LAST CALL: Chicago Puppet Fest End This Weekend

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

FINAL WEEKEND! TICKETS ARE GOING FAST FOR FINAL PERFORMANCES OF THE CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL 

PUPPET THEATER FESTIVAL, CLOSING SUNDAY, JANUARY 29

The second Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival closes this weekend, Sunday, January 29. 

Contemporary puppets acts and artists from around the world, the U.S. and Chicago have been playing to sold out houses and critical acclaim since January 19, and tickets are going fact to this weekend's final events at Chicago-area venues large and small. 

Click here and scroll down for our coverage including top picks, exclusive videos, and reviews.

Click here to watch the 1 min 25 sec video trailer

for the 2017 Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival

REVIEW:

I caught this excellent rendition of the tale made popular by Fantasia and Mickey Mouse's magic mop fiasco. This is a dark, edgier version that's not babyish at all, and appeals to older kids and adults. There's nothing objectionable for young children either. The story is primarily enacted with marionettes, with some shadow puppetry, chalk transitions, and a large mask and hands wearable "puppet". Recommended.

                       

Adventure Stage Chicago and Blair Thomas & Co. present Open Eye Figure Theatre of Minneapolis performing  The Sorcerer's Apprentice

at Adventure Stage Chicago, 1012 N. Noble St., Chicago

Friday, January 27 at 7 pm., Saturday, January 28 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Tickets: $17; $12 ages 14 and under 

Run time: 60 minutes

Family friendly

Video

      

Open Eye Figure Theatre's adaptation of The Sorcerer's Apprentice for the marionette stage is a look at youth, aging and the allure of power. Creator Michael Sommers uses Goethe's 1797 poem "Der Zauberlehrling" as inspiration, expanding on the young apprentice's mishaps and mistakes in this original work with a unique Open Eye approach. With its highly designed production, original score and masterful puppetry, this show appeals to both adults and children.

This Sunday I'll be out to check out one of the hottest tickets, Feathers of Fire: A Persian Epic, with five shows Thursday through Sunday in the newly renovated Studebaker Theatre in Chicago's historic Fine Arts Building, 410 S. Michigan Avenue. 

Feathers of Fire is a visually breathtaking cinematic shadow play for all ages. The play unfolds on a cinema-sized screen as an action-packed magical tale of star-crossed lovers from the 10th-century Persian epic "Shahnameh" ("The Book of Kings.") Inspired by Iranian visual traditions, creator Iranian-American filmmaker and graphic artist Hamid Rahmanian uses puppets, costumes, masks, scenography and digital animation to bring the story to life. 

Show times are Thursday and Friday, January 26 and 27 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, January 28 at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, January 29 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $40; $30 student/senior. Run time is 70 minutes. 

Tickets to Feathers of Fire and all remaining festival events are now on sale at ChicagoPuppetFest.org or by calling 312.977.9483.

Following are listings for the remaining acts and artists performing citywide now through Sunday, January 29, the final day of the 2017 Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival: 

  

The free Festival Neighborhood Festival Tour,  presenting three puppet artists - Detroit's Interstate Arts' PLAY with your food, Montreal's Magali Chouinard in The White Woman, and Baltimore's Schroeder Cherry in Underground Railroad, Not A Subway -  at a different Chicago Park District venue today through Saturday. 

Garfield Park Conservatory, Jensen Room, 300 N. Central Park Ave., Chicago

Wednesday, January 25 at 4:30 p.m. (Schroeder Cherry), 5:30 p.m. (Interstate Arts) and 6:30 p.m. (Magali Chouinard)

Calumet Park, 9801 S. Ave. G, Chicago

Thursday, January 26 at 11:30 a.m. (Magali Chouinard), 12:30 p.m. (Interstate Arts) and 1:30 p.m. (Schroeder Cherry)

Marquette Park, 6700 S. Kedzie Ave., Chicago

Friday, January 27 at 5 p.m. (Schroeder Cherry), 6 p.m. (Magali Chouinard) and 

7 p.m. (Interstate Arts)

Hamilton Park, 513 W. 72^nd St., Chicago

Saturday, January 28 at 1 p.m. (Magali Chouinard), 2 p.m. (Interstate Arts) and

3 p.m. (Schroeder Cherry)    

                             

   

Center for Community Arts Partnerships at Columbia College Chicago presents Great Small Works performing Muntergang and Other Cheerful Downfalls

at the Dance Center at Columbia College, 1306 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago

Thursday through Saturday, January 26 - 28 at 7 p.m.

Tickets: $20; $10 student

Run time: 75 minutes

Family friendly

Video

In a bilingual Yiddish-English play,  Muntergang and Other Cheerful Downfalls meditates on power dynamics by revisiting the performances of radical 20th-century puppeteers Zuni Maud and Yosi Cutler. Using original graphics and satirical scripts, Great Small Works combines new puppets and projections with original graphics and satirical scripts, introducing some Mae West and The Dybbuk along the way.

  

The Neo-Futurists present Vincent de Rooij and The Neo-Futurist Ensemble in 

Future Crash: a collision of short work by Vincent de Rooij and The Neo-Futurists 

at The Neo-Futurarium, 5153 N. Ashland Ave., Chicago

Thursday, Friday and Saturday, January 26-28 at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $25; $10 student/senior with ID

Run time: 70 minutes

Ages 14 and up

Video

Future Crash collides Vincent de Rooij, puppeteer of site-specific performances and magician of the inanimate object, with The Neo-Futurists, purveyors of the first-person play and destroyers of the fourth wall. Traveling from the Netherlands, de Rooij will lead an ensemble in interdisciplinary collaboration, guiding the audience through a solar system of short work hidden throughout the Neo-Futurarium. 

                                                                              

  

Chicago Children's Theatre presents Manual Cinema's world premiere Magic City

at the new Chicago Children's Theatre, The Station, 100 S. Racine Ave., Chicago

Friday, January 27 at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.; Saturday, January 28 at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.; Sunday, January 29 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Tickets: $25

Run time: 60 minutes

Family friendly

Video

With their newest work, the inaugural production in Chicago Children's Theatre's new West Loop home, The Station, Manual Cinema transforms Edith Nesbit's novel The Magic City into a live, cinematic shadow puppet experience. When a young girl moves into a new home, she entertains herself by building a city using household objects. Through some magic, she finds herself inside the city, surrounded by life. Using overhead projectors, paper shadow puppets, live actors in silhouette, miniature toy theater and a live music ensemble, Manual Cinema's Magic City modernizes the novel, building and illuminating a miniature city onstage that the audience explores themselves after every performance.

Links Hall and Rough House present Nasty, Brutish & Short: A Puppet Cabaret

at Links Hall, Studio B, 3111 N. Western Ave., Chicago

Friday and Saturday, January 27 and 28 at 11 p.m.

Run time: 1hour 20 minutes

Tickets: $10; $8 student/senior

Family friendly? No

Hit Links Hall for late night cabarets featuring short works by international festival artists, regional puppeteers and local talent. End your evening with a tasty selection of the raucous, raunchy, dark, sassy, sad and hilarious! 

The program provides a late-night hang out spot for the whole festival, an opportunity for out-of-town talent to bring shorter works, and a space for local artists. Each show features at least two mainstage festival artists bringing secondary short works, and at least two Nasty, Brutish & Short contributors.

Theater and Performance Studies and the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts present Puppet Quartet: UChicago Performance Lab residencies with Liz Joyce, Jesse Mooney-Bullock, Molly Ross and Michael Summers

at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60^th St., Chicago

Saturday, January 28, 4 p.m.

Tickets: Free to the public, no reservations required

An immersive afternoon of four works in development, in various sites of performance within the Logan Center for the Arts. Audiences will move from space to space to experience the four works by noted puppet artists Liz Joyce, Jesse Mooney-Bullock, Molly Ross and Micheal Sommers. 

Lookingglass Theatre Company presents Mr. and Mrs. Pennyworth

at the Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago

January 25-29: Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.;

Friday at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $35

Run time: 90 minutes

Family friendly - Recommended for ages 8+

Traveling storytellers Mr. and Mrs. Pennyworth captivate audiences with spellbinding tales. But one day, The Big Bad Wolf mysteriously dies before his story is complete. As fairytales disappear from their pages, Mr. and Mrs. Pennyworth must journey through the stories to restore order before they are lost forever. Written and directed by Doug Hara, with puppets by Blair Thomas.

The House Theatre of Chicago presents Diamond Dogs

at the Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division St., Chicago

January 26-29: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 7 p.m.

Tickets: $15-$30

Run time: 2 hours

Diamond Dogs is a classic deadly-maze story set in Alastair Reynolds's Revelation Space Universe. Follow a future team of humans and transhumans as they investigate a mysterious alien tower, bent on brutally punishing all intruders. Body modification is the norm in the 26th century, and award-winning puppet designer Mary Robinette Kowal articulates and re-shapes actors' human forms into powerful mechanized players battling for their lives. Blood will spill.

About The Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival

Intent on establishing Chicago as a center for the advancement of the art of puppetry, the 11-day, city-wide Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival showcases an entertaining and eclectic array of puppet styles from around the world. Marionettes, shadow puppets, Bunraku puppets, tiny toy puppets, and distinctive, innovative styles of contemporary puppetry are just a few. 

The festival was founded by Chicago puppeteer Blair Thomas to celebrate and cultivate the city's reputation as a leader in the art of contemporary puppetry, and because there was no major international festival of its kind offered in any U.S. city. 

In sum, the 2017 Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival boasts 24 presenting partners, 22 venues, more than 25 artists from seven countries presenting 20 different shows and more than 90 total performances. 

The festival website, is your online gateway to learn about, and with its new, shared online box office, purchase your tickets to this world pageant of top puppet artists and shows. 

Sign up via the website to receive important festival updates. Track the festival hashtag, #ChiPuppetFest, like the festival on Facebook, or follow the festival on Twitter at @ChiPuppetFest or on Instagram. 

For information (only) during the festival, call the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival box office, (312) 554-9800.

For more information, visit chicagopuppetfest.org.

Warm Your Winter With Laughter: See “BABY WANTS CANDY” Every Saturday at The SECOND CITY TRAINING CENTER

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

“BABY WANTS CANDY” LIMITED RUN AT THE SECOND CITY 

TRAINING CENTER THIS WINTER

Chicago’s Original Improvised Musical Runs Through March 25, 2017 at The Second City Training Center’s Judy’s Beat Lounge 

“Baby Wants Candy,” has long been a favorite of ours here at ChiIL Live Shows. I came from an improv background, studying it in high school and college in the 80's and forming my own nationally award winning troupe at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. They lasted over 20 years. I've always had a soft spot for imrov done well, and Baby Wants Candy delivers. This talented troupe not only takes audience suggestions for dialogue and show theme, but they put on a full on musical with a live band! You've got to see it to believe it. 

Chicago’s celebrated comedy institution will be spending the winter at Judy’s Beat Lounge at The Second City Training Center (230 W. North Ave) for a limited run, starting January 7 and running through March 25, 2017. After beginning at Improv Olympic and moving to the Apollo Theater in 2005, the “truly amazing” (New York Times) and “consistently funny and crowd pleasing” (Chicago Sun-Times) improvised musical will now perform every Saturday at 9 p.m. at the Training Center’s intimate 60-seat theater. Featuring a full band, each performance comes to life with a call-out by the audience resulting in a 60-minute, fully-improvised musical by some of Chicago’s finest improvisers. Tickets to “Baby Wants Candy” ($15/general admission; $7/students) are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting SecondCity.com.

“We are incredibly enthused to partner with the team at The Second City Training Center to bring our show to a whole new audience” said “Baby Wants Candy” Producer Emily Dorezas. “Since the recent election has created a lot of headlines, we expect to get some very interesting and topical titles for our signature improvised musicals.”

Each “Baby Wants Candy” performance begins with the cast asking the audience for a suggestion of a musical that has never been performed before. In that moment, accompanied by a full band, the first title that the group hears becomes the title and theme for that evening’s improvised musical, featuring a roller coaster ride of spontaneously choreographed dance numbers, rhyming verses and improvised comedy.  Each performance is its own opening and closing night, and by design every show is completely unique and a once–in a lifetime premiere.

“The Training Center is really looking to add more prestigious groups to our programming, and 'Baby Wants Candy' fits that bill perfectly,” said The Second City Training Center producer Stephanie Case. “We think that our students, faculty, and community will be very excited to have this show in our building.”

The cast of “Baby Wants Candy” includes seasoned improv vets Erica Elam (Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Chicago Tribune’s “One of Top Five Actors to Watch”), Nick Semar (“50 Shades! The Musical” National Tour), Ross Taylor, Nicole Hastings and Maria Randazzo (Second City Tour Company) and more, with musical direction by Jesse Case (Second City Mainstage & e.t.c., “Shamilton,” “Longer, Louder, Wagner!”). Performances of “Baby Wants Candy” run every Saturday night at 9 p.m. from January 7 – March 25, 2017.

                                                                                                        

Since its inception, “Baby Wants Candy” has expanded to include performing companies in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles, as well as an international touring company, creating more than 3,000 completely improvised musicals to sold-out crowds all over the world. In addition to weekly performances in Chicago, they also perform regularly at Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) in LA. “Baby Wants Candy” performs annual to sold-out audiences at Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and will travel to Australia for a month long run at the Adelaide Fringe Festival in February 2017. For more information about “Baby Wants Candy,” visit the website, or follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

About Baby Wants Candy

“Baby Wants Candy” has received rave reviews in The New York Times, The Huffington Post, The Onion, Chicago Sun-Times, TimeOut New York and more, and has received numerous awards including the winner of FringeNYC’s Outstanding Unique Theatrical Experience, Best Improv Ensemble by Chicago Magazine, the Best Visiting Comedy Ensemble by TimeOut New York, the recipient of the Ensemble of the Year Award at the Chicago Improv Festival, and a rare Sixth Star Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

“Baby Wants Candy” has included several notable performers including Peter Gwinn of “Colbert Report;” Aidy Bryant of “Saturday Night Live;” Stephnie Weir of “MadTV;” Nicole Parker of “MadTV” and Elphaba in “Wicked” on Broadway; Jack McBrayer of “30 Rock;” Al Samuels and Kevin Fleming of “Sports Action Team;” Thomas Middleditch of “Silicon Valley;” Garry W. Tallent of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band; Mark Pender of The Max Weinberg 7 and Bruce Springsteen and the Seeger Sessions Band; and Johnny Pisano of the Jesse Malin Band and The Marky Ramone Band. Members of “Baby Wants Candy” have recently written the hit off-Broadway show “50 Shades! The Musical Parody”.

The producing team behind “Baby Wants Candy” debuted “50 Shades! The Musical Parody” in 2012, playing to sold-out crowds off-Broadway, nationally and internationally. “50 Shades” currently runs in Las Vegas and Japan, and has been translated into more than 12 languages. In 2015, Baby Wants Candy also produced “Thrones! The Musical Parody,” opening to sold-out performances at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, followed by a twice-extended run at the Apollo Theater in Chicago as well as the Hudson Theater in Los Angeles. After previews in Los Angeles last spring, “Baby Wants Candy” brings “Shamilton,” the newest improvised musical based on the Broadway smash hit, to Apollo Theater running January 20 – March 31, 2017.

SAVE THE DATES: 2017-2018 Season Announced for American Blues Theater

American Blues Theater Season

Includes the World Premiere of Six Corners by Keith Huff, directed by Gary Griffin; the Chicago Premiere of Beauty’s Daughter by Dael Orlandersmith, directed by Ron OJ Parson; the 16^th annual production of It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! from Frank Capra’s film, directed by Gwendolyn Whiteside; and Buddy – the Buddy Holly Story by Alan Janes, directed by Lili-Anne Brown and 

music directed by Michael Mahler.

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we're elated to see some of our long time favorites collaborating on productions with American Blues Theater for their 36th season including Ron OJ Parson directing Beauty’s Daughter and Michael Mahler directing the music for Buddy – the Buddy Holly Story!

American Blues Theater, under the continued leadership of Producing Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, announces the lineup for its 2017 – 2018 Season, “The Beat Goes On.” American Blues’ 32^nd Season will include the World Premiere of Six Corners by Keith Huff, directed by Gary Griffin; the Chicago Premiere of Beauty’s Daughter by Dael Orlandersmith, directed by Ron OJ Parson; the 16^th annual production of It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! from Frank Capra’s film, directed by Gwendolyn Whiteside; and Buddy – the Buddy Holly Story by Alan Janes, directed by Lili-Anne Brown with musical direction by Ensemble member Michael Mahler. All performances in the 2017-2018 Season will take place at Stage 773, located at 1225 W Belmont Ave, Chicago.

“From the lyric beats of a poet, the heartbeat of a family man, the patrol beat of a Chicago cop, to the inimitable beat of Buddy Holly & the Crickets, we’re thrilled with the rich and varied stories offered for our audiences,” notes Producing Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside. “We’re honored to have such extraordinary talent on the American Blues stage.”

The 2017-18 American Blues Theater Season up close:

The Chicago Premiere of

Beauty’s Daughter

by Dael Orlandersmith

directed by Ron OJ Parson

July 7 – August 5, 2017

Press Opening: July 13, 2017 at 7:30 p.m.

This Obie Award-winning play by Dael Orlandersmith depicts one woman’s journey through life’s obstacles in an East Harlem neighborhood. Artistic Affiliate Wandachristine takes on 6 different characters during the course of this solo play—some broken, some on the way down, but all memorable.

16^th Anniversary Production of

It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!

from Frank Capra’s film

directed by Producing Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside

November 17 – December 30, 2017

Press Opening: November 19, 2017 at 2:30 p.m.

For 16 years, the American Blues Ensemble has treated Chicago audiences to a live 1940s radio broadcast of holiday favorite It’s a Wonderful Life. The incredible cast recreates the entire town of Bedford Falls with Foley sound effects, an original score and holiday carols. The Bedford Falls “residents” extend their hospitality after every performance when audiences are treated to milk and cookies served by the cast.

The World Premiere of

Six Corners

by Keith Huff

directed by Gary Griffin

February 16 – March 25, 2018

Press Opening: February 22, 2018 at 7:30 p.m.

Late one night, two burnt-out violent crimes unit detectives try their damnedest to close the puzzling murder of a CTA employee.  What should be a simple open-and-shut case, however, evolves into a horrifying mystery and unearths a legacy of violence stretching back years.

The Chicago Revival of

Buddy – the Buddy Holly Story

by Alan Janes

directed by Lili-Anne Brown

musical direction by Ensemble member Michael Mahler

April 27 – May 26, 2018

Press Opening: May 3, 2018 at 7:30 p.m.

Before the Beatles or the Rolling Stones ever played a note, rock & roll was forever changed by the bespectacled kid from Texas. BUDDY tells the true story of Buddy Holly through his short yet spectacular career and features the classic songs "That’ll be the Day", "Peggy Sue",  The Big Bopper’s  "Chantilly Lace", Ritchie Valens' "La Bamba" plus many more.

Additional 2017-2018 Programming

Ripped Festival: Edition 16

Spring 2018

Written and direction by various Chicago artists

Since 2009, American Blues Theater has produced 135 short plays in the RIPPED: the Living Newspaper series. Based on the 1930’s WPA era program that brought Orson Welles, Arthur Miller, Richard Wright and Clifford Odets into public attention, playwrights use inspiration ripped from today’s headlines to create stories performed live on stage.

Arts Education in Chicago Public Schools

The Lincoln Project

Conceived and Adapted by Producing Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside from Artistic Affiliate James Still’s Pulitzer-nominated The Heavens Are Hung in Black

American Blues Theater’s innovative and adaptive program aligns with Illinois Learning Standards to engage 5th-10th graders about the life of Abraham Lincoln, specifically the events surrounding the Emancipation Proclamation.  Students watch scenes performed by professional actors, participate in discussions, and most importantly, write their own plays. Since the program’s launch in 2013, over 5,500 students have participated in the program.

Subscriptions

All main stage performances take place at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. The Blue Card – the most affording ticketing offer of the 2017-2018 season is available HERE or by calling 773.654.3103.

About American Blues Theater

Winner of the American Theatre Wing’s prestigious 2016 National Theatre Company Award, American Blues Theater is a premier arts organization with an intimate environment that patrons, artists, and all Chicagoans call home.  American Blues Theater explores the American identity through the plays it produces and communities it serves.

The diverse and multi-generational artists have established the second-oldest professional Equity Ensemble theater in Chicago.  The 37-member Ensemble has 530+ combined years of collaboration on stage. As of 2016, the theater and artists received 186 Joseph Jefferson Awards and nominations that celebrate excellence in Chicago theater and over 31 Black Theatre Alliance Awards. The artists are honored with Pulitzer Prize nominations, Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, Emmy Awards and numerous other accolades.  

The American Blues Theater Ensemble includes all four Founders Ed Blatchford, Rick Cleveland, James Leaming, and William Payne with Dawn Bach, Matthew Brumlow, Manny Buckley, Kate Buddeke, Sarah Burnham, Dara Cameron, Casey Campbell, Darren Canady, Brian Claggett, Dennis Cockrum, Austin Cook, Laura Coover, Ian Paul Custer, Lauri Dahl, Joe Foust, Cheryl Graeff, Marty Higginbotham, Jaclyn Holsey, Lindsay Jones, Nambi E. Kelley, Kevin R. Kelly, Steve Key, Ed Kross, Warren Levon, Michael Mahler, Heather Meyers, John Mohrlein, Christopher J. Neville, Suzanne Petri, Carmen Roman, Editha Rosario, Sarah E. Ross, and Gwendolyn Whiteside.

American Blues Theater programs and activities are made possible, in part by funding by The MacArthur Funds for Arts & Culture at Prince, the Shubert Foundation, The Chicago Community Trust, SMART Growth Grant, Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the Illinois Arts Council Agency, Anixter Foundation, Actors’ Equity Foundation, and the Chip Pringle Fund. ComEd is the Season Lighting Sponsor.

OPENING: Blues for an Alabama Sky at Court Theatre

Chi, IL Live Shows On Our Radar

Court Theatre presents

Blues for an Alabama Sky

By Pearl Cleage

Directed by Ron OJ Parson

Blues for an Alabama Sky part of Harlem Renaissance Celebration in Hyde Park

Now Playing Through February 12, 2017

Here at ChiIL Live Shows we're looking forward to Court Theatre's latest production and we'll be out to review mid week. 

In the midst of the Great Depression, the creative spirit of New York’s Harlem Renaissance struggles with harsher realities. Angel and Guy, emerging artists with grand dreams, live next door to the more serious and political Delia, a social worker with the goal to open a community family planning clinic. Each must face their own hardships head on, but always with hope for a better life close at hand. They search for a way to keep their dreams of love, career, and service alive in times of economic despair, and they learn that the Great Depression can't destroy the source of their creative spirit.

Regular Run: January 22 – February 12, 2017

Schedule: 

Wed & Thurs: 7:30 p.m.

Fridays: 8:00 p.m.

Saturdays:  3:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m.

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

Location: Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave.

Tickets: $38-$48 previews

     $48-$68 regular run

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

Playwright Pearl Cleage’s striking story encounters very modern problems in a fantastically lively 1920s Harlem. Court Resident Artist and Director Ron OJ Parson will dive into this world to illuminate the characters’ intersecting lives and experiences on stage. Blues for an Alabama Sky will serve as the centerpiece for a Chicago celebration of the music, art, language, and impact of the Harlem Renaissance.

"Pearl Cleage’s play Blues for an Alabama Sky captures a sense of the Harlem Renaissance, and era between the end of World War I and the Great Depression when Harlem became a center for the cultural, social, and artistic explosion. The Harlem Renaissance generated an amazing group of artists, political forces, and its impact is still felt today. This robust time has inspired a celebration, and Court Theatre will partner with community cultural organizations and colleagues at the University of Chicago to examine the influences of that period," notes Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director Charles Newell. 

The cast of Blues for an Alabama Sky includes Celeste M. Cooper (Delia), James Vincent Meredith (Sam), Sean Parris (Guy), Toya Turner (Angel) and Geno Walker (Leland).

The creative team includes Linda Buchanan (Scenic Designer), Rachel Healy (Costume Designer), Keith Parham (Lighting Designer) and Joshua Horvath (Sound Designer). Amanda Weener-Frederick is the Production Stage Manager. 

Blues for an Alabama Sky is part of the Harlem Renaissance Celebration in Hyde Park, a celebration bringing together performing arts, music, film, and scholarship to immerse audiences into the artistic explosion in America that changed the course of black identity and expression. Court is partnering with University of Chicago scholars, musical performers, local schools, arts organizations, and film centers to rediscover the legacy of the Harlem Renaissance and the ways in which it redefined how America, and the world, witnessed the spirit and talent of African Americans. Other participating organizations include Beverly Arts Center, Black Cinema House, the Center for Race, Politics and Culture at the University of Chicago, DuSable Museum of African American History, Logan Center for the Arts, the Promontory and South Side Projections. For more information on this celebration, including a schedule of events, visit http://harleminhydepark.com/. 

About the Artists

RON OJ PARSON (Director/Resident Artist) hails from Buffalo, New York and is a graduate of the University of Michigan’s professional theatre program. He is a resident artist at Court Theatre, former co-founder and artistic director of The Onyx Theatre Ensemble, and co-founder of the Beyond The Stage Theatre Project. Ron is a company member of TimeLine theatre, and associate artist at Writers Theatre, and Teatro Vista, Recent directing credits include, Sunset Baby, by Dominique Morriseau, at TimeLine Theatre, East Texas Hot Links, Writers Theatre, Apt 3A, Windy City Playhouse,  The Who & The What (Victory Gardens Theater); Gem of The Ocean, Seven Guitars, by August Wilson, The Mountaintop, by Katori Hall,  and Waiting For Godot by Samuel Beckett,  (Court Theatre); Detroit 67 (Northlight Theatre); A Raisin in the Sun (TimeLine Theatre) Other Chicagoland theatres Ron has worked with include Black Ensemble Theatre, ETA, Congo Square Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Writers Theatre, Victory Gardens, Teatro Vista (associate artist), Chicago Dramatists, Urban Theatre Company, Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago Theatre Company, and City Lit Theatre. Regional theatres Ron OJ has worked with include Virginia Stage Company, Portland Stage, Studio Theatre, Studio Arena Theatre, Roundabout Theatre, Mechanic Theatre, Center Stage Baltimore, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Milwaukee Rep, St. Louis Black Rep, Pittsburgh Public Theatre, Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre, Geva Theatre, Signature Theatre (New York), Alliance Theatre, South Coast Rep, and Pasadena Playhouse. In Canada, Ron directed the world premiere of Palmer Park by Joanna McClelland Glass at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. Ron is a member of AEA, SAG-AFTRA, and SDC.

CELESTE M. COOPER (Delia) is making her Court Theatre debut. Celeste most recently appeared in Eclipse Theatre’s production of Our Lady of 121st Street. Some theatre credits include: Measure for Measure (Goodman); Stick Fly (Windy City Playhouse/nominated for Best Featured Actress from BTAA), Never the Sinner (Victory Gardens Theater), Ruined (Eclipse), understudying Animal Farm (Steppenwolf), The Hammer Trinity (House/Adrienne Arsht in Miami), The Mecca Tales (Chicago Dramatists), How We Got On (Citadel), AND her original one woman shows Fight 4 Your Life, and later The Incredible Cece (MPAACT & Stage 773). Celeste won The Most Promising Actress Award from the Black Theater Alliance for her portrayal of Josephine in Ruined, which led her to becoming an ensemble member and casting associate with Eclipse Theatre Company. Her TV/Film credits include a recurring role on Chicago PD (NBC), Spike Lee’s Chiraq,and Sense8 (Netflix). Ms. Cooper has a B.A. in Speech Communications & Theatre from Tennessee State University and an M.F.A. in Acting from DePaul University The Theatre School. 

JAMES VINCENT MEREDITH (Sam) makes his Court Theatre debut. Broadway: Superior Donuts. National Tour: 3 years as Mafala Hatimbi with Book of Mormon. Chicago credits: The Crucible, Carter's Way, The Tempest, Clybourne Park, The Pain and The Itch, Superior Donuts, The Hot L Baltimore, The March, Between Riverside and Crazy (Steppenwolf, ensemble member); Othello, Much Ado About Nothing, King John, Julius Caesar, The Merchant of Venice (Chicago Shakespeare); Othello, The Duchess of Malfi (Writers'); Roz and Ray (Victory Gardens). TV credits: Prison Break, Chicago Code, Detroit 187, ER, BOSS, The Beast, Betrayal, Mob Doctor, Law and Order: SVU, The Exorcist, and Chicago Justice.

SEAN PARRIS (Guy) was born in L.A., raised in Miami and Georgia, with parents from Barbados and a stepfather from Ohio. He currently lives in Pilsen with boyfriend Ricardo Gamboa. Sean received his MFA from DePaul University’s Theatre School. He is a graduate of Black Box Acting Academy and staff writer for the podcast PleasureTown in Chicago. He is excited to be making his Court Theatre debut. Chicago credits include: Space Age, a two man show, created with real life intimate partner Ricardo Gamboa; The Magic Play, The Solid Sand Below (Goodman Theatre); Compass, The Drunken City, Animal Farm (Steppenwolf); The Whipping Man (Northlight Theatre); Seascape (Remy Bumppo); Pornography (Steep Theatre); Shakespeare's Greatest Hits (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre); A Girl With Sun in Her Eyes (Pinebox Theatre). Television Credits: Sickos (Gun Collective). He will next be seen in the OpenTV’s original web series BRUJOS. He is represented by Paonessa Talent Agency. 

TOYA TURNER (Angel) Toya Turner is making her Court Theatre debut. Toya is a Jamaican-American from Houston, Texas. She's a graduate of the British American Drama Academy at Oxford University. Stage credits include: Christina, The Girl King (Cor Theatre); For Her As A Piano (Pegasus Theatre); and Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 (Other Theatre Co.). TV/Film credits include: Easy (Netflix), Chicago Med (NBC), and Empire (FOX). Up Next: Tracy in The Chi (Showtime) and Mayme in Intimate Apparel (TheatreSquared, Arkansas).

GENO WALKER (Leland) makes his Court Theatre debut. A graduate of Oberlin College and a Bob Curry Fellow with Second City Chicago, Geno is represented by Grossman and Jack Talent.

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

Court Theatre's 2016/17 Season is sponsored by Barbara and Richard Franke. 

Hamilton Spoof "Shamilton" Playing Apollo Theater In Chicago Through 3/31

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

“SHAMILTON,” THE NEWEST IMPROVISED MUSICAL VIA "BABY WANTS CANDY", IS PLAYING CHICAGO'S APOLLO THEATER THROUGH 3/31

The Latest Production from the Producers of “Baby Wants Candy” Runs January 20, 2017 – March 31, 2017

The producers of the Chicago-based “Baby Wants Candy” announce the debut of their newest improvised musical, “Shamilton,” inspired by hit musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda, at Apollo Theater Chicago (2540 N. Lincoln Ave). Directed by one of the founding members of “Baby Wants Candy” and Emmy Award-winner Peter Gwinn, the improvised musical features a 75-minute live-performance musical written on-the-spot about a historic figure of the audiences’ choosing. With a cast made up of ensemble members from “Baby Wants Candy” and some of Chicago’s top musical improvisors, “Shamilton” begins at the Apollo Theater January 20, 2017 (opening night is set for January 27) and runs every Friday at 10:30 p.m. through March 31. 

Tickets ($15-$20) are on sale now, and can be purchased at the Apollo Theater Box Office by calling 773.935.6100 or visiting ApolloChicago.com.

“Baby Wants Candy’ has long been known for our ensemble’s incredible talent and world-class improvisation, and we can’t wait to explore a new genre-busting show at the Apollo,” said Producer Al Samuels. “We’re so excited to bring some of the spectacle of a production like ‘Hamilton’ into an improv show, including improvised hip-hop, historical costumes and overwhelming historic significance, no matter who the hero. Now we can finally see the ‘Hamilton’ treatment of Sarah Palin or Steve Bartman we’ve all been waiting for.”

From the minds behind “Baby Wants Candy,” “Thrones! The Musical Parody” and “Fifty Shades! The Musical Parody,” “Shamilton” invites audiences to call out any famous historic figure—from Leonardo da Vinci to Genghis Khan to Paris Hilton—and watch an improvised musical unfold in real time before their eyes and ears, complete with gorgeous solos, sweeping chorus numbers and hilarious on-the-fly choreography. The production features a Chicago-based ensemble and a full band, including electronic musical enhancements with looping and percussion. 

To learn more about “Shamilton,” follow along on Facebook and Twitter.

Under Gwinn’s direction, the cast for “Shamilton” includes: Jen Connor, Erica Elam, Colette Gregory, Nathan Jansen, Chanse McCrary, Saliha Muttalib, Angela Oliver, Maria Randazzo, Bobby Richards, Patrick Rowland, Sophie Scanlon, Sean Sullivan, Ross Taylor, Nelson Velazquez, Rob Wilson and Shira Wilson.

After beginning in Chicago at Improv Olympic and moving to the Apollo Theater in 2005, “Baby Wants Candy” has expanded with performing companies in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles, as well as an international touring company. Since its inception, “Baby Wants Candy” has performed more than 3,000 completely improvised musicals to sold-out crowds all over the world. In addition to the run at the Apollo Theater, they also perform weekly at Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) in LA and are debuting a weekly run Second City’s Judy’s Beat Lounge Theater. Their show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival enjoys a perennially fully sold-out run, and in February 2017 the group will travel to Australia to perform a month long run at the Adelaide Fringe Festival. The producing team behind “Baby Wants Candy” debuted “50 Shades! The Musical Parody” in 2012, playing to sold-out crowds off-Broadway, nationally and internationally. “50 Shades” still runs in Las Vegas and Japan, and has been translated into over 12 languages. In 2015, Baby Wants Candy also produced “Thrones! The Musical Parody,” opening to sold-out performances at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, followed by a twice-extended run at the Apollo Theater in Chicago as well as the Hudson Theater in Los Angeles.

About the Creative Team
Jesse Case (Musical Director) serves as musical director for “Baby Wants Candy,” and recently finished musical directing, composing and starring as Richard Wagner in Second City and Lyric Opera Chicago’s "Longer! Louder! Wagner! The Second City Wagner Companion". At Second City, he’s served as musical director for five original revues on both e.t.c. and Mainstage.

Emily Dorezas (Co-Producer) is co-producer of “Thrones! The Musical Parody” as well as co-producer/writer for “50 Shades! The Musical Parody.” She is executive producer of “Baby Wants Candy” and Spark Creative and served as producer/writer for Second City’s Business Theater. Dorezas has performed stand-up comedy across the U.S. and appeared on Comedy Central’s Tosh.0 and Stand Up Live, and NBC’s Sports Action Team.

Peter Gwinn (Director) is a founding member of “Baby Wants Candy.” Regional productions include “Twist Your Dickens” (Goodman Theatre; Centre Theater Group, Los Angeles; Portland Center Stage, Portland) and “Moulin Scrooge” (WreckingBall Theater Lab, Denver). He also performs in multiple improv shows at iO and the UCB Theater in New York. He has won two Emmy Awards as a writer for “The Colbert Report” on Comedy Central, and also wrote for the Amazon original series “Alpha House,” starring John Goodman.

Albert Samuels (Co-Producer) is a founding member of “Baby Wants Candy” (with whom he currently performs at Upright Citizens Brigade (LA)), toured with Second City’s National Touring Company, and co-wrote and performed in two critically acclaimed reviews on Second City’s Mainstage. He also serves as the co-producer/writer for both “50 Shades! The Musical Parody” and “Thrones! The Musical Parody.” He co-created and starred in NBC’s Sports Action Team and The Venue, which won best pilot in the Comedy Central Pilot Competition. Samuels starred in the LA preview run of “Shamilton” last spring.  

About Baby Wants Candy

“Baby Wants Candy” has performed more than 3,000 completely improvised musicals to thousands of fans from Chicago to New York to Singapore to Scotland. Currently, “Baby Wants Candy” runs in Chicago at the Apollo Theater, in Los Angeles at UCB Sunset and tours internationally.  A cutting edge theatrical experience, the performance features a revolving cast of A-list comedic performers and a full band.

“Baby Wants Candy” begins with the cast asking the audience for a suggestion of a musical that has never been performed before. Accompanied by a full band, the first title that the group hears becomes the title and theme for that evening’s 60-minute show, featuring a roller coaster ride of spontaneously choreographed dance numbers, rhyming verses and witty, jaw-dropping comedy.  Each performance is its own opening and closing night, and by design every show is completely unique and a once–in a lifetime premiere.

“Baby Wants Candy” has received rave reviews in The New York Times, The Huffington Post, The Onion, Chicago Sun-Times, TimeOut New York and more, and has received numerous awards including the winner of FringeNYC’s Outstanding Unique Theatrical Experience, Best Improv Ensemble by Chicago Magazine, the Best Visiting Comedy Ensemble by TimeOut New York, the recipient of the Ensemble of the Year Award at the Chicago Improv Festival, and a rare Sixth Star Award Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

“Baby Wants Candy” has included several notable performers including Peter Gwinn of “Colbert Report;” Rachel Dratch and Aidy Bryant of “Saturday Night Live;” Stephnie Weir of “MadTV;” Nicole Parker of “MadTV” and Elphaba in “Wicked” on Broadway; Jack McBrayer of “30 Rock;” Al Samuels and Kevin Fleming of “Sports Action Team;” Thomas Middleditch of “Silicon Valley;” Garry W. Tallent of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band; Mark Pender of The Max Weinberg 7 and Bruce Springsteen and the Seeger Sessions Band; and Johnny Pisano of the Jesse Malin Band and The Marky Ramone Band. Members of “Baby Wants Candy” have recently written the hit off-Broadway show “50 Shades! The Musical Parody”

About Apollo Theater

The Apollo Theater, located in the heart of Chicago’s Lincoln Park since 1978, has been home to many of the city’s biggest hits including the recent Million Dollar Quartet, which holds the record for the longest-running Broadway musical in Chicago history. Resident companies of the Apollo Theater include Emerald City Theatre Company and Baby Wants Candy, and many up-and-coming companies can be seen nightly in the theater’s 50-seat downstairs studio. Recently renovated and fully accessible, the Apollo Theater’s intimate 435-seat mainstage continues to deliver world-class theater as one of the city’s premiere off-Loop houses.

OPENING: A Disappearing Number at Timeline

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

“A mathematician, like a painter, or a poet, is a maker of patterns 

… and beauty is the first test.”

Tonight we'll be ChiILin' with a long time favorite of ours, Chicago's acclaimed Timeline Theatre, for the press opening of A Disappearing Number. Check back soon for our full review. The long-awaited Chicago premiere of this exquisite, internationally acclaimed play about love, math, and how the past and future connect. In 1913, a clerk in rural India named Srinivasa Ramanujan sends a letter to famed mathematician G.H. Hardy, filled with astonishing mathematical theorems. In the present, a math professor and a businessman fall in love. Told in a whirlwind of vignettes spanning history and time, A Disappearing Number is a love letter to numbers, blending the beauty of everyday relationships with the mysticism of the cosmos.

Winner of the 2007 Critics’ Circle Theatre, Evening Standard, and Laurence Olivier awards for Best New Play, TimeLine’s production is a new and rare staging of this mesmerizing play.

A NEW AND RARE STAGING OF THE MESMERIZING PLAY 

A DISAPPEARING NUMBER BY COMPLICITÉ, IN A TIMELINE THEATRE CHICAGO PREMIERE, JANUARY 11 – APRIL 9, 2017

TimeLine Theatre Company continues its 20th Anniversary season with a daring new production of A DISAPPEARING NUMBER, the exquisite 2007 play by Complicité about love, math and how the past and future connect. Winner of the 2007 Critics' Circle Theatre, Evening Standard, and Laurence Olivier awards for Best New Play, it was originally conceived and directed by Simon McBurney and devised by the original company. TimeLine’s new production of A DISAPPEARING NUMBER will be directed by Associate Artistic Director Nick Bowling. Performances run January 19 – April 9, 2017 at TimeLine Theatre, 615 W. Wellington Ave., Chicago. Tickets are $22 - $51. For tickets and information, Click HERE or call (773) 281-TIME (8463).  Told in a whirlwind of vignettes spanning history and time, A DISAPPEARING NUMBER is a love letter to numbers, blending the beauty of everyday relationships with the mysticism of the cosmos. The play is based on the true story of Srinivasa Ramanujan, a self-taught mathematician in rural India who, in 1913, sent a letter to famed mathematician G.H. Hardy filled with astonishing mathematical theorems. Meanwhile, in the present, a math professor and a businessman fall in love. As these two pairs wind their way through the course of their lives in different eras, they grapple with the beautiful mysteries of mathematics and the patterns found within the universe and themselves.  TimeLine’s production of A DISAPPEARING NUMBER marks only the fourth time the play has been seen in the United States. The Chicago Tribune raved that the play “explodes with so much intellectual stimulus it makes you giddy, thrilled, intoxicated, ready to talk.” Live music, choreographed movement and dazzling multimedia will all be part of TimeLine’s equation for exploring the mystery of love, mathematics, and the connections between the biggest and smallest elements of our universe. “We have been utterly entranced by this play since first reading it in 2010,” said TimeLine Artistic Director PJ Powers. “While it wasn’t available for a new Chicago production at that time, our strong desire to do it at TimeLine has kept us persistently committed for more than six years. We couldn’t be more excited to finally bring this play to Chicago as part of TimeLine’ 20th Anniversary Season.” TimeLine’s cast for A DISAPPEARING NUMBER includes Kareem Bandealy (Al Cooper), Anish Jethmalani (Aninda), Anu Bhatt (Surita), Arya Daire (Ramanujan’s mother), TimeLine Associate Artist Dennis William Grimes (Hardy), TimeLine Company Juliet Hart (Ruth) and Siddhartha Rajan (Ramanujan), with musicians Ronnie Malley and Bob Garrett. Winner of seven Jeff Awards for Outstanding Direction, TimeLine Associate Artistic Director Nick Bowling is the creative force behind many of TimeLine’s most popular shows, including THE LAST WIFE, THE HISTORY BOYS, THE FARNSWORTH INVENTION, FIORELLO! and more. Elsewhere, he also staged recent hit productions MAN OF LA MANCHA, THE KING AND I and CITY OF ANGELS at the Marriott Lincolnshire, SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM at Porchlight Music Theatre and A CHRISTMAS STORY at Paramount Theatre. The production team for A DISAPPEARING NUMBER includes Alka Nayyar (Associate Director), William Carlos Angulo (Choreography), William Boles (Scenic Design), Rachel Levy (Lighting Design), Sally Dolembo (Costume Design), Mikhail Fiksel (Sound Design), Davonte Johnson (Projections Design), Vivian Knouse (Properties Design), Maren Robinson (Dramaturgy) and Alex Dearmin (Stage Management). PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE / EVENTS OPENING NIGHT: Thursday 1/19 at 7:30 p.m. REGULAR RUN, through April 9: Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. EXCEPTIONS: Additional performances Tuesday 3/7 and 3/28 at 7:30 p.m. Show time on Wednesday 3/1 is 8:30 p.m. No 4 p.m. show on Saturday 1/21. No show on Friday 3/10. No 8 p.m. show on Saturday 4/1.  DISCUSSION & ACCESSIBILITY EVENTS: Post-Show Discussions: A brief, informal post-show discussion hosted by a TimeLine Company Member and featuring the production dramaturg and members of the cast on Wednesday 1/25, Sunday 1/29, Thursday 2/2, Thursday 2/16, Thursday 3/23 and Sunday 3/26. Pre-Show Discussions: Starting one hour before these performances, a 30-minute introductory conversation hosted by a TimeLine Company Member and the production dramaturg with members of the production team on Wednesday 2/8 and Sunday 2/19. Captioned Performance: An open-captioned performance with a text display of words and sounds heard during the performance on Saturday 2/11 at 4 p.m. Partial support of open captioning is provided by Theatre Development Fund. Sunday Scholars Panel Discussion: A one-hour post-show discussion featuring experts on the themes and issues of the play on Sunday 2/12. 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 3/19. All discussions are free and open to the public. Click HERE for further details about all planned discussions and events. BUYING TICKETS Only TimeLine FlexPass Subscribers enjoy priority access to tickets to A DISAPPEARING NUMBER. 4-Admission, 3-Admission and 2-Admission FlexPass Subscriptions for TimeLine’s 2016-17 season are now on sale, priced from $40 to $204. For more information and to purchase FlexPass Subscriptions, call (773) 281-TIME (8463) or visit timelinetheatre.com. Single ticket prices are $38 (Wednesday through Friday), $46 (Saturday evenings) and $51 (Saturday and Sunday matinees). Preview tickets are $22. Student discount is $10 off regular price with valid ID. Military Service Discount is $5 off regular price with valid military/veteran ID. Discounted rates for groups of 10 or more are available. Ticket buyers age 18-35 may join TimeLine’s free MyLine program to obtain access to discounted tickets, special events and more.  Advance purchase is recommended as performances may sell out. For tickets and information, Click HERE or call the Box Office at (773) 281-8463. LOCATION / TRANSPORTATION / PARKING A DISAPPEARING NUMBER will take place at TimeLine Theatre, 615 W. Wellington Ave., Chicago. TimeLine Theatre is located near the corner of Wellington and Broadway, inside the Wellington Avenue United Church of Christ building, in Chicago’s Lakeview East neighborhood. The location is served by multiple CTA trains and buses. TimeLine offers discounted parking at the Standard Parking garages at Broadway Center ($8 with validation; 2846 N. Broadway, at Surf) or the Century Mall ($9 with validation; 2836 N. Clark), with other paid parking options nearby, plus limited free and metered street parking. ACCESSIBILITY 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. See DISCUSSION & ACCESSIBILITY EVENTS above for information about the open-captioned performance for patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing. BIOGRAPHIES Nick Bowling (Director) was the founding Artistic Director and is now Associate Artistic Director and a Company Member of TimeLine Theatre. He is the recipient of seven Jeff Awards for Outstanding Direction (THE HISTORY BOYS, THE NORMAL HEART, FIORELLO!, THIS HAPPY BREED and THE CRUCIBLE at TimeLine, SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM at Porchlight Music Theatre, and ANOTHER PART OF THE FOREST at Eclipse Theatre) and also received Jeff Award nominations for BLOOD AND GIFTS, THE FARNSWORTH INVENTION, HAUPTMANN and THE LION IN WINTER at TimeLine; CLOSER THAN EVER at Porchlight Music Theatre; CITY OF ANGELS, THE KING AND I and MAN OF LA MANCHA at Marriott Theatre. Other recent credits at TimeLine include THE LAST WIFE, DANNY CASOLARO DIED FOR YOU, JUNO, 33 VARIATIONS and MY KIND OF TOWN. Other Chicago credits include Paramount's A CHRISTMAS STORY, Northwestern University’s CABARET, Porchlight’s A CATERED AFFAIR, Writers Theatre's BACH AT LEIPZIG and Shattered Globe Theatre's TIME OF THE CUCKOO and FROZEN ASSETS.  Founded in 1983, Complicité is one of the most respected theatre companies in the world and has been called “the most influential and consistently interesting theatre company working in Britain” by The Times. Led by Artistic Director Simon McBurney, OBE, and Producer Judith Dimant, MBE, the company is based in London, touring internationally and across the United Kingdom. Now in its 33rd year, Complicite has not only won many awards, but has broadened the concept of theatre in ways that have touched thousands of people around the globe. For more information, visit complicite.org. 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. To date over 19 seasons, TimeLine has presented 67 productions, including nine world premieres and 27 Chicago premieres, and launched the Living History Education Program, now in its 10th year of bringing 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 53 Jeff Awards, including an award for Outstanding Production 11 times. TimeLine is led by Artistic Director PJ Powers, Managing Director Elizabeth K. Auman and Board President John M. Sirek. Company members are Nick Bowling, Janet Ulrich Brooks, Behzad Dabu, Lara Goetsch, Juliet Hart, Mildred Marie Langford, Mechelle Moe, David Parkes, Ron OJ Parson, PJ Powers, Maren Robinson and Benjamin Thiem. Major corporate, government and foundation supporters of TimeLine Theatre include Alphawood Foundation, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, The Crown Family, Forum Fund, Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, Illinois Arts Council Agency, Laughing Acres Family Foundation, MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince, The Pauls Foundation, Polk Bros. Foundation and The Shubert Foundation. TimeLine is a member of the League of Chicago Theatres, Theatre Communications Group, Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce and Chicago’s Belmont Theater District.