We loved it and highly recommend it.

Now Playing:

American Idiot

The smash musical by Grammy Award-winning punk rock band Green Day

"A visceral and impassioned theatrical experience"
- Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune

"Succeeding where Broadway failed"
- Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun-Times

"An impressive, immersive underground-style gig"
- Kris Vire, Time Out Chicago

Book by Billie Joe Armstrong and Michael Mayer
Music by Green Day, Lyrics by Billie Joe Armstrong
Directed by Steven Wilson
Musical Direction by Andra Velis Simon
Choreography by Katie Spelman

Running August 28 – October 25, 2015

August 28 – October 25, 2015

Directed by Steven Wilson, Musical Direction by Andra Velis Simon

3pm 

The critics agree, "American Idiot feels precisely as raw, real, reckless and angry as it should." - Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun-Times; "A visceral and impassioned theatrical experience... Director, Steven Wilson, integrates the amazing flexibility of his hugely talented young cast with the material in a strikingly rich fashion." - Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune; "A rousing reinvention." - Time Out Chicago; "Utterly entertaining." - Chicago Readers; "Go see it before it's over." - Gapers Block; "This particular version ofAmerican Idiot is a work of endurance, timing, commitment, passion and insuppressible talent... The Hypocrites continue to rise not just to the rank of one of our city’s best storefronts but one of Chicago’s best theaters period." - Newcity Stage

American Idiot at The Den Theatre's Heath Main Stage, 1329 N Milwaukee Ave. Purchase American Idiot Tickets Today

It's your final chance to catch season opener, American Idiot (and pick up a Hypocrites tee & American Idiot drink ware!), but mark your calendars for 

THE REST OF THE HYPOCRITES' AMAZING 2015/16 SEASON!

They are some of our favorite locals with talent to spare and one of our consistent top picks here at ChiIL Live Shows. They have the dramatic chops to take on everything from French absurdist classics and ancient myths, to modern musicals, and everything in between! 

Congrats to Sean Graney and the cast of All Our Tragic for winning Best New Work and Best Ensemble respectively.

Up Next:

Sean Graney's The 4th Graders Present an Unnamed Love-Suicide. Oct 30 - Nov 8. Co-directed by Joel Ewing and Mechelle Moe. Featuring Brian Baren, Justin Burns, Hunter Dunn, Heather Lauritzen, Jauhara Saunders, Cleo Shine and Olivia Shine. Presented in a special artistic collaboration with Senn Arts Magnet High School's The Yard.

More info, cast bios and tickets at www.the-yard.org.

Get Social:

See what's happening at The Hypocrites on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram,

and our Read & Watch Blog.

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Hypocrites Tixs:

Get  Tickets for The 4th Graders Present an Unnamed Love-Suicide	The 4th Graders Present an Unnamed Love-Suicide October 30 – November 8, 2015 By Sean Graney, Co-Directed by Joel Ewing and Mechelle Moe
Get  Tickets for H.M.S. Pinafore at Actors Theatre	H.M.S. Pinafore at Actors Theatre November 17 – December 13, 2015 Co-adapted by Sean Graney, Andra Velis Simon, and Matt Kahler; Directed by Sean Graney
Get  Tickets for Burning Bluebeard	Burning Bluebeard November 19, 2015 – January 10, 2016 By Jay Torrence, Directed by Halena Kays
Get  Tickets for The Glass Menagerie	The Glass Menagerie January 22 – March 6, 2016 By Tennessee Williams, Re-imagined and Directed by Hans Fleischmann
Get  Tickets for H.M.S. Pinafore at A.R.T.	H.M.S. Pinafore at A.R.T. March 8 – 20, 2016 Adapted and Directed by Sean Graney
Get  Tickets for Adding Machine: A Musical	Adding Machine: A Musical March 18 – May 15, 2016 Directed by Geoff Button
Get  Tickets for Johanna Faustus	Johanna Faustus May 20 – 29, 2016 Co-Adapted by Emily Casey and Sean Graney; Directed by Sean Graney
Get  Tickets for Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado at Olney Theatre Center	Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado at Olney Theatre Center July 14 – August 21, 2016 Adapted and Directed by Sean Graney; Pirates co-adapted by Kevin O'Donnell

Heads Up San Fran:

ChiIL Live Shows adored The Hypocrites' Pirates of Penzance and highly recommend it. Now Chi, IL theatre is taking California by storm, bringing The Hypocrites' delightfully immersive, lovingly loopy, and fantastically eccentric 80-minute take on Gilbert and Sullivan’s preposterous, topsy-turvy world to Berkeley Repertory Theatre.

If you are in the Bay Area, come join the party!

Get  Tickets for Pirates of Penzance at Berkeley Rep	Pirates of Penzance at Berkeley Rep October 16 – December 20, 2015 Co-adapted by Sean Graney and Kevin O'Donnell, Directed by Sean Graney

PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING DISGRACED AT THE GOODMAN THROUGH OCTOBER 18TH

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

THE PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING DISGRACED, AYAD AKHTAR’S EXPLOSIVE LOOK AT XENOPHOBIA, RELIGION AND IDENTITY IN AMERICA, LAUNCHES THE GOODMAN’S 2015/2016 SEASON 

**DIRECTOR KIMBERLY SENIOR’S CAST INCLUDES BERNARD WHITE, NISI STURGIS, ZAKIYA YOUNG, J. ANTHONY CRANE AND BEHZAD DABU IN THE ROLE HE ORIGINATED**

**NOTE: For mature audiences only**

On the heels of its Broadway smash success, Disgraced by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, novelist, screenwriter and actor Ayad Akhtar returns to the city of its birth in a new production at Goodman Theatre this fall. Directed by Kimberly Senior and critically lauded as “breathtaking, raw and blistering” (Associated Press), “ingenious and shockingly believable” (New York Magazine) and “terrific, turbulent, with fresh currents of dramatic electricity” (New York Times), Disgraced received impassioned audience response for its bold exploration of identity, religion, politics and class in the complex “politically correct” landscape of 21st century urban America. The Goodman’s production, co-produced with Berkeley Repertory Theatre and Seattle Repertory Theatre, stars Bernard White as Amir Kapoor, a successful Muslim-American lawyer; Nisi Sturgis as Emily, Amir’s wife and a visual artist; Zakiya Young as Jory, Amir’s co-worker; J. Anthony Crane as Isaac, Jory’s husband; and Behzad Dabu as Amir’s nephew Abe—a role he originated in Disgraced’s 2012 world premiere in Chicago. The design team includes John Lee Beatty (Set); Christine A. Binder (Lighting); Jennifer von Mayrhauser (Costume); and Jill DuBoff (Sound). Joe Drummond is the Production Stage Manager. 

Disgraced appears through October 18 in the Albert Theatre. Running time is 82 minutes, no intermission. Tickets ($25-$82; subject to change) are on sale now by phone at 312.443.3800, at GoodmanTheatre.org/Disgraced or at the box office (170 North Dearborn). 

“Disgraced is neither a solemn political polemic nor an impassioned plea for a particular point of view. Wittily engaging and smart, Ayad’s brilliant play shows us successful, intelligent characters grappling with questions that cannot be readily answered or easily solved—in a society whose quest for correctness and justice may have resulted in neither,” said Artistic Director Robert Falls. “I am very pleased to open our new season with this astonishing new work—and welcome Kimberly Senior, whose production of Rapture, Blister, Burn was a highlight of our 2014/2015 season, back to the Goodman.”

Disgraced will be produced at 10 major American regional theaters this season and have 32 productions in the next 24 months, as well as numerous productions overseas; in addition, a film version with HBO is in the works.

“I’m thrilled that Disgraced returns to Chicago, and honored to be at the Goodman,” said Ayad Akhtar. “The play seems to function as a kind of litmus test; it tells you where you are in society, and has the capacity to connect people to themselves and others in a heartfelt way. I've gotten an equal amount of feedback from both sides of the Muslim community; some ask, ‘Why are you doing this?’ and others say, ‘Thank God you are doing this!’ Much work was done at every stage of development of Disgraced, but it finally feels like it has found its most mature form.”

“When audiences interact with Disgraced, they think they’ll align with the person who looks like them or who has the same background as they do—and they find very quickly that's not the case,” said Kimberly Senior. “As an Arab- Jewish woman, I never feel more Jewish than when I’m the only Jew in the room; and the least Jewish I felt was when I was in Israel. I think the play makes the characters stand by their identities and defend their point of view in a way they might not otherwise because each of them is a minority.”

Disgraced begins innocuously enough. Young, upwardly mobile Wall Street attorney (and lapsed Muslim) Amir Kapoor (Bernard White) and his beautiful, idealistic (and Caucasian) artist wife Emily (Nisi Sturgis) are throwing a small dinner party for a similarly successful couple, Isaac (J. Anthony Crane), a Jewish art curator who’s about to feature his hostess’s paintings in a new show, and his African American wife, Jory (Zakiya Young), also a rising young lawyer, who works in the same office as her host. At first, the talk is mundane but cordial: the latest loss by the Knicks, a fancy dessert picked up at Magnolia Bakery, gossipy chat about the law firm’s senior partners and the latest trends in downtown art. But slowly, the Scotch-fueled discussion ventures into more complicated territory: musings about race and culture, power and privilege and the seething tensions triggered by religious tenets and practices from antiquity to today. As theoretical discussion morphs into personal revelation and private concerns become public, a celebratory dinner among four smart, engaging and personable friends becomes, perhaps inevitably, something dramatically different. The cast also includes Behzad Dabu as Amir’s nephew, Abe.

Following its 2012 world premiere production at Chicago’s American Theater Company, Disgraced went to New York’s Lincoln Center Theater, subsequently winning the 2013 Pulitzer Prize and Obie Award for Extraordinary Achievement, and later transferred to Broadway, where it earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Play. Akhtar’s other plays include The Who and the What (LCT3/Lincoln Center Theater and La Jolla Playhouse) and The Invisible Hand (New York Theatre Workshop/The Repertory Theater of St. Louis). Also a novelist, Akhtar is the author of American Dervish, published in 2012 by Little, Brown and Company, also in 20 languages worldwide. He co-wrote and starred in The War Within (Magnolia Pictures), which was released internationally and nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay. As an actor, Akhtar also starred as Neel Kashkari in HBO’s adaptation of Andrew Ross Sorkin’s book Too Big to Fail.

SPECIAL EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES

September 29, College Night – 6pm pizza party with artists, 7:30pm show ($10 promo COLLEGE w/valid student ID) Every Wednesday & Thursday eve, PlayBacks – Discussions with actors, artistic staff & special guests after the show

ACCESSIBILITY AT GOODMAN THEATRE

October 10, Touch Tour – 12:30 - 1pm; a presentation detailing the set, costume and character elements 

October 10, Audio Described Performance – 2pm; the action/text is audibly enhanced for patrons via headset 

October 17, Open Captioned Performance – 2pm; an LED sign presents dialogue in sync with the performance Visit Goodman Theatre.org/Access for more information about Goodman Theatre’s accessibility efforts.

TICKETS AND DISCOUNTS

Tickets ($25-82) – GoodmanTheatre.org/Disgraced; 312.443.3800; Fax: 312.443.3825; TTY/TDD: 312.443.3829 Subscriptions – Five-play Albert Theatre subscriptions start at $120 (GoodmanTheatre.org/Brilliant)
MezzTix – Half-price day-of-performance mezzanine tickets available at 10am online (promo code MEZZTIX)
$10Tix – Student $10 day-of-performance tickets; limit four, with valid student ID (promo code 10TIX)

Group Sales – Discounted tickets for parties of 10+ – 312.443.3820
Gift Certificates – Available in any amount (GoodmanTheatre.org/GiftCertificates)
Box Office Hours –12noon - 5pm; on performance days, the office remains open until 30 minutes past curtain.

About Goodman Theatre

The Goodman’s 2015/2016 Season features nine productions on its two stages—six in the 856-seat Albert Theatre and three in the 400-seat flexible Owen Theatre plus the annual New Stages Festival, including three development productions; a world premiere special event production of 2666; and partner productions with The Second City and Albany Park Theater Project. The 2015/2016 Season starts with Disgraced by Ayad Akhtar, directed by Kimberly Senior (September 12 – October 18 in the Albert), and continues with Feathers and Teeth by Charise Castro Smith, directed by Henry Godinez, a world premiere (September 19 – October 18 in the Owen); the annual New Stages festival (October 28 - November 15 in the Owen); 38th annual production of A Christmas Carol adapted by Tom Creamer, directed by Henry Wishcamper (November 14 – December 27 in the Albert); The Second City’s Twist Your Dickens by Peter Gwinn and Bobby Mort (December 4 – 27 in the Owen); Another Word for Beauty by José Rivera, directed by Steve Cosson, a world premiere Goodman commission (January 16 – February 21, 2016 in the Albert); 2666 adapted and directed by Robert Falls and Seth Bockley, a world premiere special event (February 6 – March 13, 2016 in the Owen); The Matchmaker by Thornton Wilder, directed by Henry Wishcamper (March 5 – April 10, 2016 in the Albert); Carlyle by Thomas Bradshaw, directed by Benjamin Kamine, a world premiere Goodman commission (April 2 – May 1, 2016 in the Owen); The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window by Lorraine Hansberry, directed by Anne Kauffman (April 30 – June 5, 2016 in the Albert); Soups, Stews, and Casseroles: 1976 by Rebecca Gilman, directed by Robert Falls, a Chicago premiere (May 21 – June 19, 2016 in the Owen); Wonderful Town music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, book by Joseph A. Fields and Jerome Chodorov, directed by Mary Zimmerman (June 28 – August 21, 2016 in the Albert); and a production still to be announced with the Albany Park Theater Project.

Chicago’s flagship theater since 1925, Goodman Theatre is an artistic and community institution dedicated to the art of theater and to civic engagement in the issues of the contemporary world. The Goodman has transformed over the past 35 years into a world class theater and premier Chicago cultural institution distinguished by the quality and scope of its programming and its culturally and aesthetically diverse creative leadership; artistic priorities includenew plays, reimagined classics, culturally specific works, musical theater and international collaborations. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Robert Falls and Executive Director Roche Schulfer, achievements include the Goodman’s state-of-the-art two-theater complex in the heart of the downtown Theatre District. Over the past three decades, the Goodman has generated more than 150 world or American premieres and more than 30 new- work commissions. “A mainstay of Chicago and beyond” (Chicago Sun-Times), the Goodman is internationally acclaimed for its “fresh work of magnitude and ambition (and) bold, risky theatrical choices” (Chicago Tribune). From new plays to “first-class revivals” (The New York Times), the Goodman has earned numerous awards for its productions: two Pulitzer Prizes; 22 Tony Awards, including Outstanding Regional Theatre (1992); and nearly 160 Joseph Jefferson Awards. Joan Clifford is Chair of Goodman Theatre’s Board of Trustees, Swati Mehta is Women’s Board President and Gordon C.C. Liao is President of the Scenemakers Board for young professionals.

Visit the Goodman virtually at GoodmanTheatre.org, and on Twitter (@GoodmanTheatre), Facebook and Instagram.