OPENING: World Premiere of Faceless at Northlight Theatre

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Northlight Theatre continues its 2016-17 season with 

the World Premiere of
Faceless

By Selina Fillinger

Directed by Artistic Director BJ Jones

January 26 – March 4, 2017

ChiIL Live Shows will be out for the press opening, so check back soon for our full review. We're looking forward to this all too timely production and the vital dialogue it can spark.

Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, presents the World Premiere of Faceless, written by Selina Fillinger and directed by BJ Jones.  Faceless runs January 26 – March 4, 2017 at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd in Skokie. 

Eighteen-year-old Susie Glenn is on trial for conspiring to commit acts of terrorism, and recent Harvard Law grad and practicing Muslim, Claire Fathi, has been brought on to prosecute. Though pitted against one another in the courtroom, these two young women are fighting a similar battle to defend their morals, motives and religious freedoms in this riveting and timely new drama.

“It's amazing how much more potent Selina Fillinger's play has become since I read the first draft over a year ago. The sense of anger, of fear, of dismay is palpable,” comments BJ Jones. “Selina has captured a moment as timely as any of the other new works we have produced in the last few seasons. We are excited to give her fresh new voice and keen vision this opportunity here at Northlight.”

The Box Office is located at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Boulevard, in Skokie.  Box Office hours are Monday-Friday 10:00am-5:00pm, and Saturdays 12:00pm-5:00pm. On performance days, the box office hours are extended through showtime. The Box Office is closed on Sundays, except on performance days when it is open two hours prior to showtime.

Show Times:

Tuesdays: 7:30pm (January 31 only); Wednesdays: 1:00pm (except February 22) and 7:30pm; Thursdays: 7:30pm; Fridays: 8:00pm; Saturdays: 2:30pm (except January 28) and 8:00pm; Sundays: 2:30pm and 7:00pm (January 29 and February 26 only)

Regular run: February 4 – March 4, 2017

Schedule:   Tuesdays: 7:30pm (January 31 only)

Wednesdays: 1:00pm (except February 22) and 7:30pm 

  Thursdays: 7:30pm 

          Fridays: 8:00pm

          Saturdays: 2:30pm (except January 28) and 8:00pm 

Sundays: 2:30pm and 7:00pm (January 29 and February 26 only)

Location: Northlight Theatre is located at the North Shore

Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd,

Skokie

Tickets: Previews: $30-$57

Regular run: $30-$81

Student tickets are $15, any performance 

(subject to availability)

Box Office: The Box Office is located at 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie.

847.673.6300. Click here to order tickets and for more information.

The cast of Faceless includes Joe Dempsey (Alan Glenn), Susaan Jamshidi (Claire Fathi), Timothy Edward Kane (Scott Bader), Ross Lehman (Mark Arenberg) and Lindsay Stock (Susie Glenn).

The creative team includes John Culbert (Set Design), Izumi Inaba (Costume Design), Heather Gilbert (Lighting Design), Andre Pluess (Sound Design), and Stephan Mazurek (Projection Design). The stage manager is Rita Vreeland (Stage Manager).

Northlight’s production of Faceless is supported in part by Bridgeview Bank, The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, The Chicago Community Trust, Freddi Greenberg & Dan Pinkert, The National Endowment for the Arts, RATIO Architects, and Room & Board. Northlight has also been awarded a 2017 Art Works grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. The $20,000 grant will support this world premiere production of Faceless.

• Faceless was developed through Northlight’s Interplay Program, an initiative that invests in provocative new works by American and international playwrights, providing customized support in the critical stages of early play development. 

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

BJ JONES (Director) is in his 19th season as Artistic Director of Northlight, where he commissioned and directed the world premieres of White Guy on the Bus, Chapatti, Stella & Lou, The Outgoing Tide (Jeff Nomination – Best Director), Better Late, and Rounding Third. Notably he has directed productions of Outside Mullingar, Grey Gardens, The Price (Jeff Nomination- Best Director), A Skull in Connemara, The Cripple of Inishmaan, and The Lieutenant of Inishmore. As a producer he has guided the world premieres of Shining Lives, The Last Five Years, The Gamester, and Studs Terkel’s ‘The Good War’. From Second City to Shakespeare, BJ has directed Pitmen Painters (Jeff Nomination – Best Director, TimeLine), A Number (Next), 100 Saints You Should Know (Steppenwolf), and The Dresser (Body Politic). Regional: Glengarry Glen Ross (Suzie Bass Nominee – Best Director, Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre), Enchanted April (Asolo Theatre), and productions at Cherry Lane Theatre NY, Galway Arts Festival, Baltimore Center Stage, and Utah Shakespeare Festival. As a performer, Mr. Jones is a two-time Joseph Jefferson Award winner and has appeared at Northlight, Goodman, Steppenwolf, Court, and other theatres throughout Chicago. Film/TV credits include The Fugitive, Body Double, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, Early Edition, Cupid, and Turks, among others.

• Selina Fillinger is a Chicago-based actor and award-winning playwright. She is a recent graduate of Northwestern University.

SELINA FILLINGER (Playwright) is a Chicago-based actress and playwright. She is a recent graduate of Northwestern University, where she studied playwriting under the instruction of Laura Schellhardt. Her original work includes The Armor Plays, Three Landings and a Fire Escape, and The Coho Salmon Pub & Grub. Selina was a two-time winning playwright in the university’s Agnes Nixon Festival. Three Landings and a Fire Escape was awarded the 2015 Judith Barlow Prize and received a reading in New York under the direction of Kathleen Chalfant. Selina is one of three Chicago playwrights currently writing for Sideshow Theatre’s Freshness Initiative: her play, Something Clean, will receive a staged reading this June.  ​

JOE DEMPSEY (Alan Glenn) returns to Northlight where he has appeared in The Mousetrap, Inherit the Wind, and All in the Timing. More recently, he acted in Twist Your Dickens (The Second City at Goodman); Blues Skies Process (Goodman); and West Side Story (Paramount).  Around Chicago, he has also appeared at Steppenwolf, Court, Lookingglass, Remy Bumppo, many others, and regionally at Milwaukee Rep, St. Louis Rep, Cincinnati Playhouse, Centerstage (Baltimore), and City Theatre (Pittsburgh). TV credits include E.R., Early Edition, What about Joan?, and Chicago Fire. He is an alum of The Second City National Touring Company and the Neo-Futurists, writing and performing in their 28-year signature show, Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind. 

SUSAAN JAMSHIDI (Claire Fathi) recently traveled to London and Toronto to perform the solo show Oh My Sweet Land with Silk Road Rising. She was last seen in Chicago as Virginia in The Life of Galileo with Remy Bumppo. Other Chicago credits include Lookingglass, Victory Gardens, Theater Wit, 16th Street, Chicago Dramatists, The Gift, Sideshow (Jeff Award-Ensemble), Lifeline, Collaboraction, Erasing the Distance, Stage Left, Oracle, and The Inconvenience, with workshops and readings at Goodman and Steppenwolf. Regional credits include Arena Stage, Berkeley Rep, The Michigan Shakespeare Festival, Pittsburgh Public Theater. TV and film credits include Chicago PD and Sirens, as well as Cicero in Winter, The Wallet, and A Cadaver Christmas. Susaan received her MFA in acting from The Theatre School at DePaul University, has studied with The Second City, and is represented by Paonessa Talent Agency. 

TIMOTHY EDWARD KANE (Scott Bader) returns to Northlight having previously appeared in Lost in Yonkers, The Miser and She Stoops to Conquer (After Dark Award). Other Chicago credits include: One Man Two Guvnors, An Iliad (Jeff Award), The Illusion, Wild Duck, Titus Andronicus, Uncle Vanya, The Romance Cycle, and Hamlet (Court); Blood and Gifts (TimeLine); Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and Arms and the Man (Writers); The North Plan (Steppenwolf Garage) and fifteen productions at Chicago Shakespeare including the recent Tug of War: Civil Strife. He has appeared on Chicago Fire and received his BS from Ball State University and MFA from Northern Illinois University. 

ROSS LEHMAN (Mark Arenberg) returns to Northlight. He has appeared on Broadway in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, The Tempest, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Chicago credits include As You Like It, Twelfth Night, The Comedy of Errors, King Lear (Chicago Shakespeare); Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Waiting for Godot, and Stage Kiss (Goodman); The Man Who Came to Dinner (Steppenwolf); A Man of No Importance, The Dresser, directed by Dr. Mark Lococo (Apple Tree); Hamlet and Bach at Leipzig (Writers) and One Man, Two Guvnors (Court). He has received five Jeff Awards, two After Dark Awards, and a Laurence Olivier Award Nomination. Last year, Ross was an “Artist in Residence” in Loyola’s Department of Fine and Performing Arts.

LINDSAY STOCK (Susie Glenn) is making her Northlight debut. Chicago credits include Soup, Stews, and Casseroles 1976 (Goodman); Sketchbook 15 (Collaboraction); EL Stories and Art on Track (Waltzing Mechanics) as well as staged readings and workshops with The Gift Theatre, Chicago Dramatists, and Pride Films and Plays. Additionally, she has appeared on NBC's Chicago PD and is represented by Big Mouth Talent.

• As of fall 2016, Northlight’s Interplay Program has provided support for 32 new plays, 28 of which have gone on to full productions, locally, nationally and internationally. That staggering success rate has established Interplay as a valuable incubator for new work in the American theatre, and combined with the nearly 40 world premieres produced by Northlight in its 42-year history, has helped cement Northlight’s national reputation as an important contributor to the American theatrical canon.

 

Northlight is continuing its popular special event series in conjunction with each production.  All events are free.  

Backstage with BJ: Faceless

January 20 at 12:00 pm

at Northlight Theatre

9501 Skokie Boulevard, Skokie, IL

Backstage with BJ is a mid-day discussion with Artistic Director BJ Jones, featuring special guest artists, actors, directors and designers, offering behind-the-scenes insight into each production while it is still in rehearsal.  Backstage with BJ for Faceless will be held on January 20 at 12:00pm and will last approximately one hour.  Reservations are required, 847.679.9501 x3605 or specialevents@northlight.org. 

Interfaith Community Panel

Following the performance January 31 at 7:30 pm

at Northlight Theatre

9501 Skokie Boulevard, Skokie, IL

Religious leaders from the community will discuss the play from the perspectives of Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Moderated by Birch Burghardt, Interfaith Action of Evanston, panelists are Rev. Doctor Michael Nabor of Second Baptist Church, Muhammad Saiduzzaman of Dar-us-sunnah Masjid and Community Center, and Rabbi Andrea London of Beth Emet The Free Synagogue.

Inside Look: Faceless

February 7 at 2:00pm

at Skokie Public Library

5215 Oakton St, Skokie IL

Explore the cultural and political context of Faceless, as well as the creative process of a new play, through a discussion and Q&A session with artists related to the production.

Muslims on Stage and Screen
February 12, 6:00-8:00pm

at Morton Grove Muslim Education Center
8601 N. Menard Ave. Morton Grove, IL

A community discussion on the portrayal of Muslims in plays and films, and how those portrayals affect perceptions of Muslim-Americans. Panelists include Faceless playwright Selina Fillinger, Omer M. Mozaffar (Loyola University Chicago professor and Muslim Chaplain, and Hollywood film consultant), and one additional panelist TBA. Reservations are required: MCCInterfaithTeam@gmail.com

Northlight Theatre aspires to promote change of perspective and encourage compassion by exploring the depth of our humanity across a bold spectrum of theatrical experiences, reflecting our community to the world and the world to our community.

Now in its 42nd season, the organization has mounted over 200 productions, including nearly 40 world premieres. Northlight has earned 198 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations and 34 Awards. As one of the area’s premier theatre companies, Northlight is a regional magnet for critical and professional acclaim, as well as talent of the highest quality.

Northlight is supported in part by generous contributions from Allstate Insurance; the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; Robert & Isabelle Bass Foundation; BMO Harris Bank; Henrietta Lange Burk Fund; The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation; The Chicago Community Trust; ComEd, An Exelon Company; The Davee Foundation; Edgerton Foundation for New American Plays Award; Evanston Community Foundation; Full Circle Foundation; Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; Kirkland & Ellis Foundation; The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; Melvoin Award for Playwriting; Modestus Bauer Foundation; National Endowment for the Arts; Niles Township; The Offield Family Foundation; The Pauls Foundation; Room & Board; Sanborn Family Foundation; Dr. Scholl Foundation; The Shubert Foundation, Inc.; The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust; The Sullivan Family Foundation; Tom Stringer Design Partners; Turner Construction; and the Venturous Theater Fund of the Tides Foundation.

Recent Northlight Productions Include Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon, Charm by Philip Dawkins, Chapatti by Christian O’Reilly, and Funnyman and White Guy on the Bus by Bruce Graham.

In addition to fostering the creation of new works, Northlight is dedicated to working with early-career artists and directors.  In recent years, Northlight has introduced Chicago-area audiences to emerging playwrights Dominique Morisseau (Detroit ’67) and Matthew Lopez (The Whipping Man). In the previous few seasons, Northlight hired early-career directors to much success, including Marti Lyons (The City of Conversation), Kimberly Senior (The Whipping Man) and Devon de Mayo (Lost in Yonkers), as well as introduced Robin Witt (The Commons of Pensacola) and Jonathan Berry (The Mousetrap) to its audiences. 

Northlight has been awarded a $20,000 2017 Art Works grant from the National Endowment for the Arts that will support this world premiere production of Faceless.

OPENING: Chicago Premiere of “BOOTYCANDY” Features All Chicago Cast at Windy City Playhouse

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

WINDY CITY PLAYHOUSE ANNOUNCES COMPLETE CAST FOR “BOOTYCANDY,”

WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY ROBERT O’HARA, BEGINNING JANUARY 25 

The All-Chicago Cast Includes Travis Turner, Krystel McNeil, Debrah Neal, Robert Fenton and Osiris Khepera in the Chicago Premiere

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we're elated to be back out at Windy City Playhouse this week for the opening of their latest Chicago premiere, Bootycandy. This swanky storefront is one of our favorite small venues for their high caliber, edgy productions, their comfortable swivel lounge chairs and drink tables, and their welcoming front bar area. Check back soon for our full review.

Windy City Playhouse (3014 N. Irving Park Road) announces casting for Robert O’Hara’s “Bootycandy,” the “searing and sensationally funny” (The New York Times) semi-autobiographical play about growing up gay and black. Under the direction of the NAACP, OBIE and Helen Hayes Award winner O’Hara, the cast is led by rising Chicago star Travis Turner (whose recent credits include “Thaddeus & Slocum” at Lookingglass Theatre Company and “The Flick” at Steppenwolf Theatre) as Sutter, the character loosely based on O’Hara himself.  Together with Turner, “Bootycandy” features a Chicago ensemble including Krystel McNeil (“Stoop Time,” You & Me Productions), Debrah Neal (“Sanctified,” Congo Square Theatre), Robert Fenton (“Port Authority,” Writers Theatre) and Osiris Khepera (“Tennessee Williams Project,” The Hypocrites). Previews for “Bootycandy” begin January 25 and the production runs through April 15. Tickets ($15 - $55) go on sale November 21 and can be purchased at the Windy City Playhouse Box Office or by calling (312) 891-8985. 

"We can't imagine a better production to kick of our 2017 season than ‘Bootycandy,’ a frank, funny, unpredictable, and most of all, entertaining story," said Windy City Playhouse Artistic Director Amy Rubenstein. “We feel so fortunate to have Robert here in Chicago to direct the Chicago premiere, and we can’t wait to see him put his signature spin on his play with our talented, fresh Chicago cast.”

“Bootycandy,” the “fearlessly unpredictable” (Los Angeles Times) coming-of-age tale premiered in New York City in 2014 at Playwrights Horizons. As a young, precocious boy, Sutter (Turner) has to quickly learn what it means to be gay and black and as he grows up, he must also learn that no one person will be able to tell him the meaning of love, life, sex or race—he’ll have to define those for himself. The creative team for “Bootycandy” includes Katie Bell Kenny (Scenic Design), Janice Pytel (Costume Design), Lee Fiskness (Lighting Design) and Lindsay Jones (Sound Design, who also did the original sound design in its 2014 premiere).  

“Being back in Chicago to direct ‘Bootycandy’ with this amazing group of artists at Windy City Playhouse is a great feeling,” said Playwright and Director Robert O’Hara. “From the moment I met this talented cast, I was eager to get started on helming the Chicago premiere and bringing this story to life anew.”

Subscriptions range from $60 - $135, with a special $45 rate for patrons under 30. Single tickets range from $15-$55—with discounts available for seniors and students—and will be available by calling 773-891-8985 or visiting their main site HERE. 

About the Artists of “Bootycandy”

Robert O’Hara (Playwright/Director) received the NAACP Best Director Award, the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding New Play, two OBIE Awards and the Oppenheimer Award. He directed the world premieres of Nikkole Salter and Danai Guiria’s “In the Continuum;” Tarell McCraney’s “The Brother/Sister Plays (Part 2);” Colman Domingo’s “Wild with Happy;” as well as his own plays, “Bootycandy” and “Insurrection: Holding History.” His new plays “Zombie: The American” and “Barbecue” world premiered at Woolly Mammoth Theater and New York Shakespeare Festival, respectively.

Travis Turner’s (Sutter) Chicago credits include “Thaddeus & Slocum” (Lookingglass Theatre Company); “The Flick” (Steppenwolf Theatre); “The Upstairs Concierge” (Goodman Theatre); “We Are Proud to Present…” (Victory Gardens Theater); “Porgy & Bess,” “Tartuffe” and “The Misanthrope” (Court Theatre); and “Bud, Not Buddy” (Chicago Children’s Theatre). Turner’s Second City credits include the Hubbard St. Dance collaboration “The Art of Falling,” which was also performed at Los Angeles’ Ahmanson Theater; and “Twist Your Dickens“ (Goodman Theatre). He has also performed at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, La Jolla Playhouse and Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park and is a graduate of Northwestern University and completed the School at Steppenwolf.

Krystal McNeil (Actor One) graduated from Columbia College Chicago in 2009 where she received her B. A. in Theatre Arts. Most recent credits include “Stoop Time” (You & Me Productions); “Jar the Floor” (Jeff Nomination Best Ensemble - ETA Theatre); “Ceremonies in Dark Old Men” (BTAA nomination, Most Promising Actress - ETA Theatre); “A Raisin in the Sun” (Madi Theatre Co.); “Patchwork U.S.A.” (Raven Theater Company); “Class Dismissed” (Victory Gardens Theatre, u/s), and “A Streetcar Named Desire” (Polarity Ensemble Theatre).

Debrah Neal (Actor Three) was last seen in Congo Square Theatre’s World Premiere of “Sanctified” when she was nominated for “Best Featured Actress in a Play” by the Black Theatre Alliance.  Some of her other credits include “The Old Settler” and “The Piano Lesson” (Hansberry-Sands Theatre Company);  “Love Child” and “American Menu” (Chicago Theatre Company); “No Place To Be Somebody” (The Performance Loft); “Sojourner Truth” (Stage Two); “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and “The Colored Museum” (Fleetwood Jourdain Theatre); and “Heat” (ETA Creative Arts Foundation).  As a director, Neal’s directing credits include the world premiere of “What It Be Like” (Living the Dream National Touring Company, Columbus, OH); the world premiere of “Goodness” (Clockwise Theatre); “Home” (Fleetwood Jourdain Theatre); and “Sing Sister Sing” (DuSable Museum).  Her film credits include “Officer Down” (Richard Blakewell); “The Rise and Fall of Miss Thang” (Lavender House Films); and “A Perfect Day” (Derrick Sanders).   

Robert Fenton (Actor Four) is a proud, founding ensemble member of The Alluvium Group. He was seen in Boston for the national tour of “Columbinus” with American Theater Company. Other Chicago credits include “Port Authority” (Writers Theatre); “The Big Meal” (American Theater Company - Jeff Award Best Ensemble); “Columbinus” (American Theater Company); “The Twins Would Like To Say” (Dog and Pony Theatre); “The Hostage” and “Port” (Griffin Theatre); “Cherrywood” (Mary Arrchie Theatre Co.); “The Terrible True Story of Pinocchio, the Wooden Boy, as Told by Frankenstein's Monster, the Wretched Creature” (The Neo-Futurists); “Too Much Memory” (Sinnerman Ensemble); “Princes of Waco” (Signal Ensemble); “The Gospel of Franklin” (Steppenwolf Theatre); and “The History Boys” (Jeff Award Best Ensemble and Best Production - Timeline Theatre). He has also been seen nationally for his commercial work in front of the camera.

The cast also includes Osiris Khepera as Actor Five. 

About Windy City Playhouse

Windy City Playhouse, Chicago's most sophisticated not-for-profit Equity theater, aims to expand beyond the traditional theatergoing experience by offering audience members a night of high-quality entertainment with a full-service bar, in a lounge-like atmosphere. Windy City Playhouse premiered in March of 2015, with the inaugural production End Days. Lauded by audiences and critics alike, Windy City Playhouse promises to rock Chicago's theater scene.

For more information, visit WindyCityPlayhouse.com and follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  

OPENING: The Nether at A Red Orchid

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

A RED ORCHID THEATRE PRESENTS THE CHICAGO PREMIERE OF

THE NETHER BY JENNIFER HALEY

DIRECTED BY ENSEMBLE MEMBER KAREN KESSLER

JANUARY 26 – MARCH 12, 2017

ChiIL Live Shows will be out for the press opening, so check back soon for our full review.

A Red Orchid Theatre continues 2016- 2017 Season with the Chicago premiere of The Nether, written by Jennifer Haley, directed by Ensemble Member Karen Kessler. The Nether features Ensemble Members Guy Van Swearingen and Doug Vickers with Maya Hlava, Ashley Neal and Steve Schine. The production runs January 26 - March 12, 2017, at A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N. Wells. 

Regular Run:  February 2 – March 12, 2017    

Schedule: 

Thursdays:                  8:00 p.m.

Fridays:                       8:00 p.m.

Saturdays:                   8:00 p.m.         

Sundays:                     3:00 p.m. (Sunday Jan 29 at 7pm)

Location: A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N. Wells Ave.

Tickets:  $15-$25 previews, $30-$35 regular run.  ($30 Thurs, $35 Fri, Sat, Sun)

Box Office:  Located at 1531 N. Wells Ave, Chicago, (312) 943-8722; or online www.aredorchidtheatre.org

A young detective uncovers a disturbing brand of entertainment, triggering an interrogation into the darkest corners of the imagination and the most basic of human desires. The Nether is a virtual wonderland that provides total sensory immersion; a beautiful escape that ultimately begs some very serious questions about responsibility, connectivity and love. Winner of the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize 2011-2012.

“The Nether is a play that has puzzled me for several years,” notes Artistic Director Kirsten Fitzgerald. “I read it and could not let it go; could not reconcile my feelings about the technology and the humans in it. Each time I thought that I had an answer, it was yanked out from under me with some new question or undeniable truth. The one thing that I do know is that no matter the technology, the problem is human. These artists andd A Red Orchid's intimate space where there is "nowhere to hide" are the perfect tools with which to investigate.”

The creative team for The Nether includes John Musial (scenic design), Myron Elliott (costume design), Ensemble Member Mike Durst (lighting design), Joe Court (sound design), and Abigail Crain (props design). The Production Stage Manager is Stephanie G. Heller.

About the Artists

Jennifer Haley is a playwright whose work delves into ethics in virtual reality and the impact of technology on our human relationships, identity, and desire. She won the 2012 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize for her play, The Nether, produced in Los Angeles, off-Broadway, on London’s West End, across the US and internationally in Scandinavia, Germany, Turkey, Slovenia and Spain. Other plays include Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom, a horror story about suburban video game addiction, and Froggy, a noir thriller with interactive media design. Jennifer has worked with Center Theatre Group, Royal Court Theatre, Headlong, MCC, Sonia Friedman Productions, Woolly Mammoth, the Humana Festival of New Plays, The Banff Centre, Sundance Theatre Lab, O’Neill National Playwrights Conference, Lark Play Development Center, PlayPenn, and Page 73. She is a member of New Dramatists in New York City and lives in Los Angeles, where she founded the Playwrights Union.

Karen Kessler (Director) is a member of the Ensemble at A Red Orchid Theatre where she has previously directed the World Premiere of Brett Neveu’s The Opponent, the Midwest Premiere of Pumpgirl by Irish playwright Abbie Spallen, the Chicago premiere of Sarah Kane’s Blasted; the US premiere of Gagarin Way by Gregory Burke (After Dark award for Outstanding Ensemble) and the Midwest premiere of Mr. Kolpert by David Gieselmann.   She recently directed the world premiere of Rob Kuzlaric’s adaptation of The Three Musketeers at the Illinois Shakespeare Festival.  Other Chicago credits include work with Collaboraction’s Sketchbook, Seanachai Theatre,  Famous Door, Next Theatre, Rivendell Theatre and Noble Fool Productions.  Credits outside of Chicago include: Glengarry Glen Ross for the Northern Stage Ensemble in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England; Macbeth for the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival; Measure for Measure for Connecticut Repertory Theatre; Scapin, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Taming of the Shrew, and All’s Well That Ends Well at the Illinois Shakespeare Festival; and The Merry Wives of Windsor and The Complete History of America (Abridged) for Idaho Repertory Theatre.  Karen teaches directing, acting and Shakespeare at Ball State University.

Maya Lou Hlava (Iris) is making her A Red Orchid debut with The Nether.  Other Chicago credits include White Christmas and Bye Bye Birdie (Drury Lane Theater), Jake's Women (Spartan Theatre Company),  The Secret Garden (Court Theatre), The Talking Cure (Idle Muse Theatre Company), Jane Eyre (Lifeline Theatre), Darger & The Detective (Intuit, in association with Steppenwolf  Theatre), The Wheel (Steppenwolf Theatre), Maya is also a principal voice over artist for Disney’s World of English and was seen in the film The Life of Penny Cyclone within the US Premiere of Ride the Cyclone (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre).

ASHLEY NEAL (Morris) returns to A Red Orchid Theatre where she previously made her debut in Red Handed Otter. She was most recently seen in The Life and Sort of Death of Eric Argile at Steep Theatre and before that in Men Should Weep with Griffin Theatre where she also didStage Door. A proud member of Rivendell Theatre Ensemble where she has performed in many productions including Wrens, These Shining Lives, The Walls, and Be Aggressive. Other Chicago credits include Reverb at Redtwist, 25 Saints with Pine Box, Living Newspaper at Jackalope and Christmas is for Fools with Step Up Productions. With Rivendell Theatre Ashley has performed in Wrens, 26 Miles, The Walls, These Shining Lives and more. Ashley is a graduate of the School at Steppenwolf and Columbia College.

STEVE SCHINE (Woodnut) has been an Artistic Associate with A Red Orchid Theatre since 2010 and marks his sixth AROT production with The Nether.  Also at AROT: Gagarin Way, Hunger and Thirst, Solstice, Louis Slotin Sonata, and The Earl.  Other Chicago productions: Gem of the Ocean and Invisible Man (Court Theatre), King Lear (Goodman Theatre), Martyr (Steep Theatre), Laughter on the 23rd Floor (First Folio), The Coward (Stage Left), It's a Wonderful Life (ATC), The City & The City (Lifeline Theatre), and The Cider House Rules, pts.1 & 2, A Going Concern, and Hellcab (Famous Door Theatre), as well as productions with Strawdog, Piven, Raven, and Northlight.  Regionally: It's a Wonderful Life (Clarence Brown Theatre), and Romeo and Juliet, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Twelfth Night, and Julius Caesar (Lakeside Shakespeare).  In NYC, he helped foster new works with Abingdon Theatre and studied at HB Studios with Austin Pendleton. TV: Jack Gatins on Chicago Fire and Curtis on Chicago PD.  His voice can be heard in many commercials on television, radio, and the internet, as well as the Ubisoft video game, Watch_Dogs.  Steve is a member of SAG-AFTRA.

GUY VAN SWEARINGEN is an Ensemble Member and the founding Artistic Director at A Red Orchid Theatre, where he was last seen in Red Handed Otter and Simpatico. He has appeared in 14 other productions, including the World Premiere of The Opponent; first here at home and then in its remount Off-Broadway at 59E59th Theatre. Outside of A Red Orchid, he was most recently seen in The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window at The Goodman Theatre. Guy has worked with many theaters in Chicago, including Steppenwolf, Lookingglass, Plasticene, Defiant Theatre, and Mary-Arrchie. Television credits include Sirens, Chicago Fire, Underemployed, Detroit 1-8-7, The Beast, Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story, Early Edition andTURKS. Film: The Dilemma, Take Shelter, Janie Jones, Public Enemies, The Merry Gentleman, Mad Dog & Glory, The Negotiator, Ali, The Weatherman and Adam Rapp’s Blackbird. Guy is also a Lieutenant for the Chicago Fire Department.

DOUG VICKERS is an ensemble member at A Red Orchid Theatre, where he most recently appeared in The Mutilated and Accidentally Like a Martyr. Some of his other favorite appearances at Red Orchid have been in Simpatico, Four Murders, The Grey Zone, and Hunger and Thirst.  Doug was the recipient of the Joseph Jefferson Award for The Best Man at Remy Bumppo Theatre (Best Cameo Performance).  Other Chicago credits: Chicago Shakespeare (Comedy of Errors), Next Theatre (R.I.P.) (U.N. Inspector, Turcaret the Financier), Court Theatre, Famous Door Theatre, Trap Door Theatre, and Hell in a Handbag. Regional: Illinois Shakespeare Festival. TV: Underemployed (MTV). Film: One Rainy Day (MPG Productions), Hope’s Happy Birthday (Perry Productions). He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English from Northwestern University-School of Continuing Studies and has done graduate level work in English at NU as well.

About A Red Orchid

A Red Orchid Theatre has served as an artistic focal point in the heart of the Old Town community of Chicago since 1993 and was honored this year with a 2016 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions. Over the past 23 years, its Resident Ensemble has welcomed into its fold an impressive array of award winning actors, playwrights and theatre artists with the firm belief that live theatre is the greatest sustenance for the human spirit. A Red Orchid is well known and highly acclaimed for its fearless approach to performance and design in the service of unflinchingly intimate stories. In addition to its professional season, the company also produces an annual OrKids (youth) project and hosts The Incubator (providing artists with space and time to explore new work, new forms and new artistic collaborations).

A Red Orchid Theatre is: Lance Baker, Kamal Angelo Bolden, Dado, Mike Durst, Jennifer Engstrom, Kirsten Fitzgerald, Joseph Fosco, Steve Haggard, Mierka Girten, Larry Grimm, Karen Kawa, Karen Kessler, Danny McCarthy, Shade Murray, Brett Neveu, Michael Shannon, Guy Van Swearingen, Doug Vickers and Natalie West.

LAST CALL: Chicago Puppet Fest End This Weekend

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

FINAL WEEKEND! TICKETS ARE GOING FAST FOR FINAL PERFORMANCES OF THE CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL 

PUPPET THEATER FESTIVAL, CLOSING SUNDAY, JANUARY 29

The second Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival closes this weekend, Sunday, January 29. 

Contemporary puppets acts and artists from around the world, the U.S. and Chicago have been playing to sold out houses and critical acclaim since January 19, and tickets are going fact to this weekend's final events at Chicago-area venues large and small. 

Click here and scroll down for our coverage including top picks, exclusive videos, and reviews.

Click here to watch the 1 min 25 sec video trailer

for the 2017 Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival

REVIEW:

I caught this excellent rendition of the tale made popular by Fantasia and Mickey Mouse's magic mop fiasco. This is a dark, edgier version that's not babyish at all, and appeals to older kids and adults. There's nothing objectionable for young children either. The story is primarily enacted with marionettes, with some shadow puppetry, chalk transitions, and a large mask and hands wearable "puppet". Recommended.

                       

Adventure Stage Chicago and Blair Thomas & Co. present Open Eye Figure Theatre of Minneapolis performing  The Sorcerer's Apprentice

at Adventure Stage Chicago, 1012 N. Noble St., Chicago

Friday, January 27 at 7 pm., Saturday, January 28 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Tickets: $17; $12 ages 14 and under 

Run time: 60 minutes

Family friendly

Video

      

Open Eye Figure Theatre's adaptation of The Sorcerer's Apprentice for the marionette stage is a look at youth, aging and the allure of power. Creator Michael Sommers uses Goethe's 1797 poem "Der Zauberlehrling" as inspiration, expanding on the young apprentice's mishaps and mistakes in this original work with a unique Open Eye approach. With its highly designed production, original score and masterful puppetry, this show appeals to both adults and children.

This Sunday I'll be out to check out one of the hottest tickets, Feathers of Fire: A Persian Epic, with five shows Thursday through Sunday in the newly renovated Studebaker Theatre in Chicago's historic Fine Arts Building, 410 S. Michigan Avenue. 

Feathers of Fire is a visually breathtaking cinematic shadow play for all ages. The play unfolds on a cinema-sized screen as an action-packed magical tale of star-crossed lovers from the 10th-century Persian epic "Shahnameh" ("The Book of Kings.") Inspired by Iranian visual traditions, creator Iranian-American filmmaker and graphic artist Hamid Rahmanian uses puppets, costumes, masks, scenography and digital animation to bring the story to life. 

Show times are Thursday and Friday, January 26 and 27 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, January 28 at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, January 29 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $40; $30 student/senior. Run time is 70 minutes. 

Tickets to Feathers of Fire and all remaining festival events are now on sale at ChicagoPuppetFest.org or by calling 312.977.9483.

Following are listings for the remaining acts and artists performing citywide now through Sunday, January 29, the final day of the 2017 Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival: 

  

The free Festival Neighborhood Festival Tour,  presenting three puppet artists - Detroit's Interstate Arts' PLAY with your food, Montreal's Magali Chouinard in The White Woman, and Baltimore's Schroeder Cherry in Underground Railroad, Not A Subway -  at a different Chicago Park District venue today through Saturday. 

Garfield Park Conservatory, Jensen Room, 300 N. Central Park Ave., Chicago

Wednesday, January 25 at 4:30 p.m. (Schroeder Cherry), 5:30 p.m. (Interstate Arts) and 6:30 p.m. (Magali Chouinard)

Calumet Park, 9801 S. Ave. G, Chicago

Thursday, January 26 at 11:30 a.m. (Magali Chouinard), 12:30 p.m. (Interstate Arts) and 1:30 p.m. (Schroeder Cherry)

Marquette Park, 6700 S. Kedzie Ave., Chicago

Friday, January 27 at 5 p.m. (Schroeder Cherry), 6 p.m. (Magali Chouinard) and 

7 p.m. (Interstate Arts)

Hamilton Park, 513 W. 72^nd St., Chicago

Saturday, January 28 at 1 p.m. (Magali Chouinard), 2 p.m. (Interstate Arts) and

3 p.m. (Schroeder Cherry)    

                             

   

Center for Community Arts Partnerships at Columbia College Chicago presents Great Small Works performing Muntergang and Other Cheerful Downfalls

at the Dance Center at Columbia College, 1306 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago

Thursday through Saturday, January 26 - 28 at 7 p.m.

Tickets: $20; $10 student

Run time: 75 minutes

Family friendly

Video

In a bilingual Yiddish-English play,  Muntergang and Other Cheerful Downfalls meditates on power dynamics by revisiting the performances of radical 20th-century puppeteers Zuni Maud and Yosi Cutler. Using original graphics and satirical scripts, Great Small Works combines new puppets and projections with original graphics and satirical scripts, introducing some Mae West and The Dybbuk along the way.

  

The Neo-Futurists present Vincent de Rooij and The Neo-Futurist Ensemble in 

Future Crash: a collision of short work by Vincent de Rooij and The Neo-Futurists 

at The Neo-Futurarium, 5153 N. Ashland Ave., Chicago

Thursday, Friday and Saturday, January 26-28 at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $25; $10 student/senior with ID

Run time: 70 minutes

Ages 14 and up

Video

Future Crash collides Vincent de Rooij, puppeteer of site-specific performances and magician of the inanimate object, with The Neo-Futurists, purveyors of the first-person play and destroyers of the fourth wall. Traveling from the Netherlands, de Rooij will lead an ensemble in interdisciplinary collaboration, guiding the audience through a solar system of short work hidden throughout the Neo-Futurarium. 

                                                                              

  

Chicago Children's Theatre presents Manual Cinema's world premiere Magic City

at the new Chicago Children's Theatre, The Station, 100 S. Racine Ave., Chicago

Friday, January 27 at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.; Saturday, January 28 at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.; Sunday, January 29 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Tickets: $25

Run time: 60 minutes

Family friendly

Video

With their newest work, the inaugural production in Chicago Children's Theatre's new West Loop home, The Station, Manual Cinema transforms Edith Nesbit's novel The Magic City into a live, cinematic shadow puppet experience. When a young girl moves into a new home, she entertains herself by building a city using household objects. Through some magic, she finds herself inside the city, surrounded by life. Using overhead projectors, paper shadow puppets, live actors in silhouette, miniature toy theater and a live music ensemble, Manual Cinema's Magic City modernizes the novel, building and illuminating a miniature city onstage that the audience explores themselves after every performance.

Links Hall and Rough House present Nasty, Brutish & Short: A Puppet Cabaret

at Links Hall, Studio B, 3111 N. Western Ave., Chicago

Friday and Saturday, January 27 and 28 at 11 p.m.

Run time: 1hour 20 minutes

Tickets: $10; $8 student/senior

Family friendly? No

Hit Links Hall for late night cabarets featuring short works by international festival artists, regional puppeteers and local talent. End your evening with a tasty selection of the raucous, raunchy, dark, sassy, sad and hilarious! 

The program provides a late-night hang out spot for the whole festival, an opportunity for out-of-town talent to bring shorter works, and a space for local artists. Each show features at least two mainstage festival artists bringing secondary short works, and at least two Nasty, Brutish & Short contributors.

Theater and Performance Studies and the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts present Puppet Quartet: UChicago Performance Lab residencies with Liz Joyce, Jesse Mooney-Bullock, Molly Ross and Michael Summers

at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60^th St., Chicago

Saturday, January 28, 4 p.m.

Tickets: Free to the public, no reservations required

An immersive afternoon of four works in development, in various sites of performance within the Logan Center for the Arts. Audiences will move from space to space to experience the four works by noted puppet artists Liz Joyce, Jesse Mooney-Bullock, Molly Ross and Micheal Sommers. 

Lookingglass Theatre Company presents Mr. and Mrs. Pennyworth

at the Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago

January 25-29: Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.;

Friday at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $35

Run time: 90 minutes

Family friendly - Recommended for ages 8+

Traveling storytellers Mr. and Mrs. Pennyworth captivate audiences with spellbinding tales. But one day, The Big Bad Wolf mysteriously dies before his story is complete. As fairytales disappear from their pages, Mr. and Mrs. Pennyworth must journey through the stories to restore order before they are lost forever. Written and directed by Doug Hara, with puppets by Blair Thomas.

The House Theatre of Chicago presents Diamond Dogs

at the Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division St., Chicago

January 26-29: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 7 p.m.

Tickets: $15-$30

Run time: 2 hours

Diamond Dogs is a classic deadly-maze story set in Alastair Reynolds's Revelation Space Universe. Follow a future team of humans and transhumans as they investigate a mysterious alien tower, bent on brutally punishing all intruders. Body modification is the norm in the 26th century, and award-winning puppet designer Mary Robinette Kowal articulates and re-shapes actors' human forms into powerful mechanized players battling for their lives. Blood will spill.

About The Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival

Intent on establishing Chicago as a center for the advancement of the art of puppetry, the 11-day, city-wide Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival showcases an entertaining and eclectic array of puppet styles from around the world. Marionettes, shadow puppets, Bunraku puppets, tiny toy puppets, and distinctive, innovative styles of contemporary puppetry are just a few. 

The festival was founded by Chicago puppeteer Blair Thomas to celebrate and cultivate the city's reputation as a leader in the art of contemporary puppetry, and because there was no major international festival of its kind offered in any U.S. city. 

In sum, the 2017 Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival boasts 24 presenting partners, 22 venues, more than 25 artists from seven countries presenting 20 different shows and more than 90 total performances. 

The festival website, is your online gateway to learn about, and with its new, shared online box office, purchase your tickets to this world pageant of top puppet artists and shows. 

Sign up via the website to receive important festival updates. Track the festival hashtag, #ChiPuppetFest, like the festival on Facebook, or follow the festival on Twitter at @ChiPuppetFest or on Instagram. 

For information (only) during the festival, call the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival box office, (312) 554-9800.

For more information, visit chicagopuppetfest.org.

Warm Your Winter With Laughter: See “BABY WANTS CANDY” Every Saturday at The SECOND CITY TRAINING CENTER

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

“BABY WANTS CANDY” LIMITED RUN AT THE SECOND CITY 

TRAINING CENTER THIS WINTER

Chicago’s Original Improvised Musical Runs Through March 25, 2017 at The Second City Training Center’s Judy’s Beat Lounge 

“Baby Wants Candy,” has long been a favorite of ours here at ChiIL Live Shows. I came from an improv background, studying it in high school and college in the 80's and forming my own nationally award winning troupe at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. They lasted over 20 years. I've always had a soft spot for imrov done well, and Baby Wants Candy delivers. This talented troupe not only takes audience suggestions for dialogue and show theme, but they put on a full on musical with a live band! You've got to see it to believe it. 

Chicago’s celebrated comedy institution will be spending the winter at Judy’s Beat Lounge at The Second City Training Center (230 W. North Ave) for a limited run, starting January 7 and running through March 25, 2017. After beginning at Improv Olympic and moving to the Apollo Theater in 2005, the “truly amazing” (New York Times) and “consistently funny and crowd pleasing” (Chicago Sun-Times) improvised musical will now perform every Saturday at 9 p.m. at the Training Center’s intimate 60-seat theater. Featuring a full band, each performance comes to life with a call-out by the audience resulting in a 60-minute, fully-improvised musical by some of Chicago’s finest improvisers. Tickets to “Baby Wants Candy” ($15/general admission; $7/students) are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting SecondCity.com.

“We are incredibly enthused to partner with the team at The Second City Training Center to bring our show to a whole new audience” said “Baby Wants Candy” Producer Emily Dorezas. “Since the recent election has created a lot of headlines, we expect to get some very interesting and topical titles for our signature improvised musicals.”

Each “Baby Wants Candy” performance begins with the cast asking the audience for a suggestion of a musical that has never been performed before. In that moment, accompanied by a full band, the first title that the group hears becomes the title and theme for that evening’s improvised musical, featuring a roller coaster ride of spontaneously choreographed dance numbers, rhyming verses and improvised comedy.  Each performance is its own opening and closing night, and by design every show is completely unique and a once–in a lifetime premiere.

“The Training Center is really looking to add more prestigious groups to our programming, and 'Baby Wants Candy' fits that bill perfectly,” said The Second City Training Center producer Stephanie Case. “We think that our students, faculty, and community will be very excited to have this show in our building.”

The cast of “Baby Wants Candy” includes seasoned improv vets Erica Elam (Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Chicago Tribune’s “One of Top Five Actors to Watch”), Nick Semar (“50 Shades! The Musical” National Tour), Ross Taylor, Nicole Hastings and Maria Randazzo (Second City Tour Company) and more, with musical direction by Jesse Case (Second City Mainstage & e.t.c., “Shamilton,” “Longer, Louder, Wagner!”). Performances of “Baby Wants Candy” run every Saturday night at 9 p.m. from January 7 – March 25, 2017.

                                                                                                        

Since its inception, “Baby Wants Candy” has expanded to include performing companies in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles, as well as an international touring company, creating more than 3,000 completely improvised musicals to sold-out crowds all over the world. In addition to weekly performances in Chicago, they also perform regularly at Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) in LA. “Baby Wants Candy” performs annual to sold-out audiences at Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and will travel to Australia for a month long run at the Adelaide Fringe Festival in February 2017. For more information about “Baby Wants Candy,” visit the website, or follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

About Baby Wants Candy

“Baby Wants Candy” has received rave reviews in The New York Times, The Huffington Post, The Onion, Chicago Sun-Times, TimeOut New York and more, and has received numerous awards including the winner of FringeNYC’s Outstanding Unique Theatrical Experience, Best Improv Ensemble by Chicago Magazine, the Best Visiting Comedy Ensemble by TimeOut New York, the recipient of the Ensemble of the Year Award at the Chicago Improv Festival, and a rare Sixth Star Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

“Baby Wants Candy” has included several notable performers including Peter Gwinn of “Colbert Report;” Aidy Bryant of “Saturday Night Live;” Stephnie Weir of “MadTV;” Nicole Parker of “MadTV” and Elphaba in “Wicked” on Broadway; Jack McBrayer of “30 Rock;” Al Samuels and Kevin Fleming of “Sports Action Team;” Thomas Middleditch of “Silicon Valley;” Garry W. Tallent of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band; Mark Pender of The Max Weinberg 7 and Bruce Springsteen and the Seeger Sessions Band; and Johnny Pisano of the Jesse Malin Band and The Marky Ramone Band. Members of “Baby Wants Candy” have recently written the hit off-Broadway show “50 Shades! The Musical Parody”.

The producing team behind “Baby Wants Candy” debuted “50 Shades! The Musical Parody” in 2012, playing to sold-out crowds off-Broadway, nationally and internationally. “50 Shades” currently runs in Las Vegas and Japan, and has been translated into more than 12 languages. In 2015, Baby Wants Candy also produced “Thrones! The Musical Parody,” opening to sold-out performances at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, followed by a twice-extended run at the Apollo Theater in Chicago as well as the Hudson Theater in Los Angeles. After previews in Los Angeles last spring, “Baby Wants Candy” brings “Shamilton,” the newest improvised musical based on the Broadway smash hit, to Apollo Theater running January 20 – March 31, 2017.