OPENING: Henry V, with an all female cast at City Lit Theater Via Babes With Blades

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Babes With Blades Theatre Company presents 

Henry V, with an all female cast, 

opening February 27, 2017

BWBTC’s ’16-‘17 season, WOMEN ON THE FRONT LINES, wraps up with William Shakespeare’s story of war and redemption.

“Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more.”

Babes With Blades Theatre Company is back with their newest biennial all-female Shakespeare production, Henry V, to be performed at City Lit Theater, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., in Chicago. Previews will be Saturday, February 18 at 8PM, Sunday, February 19 at 3PM, Friday, February 24 at 8PM, Saturday, February 25 at 8PM, and Sunday, February 26 at 3PM. The press opening is Monday, February 27 at 8PM, and the show will run Thursdays-Saturdays at 8PM and Sundays at 3 through Saturday, April 1.

Henry V is directed by Hayley Rice with Violence Design by Kim Fukawa*. The cast features Diana Coates, Catherine Dvorak*, Delia Ford*, Kim Fukawa*, Samantha Kaufman, Gaby Labotka, Morgan Manasa*, Jennifer L. Mickelson*, Chelsea Rolfes, Alexis Randolph, Alison Vodnoy Wolf, and understudy Rachel Mock.

The design and production team of Henry V  includes Elyse Balogh (Scenic Design), Lara Caprini (Stage Manager), Carrie Hardin (Dialect Coach), Scott Leaton (Props Design), Matthew Reich (Sound Design), Dustin Spence (Production Manager), Rachel Sypniewski (Costume Design), and Andrea Trygstad (Lighting Design).

*denotes BWBTC ensemble member

About the Play

Ascending the throne of England after the death of his father, young Henry V faces suspicion from within his country and pressure from without. Hoping to unite his kingdom and ensure its future security, he embarks on a risky campaign to conquer France. As a newly-anointed king with a lot to atone for, the odds are against him… but will his people rally around him?

 “The action of Henry V takes place during the Hundred Years' War between France and England,” says director Hayley Rice. “While the time span is not as long, the United States has been engaged in conflicts in the Middle East for over 15 years, embroiled in the region's unrest for decades beyond that, and one cannot help but feel that nothing will be resolved in the near future. The undeniable parallel - the sense of slogging through a battle that's both predestined and never-ending - makes this play both timely and accessible.”  

Tickets:

$25 general admission ($20 with online reservation before Feb 18)

$15 students and seniors

$10 previews

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

About the Director

Hayley Rice is a Chicago-area director whose work has been seen at such theaters as First Folio Theatre, Focal Point Theatre Company, & Prairie Fire Children’s Theatre in Minnesota. As an actor, she’s worked with The Factory Theater, Prologue Theatre, AstonRep Theatre, The Chicago Mammals, Circle Theatre, LiveWire Theatre, and Illinois Theatre Center, among others. She is a graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University’s School of Theatre Arts and is a proud Artistic Associate of First Folio Theatre. 

About the Company

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

EXTENDED: Mamma Mia! at Marriott Theatre Now Extended Through April 16th

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

MAMMA MIA!

We'll be ChiILin' in Lincolnshire tonight and checking out Mamma Mia! at the Marriott Theatre, so check back soon for our full review. The show's already been extended due to popular demand so book your tickets before they sell out! 

The global phenomenon seen by over 60 million people all around the world and one of Broadway’s longest running hits, MAMMA MIA!, kicks off Marriott Theatre's 2017 Season, running February 8th through April 16th, 2017 at 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire. Multi Jeff Award Winner Rachel Rockwell (World Premiere of October Sky and 42nd Street at Marriott Theatre; Ride the Cyclone at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre and MCC Theatre, New York; and Brigadoon at Goodman Theatre), returns to direct the much-loved  piece, with music and lyrics by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus of ABBA, and book by Catherine Johnson. 

Rockwell, who has an extensive history with the show, having performed it many times including on Broadway, joins forces with longtime collaborators Set Designer Scott Davis, who will re-imagine the signature theatre-in-the-round space, and Costume Designer Theresa Ham who returns to the Marriott following the success of October Sky, along with Choreographer Ericka Mac and Musical Director Ryan T. Nelson.

“I’m really excited to put my spin on this exuberant celebration of music and friendship,” says Rockwell. “The show is a story of the enduring female relationships in our lives – mothers and daughters, women supporting each other. Paired with these songs that we all love, it brings such joy. It truly is a love letter to that ABBA sound."

MAMMA MIA! is the story of the dynamic relationship between independent and carefree mother, Donna Sheridan, and her spirited daughter, Sophie, who she has raised alone on an idyllic Greek island. While Donna invites her two best friends to her daughter's wedding, practical and no-nonsense Rosie and wealthy, multi-divorcee Tanya, Sophie has plans of her own up her sleeve. On a quest to find the identity of her father to walk her down the aisle, she brings back three men from Donna’s past to the Mediterranean paradise they visited 20 years earlier, hoping to build a bond with the father she’s never known. Chaos ensues over the next 24 hours as new love blooms and old flames are rekindled on this lush island full of possibilities. Fusing explosive dance numbers with timeless songs, including “Dancing Queen”, “S.O.S.”, “Money, Money, Money” and “Take a Chance on Me,” MAMMA MIA! will have audiences singing along to all the classic favorites in this feel-good story full of laughs, love, family and friendship.

MAMMA MIA! stars Danni Smith as “Donna Sheridan” (The Marriott Theatre: Man of La Mancha and City of Angels; Paramount: A Christmas Story; Porchlight: Chess), Meghan Murphy as “Tanya” (The Marriott Theatre: City of Angels; Drury Lane Oakbrook: Smokey Joe’s Café), Cassie Slater as “Rosie” (The Marriott Theatre: Man of La Mancha and City of Angels), Tiffany Tatreauas “Sophie Sheridan” (The Marriott Theatre: Sister Act and Spring Awakening; Chicago Shakespeare Theater/MCC: Ride the Cyclone), Peter Saide as “Sam Carmichael” (Chicago Shakespeare/Old Globe: Sense and Sensibility; Paramount: Oklahoma!; Las Vegas: Jersey Boys), Karl Sean Hamilton as “Harry Bright” (The Marriott Theatre: For the Boys and The Full Monty; Goodman Theatre: Wonderful Town; Chicago Shakespeare Theater/MCC: Ride the Cyclone), Derek Hasenstab as “Bill Austin” (The Marriott Theatre: How To Succeed…, Spring Awakening, October Sky; Lookingglass Theatre Company: Eastland), Russell Mernagh as “Sky” (The Marriott Theatre: Evita; Chicago Shakespeare Theater: Ride the Cyclone; The Mercury Theatre: The Man Who Murdered Sherlock Holmes), Kayla Kennedy as “Ali,”Lillian Castillo as “Lisa,” Liam Quealy as “Pepper,” and Gerard Salvador as “Eddie.” Also featuring Ari Aaron, William Carlos Angulo, Aramie, Julie Baird, Nathaniel Braga, Colte Julian, Tommy Lucas, Ericka Mac, John Marshall, Jr., Zoe Nadal, Hanah Rose Nardone, Laura Savage, Colette Todd and Kylah Williams.

The production will feature set design by Scott Davis, costume design by Theresa Ham, lighting design by Jesse Klug, sound design by Bob Gilmartin, properties design by Sally Weiss, musical supervision and orchestra conducted by Patti Garwood.

The performance schedule for MAMMA MIA! is Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays at 8:00 p.m., Saturdays at 4:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., Sundays at 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m., with select Thursday 1:00 p.m. shows. Ticket prices range from $50 to $60, including tax and handling fees. Call for student, senior and military discounts. 

On Wednesday and Thursday evenings there are a limited number of FREE dinners available with the purchase of a full-priced theatre ticket, which can only be purchased through the Marriott Theatre Box Office. To make a restaurant reservation, please call 847.634.0100. 

Free parking is available at all performances. To reserve tickets, please call The Marriott Theatre Box Office at 847.634.0200 or go to www.ticketmaster.com. Visit www.MarriottTheatre.com for more information.

OPENING: The Columnist at Stage 773 Via American Blues Theater

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

American Blues Theater Presents

the Chicago Premiere of

The Columnist

by David Auburn

Directed by Keira Fromm

 February 17 – April 1, 2017

We'll be ChiILin' out with American Blues Theater at the press opening February 23rd, so check back shortly after for our full review. We're elated that American Blues Theater has moved to a new home space at Stage 773 and can't wait to check out The Columnist by David Auburn, the Pulitzer and Tony award-winning author of Proof.

American Blues Theater continues its 2016-2017 Season with the Chicago Premiere of The Columnist by David Auburn and directed by Keira Fromm. The Columnist runs February 17 – April 1, 2017 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago.  

From the Pulitzer and Tony award-winning author of Proof comes a drama about power, the press, sex and betrayal. At the height of the Cold War, Joe Alsop is the nation’s most influential journalist, beloved, feared and courted by the Washington world. But as the 60s dawn and America undergoes dizzying change, the intense political dramas Joe is embroiled in become deeply personal as well.

The cast for The Columnist includes Philip Earl Johnson (Joe Alsop), Coburn Goss (Stewart Alsop), Kymberly Mellen (Susan Mary Alsop), Ian Paul Custer* (Halberstam), Tyler Meredith (Abigail), and Christopher Sheard (Andrei/Philip).

The creative team includes Joe Schermoly (scenic), Jared Gooding (lighting), Christopher J. Neville* (costumes), Christopher Kriz (sound), Alec Long (props), Sarah E. Ross* (production manager), Eva Breneman (dialect coach), Sarah Illiatovitch-Goldman (dramaturg), and Dana Nestrick (stage manager).

*Denotes Ensemble members and Artistic Affiliates of American Blues Theater

Dates: February 17 – April 1, 2017

Previews: February 17 – 22, 2017

Press Opening: Thursday, February 23 at 7:30 p.m.

Regular Run: February 24 – April 1, 2017

Schedule: 

Thursday:  7:30 p.m.

Friday: 7:30 p.m

Saturday: 3:00 p.m. 

(except February 18 & 25 and March 4)and 7:30p.m. Sunday: 2:30 p.m.

Additional performances on Wednesday, February 22 at 7:30 p.m.

and Monday, March 6 at 7:30 p.m.

Location: Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago

Ticket prices: $19 - $49

Box Office: Buy online at AmericanBluesTheater.com or by calling 773.327.5252.

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.

OPENING: World Premiere Musical My Brother’s Keeper—The Story of The Nicholas Brothers Opens Black Ensemble Theatre's 2017 Season

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar

BLACK ENSEMBLE THEATER 

OPENS 2017 SEASON: THE DANCE THEATER SEASON

WITH THE WORLD PREMIERE MUSICAL

My Brother's Keeper—The Story of the Nicholas Brothers

February 11 – March 26, 2017

We'll be ChiILin' with Black Ensemble Theater at the press opening on Sunday, Feb 19th, so check back shortly after for our full review. Black Ensemble Theater's original musicals are a true Chicago treat and have long been favorites of ours. We can't wait to check this one out.

Black Ensemble Theater Founder and CEO Jackie Taylor opens the 2017 Season (The Dance Theater Season) with the world premiere musical My Brother’s Keeper—The Story of The Nicholas Brothers, written and directed by Black Ensemble Theater Associate Director Rueben Echoles. My Brother’s Keeper (The Story of The Nicholas Brothers) will be performed at the Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center, 4450 N. Clark Street in Chicago, February 11 – March 26, 2017. 

The Nicholas Brothers were the most legendary dance team in history. Harold & Fayard Nicholas broke through racist color barriers and rose to international stardom on stage and screen. They were acclaimed as the greatest dance team in history during the 1930s and ‘40s. We know them as a dynamic, high-flying, dance duo, but who were these men outside of the spotlight?  

This phenomenal story is told by the women who knew them best and features the music of Cab Calloway, Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, and Dorothy Dandridge, as well as original music written by Rueben D. Echoles, who also directs and stars as Harold Nicholas.  Don’t miss this vibrant, intriguing and exciting Black Ensemble musical production featuring the Black Ensemble Orchestra under the direction of Robert Reddrick.

The cast of My Brother’s Keeper (The Story of The Nicholas Brothers) includes Rueben Echoles (Harold Nicholas), Rashawn Thompson (Fayard Nicholas), Dwight Neal (Ulysses Nicholas), Shari Addison (Viola Nicholas), Katherine Thomas (Dorothy Nicholas), Taylah Thomas (Dorothy Dandridge), Jessica Seals (Geri), Joan Ruffin (Neeva), and Vincent Jordan (Cab Calloway). The Ensemble includes Dennis Dent, Paige Hauer, Devin Joyner, Linnea Norwood, William Rowland, and Henri Slater.

The creative team for My Brother’s Keeper (The Story of The Nicholas Brothers) includes Jackie Taylor (producer), Rueben Echoles (writer/director/costumes/choreographer), Alexis Roston (assistant director), Nichole Springer (assistant choreographer), Bekki Lambrecht (stage manager), Denise Karczewski (scenic/lighting), Caswell James (technical director), CoCo Ree Lemery (scenic artist), and Aaron Quick (sound). The production manager is Daryl Brooks.

As with all Black Ensemble productions the Musical Director is Robert Reddrick (drums).  Musicians include Roger Weaver (piano), Wayne Jones (bass), Herb Walker (guitar), Paul Howard (trumpet), Dudley Owens (saxophone) and Bill McFarland (trombone).

Tickets are available at the Black Ensemble Box Office located at 4450 N. Clark St in Chicago, or online at www.blackensemble.org, or by phone at (773) 769-4451. Tickets are $45 for previews (February 11, 12 and 17, 2017); $55 (Thursdays and Saturday matinees) and $65 (Fridays, Saturday evenings and Sunday matinees).  There is a 10% discount for students, seniors and groups.

Ticket prices: 

$45 Previews

$55 on Thursdays and Saturday matinees; 

$65 on Fridays, Saturday evenings and Sunday matinees

A 10% discount is available for students, seniors, and groups. 

Box Office: Buy online at www.blackensemble.org or call (773) 769-4451

The Black Ensemble Theater 

Founded in 1976, by the phenomenal producer, playwright and actress Jackie Taylor, Black Ensemble Theater is the only African American theater located in the culturally, racially and ethnically diverse north side Uptown community. Through its Five Play Season of Excellence, The Black Ensemble Theater dazzles audiences locally, nationally and internationally with outstanding original musicals that are entertaining, educational and uplifting. The Black Ensemble Theater has produced more than 100 productions and employed over 5,000 artists.

On November 18, 2011, The Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center opened and is able to accommodate larger-scale productions, bigger audiences and a wider range of educational programming. The new facility includes amenities such as a 299-seat main stage theater (double the capacity of the original venue); 14 offices, classroom space, rehearsal hall, dance studio, scene shop, costume shop, and wardrobe rooms; seven dressing rooms; rehearsal room for musicians; front lobby space with concession areas; and an indoor parking garage.  The completion of a 150-seat theater, which will serve as an experimental stage for the work of the Black Playwright Initiative (BPI), with construction by General Contractor Norcon Inc., is expected in 2017. 

The mission of the Black Ensemble Theater Company is to eradicate racism and its devastating effects upon society through the theater arts.  For more information on the Black Ensemble Theater Company, please visit www.BlackEnsembleTheater.org or call 773-769-4451.

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar: Shakespeare's Cymbeline at Strawdog Theatre Company

STRAWDOG THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S CYMBELINE

JANUARY 13 - FEBRUARY 25 AT FACTORY THEATER

Director Robert Kauzlaric Makes his Strawdog Directorial Debut with Shakespeare’s Dark Fairy Tale Filled with Hidden Identities, Extraordinary Schemes and Violent Acts 

Strawdog Theatre Company's second production in its 2016 - 2017 season, William Shakespeare’s CymbelIne, running now through February 25, 

directed by Robert Kauzlaric 

and performed at The Factory Theater, 1623 W. Howard St. 

It's been a whirlwind year so far for Chicago's theatre scene and sometimes there's just too much of a good thing and multiple press nights happen simultaneously. Since I haven't mastered the art of cloning quite yet, we're finally getting out to see Shakespeare's Cymbeline at Strawdog Theatre Company tonight. It's been near the top of our must see list since it opened the final week of January. 

The performance schedule is Thursdays – Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 4 p.m. All performances have ground level access and are wheelchair accessible.

An industry performance is Monday, Feb. 13 at 8 p.m. for $18. Regular run tickets $30, they may be ordered online or by calling OvationTix toll-free: 866-811-4111. Subscriptions, group, rush, senior and student discounts are also available. 

Shakespeare’s Cymbeline has all the vicious insults, bloody blades, cross-dressed ladies and compromised bedchambers that has made the Bard famous. It is also a no-holds-barred epic, a dark fairy tale set off by a king's rash verdict and a princess who won't stand for her man's wrongful banishment. The acclaimed director of Lifeline Theatre's Hunger and Irish Theatre of Chicago's The White Road, recently seen onstage in Strawdog’s production of The Arsonists, makes his directing debut with the company.

Cast includes ensemble members Dan Cobbler, Scott Danielson, Andres Enriquez, Sarah Goeden, Sam Hubbard, Jose Nateras, Daniella Pereira, Michaela Petro, Shane Rhoades, Brandon Saunders, Dwight Sora, Gage Wallace.

The Cymbeline production team also includes Strawdog Company Ensemble Members Jordan Kardasz, lighting designer; Brittany Dee Bodley in addition to Robert Kauzlaric, director; Spencer Ryan Diedrick, assistant director; Alan Donahue, set designer and props designer; Andrew Hansen, sound designer; Matt Hawkins, fight choreographer; Emily Loppolo, assistant stage manager and Becca Levy, stage manager.

ABOUT ROBERT KAUZLARIC, DIRECTOR

Robert Kauzlaric is a Chicago based director and actor who appeared in Strawdog’s Season 27 production of The Arsonists. Recent directing credits include As You Like It, The Rivals (Wilde nomination: Best Play), Cymbeline (Wilde Award: Best of the Bard), She Stoops to Conquer, Love’s Labour’s Lost (Wilde Award: Best of the Bard), and Tartuffe for the Michigan Shakespeare Festival; the world premiere of Karen Tarjan’s The White Road for Irish Theatre of Chicago (nominated for seven Jeff Awards, including Best Production-Play, Midsize) and the world premieres of Chris Hainsworth’s adaptation of Hunger and John Hildreth’s adaptation of Treasure Island, both at Lifeline Theatre. 

ABOUT STRAWDOG THEATRE COMPANY

Since its founding in 1988, Strawdog Theatre Company has offered Chicagoland the premiere storefront theatre experience and garnered numerous Non-Equity Jeff Awards with its commitment to ensemble acting and an immersive design approach. The celebrated Company develops new work, re-imagines the classics, melds music with theatre, asks provocative questions and delivers their audience the unexpected.

*Strawdog Theatre Company’s 2016 - 2017 season will be produced in its itinerant home at the new Factory Theatre in Rogers Park, 1621 W. Howard St. on the Chicago-Evanston border in the historic Howard Theatre building. The theatre space is a newly created 70 seat three-quarters thrust just two blocks from CTA’s Howard Red Line terminal. Strawdog’s 29^th Season may be viewed online at strawdog.org. 

RUSH TICKETS 

Strawdog Theatre Company offers six tickets at a 50% discount one hour before every production. The rush ticket must be purchased in person, exclusively at the Strawdog Box Office. Limit of two tickets per person, not applicable with other discounts, offers or on previously purchased tickets, first come, first served.

Strawdog Theatre Company is proud to announce the second production in its 2016 - 2017 season, William Shakespeare’s CymbelIne, January 13 – February 25, directed by Robert Kauzlaric and performed at The Factory Theater, 1623 W. Howard St. The performance schedule is Thursdays – Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 4 p.m. Opening Night is Monday, January 23 at 8 p.m. All performances have ground level access and are wheelchair accessible, with an Access Project performance Sunday, Feb. 5 at 4 p.m. with a touch tour at 2:45 p.m.* An industry performance is Monday, Feb. 13 at 8 p.m. for $18. Preview tickets are $15 with regular run tickets $30, they may be ordered online at strawdog.org or by calling OvationTix toll-free: 866-811-4111. Subscriptions, group, rush, senior and student discounts are also available.

Strawdog Theatre Company is supported in part by The Alphawood Foundation, The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, City of Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, and through the generous contributions of businesses and individuals.

REVIEW: Extended & Highly Recommended: Gloria Playing Through Feb 19th at Goodman

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar: BY POPULAR DEMAND, GOODMAN THEATRE ADDS TWO MORE PERFORMANCES OF ITS CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED,  GLORIA  BY BRANDEN JACOBS-JENKINS, MUST CLOSE FEBRUARY 19 ***UPCOMING ACCESSIBLE PERFORMANCES INCLUDE TOUCH TOUR/AUDIO DESCRIBED (2/11); ASL INTERPRETED (2/15) AND OPEN CAPTIONED (2/18) OFFERINGS*** Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we had the chance to catch opening night and we were blown away by Gloria. This wickedly witty production touches on some serious touch points for our society today, from mass shootings to post traumatic stress disorder, and even tell all tomes that profit from pain. This production even explores our systemic business problem of overeducated gen x employees getting nowhere, as aging baby boomers live on in management positions. Gloria poignantly points out how magazines and print resources become obsolete in a pop culture obsessed Twitter and Snapchat world, and even culture itself. Loneliness and vicious adult bullying become normalized. And savvy millennials end up bosses to brilliant, degree holding office temps twice their ages. This dystopian reality was played out by the cast with impeccable timing. Gloria is highly recommended and truly a thought provoking "must see" show. Audiences have two more opportunities to see the Chicago premiere of Gloria— a “shocking, hilarious and spectacularly honest play” (Chicago Tribune) and “tantalizing, darkly comic exposé of ambition and egoism” (Daily Herald) by MacArthur Foundation Fellow Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. Directed by Evan Cabnet, Gloria originally premiered off-Broadway in 2015 and the six-member cast—Kyle Beltran, Catherine Combs, Michael Crane, Jennifer Kim, Jeanine Serralles and Ryan Spahn—remains intact for Chicago premiere. The additional performances include Thursday, February 16 at 2pm and Sunday, February 19 at 7:30pm (closing performance). See below for special discounts including Chicago Theater Week and $20 tickets for patrons aged 35 and under.  UPCOMING ACCESSIBLE PERFORMANCES February 11, Touch Tour – 12:30 - 1pm; a presentation detailing the set, costume and character elements; Audio Described Performance – 2pm; the action/text is audibly enhanced for patrons via headset February 15, Sign Interpreted Performance – 7:30pm; professional ASL interpreter signs the action/text as played. February 18, 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. A group of ambitious twenty-somethings at one of New York’s most esteemed cultural magazines are pursuing it all—style, status and success. When a seemingly normal day at the office turns out to be anything but, these aspiring journalists recognize an opportunity to seize a career-defining moment. Tickets ($20 - $92; price subject to change) and special $20 discounted tickets (35 and younger, with promo code 20TIX) are available at GoodmanTheatre.org/Gloria, by phone at 312.443.3800 or at the box office (170 North Dearborn). Chicago Theater Week tickets ($15-30) for remaining performances are still available for purchase at ChicagoTheatreWeek.com.  Please note: Gloria contains scenes that may be disturbing; intended for mature audiences. Abbott Fund is the Major Production Sponsor and JP Morgan Chase is the Major Corporate Sponsor. In addition to Gloria, Jacobs-Jenkins’ playwriting credits include Appropriate (Signature Theatre, Obie Award and Outer Critics Circle Award nomination), Neighbors (The Public Theater), An Octoroon (Soho Repertory Theatre and Theatre for a New Audience, Obie Award) and War (Yale Repertory Theatre). He is currently a Residency Five playwright at the Signature Theatre, where his newest work, Everybody, makes its world premiere on January 31. His work has been seen at Actors Theater of Louisville, Victory Gardens Theater, Woolly Mammoth Theater, The Matrix Theater, Mixed Blood Theater, CompanyOne and the HighTide Festival in the U.K. He is under commission from LCT3/Lincoln Center Theater and Manhattan Theatre Club. Honors include a Paula Vogel Award, a fellowship from the New York Foundation for the Arts, the inaugural Tennessee Williams Award, the 2015 Steinberg Playwright Award and the 2016 “Genius” Fellowship from the MacArthur Foundation. He has taught at New York University and Queens University of Charlotte and holds an MA in performance studies from New York University and a BA from Princeton University. He is a graduate of the Lila Acheson Wallace Playwrights Program at The Juilliard School.  Cabnet’s Broadway credits include Thérèse Raquin (Roundabout Theatre Company) and The Performers. Off-Broadway credits include Gloria and Outside People (Vineyard Theater), The Model Apartment and Poor Behavior (Primary Stages), A Kid Like Jake and All-American (Lincoln Center Theater), The Dream of the Burning Boy (Roundabout Theatre Company), Elizabeth Meriwether's Oliver Parker! (stageFARM), Warrior Class (Second Stage Theatre), Oohrah! (Atlantic Theater Company), The Mistakes Madeline Made (Naked Angels) and Do I Hear a Waltz? (Encores!). Additional credits include Henry V (Chautauqua Theater Company), An American Daughter and his own adaptations of Ubu Roi and Salman Rushdie’s Haroun and the Seas of Stories (Williamstown Theatre Festival) and Saigono Samurai (Ginka Theater, Tokyo). Cabnet is the Artistic Director of Lincoln Center Theater’s LCT3. He is also a former Associate Artist with the Roundabout Theatre Company and a performance consultant for the Metropolitan Opera (Die Fledermaus). About Goodman Theatre America’s “Best Regional Theatre” (Time magazine) and “Chicago’s flagship resident stage” (Chicago Tribune), Goodman Theatre is a not-for-profit organization distinguished by the quality and scope of its artistic programming and civic engagement. Founded in 1925, the Goodman is led by Robert Falls—“Chicago’s most essential director” (Chicago Tribune ), who marks 30 years as Artistic Director this season—and Executive Director Roche Schulfer, who is celebrated for his vision and leadership over nearly four decades. Dedicated to new plays, reimagined classics and large-scale musical theater works, Goodman Theatre artists and productions have earned hundreds of awards for artistic excellence, including: two Pulitzer Prizes, 22 Tony Awards, nearly 160 Jeff Awards and more. Over the past three decades, audiences have experienced more than 150 world or American premieres, 30 major musical productions, as well as nationally and internationally celebrated productions of classic works (including Falls’ productions of Death of a Salesman, Long Day’s Journey into Night, King Lear and The Iceman Cometh, many in collaboration with actor Brian Dennehy). In addition, the Goodman is the first theater in the world to produce all 10 plays August Wilson’s “American Century Cycle.” For nearly four decades, the annual holiday tradition of A Christmas Carol has created a new generation of theatergoers.  The 2016 opening of the Alice Rapoport Center for Education and Engagement (“the Alice”) launched the next phase in the Goodman’s decades-long commitment as an arts and community organization dedicated to educating Chicago youth and promoting lifelong learning. Programs are offered year-round and free of charge. Eighty-five percent of the Goodman’s youth program participants come from underserved communities. Goodman Theatre was founded by William O. Goodman and his family in honor of their son Kenneth, an important figure in Chicago’s cultural renaissance in the early 1900s. The Goodman family’s legacy lives on through the continued work and dedication of Kenneth’s family, including Albert Ivar Goodman, who with his late mother, Edith-Marie Appleton, contributed the necessary funds for the creation of the new Goodman center in 2000. Today, Goodman Theatre leadership includes the distinguished members of the Artistic Collective: Brian Dennehy, Rebecca Gilman, Henry Godinez, Dael Orlandersmith, Steve Scott, Chuck Smith, Regina Taylor, Henry Wishcamper and Mary Zimmerman. Joan Clifford is Chair of Goodman Theatre’s Board of Trustees, Cynthia K. Scholl is Women’s Board President and Justin A. Kulovsek is President of the Scenemakers Board for young professionals.  Visit the Goodman virtually at GoodmanTheatre.org—including OnStage+ for insider information—and on Twitter (@GoodmanTheatre), Facebook and Instagram.

Gift Theatre Opens Season With World Premiere of Unseen

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

World Premiere

Unseen

Feb 16 - April 9

WRITTEN BY MONA MANSOUR

DIRECTED BY ENSEMBLE MEMBER MAUREEN PAYNE-HAHNER

The Gift Theatre, 4902 N. Milwaukee Avenue

ChiIL Live Shows will be out to review on February 24th, so check back shortly after for our full review. We're elated Gift Theatre is tipping the scales toward presenting more female written and directed shows this season. Unseen is the first of three world premieres written by women that comprise Gift's exciting 2017 season. This tiny but might theatre is big on presenting world class, professional productions in an incredibly intimate space. They're favorites of ours and we can't wait to catch their latest.

Unseen 

The Gift Theatre, 4802 N. Milwaukee Avenue, kicks off its 2017 Season with the world premiere of Mona Mansour’s play Unseen. Ensemble member Maureen Payne-Hahner directs a cast featuring ensemble members Brittany Burch (Mia) and Alexandra Main (Jane) with guest artist Ashley Agbay (Derya).  Unseen runs from February 10 – April 9, 2017 

Conflict photographer Mia wakes up in the Istanbul apartment of her on-again, off-again girlfriend after being found unconscious at the scene of a massacre she was photographing. Mia can’t even remember being there, but she wired photos of the site hours before being found. The two women resume their volatile push-pull when Mia’s well-meaning Californian mother arrives from the United States, trying to help unravel the mystery of what happened to her daughter.

“When I first read this play, it took my breath away,” says Artistic Director Michael Patrick Thornton. “To recognize each other’s humanity, to see each other’s pain and say ‘I love you completely for who you are’ is the highest gift we can give each other. As wars continue to rage on our planet, Unseen is a masterwork about love, trauma, and repair in the lives of those for whom war is not just a story, but real life. We are humbled and thrilled to tell this story at The Gift.”

Unseen’s design team includes Sarah Watkins (set), Rachel Sypniewski(costumes), John Kelly (lights), Sarah Ramos (sound), Sarahi Salazar (props) and Brock Alter (projections).

Performance schedule

Previews: Friday, February 10 – Wednesday, February 15

Press Opening: Thursday, February 16 at 7:30 p.m.

Regular Run: Friday, February 17 – Sunday, April 9

Curtain: Thursdays – Fridays at 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays at 3:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Sundays at 2:30 p.m.

Tickets for Unseen range from $30-$40 and are available by calling the Gift’s box office at 773-283-7071 or visiting thegifttheatre.org. Season subscriptions are also on sale now and range from $75-$190, with special pricing available for members under the age of 30 

About The Gift Theatre

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 takes place in January. The all-new season consists of three world premieres and kicks off in February with Mona Mansour’s war-torn drama Unseen, directed by ensemble member Maureen Payne-Hahner (February 10–April 9), followed by Claire Kiechel’s futuristic Pilgrims, co-directed by ensemble member Michael Patrick Thornton and guest artist Jessica Thebus (June 2-July 30). The  season closes with Janine Nabers’ time-hopping love story A Swell in the Ground, directed by guest artist Chika Ike (October 13-December 10). Season subscriptions 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. 

Senior, Student, Veterans and Industry discounts available.

Come Closer on Sunday, April 2 for a talkback with the cast, drinks, and a couple of themed appetizers! Tickets to this special event are $55 and sell out quickly. Reserve your spot today.