OPENING: CAPTAIN STEVE’S CARING KINGDOM AT THE FACTORY THEATER 10/27-12/9/17

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

THE FACTORY THEATER ANNOUNCES ITS FIRST SHOW OF THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON, 

MIKE OOI’S CAPTAIN STEVE’S CARING KINGDOM,

OCTOBER 27 – DECEMBER 9

**not suitable for children**

Company Member Mike Ooi Writes and Directs the Production that Delves Behind the Scenes into What Happens to the Land Frequented by a Popular Children’s TV Show Host When He’s Not There

The Factory Theater presents the first production of its 25th anniversary season, the world premiere of Captain Steve’s Caring Kingdom, playing at the Factory Theater, 1623 W. Howard St., October 27 – December 9. The new play is both written and directed by Company Member Mike Ooi. Previews are Friday, Oct. 27 and Saturday, Oct. 28 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 29 at 3 p.m. Opening night is Friday, Nov. 3 at 8 p.m. The regular run, November 3 – December 9, is Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Ticket prices are $10 for previews, $18 for students and seniors and $25 for general admission. 

Tickets may be purchased through the Box Office by calling 866.811.4111 or by visiting TheFactoryTheater.com.

Everyone is familiar with the host of a children’s show visiting a land filled with talking animals and puppets. What happens when the host isn’t around? Do the animals also go to jobs they hate? Are they struggling to save their relationships? Do they have issues they can’t seem to fix? The Factory Theater takes a glimpse into the lives of the residents of Captain Steve’s caring kingdom, in a new story not suitable for children.

The cast for Captain Steve’s Caring Kingdom includes: Christy Arington (Shakes and Frankie), Jennifer Betancourt (Meowser and Ronnie), Greg Caldwell (Dr. Stork), Blake Dalzin (Squeals), Brittany Ellis (Ellie Phant), Chris Hainsworth (Beaky), Dan Krall (The Fattie/Donnie), Topher Leon (Busby), Scott OKen (OK Bear), Michael Reyes (Turv the Perv), Sarah Scanlon (Allamis Morrison), Christopher M. Walsh (Mookie/The King) and Rebecca Wolfe (Nellie Phant/Grimby).

Understudies include Phil Claudnic, Morgan Gire, Lydie Hiller, (U/S Allamis, Shakes/Frankie, Meowser/Ronnie), Brian Kulaga, Andrew Rodriguez (Dr. Stork, Busby), Allie Romano (Ellie Phant), Anthony Tournis (Beaky) and Ashley Yates (The Fattie/Donnie).

The production team for Captain Steve’s Caring Kingdom includes: Mike Ooi, director and playwright; Mandy Walsh, assistant director; Jeremy Hollis, scenic designer; Meghan Erxleben, lighting designer; Rachel Sypniewski, costume designer; Gary Nocco, co-costume designer; Caleb Awe, assistant costume designer; Chas Vrba, sound designer; Ann Sonneville, prop designer; Jill Frederickson, puppet designer; R&D Choreography: Rick Gilbert and Victor Bayona, violence design; Monica M. Brown, stage manager and Timothy C. Amos, production manager.

About Mike Ooi, playwright and director

For the Factory, Ooi directed Street Justice:Condition Red (2013) and wrote Dating & Dragons (2016). Ooi has also worked as an actor, stage manager, and in other aspects for Lifeline Theatre, AdventureStage, ETD, Strawdog, The House Theatre of Chicago, and The Hypocrites. TV credits include NBC’s Chicago Fire. He is a proud company member of the Factory Theater and is represented by Paonessa Talent.

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 is ambassadors of a good time, making certain that Chicago remains heartily entertained.

The Factory Theater presents the first production of its 25th anniversary season, the world premiere of Captain Steve’s Caring Kingdom, playing at the Factory Theater, 1623 W. Howard St., October 27 – December 9. The new play is both written and directed by Company Member Mike Ooi. Previews are Friday, Oct. 27 and Saturday, Oct. 28 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 29 at 3 p.m. Opening night is Friday, Nov. 3 at 8 p.m. The regular run, November 3 – December 9, is Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Ticket prices are $10 for previews, $18 for students and seniors and $25 for general admission. Tickets may be purchased through the Box Office by calling 866.811.4111 or by visiting TheFactoryTheater.com. 

OPENING: World Premiere of CARRIE 2: THE RAGE (AN UNAUTHORIZED MUSICAL PARODY) Via Underscore Theatre Company at The Arkham

 Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Casting Announced!

Underscore Theatre Company Presents the World Premiere of

CARRIE 2: THE RAGE 

(AN UNAUTHORIZED MUSICAL PARODY)

Book, Music and Lyrics by Preston Max Allen

Co-Directed by Isaac Loomer and Rachel Elise Johnson

Music Direction by T.J. Anderson 

October 13 – November 19, 2017 at The Arkham

Back in the day, I played Carrie in a haunted house for two seasons, moving kitchen drawers and banging cupboards with my mental powers (and a little help from backstage). It was huge fun donning my deliciously bloody prom dress and air brushed makeup and scaring full grown adults into screaming idiots. I'd never made anyone pee themselves before, run shrieking into walls, or completely lose their minds. So, I'll always have a soft spot for the Carrie character, and can't wait to catch Underscore Theatre's macabre musical parody that takes place 10+ years after that fateful pig blood infused prom night. 

Just in time for Halloween, Underscore Theatre Company is pleased to launch its 2017-18 Season with the world premiere of with CARRIE 2: THE RAGE (An Unauthorized Musical Parody), an irreverent, rock-infused send-up of Stephen King’s iconic horror film Carrie and its subsequent spin-off The Rage: Carrie 2, featuring a book, music and lyrics by Preston Max Allen. Co-directed by Isaac Loomer and Rachel Elise Johnson, with music direction by T.J. Anderson, CARRIE 2: THE RAGE will play October 13 – November 19, 2017 at The Arkham, 4609 N. Clark St. in Chicago. Tickets on sale at underscoretheatre.org.

CARRIE 2: THE RAGE (An Unauthorized Musical Parody) will feature Demi Zaino as Rachel, Alex Newkirk as Jesse, Britain Gebhardt as Sue Snell and David Kaplinsky as Producer/Arnie with Sam Button-Harrison, Amanda Giles, Carissa Gonzalez, Michael Idalski, Annie Pfohl, Taylor Snooks and Joe Wesolowski.

More than a decade after Carrie White burned her high school to the ground with her mind, goth teenager Rachel Lang has her own issues to deal with, and Sue Snell, Carrie’s former classmate and Rachel’s guidance counselor, must grapple with surprising similarities between the two outcasts before history repeats itself. Framed as a backer’s auction for a ridiculously ambitious Broadway production, this irreverent meta-musical pokes fun at the entire “Carrie” canon through a punchy, rock-infused score.

The production team for CARRIE 2: THE RAGE (An Unauthorized Musical Parody) includes: Eric Luchen (scenic design), Rachel Johnson and Isaac Loomer (costume design), Erik Barry (lighting design), Timothy McNulty (sound design), Mealah Heidenreich (props design), Andrew Lynn (production manager), Karla Meyer (sound engineer), Elias Nelson (stage manager) and Josh Prisching (technical director, master electrician).

Location: The Arkham, 4609 N. Clark St., Chicago
Dates: Previews: Friday, October 13 at 7:30 pm, Saturday, October 14 at 7:30 pm, Sunday, October 15 at 4 pm.

Regular run: Friday, October 20 – Sunday, November 19, 2017
Curtain Times: Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 4 pm. Please note: there will be an added Halloween performance on Tuesday, October 31 at 7:30 pm.

Tickets: $20 Sundays & Mondays; $25 Fridays & Saturdays. Tickets go on sale Monday, September 18, 2017 at underscoretheatre.org.



Artist Biographies
Preston Max Allen (Book, Music and Lyrics) is a writer, composer, lyricist and bizarrely avid Carrie fan based in New York City. Their work has been featured at the New York Musical Festival, Musical Theatre Factory, Feinstein's/54 Below, Joe's Pub, Laurie Beechman Theatre, Signature Theatre, York Theatre ("Tune In Time" winner), Gallery Players and Second City Chicago. Preston conceived and wrote book, music and lyrics for We Are The Tigers, A New Musical (Hudson Backstage Theatre, L.A. Stage Alliance Ovation winner for Best Lyrics/Composition, nominee for Best Production and Music Direction), Remission (NYMF Developmental Reading Series), CARRIE 2: THE RAGE (An Unauthorized Musical Parody) (Feinstein's/54 Below) and My Gay Killer Husband: A Lifetime Original Musical (Boo Festival Award Winner). Additional projects include book/lyrics for Franklin Pierce: Dragon Slayer (composer Will Buck, Sound Bites 4.0 Selection), music/lyrics for Bradical and the Pink Socks (Diverging Elements), music/lyrics for The Hunted: Encore (LA Webfest Outstanding Score), book/music/lyrics for The Untitled Agent 355 Project with collaborator Jessica Kahkoska (Marion International Fellowship Recipient) and a collaboration with composer/lyricist Rob Rokicki. Preston is a graduate of the Second City Chicago Comedy Studies Program and alum of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theater Workshop.

Isaac Loomer (Co-Director) Originally from MN, he is excited to be putting on his director hat with long time friend Rachel Johnson for the first time since moving to Chicago. He has been obsessed with musical theatre for as far back as he can remember and is thrilled to be working on the world premiere of The Rage: Carrie 2. One of the the things that drew him to the project is a love of the famously flopped musical version of Carrie, and after reading the script to The Rage knew that it would succeed where it's predecessor had failed. It's a show that relishes in the Carrie-verse's successes and flops while still maintaining a clear relevant message for any era.

Rachel Elise Johnson (Co-Director) most recently assistant directed Underscore’s world premiere of My Name is Annie King. She also serves as Underscore’s Company Manager and has been performing in the Chicago theatre community since moving here from California.

T.J. Anderson (Music Director) Recent music direction credits include Shockheaded Peter (Black Button Eyes Productions), Now. Here. This., [title of show], A New Brain (Brown Paper Box Co.) and Borderlands (Underscore Theatre Company). He has also recently been seen onstage as an actor in productions with Brown Paper Box Co., City Lit Theater Company and 20% Theater Company. T.J. is an artistic associate with Brown Paper Box Co. and a trumpet player throughout the city.

OPENING: WORLD PREMIERE OF KIRSTEN RIIBER’S TANGLES & PLAQUES at THE NEO-FUTURARIUM 10/12-11/18

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

 THE NEO-FUTURISTS LAUNCH THEIR LATEST SEASON WITH THE WORLD PREMIERE OF 

KIRSTEN RIIBER’S 

TANGLES & PLAQUES, 

OCTOBER 12 – NOVEMBER 18, AT THE NEO-FUTURARIUM

A Neo-Lab Commission, Neo-Futurists’ Artistic Associate Jen Ellison Directs an Ever-Changing, Always Original, Interrogation of Dementia and Memories

Don't forget to grab your tickets to this intriguing participatory world premiere! ChiIL Live Shows will be out on opening night so check back soon for our full review.

The Neo-Futurists present Ensemble Member Kirsten Riiber’s Tangles & Plaques, October 12 – November 18, directed by Artistic Associate Jen Ellison at The Neo-Futurarium, 5153 N. Ashland (at Foster) in Andersonville. Previews are Thursday, Oct. 12  – Saturday, Oct. 14 at 7:30 p.m., with opening night Monday, Oct. 16 at 7:30 p.m. Performances run Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices for previews and Thursdays are pay-what-you-can; for the regular run, tickets are $10-25. Tickets and information are available at neofuturists.org or 773.275.5255.

Neo-Lab’s 2016-17 commission, Tangles & Plaques attempts to demystify the experience of dementia in the language of theatre—offering a vivid, poignant, participatory experience that is unique to each audience and different every performance. Creator Kirsten Riiber* and Director Jen Ellison+ conduct a symphony of impossible tasks and egregious forgery with the help of the audience and a cast including Riiber, Kaitlyn Andrews, Ida Cuttler*, Justin Deming, Mike Hamilton, Nick Hart* and Dan Kerr-Hobert.* With guidance from Memory Care Director Alex Schwaninger, a professional counselor at the local Bethany Retirement Community, the ensemble interrogates the life and death of memories— how they persist, when they depart and the ways they distort over time. 

* denotes Ensemble Member  + denotes Artistic Associate 

Neo-Lab is an original works residency originally launched in 2015 by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. The inaugural Neo-Lab production during the 2015-16 Season was Ensemble Member Tif Harrison’s Saturn Returns; the Chicago Tribune said, “Saturn Returns provides a smart and sensitive ramble through the first pangs of grappling with saying goodbye forever.” The 2017-18 Season’s current Neo-Lab commission is Ensemble Member Nick Hart’s Remember the Alamo, with its first workshop presentation Saturday, Feb. 3, 2018.

The Tangles & Plaques production team includes Kirsten Riiber (creator, ensemble), Jen Ellison (director), Alex Schwaninger (professional consultant), John Kelly (lighting designer), John Wilson (set designer) and Kate Hardiman (production manager).

ABOUT KIRSTEN RIIBER*, creator

Kirsten Riiber is a visual artist, writer and actor who also serves as the activities director for Bethany Retirement Community. Roles include “Marion” in The Big Knife at Shafer Street Playhouse and “Moss” in Glengarry Glen Ross, as well as devising two original shows with Alluvium Group: The Adventures of Goodbye Forever and Hello Again and Oniero. Riiber has appeared as a writer-­performer in the productions Saturn Returns, Analog, Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind and The Infinite Wrench since 2013 as an ensemble member of The Neo-­Futurists.

ABOUT JEN ELLISON+, director

Jen Ellison has been performing, writing and directing in Chicago for nearly 20 years. Directing credits include Trap Door Theatre, WNEP, and Collaboraction, and The Neo-­Futurists where she is an artistic associate. As a resident director at the Second City, Jen has overseen two national touring companies, developed multiple shows for their Outreach and Diversity program, and directed Apes of Wrath for the ETC stage. In addition to teaching ethics at DePaul University, she is a member of the Comedy Writing and Performance faculty at Columbia College Chicago.

ABOUT ALEX SCHWANINGER, professional consultant

Alex Schwaninger has always loved connecting with people over the deepest issues of life – from the search for personal identity to interpersonal and community issues. Even since his earliest memories, he has found himself in situations meditating, translating and coaching others in communicating in a way both to understand the other and to be understood. Schwaninger has a master’s degree in counseling psychology and has been a memory care director at Bethany Retirement Community since 2011.

Tangles & Plaques
October 12 – November 18
Created by Neo-Futurist Ensemble Member Kirsten Riiber
Directed by Neo-Futurist Artistic Associate Jen Ellison
Previews: Thursday, Oct. 12 -  Saturday, Oct. 14 at 7:30 p.m.
Opening Night: Monday, Oct. 16 at 7:30 p.m.
Run: Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., October 19 – November 18

Tickets and information are available at neofuturists.org or 773.275.5255

About The Neo-Futurists

The Neo-Futurists are a collective of writer-director-performers creating theater that is fusion of sport, poetry and living-newspaper. Originating over 9,978 plays within the newly launched The Infinite Wrench, 28 years of Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, and over 65 full-length productions within their immediate, non-illusory aesthetic, The Neo-Futurists have grown to become one of the most highly regarded experimental theater companies in the United States. From humble beginnings as the first late-night theater production in Chicago, they launched what became Chicago’s longest running show and today sustain multifaceted programs such as Neo-Access, The Kitchen (a micro-festival on art and performance), Prime Time, exchanges with branches in New York and San Francisco, Neo-Lab, and The Infinite Wrench, their flagship ongoing late-night show running 50 weekends every year. For more information visit www.neofuturists.org

The Neo-Futurists are partially supported by grants from Alphawood Foundation Chicago, The Chicago Community Foundation, a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events, Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, and The MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation.

OPENING: IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY VIA TimeLine Theatre At Stage 773

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

TimeLine Theatre’s production of 

IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR 

THE VIBRATOR PLAY 

by Sarah Ruhl

OCTOBER 20 – DECEMBER 16, 2017 AT STAGE 773

TIMELINE THEATRE COMPANY ANNOUNCES CAST AND PRODUCTION DETAILS FOR SARAH RUHL’S PULITZER-PRIZE FINALIST AND TONY AWARD-NOMINATED IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY, DIRECTED BY MECHELLE MOE

TimeLine Theatre Company announces casting and details for the second production of its 2017-2018 season—the Chicago premiere of IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY, the “insightful, fresh and funny” (The New York Times) play by Sarah Ruhl, directed by TimeLine Company Member Mechelle Moe. The production runs October 26 - December 16, 2017 (previews 10/20 – 10/25) at the company’s alternate location, Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Avenue in Chicago.

For tickets and information, visit timelinetheatre.com or call the Stage 773 Box Office at (773) 327-5252.

directed by Mechelle Moe (from left), and featuring Anish Jethmalani, Edgar Sanchez, Dana Tretta, Melissa Canciller, Joel Ewing, Krystel McNeil and Rochelle Therrien.

We'll be out the final Friday in October to review IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY. Can't wait to check out more of Sarah Ruhl's award winning writing. Do note, this production's at Stage 773, not TimeLine's home space. Check back soon for our full review.

The cast for IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY features TimeLine Associate Artist Anish Jethmalani (Dr. Givings), Edgar Sanchez (Leo Irving), Dana Tretta (Annie), Melissa Canciller (Sabrina Daldry), Joel Ewing (Mr. Daldry), Krystel McNeil (Elizabeth) and Rochelle Therrien (Catherine Givings).
Sarah Ruhl—a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, a Tony Award nominee, and a 2006 recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship—has written a story of awakening, equality, and the need for connection that offers a “rare and savvy premise that manages to be titillating and amusing” (Chicago Tribune).

It is the 1880s and Thomas Edison’s invention of the electric light has begun to change the fabric of daily life. Inspired by Edison’s discovery, scientist and inventor Dr. Givings experiments with a piece of machinery to treat the increasingly common affliction of female hysteria. When he starts to see a new patient regularly, his wife’s curiosity with the invention and what occurs “in the next room” grows, leading to discoveries of her own. This intimate and humorous story of self-discovery reveals that human connection is not simply a means to an end, but a vital part of life itself.

Inspired by the book The Technology of Orgasm by Rachel P. Maines, IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY is insightful, relatable, and an “enticing blend of irreverent humor and skewed realism” (San Francisco Chronicle). Previously featured at TimeLine in 2016 in a staged reading in collaboration with The Chicago Inclusion Project, TimeLine looks forward to re-examining this play that illuminates “how much control men had over women’s lives, bodies and thoughts, even their most intimate sensations” (The New York Times).
“During the Victorian era when this play is set, women weren’t supposed to exercise their desires or their thoughts, and a diagnosis of ‘hysteria’ was often used to silence them,” said director Mechelle Moe, who is making her TimeLine directorial debut with this production. “Now, in our current political and social climate, women are still fighting for their voice. This smartly written play—a comedy that deals so thoughtfully with complex issues around intimacy in relationships of all kinds—provides a platform for the female voice, helping women be heard.”

The production team includes Sarah JHP Watkins (Scenic Designer), Alison Siple (Costume Designer), Brandon Wardell (Lighting Designer), Andrew Hansen (Original Music / Sound Designer), Vivian Knouse (Properties Designer), Katie Cordts (Wig Designer), Eva Breneman (Dialect Designer), Maren Robinson (Dramaturg), Jared Bellot (Assistant Director), Daniel Parsons (Production Assistant), and Miranda Anderson (Stage Manager).


PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE/EVENTS 
PREVIEWS: Friday 10/20 and Saturday 10/21 at 8 p.m.; Sunday 10/22 at 2 p.m.; Tuesday 10/24 and Wednesday 10/25 at 8 p.m.

REGULAR RUN: Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m., through December 16, 2017. EXCEPTIONS: No performance on Saturday, October 28 at 4 p.m.; no performance on Thursday, November 23; additional performances on Friday, November 24 at 4 p.m. and Tuesday, December 12 at 7:30 p.m.

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 11/1, Sunday 11/5, Thursday 11/9, Thursday 11/30, Wednesday 12/6, and Tuesday 12/12.
— 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 11/15 and Sunday 12/3.
— Captioned Performance: An open-captioned performance with a text display of words and sounds heard during the performance on Saturday 11/18 at 4 p.m. Partial support of open captioning is provided by Theatre Development Fund.
— 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 11/19.
— Sunday Scholars Panel Discussion: A one-hour post-show discussion eaturing experts on the themes and issues of the play on Sunday 12/10.
All discussions are free and open to the public. For further details about all planned discussions and events, visit timelinetheatre.com.

BUYING TICKETS           
Only TimeLine FlexPass Subscribers enjoy priority access to tickets to IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY. FlexPass Subscriptions for TimeLine’s 2017-18 season are now on sale, priced from $66 to $204. For more information and to purchase FlexPass Subscriptions, call (773) 281-TIME (8463) or visit timelinetheatre.com.

Single ticket prices are $42.50 (Wednesday through Friday), $51.50 (Saturday evenings) and $56.50 (Saturday and Sunday matinees). Preview tickets are $27.50. Student discount is 35% off regular price with valid ID. TimeLine is also a member of TCG’s Blue Star Theatre Program and is offering $25 tickets to U.S. military personnel, veterans, first responders, and their spouses and family. 

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. Visit timelinetheatre.com/discounts for more about Blue Star, MyLine and other available discounts.
Advance purchase is recommended as performances may sell out. For tickets and information, visit timelinetheatre.com or call the Stage 773 Box Office at (773) 327-5252.

LOCATION / TRANSPORTATION / PARKING / ACCESSIBILITY
IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY will take place at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. Stage 773 is located one-half block west of the corner of Belmont and Racine and immediately east of Theater Wit in Chicago’s Lakeview East neighborhood. The theater is accessible via the CTA El stop at Belmont (Red/Brown/Purple lines). CTA bus #77-Belmont stops at Racine. Valet parking is available for $12 and there is also limited free and metered street parking nearby. Visit timelinetheatre.com for complete directions and parking information. Stage 773 is accessible for people with disabilities.     

BIOGRAPHIES
Sarah Ruhl (Playwright) is a Pulitzer Prize Finalist and Tony Award-nominated playwright and has had her work produced across the country. Her plays include STAGE KISS; IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY (Pulitzer Prize finalist, Tony Award nominee for Best New Play); THE CLEAN HOUSE (Pulitzer Prize finalist, 2005; The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, 2004); PASSION PLAY (PEN American Award, The Fourth Freedom Forum Playwriting Award from The Kennedy Center); DEAD MAN’S CELL PHONE (Helen Hayes Award); MELANCHOLY PLAY (a musical with Todd Almond); EURYDICE; ORLANDO; DEMETER IN THE CITY (NAACP nomination); LATE: A COWBOY SONG; THREE SISTERS; DEAR ELIZABETH; and most recently, THE OLDEST BOY and FOR PETER PAN ON HER 70TH BIRTHDAY. Her plays have been produced on Broadway at the Lyceum by Lincoln Center Theater, off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons, Second Stage and Lincoln Center’s Mitzi Newhouse Theater, as well as at Yale Repertory Theater, Berkeley Repertory Theater, and in Chicago at the Goodman Theatre and the Piven Theatre Workshop. Her plays have also been produced internationally and have been translated into more than 12 languages. Originally from Chicago, Ruhl received her MFA degree from Brown University, where she studied with Paula Vogel. An alumna of 13P and of New Dramatists, she received a MacArthur Fellowship in 2006. She was the recipient of the PEN Center Award for a mid-career playwright, the Whiting Writers Award, the Feminist Press’ Forty under Forty Award, and a Lilly Award. She served on the executive council of the Dramatist’s Guild for three years, and she is currently on the faculty at Yale School of Drama. Her book of essays on the theater and motherhood, 100 Essays I Don’t Have Time to Write, was a The New York Times Notable Book of the Year.

Mechelle Moe (Director) is a Company Member at TimeLine, where her credits include directing readings of IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY in collaboration with The Chicago Inclusion Project, CARDBOARD PIANO in artistic alliance with The Yard, and EXPERIMENT WITH AN AIR PUMP, and appearing in THE APPLE FAMILY PLAYS, MY KIND OF TOWN, THE FRONT PAGE, THE CHILDREN’S HOUR, NOT ENOUGH AIR, and PARADISE LOST. She is co-artistic director of The Yard, a youth-based theater company that produces theater relevant to young people, performed by young people. She is also a founding member of The Hypocrites, and currently is a part of its ensemble. Moe is a Jeff Award recipient for Actress in Principal Role for her performance in MACHINAL (The Hypocrites) and received a Jeff Award nomination for Actress in Principal Role for STAGE DOOR (Griffin). She has directed and devised numerous works at Senn Arts and with The Yard, including MILK LIKE SUGAR, THE 4TH GRADER’S PRESENT AN UNNAMED LOVE SUICIDE, ECLIPSED, OUR AMERICA: GHETTO LIFE 101: REMORSE (which she also adapted) and METAMORPHOSES, both of which were selected for the 2014 and 2015 Illinois High School Theatre Festivals, as well as the docudrama BROKEN TEXT, an original work by Moe based on her interviews with men recently released from incarceration and living in a transitional facility. Moe graduated with honors from the University of Illinois Chicago with both a bachelor’s degree in Theater as well as Anthropology.



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 20 seasons, TimeLine has presented 71 productions, including nine world premieres and 31 Chicago premieres, and launched the Living History Education Program, now in its 11th 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.

Now playing at TimeLine is the Chicago premiere of Peter Morgan’s THE AUDIENICE, directed by Nick Bowling and starring Janet Ulrich Brooks as Queen Elizabeth II. Acclaimed as “smart, juicy and gossipy” (Chicago Tribune) and “sheer theatrical heaven” (Chicago Theatre Review), THE AUDIENCE is now playing through November 12, 2017, at TimeLine, 615 W. Wellington Ave., in Chicago.

The rest of TimeLine Theatre’s upcoming 2017-18 season includes:  
— The Chicago premiere of BOY by Anna Ziegler, inspired by the real-life story of a boy who claims his true identity after being raised as a girl, and finds love, directed by Damon Kiely, January 10 – March 18, 2018.
— And the world premiere of TO CATCH A FISH by Chicagoan Brett Neveu, the first play to be produced that was written and developed through TimeLine’s inaugural Playwrights Collective, about a family and a community torn apart by a flawed search for justice, directed by TimeLine Company Member Ron OJ Parson, April 25 – July 1, 2018.

TimeLine is led by Artistic Director PJ Powers, Managing Director Elizabeth K. Auman and Board President Eileen LaCario. 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 Chicago Community Trust, The Crown Family, Forum Fund, The Joseph and Bessie Feinberg Foundation, 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, The Seabury Foundation, and The Shubert Foundation.

TimeLine is a member of the League of Chicago Theatres, Theatre Communications Group, Choose Chicago, Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce, Chicago Green Theatre Alliance, and Chicago’s Belmont Theater District.

REVIEW: The New Colony's World Premiere LGBTQ PUNK Prison Drama Delivers

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

The New Colony Presents the World Premiere of

PUNK

Written by Michael Allen Harris

Co-Directed by Diana Raiselis and Katrina Dion

October 4 – November 5, 2017 at The Den Theatre

Review:

I spent yesterday, National Coming Out Day, contemplating PUNK. This show is a stark reminder that sometimes "coming out" as LGBTQ results in being kicked out of the house by homophobic parents, and youth having to live on the streets and sell themselves, sell drugs, or commit crimes just to survive. Even with an understanding family, coming out (or even suspicion), paints a target on many, who wish only to be true to themselves. And if they defend themselves during an assault or crime and get convicted, they're often revictimized and bullied by other inmates. It's a vicious and sometimes fatal cycle, by murder or suicide, and a huge way our present society lets LGBTQ people down. PUNK is thought provoking on many levels, with a witty script and quite a few laughs, despite the starkly industrial set and dark subject matter. Do note, this production contains mature themes and is best suited to adults or older teens. 

(left to right) Monette McLin, Aaron Sanchez, Evie Riojas and Daniel Shtivelberg in The New Colony’s world premiere of PUNK by Michael Allen Harris, co-directed by Diana Raiselis and Katrina Dion. Photo by Evan Hanover. 

There are some hilariously memorable lines like "So, cosplay is like drag for those with disposable income?" and  "If your partner uses spit as lube they don't really love you." The idea of LGBTQ "family" who look out for each other, even in prison, is fabulous. The acting is energetic and excellent, and the set design quickly and cleverly converts scenes from cells, to the visitors' lounge, to office space seamlessly, with clever sliding beds and hidden doors.

(left to right) Evie Riojas, Aaron Sanchez and Kyle Encinas 

 Photo by Evan Hanover. 

(front, l to r) Aaron Sanchez, Evie Riojas and Kyle Encinas with (back) Daniel Shtivelberg 

Photo by Evan Hanover. 

Most people don't really think about what happens to non gender binary people who are forced into a system ill prepared for their needs. I had a transexual housemate back in 1995, who was freshly out of rehab, and she had to fight all kinds of bureaucratic BS, with strong advocates, to get assigned to the women's ward instead of the men's, because her birth certificate read male. It was automatically assumed she had to go in the men's ward, though it was apparent she dressed as and identified as a woman and had breasts. It was a huge, uphill battle to get reassigned, despite a clear danger to her physical and mental well being, to try to get clean among male addicts likely to bully her at best and assault her at worst. Sadly enough, this is still an issue 20+ years later. With a Trump administration in charge, what little ground we gained in legislating protections and raising awareness and compassion is quickly being reversed and eroded, making theatre like this more crucial than ever.  

(left to right) Daniel Shtivelberg and Kyle Encinas

Photo by Evan Hanover. 

PUNK broaches many interesting angles, including the burnout and exhaustion faced by fierce advocates, who devote their lives to fighting for LGBTQ rights only to run up against roadblocks time after time. The victim as victimizer concept, that plays out in real life all too often, is explored, as well as the powerlessness to protect loved ones on the outside, or control the lives of those who come to visit or don't, at will. PUNK also shines a light on the horrific idea of rape and assault as punishment for crimes committed, and the equally horrific fact that it often takes suicide and violence for a bureaucratic system to back off on budget cuts and bad ideas. PUNK is thought provoking and wrenching, yet not heavy handed, or without humor and charm. It's well worth an evening out.

(left to right) Keyanna Khatiblou and Daniel Shtivelberg

Photo by Evan Hanover. 

The New Colony concludes its 2017 Season with the world premiere of Michael Allen Harris’ prison drama PUNK, co-directed by Diana Raiselis and Katrina Dion, playing October 4 – November 5, 2017 at The New Colony’s resident home, The Den Theatre’s Upstairs Main Stage, 1333 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood. Click HERE for tickets.

Regular run: Thursday, October 12 – Sunday, November 5, 2017 

Curtain times: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 3 pm

Industry Night: Monday, October 23 at 7:30 pm

Tickets: Regular run: $20. Students/seniors: 25% off. 

PUNK features Kyle Encinas, Keyanna Khatiblou, Monette McLin, Evie Riojas, Aaron Sanchez and Daniel Shtivelberg.

Set in a maximum-security prison in present day America, Punk is the story of a group of inmates who are protected and housed in a special unit for gay, bisexual and transgender inmates. Tensions rise when Travis, a young man sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a gay man, requests to transfer into the unit. Fear and suspicion hover over the inmates who call this unit home. 

The production team for PUNK includes: Eleanor Kahn (scenic design), Uriel Gomez, (costumes design), Eric Watkins (lighting design), Jeffery Levin (sound design), Sydney Achler (props design), Kyle Encinas (choreography), Ryan Oliviera (dramaturg), Uriel Gomez (technical director), Ali Drumm (production manager) and Rose Hamill (stage manager). 

About the Creative Team

Michael Allen Harris (Playwright) As a playwright, Michael has collaborated with Chicago theatre companies such as Broken Nose Theatre, Jackalope Theatre, Arc Theatre, Stage 773, Fine Print Theatre, Chicago Home Theater Festival and The New Colony. His play, Rocky Road, received its world premiere at the New Studio Theatre of Columbia College Chicago in March of 2013. It was the first production featured in the Main Stage season that was authored by an alumnus. His play, The Velvet Tabernacle, was featured in a development series on behalf of Fine Print Theatre. His most recent play, Kingdom, is currently involved in a season-long development on behalf of Broken Nose Theatre and received its first stage reading at Victory Gardens Richard Christiansen Theater. In February 2016, he was part of The New Colony’s Writer’s Room and completed the first draft of his full-length play Ascension. His short plays include: House of Samurai, They Let Him Bleed, Project Agatha and The Woman Who Stared into the Eyes of The Red Horseman. As an actor, Michael worked with Adventure Stage, Eclipse Theatre, Gift Theatre, Teatro Vista, The-Massive, Stone Soup Theatre Project, Infusion Theatre, Broken Nose Theatre and Cold Basement Dramatics. He was nominated for a BTAA for his performance as Fortune in Eclipse Theatre’s Jeff-nominated production of Ruined. He is a proud ensemble member of Eclipse Theatre Company and proudly represented by Lily’s Talent. 

Diana Raiselis (Co-Director) is a Chicago-based director and community event producer.  Recent directing projects include Resolution (Pride Films & Plays), Punk (workshop production, The New Colony), THIRST: a climate change theater action (Jackalope) and festival premieres with Collaboraction, Jackalope, Prologue and Buzz22 Chicago. As a producer, she co-curates Slaymaker Loft's occasional new-work series party/theater/party, and has served on producing teams for events at Pritzker Pavilion, the Steppenwolf Garage and site-specific locations around Chicago. Proud alumna of Northwestern University and the Steppenwolf Professional Leadership Program. www.dianaraiselis.com

Katrina Dion (Co-Director) works as a director and teaching artist in Chicago. At Free Street Theater (FST), Katrina acts as the Operations and Youth Program Manager. In this position, she leads the high school ensemble in a conservatory level year long critical thinking and creation process focusing on issues affecting Chicago youth while managing the companies grants and financials. Katrina is also on staff with Albany Park Theater Project (APTP) as their lead academic tutor. Last year, Katrina had the pleasure of working with APTP on Learning Curve as a Production Assistant. Most recently, she directed Los Milagros/The Miracles Project, Checkmate and The Americans at FST; co-directed Cycle 3 of Every 28 Hours at The Goodman Theater along with Coya Paz; Zipped and Pelted at the Chicago Fringe Festival; and Convention or The Winos with The Wulfden. She has had the pleasure of assisting directors such as Bonnie Metzgar, Coya Paz and Krissy Vanderwarker. Katrina received her BFA in Theatre Arts with a concentration in directing with a minor in Mathematics from DePaul University. 

About The New Colony

The New Colony develops NEW ART and NEW ARTISTS in order to educate and build NEW AUDIENCES. Founded in 2008, The New Colony has established itself as “one of Chicago’s essential off-Loop companies” (Chicago Tribune) having developed and produced over 25 world-premiere plays and musicals garnering four Joseph Jefferson Awards, the 2011 Broadway in Chicago Emerging Theatre Award, and Best Overall Production at the 2012 New York International Fringe Festival. The New Colony is a resident company of The Den Theatre located in Wicker Park.

LAST CALL: Shattered Globe Theatre's Acclaimed Production THE HEAVENS ARE HUNG IN BLACK Must Close 10/21

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Chicago Premiere!

Shattered Globe Theatre Launches 2017-18 Season with 

THE HEAVENS ARE HUNG IN BLACK

By James Still

Directed by SGT Ensemble Member Louis Contey

Through October 21, 2017 at Theater Wit

(center) Lawrence Grimm and the cast of Shattered Globe Theatre’s Chicago premiere of THE HEAVENS ARE HUNG IN BLACK by James Still, directed by Louis Contey. Photo by Evan Hanover.

Featuring Lawrence Grimm as Abraham Lincoln 

and SGT Ensemble Member Linda Reiter as Mary Todd Lincoln

Shattered Globe Theatre is pleased to launch its 2017-18 Season with the Chicago premiere of Pulitzer Prize nominee James Still’s fevered, emotional epic THE HEAVENS ARE HUNG IN BLACK, a theatrical rendering of Abraham Lincoln's struggle as a man of conscience to lead a divided country, directed by SGT Ensemble Member Louis Contey*. THE HEAVENS ARE HUNG IN BLACK will play September 7 – October 21, 2017 at SGT’s resident home Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. Tickets are currently available at www.shatteredglobe.org, by calling (773) 975-8150 or in person at the Theater Wit Box Office.

THE HEAVENS ARE HUNG IN BLACK will feature Lawrence Grimm and SGT Ensemble member Linda Reiter* as Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln, respectively. The cast also includes SGT Ensemble Members Kelsey Colleen Melvin*, Drew Schad*, Brad Woodard* and SGT Artistic Associate Darren Jones+, with Don Bender, Zach Bloomfield, Jennifer Cheung, Kate Harris, Tim Kough, Tim Newell, Leo Sharkey and Gus Zaruba.

Presented for the first time in the “Land of Lincoln,” THE HEAVENS ARE HUNG IN BLACK is Pulitzer Prize nominee James Still’s personal interpretation of the fevered, emotional months between the death of Abraham Lincoln’s young son and the signing of The Emancipation Proclamation. Cannon fire from across the Potomac echoes in the halls of the White House as dreams of Lincoln’s famous adversaries and unnamed soldiers walk through his waking life. His imperfections and humanity are both revealed in this moving theatrical epic which explores the conscience of the man who led America in a war that we’re still fighting today.

“The Heavens are Hung in Black portrays a transformational moment in Abraham Lincoln’s life and worldview,” comments Director Louis Contey. “In 1862, after nearly a year of bloody civil war, Lincoln must find a way of elevating the purpose of the conflict and save the Union. It is said that the office of President changes the individual who occupies it. With his conscience gnawing at him Lincoln begins to evolve as he considers the virtues and controversy of emancipation. The play, for me, embodies the essence of moral leadership and the idea of doing the right thing for the right reason, or as Lincoln himself states, listening ‘to the better angels of our nature’.”

THE HEAVENS ARE HUNG IN BLACK was commissioned by and premiered at Ford’s Theatre in 2009, where Lincoln was famously shot.

The production team includes Angela Weber Miller (scenic design), Madison Briedé and Hailey Rakowiecki (co-costume design), Michael Stanfill (lighting and projection design), Christopher Kriz+ (sound design), Vivian Knouse* (props design), Judy Anderson* (executive production manager), Jason Shivers (stage manager) and Ayanna Wimberly (assistant stage manager).

Regular Run: Thursday, September 14 – Saturday, October 21, 2017 
Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 8 pm; Sundays at 3 pm. Please note: there will be an added matinee on Saturday, October 21 at 3 pm.

Global Perspectives: SGT will be hosting post-show discussions immediately following 3 pm performances on Sundays, September 17 -October 15.

Tickets: Previews: $20 general admission, $10 students, $10 industry tickets with code “FRIEND”. Regular Run: $35 general admission. Discounts: $15 students, $28 seniors, $20 under 30. $15 industry tickets on Thursdays with code “INDUSTRY.” Tickets are currently available at www.theaterwit.org, in person at the Theater Wit Box Office or by calling (773) 975-8150. Group discounts are currently available by contacting groupsales@shatteredglobe.org or by calling (773) 770-0333. 

* Denotes SGT Ensemble Member
+ Denotes SGT Artistic Associate

About the Artists:
James Still’s (Playwright) award-winning plays have been produced at theatres throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan, China and Australia. He is the playwright-in-residence at the Indiana Repertory Theatre, artistic affiliate with American Blues in Chicago, a winner of the William Inge Festival’s Otis Guernsey New Voices in American Theatre Award, the Medallion for Sustained Achievement from the Children’s Theatre Foundation of America and the Charlotte B. Chorpenning Playwright Award for Distinguished Body of Work. He is an elected member of the National Theatre Conference and a member in the College of Fellows of the American Theatre. Three of Still’s plays have received the Distinguished Play Award from the American Alliance for Theatre & Education. His work has twice been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. His plays have been developed and workshopped at the Sundance Playwrights Lab, the New Harmony Project, the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, the Lark Play Development Center, Telluride Playwrights Festival, the Bonderman Playwriting for Youth National Competition & Symposium and New Visions/New Voices at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts. Still’s plays featured by Dramatic Publishing include The Heavens  are Hung in Black, The Velvet Rut, Iron Kisses, Searching for Eden: the diaries of adam and eve, A Long Bridge Over Deep Waters, Looking Over the President’s Shoulder, He Held Me Grand, And Then They Came for Me: Remembering the World of Anne Frank, A Village Fable, Hush: An Interview With America, The Gentleman From Indiana and The Velocity of Gary. His new plays include I Love to Eat, The House that Jack Built and Illegal Use of Hands. In addition to his work in theatre, Still also works in television and film.He has been nominated for five Emmy awards and an award from the Television Critics Association. He was also twice a finalist for the Humanitas Prize. Still was a producer and head writer for the Discovery Kids series Paz, head writer of the television series Frog & Friends for Amsterdam-based Telescreen and writer for the children’s film Miffy. For Nickelodeon, he was a writer and story editor for Maurice Sendak’s long-running Little Bear and the Bill Cosby series Little Bill. He wrote The Little Bear Movie and the feature film, The Velocity of Gary. Still grew up in a small town in Kansas, graduated from the University of Kansas and lives on the West Coast.

Louis Contey (Director) recently rejoined the ranks of Shattered Globe Theatre as an ensemble member. The Heavens are Hung in Black marks his 22nd collaboration with SGT, where he has also directed The Tall Girls, In the Heat of the Night, A View From The Bridge, The Manchurian Candidate, A Streetcar Named Desire, All My Sons, Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?, Peter Pan, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Warhawks and Lindberghs, Holy Ghosts, Judgment at Nuremberg, Requiem for a Heavyweight, The Whaleship Essex, Meet John Doe, The Lower Depths, Escape From Happiness, Real Classy Affair, Rocket to the Moon, Anna Karenina and Brilliant Traces. He has directed over 75 plays, among them The Master & Margarita, Marriage Play, The Diviners, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth and Hamlet. He is an Associate Artist at TimeLine Theatre, where he directed Frost/Nixon, Awake And Sing!, The General from America, Lillian, Copenhagen, It’s All True, Pravda, Paradise Lost, A House With No Walls, The Apple Family Plays and The Price. He has also worked at The Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Strawdog Theatre, Theatre at the Center, Buffalo Theatre Ensemble, Provision Theatre, Eclipse Theatre and American Theater Company. He is a twelve-time Jeff nominee and has received seven Jeff Citations, as well as an After Dark Award. He teaches part-time at The Theatre School/DePaul University where he received his MFA in Directing. 

Shattered Globe Theatre (Sandy Shinner, Producing Artistic Director; Doug McDade, Managing Director) was born in a storefront space on Halsted Street in 1991. Since then, SGT has produced more than 60 plays, including nine American and world premieres, and garnered an impressive 42 Jeff Awards and 106 Jeff Award nominations, as well as the acclaim of critics and audiences alike. Shattered Globe is an ensemble driven theater whose mission is to create an intimate, visceral theater experience that challenges the perspective of audience and artist alike through passionate storytelling. Shattered Globe is inspired by the diversity of our city and committed to making the theater available to all audiences.   Through initiatives such as the Protégé Program, Shattered Globe creates a space which allows emerging artists to grow and share in the ensemble experience.

Shattered Globe Theatre is partially supported and funded by generous grants from The Shulman-Rochambeau Charitable Foundation, The James P. and Brenda S. Grusecki Family Foundation, The Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, The MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, The Illinois Arts Council, a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events, The Field Foundation of Illinois, The Shubert Foundation, The Blum-Kovler Family Foundation, and The Robert J. & Loretta W. Cooney Family Foundation.

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

RETURNING: TOKEN, KAYE WINKS’ SOLO SHOW AT SECOND CITY TRAINING CENTER’S BLACKOUT CABARET 10/22/17

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

TOKEN, 

KAYE WINKS’ SOLO SHOW 

ABOUT BEING A LONE BLACK PERSON IN 

A WORLD OF WHITE,

RETURNS OCTOBER 22 AT SECOND CITY TRAINING CENTER’S BLACKOUT CABARET WITH Q&A HOSTED BY ERICA MANN RAMIS

Kaye Winks’ timely one-woman show Token is returning to The Second City Training Center for a one-night-only performance Sunday, October 22 at 8 p.m., followed by a Q&A hosted by Erica Mann Ramis, a member of Second City’s Harold Ramis Film School Advisory Board and facilitated by diversity trainer Jim Lew.

Token returns to The Second City Training Center after enjoying a sold-out run in its Judy’s Beat Lounge in May-June 2017 and touring to UCB Los Angeles, the Out of Bounds Comedy Festival in Austin, Texas, and United Solo Theatre Festival in New York City in August.

In Token, Winks shares her hilarious and often cringe worthy adventures in being that lone black person in a world of white. Through her colorful portrayals of family, friends, strangers and foes, Winks offers a satiric look at what it’s like to be the token black person. But white people aren’t her only target. Winks also casts a smart, funny and sometimes sobering lens on class clashes within the black community.

Token, directed by Schoen Smith, will be presented in The Blackout Cabaret at the Second City Training Center, 230 W. North Ave., 2nd floor, Chicago. Tickets are $13. For tickets and information, visit secondcity.com or call (312) 337-3992. 













Actual moments when Kaye Winks was the token black.


More about Token
“Token is unapologetically un-PC, but it’s fair in its political incorrectness because I pick on everyone equally,” says Winks. “The show actually brings people together by ‘telling it like it is.’”

The performance will be followed by a Q&A with Winks hosted by Erica Mann Ramis, wife of the late Second City alum and Hollywood icon Harold Ramis, and director Schoen Smith, facilitated by diversity trainer Jim Lew. The Q&A will serve as a town-hall type discussion of the show. Ramis attended a performance of Token in June and was inspired to get involved in hosting a dialogue with the audience.

“It’s such a brilliant and important piece, especially right now,” says Ramis.

Don’t miss Winks’ hilarious and relevant 60-minute takedown of the race discussion through the voices and stories of 30 characters we’ve all met at some point in our lives, followed by a lively Q&A.



Kaye Winks has been a token black since the day she was born in Midwestern suburbia to black Republicans. Today she is a stage and screen actress, writer, part-time funny person and full-time cat person. Winks trained at the Moscow Art Theater’s Stanislavsky School in association with the American Repertory Theater and Harvard University. Her improv training was at The Second City Chicago. She also studied physical comedy and clown with world-renowned French master teacher, Philippe Gaulier. She has been featured in national commercial and print campaigns for Honda, Sony and Hot Pockets among others. She has recently returned to Chicago following a six-year stint in LA.

Schoen Smith (director) is an actress, writer, producer and director. In May/June 2017, she directed a sold-out, month long run of Token at The Second City Chicago. She also premiered her original spoken word piece Hands Up at Collaboraction's 2016 PEACEBOOK Festival. Before moving to Chicago, she was Producing Director for DOMA Theatre Company in Los Angeles, and also produced the hit play Elevator in the inaugural Hollywood Fringe Festival. She is a co-producer on the award-winning documentary about homeless youth, American Street Kid, which won Best Social Impact Film at the Hollywood Film Festival and People's Choice Award and Power in Film Award at The Beloit International Film Festival this year. She is the former Director of Development for Collaboraction and the VP of Development for Venture Hill Entertainment, LLC.

Erica Mann Ramis (presenter), a writer, producer and philanthropist, was born in Los Angeles, CA and moved to Chicago over 20 years ago with her late husband, Harold Ramis, and their two children, Julian and Daniel. Erica currently serves as an active member of the Advisory Board for The Harold Ramis Film School, and was recently a featured artist in Chicago's PEACEBOOK Festival, for which a scene from her first play, Quiet Time, was produced at the Goodman Theatre. Erica co-produced, Joffrey - Mavericks of American Dance, a documentary about the Joffrey Ballet in 2012, and is currently collaborating on a yet-to-be titled film project about her late husband. Erica enjoys books, music, movies, meditation, and spending time with friends and family. She is an advocate for education, social justice and women's rights around the world.

Jim Lew (Q&A facilitator) has training experience that goes back years to his work with educational organizations and business since 1982. Currently his work in the important field of Diversity Awareness Training fills most of his time. Jim's background as an Asian-American, raised in the heartland of the Texas panhandle and later, Kansas, his experience learning to succeed socially to become president of his student-body at Grinnell College, his work in the public housing projects of Chicago and with the Indians of Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota all contribute to an ability not only to empathize with the experience of people of every cultural group, but also to help build the bridges that can lead to real growth and acceptance among a whole workforce.

For more, visit kayewinks.com or follow Winks on Twitter and Instagram : @kayewinks #tokenblack.