FEST ALERT: 2nd ANNUAL DESTINOS, THE CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL LATINO THEATER FESTIVAL SEPTEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 4, 2018

Chi IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

DESTINOS, 

THE CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL LATINO 

THEATER FESTIVAL, 

RETURNS FOR ITS SECOND YEAR, 

SEPTEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 4, 2018

Travel the diaspora of new Latino theater via world-class, cutting-edge

artists and companies from Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Argentina,

Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico and Puerto Rico

Participating theaters and companies include Chicago Shakespeare,

Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf and Victory Gardens, with Aguijón Theater,

National Museum of Mexican Art, The Miracle Center, Teatro Vista, UrbanTheater and Water People

What is the current state of contemporary Latino theater, in a time when cross-cultural understanding has never been more important?

Find out when the Chicago International Latino Theater Festival, known as Destinos, returns for its second annual outing, September 20-November 4, 2018.

Produced by the Chicago Latino Theater Alliance (CLATA), Destinos will bring together top Latino theater artists and companies from Chicago, the U.S. and around Latin America for seven weeks of shows, panels and student performances held throughout the city.

The second annual Destinos will celebrate homegrown Latino theater artists and companies, both emerging and established, from the host city, Chicago. Destinos will also showcase artists from Dallas and Los Angeles. Theater artists and companies from Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico and Puerto Rico round out the festival’s deep roster of international participants, helping underscore the growing reputation for Destinos as one of the country’s leading international Latino theater festivals.

Destinos presents in a range of marquee theaters like Chicago Shakespeare, Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf, and Victory Gardens, to theaters and cultural institutions in predominantly Latino neighborhoods like Aguijón Theater in Belmont Cragin, National Museum of Mexican Art in Pilsen, The Miracle Center in Logan Square/Hermosa, and UrbanTheater Company in Humboldt Park. Other participating Chicago companies include Teatro Vista and Water People Theater.

“I'm honored and excited to have been given the opportunity to lead CLATA,” said Myrna Salazar, executive director, Chicago Latino Theater Alliance. “Through Destinos, the second Chicago International Latino Theater Festival, we continue to fuel the vital connection of Chicago's enriching and exciting Latino theater community to their international counterparts, whose lives and stories mirror each other, and are very much embedded in today’s American kaleidoscope of cultures."

Likewise, Martin R. Castro, founding board chair of CLATA, states “I’m so proud of the great line up we have for our second year of Destinos! There is literally something for every interest! Now more than ever, we must stand and celebrate our rich artistic and cultural heritage as Latinos and support Latinx theatre in Chicago, in the United States and in the hemisphere.” 

The second annual Destinos festival launches with a kick-off reception on Monday, September 17 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St. in downtown Chicago, in the GAR Hall & Rotunda. Leaders from the local Latino community will join the festival’s civic and philanthropic supporters, Chicago media, the city’s arts and theater community, and CLATA board, staff and volunteers to welcome and toast participating Latino theater artists from Chicago and around the world.

Stay tuned to the Destinos website, clata.org, in the coming weeks for the launch of online ticket sales, and news of other festival events including free roundtable discussions that will address political and identity issues within the Latino community.

To avoid hearing the words “sold out,” Chicago Latinos, Latinophiles and the city’s most avid cultural consumers are strongly encouraged to sign up for the Destinos weekly eblast at clata.org. Or, follow Destinos on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to receive first notice of all festival events.



Following is an advance sampler of the shows, artists, companies and venues confirmed to participate (at press time) in Destinos, September 20-November 4, 2018:


Chicago
American Jornalero / American Day Laborer (Midwest Premiere) by Ed Cardona Jr., a drama about a collision between immigrant day laborers and white power vigilantes, is a Teatro Vista presentation in the Richard Christiansen Theater at Victory Gardens,
2433 N. Lincoln Ave., October 18-21.

Casa Propia / A House of Her Own (Midwest Premiere) by Dolores Prida, a lighthearted yet poignant comedy about a woman’s tireless quest for her American Dream, will run October 18-November 25 at Aguijón Theater, 2707 N. Laramie Ave. in Belmont Cragin.

Musas / Muses (Midwest Premiere) by Néstor Caballero (Chicago Premiere), presented by Water People Theater in a co-presentation with American Writers Museum and The Poetry Foundation, imagines an extraordinary encounter between two icons of contemporary art, Mexican painter Frida Kahlo and American poet Sylvia Plath. Performances are September 20-23 in Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theatre as part of the LookOut Series, 1700 N. Halsted St.

Not For Sale (World Premiere) by Guadalís Del Carmen tackling issues of gentrification and displacement in Humboldt Park. With new neighbors looking to make changes west of Western Avenue in a community rich with decades of culture, the question persists who gets to lay claim to the neighborhood? Performances are September 20-October 21 at UrbanTheater Company, 2620 W. Division St. in Humboldt Park.

The Real Life Adventures of Jimmy de la Rosas (World Premiere) by Chicago playwright Ricardo Gamboa. Jimmy’s just your average boy on the block — except he can move things with his mind. When his mother goes missing, joining the numbers of other people disappearing from the hood, Jimmy will have to turn up the heat on his mutant abilities to rescue her and find out who is behind the kidnappings. Performances are October 11-21 at Pulaski Park, 1419 W. Blackhawk St. in Noble Square.

There’s a Coqui in My Shoe! (World Premiere) by The Miracle Center’s Playwright, Roberto J. Negron, an adaptation of Marissa de Jesus Paolicelli’s children’s book about Puerto Rico’s national mascot, the Coquí (little tree frog). Performances are September 21-October 13 at The Miracle Center, 2311 N. Pulaski Rd. in Logan Square/Hermosa.


National 



An American Odyssey (Midwest Premiere), via Culture Clash from Los Angeles, the award-winning Chicano kings of comedy with a character study of real people and true stories from the shadows, borders and badlands of America. This is a timely co-presentation with Victory Gardens Theater, October 4-7 in the Richard Christiansen Theater.

WET: A DACAmented Journey (Midwest premiere) by Alex Alpharaoh via Cara Mía Theatre and Ignite/Arts Dallas chronicles the desperation and limitations DREAMers feel navigating a broken U.S. immigration system. This co-presentation with the Latino Policy Forum runs October 11-14 in the Richard Christiansen Theater at Victory Gardens.


International






Luna de Cristal / Crystal Moon (U.S. Premiere) from Puerto Rico’s Cuarto Blanco tells the story of a family of three confronting the realities of their lives and the unexpected event that unites them, October 11-14 at Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theatre, presented as part of the LookOut Series.


 


Mendoza (U.S. Premiere), an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s MacBeth reimagined against the 1910 backdrop of the Mexican Revolution, comes courtesy of Mexico’s Los Colochos Teatro in a co-presentation with the Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St., October 2-7. Mendoza is adapted by Antonio Zuniga and Juan Carrillo, directed by Carrillo.





El Patio / The Patio (North American Premiere), by Oscar Gonzàlez, David Korish and Janko Navarro via Costa Rica’s Teatro Abya Yala, offers glimpses of masculinity in different situations, exploring the impossibility of fulfilling the societal idea of what it means to be a man today. It runs September 27-29 at Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theatre, presented as part of the LookOut Series.

La Prietty Guoman / Pretty Woman (U.S. Premiere) from Teatro de la Ciudad Cabaret in Mexico City is a cabaret style narration of the life of an exuberant, brown and transgender girl who is a fan of the film Pretty Woman. It runs October 5-6 at the National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St. in Pilsen.

Quiero Decir Te Amo / I Want to Say I Love You (North American premiere) is a drama by Humo Negro from Argentina about a car accident and a chance encounter that leads to a series of love letters and an unexpected romance. Performances are October 4-7 at Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theatre, presented as part of the LookOut Series.




About Destinos, the Chicago International Latino Theater Festival

Now entering its second year, the Destinos festival is the signature program of the Chicago Latino Theater Alliance (CLATA), a transformative cultural engine helping drive the city’s local Latino theater community to a more prominent level.

“In Spanish, the word Destinos has multiple meanings: destinies, destinations or fate,” explains Myrna Salazar, executive director, CLATA. “Destinos, the Chicago International Latino Theater Festival, shares the power of live theater to amplify ‘first-voice’ Latino artists and to create a cross-cultural experience.”

CLATA’s goal is to create the country’s leading international Latino theater festival with an emphasis on showcasing Chicago Latino theater artists and companies. Additionally CLATA provides local groups ongoing organizational support, is working diligently to create a permanent home for Chicago’s Latino theater artists, and ultimately works to underscore Chicago’s reputation as one of the most exciting and culturally diverse theater cities in the world.

CLATA was founded in 2016 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization by Myrna Salazar and the three most prominent Chicago Latino arts organizations: National Museum of Mexican Art (NNMA), International Latino Cultural Center (ILCC), and Puerto Rican Arts Alliance (PRAA), with the generous support of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. 

The first annual Destinos festival in the fall of 2017 ran for five weeks, and presented 61 performances by 10 companies from Chicago, the U.S. and Latin America. In sum, last year’s inaugural festival engaged approximately 8,000 people, including more than 850 students who attended matinee performances and participated in post-show discussions with artists, directors and playwrights.

The second annual Destinos 2018 festival is supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The Field Foundation of Illinois, The Joyce Foundation, the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, The Chicago Community Trust, Choose Chicago, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, Illinois Humanities, Southwest Airlines, Allstate, ComEd and Corona Extra.

For more information, visit clata.org or call (312) 631-3112.

HELP OUT: CONSORTIUM OF ASIAN AMERICAN THEATERS & ARTISTS (CAATA) To Join Chicago “NO ALOHA, NO POKE! PEACEFUL RALLY”

CONSORTIUM OF ASIAN AMERICAN THEATERS & ARTISTS (CAATA) STANDS WITH NATIVE HAWAIIANS IN SUPPORT OF THE 

“NO ALOHA, NO POKE! PEACEFUL RALLY,” TO TAKE PLACE ON WEDNESDAY, AUG. 15 

Production Photo Via ConFest Chicago

The Consortium of Asian American Theaters & Artists (CAATA), the national organizers of ConFest 2018, supports the Hawaiian people’s indigenous language reclamation. CAATA condemns the actions of Aloha Poke Co. and supports the peaceful rally Wednesday, Aug. 15, near the restaurant’s Lincoln Park location at 818 W. Fullerton Ave, from 12:30 - 2:30 p.m.

The 6th National Asian American Theater Conference and Festival (ConFest) will take place in Chicago from August 13-18 at DePaul University and Victory Gardens Theater.  The event is a weeklong gathering of industry leading theater performances, new play readings, workshops, breakout sessions, networking, parties and more. 

On the eve of ConFest 2018, board members of the Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists (CAATA) were disturbed to hear of the actions of Aloha Poke Co., a Chicago-based business, demanding restaurants across the country “Cease and Desist” using the words “Aloha” and “Poke” in their names on the basis of copyright infringement. CAATA would like to express support for the Hawaiian people and the reclamation of the Hawaiian language. After a 90-year history of ‘olelo Hawai’i being banned from use in schools, CAATA supports the freedom of Native Hawaiians to use their own indigenous language as they see fit, without restriction from outside entities or fear of legal actions.

As Andi Meyer, CAATA board member and artistic director of Tradewind Arts (Kansas City, MO), said, “Speaking as an artist of mixed Native Hawaiian descent, I feel that reclamation of language and artistic self-representation are paramount to our ability to perpetuate the Hawaiian culture after years of forced decline. It seems a perfect confluence of events that these artists are scheduled to be in Chicago at this time, when the overall CAATA conference theme happens to be "Revolutionary Acts!" As a board member, I hope the greater Chicagoland audience will take advantage of this unparalleled opportunity to both support the voices of Native Hawaiian artists, and also to value the many underrepresented voices that exist in their own community.”

This year CAATA is proud to include a stellar roster of  Native Hawaiian theatre makers and an entire slate of Native Hawaiian conference offerings.

Participants and Hawaiian-themed events included in this year’s ConFest 2018 include:

OPENING NIGHT SHOWCASE
Hot Asian Everything: REVOLT
Monday, Aug. 13 at 8 p.m.
Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave. 
Presented by CAATA
Directed by Victor Malana Moag
An evening of revolutionary proportions featuring a powerhouse mix of Chicago and national talent — all hosted by the illustrious Emi Macadangdang and Jasmine! Kick off ConFest 2018 in style with a collection of sketch comedy, musical performances and celebrity sightings by some of Asian American theater’s most noted artists. Lineup includes excerpts and performances from:
Moses Goods’ Kinolau
Comedy troupe Stir-Friday Night!
Anu Bhatt’s Hollow/Wave
Shishir Kurup's Merchant on Venice, Rasaka Theatre & Vitalist Theatre

Panelist and performer Moses Goods (pictured above). Goods is also the founder and artistic director of ʻInamona Theatre Company, an organization dedicated to reintroducing the native stories of Hawaiʻi to the community. Goods is one of Hawaiʻi’s most prominent theatre artists.  Originally from the island of Maui and now based in Honolulu he has traveled nationally and internationally performing his original work to a wide range of audiences.  His body of work ranges from full length plays to theatrical storytelling pieces most of which are strongly rooted in Native Hawaiian culture.

Opening Plenary Speaker Kumu Tammy Haili`ōpua Baker
And conversation with Native Hawaiian Theater Practitioners moderated by Sami L.A. Akuna aka Cocoa Chandelier
Tuesday, Aug. 14 at 9 a.m.
DePaul University - The Theatre School, 2350 North Racine Avenue, Chicago, IL 60614

Opening Keynote Speaker Kumu Tammy Haili`ōpua Baker, whose work centers on the development of an indigenous Hawaiian theater aesthetic and form, Hawaiian language revitalization, and the empowerment of cultural identity through stage performance. Baker is also a playwright and the artistic director of Ka Hālau Hanakeaka, a Hawaiian medium theater troupe. ​As an associate professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa she oversees both the Hawaiian Theatre and the Playwriting MFA programs. Originally from Kapa‘a, Kaua‘i, Baker now resides with her family in Kahalu‘u, Ko‘olaupoko, O‘ahu.

Cocoa Chandelier (pictured above) is the official artist-in-residence at the Leeward Community College after contributing her talents as a choreographer, costume design and artistic direction after several years of participation in both the Drama and Dance department. Chandelier holds two separate degrees in the Theatre and Dance program from the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. She travels continuously as an advocate and spokesperson for H.I.V/AIDS and has taught Modern Dance at Leeward Community College and the Art of The Drag Performer at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Chandelier plans to graduate with a PhD in Performance Studies and would like to be addressed in the future as Dr. Chandelier. 

Panelists include Moses Goods and Christopher K. Morgan. 
Moses Goods bio is included in the Hot Asian Everything: REVOLT section above.

Christopher K. Morgan (pictured above) is the executive artistic director of Dance Place in Washington, DC, where he oversees performances and a school for youth and adults. He is the artistic and executive director of dance company Christopher K. Morgan & Artists (CKM&A) and the director of Dance Omi, an annual collaborative residency for international choreographers. Born in Orange County, CA, Morgan’s Native Hawaiian ancestry and a broad, international dance career influence his work as an administrator, choreographer, educator, facilitator, curator and performer. Morgan’s choreography has been presented in 18 countries on five continents, and was profiled as one of six breakout choreographers in the US in Dance Magazine 2011.

A Recipient of an NPN Creation Fund and NEFA National Dance Project Award, Pōhaku premiered in March 2016 at Dance Place and has toured nine other venues in Hawaii, California, New York and Minnesota.

TeAda Productions, Tradewind Arts & aetherplough present
International Drag Bingo 
Hosted by Cocoa Chandelier featuring surprise guests from near and far.
Benefiting the Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artist (CAATA) on going advocacy and convening efforts

Tuesday, Aug. 14 from  9:30 p.m. - 12 a.m.
Fiesta Mexicana, 2423 N. Lincoln Ave.

Cocoa Chandelier’s bio is included in the Opening Plenary Speaker Kumu Tammy Haili`ōpua Baker section above. 

Pōhaku
Written, directed and performed by Christopher K. Morgan
Wednesday, August 15 at 8 p.m.
Thursday, August 16 at 3:30 p.m.
Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave.

Pōhaku incorporates traditional Hawaiian chant, hula, contemporary dance, theater and storytelling to explore compelling universal themes in the story of Hawaii’s native people, including land loss and fractured identity. In this solo dance theater piece, Christopher K. Morgan connects his personal family story of outward migration away from Hawai’i to the illegal overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawai’i, the islands’ colonial history and its present day status.

Christopher K. Morgan’s bio is included in Opening Plenary Speaker Kumu Tammy Haili`ōpua Baker section above. 

CASTING ANNOUNCED: HELLO, DOLLY! STARRING BROADWAY LEGEND BETTY BUCKLEY

Chi IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

CASTING ANNOUNCED 

FOR THE FIRST NATIONAL TOUR OF

THE TONY AWARD-WINNING BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL

TICKETS GO ON SALE FRIDAY, AUGUST 10

HELLO, DOLLY!

STARRING BROADWAY LEGEND BETTY BUCKLEY

ORIENTAL THEATRE

OCT. 23 - NOV. 17, 2018

Producer Scott Rudin and Broadway In Chicago are delighted to announce the cast for the first national tour of the Tony Award-winning Best Musical Revival of HELLO, DOLLY! starring Broadway legend, Tony Award winner Betty Buckley. The first national tour of HELLO, DOLLY! will play Broadway In Chicago's historic Oriental Theatre (24 W. Randolph) for a limited four-week engagement October 23 through November 17, 2018.

“The best show of the year. ‘Hello, Dolly!’ must not be missed.” NPR, David Richardson

“This ‘Dolly!’ is classic Broadway at its best.” Entertainment Weekly, Maya Stanton

“It is, in a word, perfection.” Time Out New York, Adam Feldman

The previously announced Ms. Buckley will be joined by Lewis J. Stadlen (Horace Vandergelder), Nic Rouleau (Cornelius Hackl), Analisa Leaming (Irene Molloy), Jess LeProtto (Barnaby Tucker), Kristen Hahn (Minnie Fay), Garett Hawe (Ambrose Kemper), Morgan Kirner (Ermengarde), and Jessica Sheridan (Ernestina).

The ensemble will feature Maddy Apple, Daniel Beeman, Brittany Bohn, Giovanni Bonaventura, Elizabeth Broadhurst, Whitney Cooper, Julian DeGuzman, Wally Dunn, Alexandra Frohlinger, Dan Horn, Corey Hummerston, Madison Johnson, Nathan Keen, Beth Kirkpatrick, Ben Lanham, Ian Liberto, Kyle Samuel, Scott Shedenhelm, Timothy Shew, Maria Cristina Slye, Cassie Austin Taylor, Davis Wayne, Brandon L. Whitmore, and Connor Wince.

Led by four-time Tony Award-winning director Jerry Zaks and choreographed by Tony Award winner Warren Carlyle, the entire creative team of the Broadway production reprises their roles for the national tour of HELLO, DOLLY!, including four-time Tony Award winner Santo Loquasto (Scenic & Costume Design), six-time Tony Award winner Natasha Katz (Lighting Design), Tony Award winner Scott Lehrer (Sound Design), Andy Einhorn (Music Supervision), Robert Billig (Music Direction), Tony Award winner Larry Hochman (Orchestrations), Tony Award winner Don Pippin (Vocal Arrangements), David Chase (Dance Arrangements), and Telsey + Company (Casting).

HELLO, DOLLY! began performances on Broadway on March 15, 2017, and officially opened on April 20, 2017. Having broken the record for best first day of ticket sales in Broadway history, the box office record at the Shubert Theatre twelve times, and shattering The Shubert Organization's all-time record ten times, this production will end its historic Broadway run on August 25, 2018.

For more information, visit www.hellodollyonbroadway.com

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Tuesdays at 7:30PM

Wednesdays at 2PM & 7:30PM (no matinee performance on 10/24)

Thursdays at 7:30PM

Fridays at 7:30PM

Saturdays at 2PM & 8PM

Sunday, Oct. 28 at 7:30PM & Sunday, Nov. 4 & Nov. 11 at 2PM

TICKET INFORMATION

Individual tickets for HELLO, DOLLY! at the Oriental Theatre (24 W. Randolph) go on sale tomorrow and range from $27-$98 with a select number of premium seats available. Tickets are available now for groups of 10 or more by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710. Tickets are available at all Broadway In Chicago Box Offices (24 W. Randolph St., 151 W. Randolph St., 18 W. Monroe St. and 175 E. Chestnut), the Broadway In Chicago Ticket Line at (800) 775-2000 and online at www.BroadwayInChicago.com. 

ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO

Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 18 years has grown to be one of the largest commercial touring homes in the country.  A Nederlander Presentation, Broadway In Chicago lights up the Chicago Theater District entertaining over 1.7 million people annually in five theatres. Broadway In Chicago presents a full range of entertainment, including musicals and plays, on the stages of five of the finest theatres in Chicago's Loop including the Cadillac Palace Theatre, CIBC Theatre, Oriental Theatre, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place and presenting Broadway shows at The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

Facebook @BroadwayInChicago Twitter @broadwaychicago Instagram @broadwayinchicago #broadwayinchicago

OPENING: World Premiere of NIGHTMARES AND NIGHTCAPS: The Stories of John Collier Via Black Button Eyes Productions August 17 – September 15, 2018

Chi IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

World Premiere!

Black Button Eyes Productions Presents

NIGHTMARES AND NIGHTCAPS: 

The Stories of John Collier

Adapted and Directed by Ed Rutherford

Choreography by Derek Van Barham 

August 17 – September 15, 2018 at The Athenaeum Theatre

Black Button Eyes Productions is pleased to launch its 2018-19 season with the world premiere of NIGHTMARES AND NIGHTCAPS: The Stories of John Collier, a non-musical adaption of British author and screenwriter John Collier’s phantasmagoric short stories, written and directed by Producing Artistic Director Ed Rutherford with choreography by Derek Van Barham. NIGHTMARES AND NIGHTCAPS will play August 17 – September 15, 2018 at The Athenaeum Theatre (Studio Two), 2936 N. Southport Ave. in Chicago. Tickets are currently available at athenaeumtheatre.org, by calling (773) 935-6875 or in person at The Athenaeum Theatre Box Office. 

NIGHTMARES AND NIGHTCAPS will feature Kevin Webb with Megan DeLay, Ellen DeSitter, Kat Evans, Caitlin Jackson, Shane Roberie, Joshua Servantez, Maiko Terazawa and Lee Wichman.

Before the Twilight Zone, there was British expatriate John Collier, writing humorous stories about the bizarre and fantastical for The New Yorker and sardonic screenplays in Hollywood throughout the first half of the 20th century. In this world premiere adaptation, an ominous host weaves together Collier's comic tales of love, loss and the mysterious for the audience's delight.

The production team for NIGHTMARES AND NIGHTCAPS includes: Jeremiah Barr (scenic design, props design, puppet design, technical director) Beth Laske-Miller (costume design), Liz Cooper (lighting design), Robert Hornbostel (sound design) and Kyle Bricker (stage manager).


Cast (in alphabetical order): Megan DeLay, Ellen DeSitter, Kat Evans, Jessica Lauren Fisher, Caitlin Jackson, Shane Roberie, Joshua Servantez, Maiko Terazawa, Kevin Webb and Lee Wichman.

Understudies: Jessica Lauren Fisher and Paul Gene Miller.

Location: The Athenaeum Theatre (Studio Two), 2936 N. Southport Ave., Chicago
Dates: Preview: Friday, August 17 at 7:30 pm
Regular run: Sunday, August 19 – Saturday, September 15, 2018
Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 3 pm. Please note: there will be an added performance on Tuesday, August 21 at 7:30 pm.

Tickets: $30. Students $15. Tickets are currently available at athenaeumtheatre.org, by calling (773) 935-6875 or in person at The Athenaeum Theatre Box Office.

About the Artists:
Ed Rutherford (Adapter/Director) For Black Button Eyes, Ed most recently directed the Jeff-Recommended production of Nevermore - The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe (Chicago premiere), preceded by Shockheaded Peter (Chicago storefront premiere), Amour (Chicago premiere), Goblin Market and Stephin Merrit's musical adaptation of Coraline (Midwest premiere). Recent directing credits elsewhere include the Jeff-Recommended productions of The Liar with Promethean Theatre Ensemble and Paula Vogel’s The Baltimore Waltz at Brown Paper Box Co. He is an artistic associate at Promethean, where he staged his own world premiere adaptation of the Peter S. Beagle fantasy novel The Last Unicorn, Brecht’s The Caucasian Chalk Circle and the company's inaugural production, Christopher Durang’s Beyond Therapy. As an actor, he has performed with Drury Lane Oakbrook, Porchlight, Theater Wit and many others. A graduate of Northwestern's theater program, he is currently completing his MBA at Kellogg. 

Derek Van Barham (Choreographer) is the Associate Artistic Director of Pride Films & Plays, a member of the Red Tape Theatre ensemble, and a former Artistic Director of The Ruckus. For PFP, he has directed Perfect Arrangement, Angry Fags (Steppenwolf Garage Repertory), Songs from an Unmade Bed (Jeff nomination), and PRISCILLA, Queen of the Desert: The Musical (co-directed with David Zak). He also wrote, directed and choreographed BITE: A Pucking Queer Cabaret and Kill Your Boyfriends. Other directing credits include Three Days of Rain (Boho), The View Upstairs (Circle Theatre), Miracle! by Dan Savage and Skooby Don't (Hell in a Handbag), Trash and HOT PINK (New American Folk Theatre) and From These Fatal Loins (The Ruckus). Choreography credits include The CiviliTy of Albert Cashier (Permoveo/PFP), Nevermore, Shockheaded Peter, Amour, Coraline, Goblin Market (Black Button Eyes). He was named one of Windy City Times 30 Under 30, recognizing individuals from Chicago's LGBTQ+ community. MFA: Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. Up next: Homos, or Everyone in America with PFP. 

NIGHTMARES AND NIGHTCAPS was made possible in part by a grant from the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events’ (DCASE) Individual Artist Program.

About Black Button Eyes Productions

The 2018-19 season continues Black Button Eyes Productions' mission to bring to Chicago premieres and seldom-seen works containing elements of fantasy, in which the magical and surreal invade reality. The company was founded in 2014 with the acclaimed Midwest premiere of the musical Coraline, and continued in 2015 by producing the musical Goblin Market in its first Chicago production in over 15 years, attended by the author, Chicago native Polly Pen. In the past few seasons, the company has produced the Chicago premiere of the musical Amour, the Chicago storefront premiere of Shockheaded Peter, and the Chicago premiere of the musical Nevermore - The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe.

Bossa Blue will be presenting the James Taylor songbook at Fitzgerald’s on Thursday, August 23rd

Chi IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

Bossa Blue, led by acclaimed singer-songwriter Brad Cole, performs a unique stylistic blend of Bossa/Samba, Cool Jazz, Dub, Soul and Blues interpretations of the songs that have become the soundtrack to our lives.

Bossa Blue will be presenting the James Taylor songbook at Fitzgerald’s on Thursday, August 23. Click here for full details. 




Bossa Blue Presents: A Tribute to the James Taylor Songbook
Thu, Aug 23 2018, 8:30pm - $10
Doors open at 7 pm.

Award winning singer-songwriter and band leader Brad Cole’s most recent project, Bossa Blue, has created quite a buzz with their multi-genre mash-ups of contemporary and classic rock tunes that run the gambit from Radiohead to The Beatles, from The Killers to Joni Mitchel, and now an entire set of James Taylor songs re-imagined and re-energized! Bossa Blue combines Latin rhythms, jazz, dub, rock and soulful blues along with intriguing vocal interplay to create their unique and intoxicating grooves. 


"The James Taylor Songbook is a treasure chest of gems and I’d put his songwriting in the same class as Cole Porter and Johnny Mercer, not to mention the ‘A list’ of his contemporaries. I decided to perform the JT songbook for a few reasons, primarily because these songs are so rich in melody and structure and, because there are so many classics. When I was in grade school I discovered Sweet Baby James in my sister’s record collection. This music was gentle and I never second guessed its honesty. From that day I have always felt a kinship to that young cowboy who lives on the range. The fun and/or challenge here is not to deliver the “James Taylor” version of his tunes, but to update each composition and performance in a compelling way with this extraordinary group of musicians. I immersed myself in the JT catalogue and pondered his headspace both musically and lyrically to better understand his pure and simple elegance.   Each tune has found its own blend of Bossa Nova, Samba, Jazz, Rock and Soulful Blues, all rich with vocal interplay and groove. Personally, the James Taylor set feels like an important body of work but, just as importantly, it is a lot of fun to perform.”

https://www.bossabluemusic.com/
http://www.bradcolemusic.com/

THEATRE NEWS: Kokandy Productions’ Producing Artistic Director Allison Hendrix To Step Down

Kokandy Productions announced today that Allison Hendrix will step down as the company’s Producing Artistic Director. Hendrix has served as PAD since the company was founded in 2010. Kokandy will launch a search for a new Producing Artistic Director this week.

Allison Hendrix is stepping down from her role at Kokandy to pursue her yoga career. 

(Popio Stumpf Photography)

Under Hendrix’s leadership, Kokandy has presented 13 musicals and numerous staged musical readings, establishing the company as a leader in the growth and visibility of storefront musical theatre in Chicago. During her tenure, Kokandy has earned over 40 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations, including four wins, and gained national recognition in publications such as American Theatre and The Sondheim Review. Hendrix’s credits with Kokandy include music direction for The Great American Trailer Park Musical, The Last Five Years and Bonnie and Clyde; direction of Loving Repeating and Little Fish; and acting in The Last Five Years and Assassins. 

Board President Scot Kokandy comments, “I can’t believe it was six years ago this summer that we produced our first musical and since have produced a total of 13 shows. Allison has been a great influence on Kokandy Productions from the very beginning and the company wouldn’t be what it is today without her. I want to thank Allison for her time, talent and contributions in the various roles she served over the last six years. Allison will remain on the board of directors and the board and I will be posting the position of Producing Artistic Director this week."

Adds Hendrix, “Working with Scot and so many of Chicago’s exceptionally talented actors and musicians has been one of the formative experiences of my lifetime. I’ve grown as a human and an artist, in ways I could never have expected. As so many storefront theatre makers know, the work is demanding and time-consuming, and I’ve reached a place where I need to take my energy and focus into my personal life and yoga teaching career.”

About Kokandy Productions
Founded in 2010, Kokandy Productions seeks to leverage the heightened reality of musical theater to tell complex and challenging stories, with a focus on contributing to the development of Chicago-based musical theater artists, and raising the profile of Chicago's non-Equity musical theater community.

For additional information, visit www.kokandyproductions.com.

OPENING: Radio Golf at Court Theatre Through September 30, 2018

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Court Theatre opens 64th Season with

August Wilson’s

Radio Golf

Directed by Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson

Featuring James T. Alfred, Allen Gilmore, Ann Joseph,

James Vincent Meredith, and Alfred H. Wilson

August 30 – September 30, 2018

I'll be out for the press opening on September 8th, reviewing for ChiILLiveShows.com. Check back shortly after for my full review. Although August Wilson is not one of my favorites, as playwrights go, I do enjoy the directing prowess of Ron OJ Parson. I also appreciate that Radio Golf is the tenth and final play in August Wilson’s American Century Cycle, and director Ron OJ Parson’s seventh production in the cycle at Court Theatre. What a rare treat for Chicago theatre lovers to be able to see the cycle in its entirety. 

Court Theatre, under the continuing leadership of Charles Newell, Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director, and Executive Director Angel Ysaguirre, opens its 2018/19 season with August Wilson’s Radio Golf, directed by Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson. Radio Golf runs August 30 – September 30, 2018 at Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. 

Real estate developer Harmond Wilks is determined to become the first black mayor of Pittsburgh, on a mission to revive his blighted childhood neighborhood. As Wilks confronts characters from the past, he is forced to question how pursuing change could put his neighborhood’s history at risk. 

The cast includes James T. Alfred (Sterling Johnson), Allen Gilmore (Harmond Wilks), Ann Joseph (Mame Wilks), James Vincent Meredith (Roosevelt Hicks) and Alfred H. Wilson (Elder Joseph Barlow).  

The creative team includes Jack Magaw (scenic design), Rachel Anne Healy (costume design), Claire Chrzan (lighting design) and Christopher M. LaPorte (sound design).

Tickets, priced $50-$74 ($38-$56 for previews) are available at the Court Theatre box office (5535 S. Ellis Avenue, Chicago), by calling (773) 753-4472, or online at www.CourtTheatre.org.  

Three, four, and five-play subscriptions to Court’s 2018/19 season range from $96 to $300 and are on sale now. To purchase a subscription or to receive more information, call the Court Theatre Box Office at (773) 753-4472, or visit Court’s website at www.CourtTheatre.org. 



About the Artists

AUGUST WILSON (Playwright,1945–2005) authored Radio Golf, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, The Piano Lesson, Seven Guitars, Fences, Two Trains Running, Jitney, King Hedley II, and Gem of the Ocean. These works explore the heritage and experience of African Americans, decade-by-decade, over the course of the twentieth century. His plays have been produced at regional theatres across the country and all over the world, as well as on Broadway. In 2003, Mr. Wilson made his professional stage debut in his one-man show, How I Learned What I Learned. Mr. Wilson’s works garnered many awards including Pulitzer Prizes for Fences (1987) and for The Piano Lesson (1990); a Tony Award for Fences; Great Britain’s Olivier Award for Jitney; as well as seven New York Drama Critics Circle Awards for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Fences, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, The Piano Lesson, Two Trains Running, Seven Guitars, Jitney, and Radio Golf. Additionally, the cast recording of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom received a 1985 Grammy Award, and Mr. Wilson received a 1995 Emmy Award nomination for his screenplay adaptation of The Piano Lesson. Mr. Wilson’s early works included the one-act plays The Janitor, Recycle, The Coldest Day of the Year, Malcolm X, The Homecoming, and the musical satire Black Bart and the Sacred Hills. Mr. Wilson received many fellowships and awards, including Rockefeller and Guggenheim Fellowships in Playwriting, the Whiting Writers Award, the 2003 Heinz Award, a 1999 National Humanities Medal, and numerous honorary degrees from colleges and universities, as well as the only high school diploma ever issued by the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. He was an alumnus of New Dramatists, a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a 1995 inductee into the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and on October 16, 2005, Broadway renamed the theatre located at 245 West 52nd Street—The August Wilson Theatre. Additionally, Mr. Wilson was posthumously inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame in 2007. Mr. Wilson was born and raised in the Hill District of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and lived in Seattle, Washington at the time of his death. He is immediately survived by his two daughters, Sakina Ansari and Azula Carmen Wilson, and his wife, costume designer Constanza Romero.

Ron oj Parson (Director) hails from Buffalo, New York and is a graduate of the University of Michigan’s Professional Theatre Program. Ron is a Resident Artist at Court Theatre, the co-founder and former Artistic Director of The Onyx Theatre Ensemble, a company member of TimeLine Theatre, and associate artist at Writers and Teatro Vista. In Chicagoland, Ron has also worked with Black Ensemble Theatre, eta Creative Arts Foundation, Chicago Dramatists, Congo Square, Oak Park Theatre Festival, Goodman, Victory Gardens, Northlight, Chicago Dramatists, Urban Theater Company, Steppenwolf, and City Lit Theatre. Regional theatres include American Players Theatre, Virginia Stage Company, Portland Stage (Maine), Studio Arena Theatre, Roundabout, Studio Theatre (DC), Baltimore Center Stage, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Wilshire Theater, Coronet Theatre, The Mechanic Theatre, Milwaukee Rep, St. Louis Black Rep, Pittsburgh Public Theater, Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre, Geva, Signature (New York), The Alliance Theatre, South Coast Rep, Kansas City Repertory, and Pasadena Playhouse. In Canada, Ron directed the world premiere of Palmer Park at the Stratford Festival. He is a member of SAG-AFTRA, SDC, and Actors Equity. Ron dedicates this production to the memory of Claude Purdy and Steve Albert. Visit www.ronojparson.com.


James t. alfred (Sterling Johnson) is a native of Chicago, from the nearby Woodlawn community. He was last seen at Court Theatre as Levee Green in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Other Chicago Credits include Head of Passes (World Premiere), Hushabye (World Premiere) and The Glass Menagerie at Steppenwolf Theatre; Brothers of the Dust (world premier) at Congo Square Theatre; SOST at MPAACT; Sundown Names at Chicago Theatre Company; A Brown Tale at Beverly Arts Center; Conversations on a Dirt Road, and Killing Me Softly at ETA Theatre. Regional theatre credits include: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Mountain Top at Guthrie Theatre; Two Trains Running, Redshirts, Jitney, Detroit ‘67 and A Brown Tale (World Premier) at Penumbra Theatre; Clybourne Park at Milwaukee Rep; April 4, 1968 at Indiana Rep; Fences at Denver Center; New York Theatre credits: Blood at National Black Theatre of Harlem; All’s Well that Ends Well at New York Public Theatre and Pipeline at Lincoln Center. Television credits include: Fox’s Empire and Prison Break, NBC’s Chicago PD and The Blacklist, and Starz’s Boss. James is a proud company member of Penumbra Theatre Company. He is a graduate of the Institute for Advanced Theatre Training and holds an M.F.A in acting from the Moscow Art Theatre School.

allen gilmore (Harmond Wilks) has appeared at Court Theatre in Man in the Ring, Scapin, Cyrano, Endgame, Sizwe Banzi Is Dead, Jitney, The Misanthrope, Tartuffe, Seven Guitars, Waiting for Godot, The Good Book, and One Man, Two Guvnors. Other Chicago performances: Joe Turner’s Come and Gone and The African Company Presents Richard the Third (Congo Square); Argonautika and Arabian Nights (Lookingglass); Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead and Buried Child (Writers Theatre); Love’s Labor’s Lost (Chicago Shakespeare); The Matchmaker, Yasmina’s Necklace, An Enemy of the People, Objects in the Mirror, and three seasons as Scrooge (Alt.) in A Christmas Carol (Goodman). Originally from Houston, he is a U.S. Army Infantry veteran, a 2015 3Arts Award winner, a 2015 Lunt-Fontanne fellow, and a proud ensemble member of Congo Square. Allen dedicates his work in Radio Golf to his father, Gerald A. Gilmore Sr, and to the memory of his friend, Steve Albert.

ann joseph (Mame Wilks) is pleased to make her first appearance at the Court Theatre with Radio Golf. Ann is a founding ensemble member of Congo Square Theatre Company where she appeared in The Piano Lesson, Playboy of The West Indies, Stick Fly, From the Mississippi Delta, Seven Guitars (Jeff Award for Best Ensemble) and Elmina’s Kitchen. Other credits include: I Never Sang for My Father, Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Wedding Band, and Time of Your Life at Steppenwolf; Class Dismissed, Lost Boys of the Sudan, Wheatley, and Living Green at Victory Gardens Theatre; Doubt at Writers Theatre, and A Christmas Carol at Goodman Theatre. Regionally, Ann has worked at American Players Theatre, Milwaukee Rep, and Madison Repertory Theatre.  Film and television credits include Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, Early Edition, Hunter, and, more recently, the web series Becky’s World.

james vincent meredith (Roosevelt Hicks) made his Court Theatre debut in Blues for an Alabama Sky. Broadway: Superior Donuts. National Tour: three years as Mafala Hatimbi with Book of Mormon. Chicago credits: The Crucible, Carter’s Way, The Tempest, Clybourne Park, The Pain and The Itch, Superior Donuts, The Hot L Baltimore, The March, and Between Riverside and Crazy (Steppenwolf, ensemble member); Othello, Much Ado About Nothing, King John, Julius Caesar, The Merchant of Venice, and Measure for Measure (Chicago Shakespeare); Othello and The Duchess of Malfi (Writers); and Roz and Ray (Victory Gardens). TV credits: Prison Break, Chicago Code, Detroit 187, ER, BOSS, The Beast, Betrayal, Mob Doctor, Law and Order: SVU, The Exorcist, and Chicago Justice.

alfred h. wilson (Elder Joseph Barlow) has appeared at Court Theatre in Agamemnon, Gem of the Ocean, Waiting for Godot, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, and The Piano Lesson. Other credits include Holloway in Two Trains Running (Goodman Theatre); Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (University of Wisconsin–Madison); The Exonerated (Next Act Theatre); Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Actor’s Theatre of Louisville and Milwaukee Rep); The Etiquette of Vigilance (Steppenwolf); Two Trains Running (Geva Theatre); “Master Harold”…and the Boys (TimeLine); Gem of the Ocean and Radio Golf (Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati);  Radio Golf (Pittsburgh Public Theatre); Bourbon at the Border (Eclipse Theatre); Jitney and Two Trains Running (Jeff Citation–Best Actor, Pegasus Players); and Panther Burn (MPAACT. He was a co-founder of Onyx Theatre Ensemble.

Dates:
Previews: August 30 – September 7, 2018


Press Opening: Saturday, September 8, 2018 at 7:30pm
Regular Run:  September 9 – 30, 2018

Schedule:
Wed/Thurs/Fri:7:30 p.m.
Sat/Sun: 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

Location: Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave.

Tickets: $38-$56 previews
$50-$74 regular run

Box Office: Located at 5535 S. Ellis Avenue, Chicago; (773) 753-4472 or www.CourtTheatre.org.

Parking: Free parking is available in the parking garage on the corner of 55th Street and Ellis Avenue. 

Radio Golf is sponsored by Allstate Insurance Company and The Joyce Foundation.



Court Theatre is guided by its mission to discover the power of classic theatre. Court endeavors to make a lasting contribution to American theatre by expanding the canon of translations, adaptations, and classic texts. Court revives lost masterpieces, illuminates familiar texts, and distinguishes fresh, modern classics. Court engages and inspires its audience by providing artistically distinguished productions, audience enrichment activities, and student educational experiences.