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Wednesday, July 27, 2016

FREE Staged Reading of Sarah Ruhl’s In The Next Room, or the vibrator play

The Chicago Inclusion Project
announces casting for upcoming reading of 
Sarah Ruhl’s In The Next Room, 
or the vibrator play
in partnership with TimeLine Theatre Company and 
The League of Chicago Theatres



Here at ChiIL Live Shows we thoroughly enjoy both Sarah Ruhl's writing and TimeLine Theatre Company's productions. Even though this one's just a staged reading at this point, it sounds intriguing. 

Chicago Inclusion Project Founder and Producer Emjoy Gavino is pleased to announce the cast of the next of The Chicago Inclusion Projects reading series, In the Next Room, or the vibratory play by Sarah Ruhl.

The reading, presented in partnership with TimeLine Theatre Company and The League of Chicago Theatres, will take place on Tuesday, August 9, 2016 at 7pm at TimeLine Theatre, 615 W. Wellington Ave., Chicago.

The reading of Sarah Ruhl’s In the Next Room, or the vibrator play at TimeLine will feature an inclusive cast of actors, including Rom Barkhodar (Dr. Givings), Joseph Anthony Foronda (Mr. Daldry), Mildred Marie Langford (Catherine), Melissa Chanciler (Mrs. Daldry), Anthony DiNicola (Leo), Jennifer Glasse (Stage Directions), Ginneh Thomas (Elizabeth) and Dana Tretta (Annie). The production will be directed by TimeLine Company Member Mechelle Moe, with Maren Robinson serving as Dramaturg and Charlie Hano as Assistant Dramaturg.

The reading is free and open to the public, but seating is very limited and reservations are required. Seats may be reserved HERE or by calling the TimeLine Theatre box office at 773-281-8463 ext 6.

“When we first sat down with the artistic staff at TimeLine over a year ago, we discussed the challenges that arise in casting choices, particularly when it comes to addressing historical context,” says TCIP Founder and Producer Emjoy Gavino. “It is an issue that many directors who tackle shows set in a specific time period often struggle with. It has been a joy to approach such a beloved text with the idea of ’open casting,’ releasing the decision makers from any pre-conceived notions of what the characters have been or ‘are supposed to be.’ We are excited at how the choices will open the play up.” 

“TimeLine Theatre Company is proud to partner with the Chicago Inclusion Project,” added TimeLine Artistic Director PJ Powers. “We are inspired by their mission and work, and we join them in the quest for inclusivity and bringing people together for shared theatre experiences that ignite conversation and new points of view. Under the direction of TimeLine Company Member Mechelle Moe, we look forward to bringing a diverse group of artists and audience members to our home on Wellington Avenue for a reading of Sarah Ruhl’s wonderfully funny and provocative In the Next Room, or the vibrator play), and we look forward to fostering an invigorating conversation.”

For information about future TCIP programming, sign up for the mailing list at www.thechicagoinclusionproject.org or follow The Chicago Inclusion Project on Facebook.



ABOUT THE CHICAGO INCLUSION PROJECT
Founded by Actor/Casting Director Emjoy Gavino, The Chicago Inclusion Project is a collective of artists, committed to creating inclusive theater experiences by bringing together Chicago artists and audiences normally separated by ethnic background, economic status, gender identity, physical ability and countless other barriers. By deliberately choosing the unexpected, both in play choices and non-traditional casting, cultivating a diverse audience by bringing new combinations of artists to as many communities in Chicago (and it surrounding suburbs) as possible, choosing facilities for the multiple projects that are handicap accessible and keeping price of tickets affordable, The Chicago Inclusion Project programming aims to unite diverse collections of Chicagoans.

For more information, visit www.thechicagoinclusionproject.org.

ABOUT TIMELINE THEATRE
TimeLine Theatre Company, recipient of the prestigious 2016 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions, was founded in April 1997 with a mission to present stories inspired by history that connect with today's social and political issues. To date over 19 seasons, TimeLine has presented 67 productions, including nine world premieres and 27 Chicago premieres, and launched the Living History Education Program, now in its ninth year of bringing the company's mission to life for students in Chicago Public Schools. Recipient of the Alford-Axelson Award for Nonprofit Managerial Excellence and the Richard Goodman Strategic Planning Award from the Association for Strategic Planning, TimeLine has received 52 Jeff Awards, including an award for Outstanding Production 11 times.


LAST CALL: Don't miss this. Chimerica is highly recommended and a favorite of ours here at ChiIL Live Shows. Even the lobby is uber impressive and interactive. And the show is thought provoking to say the least!

Now playing at TimeLine is the Chicago premiere of Lucy Kirkwood’s acclaimed Chimerica, directed by Associate Artistic Director Nick Bowling. Twenty years after the iconic image of one man standing alone in front of a military tank in Tiananmen Square captivated the world, a photojournalist searches for the truth about that mysterious “Tank Man” in an epic, global adventure that explores the complex relationship between China and the United States. Chimerica, winner of the 2014 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play, runs through July 31, 2016.

TimeLine is led by Artistic Director PJ Powers, Managing Director Elizabeth K. Auman and Board President John M. Sirek. Company Members are Nick Bowling, Janet Ulrich Brooks, Behzad Dabu, Lara Goetsch, Juliet Hart, Mildred Marie Langford, Mechelle Moe, David Parkes, Ron OJ Parson, PJ Powers, Maren Robinson and Benjamin Thiem. For more information, visit timelinetheatre.com.

ABOUT THE LEAGUE OF CHICAGO THEATRES

The League of Chicago Theatres is an alliance of theatres which leverages its collective strength to promote, support, and advocate for Chicago's theatre industry locally, nationally, and internationally. The League of Chicago Theatres Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the art of theatre in the Chicago area through audience development and support services for theatres and theatre professionals. For a comprehensive list of Chicago productions, visit the League of Chicago Theatres website, ChicagoPlays.com. Half-price tickets are available year-round at HotTix.org.

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

OPENING: Cirque du Soleil's TORUK – The First Flight at the United Center in Chicago August 3-7, 2016


Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

The new Cirque du Soleil touring show inspired by James Cameron’s AVATAR

TORUK – The First Flight
written and directed by Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon
 Will be presented at the United Center in Chicago
August 3-7, 2016

*Tickets on sale now*




Here at ChiIL Mama, we're beyond excited about The new Cirque du Soleil touring show inspired by James Cameron’s record-breaking movie AVATAR. We've been promoting TORUK –  The First Flight since December and now it's finally imminently opening. Got your tickets yet? Unlike the Cirque du Soleil tent shows that set up camp for months, their big arena shows are in and out fast. This one's just a 5 night run, so don't miss this! 


We'll be there to review on opening night and we're working on setting up a video interview and behind the scenes photo shoot as we've done with Cirque du Soleil for many years now. Check back soon for our full coverage. ChiIL Mama will be there... will YOU?! 


**Click here and scroll down for loads of ChiIL Mama's past original Cirque du Soleil live show photos, video interviews with performers, and behind the scenes photo tours (22+ features).**

TORUK –  The First Flight will be presented at the United Center (inside the arena-- not in the lot) on August 3-7, as part of a global tour in arenas. The show is presented by Visa Signature® in association with United MileagePlus®.








Photo: Youssef Shoufan Costumes: Kym Barrett  © 2015 Cirque du Soleil


The show
Inspired by James Cameron’s AVATAR, TORUK – The First Flight transports you to the world of Pandora in a visually stunning live setting. Experience a storytelling odyssey through a new world of imagination, discovery, and possibility.

Through a riveting fusion of cutting-edge visuals, puppetry and stagecraft buoyed by a soaring cinematic score, Cirque du Soleil applies its unique signature style to James Cameron’s imaginary world and “makes the bond” between two kindred artistic visions that capture the imagination.

This live immersive experience also bears the distinct signature of directors and multimedia innovators Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon. It is a living ode to the Na’vi’s symbiotic coexistence with nature and their belief in the basic interconnectedness of all living things.

Narrated by a “Na’vi Storyteller” and populated by unforgettable characters, TORUK – The First Flight is a mythical tale set thousands of years before the events depicted in the film AVATAR, and before any humans ever set foot on Pandora.

When a natural catastrophe threatens to destroy the sacred Tree of Souls, Ralu and Entu, two Omaticaya boys on the brink of adulthood, fearlessly decide to take matters into their own hands. Upon learning that Toruk can help them save the Tree of Souls, they set out, together with their newfound friend Tsyal, on a quest high up in the Floating Mountains to find the mighty red and orange predator that rules the Pandoran sky. Prophecy is fulfilled when a pure soul rises among the clans to ride Toruk for the first time and save the Na’vi from a terrible fate.





Photo: Jesse Faatz Costumes: Kym Barrett  © 2015 Cirque du Soleil

Creative team
TORUK – The First Flight comprises 13 creators under the artistic guidance of Guy Laliberté (Guide) and Jean-François Bouchard (Creative Guide) for Cirque du Soleil, and James Cameron, Jon Landau, Kathy Franklin and Richie Baneham for Lightstorm Entertainment: 

Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon  Show Writers and Directors, Multimedia Directors
Neilson Vignola Director of Creation
Carl Fillion  Set and Props Designer
Kym Barrett Costume and Makeup Designer
Tuan Le and Tan Loc Choreographers
Bob & Bill Composers and Musical Directors
Jacques Boucher  Sound Designer
Alain Lortie  Lighting Designer
Patrick Martel  Puppet Designer
Germain Guillemot  Acrobatic Performance Designer
Pierre Masse  Rigging and Acrobatic Equipment Designer



Ticket information 
TORUK – The First Flight will be presented at the United Center on August 3-7, 2016. Tickets can be purchased at https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/toruk.

Help Out



Cirque du Soleil is once again helping Chicago's youth circus, CircEsteem, with one of their biggest fundraisers of the year. If you're available to go August 4th, buy your Cirque du Soleil tickets through this link to fund scholarships for Chicago area kids to study circus arts. CircEsteem brings together kids of many races and socioeconomic situations from across the city and around the world. My own kids took classes there for 3 years and auditioned onto the performance team. It was an incredible experience in confidence building and they made many close friends.



Sponsors and partners
TORUK – The First Flight in Chicago is proud to be presented by Visa Signature®, in association with United MileagePlus®. DHL and ACTIVEON Action Camera are the official sponsors. The show is being created through a licensing arrangement with 20th Century Fox.




Photo: Jesse Faatz Costumes: Kym Barrett  © 2015 Cirque du Soleil




Photo: Jesse Faatz Costumes: Kym Barrett  © 2015 Cirque du Soleil

TORUK App: 
In an effort to bring audience members involvement to a whole new level, Cirque du Soleil will be launching a first-of-its-kind app for TORUK – The First Flight.  Working with long-time technology partner SAP, the app will enhance the overall show experience and enable audience members to be a part of the action before, during and after the performance! 

Get Social:
Follow us at www.facebook.com/torukthefirstflight, Twitter @cirque | Instagram @cirquedusoleil | Snapchat @CirqueSnap | #TORUK #Avatar #CirqueduSoleil



Cirque du Soleil:
TORUK – The First Flight is Cirque du Soleil’s 37th production since 1984. The company has brought wonder and delight to more than 155 million spectators in more than 300 cities on six continents. Cirque du Soleil has close to 4,000 employees, including 1,300 performing artists from close to 50 different countries.

For more information about Cirque du Soleil, visit https://www.cirquedusoleil.com.

To find out more about the ONE DROP Foundation, visit https://www.onedrop.org.

Monday, July 25, 2016

TEATRO VISTA'S 2016-17 SEASON ANNOUNCED

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

NEW PLAYS BY MANDO ALVARADO,IKE HOLTER 
AND SANDRA DELGADO ON TAP FOR
TEATRO VISTA'S 2016-17 SEASON

CHICAGO'S #1 LATINO THEATER TO DEBUT PREMIERES OF 
MANDO ALVARADO'S PARACHUTE MEN, 
IKE HOLTER'S THE WOLF AT THE END OF THE BLOCK
AND SANDRA DELGADO'S LA HAVANA MADRID



Chicago can't get enough of Ike Holter, and we agree. He's the author of 3 recent hits, critically acclaimed Hit the Wall, Exit Strategy and Sender. Here at ChiIL Live Shows we can't wait to check out The Wolf at The End of The Block, commissioned by Teatro Vista!


We're not as familiar with the work of South Texas playwright Mando Alvarado, but we're bemused by the concept of Parachute Men. We're also willing to bet his dramatic comedy about three brothers who suck at being brothers, suck at love and suck at being men will absolutely not suck as a production.


Playwright Sandra Delgado and Teatro Vista were granted the prestigious Joyce Award to support the development of La Havana Madrid. We're quite excited to see this immersive documentary theatre experience which will feature a live band, and provide a theatrical, cinematic and musical history of Latino Caribbeans from mambo to salsa.


Teatro Vista 2016-17 playwrights 
Ike Holter, Mando Alvarado, and Sandra Delgado

Teatro Vista Executive Artistic Director Ricardo Gutiérrez and Managing Director  José Antonio Cruz announced three ambitious, exciting world premieres for Chicago's #1 Latino theater company's upcoming 2016-17 season.

Parachute Men by South Texas playwright Mando Alvarado lands first at the Richard Christiansen Theater at The Biograph at Victory Gardens Theater, where Teatro Vista is in residence. Ensemble member Tommy Rivera-Vega leads the cast in Alvarado's dramatic comedy about three brothers who suck at being brothers, suck at love and suck at being men. Gutiérrez directs. Previews start September 10. Press opening is Friday, September 16 at 7:30 p.m. Performances run through October 16.

The Wolf at The End of The Block by Chicago playwright Ike Holter, commissioned by Teatro Vista, is the company's winter premiere. Ensemble members Sandra Márquez and Gabriel Ruíz lead the cast in Holter's highly-charged exploration of racial profiling, media manipulation and family relationships in Chicago. Holter is the red-hot author of the recent hits Hit the Wall, Exit Strategy and Sender. Previews start January 28. Press opening is Friday, February 3 at 7:30 p.m. Performances run through March 5.

Teatro Vista's season finale is the world premiere of La Havana Madrid, a theatrical, cinematic and musical history of Latino Caribbeans in Chicago by ensemble member Sandra Delgado. Fellow ensemble member Cheryl Lynn Bruce directs Delgado's immersive documentary theater experience, complete with live music, based on the true story of the 1960's Chicago nightclub, La Habana Madrid. Previews begin April 14. Press opening is Friday, April 21 at 7:30 p.m. Performances run through May 21.

Single tickets to Teatro Vista's season go on sale August 1 via the Victory Gardens box office, (773) 871-3000 and online at teatrovista.org. Single tickets are $20-$35, with discounts for early bird purchasers, students, seniors and groups of 10 or more.

The Richard Christiansen Theater at the Biograph Theater at Victory Gardens Theater is located in the heart of Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood at 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue. Metered, street, nearby garage and valet parking is available.

The theater is also easily accessed on the CTA Red, Purple and Brown lines via the Fullerton stop. Likewise, the #8 Halsted and #74 Fullerton CTA buses stop at the corner of Fullerton and Halsted, just 1/2 block south of the theater. 


More about Teatro Vista's 2016-17 season

Parachute Men
A world premiere by Mando Alvarado
Directed by Teatro Vista Executive Artistic Director Ricardo Gutiérrez
Featuring ensemble member Tommy Rivera-Vega
September 10 - October 16, 2016
Previews: Saturday, September 10 at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, September 11 at  3 p.m.; Wednesday, September 14 at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, September 15 at 7:30 p.m.
Opening/Press Night: Friday, September 16 at 7:30 p.m.
Performances through October 16: Thursday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday at 3 p.m.

It's Christmas Eve. Three brothers - who suck at being brothers, suck at love and suck at being men - are reunited when the oldest, Eric, returns on the anniversary of their mother's death. After a few hours, it's clear that the pecking order has changed and the battle begins to see who can take that baby step into manhood first. 

Mando Alvarado (playwright) is an award-winning playwright/screenwriter from South Texas. His play Basilica premiered Off-Broadway at the famous Cherry Lane Theater in NYC. His play Post No Bills received its Off-Broadway premiere at Rattlestick Playwright's Theater. His new play, Diablo Love, had its world premiere at Central Park's Summer Stages, which also produced Alvarado's A King of Infinite Space, a Hamlet/Pearl Jam mash-up and Sangre, an adaptation of Blood Wedding. He also co-wrote the book for the bilingual musical A Yellow Brick Road, an adaptation of Wizard of Oz for Theatreworks USA which received its critically acclaimed Off-Broadway premiere at The Lortel. His short play, Up the 405, premiered as a part of LA Views for Company of Angels in Los Angeles. He is a contributing writer for Theater 167's You Are Now the Owner of This Suitcase. He also participated in the Freight Project where he developed his play (O)n THE 5:31 which was commissioned for Rising  Phoenix Rep's Cino Nights at the Seventh Street Small Stage. His first feature film, Cruzando, which he co-wrote and co-directed with Michael Ray Escamilla is available on DVD and was distributed by Vanguard Cinema. He is a member of Rising Phoenix Rep, alum of INTAR's Hispanic-Playwright-in-Residence Laboratory 2006-08, and a graduate of The University of North Carolina School of the Arts. He worked on Tyrant for FX and is currently working on Greenleaf  for the OWN Network.

Ricardo Gutiérrez (director) is the Executive Artistic Director of Teatro Vista where he recently directed In The Time of the Butterflies. Other Teatro Vista directing credits include Between You, Me and The Lampshade, A View From The Bridge, Momma's Boyz, i put the fear of mexico in'em, and La Mágica posada. Gutiérrez served as the artistic director of Nosotros in Los Angeles and The Canterbury Theatre in Indiana. He is the co-founder of the Alliance of Latino Theatre Artists Chicago (ALTAchicago) a service organization dedicated to promoting and fostering Latino/a theatre artists in Chicago. As an actor, Gutiérrez most recently appeared in In The Heights at The Paramount and in the world premieres of Song For The Disappeared and Fish Menat The Goodman. Later this year he will be appearing in Destiny of Desire at South Coast Repertory and at the Goodman Theatre. Gutiérrez has appeared on stage at the Actors Theatre in Louisville, The Denver Center Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Victory Gardens and Lookingglass Theatre. Recent television credits include Chicago PD, Sirens and Boss.


The Wolf at The End of The Block
A world premiere by Ike Holter
Commissioned by Teatro Vista
Featuring ensemble members Sandra Márquez and Gabriel Ruíz
January 28 - March 5
Previews: Saturday, January 28 at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday,
January 29 at 3 p.m. Wednesday, February 1 at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, February 2 at 7:30 p.m.
Opening/Press Night: Friday, February 3 at 7:30 p.m.
Performances through March 5: Thursday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday at 3 p.m.

Chicago. Fall. One night, a boarded up bar on the dark side of the block becomes a terrifying crime scene. In the following 48 hours, the neighborhood digs deep into escalating mystery, working against time to separate fact from fiction. But as the clock ticks down, the clues spiral into a razor sharp jigsaw, and what began as a simple mystery quickly twists into a personal, pointed and political thriller.  

The Wolf at The End of The Block is a full-length play with five characters, three of which are Latino. The play is set in Chicago and explores the issues of racial profiling, media manipulation and family relationships. Highly charged, Holter's story is brutally raw, funny and deftly pierces universal truths.

Playwright Ike Holter's work has been produced at Steppenwolf Garage, A Red Orchid, The New Colony and The Inconvenience, where he is a founding member and resident writer. He's received fellowships and commissions from the Goodman Theater, the Kennedy Center and The Playwrights Center. His show Hit the Wall played at Steppenwolf Garage, Off-Broadway at The Barrow Street Theater in New York, and recently enjoyed and extended run at the Lily Tomlin Center in L.A.  Jackalope Theatre premiered his new play Exit Strategy which played to sold-out houses and transferred to Michigan's 3 Oaks Theater Festival. It is being produced at Philadelphia Stages and transferred Off Broadway to Primary Stages last spring. His most recent play Sender was a smash hit for A Red Orchid earlier this season. Holter was named the "Chicagoan of the Year" in Theater 2014" by the Chicago Tribune, and his  monologues have been published in The New Yorker  and several editions of Applause Books. He was recently named one of Victory Gardens' newest ensemble playwrights.

La Havana Madrid by ensemble member Sandra Delgado
Directed by ensemble member Cheryl Lynn Bruce
April 14 - May 21
Presented at a location TBA
Previews: Friday, April 14 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, April 15 at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, April 16, at 3 p.m.; Wednesday, April 19 at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, April 20 at 7:30 p.m.
Opening/Press Night: Friday, April 21 at 7:30 p.m.
Performances through May 21: Thursday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday at 3 p.m.

La Havana Madrid is an immersive documentary theatre experience inspired by the Latino Caribbean nightclub that once existed on the corner of Belmont and Sheffield. Audiences will be transported back to 1960s Chicago and experience the stories of the club's patrons and musicians complete with a live band chronicling the history of Caribbean Latino music through the decade from mambo to the birth of salsa.

Playwright Sandra Delgado and Teatro Vista were granted the prestigious Joyce Award to support the development of La Havana Madrid. Delgado is a Colombian-American actor, writer, and producer. Chicago acting credits include 2666, The Upstairs Concierge, Pedro Paramo (co-production with Cuba's Teatro Buendía), Chicago Boys, Mariela in the Desert, Electricidad, Zoot Suit, A Christmas Carol, El Nogalar and Massacre (Sing to Your Children) at The Goodman Theatre; The Motherf**ker with the Hat, The House on Mango Street, Sonia Flew, Words on Fire and Whispering City at Steppenwolf Theatre Company; Mojada and Anna in the Tropics at Victory Gardens Theater; Dreamlandia, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner and Two Sisters and a Piano (co-production with Apple Tree Theatre) with Teatro Vista; Guinea Pig Solo, Refuge and Casanova with Collaboraction;  Summertime at Lookingglass Theatre Company; Undone at About Face Theatre and  Esperanza Rising and If All the World Were Paper with Chicago Children's Theatre. Off-Broadway credits include points of departure at INTAR Theatre. Regionally, she has appeared in Ground and Wit at Actors Theatre of Louisville and The Winter's Tale at Missouri Repertory Theatre. TV credits include Empire, Chicago Fire, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Betrayal, Mind Games and the TV movie POWERS. Delgado is an ensemble member of Collaboraction and Teatro Vista and serves on the National Steering Committee for the Latina/o Theatre Commons, an advocacy group for Latino theater artists. She is a TCG Young Leader of Color Alum, a Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events grantee and a 3Arts 3AP Project Grantee. She was the TCG Fox Actor Fellow in residence at the Goodman Theatre (2011-12) and was a member of their Playwright's Unit for the 2015-2016 season. sandradelgado.net

Cheryl Lynn Bruce

Cheryl Lynn Bruce (director) is a Teatro Vista ensemble member. She served as Assistant Director of the company's productions of Tamer of Horses and A View From the Bridge. She has performed on stages across the country as well as in Europe and Mexico, and created the role of Elizabeth Sandry for Steppenwolf's Tony Award-winning production of The Grapes of Wrath, adapted and directed by Frank Galati for Broadway's Cort Theatre, Britain's National Theatre and La Jolla Playhouse. Bruce also workshopped and premiered in RACE, Lookingglass Theatre's inaugural production directed by David Schwimmer and Joy Gregory. Bruce received a 3Arts Award (2010), a 3Arts fellowship to support a five-weeklong Rauschenberg residency (2015), a Jane Addams Hull House Association's Woman of Valor Award (2010) and a Yale Research Residency (2011). She was awarded the 2002 African American Arts Alliance Black Excellence Award and Black Theatre Alliance Award for Outstanding Direction of Endesha Ida Mae Holland's From The Mississippi Delta at Congo Square Theater. Other directing credits include Resurrection by Daniel Beaty and Drip by Gloria Bond Clunie at eta Creative Arts Foundation, Milkweed: A Solo Play by Misty De Berry for Columbia College at Links Hall and Northwestern University, Spunk by Zora Neale Hurston at University of Illinois at Chicago and Congo Square Theater, Cage Rhythm by Kia Korthron for University of Illinois at Chicago and Theatre School at DePaul University, and Permanent Collection by Thomas Gibbons for Indiana University Northwest. In 2006 she was an Inaugural Fellow of the Institute for the Study of Women and Gender in the Arts and Media at Columbia College. In 2007 Bruce traveled to Japan to study Bunraku puppetry for her staging of Rythm Mastr, Kerry James Marshall's urban comic which premiered at the Wexner Center for the Arts.


About Teatro Vista
Teatro Vista, Theatre with a View, is firmly committed to sharing and celebrating the riches of Latino culture with Chicago theater audiences and beyond. This commitment stems from the belief that there are as many similarities between people as there are differences, and perhaps the answer to breaking down the walls of prejudice and stereotypes lies in understanding these similarities and differences. Ultimately, it is through this "view" that Teatro Vista intends to bridge the gap between Latino and non-Latino cultures in Chicago.

Teatro Vista, founded in 1990 by Eddie Torres and Henry Godinez, is the vanguard of Latino theatre in the United States, a place where Latino and non-Latino artists can expressively flourish and excel to the highest level of theatrical professionalism. The company believes in the transformative power of theater, inclusiveness through the idea that everyone is intricately connected to each other and that sharing stories through performance is an exceptionally potent way to bring people together. It is dedicated to sharing new work by new playwrights in cutting-edge productions and presenting classic plays featuring artists of color.

José Antonio Cruz joined Teatro Vista as Managing Director in June, 2015. Cruz has a Master's Degree in Arts Administration from New York University. Before joining Teatro Vista, he worked for twelve years as Associate Producer for New York's renowned Repertorio Español. During his time at Repertorio Español, Cruz championed the
company's mission of presenting the best of Latin American, Spanish and Hispanic-American culture through the production of numerous plays and musicals. In this role, Cruz devised strategies that resulted in dramatic increases in earned and contributed revenues. Cruz has served on peer review panels for the National Endowment for the Arts, the Department of Cultural Affairs of the City of New York, the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation and Theater Communications Group. In 2010, he traveled to Bogotá, Colombia as part of the U.S. delegation to the Iberoamerican Theatre Festival.

In addition Executive Artistic Director Ricardo Gutiérrez,Teatro Vista ensemble members include Charín Álvarez, Max Arciniega, Desmín Borges, Cheryl Lynn Bruce, Ramón Camín, Ivonne Coll, Laura Dahl, Sandra Delgado, Liza Fernández, Khanisha Foster, Erik Juárez, Jon Lyon, Sandra Márquez, Joe Minoso, Marcela Muñóz, Christina Nieves, Marvin Quijada, Tommy Rivera-Vega, Gabriel Ruíz, Cecilia Suarez and co-founder Edward Torres.

Teatro Vista's Board of Directors includes Ezequiel "Zeek" Agosto, President; Rodrigo Garcia and Rosanna Marquez, Vice Presidents; Joan Pantsios, Secretary; Tom Vega-Byrnes, Treasurer; and Bhuvana Badrinathan, José Antonio Cruz, Edgar Delgado, Ricardo Gutiérrez and Yvonne Hardy.

Teatro Vista is supported by The Joyce Foundation, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, The MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, The Shubert Foundation and The  Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelly
Foundation.



Purple Group is Teatro Vista's Headline Season Sponsor.

Teatro Vista is a Victory Gardens Resident Theater.
For more information, visit teatrovista.org.

OPENING: US Debut of 1 Man Murder Mystery "Bloodshot" at Greenhouse Theater Center's Solo Celebration!

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:
"Bloodshot" at Solo Celebration
8/10-9/10


“Bloodshot” makes its U.S. debut at the Greenhouse Theater Center (2257 N. Lincoln Ave.) Aug. 10 – Sept. 10 as part of Greenhouse’s “Solo Celebration!” series. Starring acclaimed international actor, the multi-talented Simon Slater, written by award winning Chicago playwright Douglas Post and directed by Patrick Sandford, “Bloodshot,” is a one-man murder mystery following the character Derek Eveleigh, a photographer in 1957 London. The thriller is co-produced by Ingenious Purpose Ltd. 

“In curating the Solo Celebration series, we were searching for plays that not only celebrated the form but redefined what it could do. Douglas Post has done all of that and more with his one-man thriller,” says Jacob Harvey, Artistic Director. “We are honored to host the premiere of the international efforts of a local playwright, and are thrilled that it brings acclaimed artists Simon Slater and Patrick Sandford to our city.”


The one-man murder mystery “Bloodshot” tells the story of Derek Eveleigh as he is hired by an anonymous client to follow a mysterious showgirl in the streets of London. After witnessing the woman’s murder by an unknown assailant, he begins an investigation through the bowels and backstreets of London where he finds himself falling in love with a dead woman he’s never even met.

Post was commissioned by Slater to write a play  to showcase his diverse talents as a singer, actor, magician and musician (equally adept on multiple instruments,) and the product of their partnership was “Bloodshot,” one of the only solo thriller plays written. Charles Spencer of the The Telegraph praised the play, saying “the ingenious writing of Douglas Post … has so cleverly reinvented the possibilities of the stage thriller.” Spencer called the show “a thriller that genuinely holds the spectator in its thrall.” Touring in England and throughout Europe, “Bloodshot” has amazed, thrilled and rattled audiences since 2011.

Simon Slater is an award-winning composer of more than 200 original scores for theater, film, television and radio. As an actor he is a familiar face on British television, as well as having appeared in films and many critically-acclaimed theater productions in London and abroad. Recently, Slater’s theater credits include “Chariots Of Fire,” “Wonderland,” “Bloodshot” (St James' Theatre London, Vertigo Theatre Calgary), “Viva Forever,” and “Mamma Mia!” Slater was nominated for a Betty award in the category of “best performance in a drama” for his role in “Bloodshot.” Slater’s film appearances include “The Iron Lady,” “Dealers,” “The Fool,” and the award winning short film “Detour.” Most recently he was nominated for an Olivier Award for his music for “Constellations,” “Great Expectations,” “Raving,” “The Lady and the Van” and “Romeo and Juliet.”

Doulas Post is a Chicago-based award winning playwright. Post has written works including “Cynical Weathers,” “Blissfield,” “Drowning Sorrows,” “Earth and Sky” and “Murder in Green Meadows.” Post has also written several musicals, which include “God and Country,” “The Real Life Story of Johnny de Facto” and “The Wind in the Willows.” His work have been produced in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Canada, England, Wales, Germany, Austria, Russia and China. He has also been commissioned to write screenplays for Warner Bros. and NBC, teleplays for WMAQ­TV, and several radio adaptations of his scripts. On three occasions, he has been selected to develop his work at the O'Neill National Playwrights Conference and once at the O'Neill National Music Theater Conference. He has received the L. Arnold Weissberger Playwriting Award, the Midwestern Playwrights Festival Award, the Cunningham Commission Award, the Blue Ink Playwriting Award and three Playwriting Fellowship Awards from the Illinois Arts Council, and has been nominated for a Jeff Award and an Emmy Award.

Patrick Sandford is a British producer, director and artistic director. Sandford won the UK Theatre Managers Association award for Best Director for “The Winter Wife,” a play by Claire Tomalin, and for Shakespeare's “Much Ado About Nothing.” He has worked extensively across the UK and in London, both in the West End and on the Fringe. His recent work includes “Bully Boy,” a new play by Sandi Toksvig. His production of Chekov's “Three Sisters” was nominated Best Touring Production. He directed A “Midsummer Night's Dream” in Capetown shortly after the ending of Apartheid, “Oedipus Rex” in the ancient outdoor amphitheater in Paphos, Cyprus, and “Twelfth Night,” in French at the Theatre des 2 Rives in Rouen, France.


About Solo Celebration! 
“Bloodshot” is one of 12 plays featured in Greenhouse’s “Solo Celebration!,” which includes ten full productions, two limited engagements and other special events running June 2016 through February 2017. Among the other directors connected to solo series are Goodman Theatre Producer and Artistic Collective Member Steve Scott, Writer’s Theatre Resident Director Kimberly Senior, Directors Lab Chicago Artistic Director Elizabeth Margolius and Remy Bumppo Artistic Associate Linda Gillum. Some of the performers confirmed to star in solo works include Jeff Award-winners Kate Buddeke, Gene Weygandt, Linda Reiter acclaimed British actor Simon Slater, Will Allan and Carin Silkaitis. Most productions will be produced in their entirety by Greenhouse, while other plays will be stated with co-producers including Sideshow Theatre Company and The Other Theatre Company. Greenhouse’s “Solo Celebration!” is co-produced by Forum Productions and underwritten by the Wendy and William Spatz Charitable Foundation.

About the Greenhouse Theater Center. 
The Greenhouse Theater Center is a nonprofit performance venue located at 2257 N Lincoln Ave, in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. Our complex offers two newly remodeled 190-seat main stage spaces, two 60-seat studio theaters, an in-house rehearsal room, and Chicago’s only dedicated used theatre book store.
Our mission at the Greenhouse is first and foremost to grow local theatre. We strive to cultivate a fertile environment for local artists, from individual renters to our bevy of resident companies, to develop and produce their work. In 2014 alone, The Greenhouse Theater Center provided space for almost 1,000 ticketed performances, serving more than 54,000 patrons. Among these events were at least 30 productions by our resident companies, including the celebrated American Blues Theater and Remy Bumpo Theatre Company. Through our Trellis Program, we offer the community affordable access to our work by housing Chicago’s only dedicated used theatre bookstore, located on the second floor of our complex, as well as offering a free reading series each Tuesday night where local artists workshop their latest scripts. Additionally, we also continue to play an active role in cultivating and nurturing our community through continued partnerships with the League of Chicago Theaters and local Chambers of Commerce.

As of 2016, the Greenhouse Theater Center embraced the true spirit of growth and launched its producing entity. With the announcement of our 8 month long Solo Celebration Series, helmed by Artistic Director Jacob Harvey, we will produce 12 solo plays from June 2016 to February 2017. Through this inaugural effort, we hope to expand the solo play cannon while also cultivating a larger conversation about the possibilities of the one-person play.

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

Sunday, July 24, 2016

OPENING: Chimera Ensemble's Sister Cities at The Den Benefits ALS Foundation

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

CHIMERA ENSEMBLE PRESENTS THE CHICAGO PREMIERE OF INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED PLAYWRIGHT 
COLETTE FREEDMAN’S SISTER CITIES, 
AUGUST 20 – SEPTEMBER 18, AT THE DEN

The Hit of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Ashley Neal directs this Dark Comedy About Four Estranged Sisters Confronting the Sudden Death of their Mother 


Artistic Director Rainee Denham and Chimera Ensemble are proud to present the Chicago premiere of Colette Freedman’s Sister Cities, directed by Ashley Neal, August 20 – September 18 at The Den, 1333 N. Milwaukee.  Previews are Saturday, Aug. 20 at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 21 at 3 p.m. (with talk back following the show) and Wednesday, Aug. 24 at 7:30 p.m. Opening night and reception is Thursday, Aug. 25 at 7:30 p.m. 

Four estranged sisters, as different as the cities they are named after, face their mother’s recent and sudden death in Sister Cities. Freedman’s Sister Cities was the hit of the 2008 Edinburgh Fringe Festival and has earned strong critical acclaim around the world, including productions in Paris (Une Ville, Une Soeur), Rome (Le Quattro Sorelle) and recently in Melbourne, Australia. A film version is currently in post-production and stars Jacki WeaverAlfred MolinaJess WeixlerStana Katic, Michelle Trachtenberg, Amy Smart, Troian Bellisario, Tom Everett Scott and Kathy Baker.


PARTNERSHIP WITH ALS FOUNDATION
Chimera donates 10% of profits from this production to the ALS Foundation. ALS, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that destroys motor neurons. The ALS Foundation for Life are optimistic for the day when a cure or prevention for ALS is discovered, but are equally aware that we cannot sit back idly waiting for scientific research and FDA approvals. It is their goal to do whatever they can to ease the physical, emotional and financial burdens that accompany this diagnosis for the men and women in the community who are forced to battle this disease on a daily basis.

POST SHOW DISCUSSIONS
Chimera Ensemble, will host post show discussions throughout the run focusing on the production and, in conjunction with the ALS Foundation, the impact of ALS within the home and the community. 
Sunday, Aug. 21, immediately following 3 p.m. performance – Playwright Colette Freedman
Additional post show discussions, TBA. 

Sister Cities runs Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Ticket prices are $14 -16 for previews and $22 - 26 during the run. Based on availability, industry tickets are $10 with a headshot and resume presented to the box office for all performances.  Tickets may be purchased at www.ChimeraEnsemble.com  or www.brownpapertickets.com.  The Den parking lot is at Division and Paulina, a parking pass is available at The Den Box Office. 

The cast of Sister Cities includes Chimera Ensemble members Norma Chacon, “Baltimore;” Rainee Denham, “Mary,” Anna Donnell, “Dallas;” Nicole Fabbri, “Austin” and Katlynn Yost, “Carolina.”

Sister Cities production team includes Catherine Allen, production manager; Raquel Romo, stage manager; Grant Sabin, set designer; Gwendolyn Wiegold, costume designer; Meghan Erxleben, light designer; Steve Labedz, sound designer; Sam Moryoussef, technical director; Murphy Mayer, dramaturg and Abbie Welsch, prop designer.

ABOUT COLETTE FREEDMAN, playwright
Colette Freedman is an internationally produced playwright, screenwriter and novelist who was named one of the Dramatist Guild’s “50 to Watch.” She has authored fifteen produced plays including Serial Killer Barbie, First to the Egg (Grand Prize Shorts, urban shorts festival), Bridesmaid # 3 (Louisville finalist 2008) and Ellipses… (Dezart Festival winner 2010), as well as a modern adaptation of Iphigenia in Aulis written in iambic pentameter. She was commissioned to write a modern adaptation of Uncle Vanya that is in preproduction and has co-written, with international bestselling novelist Jackie Collins, the play Jackie Collins Hollywood Lies, which is currently being launched for National Tour. And, in collaboration with The New York Times best selling author Michael Scott, she co-wrote the thriller The Thirteen Hallows. Her novel The Affair and its sequel The Consequences earned both critical and commercial success. Freedman also co-wrote the film And Then There Was Eve is currently in pre-production and begins principal photography this May. 

ABOUT ASHLEY NEAL, director
Ashley Neal is thrilled to be working with Chimera Ensemble on their inaugural production, Sister Cities. She is a proud member of Rivendell Theatre Ensemble where she has appeared in many productions, including: Wrens, 26 Miles, The Walls, Be Aggressive and others. Other credits include: London Wall, Men Should Weep, and Stage Door with Griffin Theatre, Red Handed Otter with A Red Orchid Theatre, The Life and Sort of Death of Eric Argyle with Steep Theatre, Reverb with Redtwist Theatre, 25 Saints with Pine Box, Holidaze with Step Up Productions, Scenes from the Big Picture with Seanachi as well as work with Chicago Dramatists, Jackalope Theatre, Victory Gardens, Strawdog, The Greenhouse Theatre and others. Neal is a graduate of Columbia College Chicago, The School at Steppenwolf and the Black Box Studio program. She is also a teacher at Columbia College, the School at Steppenwolf and Black Box Acting Studio. 

ABOUT NORMA CHACON, “Baltimore”
Norma Chacon was born in Zacatecus, Mexico and moved to Chicago as a child.  She has worked as a principal and supporting actress in several television shows and commercials, including Caso Cerrado, Chicago PD and the upcoming show Chop Chop on WCIU.  She holds a BFA from The Illinois Institute of Art.
ABOUT RAINEE DENHAM, “Mary”
Rainee Denham is the artistic director of Chimera Ensemble and returned to theatre after decades in the business world. She’s worked with Promethean Theatre, LezPlays, Reutan Collective, WTA, and has mounted two one-woman musical shows, The Promise of Spring and Dream.  She has appeared in six indie films, including a feature Mercy’s Girl, a web series “The Photographer” and had a co-starring role on Chicago PD. 
ABOUT ANNA DONNELL, “Dallas” 
Anna Donnell has worked with The Ruckus and The Whiskey Rebellion Theatre in Chicago, and The Oxford Shakespeare Festival, The Oxford Film Festival and Deer Run Media in Oxford, Mississippi.  Donnell is also a singer and performs with her folk duo “Chauncey and The Beast” all around Chicago.  She holds a BFA from The University of Mississippi. 
ABOUT NICOLE FABBRI, “Austin”
Nicole Fabbri recently returned to Chicago from Los Angeles and joined The Academy at Black Box for a five-month intensive training. Some of her favorite roles include Mae Pollit from Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Agnes from Bug, Marks from Talking With…, Second Witch from Macbeth, Urania from Dax Dixon vs. The Moth Sluts from the Fifth Dimension, Jane from Death and The Kings Horseman, Beatrice from Serial Killer Barbie (The Musical), and Liesl from Schmutzigen Deutsche Kabarett.
ABOUT KATLYNN YOST, “Carolina”
Katlynn Yost is from Omaha, and has worked with Nebraska Shakespeare, Blue Barn Theatre, Brigit Saint Brigit Theatre and The Omaha Community Playhouse.  She holds a BA in Acting from The University of Nebraska.  She has spent two years spreading awareness about bullying and mental health issues to kids with RESPECT, a touring educational theater group.  


ABOUT CHIMERA ENSEMBLE
Dedicated to being storytellers that explore human behavior. Chimera Ensemble’s desire is to expose the universality of human conflict, the deeply negotiable values one fights to keep and to illuminate how love hurts, heals and conquers. Started during the 2015 Summer Academy at Black Box Acting where a deep bond built on honesty, courage and fearlessness was created among the members.  Chimera Ensemble is a community of actors that have chosen to unite with one artistic goal: “to create theater that touches the human soul.” Chimera’s vision is to ignite audiences with truthful theater set in an intimate space while producing socially relevant work, whether new, classic or contemporary plays, that resonant with a social conscience.  In addition, Chimera is a “theater with a conscience,” contributing to organizations that help the underserved and heal the broken by merging art and charitable causes that align with each production.

Artistic Director Rainee Denham and Chimera Ensemble are proud to present the Chicago premiere of Colette Freedman’s Sister Cities, directed by Ashley Neal, August 20 – September 18 at The Den, 1333 N. Milwaukee.  Previews are Saturday, Aug. 20 at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 21 at 3 p.m. (with talk back following the show) and Wednesday, Aug. 24 at 7:30 p.m. Opening night and reception is Thursday, Aug. 25 at 7:30 p.m. Sister Cities runs Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Ticket prices are $14 -16 for previews and $22 - 26 during the run. Based on availability, industry tickets are $10 with a headshot and resume presented to the box office for all performances. 

Tickets may be purchased at  www.ChimeraEnsemble.com  or www.brownpapertickets.com. The Den parking lot is at Division and Paulina, a parking pass is available at The Den Box Office.



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