Celebrate "Magic Day" June 7th With Chicago Magic Lounge

CHICAGO MAGIC LOUNGE CELEBRATES “MAGIC DAY” JUNE 7, 2018

Members of The Chicago Session, 

The Chicago Magic Community and More 

Join Together to Celebrate

It was our great pleasure here at ChiIL Live Shows, to attend the groundbreaking as well as opening night at Chicago Magic Lounge. The space is a marvel, from it's secret entrance (with a nod to it's prior incarnation and a Chicago flair), to the gorgeous, Art Deco interior. It's hard to believe it's been a year already, since the first groundbreaking ceremony and it's exciting to see those blueprints and grand plans come to fruition. For a truly unique evening, come out and celebrate magic day, June 7th, or swing by any time, for a full show or drinks and table side tricks, vintage Chicago "magic bar" style.

*Click here for our fun, full photo recap from the groundbreaking*

Chicago Magic Lounge, Chicago’s home for close-up magic, celebrates its one-year groundbreaking anniversary with “Magic Day” Thursday, June 7, 2018. Officially declared “Magic Day” by the Cook County Board of Commissioners, Chicago Magic Lounge will host an evening of incredible talent while celebrating the Chicago Magic Community and its contributions to Chicago-style magic.

The special evening kicks off with a champagne reception at 5:30 p.m. in the Harry Blackstone Cabaret. Invited guests will get a real treat as Chicago Magic Lounge welcomes members of the Chicago Session including Simon Aronson, David Solomon and David Finkelstein, for an intimate Q&A. The celebratory evening continues at 7:30 p.m. with the Mainstage Signature show starting with an hour of close-up magic, followed by stage performances by Chicago magicians John Sturk and Trent James. More magic ensues throughout the evening, but a magician never reveals all of their tricks!

The official declaration of “Magic Day” was made on June 6, one day prior to the momentous groundbreaking of the Chicago Magic Lounge. Stating, “Now therefore, be it resolved, the President and the Members of the Cook Country Board of Commissioners, congratulate Chicago Magic Lounge on the occasion of its groundbreaking and for its contributions to the history, local economy and community fabric in the Andersonville neighborhood and Chicago at large, and do hereby declare June 7 shall henceforth be known as ‘Magic Day’.”

The newly constructed theater at 5050 N. Clark St., designed by Morris Architects Planners, has ushered in a new wave of entertainment, bringing back “Chicago Style Magic” under the leadership of Donald C. Clark, Jr. and Joseph (Joey) Cranford. From magicians to mind readers, Chicago Magic Lounge provides guests the unique, one-of-a-kind experience of seeing wonders up-close and personal in a venue unlike anything else offered throughout the country.

About Chicago Magic Lounge
The Chicago Magic Lounge reinvents the classic "magic bar" that once dotted Chicago's nightlife landscape, bringing cocktails and card tricks back together again. Shows include magic performance at the bar, on the stage and in true Chicago-Style magic form, at the tables of the guests, providing the classic "Close-Up" tradition Chicago-Style magic is known for. Chicago Magic Lounge is also the home of the Chicago-land magic community, showcasing over 30 local professionals, and serving as a networking hub for working magicians from all over the world. 

OPENING: World Premiere of TILIKUM via Sideshow Theatre Company at Victory Gardens Theater

Chi IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

Sideshow Theatre Company 

Announces Casting for World Premiere of

TILIKUM

By Kristiana Rae Colón

Directed by Lili-Anne Brown

June 22 - July 29, 2018 at Victory Gardens Theater

Sideshow Theatre Company is pleased to announce casting for its world premiere of Kristiana Rae Colón’s spectacular and fearless indictment TILIKUM, directed by Lili-Anne Brown.

TILIKUM will feature Sideshow ensemble member Matt Fletcher* with Gregory Geffrard and Sigrid Sutter.

TILIKUM will play June 22 – July 29, 2018 at Victory Gardens Richard Christiansen Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago. Tickets go on sale Wednesday, June 9, 2018 at www.victorygardens.org, by calling (773) 871-3000 or in person at the Victory Gardens Box Office. 

Tilikum was a king, and the oceans of the world were his. Now, he is a captive in a marine amusement park, doomed to live as an opportunity for profit. Alone behind bars he forgets the feel of freedom, but when fellow prisoners ignite the fires of his memory, he starts down a path that threatens to consume everything. Ripped from the headlines, Kristiana Rae Colón’s Tilikum explores captivity, violence and rebellion in a vital and visceral blend of theatre, drumming and dance. Poetic and lyrical, Tilikum calls out the power structures – both corporate and human – that ensure continued oppression, and the complicity of those willing to stand by and do nothing. 

Comments Sideshow Artistic Director Jonathan L. Green, "Tilikum will be a spectacular, heart-pounding experience. When we commissioned this play through our Freshness Initiative program, we knew that the work would be fiercely political with a wicked sense of humor, and still we were blown away when the first draft came in. Kristiana Rae Colón is one of the most essential voices in playwriting right now, and we consider ourselves lucky to be presenting this world premiere."

The production team for TILIKUM includes: William Boles* (scenic design), Izumi Inaba (costume design), Jared Gooding (lighting design), Victoria Deiorio (sound design), Amy Peters (properties design), Coco Elysses (composer, music director), Melissa DuPrey (composer, musician), Noelle Simone (choreographer), Isaac Gomez (dramaturg), Chad Hain (technical director), Benjamin W. Dawson* and Ellen Willett* (production managers).

Location: Victory Gardens Richard Christiansen Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago

Dates: Previews: Friday, June 22 at 8 pm, Saturday, June 23 at 8 pm, Sunday, June 24 at 2:30 pm and Wednesday, June 27 at 8 pm
Press Performance: Thursday, June 28 at 8 pm
Regular run: Friday, June 29 – Sunday, July 29, 2018
Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm; Sundays at 2:30 pm
Tickets: Previews: Pay-what-you-can (online or at the door). Regular run: $20 – $30.  Students/seniors/industry: $15 for all performances (excluding opening). Tickets go on sale Wednesday, June 9, 2018 at www.victorygardens.org, by calling (773) 871-3000 or in person at the Victory Gardens Box Office.

*Denotes Sideshow Company Member.

About the Creative Team:

Kristiana Rae Colón (Playwright) is a poet, playwright, actor, educator, Cave Canem Fellow and executive director of the #LetUsBreathe Collective. Her play Octagon, winner of Arizona Theater Company's 2014 National Latino Playwriting Award and Polarity Ensemble Theater's Dionysos Festival of New Work, had its world premiere at the Arcola Theater in London in September 2015. Her work was featured in Victory Gardens' 2014 Ignition Festival. In 2013, she toured the UK with her collection of poems promised instruments published by Northwestern University Press. In autumn 2012, she opened her one-woman show Cry Wolf at Teatro Luna in Chicago while her play but i cd only whisper had its world premiere at the Arcola Theater in London and American premiere in 2016 at The Flea in New York. Kristiana is a part of the Goodman Theatre's Playwrights Unit, a resident playwright at Chicago Dramatists and one half of the brother/sister hip-hop duo April Fools. She appeared on the fifth season of HBO's “Def Poetry Jam.”

Lili-Anne Brown (Director) is a native Chicagoan, who works as a director, actor and educator, both locally and regionally. She is the former artistic director of Bailiwick Chicago, where she directed Dessa Rose (Jeff Award), Passing Strange (BTA Award and Jeff nomination for Best Director of a (Musical), See What I Wanna See (Steppenwolf Theatre Garage Rep) and the world premiere of Princess Mary Demands Your Attention by Aaron Holland. Other directing credits include The Wolf at the End of the Block (16th Street Theatre), Marie Christine (Boho Theatre), Peter and the Starcatcher (Metropolis Performing Arts), The Wiz (Kokandy Productions), Xanadu (American Theatre Company), Jabari Dreams of Freedom by Nambi E. Kelley (world premiere, Chicago Children’s Theatre), American Idiot (Northwestern University); the national tour of Jesus Snatched My Edges; and Little Shop of Horrors, Hairspray, Unnecessary Farce, Cabaret, Sweet Charity, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story at Timber Lake Playhouse. She is a member of SDC, SAG-AFTRA, and a graduate of Northwestern University.

About Sideshow Theatre Company:
Sideshow Theatre Company: Theatre for the Curious. It is the mission of Sideshow Theatre Company to mine the collective unconscious of the world we live in with limitless curiosity, drawing inspiration from the familiar stories, memories and images we all share to spark new conversation and bring our audiences together as adventurers in a communal experience of exploration.

Over its 10+ year history, Sideshow is proud to have distinguished itself as a vital member of the Chicago theatre community. Sideshow was awarded the 2016 Broadway In Chicago Emerging Theatre Award by the League of Chicago Theatres. Sideshow is a multiple Jeff Award-winning theatre and has been listed on the “Best of” lists in 2012, 2013 and 2014 by Time Out Chicago and the Chicago Sun-Times. Sideshow continues its multi-year residency at Victory Gardens in the historic Biograph Theater in the 2017/18 season.

Sideshow is also the producer of Chicago League of Lady Arm Wrestlers (CLLAW), a wildly popular fundraiser held in benefit of Sideshow Theatre Company and other local community organizations. CLLAW has been featured in local and national press, including The Washington Post, Reuters and the Chicago Sun-Times and on WGN Morning News, ABC 7’s Windy City Live and CBS 2. The next CLLAW match is Saturday, July 21, 2018 at Logan Square Auditorium. For more information about CLLAW, visit cllaw.org.

For additional information on Sideshow Theatre Company, visit sideshowtheatre.org.

OPENING: Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere Via Lifeline Theatre Through July 15, 2018

Chi IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

Lifeline Theatre Presents 

Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere

May 25 – July 15

Opens June 4

Performances with Open Captioning on June 16 and July 13

Performance with Touch Tour and Audio Description on June 24

(L to R) Jose Nateras as Richard and Samantha Newcomb as Door; in Lifeline Theatre’s production of Neil Gaiman’s “Neverwhere,” adapted by Robert Kauzlaric, directed by Ilesa Duncan. Photo by Suzanne Plunkett.

Running Time: approximately two and a half hours with one intermission. 

The novel will be on sale in the lobby.

Here at ChiIL Live Shows we're eager to catch Lifeline's latest, a remount of their 2010 critically acclaimed, award winning hit, Neverwhere. We're also elated that Pegasus Theatre's Executive Artistic Director, Ilesa Duncan is directing. I'll be out for the press opening June 3rd, so check back soon for my full review. This is sure to be one to see. 

Lifeline Theatre presents Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere, adapted by ensemble member Robert Kauzlaric and directed by Pegasus Theatre Executive Artistic Director Ilesa Duncan. Kauzlaric’s adaptation of Neverwhere premiered at Lifeline in 2010 and garnered three Non-Equity Jeff Awards (New Adaptation, Scenic Design, and Sound Design). After receiving dozens of productions across the U.S., Canada, England, and Ireland, Neverwhere returns home for the first time, with an entirely new production helmed by Duncan. Richard Mayhew commits an act of kindness on the streets of London and finds himself trapped in a shadow world beneath the city. Lady Door returns home one day to find her family slain and her life upended. Drawn together by fate – and forces more powerful than they can guess – these two must brave countless trials, uncover the truth behind a dark conspiracy, and face the indomitable Great Beast before they can set things right again. Journey to London Below with a rogues’ gallery of liars, outcasts, and assassins, on a treacherous quest to awaken the hero within. 

Neverwhere runs May 25 – July 15 at Lifeline Theatre, 6912 N. Glenwood Ave. (free parking and shuttle; see below). Opening night is Monday, June 4 at 7:30 p.m. (Previews are Fridays, May 25 and June 1 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays, May 26 and June 2 at 8 p.m.; and Sunday, May 27 at 4 p.m.)

Regular performance times (June 7 – July 15) are Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 4 and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 4 p.m. Ticket prices are $40 for regular single tickets, $30 for active and retired military personnel (with ID), $30 for seniors, $20 for students (with ID), $20 for rush tickets (available half hour before show time, subject to availability), and $20 for previews. Group rate for 12 or more is available upon request. Tickets may be purchased at the Lifeline Theatre Box Office, 773.761.4477, or by visiting www.lifelinetheatre.com.

Accessible Performances: The Saturday, June 16, 4 p.m. performance and the Friday, July 13, 7:30 p.m. performance will feature open captioning for patrons who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. The Sunday, June 24, 4 p.m. performance will feature a pre-show touch tour of the set at 2:30 p.m. and live audio description for patrons who are blind or have low vision. For more information about Lifeline’s accessibility services, please contact Accessibility Coordinator Erica Foster at 773.761.4477 x703 or at access@lifelinetheatre.com.



The complete cast and production team for Neverwhere includes:

CAST: Guest artists LaQuin Groves (Mr. Vandemar & ensemble), Aneisa Hicks (Hunter & ensemble), Jose Nateras (Richard), Samantha Newcomb (Door), Michaela Petro (Jessica, Anaesthesia & ensemble), Michael Reyes (Islington & ensemble), John Henry Roberts (Mr. Croup & ensemble), Matthew Singleton (Marquis de Carabas & ensemble), and Dave Skvarla (Old Bailey, The Earl & ensemble). With understudies Paul Chakrin, Jennifer Cheung, Kim Fukawa, Gary Henderson, Dakota Hughes, Benjamin Ponce, and Roy Samra.

PRODUCTION TEAM: Lifeline Theatre ensemble members Aly Renee Amidei (Costume Designer), Alan Donahue (Scenic & Properties Designer), Robert Kauzlaric (Adaptor), and Maren Robinson (Dramaturg); with guest artists Becky Bishop (Stage Manager), Ilesa Duncan (Director), Andrew Hansen (Original Music & Sound Designer), Collin Helou (Master Electrician/AV Supervisor), Lavina Jadhwani (Casting Director), Becca Jeffords (Lighting Designer), Michelle Lopez-Rios (Dialect Coach), Liz Larsen (Assistant Stage Manager), Jennifer McClendon (Production Manager), Mike Oleon (Puppet Designer), R&D Choreography (Violence Designers), Joe Schermoly (Technical Director), and Michelle Underwood (Projections Designer).

Lifeline Theatre presents Neverwhere, running May 25 – July 15 at Lifeline Theatre, 6912 N. Glenwood Ave. (free parking and shuttle; see
below). Press opening is Sunday, June 3 at 4 p.m. Opening night is Monday, June 4 at 7:30 p.m. (Previews are Fridays, May 25 and June 
at 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays, May 26 and June 2 at 8 p.m.; and Sunday, May 27 at 4 p.m.)

Regular performance times (June 7 – July 15) are Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 4 and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 4 p.m. Ticket prices are $40 for regular single tickets, $30 for active and retired military personnel (with ID), $30 for seniors, $20 for students (with ID), $20 for rush tickets (available half hour before show time, subject to availability), and $20 for previews. Group rate for 12 or more is available upon request. Tickets may be purchased at the Lifeline Theatre Box Office, 773.761.4477, or by visiting www.lifelinetheatre.com.

Lifeline Theatre is accessible by CTA (Red Line Morse stop/busses) and free parking is available at Sullivan High School (6631 N Bosworth Ave, lot located on Albion Ave. just east of Bosworth) with free shuttle service before and after the show.  Street parking is also available. Lifeline is accessible to wheelchair users and visitors who need to avoid stairs.

Now in its 35th season, Lifeline Theatre is driven by a passion for story. Our ensemble process supports writers in the development of literary adaptations and new work, and our theatrical and educational programs foster a lifelong engagement with literature and the arts. A cultural anchor of Rogers Park, we are committed to deepening our connection to an ever-growing family of artists and audiences, both near and far. Lifeline Theatre – Big Stories, Up Close.

Lifeline Theatre’s programs are partially supported by Alphawood Foundation; A.R.T League Inc.; Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Illinois; Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation; Chicago CityArts, a grant from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events; Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation; FGMK LLC; FlexPrint Inc.; Lloyd A. Fry Foundation; The Michael and Mona Heath Fund at The Chicago Community Foundation; The Grover Hermann Foundation; Illinois Arts Council Agency; Illinois Humanities Council; MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince; The PAV Grant Fund; The Polk Bros. Foundation; Rogers Park Social; The Saints; S&C Electric Company Fund; The Shubert Foundation; and the annual support of businesses and individuals.

Shows On Our Radar: Mies Julie at Victory Gardens Theater Through June 24th

Chi IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

Victory Gardens Theater concludes 43rd Season with

Mies Julie

By Yaël Farber

Directed by Dexter Bullard

Adapted from August Strindberg’s Miss Julie

**Mies Julie is recommended for mature audiences, ages 18+**

May 25 – June 24, 2018

Victory Gardens Theater concludes its 43rd season with Mies Julie, written by Yaël Farber, directed by Dexter Bullard, and adapted from August Strindberg’s Miss Julie. Mies Julie runs May 25 – June 24, 2018

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we've seen many versions of Strindberg's Miss Julie over the years, yet none quite like this. I'm eager to check out Victory Gardens' take on Yaël Farber’s modern, post apartheid South Africa based adaptation.

Set in a remote South African desert, playwright Yaël Farber’s award-winning adaptation of August Strindberg's classic Miss Julie has never "raged quite so fiercely," (The Guardian).  It is Freedom Day, 18 years after the end of apartheid. A farm laborer John encounters his white Afrikaans master's daughter, Julie, on a feverish night fueled by heat, primal passion, and generation-deep resentment.  The visceral struggles of contemporary South African society are revealed as a deadly attraction spirals violently out of control. 

“We are very excited to bring you Yaël Farber’s internationally acclaimed play to Chicago,” said Artistic Director Chay Yew. “Raw, powerful, and passionate, Yaël's breathtaking adaptation of Strindberg's classic Miss Julie adds a new political dimension to the classic and fleshes out more fully the contemporary issues of race and power, and gender and power through the lens of post-apartheid South Africa. It’s a complex dance that so many of us walk on a day-to-day basis, and Yaël's exploration of this duality is relentless. With heated language and stark dialogue, we are forced to see ourselves reflected in the circumstances surrounding Mies Julie in unexpected ways.”



The cast of Mies Julie includes Tosha 'Ayo' Alston (Ukhokho), Heather Chrisler (Mies Julie), Jalen Gilbert (John) and Celeste Williams (Christine).

The creative team includes Kurtis Boetcher (scenic design), Raquel Adorno (costume design), Diane B. Fairchild (lighting design), Stephen Ptacek (sound design) and Eleanor Kahn (props). For this production of Mies Julie Phillip Timberlake serves as the dialect coach and Kristina Fluty is the intimacy and violence choreographer. Carol Ann Tan is the assistant director, Jessica Forella is the production stage manager and Skyler Gray is the dramaturg.


About the Artists
DEXTER BULLARD (Director) is happy to be back at Victory Gardens after directing Roy WIlliams' Sucker Punch and Annie Baker’s Circle Mirror Transformation. Recent credits include Tracy Letts’ Linda Vista and Annie Baker’s The Flick at Steppenwolf,  Craig Wright's Grace on Broadway, the world premiere of Dan LeFranc's The Big Meal at American Theatre Company, Odradek at The HOUSE Theatre, Mistakes Were Made at Barrow Street Theater Off-Broadway and with A Red Orchid Theatre, Reverie with Second City at The Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal, Lady at Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre Off-Broadway, and Gas for Less at the Goodman Theatre. In 2004, Dexter was awarded the Lucille Lortel Award for Tracy Letts’ Bug at The Barrow Street Theater, as well as a Drama Desk Nomination. In 1995 Dexter co–founded Plasticene, a physical theater company whose critically–acclaimed experimental works were featured at The Steppenwolf Studio, The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, The Storefront Theatre, Performing Arts Chicago, MCA, and in New York City. With the Plasticene company, he directed and collaboratively created sixteen original works over seventeen years including The Palmer Raids (2003.) Since 1996, Dexter has directed with The Second City, leading a National Touring Company and developing satirical revues at E.T.C. and at Second City Detroit. Back in 1990, Dexter founded The Next Lab at The Next Theatre where he directed Bouncers, for which he received a Jefferson Citation and an After Dark award for his direction. At Next Theatre, he directed and/or created eight shows for mainstage and Lab as well as producing the world premiere of Tracy Letts’ Killer Joe. He has also directed projects for Famous Door Theatre, Northlight Theatre, Hartford Stage Company, Manhattan Theatre Club, Links Hall, and several times for A Red Orchid Theatre. Dexter received his undergraduate degree from Northwestern, his MFA in Performance from School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and is the Head of Graduate Acting at The Theatre School at DePaul University.

YAËL FARBER (Playwright) is a multiple award-winning director and playwright of international acclaim. Her productions have toured the world extensively - earning her a reputation for hard-hitting, controversial works of the highest artistic standard. She has most recently directed a highly acclaimed production of Loraine Hansberry’s unfinished final work Les Blancs for the National Theatre in London. Her recent production of Salomé (written and directed by Farber) for Washington’s Shakespeare Theater Company was received powerfully by the press, was nominated for 10 and won 7 Helen Hayes Awards - including Best Director and Best Play 2015. Her award-winning production of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible for the Old Vic at London’s West End garnered ten 5-star reviews from UK’s top publications, and a rave review from The New York Times. The production earned her a London Evening Standard nomination and an Olivier Nomination, and is one of the most successful productions in The Old Vic’s illustrious history. A film of the production, captured by Digital Theatre, sold out in theatres for limited runs around the world. Nirbhaya (directed and written by Farber in India 2013) earned exceptional reviews and three international awards at the 2013 Edinburgh Festival. Mies Julie (written and directed by Farber) won a string of international awards at the Edinburgh Festival 2012 and was named one of the Top Ten Productions of 2012 by The New York Times, and Top Five Productions of 2012 by The Guardian. A selection of her awards include: BroadwayWorld Best Director (2014); Asian Media Award (2014); The Amnesty Freedom of Expression Award (2013); Best of Edinburgh Award (2012); Scotsman Fringe First Awards (2000, 2012, 2013); Herald Angel Awards (2003, 2012, 2013); South Africa’s Fleur du Cap (2012), Vita (1991) and Naledi Awards (2002, 2008, 2013); Boston’s Elliot Norton Award (2013); Canada’s Dora Mavor Moore Award (2014) and a BBC Sony Award (2001). She was named Artist of the Year in her native South Africa (2003). Ms. Farber was named amongst the top 100 South Africans by Citypress in 2013. Her plays are published by Oberon Books (London, UK). Her productions have toured across the major cities of the USA, the UK, Africa, Canada, Australia, Japan, Europe, India, United Arab Emirates, Singapore and Hong Kong. She has been an invitee at the Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab (NYC), a guest artist at Mabou Mines Theatre Company (NYC), Haus der Kulturen der Welt (Berlin), The Public Theater (NYC) and the Sundance Institute Theatre Lab (Utah). She served as Head of the Directing Program at the National Theatre School of Canada between 2009 and 2012. Ms. Farber was named amongst the top 100 South Africans by Citypress in 2013. Her plays are published by OBERON BOOKS (London, UK).

TOSHA 'AYO' ALSTON (Ukhokho) is a quintessential Brooklynite and was raised in a family of highly skilled artists and musicians. Ayo served as Dance Captain for Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago. In 2009, Ayo birthed Ayodele Drum and Dance; a teaching organization created for women to affirm their self-confidence and strength in our communities. Ayodele personalizes African music and dance in order to effectively infuse our children with cultural wealth. Ayohas and continues to share her growing knowledge of traditional and contemporary African and African diaspora dance and music forms across the country. She is a level 1 ASA fitness instructor. Ayo currently teaches at Columbia College at Chicago and Chicago High School for the Arts.

HEATHER CHRISLER (Mies Julie) makes her Victory Gardens debut. Chicago credits include Twilight Bowl (Goodman, New Stages), Machinal (Greenhouse Theatre Center, Chris Jones' Top Ten Performances of 2017), Mary's Wedding, Captain Blood, The Madness of Edgar Allan Poe (First Folio Theatre), Her Majesty's Will (Lifeline Theatre), good friday (Oracle Productions, Jeff Award Nomination Best Ensemble), and All's Well That Ends Well (Stage Left). Regional credits include Dancing Lessons (Riverside Theatre), Romeo and Juliet, Tempest (Door Shakespeare), Christmas Carol, The Three Musketeers (Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park), Much Ado About Nothing, and Blithe Spirit (Monomoy Theatre). She has appeared on TV in Chicago P.D. and holds a MFA from Ohio University.

JALEN GILBERT (John) has appeared in Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea (First Floor Theater), Paradise Blue (Timeline Theatre (u/s), and East Texas Hot Links (Writers Theatre(u/s). His Film & TV credits include The Exorcist, Medicine, and Solo.

CELESTE WILLIAMS (Christine) has previously appeared at Victory Gardens in Tree, Knock Me a Kiss, Emma’s Child, and Pecong. Other theatre credits include Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Northlight Theatre, Writers’ Theatre, Court Theatre, Next Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, and Clarence Brown Theatre. Film and TV credits include Rose White, Boss, and Empire.


Full Performance Schedule
Previews for Mies Julie are May 25 – 31, 2018. Previews are $15-$45. The Press opening is Friday, June 1 at 7:30pm. Regular performances run June 2 – 24, 2018: Tuesday – Friday at 7:30pm; Saturday at 3pm and 7:30pm; Sunday at 3pm.  Regular performances are $15-$60.

Victory Gardens has partnered with mobile theater ticketing app TodayTix to offer free tickets for the first preview of Mies Julie. Free Tickets will be available via TodayTix mobile lottery, launching one week before the first preview on Friday, May 18, 2018. Winners will be notified by email and push notification between 12:00pm and 3:00pm on the day of the first preview, Friday, May 25, 2018. To enter, download the TodayTix app on your iOS or Android device.

Accessible Performance Schedule
ASL Interpreted Performance: Friday, June 8 at 7:30pm

Word for Word (open captioning): Friday, June 8 at 7:30pm, Saturday, June 9 at 3:00pm, and Wednesday, June 13 at 2:00pm
           
Audio Description/Touch Tour: Friday, June 8 at 7:30pm (Touch tour at 6:00pm), Sunday, June 17 at 3:00pm (Touch tour at 1:30pm)

Performances are at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N Lincoln Avenue, in the heart of Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood. For tickets and information, call the Victory Gardens Box Office, 773.871.3000, email tickets@victorygardens.org, or visit www.victorygardens.org. Ask the Box Office about student tickets ($15), senior, and Access. For group discounts, call 872.817.9087.

Previews: May 25 – 31, 2018
Press opening:            Friday, June 1, 2018 at 7:30pm
Regular run:                June 2 – 24, 2018

Schedule:                     Tuesdays - Fridays:     7:30pm
Saturdays:                    3:00pm; 7:30pm
Sundays:                      3:00pm

Accessible Performances: Word for Word (open captioning): Friday, June 8 at 7:30pm,
Saturday, June 9 at 3:00pm, and Wednesday, June 13 at 2:00pm

ASL Interpreted: Friday, June 8 at 7:30pm

Audio Description/Touch Tour: Friday, June 8 at 7:30pm (Touch tour at 6:00pm), Sunday, June 17 at 3:00pm (Touch tour at 1:30pm)

Location:                     Victory Gardens Theater is located at 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue,
in the heart of Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood

Tickets:                        Previews:          $15 - $45
Regular run:     $15 - $60

Box Office:                   The Box Office is located at 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago.
773.871.3000; www.victorygardens.org.

2017/18 Women’s 
Series Major 
Production Sponsors:              Janice Miller

2017/18 Women’s 
Series Production 
Sponsors:                                Doris Conant; Marcelle McVay and Dennis Zacek; Jeffrey
Rappin and Penny Brown; Jane M Saks, Nathan Cummings Foundation; and Bill and Orli Staley Foundation

            Production Sponsors:              Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation and Virginia and Gary Gerst 

Playwright’s Society Sponsors: Bruce and Jacki Barron, David and Virginia Glasner, and Golden Country Oriental Food LLC

Major Season Support:            Allstate, Alphawood Foundation, David Rockefeller Fund, Doris Duke Charitable Trust, Exelon, Harold & Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, Paul M Angell Foundation, The Joyce Foundation, The Mellon Foundation, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The Prince Charitable Trust, The REAM Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, Time Warner Foundation  Inc., and The Wallace Foundation

Travel Sponsor:                       Southwest Airlines


About Victory Gardens Theater
Under the leadership of Artistic Director Chay Yew and Managing Director Erica Daniels, Victory Gardens is dedicated to artistic excellence while creating a vital, contemporary American Theater that is accessible and relevant to all people through productions of challenging new plays and musicals.  Victory Gardens Theater is committed to the development, production and support of new plays that has been the mission of the theater since its founding, set forth by Dennis Začek, Marcelle McVay, and the original founders of Victory Gardens Theater.

Victory Gardens Theater is a leader in developing and producing new theater work and cultivating an inclusive Chicago theater community. Victory Gardens’ core strengths are nurturing and producing dynamic and inspiring new plays, reflecting the diversity of our city’s and nation’s culture through engaging diverse communities, and in partnership with Chicago Public Schools, bringing art and culture to our city’s active student population.  

Since its founding in 1974, the company has produced more world premieres than any other Chicago theater, a commitment recognized nationally when Victory Gardens received the 2001 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre. Located in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, Victory Gardens Biograph Theater includes the Začek-McVay Theater, a state-of-the-art 259-seat mainstage and the 109-seat studio theater on the second floor, named the Richard Christiansen Theater.

Victory Gardens Ensemble Playwrights include Luis Alfaro, Philip Dawkins, Marcus Gardley, Ike Holter, Samuel D. Hunter, Naomi Iizuka, Tanya Saracho and Laura Schellhardt. Each playwright has a seven-year residency at Victory Gardens Theater.

For more information about Victory Gardens, visit www.victorygardens.org.  Follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/victorygardens, Twitter @VictoryGardens and Instagram at instagram.com/victorygardenstheater/.

Victory Gardens Theater receives sustaining support from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Joyce Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The REAM Foundation, Shubert Foundation, Venturous Theater Fund of the Tides Foundation, and Wallace Foundation. It receives major funding from Crown Family Philanthropies, Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, and Polk Bros. Foundation. Major funders also include:Allstate Insurance, Alphawood Foundation, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, Edgerton Foundation, Exelon, Field Foundation of Illinois, Illinois Arts Council Agency, David Rockefeller Fund, Bill and Orli Staley Foundation, Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, Time Warner Foundation Inc., Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation. Additional funding this season is provided by: Alliance Bernstein, Charles H. and Bertha L. Boothroyd Foundation, Capital Group Private Client Services, Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, The Chicago Foundation for Women, ComEd, Nathan Cummings Foundation, Golden Country Oriental Foods, John R. Halligan Charitable Fund, ITW, JCCC Foundation, Mayer Brown LLP, The McVay Foundation, Metropolitan Capital Bank & Trust, National Endowment for the Arts, Negaunee Foundation, Roberta Olshansky Charitable Fund, Origin Ventures, Pauls Foundation, PNC Financial Services Group, Prince Charitable Trusts, Seabury Foundation, Charles & M.R. Shapiro Foundation, Wrightwood Neighbors Association. In-kind support is provided by:  Dimo’s Pizza, Fiesta Mexicana, Italian Village Restaurants, Southwest Airlines, Roy’s Furniture, Suite Home Chicago, and Whole Foods Market. This project is partially supported by an Incent Ovate Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events.

Second City’s UP Comedy Club To Host 5th Annual Bob Curry Fellowship Showcase and 4th Annual NBCUniversal Break Out Comedy Festival This June

Chi IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

The Second City presents

5th Annual Bob Curry Fellowship Showcase

Wednesday, June 6 at 8 pm in Second City’s e.t.c. Theater

4th Annual NBCUniversal Break Out Comedy Festival

Hosted by Godfrey, David Pompeii and Azhar Usman

June 7 - 9 at Second City’s UP Comedy Club

The Second City will bring diverse new voices to the forefront of the comedy world with a series of events June 6 - 9, 2018. The weekend kicks off with the 5th annual Bob Curry Fellowship Showcase, featuring 16 of the best and brightest new voices in comedy. The 4th annual NBCUniversal Second City Break Out Comedy Festival, which spotlights rising talent from across the country, will be hosted by incomparable comic Godfrey (Comedy Central, VH1, BET), Second City alumnus David Pompeii (Comedy Central, Key and Peele) and special guest Azhar Usman (Comedy Cellar of NY).

“The Diversity and Inclusion program was formally introduced over 25 years ago as part of Second City’s ongoing mission. We couldn’t be more thrilled with the Bob Curry and Break Out Festival events, which are the centerpieces of the initiative and a vital part of the overall programming at Second City,” said Dionna Griffin-Irons, Director of Diversity Talent and Development. “No fan of comedy should miss out on this weekend exploding with fresh, diverse voices.”

The Bob Curry Fellowship Showcase
Second City’s e.t.c. Theater (230 W North Ave, 2nd Floor of Piper’s Alley)
Wednesday, June 6 at 8pm
Tickets, $15, 312-337-3992, www.secondcity.com

The 5th annual cohort of the Bob Curry Fellowship program, comprised of 16 of the best and brightest new voices in comedy, will perform together in the Bob Curry Fellowship Showcase, directed by Second City Co-Artistic Director, Matt Hovde. The showcase will highlight ten weeks of master improv training, with original material and best of Second City archival scenes.

The 2018 Bob Curry Fellows are: Angela Alise, Trumane Alston, Damian Anaya, Aaron Branch, Menaka Delekar, Jillian Ebanks, George Elrod, Steve Han, Maya Haughton, Jarid Igbal, Asia Martin, Julia Morales, Yazmin Ramos, Ana Silva, Max Thomas and Shadee Vossonghi.

Building upon a unique partnership established with Universal Television, the Bob Curry Fellowship is a professional mentoring and development program focused on cultivating the best new voices in improv and sketch comedy. A highly competitive and rigorous process, applicants must audition to be considered for the program. In 2018, over 250 applicants submitted with sixteen diverse actors and improvisers from a diverse, array of multicultural, ethnic backgrounds being selected. The Bob Curry Fellowship is offered bi-annually at Second City Toronto, and an inaugural program launches at The Second City Hollywood this summer.

The success of The Bob Curry Fellowship program is felt on Second City’s stages, as several participants in the fellowship have been cast in The Second City’s professional companies. Tyler Davis and Tien Tran are graduates of the fellowship who now perform in the current Second City Chicago Mainstage production of Dream Freaks Fall from Space, with numerous other fellows touring with the Second City Touring Company and Second City Theatricals.

4th Annual NBCUniversal Second City Break Out Comedy Festival
Second City’s UP Comedy Club (230 W North Ave, 3rd Floor of Piper’s Alley)
June 7 - 9, 2018
Tickets: $10-$25, 312-337-3992, www.secondcity.com

Thursday, June 7 at 7:30pm ($20-$25): Hosted by David Pompeii
with special guest Azhar Usman
Friday, June 8 and Saturday, June 9 at 7:30pm and 10pm ($20-$25): Hosted by Godfrey
Saturday, June 9 at midnight ($10): Hosted by Azhar Usman

Back for its fourth year, this dynamic partnership with NBCUniversal and Second City will again showcase some of the hottest emerging and seasoned diverse comedic acts in stand-up, sketch and improv from around the country. This year’s Break Out Comedy Festival includes hosts Godfrey (Comedy Central, VH1, BET), David Pompeii (Comedy Central, Key and Peele), Azhar Usman (Comedy Cellar of NY) and a lineup of Chicago favorites and emerging comedic acts.

On Thursday, June 7, veteran Chicago stand-up comics Calvin Evans and Alex Kumin will perform, along with up-and-coming new talent. Friday, June 8 and Saturday, June 9 performances will include New York-based comics Paul Elia (Conan), Adam Mamawala (Funny or Die’s Top 30 Under 30 Comedians to Watch) and Kerry Codett (BET’s The Rundown with Robin Thede), Toronto-based comedian Carol Zoccoli and newcomer Max Desolhn from Seattle. All shows will also feature select graduates of the Bob Curry Fellowship Program.

About Bob Curry
Bob Curry was Joseph Jefferson Award-winning actor and director. In 1966, Curry became the first African-American to join The Second City’s resident company before joining what evolved into the first-ever touring company. In 1986, he received a Jeff Award for the Northlight Theatre production of Boesman and Lenam, tying for Best Supporting Actor with Danny Glover. An inspired director, Curry coached many actors of color in the Chicago theatre community on several projects, and he directed Paul Robeson at Kennedy-King College shortly before his death in 1994.

About NBCUniversal Talent Development & Inclusion
NBCUniversal Talent Development & Inclusion hosts a variety of programs and events and partners with other entertainment entities to develop, nurture, showcase and provide networking opportunities for new and diverse actors, writers, directors and other talent.  The programs include Late Night Writers Workshop, NBCUniversal Short Film Festival, NBCU Emerging Directors Program, Writers on the Verge, StandUp NBC, Scene Showcase, the Casting Apprentice Program and the Diverse Staff Writer Initiative, among others.  For more information, please log onto www.nbcunitips.com.

About The Second City
Since opening its doors 1959, The Second City has grown to become the world’s premier comedy club, theater and school of improvisation, entertaining 1 million theatergoers a year around the globe. Alumni of The Second City’s resident stages, touring companies, and theatrical divisions include some of the biggest names in entertainment, and in addition to the sold-out shows playing nightly on resident stages in Chicago and Toronto, the comedy empire has staged productions with a wide range of illustrious creative partners and theatre companies, including the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Goodman Theatre, Center Theater Group Los Angeles, Portland Center Stage, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, La Jolla Playhouse, Woolly Mammoth Theatre, and even the Chicago Bulls.

Monsieur D'Eon is a Woman at Trap Door Theatre Through June 30, 2018

Monsieur D'Eon is a Woman

Written by: Mark Brownell

Directed by: Nicole Wiesner
May 24 through June 30, 2018

Featuring: Maryam Abdi, Dennis Bisto, Ty Easley, Bill Gordon, Miguel Long, Emily Lotspeich, Michael Mejia, Ann Sonneville, Keith Surney, Nora Lise Ulrey, and featuring David Lovejoy as D'eon.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
Runs: Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 8PM until Saturday, June 30th
Admission:  $20 on Thursday/Friday, $25 on Saturday 
Special: 2 for 1 Admission on Thursday



"Monsieur D'Eon is a Woman" is a madcap romp following the extraordinary life and adventures of the Chevailere D'eon, an eighteenth century French diplomat, soldier, spy and a celebrated figure for Transgender and Women's rights."

Where:  TRAP DOOR THEATRE 1655 West Cortland Ave.  Chicago, IL 60622
For Information/Reservations: 773-384-0494 To purchase online www.trapdoortheatre.com

Performances Thurs, Fri and Sat at 8PM

Admission: $20 on Thursdays and Fridays, $25 on Saturdays. Special 2 for 1 admission on Thursdays.

For More Information/Reservations:773-384-0494

Where: TRAP DOOR THEATRE 1655 West Cortland Ave. Chicago, IL  60622

Playwright: Mark Brownell is a Toronto-based playwright and co-artistic director of the Pea Green Theatre Group with his wife and partner Sue Miner. Awards: Nominated for a Governor General’s Literary Award for his play, Monsieur d’Eon. He also received a Dora Mavor Moore Award for his libretto Iron Road and a Dora Mavor Moore Award Nomination for Medici Slot Machine. In 2010 he was also the recipient of the infamous Harold Indie Theatre Award. Other award-winning work includes The Barbeque King, The Martha Stewart Projects, Playballs, High Sticking-Three Period Plays, The Chevalier St. George, The Storyteller’s Bag and The Weaving Maiden.

Director: Nicole Wiesner has been a member of the Trap Door Theatre since 1999. Directing credits include Jean Racine’s Phedre, Meg Miroshnik’s Fairytale Lives of Russian Girls, and Howard Barker’s Minna. Favorite Trap Door acting credits include First Ladies, (dir. Zeljko Djukic, Joseph Jefferson Citation: Outstanding Actress); OVERWEIGHT; unimportant: MISSHAPE, (dir. Yasen Peyankov); and the title roles in The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant and Nana, (dir. Beata Pilch); and Alice in Bed. (Director Dado). Other credits include 2666 (dir. Seth Bockley and Robert Falls), Shining City, (dir. Robert Falls); Passion Play, (dir. Mark Wing-Davy, After Dark Award, Outstanding Performance) at The Goodman Theatre; The Book Thief (dir. Hallie Gordon), South of Settling (dir. Adam Goldstein) and Dublin Carol (Dir. Amy Morton) at Steppenwolf Theatre; Shining City, (dir. Robert Falls) at the Huntington Theatre in Boston; Passion Play (dir. Mark Wing-Davy) at Yale Repertory Theatre; Passion Play (dir. Mark Wing-Davy) at the Epic Theatre in NYC; Dying City (dir. Jason Loewith) at Next Theatre, Great Men of Science (dir. Tracy Letts) at Lookingglass Theatre.

Assistant Director Skye Fort / Set Designer J. Michael Griggs / Lighting Design Richard Norwood / Costume Design Rachel Sypniewski / Sound Design Danny Rockett / Fight Design Almanya Narula / Assistant Fight Design  Bill Gordon / Make-Up Design Zsófia Ötvös / Graphic Design Michal Janicki / Dramaturg Milan Pribisic / Stage Manager Anna Klos / Renaissance Man Gary Damico

Presenting Trap Door Off-Night!

shs poster with textSad Happy Sucker

Written by: Lee Kirk

Directed by: Mike Steele

What if you found yourself standing in your backyard, stuck to the earth, unable to move? Funny, and unexpectedly touching, Lee Kirk’s absurdist comedy explores the meaning of life, gravity, and cupcakes.

Cast: Logan Hulick, Emily Lotspiech, and Alex Stein

Sundays, June 17th thru July 8th at 8PM

Saturday, June 22nd at 10:30PM

Monday, July 9th at 8PM

Lighting Design Gary Damico/ Sound Design Mike Steele / Production Assistant Nora Lise Ulrey

Admission: $5 for advanced online reservation and $10 donation suggested at the door. For Information/Reservations: 773-384-0494

Where: TRAP DOOR THEATRE 1655 West Cortland Ave. Chicago, IL 60622

Check out Trap Door's 24th Season!

OPENING: Waiting for Godot Via Ireland's Druid Theater Company at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar

Acclaimed Version of Beckett's Waiting for Godot 

Running Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Ireland's prestigious Druid theatre company is back with an enthralling new interpretation of Beckett’s seminal work. In one of the most acclaimed plays of the 20th century, two friends wait on a bare road in the middle of nowhere for the arrival of the mysterious Godot. To pass the time, they debate life’s great unanswered questions, when two figures appear at dusk. Druid, recognized as one of the world’s greatest acting ensembles, returns after its previous CST engagements of The Cripple of Inishmaan and The Walworth Farce with this universally acclaimed production of Beckett’s classic.

Marty Rea as Vladimir and Aaron Monaghan as Estragon. 

All Production Photos by Matthew Thompson.

WAITING FOR GODOT exemplifies Chicago Shakespeare Theater's commitment to importing the world's most exciting theatrical events to Chicago and exporting the Theater's productions to global destinations through WorldStage at Chicago Shakespeare.

Two friends wait on a bare road in the middle of nowhere for the arrival of the mysterious Godot. To pass the time, they debate life's great unanswered questions, until two figures appear at dusk. The Irish Times lauds it as "the freshest, funniest and most affecting production of the play in at least a quarter of a century."

Through its many successes, Druid has maintained a core group of actors, designers, and production crew who work closely on the company's acclaimed artistic program, including long-form projects such as DruidSynge and DruidShakespeare.

 Aaron Monaghan as Estragon. Photo by Matthew Thompson.

Aaron Monaghan as Estragon, Garrett Lombard as Lucky, and Marty Rea as Vladimir. 

THE IRISH TIMES lauds Druid's WAITING FOR GODOT as "the freshest, funniest and most affecting production of the play in at least a quarter of a century."

A. Birkett as Boy and Marty Rea as Vladimir. 

Internationally recognized as a groundbreaking theater company, Druid returns to Chicago Shakespeare after previous engagements of THE CRIPPLE OF INISHMAAN (2011) and THE WALWORTH FARCE (2009). 

 Pictured: Rory Nolan as Pozzo.

To date, WorldStage at Chicago Shakespeare has featured over 1,000 artists from 22 countries spanning five continents--including artists from South Africa, China, India, Belarus, France, Russia, and the UK. 

Marty Rea as Vladimir and Aaron Monaghan as Estragon.

The Waiting for Godot company includes Garret Lombard (Lucky), Aaron Monaghan (Estragon), Rory Nolan (Pozzo), and Marty Rea (Vladamir)-all members of the Druid Ensemble. Joining Garry Hynes on the creative team are Francis O'Connor (Design), James F. Ingalls (Lighting Design), Greg Clarke (Sound Design), and Nick Winston (Movement Director).

WAITING FOR GODOT is directed by Garry Hynes, the first woman to ever win the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play, for her production of Martin McDonagh's debut work THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE, which premiered in 1998.

Marty Rea as Vladimir and Aaron Monaghan as Estragon. 

The Druid theatre company production of Beckett's masterpiece WAITING FOR GODOT takes the stage at Chicago Shakespeare for a limited engagement, May 23-June 3, 2018.

Waiting for Godot exemplifies Chicago Shakespeare Theater's commitment to importing the world's most exciting theatrical events to Chicago and exporting the Theater's productions to global destinations through WorldStage at Chicago Shakespeare. To date, the program has featured over 1,000 artists from 22 countries spanning five continents-including artists from South Africa, China, India, Belarus, France, Russia, and the UK. Many of the globe's most iconic troupes have made Chicago their stage, including: The Abbey Theatre from Dublin, Shakespeare's Globe from London, the Chekhov International Theatre Festival from Moscow, La Comédie Française from Paris, and The Farber Foundry from South Africa.

For more information, visit www.chicagoshakes.com/godot.

Waiting for Godot will be presented in Chicago Shakespeare's Courtyard Theater for a limited engagement, May 23-June 3, 2018. Single tickets are on sale now for $68-$88 (subject to change). Special discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Chicago Shakespeare Theater's Box Office at 312.595.5600 or visit the Theater's website at www.chicagoshakes.com.

ABOUT Chicago Shakespeare Theater

A global theatrical force, Chicago Shakespeare Theater is known for vibrant productions that reflect Shakespeare's genius for storytelling, musicality of language, and empathy for the human condition. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Barbara Gaines and Executive Director Criss Henderson, Chicago Shakespeare has redefined what a great American Shakespeare theater can be, putting forward a company that delights in the unexpected and defies theatrical category. A Regional Tony Award winner, the Theater produces acclaimed plays at its home on Navy Pier, throughout Chicago's schools and neighborhoods, and on stages around the world. In 2017, the Theater unveiled a new stage, The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare. Together with the Jentes Family Courtyard Theater and the Thoma Theater Upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare, The Yard positions Chicago Shakespeare as the city's most versatile performing arts venue.