LEGENDS AND LESSONS ABOUND IN BLACK ENSEMBLE THEATER'S 43RD SEASON OF EXCELLENCE

BLACK ENSEMBLE THEATER ANNOUNCES

43RD SEASON OF EXCELLENCE: 

LEGENDS AND LESSONS 

Season to include tributes to Mahalia Jackson, Lena Horne,

Funk greats from James Brown to The Parliaments, Stevie Wonder

and the return of The Other Cinderella

Black Ensemble Theater’s Founder and CEO Jackie Taylor announces the 43rd Season of Excellence: Legends and Lessons. The 2019 Season includes tributes to the renowned Gospel great Mahalia Jackson, legendary singer and actress Lena Horne, funk legends from James Brown to The Parliaments, and the legendary Motown artist, American icon and musical genius Stevie Wonder. The season culminates with the return of audience favorite The Other Cinderella. All performances will be held at the Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center, 4450 N. Clark Street in Chicago. 

Jackie Taylor comments, “It's hard to believe that we are now in our 43rd Season here at the Black Ensemble Theater. As you know, we have a style all our own, and it will be in full swing for 2019. This is the Season of Legends and Lessons and it begins with renowned Gospel Great Mahalia Jackson, followed by the story and music of legendary Lena Horne. In You Can't Fake the Funk audiences will experience several legends from James Brown to the Parliaments, bringing you the kind of music that will not allow you to stay in your seats. In this Season of Legends, who is more eminent than Stevie Wonder? Our final musical of the Season is legendary because audiences continue to ask for it since we first produced it in 1976—and that's the magical The Other Cinderella. The 2019 season—The Season of Legends and Lessons—will go down in history as one of our best!”

The Black Ensemble Theater’s 2019 Season includes:



Mahalia Jackson: Moving Through The Light
Written and Directed by Jackie Taylor

March 2-April 14, 2019, Previews: March 2, 3, 8 and 9, Press Opening: Sunday, March 10 at 3 p.m.

Mahalia Jackson was considered the greatest gospel singer in the world. Her deep rich voice made her an international star. We learn through this riveting tribute to her life that she not only sang the Gospel, she lived the Gospel. This musical tribute will feature many of her classics including “Precious Lord,” “How Great Thou Art,” “Move on up a Little Higher,” and “I Believe,” to name a few.

Lena: In Tribute to Lena Horne
Written by Kylah Williams and Rueben Echoles
Directed by Kylah Williams

May 11 – June 30, 2019, Previews: May 11, 12, 17 and 18, Press Opening: Sunday, May 19 at 3 p.m.

With a career that spanned roughly 70 years – Lena Horne is a legend with many life lessons from which we can learn. Join us for a true Black Ensemble style exploration of the people, the music and the experiences that reflect the life of this extraordinary performer, civil rights pioneer and phenomenal woman known as Lena Horne.

You Can’t Fake the Funk (From James Brown to Parliament)
Written and Directed by Daryl D. Brooks

July 20 – September 8, 2019, Previews: July 20, 21, 26 and 27, 2019,Press Opening: Sunday, July 28 at 3 p.m.

Hop on the “Mothership” as we journey back when Afro’s were big, bellbottoms were tight, and the music was out of sight. You Can’t Fake the Funk (From James Brown to Parliament guides us through a musical genre that is sure to have you groovin in your seats...Ya’ Digg!!

Songs in the Key of Stevie
Written and Directed by Rueben Echoles

October 5 – November 17, 2019, Previews: October 5, 6, 11 and 12, 2019, Press Opening: Sunday, October 13 at 3 p.m.

Prodigy, genius and phenomenon are just a few of the words used to describe the amazing Stevie Wonder! This show is a musical journey that pays tribute to Stevie’s incredible body of work and sheds a little light on the life and times of this phenomenal artist!


The Other Cinderella
Written and Directed by Jackie Taylor

December 14, 2019 – January 26, 2020, Previews: December 14, 25, 20 and 21, 2019, Press Opening: Sunday, December 22 at 3 p.m.

The Other Cinderella is a Black Ensemble classic that has been enjoyed by people of all colors, kinds and ages. In this African American rendition of this African fairy tale, Cinderella is from the projects, The Stepmamma works at the Post Office, there is a King, Queen and Prince, there are the Brothers are From The Hood, and The Fairygodmama is from Jamaica. The Other Cinderella is a musical classic that audiences have returned to see time and time again. The music is divine, the dancing is wild and the story is uplifting, positive and infectious.

In addition to Black Ensemble Theater’s regular season, a number of special events will be presented during the year, including:

The Annual Black Ensemble New Year’s Eve Show
December 31, 2019

Like all Black Ensemble events, the New Year’s Eve celebration will be an occasion filled with joy and excitement. Guests at the celebration will enjoy a performance by the stars of Black Ensemble Theater, along with great entertainment, fabulous food, dancing with the stars and champagne flowing all night long!  

Tickets
Tickets are available at www.blackensemble.org, (773) 769-4451 or at the Black Ensemble Theater Box Office, 4450 N. Clark Street in Chicago. Single tickets for regular season performances are priced at $55 on Thursdays, and Saturday matinees; and $65 on Fridays, Saturday evenings, and Sunday matinees. A 10% discount is available for students, seniors, and groups. Previews are priced at $45.

The Black Ensemble Theater will sell the Gold Card which allows the holder to see all 5 plays for $210 which represents a $30% discount on full price tickets.  The Gold Card is good for 1 ticket per production.  For more details or to purchase a Gold Card contact the box office at 773-769-4451. 

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

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

OPENING: Midwest Premiere of I Wanna F#!&ing Tear You Apart at Rivendell Theatre February 15 - March 23, 2019

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

 Rivendell Theatre Ensemble presents the Midwest Premiere of 

I Wanna F#!&ing Tear You Apart 

by Morgan Gould

featuring Teressa LaGamba, Robert Quintanillo and RTE Member Jessica Ervin 

February 15 - March 23, 2019

I'll be out for the press opening, February 27th, so check back soon for my full review. I adore Rivendell Theatre Ensemble (RTE), Chicago's only Equity theatre dedicated to producing artistically challenging and original plays created by and about women. Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we can't wait to see Rivendell's take on this Midwest premiere. 

Rivendell Theatre Ensemble (RTE), Chicago’s only Equity theatre dedicated to producing new work with women at the core, presents the Midwest premiere of I Wanna F#!&ing Tear You Apart by Morgan Gould and directed by Jessica Fisch. I Wanna F#!&ing Tear You Apart runs February 15 – March 23, 2019 at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, 5779 N. Ridge Avenue in Chicago.  

Samantha and Leo are a team—best friends and roommates, fat girl and gay guy against the world—until a new friend upends their cozy co-dependent diet of mutual self-loathing and Grey’s Anatomy marathons. An ode to the complications of friendship in its many fucked-up forms, with a special nod to a kind of love that sometimes looks a lot like rage.

Produced first at D.C.’s Studio Theatre, I Wanna F#!&ing Tear You Apart challenges assumptions around niceness, beauty, and mainstream acceptance as it upends traditional narratives about fat women—Gould herself identifies openly as such—by putting a fat woman at its center. “I’m not chubby or big-boned,” says Gould. “I’m fat. That’s who I am.”

Directed by Jessica Fisch, director of Rivendell’s highly-successful world premiere production of The Firebirds Take the Field, Gould’s play is a wild ride with unforgettable characters that asks probing questions about friendships, fatness, bigotry, ambition, and the cost of living in a world that finds you unacceptable in some way.

The cast of I Wanna F#!&ing Tear You Apart includes Teressa LaGamba (Sam), Robert Quintanilla (Leo), and RTE Member Jessica Ervin (Chloe).

The creative team includes RTE Member Regina García (Scenic Design), Anthony Churchill (Projections Design), Heather Gilbert (Lighting Design), Jeffrey Levin (Original Music and Sound Design), Alison Siple (Costume Design), and Jonathan Berg-Einhorn (Properties Design). The Stage Manager is Miranda Anderson.

Rivendell’s Town Hall Series:  

During the run of each production, Rivendell hosts Town Hall Discussions after select Saturday matinees. These are an essential touchstone for our organization to extend the conversation from the stage to the community. Panelists help field questions, present observations, and participate in supporting a thoughtful, in-depth dialogue for all involved. Audience participants need not be present for the Saturday matinee and are welcome to join the conversation following the performance. 

ARTIST BIOS

Morgan Gould (Playwright) is a fat-fat, not TV-fat, New York based writer/director who is a Resident Playwright at New Dramatists and current Lila Acheson Wallace Playwriting Fellow at Juilliard. Morgan’s play I Wanna F**king Tear You Apart, is a Beatrice Terry/Drama League Award Winner, and had its world premiere at Studio Theatre in Washington, DC in February 2017 (with Morgan directing). It was nominated for a Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding New Play, and DC Metro Arts said that Morgan’s work “shows every bit as much promise as Edward Albee’s early work, arguably more.” Morgan has directed productions at the Humana Festival, Marin Theatre Company, Ensemble Studio Theatre, P73, and more. Morgan is also the Artistic Director of Morgan Gould & Friends—her theater company with 9 actors, 3 designers, and a filmmaker, and their work has been seen at many NYC venues including HERE Arts Center, Ars Nova, The Ice Factory and more. Morgan is developing a half hour original series with Amazon Studios and Will Graham/Field Trip Productions. 

Jessica Fisch (Director) returns to Rivendell where she previously directed The Firebirds Take the Field and Fefu and Her Friends (Goodman Theatre/Rivendell Latinx Celebration). Recent credits include Cry It Out (Northlight Theatre), You Across From Me (Actors Theatre of Louisville, Humana Festival), Late Company (Cor Theatre), Straight White Men (Associate Director, Steppenwolf), Trudy, Carolyn, Martha and Regina Travel to Outer Space (Actors Theatre of Louisville, Humana Festival),  The Rosenkranz Mysteries: An Evening of Magic (The Royal George), Opulent Complex and That Thing That Time (Actors Theatre of Louisville, The Tens), Psychodramatic (A Red Orchid, Incubator Series), Traces (Feast Productions/ Jackalope Theatre). Selected New York credits: The Realm (The Wild  Project), strive/seek/find (Abingdon Theatre), the 2009 Playwrights Horizons Stories on 5 Stories Benefit, Personal History (Ensemble Studio Theatre), The Redheaded Man (Barrow Street Theatre/FringeNYC/FringeEncores), Dressed In Your Dreams (Public Theater/Emerging Writers Group), and an adaptation of the cult 1960’s gothic vampire soap opera Dark Shadows (Williamstown Theatre Festival). Jessica was a resident director at Ensemble Studio Theater, the Playwrights Horizons Directing Resident, and a member of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab.

Teressa LaGamba (Sam) is a Chicago based actor/musician from Pittsburgh, PA. She has performed feature roles in productions with Porchlight Music Theatre, Paramount Theatre, Boho Theatre, Marriott Theatre, Kokandy Productions, Emerald City Theatre, Broadway In Chicago, Griffin Theatre, Haven Theatre and more. Teressa received her BA in Acting and American Sign Language from Columbia College Chicago.

Robert Quintanilla (Leo) is making his Rivendell debut. He was most recently seen as Thomas Jefferson in Porchlight Music Theatre’s production of 1776 as part of their Revisits series and in Evil Dead with Black Button Eyes. This past season he was seen in The View Upstairs with Circle Theatre, Yank! A WWII Love Story with Pride Films and Plays, and Woman of the Year with Porchlight Music Theatre. Other select credits include On a Clear Day You Can See Forever with Porchlight Music Theatre, United Flight 232 with The House Theatre, The Fantasticks with Quest Theatre Ensemble, Jesus Christ Superstar with The Public Theatre San Antonio, The Merry Widow and HMS Pinafore with Music Theatre Works.

Jessica Ervin (Chloe) is an ensemble member at Rivendell. She received an Equity Jeff nomination for her portrayal of Ester in Dry Land and has also worked with Rivendell on Scientific Method (understudy), Alias Grace, The Firebirds Take the Field, WOMEN AT WAR, and the staged reading 381 Bleecker. Additionally, Jessica has worked with The Sound, Walkabout Theatre, Route 66, Erasing the Distance, The Public House, and Blue Goose Theatre Ensemble. Most recently, Jessica returned to Ball State University, her alma mater, to devise and perform an adaptation of Frankenstein as part of Indiana Humanities’ One State One Story initiative. She can be seen on film in Princess Cyd and the upcoming projects Teacher, Injustice, and Stalled.

Previews:  February 15-23, 2019

Friday, February 15 at 8:00pm

Saturday, February 16 at 8:00pm

Sunday, February 17 at 3:00pm

Thursday, February 21 at 8:00pm

Friday, February 22 at 8:00pm

Saturday, February 23 at 8:00pm 

Gala Opening: Sunday, February 24 at 6:00pm

Press Opening: Wednesday, February 27 at 7:00pm

Regular Run: February 28 – March 23, 2019

Schedule:      Thursdays-Saturdays at 8:00pm; Saturdays at 4:00pm

Additional performances on Sunday, February 17 at 3:00pm (preview); Sunday, March 10 at 3:00pm; Monday, March 11 at 8:00pm ; and Wednesday, March 20 at 8:00pm

Town Hall Discussions will follow Saturday 4:00pm matinees on March 9 and 16

Friday, March 1: Mama’s Night / Ladies’ Night: Following the performance, please join us in our rehearsal studio for wine, cheese and great conversation! 

Friday, March 8 : Performance to Benefit Planned Parenthood: $10 of every ticket sold will be donated to Planned Parenthood of Illinois. 

Friday, March 15: Open Captioned Performance; $15 tickets with the code ACCESS 

Location:  Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, 5779 N. Ridge Avenue in Chicago

Tickets: General Admission, Previews: $28, Regular Run: $38

Student, Senior, Active Military, Veteran, Preview: $18. Regular Run: $28

Pay What You Can: Five seats (10% of the house) are available for each performance. Reservations are made on a first come, first served basis.

Three-show pass: $59-$80 for 3-plays 

Box Office: (773) 334-7728 or www.RivendellTheatre.org

Parking and Transportation: Free parking is available in the Senn High School parking lot (located a block and a half from the theatre behind the school off Thorndale Avenue). There is limited paid and free street parking in the area. The theatre is easily accessible via the Clark (#22) or Broadway (#36) bus, and is a short walk from the Bryn Mawr Red Line El station.

About Rivendell Theatre Ensemble
Founded in 1994, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble advances the lives of women through theatre. Rivendell cultivates the talents of women artists—writers, actors, directors, designers and technicians—by seeking out innovative plays that explore unique female experiences and producing them in an intimate, salon environment.

Rivendell fills an important role in the Chicago region as the only Equity theatre dedicated to producing artistically challenging and original plays created by and about women. After years of being an itinerant company, Rivendell moved into its own theater space in 2011 in Edgewater. The company is focused on becoming an integral community partner and serving as a catalyst to engage audiences in a discussion of local social issues.

For more information about Rivendell Theater Ensemble, visit http://rivendelltheatre.org. Follow Rivendell on Facebook at Facebook.com/rivendelltheatre, on Twitter @RivendellThtr, and on Instagram at rivendelltheatre.

Rivendell Theatre Ensemble is supported by generous grants from: The Alphawood Foundation;

Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; The Arts Work Fund for Organizational Development; The Chicago Community Trust; The Chicago Foundation for Women; The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation;

The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation; The MacArthur Funds for Arts and Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation; The League of Chicago Theatres and ComEd; The Reva and David Logan Foundation; The Luria Family Foundation; The Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust; The Alfred Pick Jr. Fund; Shubert Foundation; SIF Fund at The Chicago Community Trust; Cultural Outreach Program Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events; and the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

SAVE THE DATES: Hell in a Handbag Productions Announces 2019 Season

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar:

Season Subscriptions Now On-Sale!

 GoldenGirls (left to right) Ed Jones, David Cerda, Adrian Hadlock and Grant Drager in a publicity image for Hell in a Handbag Productions’ parody THE GOLDEN GIRLS: The Lost Episodes. Photo by Rick Aguilar Studios.

Save the dates for 7 deadly funny drag shows: 

Hell in a Handbag Productions' 2019 Season

POSEIDON! An Upside Down Musical

An Unauthorized Musical Parody

Book & Lyrics by Artistic Director David Cerda

Music by David Cerda and Scott Lamberty

Directed by Derek Van Barham

Music Direction by Andrew Milliken

Choreography by Breon Arzell

THE GOLDEN GIRLS: The Lost Episodes, Vol. 3

By Artistic Director David Cerda

THE DRAG SEED

Book & Lyrics by Artistic Director David Cerda

Music by David Cerda and Scott Lamberty

Directed by Cheryl Snodgrass

THE GOLDEN GIRLS: The Lost Episodes

Bea Afraid Too – The Halloween Edition

By Artistic Director David Cerda

THE FACTS OF LIFE: The Lost Episodes

Satan’s School for Girls

By Artistic Director David Cerda

BETTE: XMAS AT THE CONTINENTAL BATHS

A Musical Tribute Starring Caitlin Jackson

Adapted by Artistic Director David Cerda & Caitlin Jackson

Music Direction by Tommy Ross

THE GOLDEN GIRLS: The Lost Episodes

The Holiday Edition, Vol. 2

By Artistic Director David Cerda

Hell in a Handbag Productions is pleased to announce its 2019 Season, launching this winter with the show that started it all: POSEIDON! An Upside Down Musical, an unauthorized musical parody of the classic granddaddy of all disaster films, 1972’s The Poseidon Adventure. The much-anticipated revival of Handbag’s very first show features a book, music and lyrics by Artistic Director David Cerda* with Scott Lamberty, direction by Derek Van Barham, music direction by Andrew Milliken, and choreography by Breon Arzell. The cast includes ensemble members Sydney Genco*, Caitlin Jackson*, Elizabeth Lesinski*, David Lipschutz*, Stevie Love* and a boatload of others. POSEIDON will play at a venue befitting of an ocean liner: The Edge Theater, 5451 N. Broadway in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood.

Following closely on the heels of the SS Poseidon, Chicago’s favorite drag seniors return in THE GOLDEN GIRLS: The Lost Episodes – Vol. 3. Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, Sophia and their whacky friends and relatives are back for all new adventures – including the first-ever musical episode. Written by Artistic Director David Cerda*, THE GOLDEN GIRLS stars original cast members Chazie Bly*, David Cerda*, Grant Drager*, Adrian Hadlock* and Ed Jones*. The Girls return to Mary’s Attic, 5400 N. Clark St. in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood.

Summer 2019 brings another world premiere Handbag musical! Inspired by our changing times, THE DRAG SEED is an unauthorized musical parody of the 1956 psychological horror-thriller film The Bad Seed. Ensemble member Kristopher Bottrall stars as little Carson Langus, the perfect little boy who likes to dress like the perfect little girl. Featuring book, music and lyrics by Artistic Director David Cerda* with Scott Lamberty and direction by Cheryl Snodgrass (The Birds, The Rip Nelson Halloween Spooktacular), THE DRAG SEED will also play at Mary’s Attic.

Handbag conjures up double the scares for the Halloween season! The geriatric “Fab Four” return with scares and hilarity in THE GOLDEN GIRLS: The Lost Episodes – Bea Afraid Too, written by Artistic Director David Cerda*. This Halloween tradition (almost) will play at Mary’s Attic. Meanwhile, across town at Stage 773 (1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago), another beloved TV sitcom is resurrected Handbag style: THE FACTS OF LIFE: The Lost Episodes – Satan’s School for Girls. Ensemble member Ed Jones* stars as Mrs. Edna Garrett, the house mother with a deep dark secret, in this new parody by Artistic Director David Cerda*.

Handbag wraps up its season with another double whammy for the holidays. Handbag diva Caitlin Jackson* reprises her role as Bette Midler in BETTE, XMAS AT THE CONTINENTAL BATHS, a recreation of the Divine Miss M’s historic concert at New York’s Continental Baths – with a holiday twist. The show enjoyed a sold-out run in 2017 as part of the LookOut Series at Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theatre. Handbag’s steamy cabaret sensation features music direction by Tommy Ross. Also, enjoy some eggnog and cheesecake on the lanai at THE GOLDEN GIRLS: The Lost Episodes – The Holiday Edition, Vol. 2, another round of festive sketches featuring the Handbag Golden Girls. BETTE and THE GOLDEN GIRLS will play concurrently at Mary’s Attic.

Season subscriptions and single tickets for all the shows are currently available at www.handbagproductions.org.

*Denotes Handbag Ensemble Member.

Hell in a Handbag Productions’ 2019 Season includes:


Poseidon (pictured) The cast of Hell in a Handbag Productions’ 2009 revival of POSEIDON! An Upside Down Musical. Photo by Rick Aguilar Studios.

March 15 – April 28, 2019
Title: POSEIDON! An Upside Down Musical
Book and Lyric by Artistic Director David Cerda*
Music by David Cerda* with Scott Lamberty
Directed by Derek Van Barham
Music Direction by Andrew Milliken
Choreography by Breon Arzell
at The Edge Theater, 5451 N. Broadway Ave., Chicago
Featuring ensemble members Sydney Genco*, Caitlin Jackson*, Elizabeth Lesinski*, David Lipschutz*, Stevie Love* and Michael S. Miller* with Katherine Bellantone, Frankie Leo Bennett, Brittney Brown, Tommy Bullington, Josh Kemper, Nicky Mendelson, Courtney Dane Mize, Elissa Newcorn, Marc Prince, Shane Roberie, Scott Sawa, Patrick Stengle and Maiko Terazawa.

It’s New Year’s Eve and a group of hardcore fans have gathered for their annual viewing of the greatest film ever – The Poseidon Adventure, the story of the capsize of the SS Poseidon on New Year’s Eve, and the handful of misfit passengers that decide to climb to the top of the ship – which is now the bottom. As the story progresses the viewers become one with the film. POSEIDON! An Upside-Down Musical is part parody, part homage – and a look at how movies can leave their mark on you.

First produced by Handbag 17 years ago, POSEIDON! An Upside-Down Musical enjoyed an extended five month-run, went to the 2002 New York International Fringe Festival and was the most attended show of the festival. Remounted in 2009, the show had another extended run and garnered critical acclaim.

February 8 – March 10, 2019 – Off-Season Special! (not included in season subscriptions)
THE GOLDEN GIRLS: The Lost Episodes – The Valentine Edition
Written by Artistic Director David Cerda*
Directed by: Jon Martinez
at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago
Featuring ensemble members Chazie Bly*, David Cerda*, Grant Drager*, Adrian Hadlock* and Ed Jones* with Miles Brindley, Casey Coppess, Steve Kimbrough, Ryan Oates, Michael Rashid, Ryan Tang and Danne Taylor.

Poor Dorothy can’t find a date for the Sadie Hawkins dance at the Miami Senior Center. When Rose sets her up with a man with a colorful past, the evening takes a turn for the bizarre. Meanwhile Sophia locks horns with her arch rival, Sylvia Martinelli and the two engage in a steamy battle of wits.

April 18 – August 25, 2019
THE GOLDEN GIRLS: The Lost Episodes, Vol. 3
By Artistic Director David Cerda*
at Mary’s Attic, 5400 N. Clark St., Chicago
Featuring ensemble members Chazie Bly*, David Cerda*, Grant Drager*, Adrian Hadlock* and Ed Jones*.

Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, Sophia and their whacky friends and relatives are back for all new adventures – including the first-ever musical episode.

July 5 – August 25, 2019
THE DRAG SEED
Book and Lyrics: Artistic Director David Cerda*
Music: David Cerda* with Scott Lamberty
Directed by Cheryl Snodgrass
Featuring ensemble member Kristopher Bottrall*
at Mary’s Attic, 5400 N. Clark St., Chicago
Casting to be announced.

Inspired by our changing times, THE DRAG SEED is an unauthorized musical parody of the 1956 psychological horror-thriller film The Bad Seed. Carson is a perfect little boy who likes to dress like the perfect little girl. Carson loves drag and prides himself on being the best child drag queen in the greater Chicago area. Carson always gets what he wants, and he really wants to win the drag pageant at his very progressive school – The Josephine Baker Academy for Gifted Students. When Carson doesn’t win, he vows to get that crown – one way or another…

September 27 – November 2, 2019
THE GOLDEN GIRLS: The Lost Episodes – Bea Afraid Too
By Artistic Director David Cerda*
at Mary’s Attic, 5400 N. Clark St., Chicago
Featuring ensemble members Chazie Bly*, Grant Drager*, Adrian Hadlock* and Michael Miller*

Last year Sophia was possessed by the devil. Did anyone even notice? Stay tuned to find out what spooky adventures Artistic Director David Cerda* conjures up for our heroines in what’s quickly becoming a Chicago Halloween tradition.

October 5 – November 3, 2019
The FACTS OF LIFE: The Lost Episodes – Satan’s School for Girls
By Artistic Director David Cerda*
at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago
Featuring ensemble members David Cerda* and Ed Jones*

Ed Jones* stars as Mrs. Edna Garrett – the house mother with a deep dark secret in this parody of the beloved TV sitcom The Facts of Life. The Eastland seemed to be the place for the best and the brightest girls. But when a series of girls die mysterious accidental deaths, ace reporter Claudia Collins (David Cerda*), who is as beautiful as she is talented – goes undercover to avenge her kid sister’s death.

November 27 – December 28, 2019
THE GOLDEN GIRLS: The Lost Episodes, The Holiday Edition, Vol. 2
By David Cerda
at Mary’s Attic, 5400 N. Clark St., Chicago
Featuring ensemble members David Cerda*, Grant Drager*, Ed Jones* and Adrian Hadlock*

Celebrate the season in sunny Miami, as Dorothy, Rose, Blanche and Sophia return for brand new holiday episodes of Chicago’s beloved TV sitcom parody.

December 6 – 28, 2019
BETTE: XMAS AT THE CONTINENTAL BATHS
Adapted by Artistic Director David Cerda* and Caitlin Jackson*
Musical Direction by Tommy Ross
at Mary’s Attic, 5400 N. Clark St., Chicago
Featuring ensemble member Caitlin Jackson*

Handbag diva Caitlin Jackson recreates Bette Midler’s concert at New York’s Continental Baths. This loving recreation of the beginning of Ms. Midler’s stellar career features the fabulous songs she sang for the boys in the bathhouse, including Chattanooga Choo-Choo, Superstar – plus holiday ditties done in Bette’s inimitable style.

About Hell in a Handbag Productions
Hell in a Handbag is dedicated to the preservation, exploration, and celebration of works ingrained in the realm of popular culture via theatrical productions through parody, music and homage. Handbag is a 501(c)(3) Not for Profit.

OPENING: DEAD MAN'S CELL PHONE Via The Comrades at Greenhouse Theater Center February 7 – March 10, 2019

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

DEAD MAN'S CELL PHONE

by Sarah Ruhl

Directed by Arianna Soloway

I'm a big fan of playwright, Sarah Ruhl's work, and eager to see this "film noir' comedy with my teenage son. This will be our first time to check out The Comrades. We'll be out for the press opening February 9th, so circle back shortly for my full review.

An incessantly ringing cell phone in a quiet café. A stranger at the next table who has had enough. And a dead man – with a lot of loose ends. So begins DEAD MAN’S CELL PHONE, a wildly imaginative new comedy by MacArthur “Genius” Grant recipient and Pulitzer Prize finalist Sarah Ruhl. A work about how we memorialize the dead – and how that remembering changes us – it is the odyssey of a woman forced to confront her own assumptions about morality, redemption, and the need to connect in a technologically obsessed world.  The SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE said, “It's a joyride through the absurdity of trying to make simple connections in a world overwhelmed with interconnectivity.”

Arianna Soloway, who recently directed a site-specific production of PINE by Jacqui Honess-Martin and CARRIE & FRANCINE with Haven Theatre Company, will direct. Playing Jean, the young woman who retrieves the phone and makes a new, albeit deceased, friend will be Cydney Moody, whose 2018 credits include THE WOLVES at Goodman and DOWNSTATE at Steppenwolf.  Chicago veteran actress and theatre professor Caroline Latta, recently seen in 2017’s BY THE BOG OF CATS with The Artistic Home, will play the dead man’s domineering mother, Mrs. Gottlieb. Also in the cast are Bryan Breau (Gordon, the dead man), Lynnette Li  (Hermia, Gordon’s widow), Mike Newquist (Dwight, Gordon’s brother) and Valeria Rosero (Other Woman/Stranger). Cydney Moody as Jean.



Previews Thursday, February 7 and Friday, February 8
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm, Sundays at 3 pm.,
Tickets range from $15-$20 with discount for industry and students
Tickets available at : https://www.greenhousetheater.org/ or by phone at 773-404-7336.

Performances at Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago
For more information, www.the-comrades.com/




ABOUT THE COMRADES
 The Comrades were founded in January 2016. They are an ensemble-based theater company who create fun, vibrant, and engaging theater with a focus on revitalizing classics and producing area premieres that are relevant in today’s world.  They are a resident company at the Greenhouse Theater Center.

FEST ALERT: Greenhouse Theater Center Celebrates Chicago Theatre Week with BREAKING GROUND FEST Through February 17, 2019

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

Greenhouse Theater Center

Celebrates Chicago Theatre Week with

BREAKING GROUND FEST

February 7 – 17, 2019

PS Burlesque.  Photo by Adam Blaszkiewicz.

The Greenhouse Theater Center celebrates Chicago Theatre Week with its BREAKING GROUND FEST, an eclectic line-up of performances including live music, plays, staged readings, improv, comedy, burlesque and more, playing February 7 – 17, 2019 on multiple stages at 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago. All performances are priced at $10. Tickets are currently available at greenhousetheater.org, in person at the Greenhouse box office or by calling (773) 404-7336. Spots are still available for the Festival. For information, e-mail gm@greenhousetheater.org.



The BREAKING GROUND FEST line-up to date includes (additional acts to be announced):



Friday, February 8 at 10:30 pm
GODDESS, hosted by Kat Sass and Lucky Stiff 

Acclaimed drag performers Kat Sass and Lucky Stiff bring their visionary GODDESS out of Boystown and into the Greenhouse Theater Center for a unique performance art experience unlike anything you have ever seen.

She’s Folks. Photo by Jill Fager.

Saturday, February 9 at 8 pm
SHE’S FOLKS!

Elizabeth Morgan’s She’s Folks! is a little bit country, a little bit rock ‘n’ roll, and a lot of laughs. Journey from the city to farm country and back again through folk and country music, hilarious stories, soaring harmonies and a wry view of the folks back home.  



Saturday, February 9 at 10:30 pm
PLAN 9 BURLESQUE

Plan 9 Burlesque was founded in 2012 by a rag tag group of nerds with an affinity for nudity. They wanted to create a space where burlesque and fandom come together to produce innovative, creative and bonkers performance art. Since then they have perverted comic book heroes, sci-fi super stars, beloved children's cartoons and fantastical fairy tales.  



Sunday, February 10 at 7 pm

AUNTIE MAME
A semi-staged reading of the play by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee
Directed by Nicholas Reinhart 


Based on the bestselling memoir, Auntie Mame tells the story of Patrick Dennis, newly orphaned and sent to live with his eccentric Auntie Mame in New York City. This madcap play about family, growing up, and making the most out of life has been entertaining audiences around the world for years and returns to the Greenhouse Theater Center for one night only!



Monday, February 11 at 7:30 pm
MONA Q: AGE 38
A staged reading written by Steven Strafford
Directed by Kristina Valada-Viars
Featuring Sadieh Rifai, J. Nicole Brooks, Shea Coffman and Eric Slater 


Mobs finds that life has left her sad and stuck. When she can’t seem to get off a Holocaust Trivia Distribution list, she takes a road trip to take some action. Along the way, she shapes her story and learns a bit about what she might want next. 



Tuesday, February 12 at 8 pm
SIX PACK AND A SHOT
A play written and directed by Bill Goff
Featuring Dante Charlton and Evan Henderson


Two best friends share one last six pack as one looks to resolve their friendship and the other wants to preserve it before time runs out.



Tuesday, February 12 at 8 pm
OEDIPUS IN JERUSALEM
A staged reading by Kalman Kaplan
Directed by Michael Reinstein


Oedipus in Jerusalem begins with the fictional and unexpected meeting outside of Thebes between the blinded Greek Oedipus and the biblical prophet Nathan. Although Oedipus insists on his guilt with regard to patricide and incest with his mother, Nathan is convinced that he has been entrapped by the purposely obscure responses of the Pythia to Oedipus's sincere attempts to avoid these acts and brings him to be tried in the great Sanhedrin in Jerusalem. Oedipus is acquitted because he is judged to be doing all in his power to try to avoid performing these acts, but thinking like a Greek, Oedipus refuses to emotionally accept his acquittal.

 

Falling in Love (pictured) Jack Schultz in I’m Falling in Love All The Time. Photo by Sommer Austin.

Thursday, February 14 at 8 pm
I’M FALLING IN LOVE ALL THE TIME
A solo show written and performed by Jack Schultz

Coffee. Romance. Heroin. There’s a first time for everything and a last. In his heartfelt solo show, Jack Schultz weaves together personal stories of the highs and lows of love.



Friday, February 15 at 7:30 pm
BROMANTICAL HEALING Hosted by Stoopie

Stoopie (aka improv duo Cooper Bohn and Steven Dionne) holds the title for strongest bromance in Chicago’s improv scene. Enjoy the day after Valentine’s Day with them and their funny friends! 



Friday, February 15 at 10:20 pm
PS… BURLESQUE


Ah, the day after Valentine’s Day. The heart shaped candy is 50% off, the roses are wilting, and the love-themed plush toys have been thrown into the clearance bin. But, the Unpopular Hotties have something even more enjoyable for you Valentine’s Day haters on February 15th! During the “Love Hangover” burlesque revue, we’ll be serving up all those post V-Day feels the best way we know how – by taking off our clothes!



Saturday, February 16 at 7:30 pm
FANCY MUSTARD Improv

There are times in your life where everything came before and after a single moment. Inspired by your suggestions Fancy Mustard will improvise what led up to that moment and the aftermath in The Event! Also featuring opening acts of friends and enemies (just kidding, we don’t have friends). 


For additional information, visit greenhousetheater.org/breakingground.


Following the BREAKING GROUND FEST, Greenhouse Theater Center will regularly host new performances on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights when space is available. For information on booking an act, please gm@greenhousetheater.org.

About the Greenhouse Theater Center
The Greenhouse Theater Center (GTC) is a producing theater company, performance venue and theatre bookstore located at 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood.

GTC began its producing life in 2014 with the smash hit Churchill, followed by 2016’s much-lauded Solo Celebration!, an eight month, 16 event series highlighting the breadth and depth of the solo play form. In 2017-18, the Greenhouse presented its first full subscription season, including Machinal (4 stars from Chicago Tribune's Chris Jones) and the Chicago premiere of Birds of a Feather. 

As a performance venue, the Greenhouse complex offers two newly remodeled 190-seat main stage spaces, two 60-seat studio theaters, two high-capacity lobbies and an in-house rehearsal room. GTC also houses Chicago’s only dedicated used theatre bookstore, located on the second floor the complex. 

The Greenhouse Theater Center’s mission is first and foremost to grow local theatre. GTC seeks local theatre companies and artists to partner on co-productions, offering partners a multitude of resources including an equitable split of production costs, production manager, full-service box office and front-of-house staff, artistic consultation, marketing and public relations support and a full-service bar with concessions. For additional information, contact Bill Spatz at (312) 637-5323 or wmspatz@gmail.com.

With new ideas always incubating, the Greenhouse is flourishing. Come grow with us!

OPENING: MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET at THEATRE AT THE CENTER in Munster Indiana February 14 Through March 31, 2019

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

THEATRE AT THE CENTER ANNOUNCES CAST FOR 

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET

Director Daryl Brooks has cast Zack Sorrow as Elvis Presley, Michael Kurowski as Jerry Lee Lewis, Tommy Malouf as Johnny Cash, Zachary Stevenson as Carl Perkins, Sean Fortunato as record producer Sam Phillips and Aeriel Williams as singer Dyanne in Theatre at the Center‘s production of Million Dollar Quartet. Additional cast members include musicians Michael Sinclair as Jay and Nick Anderson as Fluke. Previews begin February 14 with Opening Night on February 17 and a continued run through March 31. This production is sponsored by Pat Binkley.

Million Dollar Quartet is the hit musical with a book by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux based on the true events of a night in rock ‘n’ roll history. It dramatizes an actual recording session on Dec. 4, 1956 at the Sun Records recording studio in Memphis, Tennessee when Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley assembled for an impromptu jam session. The story explains Perkins was there to record songs with a new performer, Jerry Lee Lewis. Elvis happened to visit the studio with his girlfriend at the time, just as Johnny Cash stopped in to speak with recording impresario Sam Phillips, who is eager to re-sign Cash to a new contract, unaware he has already signed with Columbia Records.

Actors Michael Kurowski, Zach Sorrow, Aeriel Williams, Zachary Stevenson and Tommy Malouf. Photo by Brett Beiner.

Zach Sorrow returns to TATC after his performance in last year’s production of Big River. This is his second time playing Elvis, after understudying in the Chicago premiere of Heartbreak Hotel. Sorrow played Rolf in The Sound of Music at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. His regional credits include Lucas in The Addams Family at the New Theatre Restaurant and Doody in Grease for Royal Caribbean cruise line.

Michael Kurowski is making his Theatre at the Center debut. He recently appeared as Tootles in Peter Pan: A Musical Adventure at Chicago Shakespeare and he won a Jeff Award for Best Ensemble in Posh at Steep Theater. His onscreen credits include Gran Torino, The Armed Boy and Chicago Fire.

Also new to the TATC stage is Zachary Stevenson, a rock ‘n roll guitarist and singer who made his Chicago debut in Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story and received a Jeff Award for his performance. Select credits include Hank Williams, the Show He Never Gave, Ring of Fire, Hair, Urinetown, Assassins. Stevenson also served as musical director for Million Dollar Quartet at Arts Club Theatre and Ring of Fire at Chemainus Theatre Festival.

Tommy Malouf is also making his TATC debut as Johnny Cash. He previously played “Man in Black” Cash in Ring of Fire at Metropolitan Performing Arts Center. Other credits include Heartbreak Hotel at Broadway Playhouse, The Light Fantastic at Jackalope and Great Expectations at Remy Bumpo/Silk Road Rising.

Sean Fortuanto returns to TATC where he appeared as the Emcee in Cabaret, Lancelot in Spamalot, Franz in The Producers and Max in Lend Me a Tenor. Other credits include Malvolio in Twelfth Night, The Dairy of Anne Frank and Hedda Gabler at Writers Theatre, Book of Joseph and King Charles III at Chicago Shakespeare Theater and Measure for Measure at Goodman Theatre. He has received six Jeff Award nominations and an After Dark award.

Aeriel Williams makes her debut at TATC in the role of Elvis’ gal pal Dyanne. Last May, she starred in Porchlight Music Theatre’s run of Memphis, which like Million Dollar Quartet, is also inspired by actual events. Her other favorite roles include hit productions of The Color Purple, Dreamgirls and Seven Guitars along with credits on popular television shows like The Chi and Empire.

Director Daryl Brooks is making his debut at TATC. In 2018, he directed Memphis at Porchlight Music Theater and received a Jeff Award nomination. His playwright credits include Sammy: A Tribute to Sammy Davis, Jr. and Black Pearl: A Tribute to Josephine Baker, both in 2017, both of which he also directed at Black Ensemble Theater in Chicago as well as Men of Soul, which he also wrote and directed there in 2015.

Linda Fortunato is in her fourth season as TATC Artistic Director where her recent credits include directing and choreographing Miracle on 34th Street: The Musical, Ghost:The Musical and Steel Magnolias, as well as Cabaret and Big River. Linda Fortunato has been nominated for five Jeff Awards for her work as choreographer and director and received both Equity and Non-Equity Jeff Awards for Outstanding Choreography in 2013-14, receiving TATC’s first Jeff Award for choreography of 42nd Street.

The creative team for Million Dollar Quartet includes Scenic Designer Ann Davis, Lighting Designer Denise Karczewski, Sound Designer Barry G. Funderburg, Costume Designer Caitlin Dalton, Wig Designer Kevin Barthel and Properties Designer Emily Hartig. Stage Manager is Jessica Banaszak. William Underwood is Music Director. Linda Fortunato is teamed with TATC General Manager Richard Friedman and Ann Davis, TATC Head of Production.



Founded in 1991, the 410-seat TATC is a year-round professional theater at its home: The Center for Visual and Performing Arts, 1040 Ridge Road in Munster, Indiana. TATC is an accessible venue with plenty of free parking and is located off I-80/94, just 35 minutes from downtown Chicago.

Performances are 2 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays; 7:30 p.m. Fridays; 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays; and 2:30 p.m. on Sundays. In addition to the regular run schedule, Theatre at the Center has added the following performances during the final seventh week of the run: Wednesday, March 27 at 2 p.m., Thursday March 28 at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 29 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, March 30 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, March 31 at 2:30 and 7:00 p.m.

Individual ticket prices range from $42 - $46. To purchase individual tickets, call the Box Office at 219-836-3255 or Tickets.com at 800-511-1532. Group discounts are available for groups of 11 or more. Student tickets are $20 and gift certificates are also available. For more information on Theatre at the Center, visit www.TheatreAtTheCenter.com.

Actors Tommy Malouf, Zach Sorrow, Zachary Stevenson and Michael Kurowski. Photo by Brett Beiner.

SAVE THE DATE: Last Thoughts of Mary Stuart An Equity Staged Reading with Music at Evanston’s Celtic Knot 4/18/19

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

Phantom Collective Presents 

Last Thoughts of Mary Stuart

An Equity Staged Reading with Music

Thursday, April 18, 7 pm at Evanston’s Celtic Knot

WHAT: Last Thoughts of Mary Stuart by June Sawyers is a dramatic reading about the final hours before Mary, Queen of Scots, was executed in 1587 at age 44. The reading will be preceded by a concert of music associated with or about Mary. Reading runs about 90 minutes without intermission.

WHEN: Thursday, April 18, 2019, 7 p.m. 

WHERE: Celtic Knot Public House, 626 Church Street, Evanston, IL, 847-864-1679, street parking, Davis Street Purple Line EL stop
                        
TICKETS: FREE (suggested $15 donation at the door)

Top: Amy Montgomery. Clockwise from upper left: Erica Bittner, Kathy Cowan, Melissa Van Kersen, Justine Serino. 

ARTISTS: Amy Montgomery (Mary, Queen of Scots)

Erica Bittner, Kathy Cowan, Justine Serino,and Melissa Van Kersen (the Four Marys)

Bittner will also sing “Fotheringay,” about Mary’s last hours

Tim Macdonald (fiddler) and Andrew Calhoun (singer)

Karin McKie (director)

HISTORY: Mary Stuart has long been a topic of fascination across mediums, most recently in the 2018 biopic starring Saoirse Ronan as Mary and Margot Robbie as Elizabeth. Last Thoughts of Mary Stuart explores the final hours of Mary, Queen of Scots, before her execution at Fotheringay Castle, England, on February 8, 1587. After 19 years of imprisonment in various castles and manor houses throughout England for conspiring to assassinate the Protestant Elizabeth I, the Catholic Mary is suddenly told the night before she will face the chopping block the next morning. With her four loyal ladies in waiting––the famous Four Marys of legend who serve as a Greek chorus––and as the hours tick away, Mary looks back at her life as a monarch and as a woman living in a world dominated by powerful men. Was she a conniving villain, as some have portrayed her, or a victim of the sexist times in which she lived?

 Clockwise from upper left: Andrew Calhoun (guitar), Tim Macdonald (fiddle), Karin McKie, June Sawyers.

Inspired by pub theater,The Phantom Collective is a grassroots group that sponsors theater and music programs around Chicagoland, mostly but not exclusively, from the North American and Anglo-Celtic-Nordic traditions.