Theater Wit To Stage World Premiere of Household Spirits Oct. 6-Nov. 11, 2023

Theater Wit to stage world premiere of  Household Spirits Mia McCullough’s new dark comedy about a family haunted by mental illness, alcoholism, and…household spirits, Oct. 6-Nov. 11 Two more Wit shows on tap in 2024: Cindy Lou Who's returns in  Who’s Holiday? and the Chicago debut of Nick Robideau’s Inanimate

Household Spirits, the newest play by Chicago playwright Mia McCullough  (credit: Joe Mazza - BraveLux) Theater Wit announces a new entry in Chicago’s fall theater season: the world premiere of Household Spirits, a new dark comedy by acclaimed Chicago playwright Mia McCullough. Previews start October 6. I'll be out for the press opening Monday, October 16, so check back soon after for my full review. Performances run through November 11. Tickets, $15-$55, are on sale now at theaterwit.org, by calling (773) 975.8150, or in person at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. In addition, Theater Wit plans two more productions in 2023-24: the third annual outing of its seasonal hit Who’s Holiday? Christopher Pazdernikdirects, and Veronica Garza is back in her Jeff-nominated role as a 40-something Cindy Lou Who welcoming audiences inside her holiday bedazzled mobile home in a snow drift on Mount Crumpit. Performances are November 24-December 30. I'll be out for the press opening November 27th, so check back soon after for my full review. Next spring, watch a comic exploration of objectum sexuality, Wit’s Chicago premiere of Inanimate, Nick Robideau’s New York Times Critic’s Pick about a woman in love with a Dairy Queen sign. Dates are March 22-May 4, 2024.  Previews Household Spirits are Friday, October 6 through Sunday, October 15: Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m.; Sunday at 2 p.m. Performances run through November 11: Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m.; Sunday at 2 p.m., with an added industry/Halloween Eve performance on Monday, October 30 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $18-$55. Run time is two hours with intermission. Purchase tickets at theaterwit.org by calling (773) 975-8150, or in person at the Theater Wit box office.  Better yet, show your support of Chicago storefront theater, purchase a Theater Wit Membership, and guarantee great seats to all three of Wit’s 2023-24 season productions. For a low monthly fee of $35 – often less than the price of a single ticket – Theater Wit's members see as many shows as they want on the company's three stages, including productions by resident and guest companies, year round. Visit theaterwit.org/boxoffice/membership to sign up. Theater Wit is located at 1229 W. Belmont Ave., in the Belmont Theatre District in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. Convenient parking is available for $8 across the street from the theater in the lot behind Kubo restaurant (pay at the Theater Wit box office.) Neighborhood street parking is available, as are private paid lots (tip: book ahead and at a discount with Spothero). Theater Wit is also accessible via the CTA 77 Belmont bus, and is three blocks west of the CTA Belmont Red/Brown/Purple line stop.  To learn more about Theater Wit, visit theaterwit.org or follow the company on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Two holidays. One haunting: More about Household Spirits

Erik is hoping he can get into the army—before he goes crazy. His step mother is totally self absorbed, his father is trying to save his new marriage in 12 steps, and his stepsister has left school but she won’t tell why. It's all going to make for a thrilling holiday party—particularly with a sentient doll on the guest list. And why is the ghost of Erik's mom haunting the housekeeper and popping up in his subconscious?  Find out when Theater Wit uncorks Household Spirits, directed by Eileen Tull in her Theater Wit debut. The cast features Nathan Hile (Erik), Ilyssa Fradin (Clara), Téa Baum (Rox), Doug MacKechnie (Philip), Jennifer Jelsema(Evelyn), Cindy Gold (Angela) and Joe Zarrow (Leo). Designers are Manuel Ortiz (set), Rachel Sypniewski (costumes), Brandon Wardell (lights), Adam Halliwell (props), Christopher Kriz (composer and sound designer), Lana Elaine Whittington (violence and intimacy), Jennifer Aparicio (stage manager) and Matthew R. Chase (production manager).

Mia McCullough is a playwright, screenwriter/filmmaker, educator, performer and visual artist. Household Spirits, her tale of a family haunted by mental illness, alcoholism, and…household spirits…was previously presented at Steppenwolf’s First Look reading series and the Goodman Theatre’s New Stages Festival. Her solo show Milkshakes and Morphine premiered at Lifeline Theatre’s Fillet of Solo in January 2023, and all three of McCullough’s The Squirrel Plays were performed together at Mirror Stage in Seattle last spring. Her work has been seen at theaters around the country including Steppenwolf, Goodman, Stage Left, Chicago Dramatists, The Old Globe, Local Theater Company, and Red Fern Theater, as well as in London and at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. She taught playwriting and screenwriting at Northwestern University for 10 years, playwriting at University of Illinois-Chicago, Carthage College and Chicago Dramatists, and workshops in Chicago Public Schools. For more, visit miamccullough.com. 

Eileen Tull (director) is a storyteller, performance artist, poet, comedian, and one-woman-show person. She has performed throughout the country, including in the United Solo Festival, Dallas Solo Festival, as well as Fringe Festivals in Cincinnati, Minnesota, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, and Chicago. Her work has been seen all over Chicago in theaters, bookstores, art galleries, bars, and other non-traditional spaces. Tull co-curates Sappho’s Salon at Women and Children First bookstore, a recurring performance series for female, trans, and non-binary artists exploring gender, sexuality, and feminism. She is a full-time drama instructor with the Chicago Park District, and her work as a creative activist was recognized by The White House in June of 2016. 

Theater Wit's 2023-24 season also includes the return of (left) Who's Holiday?featuring Veronica Garza as a 40-something Cindy Lou Who, November 24-December 30, and the Chicago premiere of Inanimate by Nick Robideau (right), his New York Times Critic’s Pick about a woman in love with a Dairy Queen sign, March 22-May 4, 2024.

About Theater Wit Theater Wit, Chicago’s “smart art” theater, is a major hub of Chicago’s neighborhood theater scene, where audiences enjoy a smorgasbord of excellent productions in its three, 99-seat spaces, see a parade of talented artists and mingle with audiences from all over Chicago.  In addition to Theater Wit’s Household Spirits, other productions playing this fall at Theater Wit include Pearl Cleage’s Blues for an Alabama Sky, presented by Remy Bumppo Theatre Company, now through October 15, and Arthur Miller’s A View From the Bridge, presented by Shattered Globe Theatre, now through October 21.  Note: Theater Wit follows the community masking guidelines recommended by the Chicago Department of Public Health and CDC. At press time, the community risk level is low, and mask use is optional. For updates, visit theaterwit.org/about/covid.

Goodman's THE NACIREMA SOCIETY To Kick Off Citywide “PEARL CLEAGE FESTIVAL” Starting September 16th, 2023

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

THE NACIREMA SOCIETY 

STARTS TOMORROW, KICKS OFF CITYWIDE “PEARL CLEAGE FESTIVAL” 

AND LAUNCHES SUSAN V. BOOTH’S FIRST SEASON AS 

GOODMAN THEATRE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

***LILI-ANNE BROWN DIRECTS THE CHICAGO-PREMIERE PRODUCTION OF MS. CLEAGE’S ROMANTIC COMEDY***

I'll be out to review at the press opening for The Nacirema Society on September 26th, so check back soon for my full review. I'm also eager to review Remy Bumppo Theatre Company's Blues for an Alabama Sky on September 18th at Theater Wit. 

Artistic Director Susan V. Booth launches her first curated Goodman Theatre season with Pearl Cleage’s The Nacirema Society. The season-opening production directed by Lili-Anne Brown kicks off the month-long celebration honoring the prolific playwright’s distinguished career, which spans 40 years and more than 30 plays, novels, poems and essays. The festival, conceived by Booth, curated by Goodman Theatre BOLD Artistic Producer Malkia Stampley and produced in partnership with Chicago’s famed Off-Loop companies, features the following 10 works by Ms. Cleage:

The Nacirema Society (Goodman Theatre)

Blues for an Alabama Sky (Remy Bumppo Theatre Company)

Mad at Miles featuring music by Chicago West Community Music Center (Black Ensemble Theater)

Angry, Raucous and Shamelessly Gorgeous (Congo Square Theatre)

A Song for Coretta (Definition Theatre)

Chain (eta Creative Arts Foundation)

Bourbon at the Border (MPAACT)

Letters, Potions and Promises (Remy Bumppo and American Writers Museum)

Pointing at the Moon (Goodman Theatre)

What I Learned in Paris (Goodman Theatre)

Pearl Cleage is currently the Distinguished Artist in Residence at Atlanta’s Tony Award winning Alliance Theatre. Her new play Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous, had its world premiere as a part of the theatre’s 50th anniversary season in 2019 and recently completed a successful run at Hartford Stage. Both productions were directed by Susan V. Booth. Her other plays premiered at the Alliance include What I Learned in Paris, Blues for an Alabama Sky, and Flyin’ West. Cleage’s latest play Something Moving: A Meditation on Maynard was commissioned by Ford Theatre’s Lincoln Legacy Project and will premiere at Ford’s Theatre this fall—September 22 – October 15. Her first of eight novels, What Looks Like Crazy On An Ordinary Day, was an Oprah Book Club pick and spent nine weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Ms. Cleage currently serves as Atlanta’s first Poet Laureate.

THE 2023 “PEARL CLEAGE FESTIVAL”

PRODUCTIONS, READINGS, WORKSHOPS, EVENTS AND CONVERSATIONS

SEPTEMBER 14 – OCTOBER 15, 2023

For tickets and more information about each event, visit GoodmanTheatre.org/Pearl

PRODUCTIONS

Blues for an Alabama Sky

Directed by Mikael Burke

Through October 15

Remy Bumppo Theatre Company at Theater Wit (1229 W. Belmont)

It’s Summer 1930 in Harlem, and jazz singer Angel has just been fired from The Cotton Club. As she hopes for her next big break, her flatmate friends pursue their own dreams amidst daily realities: costume designer Guy imagines sewing dresses in Paris while Delia brings family planning centers to the community. But sparks fly when Angel encounters Alabama-transplant Leland, tossing all of their aspirations into jeopardy. The Harlem Renaissance is the backdrop of Pearl Cleage’s poignant drama, and though “the Great Depression has crashed the party, the creative spirit is not easily quelled” (Los Angeles Times).

The Nacirema Society

Directed by Lili-Anne Brown

September 16 - October 15

Goodman Theatre (170 N. Dearborn)

It’s 1964 Montgomery, Alabama, and the Nacirema Society prepares for its annual introduction of six elegant African-American debutantes to a world of prosperity, privilege and social responsibility. This centennial year, the Society’s grande dame, Grace Dunbar, will have nothing less than perfection for her granddaughter Gracie’s debut. And with young love brewing, old family skeletons rattling, national media attention abounding and a blackmail plot bubbling…what would dare go awry? The Goodman is grateful for the support of JP Morgan Chase & Co. (Lead Corporate Sponsor) and Allstate (Major Corporate Sponsor). For images, bios and additional information about the artists, visit the Play Detail Page

STAGED READINGS

Bourbon at the Border

Directed by Lauren Wells-Mann

September 19 at 7:30pm

MPAACT at the Greenhouse Theater Center (2257 N. Lincoln)

When May and Charles join hundreds of Americans in a massive voter registration drive in 1964 Mississippi, they could not imagine the violence that would meet them there. Years later, they are still searching for healing after that "Freedom Summer." Bourbon at the Border remembers the unsung heroes of the civil rights movement and honors the sacrifice and price they paid.

Pointing at the Moon

Directed by Lydia R. Diamond

September 28 at 7pm

Goodman Theatre (170 N. Dearborn)

Jenny Anderson is a well-respected 50-something scholar, literary critic and tenured college faculty member who finds herself reluctantly drawn into the swirl of change post-2016 American Presidential election. Despite best intentions to stay above the fray, she suddenly finds everything she’s worked for threatened by efforts to censor and suppress creative work—including her own. Late one night, a young activist shows up on her doorstep with an urgent request for help, and Jenny must choose between her own comfort and her deeply held beliefs about the nature of freedom.

Mad at Miles

Directed by Daryl D. Brooks

October 2 at 6pm (cocktail reception, cash bar) 7pm performance featuring Chicago West Community Music Center

Black Ensemble Theater (4450 N. Clark)

Distinguished performer, playwright and producer Jackie Taylor stars in a reading of Cleage’s Mad at Miles—a moving choreopoem that gives voice to the difficult subject of women abuse and empowerment—with appearances from other Chicago spoken-word artists and featuring music by Chicago West Community Music Center, led by Darlene Sandifer and Howard Sandifer.

Chain

Reading + Art Exhibit

Directed by Ted Williams III

October 6 at 7pm

eta Creative Arts Foundation (7558 S. South Chicago)

Rosa Jenkins is 16-years-old, foul-mouthed and addicted to crack–and currently chained to a radiator, in a desperate intervention attempt from her parents. Inspired by real-life events, Chain presents the realities of addiction from a clear-eyed, unsentimental and startlingly humorous perspective. Following the staged reading, stay for a discussion and the opportunity to browse artwork in the gallery. Content Advisory: Adult language and frank descriptions of drug abuse, sexual content and abusive relationships between parents and children.

Angry, Raucous and Shamelessly Gorgeous

Directed by Ericka Ratcliff

October 8 at 2pm

Congo Square Theatre (Location TBA)

Following a 25-year self-imposed exile, actress Anna Campbell returns to the U.S. when her ground-breaking Black feminist theater piece—monologues performed in the nude—is announced for a major revival. But what promises to be a triumphant homecoming goes sideways when the diva discovers that a younger actress (and adult entertainer) has been cast to recreate her legendary performance. In this bold and funny story of ambition, post-feminism and who has a right to tell our stories, two women of different generations must confront assumptions about each other, and themselves, in time for opening night.

A Song for Coretta

Directed by Malkia Stampley

Definition Theatre (Location TBA)

It’s close to midnight as five determined, disparate Black women at the end of a long line of mourners at Ebenezer Baptist Church share stories while waiting to pay respect to the widow of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. An inspiring tribute to Coretta Scott King (1927 - 2006), “Pearl Cleage’s lovely, image-soaked testament to the civil rights icon brims with wit, personality and life-affirming energy” (Atlanta Journal-Constitution).

What I Learned in Paris

Directed by TaRon Patton

October 14 at 6pm

Goodman Theatre (170 N. Dearborn)

Pearl Cleage’s funny and insightful tangled web of romantic intrigue is set against the backdrop of Maynard Jackson’s historic win as Atlanta’s first African American mayor. Lawyer J.P. Madison is riding high after his hard-fought election victory, celebrating with his new wife, his stalwart campaign manager and his junior partner. But when his ex-wife sweeps back into town, bringing with her the temptation of knowledge from far-flung corners of the world, each character must confront their expectations, obligations and human emotions—with the pull and tug that destiny has on our lives.

WORKSHOPS, EVENTS AND CONVERSATIONS

“Chicago’s Black Jewels”

Pre-Show Affinity Space and Reception

September 16 at 6pm

Goodman Theatre (170 N. Dearborn)

Pearl Cleage’s body of work offers roles and opportunities of all genres for Black actresses. Hosted by artist Kelcey Anya, the Goodman invites these talented women–Chicago’s jewels–to gather, uplift and celebrate prior to the first preview of The Nacirema Society. Light appetizers and drinks will be served. The reception is free with RSVP (space is limited) and discounted $30 tickets to the performance are available for purchase.

Divine 9 Night

Pre-Show Reception and Performance

September 23 at 6pm followed by The Nacirema Society at 7:30pm

$50 (Reception and Performance)

Goodman Theatre (170 N. Dearborn)

Celebrate the dynamic culture and legacy of the Black Greek Letter Organizations of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, collectively known as The Divine 9. Represent in your organization’s apparel while you mingle with other sororities and fraternities at a pre-show reception, including complimentary hors d’oeuvres and drinks, followed by the performance.

Behind the Curtain: The Nacirema Society

Presented by Goodman Theatre

September 24 at 5pm

Goodman Theatre (170 N. Dearborn)

Join the creative forces behind The Nacirema Society for a lively, wide-ranging discussion about this Chicago-premiere production’s journey to the stage, and the enduring relevance of Pearl Cleage’s work in our city and beyond.

In Conversation with Pearl Cleage: Playwright, Poet, and Author

A Zoom Discussion

Presented by Remy Bumppo Theatre Company and American Writers Museum

September 26 at 6pm

In partnership with the American Writers Museum, Remy Bumppo hosts a conversation with Pearl Cleage over Zoom. Artistic Director Marti Lyons sits down with Ms. Cleage for a chat about her career and impact.

Between the Lines

A lecture presented by Remy Bumppo Theatre Company

October 1 at 1:30pm

Theater Wit (1229 W. Belmont)

Dr. Martine Kei Green-Rogers, dramaturg for Blues for an Alabama Sky, presents a lecture on the themes related to the play, and participates in a talkback with artists and audience following the performance.

Letters, Potions and Promises

A Writing Workshop presented by Goodman Theatre and Remy Bumppo Theatre Company

Led by Dr. Martine Kei Green-Rogers and Lachrisa Grandberry

October 3 and 7 at 6pm at Remy Bumppo (3759 N. Ravenswood)

October 10 at 6pm at Goodman Theatre (170 N. Dearborn)

Twelve early-career and emerging women and femme BIPOC writers are invited to a three-day deep-dive into the work of Pearl Cleage, with each day led by a different facilitator. Apply now to join this affinity space for writers of all disciplines to find community, inspiration and discover new ways of approaching work through the lineage of a Black American writer.

From Delia’s Clinic to CARLA: The Fight for Reproductive Rights

A panel discussion presented by Remy Bumppo Theatre Company

October 14 at 5pm

Theater Wit (1229 W. Belmont)

Journalist Natalie Moore and members of the Chicago Abortion Fund join Remy Bumppo Creative Producer Christina Casano for a discussion, delving into Blues for an Alabama Sky, the history of reproductive rights and the work currently being done in Illinois and beyond.

ABOUT THE PEARL CLEAGE FESTIVAL PARTNERS

As one of the most unique Chicago museums downtown, the American Writers Museum’s mission is to celebrate the enduring influence of American writers on our history, identity, culture, and daily lives. As the only museum devoted to American writers and their works, AWM connects visitors with their favorite authors and writings from more than five centuries, while inspiring the discovery of new works of every type – poetry, lyrics, speeches, drama, fiction, nonfiction, journalism, and more.

Black Ensemble Theater (BET), founded in 1976 by the phenomenal actress, producer, and playwright Jackie Taylor, has grown from a small community arts organization to a vibrant nationally and internationally renowned arts institution. A leader and innovator in the African-American and mainstream arts communities, Black Ensemble Theater is recognized as one of the most diverse theaters in the country, producing excellent musical theater.

Chicago West Community Music Center, a 501c3 non-profit organization located in East Garfield Park, provides music education and performance opportunities to children and families in underserved communities in Chicago and the Western Suburbs. The mission of CWCMC is to "Enhance Lives and Community Through Music." Our goal is to reduce the music related achievement gaps between minority and non-minority students and between economically disadvantaged students and their more advantaged peers. 

Congo Square Theatre Company is an ensemble dedicated to producing transformative work rooted in the African Diaspora. Congo Square is a haven for artists of color to challenge and redefine the theatrical canon by amplifying and creating stories that reflect the reach and complexities of Black Culture and is one of only two African American Actors’ Equity theater companies in Chicago. Founded in 1999 with a mission to provide a platform for Black artists to present work that exemplified the majesty, diversity, and intersectionality of stories from the African Diaspora, Congo Square’s guiding principles are radical generosity, radical community, and radical expansion.

eta Creative Arts Foundation was incorporated in 1971 as a non-profit, tax exempt organization to provide training and performance opportunities for youth and adults.  In the past 52 years, eta has evolved to become a recognized cultural treasure not only in the city of Chicago, but nationally and internationally. The organization has a commitment to the production of new works that “tell our story” in the first voice. eta houses a 200-seat theater, art studio and event space with stage.  Our annual programming features five plays, 8-week Summer Arts camp for the youth, Multiple pop-up workshops, acting, dance and playwriting classes for young adults and a host of community events and performances.

The Ma’at Production Association of Afrikan Centered Theater (MPAACT) is a professional, not-for-profit theater association founded in 1990. Our mission is to develop, nurture, and sustain original Afrikan Centered Theater (ACT) as a multi-disciplinary art form of American Theater. ACT is a genre of artistic expression grounded in the many cultures and traditions of the Afrikan continent and its diaspora. With a vision focused upon new works and collaborative art, MPAACT shall produce and educate with the goal of bringing forth an understanding and appreciation of Afrikan Centered Theater and its inter-related disciplines.

Definition Theatre celebrates stories created with, inspired by, and intended for people and communities of color. Through the act of making, Definition expands perspectives, stewards resources, and bridges the possibility found at the intersection of art, innovation, and education.

Remy Bumppo Theatre Company expands and enriches our community’s view of the world, and our own, by producing both the great plays of the past and the important plays of today. Our critically and publicly respected reputation is built on our consistent, high-quality presentations of the works of seminal playwrights, staged intimately and with the focus on expressing complex ideas in a clear, entertaining and moving manner. An ensemble theatre founded in 1996, we author a more humane culture as we listen to, and seek to understand, the voices, the ideas, and the stories of one another.

Chicago’s theater since 1925, Goodman Theatre is a not-for-profit arts and community organization in the heart of the Loop, distinguished by the excellence and scope of its artistic programming and community engagement. Led by Artistic Director Susan V. Booth and Executive Director/CEO Roche Schulfer, the theater’s artistic priorities include new play development (more than 150 world or American premieres), large scale musical theater works and reimagined classics. Artists and productions have earner two Pulitzer Prizes, 22 Tony Awards and more than 160 Jeff Awards, among other accolades. The Goodman is the first theater in the world to produce all 10 plays in August Wilson’s “American Century Cycle.” Its longtime annual holiday tradition A Christmas Carol, now in its fifth decade, has created a new generation of theatergoers in Chicago. The Goodman also frequently serves as a production and program partner with national and international companies and Chicago’s Off-Loop theaters.

Using the tools of theatrical practice, the Goodman’s Education and Engagement programs aim to develop generations of citizens who understand and empathize with cultures and stories of diverse voices. The Goodman’s Alice Rapoport Center for Education and Engagement is the home of these programs, which are offered for Chicago youth—85% of whom come from underserved communities—schools and life-long learners.

Goodman Theatre was built on the traditional homelands of the Council of the Three Fires: the Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi Nations. We recognize that many other Nations consider the area we now call Chicago as their traditional homeland—including the Myaamia, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Sac and Fox, Peoria, Kaskaskia, Wea, Kickapoo and Mascouten—and remains home to many Native peoples today. While we believe that our city’s vast diversity should be reflected on the stages of its largest theater, we acknowledge that our efforts have largely overlooked the voices of our Native peoples. This omission has added to the isolation, erasure and harm that Indigenous communities have faced for hundreds of years. We have begun a more deliberate journey towards celebrating Native American stories and welcoming Indigenous communities.

Goodman Theatre was founded by William O. Goodman and his family in honor of their son Kenneth, an important figure in Chicago’s cultural renaissance in the early 1900s. The Goodman family’s legacy lives on through the continued work and dedication of Kenneth’s family, including Albert Ivar Goodman, who with his late mother, Edith-Marie Appleton, contributed the necessary funds for the creation on the new Goodman center in 2000. Julie Danis is Chair of Goodman Theatre’s Board of Trustees, Lorrayne Weiss is Women’s Board President and Kelli Garcia is President of the Scenemakers Board for young professionals.

Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre's Assassins Onstage October 27 through December 17, 2023

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 

THEO UBIQUE CABARET THEATRE ANNOUNCES CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM OF STEPHEN SONDHEIM AND JOHN WEIDMAN’S AWARD-WINNING MUSICAL 

ASSASSINS

The award-winning company begins its trio of Sondheim favorites with Assassins onstage October 27 through December 17, 2023

Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre announced today the cast and production team of Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman’s provocative musical Assassins which will be at the Howard Street Theatre October 27 through December 17, 2023. I'll be out for the press opening November 6th, so check back soon after for my full review.

Winner of 5 Tony Awards including Best Revival of a Musical, Assassins lays bare the lives of nine individuals who assassinated or tried to assassinate the President of the United States, exploring the dark side of the American experience. From John Wilkes Booth to Lee Harvey Oswald, writers Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman bend the rules of time and space, taking us on a nightmarish roller coaster ride in which figures from different historical periods meet, interact, and inspire each other to harrowing acts in the name of the American Dream.

“Assassins brings into focus a couple of big challenges we are facing in America today: guns and mental health,” says Artistic Director Fred Anzevino. “Through Sondheim and Weidman’s brilliance, we experience a glimpse into the minds and motivations of what brings a person to take such extreme measures in their own pursuit of the American Dream. It is a complex story, and we are thrilled to have this talented company bringing it to life.”

Jeff-nominated multi-hyphenate artist Daryl Brooks (he/him), who’s directing work includes credits at Black Ensemble Theater, Porchlight Music Theatre, The Mercury Theatre, and Phoenix Theatre Company, leads the team as Director making his Theo debut. Fresh off her summer as the Orchestrator and Assistant Music Director on Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Heidi Joosten (she/her) makes her Theo debut as Music Director. Jeff Award winner and Theo’s Producing Director Christopher Pazdernik (any) will choreograph.

Theo’s intimate cabaret space will be transformed by Bek Lambrecht’s (they/them) set design and Denise Karczewski’s (she/her) lighting design. Serving as assistant lighting designer will be Jackson Mikkelsen (he/him) with costume design by Marquecia Jordan (she/her), properties design by Isa Noe (they/them), and sound design by Matthew R. Chase (he/him).

The all-star cast features Neala Barron (she/her; John Wilkes Booth), Patrick O’Keefe (he/him; Balladeer/Lee Harvey Oswald), Jon Parker Jackson (he/they; Samuel Byck), Amanda Rodriguez (she/her; Lynette ‘Squeaky’ Fromme), Nick Arceo (he/him; Charles Guiteau), Josh Pablo Szabo (they/he; Giuseppe Zangara), Will Koski (he/him; John Hinkley, Jr.), Laura Sportiello (she/her; Sara Jane Moore/Dance Captain), and Mack Spotts (they/he; Leon Czolgosz). The Ensemble includes Liz Bollar (she/they; Proprietor/Ensemble, understudy John Wilkes Booth), Tyler DeLoatch (he/they; Ensemble, understudy Samuel Byck and Leon Czolgosz), Simon Keiser (he/him; Herold/Ensemble, understudy Charles Guiteau and Giuseppe Zangara), Evan Morales (he/him; Ensemble, understudy Balladeer/Lee Harvey Oswald and John Hinkley, Jr.), and Brittney Brown (she/her; Emma Goldman/Ensemble and understudy Lynette ‘Squeaky’ Fromme). Michael Penick and Stephanie Boyd will serve as swings for the production.

A theatrical tour-de-force, Assassins combines Sondheim’s signature blend of intelligent lyrics and impressive music with a sweeping story of our nation’s culture of celebrity and deep conflicts between those who have and those who don’t. Bold, original, disturbing, and alarmingly funny, Assassins has been called “the most controversial musical ever written.” 

“Assassins has only grown more relevant since the day it premiered,” comments Producing Director Christopher Pazdernik. “Although the conversation about gun control has shifted away from presidential assassins, the anger of marginalized citizens realizing the American Dream is just an illusion remains as potent as ever. We are looking forward to the meaningful conversation this musical can generate with our audiences.”

Tickets can be purchased online at theo-u.com/assassins or via phone at 773-939-4101. Ticket prices range from $35-$59. Box office hours are Wednesday-Sunday 12 p.m.-5 p.m. Theo continues to offer its one stop dinner and a show experience, offering a pre-fixed dinner menu before performances courtesy of The Blue Horse Tavern for an additional $33. All performances take place at Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre located at 721 Howard Street in Evanston.

October 27-December 17, 2023

Tickets are $35-$59, pre-fixe dinner available for an additional $33.

Performances Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30pm, Sundays at 6:00pm

Please note no performance on Thursday November 23.

All performances will be held at the Howard Street Theatre, 721 Howard Street, Evanston, IL 60602.

More information at www.theo-u.com or by phone at 773-939-4101 Wed.– Sun. Noon – 5 p.m.

This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

 

ABOUT ASSASSINS

A multiple Tony Award-winning theatrical tour-de-force, Assassins lays bare the lives of nine individuals who assassinated or tried to assassinate the President of the United States, exploring the dark side of the American experience. From John Wilkes Booth to Lee Harvey Oswald, writers Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman bend the rules of time and space, taking us on a nightmarish roller coaster ride in which figures from different historical periods meet, interact, and inspire each other to harrowing acts in the name of the American Dream.

ABOUT THEO UBIQUE

Theo was founded in 1997 by Artistic Director Fred Anzevino. Productions were first staged at the Heartland Studio Theatre, and from 2004 to May 2018, at No Exit Café, where the company began focusing on musicals and revues, reigniting the cabaret theatre trend in Chicago. The company moved to the Howard Street Theatre, a venue owned and developed for Theo by the City of Evanston, in fall of 2018. Theo has produced more than 60 shows and won 68 Jeff Awards, having received 173 nominations. Learn more at www.theo-u.com

INCOMING: Margaret Glaspy To Play Chicago's Sleeping Village 10/7; New Album Echo The Diamond Out Now

 

MARGARET GLASPY  RELEASES NEW ALBUM  ECHO THE DIAMOND VIA ATO RECORDS “ACT NATURAL” SINGLE TOP 20 AT AAA RADIO North American Tour + UK Tour Dates Confirmed Photo by Ebru Yildiz "(‘Act Natural’ is) one of Glaspy’s all-time best.. a roaring, wondrous stroke of blues-injected rock ‘n’ roll" Paste  “Singer-songwriter Margaret Glaspy returns to spiky, guitar-forward songs on her third LP, Echo the Diamond.”  Pitchfork “Expanding upon the the sound and themes of her previous effort, Devotion, Echo the Diamond finds Glaspy trusting her instincts and imbuing the batch of songs with a newfound rawness and grit…(her) songwriting has never felt so immediate or urgent." Consequence "Margaret Glaspy’s passionate croak is haunted by the past on the folky ‘Memories,’ …the dark humor, at least, makes the anguish go down smoothly." New York Times "(‘Act Natural’)l is a good rocking number from Margaret Glaspy. The snappy guitar lick … immediately got my attention." NPR "This moodier, more prickly attack suits Glaspy’s voice, concepts, and vision" American Songwriter "Glaspy’s third is well-crafted and unfussy, foregrounding her sturdy guitar and clear sighted lyrics that range between grungy disaffection…and brittle yearning” MOJO “Grungy guitar work + gutsy poeticism = great pop… 10 songs that glint like shards of glass yet brim with love, grief, courage, existential doubt and all the other stuff that makes us human.” UNCUT Magazine Margaret Glaspy has released her new album Echo The Diamond via ATO Records. The third full-length from Margaret Glaspy, the LP emerged from a deliberate stripping-away of artifice to reveal life for all its harsh truths and ineffable beauty. Like the precious gem of its title, the result is an object of startling luminosity, one capable of cutting through the most elaborately constructed façades. “This record came from trying to meet life on life’s terms, instead of looking for a happy ending in everything,” says the New York-based musician. “The whole experience of creating it felt like effortless catharsis.”  Margaret teased Echo The Diamond with the singles “Act Natural,” “Memories,” and “Get Back” and they saw support from The New York Times, NPR, Pitchfork, Stereogum, Spin, and others.  “Act Natural” is currently a top 20 single at AAA Radio, marking Glaspy’s highest chart position of her career. She played that song and others when she visited the studios of New York City’s NPR station WNYC earlier this week.  Listen to the Q&A and session here. Today Consequence ran a “track by track” feature on Echo The Diamond - read that here.  The album was labeled a “notable release of the week” by both NPR and American Songwriter and today Pitchfork included it in their “8 New Albums You Should Listen To” list.  Purchase / listen to Echo The Diamond here. On September 12 she will head to the UK for her first tour in support of the album. Glaspy and her band return stateside for a North American tour that starts September 28 in Washington, DC at Union Stage. The tour concludes at the Lodge Room in Los Angeles on November 14. Along the way she will make stops in, among other markets, Toronto, ON on October 2, Chicago on October 7 and Seattle, on November 9. Margaret will play a hometown show at New York City’s Bowery Ballroom on October 20. All tour dates are listed below and tickets are on-sale here.

*** Echo The Diamond expands on the frenetic vitality of her widely acclaimed debut Emotions and Math—a 2016 release The New Yorker hailed as an album “in which pretty songs often turn prickly, enriched by carefully measured infusions of dissonance and grit.” This time around, Glaspy worked with drummer/percussionist David King of The Bad Plus and bassist Chris Morrissey (Andrew Bird, Lucius, Ben Kweller), recording at Reservoir Studios in Manhattan and embracing an intentionally unfussy process that left plenty of room for spontaneity. “I love music with a big element of risk to it, which was really the heartbeat of this album,” she says. “A lot of what you hear are the very first takes.” Anchored in the raw yet mesmerizing vocal presence and impressionistic guitar work she’s brought to the stage in touring with the likes of Spoon and Wilco, Echo The Diamond holds entirely true to the spirit of its lyrical explorations, presenting a selection of songs both unvarnished and revelatory.   The follow-up to 2020’s Devotion, Echo The Diamond takes its title from a turn of phrase that Glaspy tossed off in the midst of a conversation with Lage. “Bruce Lee once said to be water—if water is in a teacup, it becomes teacup-shaped; if it’s in a glass, then it takes the shape of that glass,” she recalls. “For me, Echo The Diamond is a way of saying ‘shine bright’, ‘be brilliant.’” All throughout the album, Glaspy’s poetic sense of language creates a heady tension with Echo The Diamond ‘s tempestuous sound, a dynamic in full force on the exultant opening track “Act Natural.” The song captures the strange thrill of infatuation, channeling so much wonder and wide-eyed bewilderment into her lyrics (from the first verse: “Are you a paradise bird?/’Cause violet shines bright in both your eyes/That can’t be natural”).   Spotlighting her rare gift for rendering the most nuanced aspects of the human experience with equal parts primal emotionality and bracing intelligence, Echo The Diamond also offers up sublimely acerbic tracks like “Female Brain”: a visceral yet sharp-witted piece of social commentary that slyly veers between irony and sincerity (“Eating scraps with delight/But I’ll never give up the fight/On suffering and pain/Using my gorgeous female brain”). “That song offers a peek into what life can feel like for me as a woman, especially in the male-dominated landscape that I find myself in,” says Glaspy. “The take we used for the album is actually a rehearsal; we were playing purely on instinct, in a way that was very physical and almost like falling off the edge of a cliff.” “Irish Goodbye,” the following track on Echo The Diamond, shifts into a moment of heavy-hearted storytelling spiked with fuzzed-out guitar and aching harmonies. “That song is partly meant to be a New York City portrait, but on a more personal level, I’m terribly shy and will often slip out the back door in social situations.”   An album informed by profound loss, Echo The Diamond often finds Glaspy sorting through that pain to piece together indelible fragments of wisdom. On “Get Back”—a reflective and soul-stirring track on which her voice achieves a particularly gutting intensity—her insights take the form of both weary observation (“When you’re dripping in your privilege/You don’t know the difference/Between what you want and what you need”) and tenderly delivered instruction (“When you’re only thinking of yourself/You’re missing out on everybody else/Get back to the place you started from/Get back to childhood”). “That song speaks to many things that have accumulated over the last few years for me, including grief and loss and finding myself again through all of it,” says Glaspy. “Playing that songs sets me free.” And on “Memories,” the album takes on a sorrowful mood as Glaspy examines the emotional ruin so easily wrought by our own grieving minds. “‘Memories’ was probably the most challenging song for me to track; the take you hear is the only one I was able to get through completely,” she says. “It was a level of vulnerability I’d never gotten on record, and it holds a special place in my heart now. Even though it’s about a very specific loss for me, it seems to ricochet in different ways for anyone who hears it.”   Originally from the Northern California town of Red Bluff, Glaspy first started writing songs at age 15 and soon began honing the potent balance of sensitivity and incisiveness that now imbues her music. In bringing Echo The Diamond to life, she adhered to a songwriting process meant to preserve and amplify her unfettered expression (“If I sit down with a guitar for about 15 minutes, I usually have a song at the end,” she notes). Along with drawing from an eclectic mix of inspirations—Sonic Youth, Vivienne Westwood’s punk-influenced approach to fashion, Tom Waits’s music and turn as a jailbird DJ in Jim Jarmusch’s Down By Law, the 1985 Japanese Western film Tampopo—Glaspy sustained that sense of thoughtful urgency upon joining forces with King and Morrissey in the studio. “This is the most fluid and immediate music I have ever made,” she says. “I see now that I protected the creative space by surrounding myself with incredible people in making of this record, and I’m so happy I did.”   As a result of Glaspy’s rigor in protecting her instincts, Echo The Diamond ultimately marks the glorious realization of her most closely held intentions for the album. “I’m excited to make music that doesn’t try to manipulate the listener into wishing for things to be any different from what they are. Ideally, I want my songs to reveal life for what it is, and to show that it’s that way for everyone.” Tour Dates 8/18 - New York, NY @ Rough Trade Records (performance and album signing) 8/23 - New York, NY @ Bitter End (WFUV) 9/12 - Brighton, UK @ Chalk * 9/13 - London, UK @ O2 Forum Kentish Town * 9/14 - Bristol, UK @ SWX * 9/16 - Manchester, UK @ Albert Hall * 9/17 - Glasgow, UK @ SWG3 * 9/18 - Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club * 9/20 - London, UK @ Omeara  9/28 - Washington, DC @ Union Stage 9/29 - Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts 9/30 - Boston, MA @ The Sinclair 10/2 - Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe 10/3 - Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop 10/4 - Detroit, MI @ El Club 10/6 - Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line 10/7 - Chicago, IL @ Sleeping Village 10/8 - Milwaukee, WI @ The Back Room @ Colectivo 10/10 - Nashville, TN @ Third Man Records Blue Room  10/11 - Atlanta, GA @ Center Stage (Vinyl) 10/12 - Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall 10/13 - Asheville, NC @ Grey Eagle 10/14 - Richmond, VA @ Richmond Music Hall 10/20 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom 11/1 - Austin, TX @ Antone’s 11/2 - Dallas, TX @ Deep Ellum Art Co 11/4 - Denver, CO @ Ophelia's 11/6 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge 11/7 - Boise, ID @ The Olympic 11/9 - Seattle, WA @ Madame Lou's 11/10 - Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret 11/11 - Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios 11/13 - San Francisco, CA @ The Independent 11/14 - Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room *opening for Half Moon Run

Echo The Diamond track listing  1. Act Natural  2. Get Back  3. Female Brain  4. Irish Goodbye  5. I Didn’t Think So  6. Memories  7. Turn The Engine  8. Hammer and the Nail  9. My Eyes 10. People Who Talk Follow Margaret Glaspy here: margaretglaspy.com  Facebook | Twitter | Instagram