OPENING: Chicago Premiere of Beauty's Daughter Season Opener for American Blues Theater at Stage 773

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

American Blues Theater Presents the Chicago Premiere of

Beauty’s Daughter

by Dael Orlandersmith, Directed by Ron OJ Parson

Featuring Artistic Affiliate Wandachristine

July 7 – August 5, 2017

We can't wait to catch Beauty's Daughter a the press opening on July 13th. Check back soon for our full review.

American Blues Theater opens its 2017-2018 Season with the Chicago Premiere of Beauty’s Daughter by Dael Orlandersmith, directed by Ron OJ Parson, and Artistic Affiliate Wandachristine. Beauty’s Daughter runs July 7 – August 5, 2017 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. 

Dates: July 7 – August 5, 2017
Previews: July 7 – July 12, 2017
Press Opening: Thursday, July 13, 2017 at 7:30 p.m.
Regular Run: July 14 – August 5, 2017

Schedule: 
Thursday:7:30 p.m.
Friday: 7:30 p.m.
Saturday:7:30 p.m.
Sunday: 2:30 p.m. 

Additional performances on Wednesdays, July 12, 19 & 24 at 7:30pm; Wednesday, August 2 at 2:30pm; and Saturday, August 5 at 3:00pm.  There will be no performance on Saturday, August 5 at 7:30 pm.

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.

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.

“Wandachristine’s performance is wholly engrossing as she embodies the gestures, voices, and exceptional rhythms of Ms. Orlandersmith’s world,” says Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside.

The creative team for Beauty’s Daughter includes Caitlin McLeod (scenic design), Artistic Affiliate Jared Gooding (lighting design), Michael Alan Stein (costume design), Eric Backus (sound design), Mary O’Dowd (props design), and Artistic Affiliate Paul Deziel (projection design). The assistant director is Artemis Steakley Freeman, the dramaturg is Wilson Cain and the stage manager is Cara Parrish.

About the Artists
Dael Orlandersmith is a Goodman Artistic Associate and Artist-in-Residence at the new Alice Rapoport Center for Education and Engagement at the Goodman. Ms. Orlandersmith collaborated with the Goodman on Black n Blue Boys/Broken Men during the 2012/2013 Season and Stoop Stories during the 2009/2010 Season. Black n Blue Boys/Broken Men was developed as a co-commission between the Goodman and Berkeley Repertory Theatre, where it was staged in May 2012. Ms. Orlandersmith first performed Stoop Stories in 2008 at The Public Theater’s Under the Radar Festival and Apollo Theater’s Salon Series; Washington, D.C.’s Studio Theatre produced its world premiere in 2009. Her play Forever, commissioned by the Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles, was performed at the Mark Taper Forum in fall 2014. The show was then performed at the Long Wharf Theatre, New York Theatre Workshop and Portland Center Stage in 2015. Her play Until the Fall will play the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis in fall 2016. Her play Horsedreams was developed at New Dramatists and workshopped at New York Stage and Film Company in 2008, and was performed at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater in 2011. Bones was commissioned by the Mark Taper Forum, where it premiered in 2010. Ms. Orlandersmith premiered The Blue Album, in collaboration with David Cale, at Long Wharf Theatre in 2007. Yellowman was commissioned by and premiered at McCarter Theatre in a co-production with the Wilma Theater and Long Wharf Theatre. Ms. Orlandersmith was a Pulitzer Prize finalist and Drama Desk Award nominee for Outstanding Play and Outstanding Actress in a Play for Yellowman in 2002. The Gimmick, commissioned by McCarter Theatre, premiered in their Second Stage OnStage series in 1998 and went on to great acclaim at Long Wharf Theatre and New York Theatre Workshop; Ms. Orlandersmith won the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize for The Gimmick in 1999. Her play Monster premiered at New York Theatre Workshop in November 1996. Ms. Orlandersmith has toured extensively with the Nuyorican Poets Café (Real Live Poetry) throughout the United States, Europe and Australia. Yellowman and a collection of her earlier works have been published by Vintage Books and Dramatists Play Service. Ms. Orlandersmith attended Sundance Institute Theatre Lab for four summers and is the recipient of a New York Foundation for the Arts Grant, the Helen Merrill Award for Emerging Playwrights, a Guggenheim award and the 2005 PEN/Laura Pels Foundation award for a playwright in mid-career. She is the recipient of a Lucille Lortel Foundation Playwrights Fellowship and an Obie Award for Beauty’s Daughter.

Ron OJ Parson is a native of Buffalo, New York, and a graduate of the University of Michigan’s professional theatre program. He is the co-founder and former Artistic Director of The Onyx Theatre Ensemble of Chicago, a Resident Artist at Court Theatre and an Associate Artist with Teatro Vista and Writers Theatre. Since moving to Chicago from New York in 1994, he has worked as both an actor and director. His Chicago credits include work with Victory Gardens, Goodman, Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago Dramatists, Northlight Theatre, Court Theatre, Black Ensemble Theatre, Congo Square Theatre, Urban Theatre Co., ETA Creative Arts Foundation, Chicago Theatre Company, and Writers Theatre. Regionally, Ron has directed shows at Studio Arena Theatre, Alliance Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, South Coast Repertory, Pasadena Playhouse, Geva Theatre, Virginia Stage and Portland Stage (Maine), among others. Ron also has directed at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Canada. Acting credits on television and film include ER, Early Edition, Turks, American Playhouse, Vamping, Barbershop 2, Primal Fear, Ali, Drop Squad, Boss and most recently Fox’s Empire.

Wandachristine has graced the small screen in many memorable guest starring roles; the last one playing Birdie on Chicago PD. On the large screen, she’s worked alongside talents like Whoopi Goldberg, Neil Patrick Harris, Paul Newman, Tom Selleck, Clifton Davis; and she starred as Mrs. Jones, in the hit dramedy Me and Mrs. Jones along with Kim Fields and Brian White. On stage, she has appeared in such notable productions as, Spunk, The Vagina Monologues, Oo-Bla-Dee, and the touring company of Fences. However, her role as Quilly in the Writer’s Theatre production of Old Settler, garnered both a Supporting Actress nomination and the Best Actress nomination for the noted Ruby Dee/Black Theater Alliance Award, which was also the last time she and director Ron Oj Parson worked together. Her voice work includes commercials for Mc Donald’s, political campaigns, Scarface the video game, The Justice League and work with Eddie Murphy on the PJ’s. As an alumni of Loyola University, she was commissioned to write a one-act play Welcome Home for the opening of the Newhart Family Theater.  Recent literary projects include her first novel, “I Love You…More Than Shoes!” and her most recent play One Day.

Community Service
American Blues Theater is proud to continue “Pink Previews” for this production. Proceeds from preview performances are donated to the Lynn Sage Foundation for breast cancer research.

Additional community partners for this production include the Night Ministry, Young Chicago Authors, and The Family Institute at Northwestern University.

Accessible Performance Schedule
Touch Tour and Audio Described Performance: Sunday, July 16. Touch Tour begins at 1:30pm, performance begins at 2:30pm.  Closed Caption Performance: Sunday, July 23 begins at 2:30pm.

Post-Show Town Hall Meetings and Special Events
American Blues Theater offers free post-show events following Sunday performances of Beauty’s Daughter, July 9 – 30, 2017. 

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.

REVIEW: Teatro Vista's La Havana Madrid To Play Goodman's Owen Theatre 7/21-8/20!

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Get tickets now for Teatro Vista's La Havana Madrid—starts July 21!

***TEATRO VISTA ENSEMBLE MEMBER PLAYWRIGHT SANDRA DELGADO STARS IN THE TITLE ROLE FOR A CELEBRATION OF CHICAGO’S VIBRANT LATINX COMMUNITY***

TICKETS START AT JUST $30

  

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we had the great pleasure of catching opening night at Steppenwolf and highly recommend La Havana Madrid! This is not only a compelling collection of immigrant stories, but a stellar slice of Chicago history and a moving commentary on community. It's easy to forget how difficult it is for displaced people to find a home in a foreign land, learn a strange language and culture, and make new friends after loss and separation, and this production is a poignant and powerful reminder. 

We were enthralled with Sandra Delgado's writing and her soaring vocals as this multifaceted performer takes center stage and bring her own script to life. Through talented musicians, song, dance and spoken word, La Havana Madrid brings back a bygone era and a message that is all too timely today. This is an absolute must see.

Hot off the heels of a sold out run at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, La Havana Madrid comes to the Goodman's Owen Theatre 

July 21 - August 20.

Chicago’s legendary 1960s nightclub comes bursting back to life in a "heartfelt and fascinating" (Chicago Tribune ) musical celebration of the city’s Latino community. Step back in time and into La Havana Madrid, the long-gone Caribbean night club that drew throngs of newly-arrived Latinos to the city’s north side. Inspired by real stories, this intimate recreation of the vibrant music venue immerses audiences in the pulsing sounds of live mambo and salsa. Don’t miss it!

GOODMAN THEATRE PRESENTS TEATRO VISTA’S WORLD PREMIERE LA HAVANA MADRID, THE SOLD-OUT SMASH HIT “BURSTING WITH MUSIC AND WARMTH” (CHICAGO TRIBUNE), IN THE OWEN THEATRE, JULY 21 - AUGUST 20

On the heels of critically-acclaimed sold-out runs at Steppenwolf Theatre Company and The Miracle Center in Logan Square, Teatro Vista’s La Havana Madrid by Sandra Delgado extends its run at Goodman Theatre this summer, July 21 – August 20. Chicago’s fabled 1960s nightclub, La Havana Madrid, comes bursting back to life in “an immersive, wholly enjoyable experience” (Chicago Reader) complete with live music and “enough dancing and bonhomie to tempt you away from your little table down front” (Chicago Tribune). Directed by Teatro Vista ensemble member Cheryl Lynn Bruce, the production was inspired by true stories of Cuban, Puerto Rican and Colombian immigrants who found refuge in the nightclub. Delgado leads the eight-member cast (a full list appears below) as a mystical woman who conjures stories and vibrant songs performed live onstage each night by Colombian-American musician Roberto "Carpacho" Marin and his band of 30 years, Carpacho y Su Super Combo. 

La Havana Madrid appears July 21 - August 20 in the Owen Theatre (Opening Night is Wednesday, July 26 at 7:30pm). Tickets ($30-$50; subject to change) go on sale Wednesday, June 28; visit GoodmanTheatre.org/LaHavanaMadrid or call the box office at (312) 443-3800. La Havana Madrid is recommended for ages 12 and up.

“My journey with La Havana Madrid is a dream come true. It has been an absolute joy and honor to share this story with my fellow Chicagoans and I am incredibly grateful that we get to keep the love alive this summer,” said playwright and co-star Sandra Delgado. “It is especially sweet to come home to Goodman Theatre, where I wrote La Havana Madrid as part of the Playwright's Unit in the 2015/2016 Season. I cannot wait to invite audiences into the Owen Theatre, which will be transformed into the La Havana Madrid nightclub, night after night.”

In addition to Delgado, the eight-member cast also includes Teatro Vista ensemble members Tommy Rivera-Vega and Marvin Quijada; and newcomers Mike Oquendo, Donovan Diaz and Krystal Ortiz, who round out the cast as Cuban, Colombian and Puerto Rican patrons, staff and musicians who all met, danced, loved and lost at La Havana Madrid. Original cast members Cruz Gonzalez-Cadel and Phoebe González are unable to continue with the production and their roles are being recast for the Goodman remount. The design team includes Ashley Woods (set), Elsa Hiltner (costumes), Heather Sparling (lights), Mikhail Fiksel (sound), Liviu Pasare (projections and video design) and William Carlos Angulo (choreography).



A Brief History about La Havana Madrid Nightclub (Originally Located on Belmont and Sheffield)

In the late 1950s and throughout the 1960s, Latinos from Caribbean countries such as Puerto Rico and Cuba settled all along Chicago's lakefront, from North Avenue to Devon. Although from different countries, music brought them together. Their shared rhythms—African rhythms—became the guaguanco, the mambo and the merengue. Now in the United States, these rhythms merged with traditional big band sounds and eventually became salsa. On the North side of Chicago, a handful of Latino music clubs opened up: Coco Loco on Lincoln Avenue, The Mirror Lounge on North Avenue and La Havana Madrid on Belmont and Sheffield. Luis “Witto” Aloma, a Cuban-born player for the Chicago White Sox, opened the club in the early 1960s to create a place for his Cuban friends to drink coffee and play cards and dominoes. Along the way, La Havana Madrid grew into a more lavish supper club with live Cuban musical acts, before it changed hands and Puerto Rican TV and radio host took over the club. La Havana Madrid closed in the late 1960s and later became the popular folk club The Quiet Knight. Today, the same second floor space is occupied by Milio’s Hair Studio.

About Teatro Vista

Teatro Vista’s 2017/2018 season opens with The Goodman Theatre remount of La Havana Madrid.

Teatro Vista produces, develops and commissions plays that explore the wealth and variety of the human experience from a Latinx perspective. The company provides work and professional advancement opportunities for Latinx theater artists, with special emphasis on the company’s ensemble members, and seeks to enhance the curricular goals of Chicago students through theatre. Teatro Vista was recently celebrated as one of “Chicago’s Cultural Leaders” by the Arts & Business Council of Chicago and received the League of Chicago Theatre’s Artistic Leadership Award.

For the development of La Havana Madrid, Teatro Vista and Delgado received from The Chicago Community Trust, and the 2015 Joyce Award. Delgado also received a 3Arts 3AP Project Grant and developed the script as a member of the 2015/2016 Playwright’s Unit at Goodman Theatre.

Teatro Vista is supported by The Joyce Foundation, the Chicago Community Trust, Alphawood Foundation, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, The MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events of the City of Chicago, The Shubert Foundation, The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelly Foundation, the Chicago Latino Theater Alliance, Purple Group, Cumberland Irving and Vidal & Associates, Inc. and The Saints.

For more information, visit TeatroVista.org, on Twitter (@TeatroVista), Facebook and Instagram.



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 in 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 E. 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.

SAVE THE DATES: WAITRESS AT CADILLAC PALACE JULY 3 – 22, 2018

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

WAITRESS

TO PLAY BROADWAY IN CHICAGO’S

CADILLAC PALACE THEATRE

THREE WEEKS ONLY!

JULY 3 – 22, 2018

Broadway In Chicago is thrilled to announce WAITRESS will play the Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 W. Randolph) for a limited three-week engagement July 3 – 22, 2018. 

WAITRESS will join the line-up of performances at the annual Broadway In Chicago Summer Concert, sponsored by ABC 7 Chicago and hosted by Janet Davies, ABC 7 Chicago’s entertainment reporter and host of the entertainment and lifestyle program 190 NORTH on ABC 7. The Broadway In Chicago Summer Concert will take place on Monday, August 14, 2017 at 6:15 p.m. at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion at Millennium Park (201 E Randolph St).

Brought to life by a groundbreaking all-female creative team, this irresistible new hit features original music and lyrics by 6-time Grammy® nominee Sara Bareilles ("Brave," "Love Song"), a book by acclaimed screenwriter Jessie Nelson (I Am Sam) and direction by Tony Award® winner Diane Paulus (Hair, Pippin, Finding Neverland).

Inspired by Adrienne Shelly's beloved film, WAITRESS tells the story of Jenna - a waitress and expert pie maker, Jenna dreams of a way out of her small town and loveless marriage. A baking contest in a nearby county and the town's new doctor may offer her a chance at a fresh start, while her fellow waitresses offer their own recipes for happiness. But Jenna must summon the strength and courage to rebuild her own life.

"It's an empowering musical of the highest order!" raves the Chicago Tribune.  "WAITRESS is a little slice of heaven!" says Entertainment Weekly and "a monumental contribution to Broadway!" according to Marie Claire.  Don't miss this uplifting musical celebrating friendship, motherhood, and the magic of a well-made pie.



Ticket Information
WAITRESS will be part of the next Broadway In Chicago season, on sale this fall.  Group tickets for 10 or more for WAITRESS are available now by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710. Individual tickets for will go on sale at a later date.  For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO
Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 17 years has grown to be one of the largest commercial touring homes in the country.  A Nederlander Presentation, Broadway In Chicago lights up the Chicago Theater District entertaining well up to 1.7 million people annually in five theatres.  Broadway In Chicago presents a full range of entertainment, including musicals and plays, on the stages of five of the finest theatres in Chicago’s Loop including The PrivateBank Theatre, the Oriental Theatre, Cadillac Palace Theatre, the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place.  For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

Facebook @BroadwayInChicago ● Twitter @broadwaychicago ● Instagram @broadwayinchicago ● #broadwayinchicago

OPENING: World Premiere of Fight City Via The Factory Theater 7/14-8/26

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

THE FACTORY THEATER PRESENTS THE WORLD PREMIERE OF 

FIGHT CITY, 

JULY 14 – AUGUST 26

The Factory’s Latest Production, 

Written by Scott OKen and Directed by Jill Oliver

The Factory Theater presents its latest production, the world premiere of Fight City. Written by Factory Theater’s Artistic Director Scott OKen and directed by Jill Oliver, Fight City runs July 14 – August 26 at The Factory Theater, 1623 W. Howard St. Previews are Friday, July 14 and Saturday, July 15 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, July 16 at 3 p.m. Opening night is Friday, July 21 at 8 p.m. The regular run’s, July 21 – August 26, performance times are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Ticket prices are $10 for preview performances and $25 for regular run. Tickets may be purchased through Box Office by calling 866.811.4111 or by visiting TheFactoryTheater.com.

In the dystopian future of 2077, gender roles are reversed, guns and knives are all but eliminated, yet crime is still on the rise. The Central City Police Department has the most elite fighters in the region and they keep the peace by doling out hard-nosed justice. Officer Barb Davies (Jennifer Betancourt) is the most skilled fighter of them all, yet she has the most level head. Can she make sense of this new world or are we doomed to repeat the endless cycle of violence?

The cast for Fight City includes: Jennifer Betancourt (Barb Davies), Almanya Narula (Avory), Mandy Walsh (Margaret), Jen Bosworth (Quaife, Noone), Ashley Yates (Argent), Meredith Rae Lyons (White), Grace Odumosu (Richards), Linsey Falls (Terry), Josh Zagoren (Relf), Eric Frederickson (Verne/Steele), Jae K. Renfrow (Leo), Kim Boler (Erica), Susan Wingerter (Valentine), Megan Schemmel (Price, Thug), Brittany Ellis (Chandler, Thug) and Harrison Weger (Weatherfoot). Understudies are Colin Milroy, Josh Greiveldinger, Cory Griffith, Kim Fukawa, Elizabeth MacDougald, Josephine Longo, Dan Krall, Carla McDowell, and Sara Robinson.

The production team for Fight City includes: Jill Oliver (director), Scott OKen (playwright), Phil Claudnic (stage manager), Jermaine Thomas (assistant stage manager), Kevin Alves (assistant director), Manny Tamayo (production manager), Greg Caldwell (assistant production manager), Sarah Lewis (set designer), Carla Hamilton (costume designer), Emma Deane (lighting designer) Ben Zeman (sound designer), Holly McCauley (props designer), C.W. Van Baale (master electrician) Maureen Yasko (fight/violence designer) Chris Smith (fight/violence director) and Jason Moody (graphics designer).

About Scott OKen, playwright

Scott OKen has been the artistic director for the Factory Theater since 2007, and a member since 1996. This is his 10th play being produced by the Company. Previous written works include Toast of the Town, GI's in Europe and Easy Six (all co-written with Ernie Deak) and Namosaur!, Mop Top Festival and Top Shelf... He has also directed Factory shows, Siskel and Ebert Save Chicago, White Trash Wedding and a Funeral (2012 run) and most recently, Dating and Dragons. OKen has also appeared on stage in many Factory Theater productions over the years, and is thankful every day for this Company and the ensemble within.

 About Jill Oliver, director

Jill Oliver has been an Ensemble Member with the Factory Theater since 2011. She's pretty jacked to be directing her first full-length production for Factory after having directed the short 30 Days Down the Rabbit Hole for Abbie Hoffman Festival. Oliver normally wears the actor hat and has worked with other companies such as Artistic Home, A Red Orchid Theatre, Irish Theatre of Chicago, LiveWire Theatre, Wayward Productions and Shattered Globe. She is represented by Shirley Hamilton Talent. Oliver will also make her playwright debut with Lametown and the Adventures of Spirit Force Five at Factory next summer. 

About The Factory Theater

For almost 25 years, The Factory has created its shows from scratch, doing exactly the kind of theater they wanted to do. From writing workshops to the closing night bash, Factory shows are a unique experience that fits its exacting standards: original, bold, and full-tilt. Its shameless ensemble are ambassadors of a good time, making certain that Chicago remains heartily entertained.

The Factory Theater presents its latest production, the world premiere of Fight City. Written by Factory Theater’s Artistic Director Scott OKen and directed by Jill Oliver, Fight City runs July 14 – August 26 at The Factory Theater, 1623 W. Howard St. Previews are Friday, July 14 and Saturday, July 15 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, July 16 at 3 p.m. Opening night is Friday, July 21 at 8 p.m. The regular run’s, July 21 – August 26, performance times are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Ticket prices are $10 for preview performances and $25 for regular run. Tickets may be purchased through Box Office by calling 866.811.4111 or by visiting TheFactoryTheater.com.

REVIEW: Cor Theatre's Stellar Late Company Explores Suicide Fallout at Pride Arts Center

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Ghosts loom large in Late Company, at what might be one of the awkwardest, angriest dinner parties ever on stage. A year after his suicide, this dead 16 year old is larger than life in his absence, from the all consuming grief enveloping his parents, who are haunted by a mysterious thumping upstairs, to a bully's nightmares, and his parents' chagrin.

**Late Company is for mature audiences.**   

Photo credits: Matthew Gregory Hollis

Yesterday, my 14 year old daughter and I stood in the grocery checkout line where headlines blared "Woman goes on trial for allegedly urging boyfriend to kill himself". The current trial involves a then 17 year old girl who is being tried for involuntary manslaughter now, 3 years after her boyfriend killed himself. There is no precedent for rulings on encouraging suicide.

I asked my daughter if the girl deserved jail time. This prompted a lively discussion where she argued that bullying and joking around are incredibly common in high school and if everyone who said something stupid and insensitive to someone was arrested, our jails would be overflowing with non violent teens. And who's to say the kid wouldn't have killed himself anyway. She pointed out the vast numbers of bullied kids who don't kill themselves and the kids who aren't bullied who do. As a mother of two high schoolers, I wholeheartedly disagreed. I was ready to throw the book at any kid evil or insensitive enough to influence a peer to kill himself, so people would think twice before being so cruel and pushing an already troubled kid over the edge. 

That night I saw Cor Theatre's Late Company and began to realize the complexity of the issues and all the intertwined lives surrounding each childhood suicide death, especially Late Company's show with the added LGBTQ element. Similar issues were at the forefront. How much culpability do bullies have after a suicide? Can grief be shared? Can blame? Can forgiveness? In Late Company, a suicidal gay boy, grappling with his sexuality, closeted to his parents, being treated for depression, kills himself after being harassed at school. Late Company also features a surprisingly sympathetic bully and his defensive parents as media victims. Cor Theatre does a stellar job of broaching this topic with energy and empathy. We recommend Late Company. It's a tough but timely topic and a great springboard for discussion. 

We also love the communal art project in the lobby that will be raffled off. The audience is invited to add a simple brush stroke to a blank canvas as a pledge of support for the LGBTQ Community.

As Late Company opens, the table is set for an elegant dinner party. Enter, two devastated, grieving parents. Enter belatedly, a teen wracked with guilt and vilified by the media for his potential contribution to his classmate's demise, and his loving parents who are late because they were fighting over whether the dinner is a good idea. 

Everything's on the table, quite literally, in this thought provoking and too timely production. Both families' parenting styles are up for critique, mental health, grieving styles, the blame game, LGBTQ coming of age, and more. What starts as an effort to bring closure to a tragedy ends in vicious verbal attacks, raw emotion, and pain. Yet, through it all the audience has a stellar chance to leave with more empathy for the all too frequently lethal struggles of LGBTQ teens, the devastated parents who have lost children to suicide, and the stunned classmates whose hazing was meant to be funny not fatal. 

Ultimately there are some tender moments of healing and glimmers of future forgiveness down the road.






Cor Theater's Chicago debut of Late Company runs through July 16, 2017 at the Pride Arts Center, in the Buena Theatre, 4147 N. Broadway St. in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood. Tickets, $18-$30, are on sale now at cortheatre.org, or by calling (866) 811-4111.

Performances continue through July 16: Wednesday through Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at  3 p.m. Exceptions: No Wednesday shows June 21 or July 5. The performance on Thursday, June 22 is sold out. No shows Saturday and Sunday, June 24 and 25 due to Pride Weekend. 

About Late Company

Get set for a scorching start to Chicago's summer theater season when  Cor Theatre presents the Midwest premiere of Late Company, a shockingly funny, scathingly painful family drama set on Chicago's North Shore about LGBTQ youth and the scourge of teen suicide. Acclaimed director Jessica Fisch stages the first Chicago production of this vitally important new work by Canadian gay playwright, director and filmmaker Jordan Tannahill, called the future of Canadian theatre (NOW Magazine) and the hottest name in Canadian theatre (Montreal Gazette). 

The raves continued for recent European premiere of Late Company at London's Finborough Theatre. Time Out London called Late Company a powerful new drama about the devastating aftershocks of cyber bullying. Superb. The Times hailed this dinner party from hell serves up the full gamut of emotions. A terrific play. Go! This one deserves a West End transfer. Like the controversial Netflix hit series 13 Reasons Why, Late Company takes no prisoners with its vivid portrayal of the aftershocks of teen suicide, but more from the parents' point of view. 



One year after a gay teen's suicide, two North Shore families sit down to dinner. Pleasant mealtime chatter quickly turns into fierce interrogation as each person at the table confesses their real or imagined part in the tragedy. As blame shifts, layers of parental, sexual, and political hypocrisy are revealed. Scathingly funny and heartbreakingly real, award winning Jordan Tannahill's Late Company asks, How well can a parent ever really know their child? 

According to Cor Artistic Director and cast member Tosha Fowler, Late Company is about wrestling with forgiveness. Two sets of parents are fighting desperately for closure from a suicide brought on by missed opportunities and misunderstandings on both sides. Nobody in the room is blameless –everyone is sparring like hell to find peace within themselves and each other. Jordan's writing is funny and searing. It has the kind of visceral energy that makes live theater unique, said director Jessica Fisch, adding, In light of our current political climate, a play about people coming to the table to talk over their grievances feels both novel and inspirational. I want to believe it's possible for people with drastically different points of view to find common ground and healing. Late Company challenges that belief and offers hope that it is possible.

Cor's Chicago debut of Late Company features Tony Bozzuto (so memorable in Cor's Skin Tight and Christina, The Girl King), Matthew Elam (a Chicago newcomer and third year acting major at DePaul), Paul Fagen (recently seen in About Face's The Tempermentals) and Tosha Fowler (co-founder and artistic director of Cor, credits include What of The Night? and Love and Human Remains). New to the cast is Asia Jackson, most recently seen in Among All of This You Stand Like A Fine Brownstone at ETA Creative Arts Theatre.The production team is Cole von Glahn (assistant director), Adam Gutkin (set and props), Alarie Hammock (costumes), Jeffrey Levin (sound), Eric Vigo (lights), Topher Kielbasa (dramaturg), Stefin Steberl (production manager) and Michael Starcher (stage manager). 



Jordan Tannahill is a playwright, director, filmmaker and a leading figure in Canada's gay arts community. The TorontoGlobe and Mail recently hailed him as ...the poster child of a new generation of (theatre? film? dance?) artists for whom interdisciplinary is not a buzzword, but a way of life. His plays have been presented across Canada, his films have been widely exhibited at venues such as the  Toronto International Film Festival, the Art Gallery of Ontario, and the British Film Institute, and he received the 2014 Governor General's Literary Award for Drama for his book Age of Minority: Three Solo Plays. In collaboration with William Ellis, Tannahill runs the alternative art-space Videofag in Toronto. Currently he is partnering with the National Theatre of London and the National Film Board Canada to create Draw Me Close, an immersive technology memoir in which audiences experience a live, illustrated world as five-year-old Jordan during his mother's battle with cancer. The first chapter premiered April 21-29, 2017 at the Tribeca Film Festival. jordantannahill.com.

Jessica Fisch is a Chicago-based freelance director and professor. Chicago projects this season include directing the world premiere of Firebirds Take the Field for Rivendell Theatre Ensemble and associate directing Straight White Men by Young Jean Lee at Steppenwolf. Other credits include Trudy, Carolyn, Martha and Regina Travel to Outer Space (Actors Theatre of Louisville, Humana Festival), Fefu and Her  Friends (Goodman Theatre/Rivendell Latina/o Celebration), Opulent Complex and That Thing That Time (Actors Theatre of Louisville, The Tens), Far Away (SITE Festival, Northwestern), 42 Stories (Raven Theatre, [Working Title] series) and Machinal and Spike Heels (Northwestern University).


Selected New York credits are The Realm (The Wild Project), strive/seek/find (Abingdon Theatre), the 2009 PlaywrightsHorizons Stories on 5 Stories Benefit, Personal History (Ensemble Studio Theatre), The Redheaded Man (Barrow Street Theatre/Down Payment Productions/FringeNYC/ FringeEncores), and Dressed In Your Dreams (Public Theater/Emerging Writers Group), an adaptation of the cult 1960ૻs gothic vampire soap opera Dark Shadows (Williamstown Theatre Festival). Prior to moving to Chicago, Fisch lived in New York City where she was the Co-founder and Artistic Director of Down Payment Productions (DPP). She was also a resident director at Ensemble Studio Theater, the 2008-2009 Playwrights Horizons Directing Resident and a member of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab. She earned her MFA at Northwestern University. 

About Cor Theatre 
Cor Theatre (cortheater.org) debuted in September 2012 with a vision to create theatrical experiences that are rarely presented in Chicago by artists who seek to defy expectation. Today, Cor is one of Chicago's youngest and most ambitious professional theater companies with a growing board and strong experience behind it.  Cor's inaugural production, Skin Tight by Gary Henderson, was met with enthusiastic audiences, critical acclaim and made just enough money to establish a not-for-profit corporation. 

The company named itself Cor Theatre, deriving its name from the Latin root of courage – meaning heart. Cor returned in 2015 with Erin Courtney's A Map of Virtue, named a top show to see in the Chicago Tribune and Most Promising Debut by Time Out Chicago. Cor triumphed again in 2015 with the first Chicago staging in 20 years of Brad Frasier's Love and Human Remains, which played to numerous sold-out houses and was named one of the top plays to see by Windy City Times and New City. In March 2016, Cor presented the U.S. premiere of Christina, The Girl King by Michel Marc Bouchard, translated by Linda Gaboriau, telling the true story of the enigmatic, gender bending 17th century Queen of Sweden. Cor concluded its 2016 season in October with an epic production of Bertolt Brecht's The Good Person of Szechwan, translated by Tony Kushner, directed by ensemble member Ernie Nolan. 

Most recently, in January 2017, Cor gobsmacked Chicago audiences and critics alike with Carlos Murillo's daring staging of What of the Night? by María Irene Fornés.  Current Cor company members are Tony Bozzuto, Chris Brickhouse, Elyse Cowles, Tosha Fowler, Adam Gutkin, Alarie Hammock, Topher Kielbasa, Jeffrey Levin, Claire Meyers, Ernie Nolan, Stefin Steberl and Eric Vigo. 

For more information, visit cortheater.org, like Cor Theatre on Facebook, follow the company on Twitter, @TheatreCor, or call (866) 811-4111.

Steppenwolf Theatre's Pass Over Reviews Fracas

A storm broke out in Chicago last week, when several theatre critics reviewed Steppenwolf Theatre's latest show, Pass Over, in a way many deemed racist and/or insensitive.

One of Chicago's most prominent critics was eviscerated for her words, amid a huge outcry that she be denied press tickets to productions citywide for her opinions, and that the Sun Times send another reviewer. Another critic chose to lead with a hot button word in her review of the same production that triggered general outrage and heated calls for her to never review again, causing her to forgo writing theatre reviews for the foreseeable future.




Then the vitriol spread from directed barbs to slams agains ALL critics and a rant that nobody would miss us if we were all abducted by aliens and we're not worth the rope to hang us, in a verbal attack nasty enough that Facebook removed it. 



Chicago's theatre community, from artistic directors, actors, and theatres to critics, is still engaged in a heated debate over where to draw the line on policing review content versus free speech. It's a potential game changer. I don't think anyone condones hate speech, whether racially motivated or directed at critics, but who makes that judgement call and censors potential hot button phrases? It's an incredibly complicated and nuanced issue, especially with the rise of on line reviewers who don't have editors and a parent publication to police their content before publication. Reviews by their very nature are opinion pieces, and one person's opinion that content is innocuous or has artistic merit may be considered racist or hate speech by others.

Production photo from Pass Over at Steppenwolf

"We denounce the viewpoints expressed in some of these reviews as they fail to acknowledge the very systemic racism that 'Pass Over' addresses directly. Particularly egregious are the comments from Sun-Times critic Hedy Weiss, whose critical contribution has, once again, revealed a deep-seated bigotry and a painful lack of understanding of this country’s historic racism. Her contribution is actively working against the kind of theater we are striving to be," Steppenwolf artistic director Anna D. Shapiro and executive director David Schmitz said in a statement e-mailed to the Tribune.

My fear is that this backlash may cause theaters to shy away from producing controversial plays and/or make critics balk at reviewing or promoting them for fear of swift and vicious retributions for their opinions. 

I've been reviewing plays for 7 years now and it's tougher than people think. There truly is power in the written word. Productions have folded right after the press opening due to bad reviews. Critics can make or break actors' careers. Critical writing goes beyond breaking out adjectives and trying not to give too many spoilers. We're tasked with truthfully conveying not only a production's merit, but all it's deeper levels of meaning, and doing justice to the storytelling and the presentation and execution. Yes, I 100% agree there's no excuse for outright prejudice and racism, but critics shouldn't write fluff and fear for our livelihood if the choice of a word or turn of phrase is misunderstood. I know both Hedy and Katy professionally and neither seems to be a bigot or a racist in real life, despite their inevitable bias of white privilege. Their jobs are to cover diverse productions by people of every race, religion and color and they try to do it with wit and wisdom, and as fallible human beings, sometimes they fall short. 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/ct-hedy-weiss-sun-times-pass-over-steppenwolf-20170614-story.html









Hedy has had a lifelong career as a critic and has written many brilliant reviews over decades in the industry. She has insight that comes with age and experience and that's valuable. That said, we all can learn and grow. We all need to give serious thought to what it means for the future of theatre and critical reviews if critics are bullied into silence or fired for expressing any viewpoints other than a narrow one that offends no one.   

In Chicago, there are hundreds of productions running and people read reviews to narrow down an overwhelming sea of choices, to make an informed decision on what they'd like to see. Critics keep theater seats filled, in a world of other entertainment choices, and help keep the medium alive. I've also heard from many over the years that they turn to reviews after the fact, to understand what they've seen and see what they've missed. Critics are not one unified voice, and often disagree wildly on productions' merit and even meaning, and our readers are even more diverse and varied. This is generally an asset, not a liability. I've told my kids that the greatest gift is not teaching people what to think, but how to think. That's key here. See the show. Formulate your own opinions. Discuss civilly. Listen to others. Repeat.

Nobody can entirely escape their own backgrounds and leanings in an opinion piece, and the audience brings their own backgrounds and biases into a show, too. We have every right to expect respect and civility in reviews, but we can't expect consensus on interpretations, and throwing Hedy and Katy under the bus for perceived racism doesn't foster healthy debate and discussion, it quashes it with an iron boot.

Theatre can be pure magic, evoke emotions, change minds, and foster understanding. As Dr. Who says, "We're all stories in the end." and the alchemy of theatre is intoxicating. It's a dynamic, living art form where the audience energy mixes with and changes what happens on stage, and people leave transformed. 

Many came to Katy and Hedy's defense, and tried to rationally deescalate the situation, as there's no call for violence, bullying and intimidation. Words are powerful things, but not a capital offense!

Katy did all the right things, removing the "N" word immediately and issuing an apology on social media as soon as she realized she'd crossed the line and pissed off a lot of people. She also issued a written apology on her site and wrote a letter of contrition on her blog as well. They're the very things mature adults do, and what I've been teaching my teens since they were toddlers. Everyone screws up at some point. Everyone hurts someone else sooner or later, by accident or on purpose. Not if, WHEN this happens, don't deny it or make excuses. Even if you had no clue your words or actions would be hurtful or misunderstood, apologize. The feelings of others are legitimate and if they're hurt you need to learn from the situation. Then you try to fix it. 

Yes, many were truly and legitimately offended, though that was never Katy's intention. And those feeling are absolutely valid. Nevertheless, some went above and beyond, attacking, bullying and silencing her. Ultimately, in the aftermath, she chose to stop reviewing theatre for at least a few months, if not forever. Many may see this as a victory, but I know Katy, and the loss of her talented voice and insight would be a tragedy. 

There's a fine line between free speech and hate speech, but writing needs to be taken in context. Katy learned the hard lesson that the WHO matters. Black rappers can say the N word with impunity. White theatre critics can't. Still, what those she offended need to understand is the WHY matters too. She was not using the word as a weapon of hate, but as a tool to evoke change and promote greater racial understanding, by advocating for people to come experience a challenging and intense piece of theatre. Critics can't write truthfully and fully if one misunderstood word or phrase can bring down public wrath on line and end their careers.

We live in tough times, where the internet has simultaneously given us more connection and greater isolation. Our police do seem to be murdering black men with impunity and our president is eroding human rights at an alarming pace. More diverse voices have a platform than ever before, and yet it's easier than ever to get lost in the lies, miss the nuances of meaning, and spew threats and bile with the ease of anonymity. We need our stories, a myriad of different voices, and our words now, more than ever. We need to listen to each other and learn. We need to be patient with each other and work through the misunderstandings, miscommunications and mistakes instead of responding with knee jerk indignation and outrage. 

I'm not defending Katy or Hedy's word choices, but I am defending the idea that it's a vicious overreaction to go after ideas you disagree with with petitions to bar someone from doing their job or threats of violence. Writers need to be free to convey the essence of a production, make people think, and not fear for their safety or their careers with every keystroke. Reviews are not meant to please everyone and artists, writers, activists, musicians and other creatives have true power to spark change. Women on line are often silenced these days with call to fire, or worst case scenario, ugly threats of rape and murder, and that needs to change. We need to have each other's backs and shine a light on this situation, whether it's happening to writers, activists, scientists or school kids. Sure, people also have the right to express their outrage at an injustice, but trolls incite just to get a rise out of people, and sometimes anger turns to violent actions and reactions. When someone is bullied or censored into stopping writing or speaking out, we all lose. 



We have all been given a chance to grow through this situation, and where we all take it from here matters. We are not a fascist regime where writers are put to death or exiled for writing something controversial. This situation sparked a spirited debate between me and my husband over breakfast in a diner, that caught the interest of the couple in the booth behind us and they joined in! It ranged over the crucial ideas of racism, free speech, race inequity and violence, internet threats, voice, bias, and beyond. Sometimes writing theatre reviews can feel like shouting into the void. Yet, sometimes, reviews start a chain reaction of discussions, birth ideas, firm resolves, educate and enlighten. Words matter. Debates with strangers over breakfast matter. Discussions, discourse, and really hearing each other matters. And writers who spark that matter too.

Yesterday, a week after the snafu, Katy left a letter of contrition on her site that moved me to tears. I'll close with her wise words. 

A letter of contrition…

It’s been 6 days since my horrible mistake regarding the use of an offensive word in a theatre review. If you aren’t aware of my blunder, this letter isn’t for you.  If you know exactly what I’m talking about, please take a moment to read this.

I’ve spent a lot of time in contemplation of my error. As a writer, I know the power of words. And the wrong one at the wrong time is bad enough. My mistake wasn’t timing, it was utilization. The word I used wasn’t and is not mine to use. My intent was a poetic illustration of the play’s rhythm but it was perceived as a savage attack on a group of people. Instead of connecting people to a powerful play, it fueled rage brought on by my ignorance and drew attention to the power of a word that has a long history of hate and division. And I found myself, for the first time in my life, seen as a perpetrator of hate. 

A lot of you don’t know me but that is not who I am. I’m a person who champions marginalized populations, advocates for people who can’t find their voice and believes being kind is THE most important contribution an individual can make in life. 

I ask you to forgive me for my short-sighted understanding of the damage I could do with one word. I’m not asking for you to forgive and forget. I know I won’t forget. The response to my review will change me and challenge me to work to be a better person. 

I have decided to take a break from theatre reviewing…at least for the summer. I would never want a theatre company to feel ashamed or embarrassed to invite or un-invite me to a show or have an actor feel that could not perform because I was attending. My intent, as a reviewer, has always been, and always will be, to promote theatre and all the talent in the Chicago theatre community. If I don’t return as a reviewer, I’ll find other ways to support theatre. 

During this summer, I will be having conversations with others about this issue and others. I invite anyone to have coffee or a drink with me this summer to talk more. I believe real change comes from individuals coming together and talking. If you are interested in helping me bridge divides and build understanding, please, contact me at kwalshkt@aol.com.      

Peace,

Katy