OPENING: WHITE RABBIT RED RABBIT Via Interrobang Theatre Project at The Den Theatre

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Interrobang Theatre Project Presents

WHITE RABBIT RED RABBIT

By Nassim Soleimanpour

September 24 – November 12, 2018 at The Den Theatre

Ever have that nightmare where you can't get your locker open, or you're suddenly on stage without a clue what your lines are or even what play you're in, and everyone in the audience is looking expectantly at you? I have. This fall in Chicago, professional actors are actually volunteering for the latter scenario at several theatres in several different show configurations! One that's piqued my interest the most is award-winning Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour's acclaimed solo show WHITE RABBIT RED RABBIT. The show features a different actor each week, with a script they’ve never read before. Plan to catch one or many, as we go down the rabbit hole of word spanning two disparate cultures. Forbidden to leave his country, young Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour found a way for his voice to get out when he physically could not. His words have escaped censorship and are awaiting an audience. I'll be ChiILin' at Chi, IL's Den Theatre for WHITE RABBIT RED RABBIT featuring JD Caudill on October 1st. Check back soon for my full review.

What happens when you put one artist on a stage and hand them a script they’ve never read before? Pure theatrical magic! Interrobang Theatre Project is pleased to present award-winning Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour's acclaimed solo show WHITE RABBIT RED RABBIT, an experimental tour de force you have to see to believe! 

Featuring a different actor each week, this unforgettable artistic experiment will play Mondays at 8 pm from September 24 – November 12, 2018 at The Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood. Tickets are on sale at www.interrobangtheatre.org or by calling (312) 219-4140. 

The line-up for WHITE RABBIT RED RABBIT includes: 

Stephanie Shum (September 24) 
JD Caudill (October 1)
Echaka Agba (October 8)
Michael Turrentine (October 15)
Joe Lino (October 22)
David Cerda (October 29)
Shawna Franks (November 5)
Owais Ahmed (November 12)

No rehearsal. No director. No set. No spoiler. A different performer each night is handed a script (in a sealed envelope) for the first time as they step onto stage. Forbidden to leave his country, young Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour found a way for his voice to get out when he physically could not. His words have escaped censorship and are awaiting your audience. This wildly entertaining and thought-provoking theatrical piece – where no audience can see the same show twice – blends drama, comedy and social experiment, providing audiences with a potent reminder of the transformative power of theatre. WHITE RABBIT RED RABBIT has been called a play – but it’s a lively, global sensation that no one is allowed to talk about. 

Curtain Times: Mondays at 8 pm
Tickets: $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Tickets go on sale shortly at www.interrobangtheatre.org or by calling (312) 219-4140. 
Performers: Stephanie Shum (September 24) JD Caudill (October 1), Echaka Agba (October 8), Michael Turrentine (October 15), Joe Lino (October 22), David Cerda (October 29), Shawna Franks (November 5) and Owais Ahmed (November 12).

Understudy: Matthew Nerber

About the Playwright

Nassim Soleimanpour is an independent multidisciplinary theatre maker from Tehran, Iran. His plays have been translated into more than 20 languages. Best known for his play White Rabbit Red Rabbit, written to travel the world when he couldn’t, his work has been awarded the Dublin Fringe Festival Best New Performance, Summerworks Outstanding New Performance Text Award and The Arches Brick Award (Edinburgh Fringe), as well as picking up nominations for a Total Theatre and Brighton Fringe Pick of Edinburgh Award. By the time Nassim was permitted to travel for the first time in early 2013, his play White Rabbit Red Rabbit had been performed over 200 times in 15 languages. Since then, Nassim has facilitated workshops and panels in different countries including World Theatre Festival (Brisbane), Tolhuistuin (Amsterdam), SESC Vila Mariana (Sao Paulo), Schauspielhaus (Vienna), DPAC (Kuala Lampur), Theatretreffen (Berlin), British Council (London), Asia House (London) and University of Bremen (Germany). Nassim’s second play Blind Hamlet for the London based Actors Touring Company premiered at the 2014 Edinburgh Festival Fringe and has since toured extensively around the UK and was received well in Bucharest and Copenhagen. Blank, his third play, recently premiered in Amsterdam and has been performed in Utrecht, Edinburgh and London. Nassim now lives in Berlin with his wife Shirin.

PHOTO CREDIT: Interrobang Theatre Project’s production of WHITE RABBIT RED RABBIT will feature (top, l to r) Echaka Agba, Owais Ahmed, JD Caudill and David Cerda (bottom, l to r) Shawna Franks, Joe Lino, Stephanie Shum and Michael Turrentine.

About the Performers

Stephanie Shum can't believe Interrobang is letting her do this but is very excited to play with them for the first time. She is Co-Artistic Director of The New Colony, Associate Producer with Red Tape Theatre and has also performed with Steppenwolf, American Theater Company, The Neo-Futurists, 16th Street, Walkabout, Factory, Redtwist, Goodman, Victory Gardens, Silk Road and The Fly Honeys. She is a graduate of the School at Steppenwolf and is represented by Actors Talent Group. She may next be in seen in Wildclaw’s Second Skin. www.stephanieshum.com

JD Caudill is a Chicago-based director, music director and performer. Since coming to Chicago in 2014, JD has performed onstage with The New Colony, Hell in a Handbag Productions, New American Folk Theatre, Forks and Hope and Hobo Junction, and directed for over 15 companies, including Broken Nose Theatre, The New Colony and Haven Theatre. JD is a company member of Hell in a Handbag and Haven Theatre (where they are also marketing director), and an associate company member of Broken Nose Theatre.

Echaka Agba’s Chicago theatre credits include: Women Laughing Alone with Salad (Theater Wit); At the Table (Jeff Award – Best Ensemble, Best Supporting Actress; Black Theatre Alliance Award – The Hattie McDaniel Award) Broken Nose Theatre; The Crucible, Between Riverside and Crazy (u/s) Steppenwolf Theatre; Short Shakes! Romeo and Juliet (u/s) Chicago Shakespeare Theater; A Comedical Tragedy for Mister Punch, United Flight 232 (Jeff Award – Best Ensemble) House Theatre of Chicago; Don't Go Gentle (Haven Theatre); Balm in Gilead (Griffin Theatre). She is a graduate of The School at Steppenwolf and is represented by Grossman and Jack. 

Michael Turrentine is an actor/educator/playwright originally from Oklahoma, but loves the Windy City too much for words! He has worked at various theaters around Chicago including Firebrand Theatre, Remy Bumppo Theatre, Theater Wit, The Lyric Opera of Chicago, The Gift Theatre and others. He will also be performing in the up coming production of Frankenstein at Remy Bumppo Theatre. Michael is excited to go on this cool and exciting journey with Interrobang! He is represented by Gray Talent Group.

Joe Lino is a Chicago based actor and has worked with Steppenwolf, Goodman, Victory Gardens, Teatro Vista, Drury Lane, The New Colony, The Cuckoos Theater Project, The Agency Theatre Collective and Interrobang Theatre Project. where he is an artistic associate. Regionally he has credits with Actors Theatre of Louisville in shows such as Dracula, A Christmas Carol and That High Lonesome Sound, which premiered at the Humana Festival. He has also performed Off-Broadway at the BAM Harvey Theatre in Charles Mee’s world premiere of The Glory of the World. He is a proud alumni of Ball State University. 

David Cerda is the Artistic Director and Co-Founder of Hell in a Handbag Productions. Plays written include Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer, SCARRIE! The Musical, POSEIDON! An Upside-Down Musical, Christmas Dearest, The Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes Vol 1 & 2 and The Birds. As an actor he has worked with A New Colony, Corn Productions, Lookingglass, A Red Orchid Theatre and more. Cerda was inducted into the Chicago 2016 GLBTQ Hall of Fame and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Chicago Jeff Committee in 2017 for his body of work and philanthropic efforts.

Shawna Franks is the founding Managing Director of Facility Theatre where she is currently performing in the Chicago premiere of Phoebe In Winter by Jen Silverman. Shawna originated the role of Dottie in Killer Joe by Tracy Letts at The Next Lab in Evanston. She performed this role at The Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh, The Bush Theatre in London and The Vaudeville Theatre on London's West End. She also performed in Grand Concourse at Steppenwolf Theatre and The Woman Before at Trap Door Theatre. She has appeared in various productions in Dublin, Los Angeles, Phoenix and New York City, and is the founding Artistic Director of Space 55 Theatre in Phoenix.

Owais Ahmed is a Chicago native and a proud ensemble member of Definition Theatre Co. Theatre credits include: The Invisible Hand (Steep Theatre, Milwaukee Rep), The Hard Problem (Court Theatre), Orange (Mixed Blood Theatre) and The Qualms (Steppenwolf Theatre). 

About Interrobang Theatre Project

Now in its ninth season, Interrobang Theatre Project, under the artistic leadership of Georgette Verdin and James Yost, has been hailed by the Chicago Tribune as a “company to watch” and by Time Out Chicago as “one of Chicago’s most promising young theatre companies.” Chris Jones called Foxfinder, which kicked off Interrobang’s 2017-18 season, “...a ripping good yarn,” earning it 3.5 stars from the Chicago Tribune. Foxfinder also garnered seven non-Equity Jeff Awards nominations including Best Director and Production of a Play, and took home two awards for Best Original Music and Set Design. The company also earned seven non-Equity Jeff Nominations for their seventh season, including Best Director, Production of a Play, Solo Performance and acting nominations for Lead Actor, Actress (win) and Actor in a Supporting Role (win). Productions have included the world premiere of Calamity West’s Ibsen is Dead (Jeff Recommended), the Jeff Recommended The Pitchfork Disney, Orange Flower Water, Recent Tragic Events, The North Pool, The Amish Project, Falling and Grace. Director James Yost’s critically-acclaimed Really Really was one of six shows chosen for Chicago Tribune’s “Best of 2015 in Chicago Fringe Theater.”

What’s an interrobang?
An interrobang is the combination of a question mark and an exclamation point, joining the Latin for “question” (interro) with a proofreading term for “exclamation” (bang). Through the plays we produce, Interrobang Theatre Project aims to pose worthwhile and exciting questions which challenge our understanding and assumptions of who we are and the world in which we live. 

For more information, please visit www.interrobangtheatreproject.org.

FEST ALERT: ARTEMISIA FALL FESTIVAL of Feminist Plays Sept. 24-Oct. 3

ARTEMISIA FALL FESTIVAL 2018 

Sept. 24-Oct. 3

Annual festival of feminist plays will include staged readings of six new works

ARTEMISIA FALL FESTIVAL 2018

September 24-26 and October 1-3, 2018

Mondays – Wednesdays, 7:30 PM each evening

The Edge Theater

5451 N. Broadway, Chicago

Ticket prices for $10 for individual plays or $25 for a VIP Pass good for any three admissions to an Artemisia Theatre event during the 2018-19 season. Tickets can be purchased at www.artemisiatheatre.org or by phone at 312-725-3780.

Here at ChiIL Live Shows and ChiIL Mama we're all about empowering women, giving voice to diverse experiences, and fighting inequity in the arts. As a female theatre critic and small business owner, I adore Artemisia's tag line, Theatre -- About Women For Everyone. Women centered stories are not a niche market to be marginalized. It's about time that the 51% have a say in the stories that define universal human tragedies, triumphs and the relationships in between. It's past time to go beyond just straight, white, male stories as the dominant art form in our culture. I'm particularly excited by Artemisia's festival team, a diverse group of artists who are significant players in the theater community: 

*Jamal Howard, an African-American, has directed for Emerald City and New American Folk Theatre; 
*Carol Ann Tan, an Asian-American, has directed with Haven and Otherworld and is currently a dramaturg on Vietgone at Writers; 
*Aaron Sawyer, founding AD of Red Theater, who directed R&J The Vineyard  (the Romeo & Juliet with hearing-impaired actors)
*Beth Wolf, founding AD of Midsommer Flight (free Shakespeare in the parks)
*Rachel Sledd Iannantuoni, who has acted in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner at Court, and has also acted with Profiles and Shattered Globe
*Julie Proudfoot, founding AD of Artemisia

Ready to check out the next wave of feminist movers, shakers and culture makers?

Six directors and 30 actors from the Chicago theatre community will collaborate to create staged readings of six new feminist plays in the Artemisia Fall Festival 2018, to be performed September 24-26 and October 1-3 at The Edge Theater at 5451 N. Broadway. 

Artemisia Founding Artistic Director Julie Proudfoot and Literary Manager Sharai Bohannon have curated the festival from submissions solicited from writers, agents and literary managers across the US with whom the company has had working professional relationships. One play from the six to be performed will be chosen for further development by Artemisia Artistic Director Proudfoot, who will work closely with the playwright over the next two years to develop their feminist story for a full production in Chicago.

Proudfoot defines “feminist plays” as plays that empower women and challenge audiences to see women differently. In a recent interview, she noted how many plays in the existing canon fail to adequately portray women, saying “We don’t necessarily have feminist three-dimensional characters with all the flaws and virtues and complexities of great male characters. It matters to me because women are long overdue to be recognized on a level equal to men, especially in terms of leadership, humanity, complexity and agency. I think it should matter to everyone because Artemisia’s work inspires gender parity, which has been statistically shown to make for better and safer communities.”

While the scripts selected for this year’s festival all feature women who have agency and who are the center of their own narratives, the plays have a diversity of topics and genres. Themes to be explored include cultural differences between diverse societies in their treatment and status of women, mother-daughter relationships, and tensions between economic classes. The ranges of genres include dramas, satire and thrillers. The writers are not exclusively female – one male playwright will be represented alongside the five women writers. Proudfoot says, “We believe that men as well as women can be feminists.”

Over each of the Festival’s six nights, a different new play is staged as a reading. Talkbacks focusing on empowerment, inclusion and diversity will follow each reading. There will be a closing night party on October 3rd.  

The six plays to be performed, the performance dates, and the artists involved for each are as follows: 

Monday, September 24, 7:30 PM
SCRATCHING THE SURFACE, by Charly Evon Simpson. Directed by Rachel Sledd Iannantuoni.
One woman’s nightmare, one couple’s dream, and the nice female neighbor who likes to drop by unexpectedly with homemade pies collide in this juicy thriller.
Cast: William Burdin, Pauleth Jauregui, Anastacia Narrajos, Brandi Brown

Tuesday, September 25, 7:30 PM
WITCH CAMP, by J. Thalia Cunningham. Directed by Beth Wolf.
When an African-American doctor volunteers at a small health clinic in northern Ghana, she discovers that the women in the camp accused of witchcraft really do have magical powers.
Cast: Charlee Cotton, Myesha-Tiara, RJW Mays, Teresa Champion, Tamarus Harvell, Marz Timms, Sonia Goldberg

Wednesday, September 26, 7:30 PM
CASH COWS, by Anthony Fiorentino. Directed by Jamal Howard.
A group of exploited milk cows launch a hunger strike to change their abusive working conditions and the dairy company's CEO wages a ruthless campaign to crush the rebellion.
Cast: Caron Buinis, Laurie Gauger, Robin Margolis, Emma Sheikh, Tina El Gamal, Tanyce Caraballo, Dekyi Ronge, Blake Holen, David Morgan Shaw

Monday, October 1, 7:30 PM
THINGS THAT ARE ROUND, by Callie Kimball. Directed by Aaron Sawyer.
Two women, a dentist specializing in existential terror, and the worst baby sitter ever who has dreams of becoming an opera singer, square off in a strange ballet of truth or dare.
Cast: Julie Proudfoot, Alejandra Vivanco

Tuesday, October 2, 7:30 PM
MINE AND YOURS, by Carolyn Kras. Directed by Carol Ann Tan.
A foreclosure loophole pits new buyers against former owners in a struggle to claim the house as their home through cohabitation.
Cast: Barbara Roeder Harris, Steve Silver, Isabella Gerasole, Chase Wheaton-Werle

Wednesday, October 3, 7:30 PM
EVERY WAITING HEART, by Lauren Ferebee. Directed by Julie Proudfoot.
A deep and intimate dive into the combative yet unbreakable relationship between an overworked single mother and her rebellious daughter, both pioneer women in 1848.
Cast: Jennifer Cheung, Patty Malaney, Lucy Pearce, John Wehrman, Tamarus Harvell

PLAYWRIGHT BIOS

Charly Evon Simpson (SCRATCHING THE SURFACE) is a playwright and performer from New York City. Her plays include JUMP, SCRATCHING THE SURFACE, HOTTENTOTTED, WHILE WE WAIT, and more. Her work has been seen and/or developed with NNPN at its Kennedy Center MFA Playwright's Workshop, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Ars Nova, The Flea, and others. She's a member of 17/18 Clubbed Thumb Early Career Writers' Group, The Amoralists' 2018-19 'Wright Club, and is The Pack's current playwright-in-residence. Charly holds a Bachelor of Arts from Brown and Master of Fine Arts from Hunter College. www.charlyevonsimpson.com 

J. Thalia Cunningham (WITCH CAMP) is a playwright, travel writer, and photographer.  Her plays have been commissioned, produced, and developed in United States and internationally. She has been published by Smith & Kraus and Applause. She is a proud member of: Actors Studio; League of Professional Theatre Women; The WorkShop Theater Company. J. Thalia holds a Bachelor of Arts from Johns Hopkins University has traveled to 120 countries and has written for national travel publications.

Anthony Fiorentino (CASH COWS) is a Chicago-based playwright whose plays have been produced at the Athenaeum Theatre, Stage 773, Prop Theatre, the American Theatre of Actors, the Actors' Theatre of Santa Cruz, and the Attic Playhouse. His plays ALL MY LOVE and THE FEAST have been nominated for the Jeff Award for Best New Play. He is an affiliated artist with the National New Play Network. He was a finalist for the Stanley Drama Award in 2011, and a Semi-finalist for Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center National Playwright's Conference (2008).

Callie Kimball (THINGS THAT ARE ROUND) is a MacDowell Fellow, a two-time winner of the Rita & Burton Goldberg Award, a finalist for the O'Neill, a semifinalist for the Princess Grace Award, and a four-time nominee for the Susan Smith Blackburn Award. Her plays have appeared in NY, Chicago, LA, and DC, at the Kennedy Center, Portland Stage Company, Lark Play Development Center, Dramatic Repertory Company, Halcyon Theatre, Stoneham Theatre, Echo Theatre, The Brick Theater, Project Y Theatre, Team Awesome Robot, Washington Shakespeare Company, Mad Horse Theatre, and more. She is currently writing a commission for ShadowCatcher Productions inspired by the letters of her grandparents during World War II. THINGS THAT ARE ROUND will have its world premiere this November at Rep Stage. Plays include: SOFONISBA (Clauder Gold Prize Winner, Kilroys' List), RUSH, ALLIGATOR ROAD, DREAMS OF THE PENNY GODS.

Carolyn Kras is an LA-based playwright from Chicago. She was Playwright in Residence at Selladoor Worldwide through the support of the Fulbright LUSK Award to the United Kingdom. Her play The Subject has had 20 readings, including a United Nations Orange Day Reading in London. Carolyn is the recipient of the Visionary Playwright Award, Hamptons International Film Festival Screenwriters' Lab selection, Alfred P. Sloan Screenwriting Award, Aspen Ideas Festival Scholar selection, Disquiet International Short Play Award, and Plume & Pellicule Award.   Her plays have been developed and or produced at The Blank Theatre, The Road Theatre, Chicago Dramatists, Stage Left Theatre, Centenary Stage Company, Pittsburgh Irish & Classical Theatre, 20% Theatre Company Chicago, Williams Street Rep, Theater Masters, Found Stages, and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.  She is a member of The Playwrights Union LA and holds a Master of Fine Arts from Carnegie Mellon University. www.carolynkras.com

Lauren Ferebee (EVERY WAITING HEART) Lauren's plays have been praised as "exquisite" (Applause, Applause) and "a fine balance between laugh-out-loud absurdity and gut-wrenching human drama" (DC Metro Theater Arts). Her play THE MEETING was recently a national finalist for the Kennedy Center's Gary Garrison 10-Minute Play Award. Previous plays include THE RECKLESS SEASON (finalist, 2016 Princess Grace Award, semi-finalist, 2014 Shakespeare's Sister Fellowship), and SEXUAL GEOGRAPHY (finalist, 2015 Reva Shiner Comedy Award). Smith & Kraus will publish four monologues from THE RECKLESS SEASON in the 2018 Best Stage Monologues Series She was a nominee for the 2016 USA Fellowship in theatre. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from NYU/Tisch. www.laurenferebee.com








Chicago’s premiere professional theatre nurturing feminist playwrights with a one-of-a-kind development process that culminates in remarkable and unforgettable productions.
Join us in bettering our community by empowering women and girls through theatre.  Partnering with Artemisia gives you unique media and marketing opportunities, direct contact with our audience and talent, and the chance to become part of a powerful movement – #ThePresentIsFemale

$100 FALL FESTIVAL SPONSOR
Recognition on Website and Social Media.  Group Logo Ad in Signature Program and signage in lobby throughout the Festival.
$200 ARTEMISIA ANGEL
Free access to all Events for Theatre Season & recognition on Website.
$500 SEASON SPONSOR
Live recognition at Fall Festival, Website Listing & Social Media and Ad in All Programs for Season.
$1,000 ARTEMISIA PARTNERSHIP
Free access to all Events for Theatre Season, Live Recognition at Fall Festival, Website Listing & Recognition in all Media, Press and Programs.
$2,500 PREMIERE PLAYWRIGHT SPONSOR
Guest of honor with free access at all Events for Season, Invitations to Exclusive Play Development Meetings and Rehearsals, Website Listing & Recognition in all Media, Press and Programs.




ABOUT ARTEMISIA: A CHICAGO THEATRE
Founded in 2011, Artemisia, A Chicago Theatre is a professional, not-for-profit theatre that produces all-new, dynamic and empowering plays that center on women who have agency, independence, and are the focal point of their own narratives, to create gender parity both onstage and off. Each season, Artemisia produces its Fall Festival of staged new play readings as well as fully staged productions of new plays it has developed. Artemisia is a 501 c 3 organization and, as such, relies heavily on public support to fund theatre that promotes equality and social justice for all women and girls.  

Artemisia Gentileschi, was a Baroque artist whose paintings depicted violence with fierce honesty and elegance. For centuries after her death, her art was attributed to men. Feminist curators in the late 1970’s rediscovered Artemisia, who is now considered the greatest female painter prior to the modern period. A common theme in Gentileschi’s later work is women in moments of power, or triumph, which is why she is the perfect namesake for Artemisia.

OPENING: Indecent Launches 44th Season at Victory Gardens Through November 4, 2018

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

 Victory Gardens Theater begins its 44th Season with 

Indecent

By Paula Vogel

Directed by Gary Griffin

September 21 – November 4, 2018

Victory Gardens Theater begins its 44th season with the 2017 Tony Award-nominated play Indecent, written by Paula Vogel and directed by Gary Griffin. Indecent runs September 21 – November 4, 2018, with the press performance on Friday, September 28, 2018 at 7:30pm at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue.

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paula Vogel (How I Learned to Drive) tells the deeply moving story of the controversial 1923 Broadway debut of Jewish playwright Sholem Asch’s God of Vengeance — a play about a forbidden lesbian romance that enchanted and outraged audiences. Inspired by true events, Indecent is performed by a small ensemble of actors and musicians portraying more than 40 roles to chart an explosive moment in theatrical history and the artists who risked their careers and lives to perform it. Award-winner Gary Griffin (Hand To God, Fun Home) returns to Victory Gardens to direct this 2017 Tony Award-nominated play.

“We are excited to bring Paula Vogel's powerful play to Chicago," notes Artistic Director Chay Yew. "Soaring with music and set about a hundred years ago when immigration and sexuality were topics of national dissent, Indecent’s piercing relevance still speaks directly to today's America. Paula has created a transcendent and intimate epic that lives and breathes joy; its poetic core is a celebration of the legacy of Yiddish theater and the power of art. It is an honor to give Indecent a home at Victory Gardens.”

Indecent features David Darlow (The Elder: Otto), Matt Deitchman (Accordion, Multi-instrumentalist), Elleon Dobias (Violin), Cindy Gold (The Elder: Vera), Noah LaPook (The Ingenue: Avram), Catherine LeFrere (The Middle: Halena), Benjamin Magnuson (The Stage Manager: Lemml), Kiah Stern (The Ingenue: Chana) and Andrew White (The Middle: Mendel).

The creative team includes Jeffrey D. Kmiec (scenic design), Mara Blumenfeld (costume design), Keith Parham (lighting design), Chris LaPorte (sound design), Stephen Mazurek (projection design), Eleanor Kahn (properties), Kristina Fluty (intimacy coach), Alvin Goldfarb (Yiddish coach) and Katie Klemme (stage manager). 

About the Artists

PAULA VOGEL (Playwright) has written How I Learned to Drive (Pulitzer Prize, New York Drama Critics Award, Obie Award, Lucille Lortel, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and many more.) Other plays include A Civil War Christmas, The Long Christmas Ride Home, The Mineola Twins, Hot ‘n’ Throbbin, The Baltimore Waltz, Desdemona, And Baby Makes Seven and The Oldest Profession.

Her plays have been produced by Second Stage, New York Theatre Workshop, the Vineyard Theatre, Roundabout, and Circle Repertory Company. Her plays have been produced regionally all over the country at the Center Stage, Intiman, Trinity Repertory, Woolly Mammoth, Huntington Theatre, Magic Theatre, The Goodman Theatre, American Repertory Theatre, Dallas Theatre Berkeley Repertory, and Alley Theatres to name a few. Harrogate Theatre and the Donmar Theatre have produced her work in England.

Her plays have been produced in Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand as well as translated and produced in Italy, Germany, Taiwan, South Africa, Australia, Romania, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Poland Slovenia, Canada, Portugal, France, Greece, Japanese, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Peru, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Brazil and other countries. John Simon once remarked that Paula Vogel had more awards than a “black sofa collects lint.” Some of these include Induction into the Theatre Hall of Fame, Thornton Wilder Award, Lifetime Achievement from the Dramatists Guild, the William Inge Award, the Elliott Norton Award, two Obies, a Susan Smith Blackburn Award, the PEN/Laura Pels Award, a TCG residency award, a Guggenheim, a Pew Charitable Trust Award, and fellowships and residencies at Sundance Theatre Lab, Hedgebrook, The Rockefeller Center’s Bellagio Center, Yaddo, MacDowell, and the Bunting. But she is particularly proud of her Thirtini Award from 13P and honored by three Awards in her name: the Paula Vogel Award for playwrights given by the Vineyard Theatre, the Paula Vogel Award from the American College Theatre Festival, and the Paula Vogel mentorship program, curated by Quiara Hudes and Young Playwrights of Philadelphia.

GARY GRIFFIN (Director) Victory Gardens Theater: Fun Home, Hand to God, Never the Sinner, Appropriate. London: Pacific Overtures (Donmar Warehouse, Olivier Award, Best Musical Production and Olivier Nominee, Best Director). Broadway: Honeymoon in Vegas, The Color Purple. Off-Broadway: Saved (Playwrights Horizons); The Apple Tree, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Pardon My English, The New Moon (Encores). Regional: Antony and Cleopatra, Camelot, West Side Story (Stratford Festival); work at McCarter, Alliance, Hartford Stage, Signature, Kansas City Rep., The Muny. Chicago: Road Show, Gypsy, Sunday in the Park With George, Follies, Amadeus, A Little Night Music, Pacific Overtures (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre); The Merry Widow, The Mikado, Oklahoma (Lyric Opera of Chicago); The Detective’s Wife, Loot (Writers Theatre). Associate Artistic Director, Chicago Shakespeare Theater. 10 Joseph Jefferson Awards for Directing.

DAVID DARLOW (The Elder: Otto) Among Friends (Victory Gardens).  Chicago: Le Puff, Pygmalion, Heroes, The Importance of Being Earnest, The Best Man, Major Barbara (After Dark Award), A Delicate Balance, Power and Hapgood (Remy Bumppo Theatre Company); Endgame (American Theater Company, Jeff Award); Tug of War, Julius Caesar, As You Like It, Timon of Athens and Othello (Chicago Shakespeare Theater). Regional: Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., South Coast Repertory, Seattle Repertory Theatre, The Barter Theatre and Syracuse Stage. Film & TV: “The Fugitive”, “Road to Perdition”, “Hoodlum”, “Let’s Go to Prison”, and “High Fidelity”; “Empire”, “Chicago Fire”, “Barney Miller” “Barnaby Jones”, “Prison Break”.

MATT DEITCHMAN (Music Director/Musician) Victory Gardens debut. Chicago: Jesus Christ Superstar (Lyric Opera of Chicago), Tug Of War, Road Show, Peter Pan, Madagascar, Seussical, Shrek (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre), TREVOR the Musical, Parade, The Hunter & The Bear (Writers Theatre), Sweeney Todd, The Who's Tommy (Paramount Theatre), Murder For Two, Ragtime, She Loves Me, Spring Awakening, October Sky (Marriott Theatre), Wonderland (Chicago Children's Theatre), The Man Who Murdered Sherlock Holmes (Mercury Theatre), Adding Machine, Into The Woods (Hypocrites). Regional: Twelfth Night (Shakespeare Theatre Co. - DC), HERO (Asolo Rep. Theatre), Romeo & Juliet, The Tempest (Door Shakespeare). Northwestern University graduate.

ELLEON DOBIAS (Musician/Violin) Victory Gardens debut. Chicago: Haymarket (Underscore), The Vagina Monologues (Pride Arts), The Snow Queen (Clock Productions), Fantastic Mr. Fox (upcoming; Emerald City Theatre). Denver: Pippin (Bobby G Award; Denver Center for the Performing Arts), Fiddler on the Roof (Parker Arts), Next To Normal (Fearless Theatre), Phyllis Diller! Like a Lampshade in a Whorehouse (Black Box Studio). Classical training from Colorado Symphony Orchestra’s Dorian Kincaid.

CINDY GOLD (The Elder: Vera) The Glamour House (Victory Gardens) Chicago: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Drury Lane). Taming of the Shrew (Chicago Shakespeare). My Fair Lady (Lyric Opera). In the Garden (Lookingglass). Measure for Measure (The Goodman). Awake and Sing (Northlight).  Showboat (Lyric Opera & Washington National Opera, Kennedy Center). Lo ve, Loss and What I Wore (Broadway in Chicago). Loving Repeating (Joseph Jefferson Award/Best Actress; About Face Theatre and the MCA)  Regional: Daughter of the Regiment (sharing role with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg; Kennedy Center, DC). The Music Man (Glimmerglass Opera Company, New York and Royal Opera House in Muscat, Oman.)  TV: “Empire”, “Chicago Fire”, “Leverage”.  Professor of Acting at Northwestern University (former Head of Acting) and Head of the Acting for Screen Module.

CATHERINE LEFRERE (The Middle: Halena) A Rainy Day in New York, Television & Film: “HAPPY!”, “GIRLS”, “Odd Mom Out”, “Orange Is The New Black”, “Running Wilde.” Off-Broadway: The Judy Holliday Story (Lucille Lortel, Soho Playhouse), Carnival (Theater Row), Unlock’d (The Duke on 42nd St). Regional: 42nd Street (Gateway Playhouse), For Worse (NYSF), Lend Me A Tenor (La Mirada Theater), Dirty Blonde (Triad Stage), The Boys from Syracuse, As You Like It (Shakespeare Theatre Company), How To Succeed in Business..., Gypsy, Boeing Boeing (Flatrock Playhouse), NOIR (New Jersey Repertory), The Blue Room (Queens Theater in The Park), Anything Goes (Wagon Wheel Theater). Northwestern University graduate.

NOAH LAPOOK (The Ingenue/Avram) Victory Gardens/Chicago debut. Northwestern University: As You Like It (Touchstone), The Great Gatsby (Nick), The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (Edward), and Fair Game (H.H. Holmes). Composer: Ever in the Glades (The Kennedy Center). 

BENJAMIN MAGNUSON (The Stage Manager/Lemml) Victory Gardens debut. Broadway and National Tours: Once, Les Misérables (25th Anniversary), Guys And Dolls (2009), Sweeney Todd (2005). Regional: ACT, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Court Theatre, Drury Lane Oakbrook, Human Race Theatre Company, Long Wharf, Marriott Lincolnshire, Mercury Theater, Papermill Playhouse, Paramount Theater. Film and Television: The Other Guys, “Chicago Justice”, “30 Rock”.

KIAH STERN (The Ingenue/Chana) Victory Gardens debut. Regional: The Winter’s Tale, (Northwest Classical Theatre Company), Much Ado About Nothing, Twelfth Night. (Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival). Theatre: Three Sister’s, Hamlet, Dying City, Hedda Gabler, Lungs. (The Theatre School at DePaul). Film & TV:  The Gift of Gravity, “Grimm”, American Vandal”. The Theatre School at DePaul graduate. 

ANDREW WHITE (The Middle/Mendel) Kids in the Dark (Victory Gardens). MacBeth (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre). Life Sucks (Lookingglass Theatre), 1984 (Lookingglass Theatre), Of One Blood (Lookingglass Theatre), Treasure Island (Lookingglass Theatre), In the Garden (Lookingglass Theatre), Our Town (Lookingglass Theatre), Arabian Nights (Lookingglass Theatre). Inherit the Wind (Northlight Theatre), The Ordinary Yearning of Miriam Buddwing (Steppenwolf) and Another Time (Steppenwolf). Winesburg, Ohio (Steppenwolf/About Face Theater), All the Rage (Goodman Theatre). Writing: Eastland, 1984, Of One Blood. Connectivity and Engagement Director at Lookingglass Theatre. Northwestern University graduate.

Full Performance Schedule

Previews for Indecent are September 21- 27, 2018. Previews are $29-$54. The Press opening is Friday, September 28, 2018 at 7:30pm. Regular performances run September 29 – November 4, 2018: Tuesday — Friday at 7:30pm; Saturday at 3pm and 7:30pm; Sunday at 3pm. Regular performances are $15-$60.

Accessible Performance Schedule

ASL Interpreted Performance: Friday, October 5 at 7:30pm

Word for Word (open captioning): Friday, October 5 at 7:30pm, Saturday, October 6 at 3:00pm and Wednesday, October 10 at 2:00pm

Audio Description/Touch Tour: Friday, October 5 at 7:30pm (Touch tour at 6:00pm), Sunday, October 14 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 discounts for students, seniors, and those with access needs. For group discounts, call 872.817.9087.

Public Programs

Public Programs is an event series designed to enhance your experience by exploring themes and issues within Victory Gardens’ productions. Connecting our theater to the world beyond the stage and rehearsal room, Public Programs bridge ideas, provoke dialogue, and deepen the relationship between our audiences and our productions. Public Programs are composed of three distinct tracks:

SALON: A post-show performance series bringing local artists, students, and/or organizations into the conversation of the play through their own work. 

PANEL: A post-show conversation with community leaders, playwrights, activists, artists, and educators. These panels use the play's themes to ignite a conversation about our world and the people in it. 

CELEBRATION: Pre- and post-show events celebrating the themes of the play through art, food, and community. 

SPECIAL EVENT: READING OF GOD OF VENGEANCE

Staged Reading in the Victory Gardens Rehearsal Room

September 6 | Thursday | 7:30 p.m. 

Before Indecent, there was God of Vengeance. Join us for a free staged reading of the play that started it all, directed by David Chack, Producing Artistic Director of ShPIeL Performing Identity and on faculty at The Theatre School at DePaul University.  

PANEL: CONVERSATION WITH PAULA VOGEL

Post-Show Conversation

September 23 | Sunday | 4:30 p.m.

Indecent follows a company of Jewish actors as they perform Sholem Asch’s daring play God of Vengeance. Playwright Paula Vogel wanted to bring these actor’s stories to life in a new play that explores their journey and celebrates the power of theatre. But how did that idea evolve into the Tony Award-nominated play Indecent? Join us as Pulitzer Prize-winner Paula Vogel discusses her work and process with dramaturg Skyler Gray.

CELEBRATION: FREYLACH : FOOD, MUSIC, AND STORYTELLING 

Post-Show Reception

September 27 | Thursday | 9:00 p.m.

Jewish culture from Eastern Europe (Ashkenazic) is known for its particular appetizing foods such as knishes, kugels, pickles and more. And wouldn’t it be more freilich (joyous) to nosh (eat) with music and short shpiln (plays)? So come - nosh, shpil, and schmooze (enjoyably converse) with us!

SPECIAL EVENT:THE WORLD ONLY SPINS FORWARD

Readings of Excerpts, Discussion with Author and Book Signing

October 1 | Monday | 7:00 p.m.

When Tony Kushner's Angels in America hit Broadway in 1993, it won the Pulitzer Prize, swept the Tonys, launched a score of major careers, and changed the way gay lives were represented in popular culture. Now, on the 25th anniversary of that Broadway premiere, Isaac Butler and Dan Kois offer the definitive account of Angels in America in the most fitting way possible: through oral history, the vibrant conversation and debate of actors, directors, producers, crew, and Kushner himself. Join author Dan Kois and hear excerpts from the book read by Chicago actors and writers, many of whom have performed Angels around the country. Book signing to follow. The Book Cellar will provide copies of "The World Only Spins Forward" for purchase night-of.  

PANEL: THE CONSEQUENCES OF HATE

Post-Show Conversation

October 6 | Saturday | 4:30 p.m.

Made possible by the support of The David Rockefeller Fund

A recent Claims Conference survey showed that 22% of millennials have never heard of the Holocaust. Even fewer know that the Khmer Rouge killed 21% of the Cambodian population or that 800,000 people were killed in just 100 days in the Rwandan genocide. With so many people still uninformed about such atrocities, how can we use the past to save us from its repetition in the future? And perhaps more importantly, what makes people turn on one another in the first place? Join us for a conversation with scholars and Indecent Consultant Dr. Alvin Goldfarb as they discuss the lasting impact of genocide in our society and how we can work towards a less hateful world.

PANEL: YIDDISH THEATER AND ITS IMPACT ON POPULAR CULTURE

Post-Show Conversation

October 11 | Thursday | 9:00 p.m.

The Yiddish Theater was one of America’s most vibrant ethnic theaters, from plays about immigrant Jewish life and culture, to Yiddish-language versions of Shakespeare, Ibsen, Chekhov, and more. It also produced a treasure trove of actors, producers, designers, playwrights, and filmmakers who made major contributions to American popular entertainment and theater today. This panel will discuss the uniqueness of the Yiddish Theater and its continued reverberations.

PANEL: QUEERNESS TODAY

Post-Show Conversation

October 16 | Tuesday | 9:00 p.m.

Made possible by the support of The David Rockefeller Fund

Discrimination against queer bodies has plagued society for generations. Indecent shows us some of what this discrimination looked like in 1924 New York, but how has it evolved since then? Join us for a conversation with LGBTQ community leaders and the Center on Halsted to talk about how queer communities have changed, the challenges that queer people face still, and how queerness functions in America today.

PANEL: SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER

Post-Show Conversation 

October 24 | Wednesday | 9:00 p.m.

Made possible by the support of The David Rockefeller Fund

Today, so many volatile political conversations center around immigration. But what does it take to actually thrive in this country? The actors in God of Vengeance came to America seeking artistic success, but were faced with anti-Semitism, misogyny, homophobia, and censorship. How do artists make their way in America in 2018? How do you create art that speaks truth to our time? Are censorship, blacklisted, and even jail time worth the risk to create meaningful work? Join us for a conversation with local artists as they discuss how their art allows them to express themselves in an oppressive political climate. 

SALON: LIVING TRADITION

Post-Show Performance

November 1 | Thursday | 9:30 p.m.

Indecent tells the story of a people steeped in a world of legacy and tradition, all of which they feel to be essential to their identity. In a country profoundly comprised of people from other places, how do we carry on those traditions from our past? Is it a food? A name? A song? As our world evolves, how do we decide what to keep and what to let go of? How do those long-standing traditions inform who we are today? Join us in the lobby after the show as three Chicago poets explore the impact of tradition in their own lives. 

Previews: September 21- 27, 2018

Press opening: Friday, September 28, 2018 at 7:30pm

Regular run: September 29 – November 4, 2018

Schedule: Tuesdays - Fridays: 7:30pm 

Saturdays: 3:00pm; 7:30pm

Sundays: 3:00pm

Accessible

Performances: Word for Word (open captioning): Friday, October 5 at 7:30pm, Saturday, October 6 at 3:00pm and Wednesday, October 10 at 2:00pm

ASL Interpreted: Friday, October 5 at 7:30pm

Audio Description/Touch Tour: Friday, October 5 at 7:30pm (Touch tour at 6:00pm), Sunday, October 14 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: $29 - $54 

Regular run: $29 - $77

Groups of 10 or more save on tickets

Contact Groups@VictoryGardens.org for more information

Box Office: The Box Office is located at 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago.

773.871.3000; www.victorygardens.org.

2018/19 Season Sponsors: REAM Foundation, The Harvey L. Miller Supporting Foundation, Bill and Orli Staley Foundation, Helen Zell

Season Sponsor Partners: Conant Family Foundation; George A. Joseph; 

Marcelle McVay and Dennis Zacek; 

Jeffrey Rappin and Penny Brown; Jane M Saks, Nathan Cummings Foundation 

Production Sponsors: Jared Kaplan and Maridee Quanbeck, Merle Reskin

Playwright’s Society 

Sponsors: Sarah Beardsley, Sondra Berman Epstein

Student Matinee and             

Youth Engagement 

Sponsors: Exelon and AllState

Travel Sponsor: Southwest Airlines

Major Season Support: Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Joyce Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation,  REAM Foundation, Shubert Foundation, Venturous Theater Fund of the Tides Foundation, Wallace Foundation  

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. 

Victory Gardens Theater receives major funding from Crown Family Philanthropies, Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, Polk Bros. Foundation. 

Major funders also include: Allstate, Alphawood Foundation, Edgerton Foundation, Field Foundation of Illinois, The Illinois Arts Council Agency, David Rockefeller Fund, Time Warner Foundation, Inc. 

Additional funding this season Charles H. and Bertha L. Boothroyd Foundation, Capital Group Private Client Services, Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, ComEd, Nathan Cummings Foundation, Golden Country Oriental Foods, John R. Halligan Foundation, ITW, Mayer Brown LLP, The McVay Foundation, Metropolitan Capital Bank and Trust, National Endowment for the Arts, Negaunee Foundation, Roberta Olshansky Charitable Fund, Origin Ventures, Pauls Foundation, PNC Financial Services Group, Prince Charitable Trusts, Charles and M.R. Shapiro Foundation, The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, Wrightwood Neighbors Foundation. 

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. 

Capital improvement support from the Performing Arts Venue Fund at the League of Chicago Theaters, with funding from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

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/. 

Fall Favorites On The Chicago Theatre Scene For 2018

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar
FALL 2018 THEATER HIGHLIGHTS

When it comes to theatre, arts and entertainment and more in Chi, IL, we have you covered. Check out ChiILLiveShows.com (adult) and ChiILMama.com (family friendly) like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often. We've got great theatre ticket giveaways, entertainment news, original reviews and more. September is off to a fabulous start with a plethora of openings. For a great starting point, we recommend taking a peek at the League of Chicago Theatre's website and Fall Theatre Guide for a look at many exciting productions the windy city has on stage for fall 2018.

Chicago will continue to produce some of the most exciting theater in the country throughout Fall 2018. Offerings from the city’s more than 250 producing theaters include a range of special fall programming, featuring everything from the latest musicals to highly anticipated world premieres.   

For a comprehensive list of Chicago productions including a Fall Theatre Guide, visit the League of Chicago website, ChicagoPlays.com. Discounted tickets are available at HotTix.org or at the two Hot Tix half-price ticket locations: across from the Chicago Cultural Center at Expo72 (72 E. Randolph) and Block Thirty Seven, Shops at 108 N. State. Hot Tix offers half-price tickets to more than 250 Chicago area theatres, full price tickets to all Ticketmaster events including concerts and sports, and Play Money gift certificates.

“When I look at the astounding array of artists that will be represented this Fall I am most struck that many of them are Chicagoans, including: Bruce Norris, Calamity West, Ike Holter, Mary Zimmerman, E. Faye Butler, Gary Griffin and Mike Nussbaum. Chicago will be alive this Fall with Chicago artists telling fascinating stories that speak to Chicago and the world,” notes Deb Clapp, Executive Director of the League of Chicago Theatres.”

The following is a selection of notable work playing in Chicago throughout the fall:

New works and adaptations include:
Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and ensemble member Bruce Norris’ fiery and provocative new play Downstate, opens at Steppenwolf Theatre. Directed by Pam MacKinnon. Runs September 20 - November 11, 2018.

Writers Theatre in Glencoe premieres Witch, a smart, modern fable by playwright Jen Silverman. Runs September 27 - December 16, 2018.

Jackalope Theatre presents In the Canyon, a new American saga by local playwright Calamity West. Runs October 23 - November 25, 2018

Ike Holter’s newest Chicago-set play Rightlynd runs at Victory Gardens Theater, November 9 - December 23, 2018.

Mary Zimmerman adapts and directs Hans Christian Andersen’s The Steadfast Tin Soldier into an enchanting spectacle for Lookingglass Theatre Company, November 7 - January 13, 2019.

Musicals include:
One of Chicago’s greatest divas E. Faye Butler makes her Porchlight Music Theatre debut in the landmark musical, Gypsy. Runs October 12 - November 25, 2018.

Congo Square Theatre Company presents Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill at eta Creative Arts, September 14 - October 7, 2018.

TimeLine Theatre Company in partnership with Firebrand Theatre presents Caroline, or Change at The Den Theatre. Runs September 22 - October 28, 2018.

Mercury Theater’s hit production of the hilarious and sassy musical Avenue Q continues its successful run through November 4, 2018.

Dramatic works include:
Award-winning director Gary Griffin helms Paula Vogel’s acclaimed play Indecent at Victory Gardens Theater. Runs September 21 - November 4, 2018.

Favorite Chicago theatre actor Mike Nussbaum returns to Northlight Theatre in Curve of Departure as the patriarch of an unconventional family in this delicate and gently comic drama. Runs September 13 - October 21, 2018.

Notable comedies include:
Broadway In Chicago presents a pre-Broadway engagement of Tootsie, a new musical comedy based on the movie. Runs at the Cadillac Palace Theatre from September 11 - October 14, 2018

The Second City’s 107th Mainstage Revue launches its run at the historic Chicago home for comedy on October 9, 2018.

Nell Gwynn, the Olivier Award Winner for Best New Comedy, which took audiences by storm in its Shakespeare’s Globe London debut, has its American premiere at Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Courtyard Theater this fall. Runs September 20 - November 4, 2018

Other Notable Works Include:
The second annual Destinos: Chicago International Latino Theater Festival will celebrate homegrown Latino theater artists and companies, both emerging and established, from the host city, Chicago. Destinos will also showcase artists from Dallas and Los Angeles. Theater artists and companies from Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico and Puerto Rico round out the festival’s deep roster of international participants, helping underscore the growing reputation for Destinos as one of the country’s leading international Latino theater festivals. Runs September 20 – November 4, 2018.

It’s Alive! In celebration of the 200th anniversary of the publication of Frankenstein three Chicago theatre companies will present unique adaptations of Mary Shelley’s classic horror story. Lifeline Theatre’s production runs September 7 - October 28, 2018. Remy Bumppo Theatre Company’s production features some daring double casting and alternating roles October 11 - November 11, 2018, and Manual Cinema brings its unique visual take on the story to Court Theatre November 1 - December 2, 2018.

Strawdog Theatre Company presents a new immersive theatrical experience at its home in North Center with Masque Macabre. Runs October 4 - 31, 2018.

About Chicago theatre 
Chicago theatre is the leader in the U.S. with more than 250 theaters throughout Chicagoland, comprising a rich and varied community ranging from storefront, non-union theaters to the most renowned resident theaters in the country, including 5 which have been honored with Regional Tony Awards, and the largest touring Broadway organization in the nation. Chicago’s theatres serve 5 million audience members annually and have a combined budget of more than $250 million. Chicago produces and/or presents more world premieres annually than any other city in the nation. Last year alone Chicago theatre companies produced more than 100 world premiere productions and adaptations. Each year Chicago theatres send new work to resident theaters across the country, to Broadway, and around the world.   

The League of Chicago Theatres’ Mission Statement 
The League of Chicago Theatres is an alliance of theatres which leverages its collective strength to promote, support, and advocate for Chicago's theatre industry locally, nationally, and internationally. The League of Chicago Theatres Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the art of theatre in the Chicago area through audience development and support services for theatres and theatre professionals.  

For a comprehensive list of Chicago productions, visit the League of Chicago Theatres website,  ChicagoPlays.com. Half-price tickets to the current week’s performances as well as future performances are available at HotTix.org and at the two Hot Tix half-price ticket locations: across from the Chicago Cultural Center at Expo72 (72 E. Randolph) and Block Thirty Seven (108 N. State). 

OPENING: WORLD PREMIERE of Oxy Ohio at Side Project September 30 – October 14, 2018

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

WORLD PREMIERE

OXY, OHIO

by S.J. Spencer

directed by Adam Webster

As a native Ohioan, born and raised not far from Dayton, in Cincinnati, this world premiere is of great interest to me. I moved to Chicago in 1990, long before the opioid epidemic was a hot button issue, but I've been following the decline of the state, and I had heard of Dayton's dubious distinction as drug overdose capital of America. I'm eager to see a theatrical exploration of the fall out of this crisis, by a playwright from Dayton. I'll be out for the press opening October 4th, so check back soon for my full review.



Welcome to Dayton, Ohio, America's 2016 drug overdose capital. Mary works the night shift at a retirement home; her drop-out daughter, Becky, works the night shift at Super 8; new acquaintance Tom has worked every conceivable job for his entire life; and they all "work" Dr. Wilmington, their favorite physician. But something isn't working. They are all caught up in the mass casualty opioid death march that now seems as permanent as Ohio's gray skies, crumbling concrete, lonely nights, and dead-end jobs. Welcome to the Midwest. Pick your poison.

Pictured: Amy Johnson (left),  Tracey Green (right). Photo by Sarah Larson Photography.

McKaw Theater (formerly the side project theatre)

1439 W. Jarvis, Chicago

September 30 – October 14, 2018 

Preview Sunday, September 30 at 2 pm

Regular run October 4-14, 2018

Runs: Thurs-Sats at 7:30pm, Suns. at 2pm

Ticket: $15 advance; $20 at door

Available at Brown Paper Tickets: https://m.bpt.me/event/3561000

More information at www.thesideproject.net

Adam Webster, Artistic Director of the side project, will direct S.J. Spencer’s new drama set in Dayton, Ohio. It will be performed in the side project’s former 40-seat performance space at 1439 W. Jarvis Avenue in Rogers Park, a venue the company had occupied between 2007 and 2016 before transitioning the space over to new theatrical tenants. OXY, OHIO will open on October 4 following a preview on September 30 and will continue through October 14. 

Webster’s cast will include Tracey Green (FOUR BY TENN with Aston Rep and THE TALL GIRLS with Shattered Globe), Benjamin T. Jenkins (BURF OF A NATION and BY ASSOCIATION with MPAACT), Amy Johnson (2017 Jeff award winner for FALLING with Interrobang; Spencer’s PUSH BUTTON MURDER at the side project), and Fred Wellisch (FORTY-TWO STORIES with City Lit and THE PRICE with TimeLine). His production team will include designers Blake Cordell, Cristina McCrystal, Sean McStravick, and Danielle Myerscough; Brian Ruby (Production Manager), and Sean Smyth (Stage Manager).

Top row: Tracey Green, Benjamin T. Jenkins

Lower row: Amy Johnson, Fred Wellisch

BIOS

S.J. Spencer (Playwright) is from Dayton, Ohio. His first play ANOTHER DAY IN THE EMPIRE was named one of the best shows of 2007 by TIMEOUT CHICAGO and the CHICAGO READER. He’s had performances and readings across town, from Stage Left to American Blues. His plays tackle capitalism, militarism, disillusionment, anomie, and modern liberalism. His first play at the side project, PUSH BUTTON MURDER, received an honorable mention for best of the fringe from the Tribune in 2015.  

Adam Webster (Director) is the Founding Artistic Director of the side project, for which he has directed more than 40 plays, produced more than 100, and written myriad one acts, as well as full length adaptations of MAGGIE: A GIRL OF THE STREETS (2004) and LYSISTRATA (2001 & 2016). Other adaptations include: HIPPOLYTUS (Hudson Guild, Slimtack) & LIFE IS A DREAM (Livewire). Other original plays include one-minute works for OMPF; 24-Hour plays for BYOT; one acts for Boxer Rebellion and Tympanic Theatre; and short play cycles "Footnotes for an Apology," "If That Was Me, then Who Am I?" and "The Dangling Conversation" for Shift7 Productions (at Rhino Fest). Also a fiction writer, poet, storyteller & visual artist, his work has been published in FOLIO, PACIFICA REVIEW, HERE/THERE, PIONEERTOWN, and THRICE magazine. He currently teaches at Harold Washington College and School of the Art Institute.


About the side project

The side project was founded by Adam Webster in 2000 and has operated continuously since then producing more than 200 plays, the majority of which have been world or local premieres. From 2000 to 2008, it operated in a storefront in the 1500 block of West Jarvis in a hyper-intimate performing space seating fewer than 30 patrons. In 2007, they moved a block east to 1439 W. Jarvis, retaining the hyper-intimacy, while expanding to 40-seats. In 2016, the company became itinerant and has since produced at Prop Thtr, Chicago Dramatists, and the former Side Project space.

Through its history, the company has been dedicated to producing new work. Many of its productions have been world premieres while many others have been Chicago premieres by playwrights based not only in Chicago but throughout the US. Some of the writers who have had first or early productions of their works at the side project include Sean Graney (THE FOURTH GRADERS PRESENT AN UNNAMED LOVE-SUICIDE and SUGARWARD), Philip Dawkins (PERFECT), Robert Tenges (PEOPLE WE KNOW, ELSEWHERE, WHATEVER), Daniel Talbott (SLIPPING, MIKE AND SETH), National Book Award winner Sherod Santos (LIVES OF THE PIGEONS), Kathleen Tolan (WHAT TO LISTEN FOR), Adam Webster (MAGGIE: A GIRL OF THE STREETS), and many others.

The company’s focus is not simply on world-premiere plays, but on world-premiere collaborations: creating never-before-seen teams of artists, each of whom has a body of work which speaks to the others in unique and exciting ways. By bringing together established talent and emerging up-and-comers, the side project fosters new partnerships, explores new creative territory, and celebrates the best of Chicago storefront theatre.