OPENING: Jackie Taylor's Mahalia Jackson: Moving Through The Light To Open Black Ensemble Theatre's 2019 Season

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BLACK ENSEMBLE THEATER OPENS 2019 SEASON WITH

Mahalia Jackson: Moving Through The Light

WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY JACKIE TAYLOR

March 2 – April 14, 2019

I'll be ChiILin' with Chi, IL's Black Ensemble Theater for the press opening of Mahalia Jackson: Moving Through The Light on Sunday, March 10th, so check back soon for my full review. This one is written and directed by Black Ensemble Theater Founder and CEO Jackie Taylor, and she's nothing short of a force of nature and a legend herself. I'm eager to check it out.  

Black Ensemble Theater opens its 2019 Season (Legends and Lessons) with Mahalia Jackson: Moving Through The Light, written and directed by Black Ensemble Theater Founder and CEO Jackie Taylor. Mahalia Jackson: Moving Through The Light will be performed March 2 – April 14, 2019 at the Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center, 4450 N. Clark Street in Chicago. 

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,” “How I Got Over,” and “I Believe,” to name a few.

The cast includes, Robin DaSilva as Mahalia Jackson, Cynthia Carter, Dwight Neal and Stewart Romeo as The Masters, who guide Mahalia thru the afterlife, Clara Flaherty, Brandon Lavell, Lorriane Lewis, Colleen Perry, Rose Marie Simmons and Levi Stewart play various roles. 

The creative team includes Bek Lambrecht (set design), Denise Karczewski (lighting design), David Samba (sound), and Nic Bellanger (technical direction). The Stage Manager is Jessica Moore and the Producing Managing Director is Daryl Brooks.

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 Five Play Season Card which represent a $45.00 ticket price that can be used up to five times in the Season.  For more details or to purchase a Five Play Season Card contact the box office at 773-769-4451.  

Dates:
March 2 – April 14, 2019
Previews: March 2, 3, 8 and 9

Schedule: 
Thursdays: 7:30
Fridays: 8:00 pm
Saturdays: 3:00 pm and 8:00 pm 
Sundays: 3:00 pm 

Location:
Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center, 4450 N. Clark Street, Chicago
Valet parking is available.

Ticket prices:
$45 Previews
$55 on Thursdays and Saturday matinees; 
$65 on Fridays, Saturday evenings and Sunday matinees
A 10% discount is available for students, seniors, and groups. 
Box Office: Buy online at www.blackensemble.org or call (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. 

REVIEW: Million Dollar Quartet at Munster’s Theatre at the Center (TATC) Through March 31, 2019

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THEATRE AT THE CENTER'S

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET

Zachary Stevenson as Carl Perkins, Michael Kurowski as Jerry Lee Lewis, Tommy Malouf as Johnny Cash, Zach Sorrow as Elvis Presley and Michael Sinclair as Brother Jay

© Theatre at the Center, photo by Guy Rhodes

Guest Review
by Milan Pejnovich 

I had the pleasure of attending Munster’s Theatre at the Center (TATC) opening night performance of Million Dollar Quartet, the famed jukebox musical that had a pre-Broadway run in Chicago for nearly eight years before transferring to New York, London’s West End, a national tour that is still ongoing, and a competing local production on the opposite side of the metro area at the Marriott in Lincolnshire. 

 Zachary Stevenson as Carl Perkins 

© Theatre at the Center, photo by Guy Rhodes

left to right - Michael Kurowski

as Jerry Lee Lewis, Tommy Malouf as Johnny Cash, Michael Sinclair as Brother Jay (background), Zachary Stevenson as Carl Perkins and Zach Sorrow as Elvis Presley

© Theatre at the Center, photo by Guy Rhodes

This is very much TATC’s production, however, with scenic design by TATC’s own head of production Ann Davis, costume design by TATC’s costume shop manager Caitlin Dalton, lighting design by Denise Karczewski (who lists at least twelve other TATC productions in her credits), sound design by Barry G. Funderburg (who states that this is his 40th TATC production), and musical direction by TATC’s resident music director William Underwood. All should be proud of what they’ve accomplished here, as it is most definitely a toe-tapping, hand-clapping, butt-raising night with the oldies.

The cast of Theatre at the Center's 2019 Season Opener "Million Dollar Quartet" actors Michael Kurowski, Zachary Stevenson, Tommy Malouf, and Zach Sorrow perform "Blue Suede Shoes" All rights reserved. Used by permission.

For those of you unfamiliar with the story despite its over 3000 performances at Chicago’s Apollo Theater from 2008-2016, the Million Dollar Quartet of the title actually happened. Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins all coincidentally found themselves in the same Sun Records studio on December 4, 1956, and were persuaded to record a session by the legendary rock and roll pioneer, owner and impresario Sam Phillips. The musical imagines and dramatizes what might have happened in such heady circumstances, and it also offers an excuse to trot out hit after hit from the birth of rock and roll. All four musical giants are well represented in the song list – “Hound Dog,” “I Walk the Line,” “Great Balls of Fire,” and “Blue Suede Shoes” make appearances along with nearly twenty others – but I’m surprised the title isn’t Million Dollar Quintet, as the actress who plays Elvis’s girlfriend at the time also contributes a couple of standout female-fronted gems, “Fever” and “I Hear You Knocking.”

Speaking of the cast, all have impressive pedigrees, many of which having appeared in similar productions. Michael Kurowski (Lewis) previously appeared in Million Dollar Quartet at the Paramount in Aurora, Zach Sorrow (Presley) understudied the role of Elvis in the Chicago premiere of Heartbreak Hotel, Tony Malouf (Cash) played the Man in Black in Ring of Fire, and Zachary Stevenson (Perkins) won a Jeff Award last year for his lead performance in Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story. Rounding out the cast are Sean Fortunato as Phillips, Aeriel Williams as Elvis’s girlfriend Dyanne, and musicians Michael Sinclair and Nick Anderson as the house band.

The cast of Theatre at the Center's 2019 Season Opener "Million Dollar Quartet" actors Aeriel Williams, Michael Kurowski, Zachary Stevenson, Tommy Malouf, and Zach Sorrow perform "I Hear You Knockin" All rights reserved. Used by permission.

All of which is to say that the powers that be at TATC knew what they were doing when they planned an extended 7-week run for this show from the outset. It will most definitely bring in audiences and have them leave with smiles on their faces and songs in their hearts, so don’t be apart from the crowd. Bring the whole family down to Munster and enjoy yourselves with some timeless music!


Milan Pejnovich has nearly 30 years of experience in marketing and the performing arts, including positions as the Audience Services Manager at Court Theatre and the Marketing Manager at Northlight Theatre. He also spent many years in house manager positions at Penn State’s Center for the Performing Arts, About Face Theatre, Court Theatre, and Northwestern University. He is currently the manager of Strategic Marketing for the Arts, which provides telemarketing and telefunding services to over three dozen non-profit arts organizations nationwide, including Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Playwrights Horizons and MCC Theater off-Broadway, and the Omaha Symphony, Long Beach Opera, Denver Film Society and Cincinnati Ballet.

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.

NATIONAL HELLENIC MUSEUM ANNOUNCES ESTEEMED JURORS AND PARTICIPANTS FOR THE NHM TRIAL OF HIPPOCRATES – FEBRUARY 20

NHM TRIAL OF HIPPOCRATES 

at The Harris Theater for Music and Dance 

FEBRUARY 20, 2019

From the Dean of the John Marshall Law School to the Head Trainer of the Chicago White Sox Baseball Club, the Jurors will Participate in a Live Court Room Debate and Present the NHM Trial of Hippocrates with Non-Scripted Drama for Attendees to Experience First-Hand

In advance of the 6th NHM Trial Series event The NHM Trial of Hippocrates, the National Hellenic Museum (NHM), 333 South Halsted Street, is honored to announce the participants who will serve as the moderator, expert witness, and members of the jury for the event. Taking place on Wednesday, February 20 from 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. at The Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 East Randolph Drive, The NHM Trial of Hippocrates will be a non-replicable evening of compelling and timely debate by reputable lawyers with proceedings and decisions by notable judges and jurors. Attendees are invited to participate by hearing the compelling arguments from each side and submitting their guilty or not guilty vote to literally tip the scale and make their verdict heard.

Andrea Darlas, an award-winning Radio and Television News Anchor and Reporter at WGN Radio and WGN-TV, will open the trial as the Moderator and Dr. Peter Angelos, Associate Director of the MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics at the University of Chicago, will serve as the Expert Witness.

Members of the 2019 jury include George Bellas, Senior Partner, Bellas & Wachowski, Attorneys at Law; Darby Dickerson, Dean, The John Marshall Law School; Michael L. Galaty, Director, University of Michigan Museum of Anthropological Archaeology; Hal R. Morris, Partner and Deputy General Counsel, Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP; Constance Stavropoulos Palas, Vice President & Associate Counsel, Calamos Investments; Leon Platanias, Director, Robert H Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center; Emily Reusswig, Executive Director, Chicago Cultural Alliance; Leah Rippe, Vice President, Marketing & Communications, Brookfield Zoo; Herm Schneider, Head Athletic Trainer-Emeritus, Chicago White Sox Baseball Club; Kris Swanson, Vice President and Forensic Services Practice Leader, Charles River Associates; Terri E. Weaver, PhD, RN, FAAN, ATSF, Dean and Professor, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Nursing; and Dr. Athanasios Zervas, Associate Professor, University of Macedonia Thessaloniki Greece.

Attendees of The NHM Trial of Hippocrates will experience the court in the style of ancient Athens, for one night only, with a modern twist featuring the non-scripted wit of dynamic legal arguments, as professional lawyers debate whether the great Greek physician Hippocrates is guilty of violating his oath when administering medical care to the dying King of Thebes. The King, desperate to be cured, offered Hippocrates many treasures and riches for remedies to his several ailments. Upon his death, the king’s son and heir charged Hippocrates for violating the Oath he had written when taking up his medical practice, citing that Hippocrates stole his father’s last days. Additional information on the story of Hippocrates and oldest extant text of the Hippocratic Oath will be explored throughout the dramatic legal proceedings.

Presiding over The NHM Trial of Hippocrates will be U.S. District Judge Charles P. Kocoras (presiding), U.S. Court of Appeals Judge William J. Bauer, U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman and Cook County Circuit Judge Anna H. Demacopoulos, while the counsel will include Robert A. Clifford of Clifford Law Offices, Patrick M. Collins of King & Spalding, Tinos Diamantatos of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, Christina Faklis Adair of the Cook County’s State Attorney’s Office, former U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom and former U.S. Attorney Dan K. Webb of Winston & Strawn.

“We are thrilled to present the 6th installment of our NHM Trial Series with The NHM Trial of Hippocrates. This is one of the most engaging events we hold, and we have an amazing group participating this year!” said National Hellenic Museum President Dr. Laura Calamos. “This truly unique event brings Hellenism alive, including our love of learning by prompting critical thinking and citizen involvement in decision making. The lively tradition of debate and the use of juries in democracy is brought to life for all who attend, whether they are doctors, nurses, lawyers, Greek or not Greek. It’s not every day that we as ordinary individuals get to listen to some of the best attorneys in the state argue a case with all the authentic drama as if it’s an official trial.”

Doors open for The NHM Trial of Hippocrates at 6:00 p.m. Tickets are $100 per person in advance and can be purchased online or by calling the Harris Theater Box Office at (312) 334.7777. For more information, visit www.nationalhellenicmuseum.org or call (312) 655.1234.



About the National Hellenic Museum
The National Hellenic Museum (NHM) portrays and celebrates Greek history and the Hellenic legacy through educational classes, exhibits and programs. With a growing repository of over 20,000 artifacts, the Museum catalogs and highlights the contributions of Greeks and Greek Americans to the American mosaic and inspires curiosity about visitors’ own family journeys through cultural expression, oral history and experiential education. Located in Chicago’s Greektown, the NHM provides lifelong learning for the whole community using artifacts and stories to spark inquiry and discussion about the broader issues in our lives.

For more information, visit http://www.nationalhellenicmuseum.org or call 312-655-1234. Follow NHM on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

OPENING: The National Theatre of Great Britain’s An Inspector Calls To Play Chicago Shakespeare Theater's The Yard Through March 10, 2019

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Chicago Shakespeare Theater presents 

the National Theatre of Great Britain’s landmark production

of JB Priestley’s classic thriller

AN INSPECTOR CALLS

Staged by Stephen Daldry (The Crown, Billy Elliot)

Limited engagement in The Yard

February 19–March 10, 2019

I'll be out February 20th for the press opening, so check back soon for my full review.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater presents the National Theatre of Great Britain’s award-winning production of JB Priestley’s classic thriller An Inspector Calls, hailed by the Evening Standard as “an epic for our epoch, a thrillingly physical piece of theatre—with the power to stir the heart as much as the mind.” The production is staged by Stephen Daldry, whose extraordinary career spans genres from the hit Netflix series The Crown; to films, with Oscar-nominated pictures like The Reader, The Hours, Billy Elliot, and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close; to the stage, where his Billy Elliot the Musical was honored with ten Tony Awards, and his current production of The Inheritance is enjoying an acclaimed run in London’s West End.

An Inspector Calls is featured in a special limited engagement in The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare, February 19–March 10, 2019.

Winner of 19 major accolades, including multiple Olivier, Tony, Drama Desk, and Critics Circle Awards, this international touring production of An Inspector Calls is the longest running revival of a play in history—now seen by more than 4 million theatregoers worldwide. This suspenseful masterpiece begins when the mysterious Inspector Goole calls unexpectedly on the prosperous Birling home, shattering their peaceful family dinner party with his investigation into the death of a young woman. Revelations shake the foundations of the family’s lives, prompting an examination of their consciences.

The Washington Post called it, “elegant…an evening of many dark and twisting delights.” The Guardian hailed it, “spine-tingling. Lushly operatic, yet hard as steel—grabs you by the throat and won't let you go” and The Telegraph raved, “there’ll never be a better production… always speaks to the changing political moment.”

Artistic Director Barbara Gaines shared, “We’re elated to share Stephen Daldry’s award-winning production with Chicago. The larger-than-life scale of this thriller will have audiences on the edges of their seats—and you’ll see why they call it the ‘theatrical event of a generation’ in the UK. Simply no one does this work better than Stephen Daldry.”

The company features Liam Brennan (Inspector Goole), Christine Kavanagh (Sybil Birling), Jeff Harmer (Arthur Birling), Lianne Harvey (Sheila Birling), Hamish Riddle (Eric Birling), Andrew Macklin (Gerald Croft), and Diana Payne-Myers (Edna). Rounding out the ensemble are Chris Barritt, Adam Collier, Chloe Orrock, and Beth Tuckey.

The creative team for An Inspector Calls creative team includes Associate Director Julian Webber, Tony Award-winning Scenic and Costume Designer Ian MacNeill, two-time Olivier and Tony Award-winning Lighting Designer Rick Fisher, and Composer Stephen Warbeck—who notably garnered an Academy Award for his original score for Shakespeare in Love.

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

An Inspector Calls will be presented in The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare, February 19–March 10, 2019. Single tickets ($46–$88) are on sale now. Special discounts will be available for groups of 10 or more. For more information, contact Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Box Office at 312.595.5600 or visit the Theater’s website at www.chicagoshakes.com.

ABOUT STEPHEN DALDRY
Stephen Daldry (Director), lauded for his work as director and producer of film, theater, and television, is Executive Producer and Director on the highly acclaimed Netflix series The Crown. He directed The Inheritance by Matthew Lopez to critical acclaim and a sell-out run at the Young Vic Theatre; it transferred to the Noel Coward Theatre this fall and will premiere next year on Broadway. Currently, Daldry’s coproduction, with director Justin Martin, of The Jungle by Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson is playing to huge acclaim at the Playhouse Theatre after its highly successful run at the Young Vic Theatre and will have its American premiere this month at St Ann’s Warehouse in New York. He was Creative Executive Producer of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. He has also directed at the National Theatre, the Public Theatre in New York and transferred many productions both to Broadway and the West End, including his award-winning 1992 National Theatre production of An Inspector Calls. Billy Elliot the Musical opened at the Victoria Palace Theatre in 2005 where it ran for 11 years. It has also played on Broadway, in Holland, Seoul, Sydney, Melbourne, Chicago, Toronto, Tokyo and across the US. In 2009, the production won ten Tony awards, including Best Musical, more than any other British show in Broadway history. It recently completed an 18 month tour of the UK and Ireland, finishing its highly successful run in Hamburg. Daldry directed The Audience and Skylight to critical acclaim both in London and on Broadway with Skylight winning a Tony award for Best Revival. His first four films, Billy Elliot, The Hours, The Reader and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, together received 19 Academy Award® nominations and two wins. His film, Trash, set in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, was nominated for Best Film Not in the English Language at the 2015 BAFTAs. He also directed for BBC Radio and Television. He is Co-Director of Pier 55 in New York and also on the Board of The Perelman Arts Center at the World Trade Center, Ground Zero, New York. Daldry started his career at the Sheffield Crucible Theatre and directed extensively in Britain’s regional theaters. In London he was Artistic Director of the Gate Theatre and the Royal Court Theatre where he headed the £26 million redevelopment.

CAST
Liam Brennan (Inspector Goole) THEATRE: Richard III, Twelfth Night (Shakespeare’s Globe/The Apollo Theatre/Belasco Theatre, New York); Measure for Measure, Edward II, Richard II, Twelfth Night, Macbeth (Shakespeare’s Globe); Union, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, A View From The Bridge, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, The Winter’s Tale, The Merchant Of Venice, Othello, Anna Karenina, Montrose, The Gowk Storm, The Taming Of The Shrew, Hobson’s Choice, Mary Rose, Mr. Bolfry, Trivial Pursuits, Loot (all Royal Lyceum Edinburgh); Macbeth (Royal Lyceum/Nottingham Playhouse); Tom Fool (Glasgow Citizens Theatre/Bush Theatre); Stranger Babies, The Found Man, Men in White Suits, Things We Do for Love, The Speculator, Family, King Lear, Knives in Hens, Wormwood (Traverse Theatre); Babycakes (Clyde Unity/Drill Hall); The Merchant of Venice (Sheffield Crucible); Rumplestiltskin (Cumbernauld Theatre), Twelfth Night (Salisbury Playhouse/China Tour). TELEVISION: Shetland, Swine Fever, High Road, Machair, Bad Boys, Taggart and Strathblair II. FILM: No Man’s Land, Feet Steps and Gas Attack. Radio Includes: Cloud Howe, Take Me to Necropolis, Red and Blue, The True Story of Bonnie Parker, Sullom Voe, Down and Out in Auchnakinnan, Piper Alpha, Much Ado About Nothing, La Princesse De Cleves, Of Mice and Men, Macbeth, Rob Roy and Master Of Ballantrae. Liam won the 2006 CATS Award for Best Actor for his performance in Tales From Hollywood (Perth Theatre).

Jeff Harmer (Arthur Birling) THEATRE: Berrard in the National tour of Bird Song Fox on The Fairway, Out Of Order, Donkey’s Years, Romeo & Juliet, As You Like It, Funny Money (Vienna’s English Theatre), Made in Dagenham (Hornchurch), Sweet Charity (New Wolsey Theatre Ipswich), I Dreamed A Dream (National Tour), The Witches of Eastwick (Watermill Theatre), Aladdin (Alhambra Theatre), Buddy (Channel Islands), Othello, Richard III (Ludlow Festival), Privates on Parade (West Yorkshire Playhouse & Birmingham Rep), Mamma Mia! (International Tour), The Hot Mikado (Watermill Theatre Newbury and National Tour), Dick Whittington, The Comedy of Errors (Northcott Theatre, Exeter), The Rivals, The Blue, A Christmas Carol (Swan Theatre Worcester) The Roy Orbison Story (Bill Kenwright National Tour), Return to the Forbidden Planet, Chicago (Frankfurt), Vanity Fair (Sherman Theatre), The Comedy of Errors (National Tour), A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Dracula, The Wind in the Willows (Liverpool Playhouse) Stagestruck (Grand Swansea), Du lac Eurydice (Whitehall Theatre), The Forsyte Saga (National Tour).TELEVISION AND FILM: Diana Her True Story (NBC), A Life (CH4), Poirot, The Bill, Family Affairs (CH5), Westbeach (BBC), Kidnap & Ransom (ITV), The Runaway (SKYTV), The Italian Consul (Film Italia), Saplings (BBC Radio 4), Gilbert Without Sullivan (BBC Radio 4). TRAINING: The Webber Douglas Academy.

Lianne Harvey (Sheila Birling) THEATRE: Juliet in Romeo and Juliet (U.K. and International tour), Relatively Speaking (Oldham Coliseum, Harrogate Theatre), The Railway Children and Trials of Mary (Eastern Angles), Heartbreak House (Union Theatre), Enveloped in Velvet (Arts Theatre), The Daughter in Law, Mercury Fur, The Witch of Edmonton (Whilst at RADA).TELEVISION: Not Safe for Work (Channel 4). FILM: The female lead in 2017 feature film Bikini Blue (for multi Academy Award-nominated Studio Filmowe Zebra, Warsaw). TRAINING: The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

Christine Kavanagh (Sybil Birling) THEATRE: Hedda Gabler (National Theatre U.K. tour), Man and Superman (National Theatre), The Importance of Being Earnest (Harold Pinter Theatre), Albert Speer (National Theatre), The Liar (Old Vic), The Rehearsal (Almeida and Garrick), Basket Case (Northampton Royal Derngate), A Doll’s House (Lyric, Belfast), Macbeth (RSC), Hamlet (Nottingham Playhouse), All My Sons (Redgrave Theatre), The Revengers Comedies (Scarborough), Last Easter (Birmingham Rep), Much Ado About Nothing (RSC), She Stoops to Conquer (Oxford Playhouse), Travesties (Oxford Playhouse), The Rivals (York Theatre Royal).TELEVISION: Vera (ITV), Titanic (ITV), Room with a View (ITV), A Very British Coup (Skreba Films), The Blackheath Poisonings (Central Films), Catherine Cookson/The Glass Virgin (Festival film and ITV), Chimera (Zenith Films), Drop the Dead Donkey (Hat Trick/Channel 4), Frank Stubbs (Noel Gay TV), In His Life the John Lennon Story (NBC), Inspector Lynley (BBC), Inspector Morse (Channel 4), Island Gardens (BBC), Doctors (BBC), Jonathan Creek (BBC), Manchild (BBC), Minder (Thames TV), Ruth Rendell Mysteries – May and June, Ruth Rendell Mysteries – No crying he makes (TVS), Seaforth (BBC), Sleeper (BBC), The Bretts (Central TV), Return of Sherlock Holmes (Tiger Aspect), Agony Too (BBC), Material Girl (Carnival Films), The Saint (D L Taffner), Doctor Who (BBC), The Sleeper, Underbelly (BBC Initial films). FILM: Man and Superman NT Live (National Theatre). RADIO: Home Front, I Claudius, and Charles Paris for BBC radio four, member of the BBC radio drama company, and she narrates audio books.

Andrew Macklin (Gerald Croft) THEATRE: The Baleful Lie (Tristan Bates Theatre), Jane Wenham: The Witch of Walkern (Out of Joint/Watford Palace/Arcola Theatre/Tour), The Beauty Queen of Leenane (Curve Theatre), Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me (Chipping Norton Theatre), The Mercy Seat (York Theatre Royal), King Lear, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Three Sisters (Abbey Theatre), The Only True History of Lizzie Finn (Southwark Playhouse), Brighton (Garter Lane Arts Centre), The Beauty Queen of Leenane (Watford Palace), I’ll be the Devil (RSC/Tricycle), All Over Town, The Irish Curse (Project Theatre, Dublin), 24 Hour Plays: Lucy’s Brief Guide to Being Human (Old Vic), Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk (Salisbury Playhouse), The Cure at Troy (Floodtide Theatre Company), Much Ado About Nothing (Bath Theatre Royal), Don’t Look Back (dreamthinkspeak), Markings (Attic Theatre Company), A Passionate Woman (Mill at Sonning). TV: Jubilee Nurse, Mr. Selfridge, Fair City.

Diana Payne-Myers (Edna) was a dancer at Ballet Rambert at the Mercury Theatre, Notting Hill Gate, 1948. She has most recently worked in Scotland with Barrowland Ballet (Natasha Gilmore’s Glasgow based company) in A Conversation with Carmel 2013 (co-produced by Scottish Arts & Stratford East) at the Tramway Theatre, Glasgow; Stratford East, London & 2 Scotland tours concluding the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2011. Other recent credits include: Further work with Matthew Hawkins at Edinburgh Festival (2007), Red Ladies (2014) at the Southbank Centre, Malvern & Margate, God’s Garden with Arthur Pita – created and presented in Ipswich followed by performances in Birmingham & later with a company at the Royal Opera House, London. Diana has also performed at the 2000 Sydney Olympics Arts Festival with DV8 Physical Theatre company piece Can we afford this? The cost of living (Everest Theatre, Sydney). It later toured to London and Hong Kong. Other work with DV8 includes Strange Fish (European tour) and Bound to Please which toured Europe 1999-2000. Diana returns to the role of Edna having performed in An Inspector Calls at the Garrick Theatre, the Aldwich Theatre, two UK tours & the Australia tour.

Hamish Riddle (Eric Birling). Prior to training he was a member of the National Youth Theatre Rep Company. THEATRE: Manning (The Arches/Encounter Festival/Brno), Tory Boyz, Prince Of Denmark, Romeo And Juliet, Pope Joan, Black And White, As You Like It (N.Y.T.) and Prince Of Denmark (National Theatre). Theatre whilst training includes: 13, The Country Wife, Merchant of Venice and The Seagull (all for R.C.S.) Hamish also took part in the London 2012 Olympics Welcoming Ceremony as part of the N.Y.T. TRAINING: The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

CREATIVE TEAM
Tony-Award winning Set and Costume Designer Ian MacNeil’s work includes Billy Elliot the Musical in the West End, Australia on Broadway (Tony Award - Best Designer); Albert Speer, Machinal (Critic’s Circle Award-winner) and An Inspector Calls (also West End and International; Olivier and Critic’s Circle Awards-winner) at the National; Far Away, Via Dolorosa (also on Broadway and the West End), This is a Chair, Death and the Maiden (also West End), Plasticine (Evening Standard Award-winner Best Designer) and A Number for the Royal Court; Afore Night Come (the Young Vic); The Ingolstadt Plays, Figaro Gets Divorced and Jerker at the Gate; Enter Achilles and Bound to Please for DV8; and Festen (The Almeida – also West End and Broadway; Evening Standard Award- winner, Best Designer). Recent designs include Vernon God Little and A Doll’s House at the Young Vic and Brooklyn Academy of Music; In Basildon at the Royal Court; Desire Under the Elms at the Lyric Hammersmith; The Amen Corner at the National Theatre; Betrayal on Broadway; Birdland at the Royal Court, and Everyman at the National.

Lighting Designer Rick Fisher is the winner of two Olivier Awards for Best Lighting Design and two Tony and Drama Desk Awards for An Inspector Calls and Billy Elliot the Musical (Broadway). He first lit this production of An Inspector Calls in York in 1990 and then again at the National Theatre in 1992. THEATRE: Peter Pan (Regent’s Park); The Audience (with Helen Mirren in London and Broadway, and subsequently with Kristin Scott Thomas in London); The Merchant of Venice (Almeida Theatre / RSC); Sunny Afternoon (Hampstead / West End); Porgy and Bess (Regent’s Park); Billy Elliot (West End / Australia / Broadway / US Tour / Holland); Brigit & Bailegangaire (Druid Theatre, Galway); The Merchant of Venice, Othello, Twelfth Night (Singapore); Judas Kiss (Duke of York’s); Chariots of Fire (Gielgud), Richard III (RSC); Tribes (Royal Court); An Inspector Calls (West End/Broadway); Betrayal, Old Times (Donmar); Jerry Springer the Opera, Blue/Orange (National Theatre/West End). MUSICAL AND OPERA: Daughter of the Regiment, Rigoletto, Salome (Santa Fe Opera); Sweeney Todd (Houston Grand Opera); Oscar (Philadelphia); Falstaff (Japan & Los Angeles); The King and I, Sweeney Todd (Chatelet, Paris); The Sound of Music (Buenos Aires); The Tsarina’s Slippers (Royal Opera House); Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail , Maometto II (Garsington); La Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein (Santa Fe). DANCE: Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake (London / Los Angeles / Broadway / World Tour).

Academy Award-winning Composer Stephen Warbeck began studying piano and composing at the age of four. After eight years of working as a composer and performer for the stage Stephen began writing music for film and television and has since built up considerable filmography credits. He has written music for more than 40 television projects and has received five BAFTA nominations and in 2013 a BAFTA Award for his work on Henry IV, Parts 1 & 2. Other recent television projects include Indian Summers and first two series of A Young Doctor’s Notebook. Stephen has scored many feature films including: Mon Roi, Seve, Polisse, Proof, Mrs. Brown, Mystery Men, Quills, Billy Elliot, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, Birthday Girl and Shakespeare in Love, for which he won an Academy Award. His other notable stage productions include: the Globe’s Richard II, the Donmar’s Temple, the RSC’s Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies; the Royal Court’s The River and Jerusalem (both West End and Broadway transfers) and The Seagull; The National Theatre’s The Red Lion, The Silver Tassie, This House, The Veil; John Madden’s Proof, Sam Mendes’ To The Green Fields Beyond; Old Times and Betrayal at the Harold Pinter Theatre and many productions for Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, The Almeida and West End theatres. In addition to composing for film and television, Stephen has written music for numerous radio plays and written several concert pieces. Peter Pan is his first ballet score.

Associate Director Julian Webber adapted and directed The Three Musketeers at the Young Vic Theatre, which was nominated for a Barclay’s Theatre Award in 2002; more recently, the West End revival of The Shape of Things by Neil Labute, and The Barber of Seville at the Bristol Old Vic in a new adaptation by Lee Hall. For eight years Julian was Artistic Director of Soho Rep, New York and is currently Associate Director for Billy Elliot the Musical, for which he won a Helpmann Award for the production in Sydney, Australia, and last year, mounted in Holland.

ABOUT CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER
Under the leadership of Artistic Director Barbara Gaines and Executive Director Criss Henderson, Chicago Shakespeare has redefined what a great American Shakespeare theater can be—a company that defies theatrical category. This Regional Tony Award-winning theater’s year-round season features as many as twenty productions and 650 performances—including plays, musicals, world premieres, family programming, and presentations from around the globe. Chicago Shakespeare is the city’s leading presenter of international work, and has toured its own productions across five continents. The Theater’s nationally acclaimed arts in literacy programs support the work of teachers, and bring Shakespeare to life on stage for tens of thousands of students annually. Each summer, the company tours a free professional production to neighborhood parks across Chicago. In 2017 the Theater unveiled The Yard, which, together with the Jentes Family Courtyard Theater and the Thoma Theater Upstairs, positions Chicago Shakespeare as Chicago’s most versatile performing arts center.

INCOMING: CLUTCH RELEASE NEW VIDEO FOR “GHOUL WRANGLER” NEW 2019 WINTER TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

I've been shooting stills of Clutch, live in concert, for about a decade and enjoying their live shows for about 25 years. They remain a top favorite of ours here at ChiIL Live Shows, and we make a point to catch them live as much as possible. This includes every annual Chi, IL stop, and then some. We've caught them multiple times in several cities in Indiana and Ohio, as well as shooting a video interview with Neil Fallon in Indianapolis. We can't wait to see them in Chicago again March 13th at Concord, right in our Logan Square neighborhood! 

Maryland rockers Clutch have released a new video for the single “Ghoul Wrangler” from their latest album Book Of Bad Decisions.  The video was shot in the Old Bedford Village in Pennsylvania and can be viewed at this location: https://youtu.be/W74TewnAxx0 

Vinyl fans might remember the Ghoul Wrangler business card that was included in each 12" jacket.  Many of those who called the number on the card left messages for the Ghoul Wrangler.  Some of these messages have been used as teasers on Clutch's socials in the last couple of days.  The phone line is still active. You never know what comes next. Call!

”JP wears pantaloons, Dan’s got horns, and Tim throws up on my face” says frontman Neil Fallon.  “I’m pretty sure we all deserve Academy Awards."

Clutch will be starting their Winter tour next week in support of Book Of Bad Decisions.  Tickets are on sale now at this location: Linkfire -https://clutch.lnk.to/TourLink. 

Support for the tour comes from Big Business from Seattle, WA and The Inspector Cluzo from Gascony, France.  A Clutch curated Spotify playlist featuring music from all three bands can be found at this location: http://tinyurl.com/y2htbm79

Book Of Bad Decisions is Clutch’s twelfth studio album debuting at #1 on several charts around the world including the US Billboard Hard Rock chart. 

CLUTCH’s “Book of Bad Decisions 

Winter Tour 2019”

Tickets available at www.pro-rock.com

Tue/Feb-19           Columbia, SC @ The Senate
Thu/Feb-21           Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works
Fri/Feb-22             Fayetteville, AR @ George’s Majestic Lounge
Sat/Feb-23            Austin, TX @ Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater 
Sun/Feb-24           Baton Rouge, LA @ Varsity Theater
Tue/Feb-26           Springfield, MO @ Gillioz Theater
Wed/Feb-27          Des Moines, IA @ Wooly's
Fri/Mar-01             Billings, MT @ Pub Station
Sat/Mar-02            Missoula, MT @ Wilma Theater
Sun/Mar-03          Calgary, AB @ MacEwan Hall
Mon/Mar-04         Edmonton, AB @ The Ranch Roadhouse
Wed/Mar-06        Winnipeg, MB @ Burton Cummings Theater
Fri/Mar-08            Wichita, KS @ The Cotillion Ballroom
Sat/Mar-09          Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom
Sun/Mar-10          Lincoln, NE @ Bourbon Theater
Wed/Mar-13        Chicago, IL @ Concord Music Hall
Thu/Mar-14         Green Bay, WI @ Green Bay Distillery
Fri/Mar-15           Indianapolis, IN @ The Egyptian Room at Old National Centre
Sat/Mar-16          Snowshoe, WV @ Ballhooter Spring Break (* No The Inspector Cluzo/Big Business)
Mon/Mar-18        Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom ( *No The Inspector Cluzo)
Tue/Mar-19         New York, NY @ Irving Plaza 

CLUTCH:

Neil Fallon - Vocals/Guitar
Tim Sult - Guitar
Dan Maines - Bass
Jean-Paul Gaster - Drums/Percussion
       
For more  information, check out the band’s website:
www.pro-rock.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/clutchband
Instagram: www.instagram.com/clutchofficial
Twitter: www.twitter.com/clutchofficial
Official: www.pro-rock.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/officialclutch

WIN A Pair Of Tickets (2 winners/ $80 value each) To The Man Who Was Thursday at Lifeline Theatre Through April 7, 2019

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

Lifeline Theatre Presents 

The Man Who Was Thursday,

Opens February 25

Performances with Open Captioning on March 2 and March 22

Performance with Touch Tour and Audio Description on March 9

Enter Below for your chance to WIN a pair of tickets (2 winners/ $80 value each) To The Man Who Was Thursday at Lifeline Theatre 

*(Winners choice of dates for the first weekend after opening -  Thursday, Feb. 28 at 7:30 p.m., Friday, March 1 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, March 2 at 4 or 8 p.m. or Sunday, March 3 at 4 p.m.). 

The production runs approximately 2 hours with an intermission. The novel will be on sale in the lobby.

My teen son and I will be checking this production out at the press opening February 24th, so circle back soon for my full review. 

Lifeline Theatre presents The Man Who Was Thursday, adapted by Lifeline Theatre ensemble member Bilal Dardai and directed by Jess Hutchinson. Dardai and Hutchinson return to this 1908 satire after having first mounted it at New Leaf Theatre, where Hutchinson was the Artistic Director, in 2009 (Non-Equity Jeff nomination: New Adaptation) to re-explore this absurdist tale of identity and intrigue for a new decade. 

A shadowy cabal of anarchists has risen in London and Scotland Yard is determined to bring them down. When Gabriel Syme joins the undercover detail tasked with infiltrating the anarchists’ operations, he soon finds himself sitting on their Supreme Council with the code name “Thursday.” But as Syme unearths the Council’s true nature, it becomes clear that no one in this battle between law and chaos is as they seem. Challenge all assumptions and uncover the truth in this absorbing adaptation of the 1908 satire by G. K. Chesterton. 

The Man Who Was Thursday runs February 15 – April 7 at Lifeline Theatre, 6912 N. Glenwood Ave. (free parking and shuttle; see below). Press opening is Sunday, Feb. 24 at 4 p.m. Opening night is Monday, Feb. 25 at 7:30 p.m. (Previews are Fridays, Feb. 15 and 22 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays, Feb. 16 and 23 at 8 p.m.; and Sunday, Feb. 17 at 4 p.m.)

Regular performance times (February 28 – April 7) are Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 4 and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 4 p.m. Ticket prices are $40 for regular single tickets, $30 for active and retired military personnel (with ID), $30 for seniors, $20 for students (with ID), $20 for rush tickets (available half hour before show time, subject to availability), and $20 for previews. Group rate for 12 or more is available upon request. Tickets may be purchased at the Lifeline Theatre Box Office, 773.761.4477, or by visiting www.lifelinetheatre.com.

Accessible Performances: The Saturday, March 2, 4 p.m. performance and the Friday, March 22, 7:30 p.m. performances will feature open captioning for patrons who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. The Saturday, March 9, 4 p.m. performance will feature a pre-show touch tour of the set at 2:30 p.m. and live audio description for patrons who are blind or have low vision. For more information about Lifeline’s accessibility services, please contact our Accessibility Coordinator Erica Foster at 773.761.4477 x703 or at access@lifelinetheatre.com.

Eduardo Xavier Curley-Carrillo as Gabriel Syme; in Lifeline Theatre’s production of “The Man Who Was Thursday,” adapted by Bilal Dardai, directed by Jess Hutchinson, based on the novel by G. K. Chesterton; previews beginning Friday, February 15, 2019, opening Monday, February 25, and running through Sunday, April 7. Lifeline Theatre is located at 6912 N. Glenwood Ave. Chicago, IL 60626. For tickets call the box office at 773-761-4477 or visit www.lifelinetheatre.com. 

Photo by Suzanne Plunkett. 

The complete cast and production team for The Man Who Was Thursday includes:

CAST:     

Lifeline Theatre ensemble member Christopher Walsh (Gogol/Tuesday); with guest artists Allison Cain (Sunday), Eduardo Xavier Curley-Carrillo (Gabriel Syme),

Jen Ellison (Dr. Bull/Saturday), Linsey Falls (Professor de Worms/Friday), Sonia Goldberg (Familiar #2), Cory Hardin (Lucian Gregory), Marsha Harman (The

Secretary/Monday), Oly Oxinfry (Familiar #1), Corbette Pasko (The Marquis de St. Eustache/Wednesday). With understudies David Gordezky and Sarah

Scanlon.

PRODUCTION TEAM:

Lifeline Theatre ensemble members Bilal Dardai (Adaptor) and Elise Kauzlaric (Dialect Coach); with guest artists Amanda Beranek (Stage Manager), Lizzie Bracken (Scenic Designer), Kyle Bricker (Asst. Stage Manager), Jess Hutchinson (Director), Christopher Kriz (Sound Designer), Jennifer McClendon (Production Manager), Caitlin McLeod (Co-Costume Designer), Jenny Pinson (Props Designer), Greg Poljacik (Fight Choreographer), Joe Schermoly (Technical Director), Zev Valancy (Dramaturg), Eric Watkins (Lighting Designer), Jonah White (Master Electrician), and Anna Wooden (Co-Costume Designer)

Lifeline Theatre presents The Man Who Was Thursday runs February 15 – April 7 at Lifeline Theatre, 6912 N. Glenwood Ave. (free parking and shuttle; see
below). 

Press opening is Sunday, Feb. 24 at 4 p.m. Opening night is Monday, Feb. 25 at 7:30 p.m. (Previews are Fridays, Feb. 15 and 22 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays, Feb. 16 and 23 at 8 p.m.; and Sunday, Feb. 17 at 4 p.m.)

Regular performance times (February 28 – April 7) are Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 4 and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 4 p.m. Ticket prices are $40 for regular single tickets, $30 for active and retired military personnel (with ID), $30 for seniors, $20 for students (with ID), $20 for rush tickets (available half hour before show time, subject to availability), and $20 for previews. Group rate for 12 or more is available upon request. Tickets may be purchased at the Lifeline Theatre Box Office, 773.761.4477, or by visiting www.lifelinetheatre.com.

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



 Now in its 36th season, Lifeline Theatre is driven by a passion for story. Our ensemble process supports writers in the development of literary adaptations and new work, and our theatrical and educational programs foster a lifelong engagement with literature and the arts. A cultural anchor of Rogers Park, we are committed to deepening our connection to an ever-growing family of artists and audiences, both near and far. Lifeline Theatre – Big Stories, Up Close.

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

Enter Here for your chance to WIN a pair of tickets (2 winners/ $80 value each) To The Man Who Was Thursday at Lifeline Theatre  

*(Winners choice of dates for the first weekend after opening -  Thursday, Feb. 28 at 7:30 p.m., Friday, March 1 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, March 2 at 4 or 8 p.m. or Sunday, March 3 at 4 p.m.). Enter through midnight 2/25/19. Winners will be e-mailed, and announced here and on our social media outlets.

ENTER HERE

Disclosure: It's been our great pleasure at ChiILMama.com & ChiILLiveShows.com to partner up with Lifeline Theatre for years. They have provided complimentary tickets for our giveaways and review purposes. As always, all opinions are our own.

OPENING: DOUBT: A PARABLE Via The Gift Theatre at Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theatre February 27 – March 31, 2019

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

The Gift Theatre Presents

DOUBT: A PARABLE

By John Patrick Shanley

Directed by Ensemble Member John Gawlik

February 27 – March 31, 2019 

at Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theatre

Presented as a part of Steppenwolf’s LookOut Series

The Gift Theatre is pleased to launch its 18th season with a revival of John Patrick Shanley’s Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning drama DOUBT: A PARABLE, presented as a part of Steppenwolf’s LookOut Series. Directed by Ensemble Member John Gawlik and featuring an all-ensemble cast, DOUBT will play February 27 – March 31, 2019 at Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theatre, 1700 N. Halsted St. in Chicago. Tickets are currently available at steppenwolf.org through Steppenwolf Audience Services (1650 N. Halsted St.) or by calling (312) 335-1650. 

DOUBT: A PARABLE will feature Ensemble Members Cyd Blakewell*, Jennifer Glasse*, Mary Ann Thebus* and Michael Patrick Thornton*.

In this brilliant and powerful drama, Sister Aloysius, a Bronx school principal, takes matters into her own hands when she suspects the young Father Flynn of improper relations with one of the male students. Winner of the 2005 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award for Best Play.

The production team for DOUBT: A PARABLE includes Arnel Sancianco (scenic design), Sanja Manakoski (costume design), Mike Durst (lighting design), Matthew Chapman (sound design), Maggie Andersen (dramaturg), David Preis (technical director) and Sarah Luse (production manager).

Cast (in alphabetical order): Cyd Blakewell* (Sister James), Jennifer Glasse* (Mrs. Muller), Mary Ann Thebus* (Sister Aloysius) and Michael Patrick Thornton* (Father Flynn).

Location: Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theatre, 1700 N. Halsted St., Chicago

Dates: Previews: Wednesday, February 27 at 8 pm, Thursday, February 28 at 8 pm, Friday, March 1 at 8 pm and Saturday, March 2 at 8 pm


Regular run: Thursday, March 7 – Sunday, March 31, 2019

Curtain Times: Thursdays and Fridays at 8 pm; Saturdays at 4 pm & 8 pm; Sundays at 3:30 pm.

Tickets: Previews $35. Regular run $45 – $55. Seniors $25. Students $15. Tickets are currently available at steppenwolf.org, through Steppenwolf Audience Services (1650 N. Halsted St., Chicago) or by calling (312) 335-1650.

*Denotes Gift Theatre ensemble member

 

About the Artists
John Patrick Shanley (Playwright) is the author of numerous plays, including Danny and the Deep Blue Sea, Dirty Story, Four Dogs and a Bone, Psychopathia Sexualis, Sailor’s Song, Savage in Limbo and Where’s My Money?. He has written extensively for TV and film, and his credits include the teleplay for Live from Baghdad and screenplays for Congo, Alive, Five Corners, Joe Versus the Volcano (which he also directed) and Moonstruck, for which he won an Academy Award for original screenplay.

John Gawlik (Director) is an AEA/SAG actor and director. Favorite acting credits include: the world premiere of David Rabe’s Good For Otto and Broadsword with The Gift Theatre, Bill Sykes in Oliver at Drury Lane, Blizzard ‘67 with Chicago Dramatist, The Lonesome West and Beauty Queen of Lennane with the Gift Theatre and A Skull in Connemara at Northlight. Favorite directing projects include Thinner Than Water and The Royal Society of Antarctica for The Gift Theatre and the Chicago Premiere of When the Rain Stops Falling at Circle Theater (Jeff Award for Director and Production). He is an ensemble member of The Gift Theater.

About The Gift Theatre
Since 2001 and over 70 productions, The Gift Theatre has pioneered the frontiers of the American theatre via the most intimate professional Equity theatre in the country, leading to national acclaim and a cultural revolution on Chicago’s northwest side.

The Gift’s 18th season includes a revival of John Patrick Shanley’s Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning drama Doubt: A Parable, directed by Ensemble Member John Gawlik (February 27 – March 31); the world premiere of Hansol Jung’s Wolf Play, directed by guest artist Jess McLeod (October 18 – November 24); as well as a soon-to-be announced third production (July 12 – August 18). Season subscriptions are available for as little as $75. The Gift subscribers ("Gifters") receive admission to three shows, free parking at Gale Street Inn, free admission to all Wednesday night “Natural Gas” improv shows and invitations to special subscriber-only special events. Subscribe at www.thegifttheatre.org or by calling (773) 283-7071.

About Steppenwolf’s LookOut Series
Housed primarily in the 1700 Theatre, LookOut is Steppenwolf’s performance series that presents the work of artists and companies across genre and form: emerging artists and performance legends, quintessential Chicago companies and young aspiring ensembles, familiar Steppenwolf faces and new friends. Greta Honold and Patrick Zakem are the producers for LookOut, which is presented year-round and announced on an ongoing basis. For more information, visit steppenwolf.org/lookout.